Women leaders filled Sandals Grande’s Palladium on November 29 for Influential BossLady’s “ImpactUS 25”. CEOs, entrepreneurs, directors and those aspiring to lead spent a full day in conversation.
It was not a feel-good conference built on platitudes. Rather, ImpactUs offered a platform for real success stories and practical lessons for women navigating the gap between who they are and who they are striving to become – many of whom confront not only systemic barriers but deeply personal hurdles that have stifled confidence for years.
For anyone who missed it or wonders what unfolds inside an event of this calibre, St. Lucia Times was in the room last Saturday. Here are the moments that echoed through a full day of self-realisation and joyful affirmation:
1) Influence capital
BossLady founder and GraceKennedy Ltd’s Brand Marketing Manager Shermalyn Sidonie-John delivered a masterclass on “influence capital” and the power of perception. “How we are perceived in the minds of people who make the decisions; that’s how you determine your influence capital,” Sidonie-John said, before outlining what she considers its three pillars: Presence, Platform and Power.
2) No room for fear
Behavioural and faith-based coach Sharlene Jn Baptiste, in her segment on Leadership as Communication and Leadership as Coaching, unpacked “The Bravery Gap” and the quiet ways fear disguises itself as rational thought. Her message urged self-honesty and the discipline to refuse fear-based decision-making.
3) A heavy-hitting keynote address
GraceKennedy Ltd CEO Andrea Coy delivered a resonant keynote on leadership as a multidimensional craft, one requiring not only the execution of visible tasks but an understanding of the subtleties that define an effective leadership style. She also underscored how mastering one’s core competencies strengthens personal equity and presence as a leader.
About her experience at the event, Coy told St. Lucia Times, “Shermalyn said I could leave whenever I wanted after my session, but there was so much content in what was being shed that I decided to stay. It was truly an exhilarating experience.”
4) ImpactUS 23: A success story
Lorraine Sidonie, Chief Executive Officer at Events Company of Saint Lucia, offered a moving testimony. During a goal-setting session at Impact US in 2023, she decided to write a book. That book, Soul Medication, is now published and available on Amazon, marking what she described as a full-circle moment.
“It even means more to me that the objective that I set out at Impact US 2023, I was able to bring it to realisation and come back to present on that topic…. I am eternally grateful,” she told St. Lucia Times.
5) Strong women-led panel discussions
Two afternoon panels grounded the event in more practical guidance, particularly on financial literacy as a foundation for empowerment and self-care. All leading women in their fields, Ava Beckles, Shermain George, Alisha Ally and Ana-Kaye Green Marshall, led a session on Money Moves for Leaders: Strategic Investment for Personal and Organisational Growth.
Another panel offered striking reflections from six women: Crisy Laurent, Dr Natasha St Aimee, Sariah Best Joseph, Fernanda Henry, Yhasmine Remy and Michelle Desir.
6) On-the-spot impact
Personal stories from attendees proved to be among the day’s most standout moments. Women who had attended previous installments spoke openly about the tangible changes they had made — launching businesses, strengthening communication skills and reclaiming confidence. First-time participants made candid declarations about releasing trauma and shedding limiting thought patterns.
“As a young, new entrepreneur, I was not disappointed,” one attendee told St Lucia Times. “I got to hear women speak about the challenges I am facing and how they address it, and I was able to appreciate what things would look like in the future once I’ve implemented some of these strategies.”
