Begin With the End in Mind: Building a Purpose-Led Creative Brand with Vaughn Constable

Guest: Vaughn Constable 

Episode Host: Angela

In this episode of Begin, Build, Blossom, Angela sits down with Vaughn Constable, the creative force behind Twist Saint Lucia, a cultural fashion brand that celebrates Saint Lucian heritage through bold design, purposeful storytelling, and social impact.

Raised in Ti Rocher, Micoud, Vaughn's entrepreneurial journey began in childhood, surrounded by textiles and creativity. His early career in website design and tourism marketing placed him at the forefront of Saint Lucia's digital transformation before taking him to the United States, where he expanded his expertise in hospitality, web development, and interactive media.

Today, Vaughn has transformed national pride into wearable art while using his platform to champion meaningful causes through initiatives such as Bows for Boobs and Bows for a Cause.

This conversation explores the power of vision, culture, systems, and resilience, and how beginning with the end in mind can shape an entrepreneur's journey from idea to impact.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Beginning with the end in mind – How this principle has guided Vaughn's personal and entrepreneurial journey. 
• From purpose to business – How fundraising initiatives like Bows for Boobs and Bows for a Cause helped shape the evolution of Twist Saint Lucia. 
• The importance of systems – Why structure, processes, and consistency are essential for scaling a creative business. 
• Building a strong support network – The role mentors, collaborators, and community have played in his success. 
• Navigating multi-market challenges – The realities of growing a brand across borders, from logistics to cultural expectations.

To connect with Twist:

Website: www.twistbyvee.com - Home

Email: sales@twistbyvee.com 

Instagram: @twistsaintlucia Instagram

Transcript

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[00:00:00] Speaker: You have to have the passion for it, 'cause it's gonna be a very, very, very long time before you start seeing some money. So you don't wanna be caught up doing something that you don't like to do. You will never be successful doing something you do not like to do, and you have to begin with the end in mind.

[00:00:15] Speaker: When your mind has already seen what the end looks like, and all the hoopla they look up and tell you about, "Oh, you cannot do that. Uh, we're not sure if the boss will allow me to do that. Uh, da, da, da, da, da," I mean, everybody's not gonna support you. Half the time your family's not gonna support you, okay?

[00:00:31] Speaker: They're not gonna believe in you because the version of you that they know is not the, the version who wants to take risks and is curious, okay, and is purposeful. So don't look to them. Do not, I promise, do not look to them. 

[00:00:44] Speaker 2: Welcome to Begin, Build, Blossom, Your Business Journey, the podcast where we share valuable insights, resources, and motivation to fuel your entrepreneurial spirit.

[00:00:56] Speaker 2: Let's build a supportive community together. Don't [00:01:00] forget 

[00:01:00] Speaker: to subscribe or follow wherever you listen to podcasts and be part of this journey 

[00:01:07] Speaker 2: Let's pause for a moment to hear from our sponsors. You've built a name for yourself through hard work and dedication, but does managing the business side feel like a distraction from your true passion?

[00:01:19] Speaker 2: Are you dealing with unmanaged finances? CME Accounting LLC is here to help. We specialize in organizing your financial records, allowing you to focus on what you do best. With organized books, you'll have more time for what inspires you, whether that's expanding your influence, building relationships, or simply enjoying life.

[00:01:39] Speaker 2: Don't let unmanaged finances hold you back. Reach out to CME Accounting LLC today and let us help you thrive. Visit our website, www.cmeaccountingllc.com or email us at admin@cmeaccountingllc.com. All right, let's jump back into our [00:02:00] conversation 

[00:02:02] Speaker 3: Welcome to Begin, Build, Blossom, your business journey. A space for real conversations around creative and entrepreneurial journeys.

[00:02:13] Speaker 3: My name is Angela St. Denis, and I'm your host for this episode. On today's episode of Begin, Build, Blossom, we're featuring a creative, a son of St. Lucia soil, Fair Helen, as we like to call her. So just a little bit more about our guest today. He was raised in the rural community of Tirochs Micou. He grew up surrounded by creativity.

[00:02:40] Speaker 3: Studying subjects like clothing and textiles and technical drawing were passions that quietly shaped the entrepreneur he would one day become. His early career began in website design and tourism marketing, where he built digital systems for St. Lucian hotels at a [00:03:00] time when the internet was still new to the island.

[00:03:03] Speaker 3: It was during this period of exploration and growth that our guest began to understand the power of culture, design, and storytelling. His journey took him to the United States, where he worked with Rosen Hotels & Resorts and earned his associate's degree in hospitality from the University of Central Florida.

[00:03:25] Speaker 3: And later, he completed his BA in web development and interactive media in New York. Our guest is the incomparable Vaughn Constable. But just a little bit more about Vaughn. In 2017, he launched Twist by V, a brand inspired by the bold blue, gold, and black, and white, of course, of the St. Lucian flag, and elevated by the timeless Creole madras.

