While attending the then St Leonard’s Girls’ School, Glenda King became pregnant at age 15 and had to halt her studies. Although she had her mother’s full support, King had no immediate plans about what she would do, but somewhere in the back of her mind she knew she wanted to be an entrepreneur.
Today, at the age of 38, King makes spectacular jewellery using wire, shells, pins and other materials. She operates her jewellery business, Lasage, from her Sargeants Village, Christ Church home.
“I grew up in Arch Hall and then I moved to Fairfield and after that, I came to live in Christ Church and lived in Silver Hill.”
Glenda noted there was a lapse between leaving high school and where she is now.
“I went on to work in a factory and . . . it was only $114 for the week. I remember thinking that these people have got to be kidding. I only worked that one day. Then I started selling fruits. I was always interested in having my own business. At one point I sold clothing . . . . My focus then was on getting a clothing shop,” said King.
One day King, who attends the Sanctuary Empowerment Centre, said God spoke to her.
“I was home and was going through a financial bind and I said ‘God, I don’t want to be broke all the time. I am basically struggling from pay cheque to pay cheque’. And I heard God telling me ‘Jewellery. You like selling and you are good at sales’.
“So I went out and bought some jewellery for me, figuring that is what he meant. He again said to me: ‘I don’t want you to buy jewellery; I want you to make jewellery’. . . . But I was still puzzled. Then he brought people into my life that were always talking about jewellery . . . where I could get the supplies and that sort of thing.
“And from there everything just started to evolve,” she said enthusiastically.
King has started reaping success after just a year and three months in the business. She recalled her first sale: “It was made out of pins. My son and I were sceptical. We said well, we don’t know who is going to buy this . . . I remember I was so elated when somebody actually picked it up. And can you believe I only sold that piece for $8!
“The woman who bought it said, ‘This looks real good!’ and my son said ‘She is kidding, right?’ I haven’t made another piece like that,” she said with a smile.
King, a mother of four, said her family has been very supportive and at various points everyone would “pitch in”.
“My motivation comes from God. I am sometimes self-motivated too because it doesn’t take much for me to be motivated,” she said.
“I love jewellery making . . . I like to take a piece of wire and just see it come alive. It just brings joy seeing that I can take something like that and bring it into a piece that a woman can enjoy and be free to express herself in something that I have created.”
King also showcased her products at the Barbados Manufacturers’ Exhibition (BMEX) earlier this year.
“I only came out my shell recently . . . telling people that I made this and I made that. So for me BMEX was a big step. I was so frightened. But I went and the response was so touching,” said King.
“God keeps telling me to just make them and sometimes I am making two and he tells me to make more. I never had a point where I was frustrated,” she said.
“I would tell anyone starting out to stay focused and keep your head on. I tend to say as my philosophy, every day is a new beginning. . . trust in God. He gives everything you will ever need in life.”
