IMTARA AND PAUL CLARKE have a special connection with the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre that goes way deeper than being the organizers of Girlfriends Expo. It’s actually where the couple first met.
“Actually he was doing an event there 11 years ago in 2001 and I wanted to go, so I called him to get tickets,” Kimtara said.
While Kimtara says it wasn’t love at first sight, both their interests in each other were piqued.
“We started talking seriously a couple of months later,” she said. “After the event we got to know each other and even started working on projects together. He used to do fund-raising events for school, and since my background is in graphics and advertising, I got involved doing the artwork.”
Little did Paul and Kimtara know that they would be laying the groundwork for their future life, working together daily as a couple.
“We got married a friend’s wedding expo at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre in 2006,” Kimtara said. “It’s like the building is just in us . . . . We met there, got married there and we do Girlfriends Expo there.”
For the couple it has not been just about being married, but about building a business, raising a family and trying to leave a legacy for their children. They now have three children, six-year-old Paul Michael, five-year-old Paris and two-year-old Payden. While some people would cringe at the thought of working with their spouse, both Paul and Kimtara tout the benefits.
“Working with my wife we play towards our strength, so it usually works very well,” says Paul. “Sometimes it can be frustrating when you’re not moving at the same pace, but it’s worked out fine.”
And while some couples might find it a bit daunting, Paul doesn’t mind the length of time they spend together.
“We’re always together but we’re usually in work mode,” he says. “There are times when I might have to travel on business separate to her so we do spend time apart. During the day when the children are not around it’s work mode, but when the children come home it’s their time, not your time.
Kimtara adds: “You never really leave each other. But you have to recognize as a couple when you need to turn it off. That has been a work in progress for us. Paul is a night person and he does his best work later in the evening when it’s quiet. It kind of works for us. Even if he can push out the work at night when I’m asleep, then during the day I can keep the conversation going. That has gotten easier with kids.”
One of the great parts of running your own business is the flexibility in provides in carving out your time. For a working mother with three small children involved in various activities, Kimtara loves the ability to carve out her time with her children in mind.
“Kids changed us tremendously. They add a level of responsibility to what we do. Whatever we do has some effect on them,” Kimtara said. “It helps that they’re close in age, but of course that means planning, and timetabling becomes important – again that factors back into our schedule. It also means understanding each child has a completely different personality, because they need you in different ways. We also have to credit the extended family because they play a very big role in the lives of these kids.”
Paul and Kimtara have tried to integrate their children into their business as well, having them attend the expos and helping them to see their parents as entrepreneurs.
“Being married keeps me more laser-focused, with the kids especially. While you’re trying to build a legacy not only for yourself, but for their children as well,” Paul says. “It helps to increase the fierce urgency of now. It makes you realize that in order for them to have a better future I need to be able to take the risks now, in some cases sacrificing my own well-being for their future. We share that same sentiment.”
It seems that their entrepreneurial ways are rubbing off on their children, who were selling their own beaded creations at this year’s Girlfriend’s Expo.
“The kids were selling beads at the expo – they have their own business. It’s all about developing their entrepreneurial mindset from very early,” Paul said.
While Paul and Kimtara know that it takes hard work working and building their family, they’re doing it together and they wouldn’t have it any other way.
“You need to be patient, need to listen and be conscious of what the other person is going through, and have proper time management,” Paul says of making their marriage work. “Most important you need to have that firm foundation trusting in God .”