[00:03:56] Speaker 3: Through Twist, Vaughn transforms national [00:04:00] pride into wearable expression, crafting accessories that celebrate heritage while championing meaningful causes through initiatives like Bows for Boobs and Bows for a Cause. Today He stands as a creative entrepreneur merging fashion, advocacy, and culture, proving that consistency, calculated risk, and purpose can build a bold global brand.

[00:04:32] Speaker 3: Family, welcome Vaughn to the podcast. 

[00:04:35] Speaker: Hi, Angela. Thank you. Thank you. That was quite the introduction here. 

[00:04:39] Speaker 3: Thank you for taking the time, and of course, you know, it, it gives a description of what you've been doing so far. 

[00:04:45] Speaker: My pleasure. 

[00:04:46] Speaker 3: Especially with your Boots For A Cause that we will learn a little bit more about as we have the conversation.

[00:04:51] Speaker: Glad to be here. 

[00:04:52] Speaker 3: Great. So to get things started, we have a section called Rapid Fire. It's sort of an icebreaker, you know, to allow us [00:05:00] to learn a little bit more about Vaughn. So the first one is, if you had to describe yourself using one word as a child and as an adult, meaning yourself now, what would it be?

[00:05:12] Speaker 3: It could be two different words or it could be the same word. 

[00:05:15] Speaker: As a child, I would probably describe myself as

[00:05:21] Speaker: Curious 

[00:05:22] Speaker 3: And what about now? 

[00:05:23] Speaker: As an adult, purposeful or driven. Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's enough 

[00:05:29] Speaker 3: So the first one was curious, and then purposeful and driven. Is it that you're no longer curious, or is it that there was a growth? 

[00:05:37] Speaker: I think there's a similarity that actually exists between the two, but you just don't have the terminology for it as a kid.

[00:05:43] Speaker: You were probably punished for certain things and doing things that were not of the ordinary, um, what a typical child would do. Vaughn was always different or some- I mean, from the way he ate food, from the way... I mean, my mom could tell you, you know, like, I had to be [00:06:00] beaten to eat my food. Now I just eat everything that I find.

[00:06:04] Speaker: Vaughn was just always different, and he'd always just have to find something extra or find something else to do. Um, everybody would be over on this side, but then he would be on that side. Um, he was just not the typical. So I call it curious. I put a nice bow and he call it curious. 

[00:06:22] Speaker 3: Well, thank you for sharing and providing that bit of insight.

[00:06:26] Speaker: Yeah. 

[00:06:26] Speaker 3: So then the next question on the rapid fire is, what is one book or movie that you'd recommend? 

[00:06:33] Speaker: I'm not an avid reader, and I don't watch, and I don't watch movies a lot, but what I can say is that, um, begin with the end in mind. 

[00:06:41] Speaker 3: So you've, you've captured that from a book or a movie, you'd say?

[00:06:44] Speaker: Actually, one of my professors from college said that to me. 

[00:06:47] Speaker 3: Mm-hmm. 

[00:06:48] Speaker: You begin with the end in mind. One time we were having a class, we were having this particular class, I mean, and it was a four-hour class. And, um, I had already done the assignment. And I [00:07:00] submitted the assignment, and what we'd do, we'd review the assignments over the first two, hour or two of the class.

[00:07:06] Speaker: And the second half we would basically set the tone for the next class. So I submitted my assignment, and he let the class present, and then he said, "You know what, Vaughn? Let's take a walk to the MoMA." His name was Professor Gary Armstrong, and he said that to me. "Let's take, let's take a walk to the MoMA."

[00:07:23] Speaker: That is the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. And we walked up to the MoMA, and he just looked at, he just had me to look at all of the pieces on the walls. And he said that you present your assignments The way I present my assignments is the very same way that you look at art in the museum and how they are set up on the wall or on the displays.

[00:07:45] Speaker: Um, which, which would, you know, take me to more things about Twiz with regard to merchandising of products. And that is something I have taken with me for a very, very, very long time throughout this entire journey, to begin with the [00:08:00] end in mind. I never heard it articulated to me, but it was something I would always do, where you see the end before you start it.

[00:08:09] Speaker: And, um, that's just been planted in me for a very long time, ever since then. 

[00:08:14] Speaker 3: Okay. All right. Well, uh, thanks for sharing that insight and the e- effect that that message has had on you. So ano- another couple of questions for us to go through, uh, quickly is, is there a fun fact that most people don't know about Vaughn?

[00:08:30] Speaker: I'm a loner. I spend a lot of time by myself and, um, I would not call myself an introvert. I'm not as outgoing as people believe I am. 

[00:08:39] Speaker 3: Okay. That's a good one, Vaughn. Well, thanks for sharing that for one. It's interesting that you say you're a loner rather, and you wouldn't say you're an introvert because somehow that's not the persona that you present.

