Motivational Speaker and Founder of Little Speakers' Touch Stephanie A. Brewley-George. Photo: Carmilita Jamieson/VINO

Mrs. Brewley-George during one of her recent sessions of SHAPE UP, segment of Little Speakers Touch where young ladies were taught public speaking and youth development skills.

Meet Mrs. Stephanie Brewley-George, a young lady who once lacked motivation and found herself changing jobs and careers ever so often until she eventually took a realistic swing at finding her true calling and making that critical change to go after her passion.

Today, Mrs. Brewley-George is a motivational speaker and a young woman who finds inspiration and motivation in helping others.

So motivated is this young Virgin Islander and wanting to share what she learnt to help other young persons that she has since developed a programme, Little Speakers’ Touch that helps young people to improve their public speaking and general youth development skills. She has even expanded that programme now to include, come summer, one specifically for young men called “Man Up” to ensure that they too can receive some much needed motivation and inspiration to become well-rounded young men in society.

Many who witnessed the execution of her first programme “Shape Up” which was recently conducted and saw some 52 young ladies participating, may never know that the same young lady hosting it was once someone who didn’t know her true calling, made the mistakes, had the experience, but didn’t give up.

Her first job out of school was at the Financial Service Commission as a Front Desk Clerk. She then left to attend H. Lavity Stoutt Community College to pursue her Associates Degree in Marketing and proceeded to work for FirstCaribbean as a teller, a data entry clerk at the Passport Office and another stint at the Elections Office.

“I got bored easily so I never stuck to anything. Secondly, I would need money so I needed to work and my work ethics were not that good when I was young,” the very humbled Young Professional admitted.

For her, monotony wasn’t her thing and most of the jobs she took were monotonous in nature.

The former student of Leonora Deville and Ivan Dawson Primary also admitted that she had lacked direction and passion and tried to strike the balance between growing up and having fun but didn’t have the ability to balance both.

“The truth is I knew what my passion was from a child, I love to speak, I like to hear good speaking and I like to influence and motivate. So it was very vague as a child but became very clear in 2011 when I decided to sit and think where I really want to go what legacy I want to leave.”

The motivational speaker said she sat down and wrote it out and decided if she will do the things she wanted and have the passion for, she will have to make a change.

It was then that Little Speakers’ Touch was born in 2011 out of what she found was a need for young people to be able to not only speak well, but believe in themselves.

“Looking at the community as a whole and in a search for what I want to do, what bothers me is that many young people are not able to articulate themselves, many lack a holistic approach to development, there is a generational downfall because certain aspects of their lives are not fostered between the primary and secondary levels. Some of them can’t appreciate public speaking and hard work ethics to work for what they need, they don’t seem to appreciate the finer things the BVI have to offer so they settle for the bare minimum,” she explained. “When I look at the fabric of society, what I see is not silk, it’s not a heavy linen, it’s a mere thin cotton, I see there needs to be a substantial change.”

The mother of three said when she looks at the spirituality level of many youths, they don’t seem to have appreciation for those things and she felt that what was missing was the genuine care, and if it means having to take it out of the hands of the school and parents, she believes someone has to do it and that was her calling.

For the motivational speaker, though her programme is still in its early stages, she feels accomplished, especially after hearing the feedback from the young persons who attended and told her that she made a difference in their lives and asked for its continuation.

Asked how she feels doing something that she is so passionate about, the very patriotic young woman proudly said, “I feel empowered and transformed doing this. I feel like a proud British Virgin Islander because I get to make my mark in the soils of my origin in a greater cause than self and to enhance the fabric of the BVI in times to come starting from this point. I feel a sense of self-worth being able to step out of a nine to five and something that don’t give immediate returns and still being able to stick to it knowing the rewards are greater than a salary every day or month.”

Her challenge as a young person trying to make her mark and embarking on a career she loves is that some individuals were not responsive to her ideas being a young entrepreneur who was venturing into a field that she didn’t have a legacy to build on. While academically she is pursuing her Bachelor’s Degree, this Young Professional is driven by her experience and natural talent to motivate and inspire others.

However, her question to those persons who may not believe in young people without experience is, “if we are not given an opportunity how will we have a legacy to leave?”

Since she started on her passion-driven career path, the young Virgin Islander said she feels like now she is actually working because her mind is focused on where her passion is and her passion is what drives what she does. “So whatever I do, in spite of me getting tired I enjoy it. It feels like my whole is now fulfilling my passion and I feel useful.”

To young people who want to own their own businesses and who are driven by passion, her advice is to “dive right in and challenges will arise but if you are heading towards a greater cause then you will still succeed. Have patience, plan and prepare and while you may not have all the tools and finances and support, once you believe in you that you can do all things through Christ who give you strength, you will make it and see returns.”

Mrs. Brewley-Georges’ inspiration comes from motivational speaker and author Dr. Cindy Trimm, who she said was an inspiration for her in her transition to recognising her dream and actualizing her potential. For those who supported her, she has gratitude to First District Representative Hon. Andrew Fahie, her husband Bevin George, Gloria Wheatley and other family and friends.

And as for Little Speakers’ Touch, Mrs. Brewley-George is working towards taking it regionally and becoming known as a regional motivator and inspirer for young people.