Lisa-Ann Joseph:

“I love to sit at the feet of the generations before me who are good business leaders and experts in communications.” Nearly 30 years in the communications business, Lisa-Ann Joseph says she is still learning, a forever student, and that “knowledge transfer trickles into every single thing that I do.”

A prominent figure in the field of public relations, corporate and crisis communications, Joseph is well known for her depth and breadth of experience in the industry and celebrated a landmark 17 years of her business, Reputation Management Caribbean (RMC), on December 7.

The founder and managing director of RMC, Joseph was born and bred in San Fernando. From early on, she keenly observed the various aspects of entrepreneurship, as she was part of a family-owned business from a young age. Initially intending to pursue Performing Arts at the tertiary level, she pivoted after her first year in university and ultimately graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences from SUNY Purchase in New York.

Upon her return to Trinidad, Joseph worked briefly in her family’s business before deciding to branch out on her own, feeling that “I needed to expand my horizons.”

Although she had no significant experience in public relations, she found a job at the Family Planning Association as a PR officer. “I had the drive, I had the hustle, I had the grit,” Joseph remembers, as she was given a chance to prove herself in this new role and was forced to learn very quickly on her feet but recalls feeling that PR was a seamless, natural fit for her.

Thirty years later, she has remained in the field, dedicated to helping organisations “move from chaos to calm.” After her initial post, Joseph then advanced through a series of local, regional, and international roles, from her role as the first Corporate Communications Manager at First Citizens Bank to the Caribbean Corporate Communications Manager for TCL Group of Companies. With experience, her reputation as a leading voice in the corporate communications field preceded her, and she was headhunted by Coca-Cola as the public affairs manager for the Caribbean and subsequently transitioned to BP as the corporate communications manager.

In these roles, she was able to “delve deeply into the Caribbean experience” and developed a strong grasp on crafting messages for a Caribbean audience. In December 2007, Joseph felt that she had progressed significantly through multisectoral experience—specifically in finance and energy—and with that experience, was ready to strike out on her own.

In her subconscious, she was also prodded by her father’s encouragement throughout her life to work for herself and knew that her calling was to start her own business. She found great value, however, in starting off her career honing her skills by working in various organisations, asserting that “if I was to become the regional expert in corporate communications, I knew I had to get experience under my belt. My clients would not have confidence in me if I didn’t have the experience and perspective I developed.”

Upon leaving BP, Joseph started her consultancy, Reputation Management Caribbean, working with the National Secretariat for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting carded for 2009 and the Fifth Summit of the Americas. After those first clients, although she has experienced ebbs and flows in the journey of being a business owner, she can proudly say that she has provided expert guidance to over 5,000 professionals, including CEOs, chairpersons, board members, and front-line staff, in areas ranging from crisis management to media relations.

Especially in the niche field of crisis communications, RMC, led by Joseph, stands out as one of the Caribbean’s frontline agencies. Reflecting on her journey, she muses, “What started as a one (wo)man show has grown into a full-service agency, capable of handling complex communication challenges for some of the region’s largest multinationals, as well as local businesses.”

Her dedication to seeing clients shine is clear in her agency’s ability to craft messaging that is fit for purpose and well suited to context. “People thought I was crazy,” she reflects, “leaving full-time jobs where I was doing well to open my own business.”

Speaking from her faith, she recalls that she intrinsically knew that the time was right to follow what was always her plan—to be an entrepreneur. Relying on her network cultivated over the years in the field, she felt confident that following her first two clients, she would have a significant flow of incoming interest.

Her confidence was not unwarranted, as she has had an array of clients, including many long-standing, repeat clients, who have been with RMC for 13 years.

The agency boasts services in organisational communications, crisis management, personal branding, and specialised training programmes to help organisations and their leaders communicate effectively with the media. Especially as a woman who bravely built her own business in a time when it was much more unusual to be a self-made businesswoman, Joseph has relied not only on her expertise but also on her boldness to become successful.

For young women interested in starting their own business, she encourages them to not be intimidated and to get qualifications and experience in the field before starting their own.

As a lifelong learner, she spends time going on programmes and doing self-development to always keep herself abreast of trends and developments in the field. Networking, she says, whether face-to-face or online, is also a crucial element in business.

Finally, she calls on women to “listen more to the yesses than the nos, because if I listened to the negative, I would not have taken the leap to leave the corporate world and start my own business.”

“Once it’s ethical, legal, maintains my integrity, and upholds my values, I’m there,” she laughs, as she continues to be flexible and agile in ensuring her business continues to pivot where needed.

As a businesswoman first, she says that although being an entrepreneur is difficult and can require long days and sleepless nights, “balance is a choice.” After 17 years, Joseph celebrates a milestone as a business owner, driven to be a leading voice in the communications field, with her agency continuing its commitment to excellence and innovation.

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