[00:08:55] Speaker: I completely get it. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. I'm not an introvert, okay? I'm a very outgoing [00:09:00] person, okay? Yeah. But I like to be by myself more than like to be around people. 

[00:09:04] Speaker 3: With people. See, like, an om- somebody told me that's an omnivert, but we- we'll, uh- 

[00:09:08] Speaker: Okay. Whatever they wanna call it, but that's me, that's, that's that.

[00:09:11] Speaker: Yeah. Yeah. 

[00:09:14] Speaker 3: Okay. If there was a place that you could visit right now in the world, where would that be? 

[00:09:19] Speaker: I wanna go to Thailand. 

[00:09:20] Speaker 3: Why? 

[00:09:21] Speaker: I want to print more fabric. Not just print fabric, but, um, I think there is time that I wanna take for myself personally, um, to just be outside, be, to just be, find peace within myself.

[00:09:34] Speaker: But there is lots of things over there that I would be able to incorporate into my business that I think I could get there. I know I could get there, so I wanna go there- ... and print fabric as well. Yeah, yeah. 

[00:09:46] Speaker 3: So it would be a twofold visit. 

[00:09:48] Speaker: I would, I, I mean, I mean, I would like to be able to take trips where I don't have to work, but, um, that is just one of the, one of the things with, you know, working for yourself.

[00:09:57] Speaker: Every trip for the past 10 years has been a business trip for me. [00:10:00] And, um, I sneak the fun in here, there, but to just get to the peace of mind and to just spend time with Vaughn, I would definitely like to do that in Bali. 

[00:10:09] Speaker 3: Okay. All right. All right, excellent. Well, thanks for sharing that background and, you know, just a little bit of what those desires are in terms of traveling.

[00:10:18] Speaker 3: Yeah. So it takes us rightly or straight into talking about the business. So we know you are the founder, the creative mind behind Twist by V. So tell us, what was the inspiration behind your business? What was the inspiration behind the name as well? 

[00:10:37] Speaker: Twist is the name of the business. Um, the logo, the brand is a twist.

[00:10:42] Speaker: Before Twist, we had started making bows. We're making bows for these causes from breast cancer awareness. Remember in that, um, summer of 2016 when we made the pink ones for the, um, fundraiser on Flatbush Avenue, then we did the purple ones for Purple Power movement, Purple Power movement for [00:11:00] domestic violence here in Brooklyn.

[00:11:01] Speaker: We did a fundraiser for them that following week, and we had done some for the World AIDS Day lower down into December that year with the red ones for, um, Brightpoint Health. These were just me making bows for these organizations, you know, to raise funds and awareness. It was really not a business. It was just Vaughn and some bow ties.

[00:11:20] Speaker: I'm giving the organizations the money, and, um, God, it was not until about, uh, the December, later that December, we were making them with the, um, with the logos for that hospital. And, uh, we came to the realization that we had to register Twist as... Register the bus- register a business and promote the campaign as, as a separate entity.

[00:11:44] Speaker: So that is how Bows For a Cause was coined, and the name came about. Well, when I looked at, well, at that time it was just bows, and I decided to use the inspiration of the bow tie to make a twist. So we were twisting fabric to make bows And that is kinda just [00:12:00] how the name came about. 

[00:12:01] Speaker 3: Oh, okay, okay. 

[00:12:04] Speaker: Yeah, so Bows For Coins was coined separately, and Twist by V became the LLC in 2017, that February.

[00:12:11] Speaker 3: Okay. So you shared a lit- a little bit about the inspiration behind how it came about, and the business has come on. You are making... You've been making bow ties now just for causes. How do you transition it to now that income-generating for yourselves? 'Cause what were you doing before? 

[00:12:30] Speaker: Well, I was still a student.

[00:12:31] Speaker: I was still a student. I was just coming out of, um, um... I was just coming out of school that summer of 2016, and, um, we made the entire summer down with these, with, with, with these causes right into December. And, um, we did these pieces for the hospital in December with the logos on the scarves and bows.

[00:12:50] Speaker: And, um, it was January of 2017 we got Twist registered, and, um, oh, God, it was, uh, Jeremiah, the... [00:13:00] our, our Consul General here in New York, had, um... Well, he knew of what I had done for the hospital that December, and he's like, "You know, Vaughn, our prime minister is, is gonna be visiting. We'd love to make a gift for him, make a gift for him."

[00:13:12] Speaker: And I made the... That is when I made the first St. Lucia flag bow tie. We gifted it to him that February for independence, and he opened it and spoke to how we're always encouraging our St. Lucia nationals in the diaspora to come home and set up shop and be part of the local economy. And, uh, that is, um, the quest to bring Twist to St.

[00:13:30] Speaker: Lucia. But before that, um, my God, it was basically making bows and scarves for the, uh, all the, all the St. Lucia associations in the diaspora. During independence celebrations, we'd partner with them. You know, everyone, everyone who'd buy a ticket to the gala would get a product, and, uh, you know, I'll locate the ties or bow or a scarf, and the association makes a percentage, and I'll go just allocate the inventory.

