Today we’d like to introduce you to Krystal Williams.
Hi Krystal, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I am the child of immigrant parents from Jamaica. For as long as I can remember, I was frustrated by the fact that my family was so spread out: Jamaica, Canada, England, Switzerland; and I only saw my cousins once a year or even longer in many cases. I told myself that as soon as I figured out what I wanted to do – I would do work that involved the Caribbean community because being West Indian and the power of community were two things that were so important to me. Fast forward to my post-collegiate years and I figured out that I wanted to find a way to leverage the power of the West Indian community. We are a proud people who love our islands, our families and our culture. One thing that we were missing was a built-in way to access community. When I moved to Atlanta from NYC, I had to put in a lot of work to seek out the Caribbean community. I heard that a lot from other Caribbeans that I met in my search. I want to make it so that the search is not a long or hard one. We should be able to easily access other West Indians who have resources, experience, skills and know-how to help each of us accelerate our road to success. So I am now on the journey to build out that digital community!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Bond & Bridge?
I am building out the first of its kind, private social and professional membership club for Caribbean professionals. We are targeting millennial Caribbeans who tend to be more disconnected from West Indian culture because they have lived outside of the West Indies longer than their parents and grandparents have, in places like the US, Canada and Europe. We are connecting young professionals that are hungry for community and connection, desire to level up in their careers and realize the power of staying connected to their culture while they achieve their wildest dreams. There isn’t another community focusing on this demographic in this way. This is really significant because with some islands in the Caribbean losing 50% of their population to emigration – we want to make sure those people stay tied to their culture and to the region even if they don’t live there. I am the child of two Jamaican immigrants myself so I am most excited about working with and for other Caribbeans. My culture from the music to the food and the language has been one of my favorite and most invigorating aspects of my childhood. I know the importance of knowing where you came from and who you are and I want to bring that to other West Indian professionals. That culture is our cheat code – our key to achieving our most audacious goals.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
There are so many ways to seek out people steps ahead of you that can help you reach your goals. I am a member of an amazing invite-only network of entrepreneurial women called Dreamers and Doers. The members in DD are at all stages of their professional and entrepreneurial journeys so I have been able to meet mentors through that group. In addition, I sought out mentors at my 9 to 5. What I have found when it comes to finding mentors is that most people are very interested in helping those who ask for it. Don’t be afraid to reach out to people that have achieved what you hoped to achieve and offer to buy them lunch or a coffee for a few minutes. The biggest thing I have found to be successful when engaging with mentors and potential mentors is that you try to help them where/when you can as well. Help can be small – sending them a link to an article that you found relevant or sharing a group/opportunity that you think they would find interesting goes a long way in helping the relationship to be mutually beneficial. In addition to mentors, I also work with a business coach – and while the relationship is a business one, I’ve found the experience to be hugely rewarding and eye-opening. Mentors don’t have to just be people that you reach out to in person, they can be found on podcasts, in books, in magazines. The point is to seek out – anyway that you can – people that have achieved what you want to achieve and learn as much as you can about what they did to get there.
Contact Info:
- Email: hello@thebondandbridge.com
- Website: thebondandbridge.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bondandbridge/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bondandbridge/
