Wedding planner and CEO of Destination Turks and Caicos Keisha Delancy believes that the most effective way to become excellent at what you do is to start at the entry-level and climb.
Delancy, who was a guest on Melanie Smith’s Thursday FLOW in the Morning’s ‘Career Connection’ show on Radio Turks and Caicos, articulated that when one starts at the entry-level, during their growth they would discover the intricacies of the business, thereby becoming good at it.
She said unfortunately some do not want to begin at that level.
“Some folks do not want to start at the entry-level. You have to start by learning the business from the ground up. So, there is going to be a position that you have to settle for, or not typically settling, but enter that position from the entry-level. Because you need to understand the business and the business model,” she encouraged.
Delancy pointed out that there are many opportunities in the wedding planning sector, since tourists come in droves to get married in the Turks and Caicos Islands. But she said excellence should be the hallmark of planning those nuptials.
“In the area of wedding planning, you have the junior planners. So, you can actually grow the junior planners into being full-scale wedding planners. There is also the villa concierge manager…you can come in as a concierge with the company. And then there is the design team. The design team are the team members who go out there and make it happen,” she explained.
She encouraged those wanting to enter the sector to find someone able and willing to mentor them, plus while at it, conduct research on that market and get certified.
“If it is your passion, align yourself with a mentor, do your research and also see what certifications are available for you to pursue on your own, so when you reach out to a mentor you are already halfway there. If it is your passion, go for your passion…don’t just do it because you think it looks good,” she urged.
Delancy pointed out that she was most delighted to have been a mentor to another local, who now operates a thriving company in the United Kingdom, being featured in magazines even.
She said Destination Turks and Caicos is a destination management company, which focuses not only on destination weddings but the entire experience. She said the guest is catered to, from airport SUV pick-up to their time of departing, noting that concierge services are included in the package.
She said the company was primarily designed to cater to the hospitality sector, and so, did not promote its services locally, even though it was made available. However, she said locals had reached out to the company and as a result, it oversaw several of those weddings.
Delancy said the advent of COVID-19, though scary, provided the company with an opportunity to recalibrate and fine-tune its business delivery, adding that the bond between management and staff, which is an all-local cast, became much stronger.
“So, while it was scary, it was a time for us to get closer and bond as a family – not just employer, employee. We don’t look at each other as employer/employee,” she said.
In the meantime, Delancy, who has been in hospitality for many years, serving in various areas, thanked Grace Bay Club for investing in her.