[00:13:56] Speaker: So that's kinda how it really got out there with the associations throughout. 

[00:13:59] Speaker 3: Hmm. [00:14:00] Okay, so that was a, a really easy way to spread the message of having a bit of home. 

[00:14:05] Speaker: I wouldn't say an easy way to spread the message, but it just m- completely made sense. Um, nationals in the diaspora, we always want a sense of belonging.

[00:14:15] Speaker: We are reminded every day that we don't belong where we are, and, um, you know, having a piece of St. Lucia with us, um, just gives us that sense of identity. 

[00:14:25] Speaker 3: Yes, very correct. You have a piece of home by someone making it like it was home. 

[00:14:31] Speaker: Yeah. 

[00:14:32] Speaker 3: Yeah Thanks for sharing that, that backdrop. I wanted to just go back a little bit in terms of getting the business started, because you're a St.

[00:14:41] Speaker 3: Lucian national in a foreign country. What was that process like starting the business in New York? 

[00:14:48] Speaker: Oh my God. So, um, I mean, I'd, I'd already started making the bows and people were already buying them and giving these organizations all the money. Um, I did not realize it was, it could have been a business.

[00:14:59] Speaker: I [00:15:00] really did not realize it, it was a business. It, and, and it was all until, um, I delivered those bows to the hospital. They, they're like, "You know what, Vaughn? You're making the, you're making all these bows. You can't give these people all the money. You have to separate it." And, um, I remember when I came back to New York, I was, um, I went to deposit the check that they had paid me, and the bank called me into the office.

[00:15:19] Speaker: They were like, "Okay, um, what did you do to get that kind of money?" And, um, 'cause I was still a student. And, um, I showed them the pictures. I told them all this that I had did, and, um, they're like, "You..." They opened up a business account for me without even a business, a, a business registered 

[00:15:34] Speaker 3: Oh, wow 

[00:15:35] Speaker: Okay? And, um, like within maybe about a week or two, I had made some samples for that bank, and, um, after about maybe two to three weeks, um, I got a call from them, and they wanted me to make with their logo for the northeastern region here in New York, um, that included Connecticut, um, New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Delaware.

[00:15:55] Speaker: And I say that to say I could ... Living here, you're able to sit [00:16:00] within 15, 20 minutes, go on your phone, register a business, put in your, do the name search for your LLC, you know, pay for it, get your articles of organization, get your EIN or your tax ID number, set up an account. You could do that within an hour.

[00:16:16] Speaker: It's nothing like St. Lucia. And then I did that, and, um, went back and, um, they just put it back into the back end of the account. And, um, ugh, my God, that is when it started. I didn't have ... I wouldn't say I would have much difficulty, but the process is very seamless and straightforward here, um, just to set it up.

[00:16:35] Speaker: Uh, that time I started doing pop-ups. I remember doing my first pop-up event. Um, so that now is generic bow ties, not exclusively to the fundraisers we had done that year. It is generic ones. I would make, like, one-of-a-kind pieces. Someone's call, "Hey, Vaughn, I'm doing this event. I need a pocket square matching, you know, my bow tie."

[00:16:55] Speaker: I would do that, and I would just do lots of pop-up shops here. Go down to Washington, DC in, [00:17:00] um, Embassy Day, where they have all the embassies open by Dupont Circle and Locust Circle, all that. Would do that over there. I would drive down to DC, do pop-ups, go to North Carolina, go to Atlanta. Because I always loved traveling.

[00:17:10] Speaker: I always loved traveling. I mean, so it was never a big thing for me to jump in my car and drive down the road. 

[00:17:17] Speaker 3: So, th- th- now you could travel and earn an income at the same time. 

[00:17:22] Speaker: Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. I'll be, I mean, I'll be doing pop-ups. I'll sit at a pop-up table making bow ties. 

[00:17:28] Speaker 3: Ah. 

[00:17:29] Speaker: Sewing bow ties, you know, at the event.

[00:17:31] Speaker: You know, and have ... I remember one Father's Day one year we had a situation, not a situation, but had an occasion. There's a store in Brooklyn that carries my ties, and it was a Father's Day that year, so the Saturday before Father's Day I went to the store, and I was serving wine and, uh, and cheese to the men who'd come there, and they would pick their fabric, and I'd make their bow tie for them on the spot.

[00:17:54] Speaker 3: Oh, wow. That must have been exciting. 

[00:17:58] Speaker: People, people, customers like process. [00:18:00] Customers like the process. They enjoy seeing the process. A lot of my content you may have s- probably seen on our social media is the process. You know, they wanna see your hand in it. Yeah, they wanna see that it's been made by you, and they love that.

