Meet Chantal Juman. A boss babe known for her thriving brand, Babe Cave, has certainly earned her stripes in the beauty industry. Let’s get to know Chantal!
1. How do you like your Doubles?
Doubles are probably one of my favourite bites. But, I only like them HOT, straight from the spoon to my mouth – everything slight please.
2. Which spot/place in T&T would you recommend as a must-visit to a first-time visitor to T&T?
The Magnificent Seven is always a nice stroll.
3. What was your first job?
My first job was in Canada at a flea market, selling UFC T-shirts and posters. Super random I know, and yes this means I could give you a run for your money in UFC trivia.
4. What is your favourite Trini word?
Vex
5. What’s one of your pet peeves?
Public toilets without lids. Every flush makes me cringe that the germs are all in the air going in my hair and my eyeballs. I actually try to run out of the bathroom stall before the toilet automatically flushes. It’s a game of the fittest, sometimes I win and sometimes the toilet wins.
6. How do you like your eggs?
I like my eggs sometimes with yolk and sometimes without.. sometimes runny and sometimes not. Basically I don’t know how I like my eggs, but I eat them on any given day.
7. Name one of your favourite local brands?
Awaken & Co – handcrafted decor and so much more!
8. Tea or coffee?
Well, it used to be tea but recently I have a new found love for coffee and I’m not sure how I’ve lived so long without it.
9. Favourite local fruit?
I’ll go with pommceythere, it’s great on its own but even better chowed!
10. Favourite type of mango?
My dad has a Julie mango tree in his backyard so perhaps I’m biased but I love me some Julie!
11. What would you say is one of the biggest
milestones of your career to date?
Hmmm, to date perhaps being able to leave my baby (Babe Cave) in the hands of my extremely amazing team and venture off to begin a whole new journey with another career path that I’ve dreamt of for a very long time! There is no better feeling than seeing your business thrive “on its own” where you can step back and breathe once again.
12. What advice do you have for budding entrepreneurs?
Let me break this down into three top tips!
1. Understand your market: A lot of people go into a business idea or industry they know little to nothing about. In my opinion, you should choose something you’re knowledgeable in or passionate about so the steep learning curves don’t hamper your success. This will also give you a leg up on conducting your market research, monitoring competitors, and hiring/working with the right people that won’t take advantage of you.
2. Make a plan: You’ll need a good business plan set in place which includes your initial start up costs and overall goals. In my opinion, organization is a key element or as they say a “make or break” within a business’s success. It is important to keep track of your finances, important documents, timelines and goals. How can you see how well your business is doing if you’re not monitoring and plotting your route to success! This also helps you manage your time.. just because you’re not punching in and out 9-5 and now a business owner, doesn’t mean you should have to work 24/7! SLEEP IS IMPORTANT!
3. Network and support: Never stop networking. The power is all in your hands really, this leads to new customers, perhaps future employees, or even a potential investor if you’re looking for one. Talking or asking questions is the simplest way to create a community for yourself. A community of support is there to help you solve problems and refocus on the positives when the going gets tough. This is invaluable because if it’s one thing I learnt, you can’t do everything by yourself and you certainly shouldn’t try.
13. When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A Veterinarian. I thought it was the perfect, most amazing job in the world for me. In my mind, it was all about playing with animals all day and helping them get better when they’re sick! My dream was crushed when I grew up and understood what being a veterinarian fully entailed and I just couldn’t imagine handling some of the cons that came along with the job. Hats off to all the veterinarians out there!
14. What’s your favourite local snack?
Ouuuu chile this is a hard one for me to answer. I’m a huge snacker, I would never refuse a good snack! Of all the salty, sweet and cheesy favourites, I guess I have to say Bigfoot (original). Yeah that’s right, Bigfoot – it’s the perfect combination of cheesy and airy with a good crunch to it. I can’t tell you how many Bigfoot packs I have consumed. It would be shameful.
15. If you could change your career, what would you change it to?
Well I’m currently in the process of doing exactly this… Interior Designer in the making! Interior design has been a love of mine for a long time. I truly enjoy architecture and designing/transforming spaces especially when I can see a project through from start to finish inclusive of the interior decor! It’s so much fun designing someone’s vision and bringing it to life!
