When Kinesha Sylvester left her full-time job in February 2020, she was determined to make her dream of being self-employed a reality.

To do this, she planned to dedicate 100 per cent of her focus towards expanding her interior design company, Haven Spaces, which she created in 2018. It was a move she had been eager to make.

But the covid19 pandemic presented an unforeseeable roadblock.

In March 2020, less than a month after leaving her job, Sylvester had to come to terms with the hard reality that the very thing her livelihood would now be dependent upon – being in people’s homes and personal spaces – would be discouraged for the foreseeable future.

She needed to be quick on her feet to get around this obstacle, because after all, she needed to make a living.

So, shortly after the start of the pandemic and resulting restrictions to curb the spread of the virus, Sylvester began selling the smoothies and juices she often experimented with at home.

She called the business Fresh Press.

“When I realised that I couldn’t continue with Haven Spaces, I allowed myself to feel what I was feeling at that point. I was feeling a little frustrated, obviously, I thought that I planned things and put things into place so it could have gone a certain way.

“At that point, I was extremely sad then I began to pray,” said Sylvester, 30, in a recent interview with Business Day.

A collaboration between Sylvester and her husband Matthew, Haven Spaces actually started as an events company called Life EvenTTs. Among their services was “Pimp My Room,” which involved setting up balloons and cake in a room for a surprise party.

A client misinterpreted the phrase “pimp my room” and contracted the company to do a room renovation in 2018. Though the job wasn’t what the company did, they took up the challenge. With her husband’s family having a background in construction and Sylvester having a knack for creativity, the two took the job, which led to the creation of Haven Spaces.

Sylvester has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s in sociology, both from UWI, St Augustine, but she’s always been interested in business.

Growing up in Ste Madeleine she often sold small products; when she couldn’t get a job in form six, she teamed up with a friend to host a vacation camp; in university she teamed up with friends to offer spa services.

“I think business has always been a part of me. Pursuing psychology and sociology in university is because I love to talk to people. I like when people feel good about themselves and know that they have a listening ear.

"So that’s why I always say my personality and what I love is split into two. I love the creative side of business and being challenged there. But I also love talking to people and being compassionate as I’m assisting them in their lives.”

[caption id="attachment_891879" align="alignnone" width="768"] In February 2020, Kinesha Sylvester decided to leave her fulltime job and become a

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