[00:18:16] Speaker 2: Let's pause for a moment to hear from our sponsors. You've built a name for yourself through hard work and dedication, but does managing the business side feel like a distraction from your true passion? Are you dealing with unmanaged finances? CME Accounting LLC is here to help. We specialize in organizing your financial records, allowing you to focus on what you do best.

[00:18:38] Speaker 2: With organized books, you'll have more time for what inspires you, whether that's expanding your influence, building relationships, or simply enjoying life. Don't let unmanaged finances hold you back. Reach out to CME Accounting LLC today and let us help you thrive. Visit our website, [00:19:00] www.cmeaccountingllc.com, or email us at admin@cmeaccountingllc.com.

[00:19:06] Speaker 2: All right. Let's jump back into our conversation. 

[00:19:09] Speaker 3: So as you talk about processes and you talk about making by you, do you have a team that helps you to execute your demand? Because you've been in business for a couple of years now- 

[00:19:20] Speaker: I know, right? ... 

[00:19:22] Speaker 3: and you've expanded the line of things that you do, you produce.

[00:19:26] Speaker 3: So one, I want you to talk about the, the new products that you brought on, because you started with bows. So you've added more scarves, you've added different countries as well. 

[00:19:38] Speaker: Jewelry, candles. 

[00:19:40] Speaker 3: Yes. 

[00:19:41] Speaker: Socks. 

[00:19:42] Speaker 3: So why not stick with bows and just make bows, bows, bows? 

[00:19:45] Speaker: Remember COVID? Remember that guy COVID? 

[00:19:48] Speaker 3: Mm-hmm.

[00:19:50] Speaker: CO- COVID did that. COVID did that. It was bow ties up until COVID. 

[00:19:56] Speaker 3: Mm-hmm. 

[00:19:56] Speaker: And, um, COVID came and, um, we got into this [00:20:00] mask craze. Remember those masks? 

[00:20:02] Speaker 3: Yes. I, 

[00:20:02] Speaker: yes And making the matching masks for the events. And the ladies were like, "But Vaughn, they're not seeing my lipstick." So I had to make earrings to match the masks.

[00:20:12] Speaker: Then they were like, "Okay, now I need a necklace to match my earrings. Now I need a bracelet to match my necklace." Okay. And the men are like, "But that's not ..." You know, and they were asking w- what is it that I have for the men. And, um, we had to develop, we had to develop lifestyle products, 'cause people just gravitated to the brand.

[00:20:29] Speaker: Customers gravitated there. I mean, and they would come to the table now and say, "Hey, Vaughn, I have everything you have there already. What else do you have?" So I had to make a determination, do I continuously keep adding products to the line, or do I increase production and grow the market? By the time we got registered in St.

[00:20:49] Speaker: Lucia and the hotels got involved, we had to pivot a little bit. So there are some products that I make by hand still, and there are some products that [00:21:00] are made by manufacturers. 

[00:21:02] Speaker 3: Okay. That you have mass produced. Yeah. 

[00:21:04] Speaker: Yeah 

[00:21:06] Speaker 3: So now that you've spoken a little bit about the products, we were speaking earlier about the team.

[00:21:12] Speaker 3: Is this team just Vaughn? 

[00:21:14] Speaker: Well, Vaughn is many things. Vaughn is the team, yeah Yeah, that's, um, that's one of, um, one of the challenges I have. 

[00:21:23] Speaker 3: Okay. Okay, considering that you are that, how, how do you create your legacy? How do you ensure that you can meet all these demands that come upon you for products?

[00:21:33] Speaker: Well, one of the thing is that, um, we have, I have created is, uh, is, is, I, I am working towards is automation. And a lot of that has, that, that has, that has happened somewhat. A great deal as a matter of fact, um, how I have been able to secure the outlets that carries the products, uh, as well as fulfillment.

[00:21:52] Speaker: So a lot of the marketing initiatives that you're most likely, that you'd see would be directing people to either buy on the website or go [00:22:00] get it into the outlet, because I cannot be everywhere. Fulfillment-wise, that is situated. Um, communications-wise, we try to direct it directly straight into the emails so that we're able to respond and have a follow-up, um, within a efficient fashion.

[00:22:15] Speaker 3: Okay, great. So it sounds like you have a system in place. I do, I do. I d- 

[00:22:20] Speaker: I do have a system in place, however, mindset is, it's, it's, it's plays a key role in that. And, um, I have made a deliberate effort to maintain that, whereas i- it is not something I think that is well received by our people because of culture and norms, that they believe that they have to see me personally or call me directly to get it, and think that they're gonna get it quicker because they called my phone.

[00:22:47] Speaker: Um, but it really pulls us back. It would really pull us back if we have to perpetuate the, the behavior that people believe that they have to get it from me. For example, um, I'll get a message in my [00:23:00] DMs, "Hey, Vaughn, are you back in New York? Because I want to get something, something from you." Or, "When you coming back on the island?

