Cheryl Marshall reaping fruits of hard work

Cheryl Marshall is a living proof that having the right attitude for a better life is possible despite the economic circumstances in which one is born into. Marshall, 43, was born and raised in humble circumstances in Adelphi, St James, but has worked tirelessly to make something of herself. She has spent more than half of her life as a hairdresser and is today rubbing shoulders with the men in the tour operations business.

"I have been a hairdresser for 23 years. I made something of myself out of hairdressing and it was good business. The past couple of years things were not going so well so I decided to dabble in something else," she told the WESTERN STAR.

Marshall said she tried her hands at being a security guard. She worked three nights per week while doing hairdressing during the day time.

This, however, was not enough for Marshall, who confessed that she started to miss her nightly rest and so she went back to the drawing board to see what else she could do.

The easy option was to open a bar. But with the prospect of tourism getting even brighter, she decided to enter the tour operating business.

"I wanted to give somebody the vehicle to drive because, as I said, I wanted to still do my hairdressing and have another income coming in at the same time. I tried with two guys but [it didn't work out], so I decide to drive it myself," she said.

"While it is a field that is dominated by men, I won't let that deter me," a determined Marshall told the WESTERN STAR. "I am coming from nowhere, but I just told myself that I will work and make something of my life."

Now having taken the plunge as a tour operator and loving it, Marshall intends to maximise the opportunities and show off Jamaica to her clients, but does not plan to give up her first love.

"I am not going to be ungrateful. I cannot walk away from hairdressing, because it is my first love. I got my house and everything I own from it, so I am not throwing it away," she declared.