Go nakd, Go Brave!

A colleague of mine, from Connectimass  recently posted an article on entrepreneurship which gives a completely different viewpoint on the field. It says that entrepreneurship is actually on the decrease and that the media paints it as a drama.

It concludes that as the sector is portrayed as a drama, and as the public wishes to learn of entrepreneurial woes and success, the more it wants, citing the popular Shark Tank series as an example.

Tech4agri disagrees! Great idea generators and developers are out there on their way to success and from our experience it is growing. This week, we feature female entrepreneur based right here in Trinidad and Tobago, Leigh Lopez.

Leigh is the founder and chief kitchen goddess of Go nākd found onfacebook, twitter (@NakdTride) and instragram (@nakdtribe). The name of her business is wild and it did its job in making us interested in learning more. Already there is a lesson for those of you out there with your own start-up. She give us an interview:

I’m a Cosmetic Scientist by profession, Certified Raw Food Formulator and Holistic Life Coach that’s currently leading the startup of Ohana Publishing House. I credit my holistic lifestyle, for being able to effectively manage my personal life passions, family life, kids and several businesses.  — Leigh Lopez

Keron: Can you very briefly explain your business, and its products or services.

Leigh: Go nākd is still in the beginning phases of forming itself into a viable organized business, but our goal will always be to create a source for organic, non-GMO food in Trinidad and Tobago.

What started as a home garden project to 1) Ensure a steady supply of high-quality, organic & wild-harvested produce on a daily basis and 2) For my children to develop a playful, loving relationship with growing their own food, has since grown to be so much more!

We’re a holistic wellness initiative that ties together whole food, plant-based nutrition and Ayurveda philosophy through one-on-one lifestyle coaching and cleansing.

Our services involve the sale of agricultural produce through a Farm Box initiative. Additionally, we produce our in-house Go Nākd brand of healthy snacks, host guided cleanses, educational classes, seminars and retreats that relate to natural and sustainable living, as well as a chef service throughout the year.

Keron: How did you get involved in this niche of yours?

Leigh: Through many years of personal development, study, daily yoga, meditation and blunders have led me to try to make an impact within my network.

Each brand has its own unique story, but what makes it a perfect match is, at the very heart of the business are authentic products anchored to their heritage. These products, a resilient business model and sustainable development have allowed us to achieve a strong performance.

Keron: Having blunders or failures before success is achieved is quite a true statement which many people may not realise. What have you needed in order to succeed in this niche of yours?

Leigh: I grew up hearing my father’s personal mantra what seemed like daily; ‘Every day you have the opportunity to learn and experience some-thing and some-one new, seize the opportunity. Learn and experience everything you can and use it to change the world.’

So as far back as I could recall, I have been engrossed in learning, it’s this trait that started a passion, the ‘passion of life’ I always talk about today. It is this passion which led me to create my business while offering people an option to return to the holistic lifestyles of the past, when rituals and traditions were simple, pure and spiritual.

So I would say, in order to succeed I would need to continue fulfilling my passion for life.

Keron: Has your business had any impact on a community of any kind?

Leigh: Go nākd is still in the beginning phases of forming itself into a viable organized business, and therefore has not made much of an impact other than providing few persons interested in supporting local food systems together via volunteering.

We have been continuously receiving membership request (which we have put on hold) as we’re working on increasing retail members to provide products and services that will complement our core products.

Keron: Thanks for the interview Leigh.  

Leigh: You’re very welcome and thanks for the feature!

Go nākd is surely on its way to success as Leigh is no stranger to business management. She serves as a Cosmetic scientist at West Indian Skincare. She explains, “Using a blend of traditional and breakthrough skin ingredients, we’ve developed the industry’s leading hand-milled cosmeceutical formulas that protects skin from premature signs of aging caused by environmental damage, and, attempts to heal unhealthy skin caused by different ailments.

Today, West Indian Skincare continues to set the industry standard by developing innovative and first to market technologies. Our mission is to provide you with advanced skincare backed by science.”

All the best to you and your team Leigh. Stay Dedicated!