[00:23:05] Speaker: I want to bring you... I would like you to... I would like to get one of those things from you." You don't have to get it from me, because we have done the work to make it available into outlets everywhere for people to get it. Like, if I were to disappear today, you will still get your product. You don't need to know where I am physically to trust the system and to trust the, the process.

[00:23:25] Speaker: So that is, that is one of the challenges I have with regard to that. Yeah. And, um, once I'm able to re- m- make myself disappear, I know that I've done the work. So yeah, that's it. And that's why I, I mean, I don't have a staff. I may need some assistance. I have a small support group around me of people who can move things here, pull things here.

[00:23:47] Speaker: With regards to as we, you know, distribute around the Caribbean, there is re- there is a requirement for a ground handler on each island with regard to replenishments on each island. We do have that in St. Lucia, [00:24:00] so I don't have to be there to replenish. However, with Reconciliation, they need me there 'cause it's, it's, it's tough with over there.

[00:24:09] Speaker 3: Okay. So you d- so as you said, on the ground, so there, there's distribution in, in several islands in the Caribbean, so you're, you're growing lots of tentacles. So in having business in these various places, how do you manage your finances? Do you have an accountant that helps you to reconcile? Because you just mentioned that reconciliation is one of the challenges.

[00:24:31] Speaker: Yes. So, so with regards to the reconciliation, um, especially on St. Lucia, uh, we do it on the quarter. When I first started, we'd do it, like, I would try to be there every month. 

[00:24:41] Speaker 3: Hmm. That seems demanding. 

[00:24:44] Speaker: That was, that is very less than smart to do, okay? Do- don't, don't do that. That's very less than smart. Um, we have resorted to do it on the quarterly basis now.

[00:24:53] Speaker: Um, with some of my very good resellers, I actually give them the free rein and do, do it maybe every six months, [00:25:00] okay? But, uh, it could, it could really lapse, and, um, it's gonna throw you into a tailspin, because I find myself having to do these counts. And I mean, we do send the, the form every quarter, and the, the operation is basically for you to tally what you've sold over the period of time, over the 90-day period.

[00:25:21] Speaker: And they cannot do that. They will not do it, and it's just a lackadaisical, you know, attitude about it over there. And, um, I have to do it when I fly onto the island. 

[00:25:32] Speaker 3: Mm. But we, we have to count the money, you have to count the dollars. Do you have an accountant? 

[00:25:37] Speaker: Absolutely. Uh, we, we actually do have a, an accountant.

[00:25:40] Speaker: He's, he's actually St. Lucian. 

[00:25:43] Speaker 3: Hmm. Okay. 

[00:25:43] Speaker: Very New York, yes. And, uh, just being able to navigate, the assistance with being able to navigate the various, um, laws re- with regard to taxation and geographical locations and, you know, and, and whatnot, it's very important to have that deciphered. [00:26:00] So yeah. 

[00:26:01] Speaker 3: So thanks for sharing that.

[00:26:03] Speaker 3: In terms of business, there's always a, a period of struggle, challenges. The first is, what would you say has been the biggest leap you've taken in building your businesses? 

[00:26:16] Speaker: You see challenges sometimes. Every day is a challenge. Every day is a challenge. Running a business, just being an entrepreneur is, is sy- synonymous with putting out fires.

[00:26:28] Speaker: So every day you put out fires. That is what you do. Risk managements, you solve problems, you f- you figure out things, that is ... You troubleshoot all day, every day. So it's not sometimes, that's a 24-hour role. Thus far, I would tell you the biggest challenge has been bringing Twiist to St. Lucia. 

[00:26:44] Speaker 3: So that's the biggest challenge.

[00:26:46] Speaker 3: Have you been able to overcome that challenge? 

[00:26:48] Speaker: Oh, but that is the challenge. That is the challenge. That is the ultimate. 

[00:26:51] Speaker 3: It's a continued challenge. 

[00:26:53] Speaker: Absolutely. Every day is a challenge. 

[00:26:56] Speaker 3: Okay. Well, what has been the biggest leap you've taken with [00:27:00] Twiist since you started? What would you say is the biggest leap?

[00:27:02] Speaker 3: Is it going to St. Lucia is the biggest leap? Mm-hmm. Really? Oh, so going to St. Lucia is also the biggest leap. 

[00:27:08] Speaker: What, what, what Twiist has done in the diaspora from beginning up until 2024, 2025, I will do that all day all over again. I will do that all day all over again. 

[00:27:23] Speaker 3: Okay. What keeps you motivated?

[00:27:25] Speaker 3: Considering all the challenges, considering you've said, you know, being an entrepreneur is putting out fires on a regular basis, what keeps you motivated to grow? 

[00:27:33] Speaker: When I spoke earlier and I spoke to the small group of people I have around me, my little support system, in just various jurisdictions, um, of the world, um, especially diaspora, London, Canada, United States, how- How freely people are able to make things happen without wanting or needing anything in [00:28:00] return.

