Sean Carter is managing director of Rhema Cooling Limited.
Q: Are you where you’ve always wanted to be?
A: No I’m not, I’ve learnt so much in the past year it’s amazing. I’m not who I used to be but I’m still not who I can become or where I want to be. I’ve learnt from my past mistakes and will definitely reach my destination within the next five years. If I had known many of the things I know now I would be spending a lot more time with my family and loved ones instead of working so hard most of the time.
Q: What is your biggest professional challenge?
A: For me it is getting out of the habit of being directly involved in everything. For a long time I thought I had to be doing all the important stuff: making all the decisions, coming up with ideas, doing the work that is technically difficult etcetera. I’ve since learnt to surround myself with a hard-working, competent, reliable and honest team.
It took me a long time but I finally realised my company wasn’t growing, I wasn’t growing and I was preventing others from growing as well but I’m learning to delegate a lot more.
Q: What is your biggest life challenge?
A: To live a balanced life and manage my roles as a husband, a father, a son, a brother, a business owner, a friend and an entertainer all in a way that is pleasing to God and fair to my wife and daughter. Coupled with that is the challenge to bridge the gap between what is said and what is done. I’m challenged daily to be a doer and not just a talker. I believe I should lead by example in every sphere of my life.
Q: When you look to the future what do you see?
A: I see success, freedom and joy; a successful business which runs like a well oiled machine in several Caribbean islands. I also see freedom to make decisions without financial restrictions – more options in life, much longer vacations and finally, joy because I’ll be spending a lot more time with my family and friends and spreading the good news of Jesus.
Q: What is your favourite pastime?
A: My favourite pasttime would definitely be listening to music or just relaxing with my family when I can, wherever the location might be. I could go weeks without television but I think music is a part of my make-up.
Q: What is your favourite meal?
A: I love sweet potato pie. Also, I love ground provisions – cassava, sweet potato, plantain, steamed veg with some grilled fish. I also love all coconut-based products from the water to the jelly, from coconut ice cream to coconut cheese cake, from coconut biscuits to coconut bread. I’m a coconut junkie – ask my wife and she’ll tell you.
Q: On Saturday nights where are you likely to be?
A: On Saturday nights I’m most likely to be at home winding down from a long week, including the activities of the day, and looking forward to a relaxing Sunday spending quality time with my family and friends.
Q: What upsets you the most?
A: Disrespect upsets me most. My feathers aren’t easily ruffled and I’m usually very cool, but if they are ruffled it would most likely be due to someone being disrespectful to me or to someone else that I am aware of. Apart from that it would be terrible customer service.
Q: What is your guiding philosophy?
A: My philosophy is that in Him we live and move and have our being. For me to live is Christ and to die is gain. I believe not only that Christ is life but that he is the substance of my life. As such I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength is a reality. There are no limitations to who I can be or what I achieve as a true follower of Christ. He died that we might live and I intend to live and not just exist until He returns or calls me home.
Q: If you had the chance to manage Barbados for a day what would you do?
A: If I had the country to manage for a day, the first thing I would do is to set a date and call the next general elections. Seriously, I hate politics. In my opinion it’s like a coin with the same thing on both sides, so if I absolutely had to I would search for a competent replacement for myself and then step down.
At this stage I don’t think I would want such a responsibility. I’m no economist so I would prefer to play my part by sticking to what I’m good at and that’s providing affordable energy efficient comfort cooling solutions. In that way I would be able to contribute to the stimulation of the economy by helping people have a little more disposable income.
