A thread

About two years ago I met a lady at a financial institution who came in to get a loan because her father had ill health.

She pointed out she didn’t have any collateral and she only had a title to a land that her dad refused to sign over to her or anyone else.

I asked how big the land was n where n to my amazement let’s just say it’s huge.

I said y doesn’t he want to hand over the land - she summated it was passed from his dad n he wanted to pass it to her for farming n she wasn’t interested in that - I asked why n she said

“Sun Hot”

We laughed a bit but then I told her a story about another farmer and how they got started and where they were in a short time - I contrasted that to her current income and challenged why not ?

Anyways she didn’t take me on at all. Eventually she got funds n he did the surgery

She was quite memorable so naturally I followed up to see how things were going as she didn’t get the total amount - she told me her other sibling got the remainder and he managed to do the operation but died the very next day after ...

Sigh

I felt terrible knowing that for the next three years she would still have to pay the monthly repayment even though she didn’t truly get what she wanted from the spend ...

But such was the lesson from not understanding the importance of health insurance esp in entrepreneurship

Coincidentally that same day I went for lunch with two friends and I was relating the story and they offered to donate some products towards the “nine night” - I quickly called her and arranged for her to pick up ...

A couple days later I got a call from her and she insisted that I must come to the nine night I said yes but it was one of those yes that meant no as it was all the way in St. Elizabeth.

Anyways a day before she called again and insisted I come ...

So I called a friend and she was like - “dem ago have white rum and bands” - and we were off and on our way.

I called for directions and showed up. When she saw me I felt like I was the one that died - she pull out every stop ... gave me my own section ...

From that - me just want hear nine night a keep and me present!

Rolling stone gather no moss, rolling stone anyways ...

About three months later she called me and told me that her company had laid her off after 11 years and she wanted some advice ...

I said sure - we spoke for about 2 hours on the phone going over all her ideas within the amount she had and no matter how she avoided farming - we settled on that ...

She had a financial career all her life and so she figured pivoting to there would be too much ...

I realized instantly a weakness I wasn’t aufait with the tiny minute details and intricacies of farming and so I said let’s meet in a week...

Something about her made me want to go the extra mile - I called up a few farmers, contacts at RADA et al and created without knowing...

A little mentorship group - she thought it was for her but it was also for me - I never give up the opportunity to learn.

Let’s say the rest is history - pine and melon galore and soon after a proud moment came - she started supplying an exporter for potatoes

A couple weeks ago a friend of mine started a smoothie bar and she ask me where’s the best place to buy fruits - I said - oh I have a contact that does fruits et al.

I called her and she was like - what’s mine is yours and soon sent me her price list.

I forwarded it to my friend who placed the order - a week later she placed her order and I arranged to accompany her to pick it up.

The bill was 127k and we had the cash on hand to pay in a brown bag. As we got there we talked a bit while her team loaded the van

I handed her the cash - she took it and said she was going to write the receipt.

Moments later she came back and handed me an envelope and said the bill was in it. We talked some more and then we left.

On my up - I opened the envelope to see the receipt and I saw 5k notes

Just as I was about to call I saw a note ... it said “Mr. Petrie - paid in full. I took only 7k as I had to buy the mangos. Tell the young lady the sky is the limit and to play it forward.”

Yesterday that note was accidentally washed in my jeans

She waived 120k just to give someone a start as she believed someone helped her to get a start ...

Since then - I always try to play it forward in any way I can.

Would you believe me friend never give me any of the 120k

Kidding - I didn’t want it