[00:28:00] Speaker: Okay? I mean, I know you have, you have, you have bags of inventory at your house of Twist. Okay? You'd go to the post office, you'd do replenishment over there in London, you do fulfillment in London. Okay? You hold an account for Twist. You, Angela, you, you, you I'm talking to. Okay? You see what you do for me in London.

[00:28:20] Speaker: Okay? I have that in Canada. I have that in three Canadian cities, Toronto, Calgary, and Ottawa. In the US, I will land in Atlanta at Marjorie Douglas' okay? That is the president for the Atlanta Association. We have the association in Florida, in Washington, DC by Karen Sealey, we have Connecticut. I mean, just say it and they would move a package.

[00:28:48] Speaker: "Hey, Vaughn, you need to ship over here. We need this brought over." They will carry this here. They will move, they will move things around and make do. You see that support? People will tell me, "Hey, Vaughn, I have all what you have already. Any new product you have, just charge my card [00:29:00] and ship it." Okay, I have that already.

[00:29:01] Speaker: "No, but I'm gonna buy this for my team. I'm gonna buy this for this person. I'm gonna buy this as a gift just to have there for when they call." Okay? So it is never like having too many or having too much, but they will just support just for supporting sake. And I'll be on tape, "But you have that already."

[00:29:16] Speaker: So that in itself is enough for me to continue doing this, 'cause people believe in it, they love it, and, um, that's sufficient. 

[00:29:29] Speaker 3: So it's that inter- that community, that network, people that you can call on. 

[00:29:34] Speaker: My support system. 

[00:29:36] Speaker 3: The support system. Definitely. 

[00:29:37] Speaker: Okay? Okay. I could dip into them anytime. I will dip into them anytime.

[00:29:43] Speaker 3: That's good. And I mean, succeeding in business is about utilizing the network, and all the connections, and your support system. 

[00:29:52] Speaker: I may not have a staff, okay, but I've not done this by myself. I've done a lot by myself, okay, but I cannot take [00:30:00] all the credit. 

[00:30:01] Speaker 3: That's very honest and authentic, Vaughn. So it, it just showed that the, the connection you have with the people, the connection with the community, that persons are willing to support you in that way.

[00:30:14] Speaker: I mean, I have people who tell me, "Vaughn, send me a box of inventory. There's an event happening in Texas. Send me a box of, of, of, of inventory. I will do a table for you." Okay? I turn around, all my money's in my account. All. 

[00:30:27] Speaker 3: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Thanks so much, Vaughn, for sharing, you know, that insight and sharing authentically about, you know, what you've been experiencing.

[00:30:35] Speaker 3: So despite, yes, you remain committed to producing for the community and the network, has there ever been a time where you thought, "You know what? I want to give up. It's just too much"? 

[00:30:46] Speaker: I know I'm not gonna be giving up because, again, I see the end. And I'm gonna take you back to the quest and why the biggest challenge is bringing it to St.

[00:30:55] Speaker: Lucia. And the biggest reason why I did that is because of the opportunity that the [00:31:00] Caribbean has. Once the hotels got involved, the entire trajectory shifted. So as a St. Lucian living in the diaspora, how many ties are you possibly gonna have? How many socks are you possibly gonna buy? I'm not gonna continuously be adding products on that magnitude to a small fraction of people when I could duplicate the concept for tourists to buy every day in all of these hotels around the region.

[00:31:25] Speaker: So again, I will go through the mess and get it sorted out and get it situated, okay? So that it could be where it needs to be in a more holistic market. 

[00:31:36] Speaker 3: Mm-hmm. Okay. Okay. 

[00:31:39] Speaker: I'm not gonna forget diaspora. I'm never gonna forget diaspora, and I'm never gonna look back. I did not get this far. There is no going back.

[00:31:46] Speaker: There is no point of regret. I may not have food to eat some days. I may have to struggle to probably buy a flight or maybe put gas in the vehicle or, or, or something. But there is never a time when I... No, no, no. No. Nope. [00:32:00]

[00:32:01] Speaker 3: Okay, good. So it's onward and upward- 

[00:32:04] Speaker: Absolutely ... for 

[00:32:05] Speaker 3: always 

[00:32:05] Speaker: Absolutely. I mean, we have gotten to a plateau, and, and, and I say we like I'm, I'm really many people, and I al- always speak to, you know, a group 'cause this is really a cooperation running this here.

[00:32:16] Speaker: This is just, just going on to about nine, 10 years, and every, every season, every season it gets to a plateau. It gets to a plateau, and then I feel, okay, ah, let's just, you know, ease up, you know, take a little break, take a little break. Because we've been going along this calendar. St. Lucia rotates on this calendar.

[00:32:38] Speaker: You know, we have the, from the holidays to independence, then there's the jazz, then there's the, um, carnival, and then there's the summer, summer workshop, then there's the Creole, then the, the, the Taiwanese trade show, then the holidays again, and they just go back and forth into that cycle. That's, that's St.

[00:32:55] Speaker: Lucia. But being able to navigate all of these calendars for all of [00:33:00] these jurisdictions, 'cause London has its calendar, we're fighting with the summers in the New York and in Canada, okay? And, um, just doing it. There's a lot of planning and structure and focus that has to be, that has to be had to be able to maneuver these, these dates and events.

[00:33:18] Speaker: And oftentimes when I hit the Caribbean, it's like, "Oh, we're having that. We see you there. We're having that next week. Are you available to the dates?" And I'm like, "Um, we're already scheduled for, like, the next nine months to be wherever." And it may seem like, you know, it's just like hopscotch, hopscotch, hopscotch, hopscotch.

[00:33:36] Speaker: But, um, it's, uh, it's, it's very compelling. And again, I'm gonna go back to the beginning of this interview as to why I spend a lot of time with myself, why I may be considered a loner And, uh, I mean don't necessarily always wanna be everywhere, and I mean don't necessarily always have to deal with everybody 

[00:33:55] Speaker 3: Mm-hmm.

[00:33:55] Speaker 3: Yeah, sometime you're peopled out. 

[00:33:57] Speaker: Yeah. 

[00:33:58] Speaker 3: Okay. Thanks [00:34:00] for sharing that. 

[00:34:01] Speaker: So that's your little bow. That's it. 

[00:34:02] Speaker 3: As we've come to a close, three sets of advice that you would share with someone wanting to become an entrepreneur, and where can people find out more about Twist? 

[00:34:12] Speaker: First of all, for you to find out about Twist, uh, you go to twistbyvee.com.

[00:34:16] Speaker: It gives you a list of all of the reseller outlets that carries the products globally, and you could also order from the website, twistbyvee.com or twiststlucia.com. Advice to anyone who would like to get on an entrepreneurship journey, passion, purpose, and position. You have to have the passion for it, 'cause it's gonna be a very, very, very long time before you start seeing some money.

[00:34:41] Speaker: So you don't wanna be caught up doing something that you don't like to do. You will never be successful doing something you do not like to do, and you have to begin with the end in mind. When your mind has already seen what the end looks like, and all the hoopla they look up and tell you about, "Oh, you cannot do that.

[00:34:59] Speaker: Uh, well, [00:35:00] I'm not sure if the boss will allow me to do that. Uh, da, da, da, da, da." I mean, everybody's not gonna support you. H- I mean, half the time your family's not gonna support you. 

[00:35:08] Speaker 3: Mm-hmm. 

[00:35:08] Speaker: Okay? They're not gonna believe in you, because the version of you that they know is not the, is not the, the version who wants to take risks, and is curious, okay?

[00:35:17] Speaker: And is purposeful. 

[00:35:19] Speaker 3: Mm-hmm. 

[00:35:19] Speaker: So don't look to them. Do not, I promise, do not look to them. 

[00:35:23] Speaker 3: Mm-hmm. 

[00:35:23] Speaker: That's enough 

[00:35:25] Speaker 3: Okay. So you could say that's it from you? 

[00:35:29] Speaker: Yeah, yeah. 

[00:35:30] Speaker 3: Okay. All right. Excellent. Well, Vaughn, thank you so much for sharing a bit of your journey. I'm sure we could have gone further, but we'll save some for the next time.

[00:35:39] Speaker: Yeah, yeah, yeah, we, yeah, we, yeah, we're gonna do- we, we, we've been meaning to do this a very long time, as a matter of fact, but we're gonna do- Yes ... more later. 

[00:35:46] Speaker 3: So Vaughn, thank you so much for joining us. Um, we look forward to having more conversations like this, very authentic and real. 

[00:35:54] Speaker: Yeah. Yo, yo, we should make it a series, like every Sunday at 5:00.

[00:35:58] Speaker 3: Yes. [00:36:00] So this has been Begin, Build, Blossom: Your Business Journey, a space for real conversations about entrepreneurial and creative journeys. My name is Angela, and I was your host. Be sure to like, share, and of course, subscribe so we can build a community. Bye for now. 

[00:36:19] Speaker 2: A quick note before we wrap up. The insights and experiences shared by our 

[00:36:24] Speaker 3: guests are their own.

[00:36:26] Speaker 3: We love creating space for real conversations about business and growth, and everyone's journey is unique. Therefore, this podcast is for informational and inspirational purposes only. It is not meant to replace legal, financial, or other professional advice. So we encourage you to take what's useful, do your own due diligence, and build what works best for you.

[00:36:58] Speaker 2: Thanks for listening to [00:37:00] Begin, Build, Blossom: Your Business Journey. We hope today's conversation gave you the insights and inspiration you need to move forward on your own path. Don't forget to subscribe or follow wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode. Do you have feedback? We'd love to hear from you at podcast@cmeaccountingllc.com.

[00:37:23] Speaker 2: Join us again next week for a new episode.