Krystal Tomlinson is one of the most influential women in Jamaica. Her career path ranges from being at the helm of radio stations and the Digicel foundation to being a political youth leader. She has managed to curate a Success Farm where she encourages woman and girls to find their voice and find their authentic power. She was recently elected as a finalist as one of the most influential people in the world by international publication Success Magazine. As an accomplished author, she now dedicates her time to raising her daughter and growing her coaching business. In this interview we talk about some of her challenges and how she overcame them gracefully as well as her favorite reggae and dancehall artists.
Who/what are you listening to now?
Music: 438 Album, Favorite Track – “King”
Who/what are you reading?
We should all be Millionaires by Rachel Rodgers
Top five all time favorite artists?
Garnett Silk
Beres Hammond
Celine Dion
Beyonce
Rihanna
Top 5 dancehall artists?
Beenie Man
Vybz Kartel
J Capri
Spice
RDX (as a duo)
Is it safe to say you are in your era of life after politics or you still have future political ambitions?
I believe that no opportunity is unavailable to me but divine timing guides the work I do in each season. For now the priority is building my coaching business and really committing to helping men and women find their voice and own themselves and the value they bring, with courage and authenticity.
What is the success magazine 125?
Success Magazine – a globally revered 125 year old publication – has prepared their inaugural Success 125 List of the Most Influential Voices for 2022. The list recognizes persons using their voice and platforms to create change and build powerful consensus and community. In their words, it is a list of “individuals committed to authenticity, continued education, and boundless determination to make a difference in the world around them.”
What will happen now that you are a finalist?
Having made the final list – an honor that I am so grateful to experience as a young woman…a young black woman…a young Jamaican woman! – the Success Magazine team will then interview the finalists and help to amplify our work globally.
Why did you enter?
I felt aligned and almost compelled to share my work with the organization that stirred me to act on my passion and take my skills and expertise seriously in the first place.
Success Magazine has been a lighthouse for me in framing and boldly engaging the idea of conscious self management and to eventually up-skill and create the kinds of products that could serve others to become excellent managers of themselves. My book, Kill Fear: The Art of Courageous Living; my Planner, The Success Farmer’s Guide; my podcast, Good Gas Mondays are all seeds from the grounding principles I planted in 2017 after reading a book by Darren Hardy (former CEO of Success Magazine) called the Compound Effect. It feels like I have come full circle.
How is motherhood? Greatest challenge? Greatest reward?
I am still discovering myself as a parent. Observing often how much I have grown, what new skills and emotional tools I have developed and how I am becoming daily the mother that my child needs to discover and own her light.
The greatest challenge used to be imposter syndrome, feeling unprepared and unworthy for the task of parenting but I have grown through that insecurity. Leaning into my instincts, being humble enough to let my daughter teach me and surrounding myself with mothers I can model and learn from was my path through that. Today though, I can’t identify a current challenge or struggle related to motherhood.
The greatest reward so far has been watching how my daughter unfolds, becoming a brave and free spirit. She has her voice and although it is still developing, she is aware of it, she is not afraid to be heard, to be seen, to assert. With each phase of growth she discovers new depths to her mind, body and voice and that has been the greatest joy – watching her discover and honor herself.
You recently launched a limited edition women’s empowerment line, tell me about that?
Our T-shirt line was birthed the moment I chose to stand up for myself.
It emerged following an attempt by an older male in a position of power to public harass me about my marital status – hoping that it would make me quiver in shame I suppose. I replied:
“My vagina and reproductive choices are not your business.”
If this does anything at all for women who wear these shirts I pray it gives them permission to stand up for themselves. A model of how it can be done firmly and with dignity. And a sense of community knowing that somewhere in the world there are other women like her who refuse to yield an inch of their autonomy, power, divinity in the face of bias, prejudice and gender inequity.
What’s your definition of power?
The wisdom to know what you have control over and the courage and discipline to focus diligently on building, improving and expanding those things. In essence, the ability to stay present and mind your business. And finally, having the agency to set and defend the boundaries that honor your highest self.
What makes you cry?
Small but deliberate acts of kindness.
You released a book recently, tell me about that?
Our Success Farmer’s Guide is a planner – a system to help men and women set their priorities and honor them. In a world full of distraction I wanted to create a planner that was focused on the essential work we all need to do to maximize our opportunities in work and in life.
I call it “the Planner you will actually use” because we use science-backed strategies to make it easier to build addition and routine around taking action. They are currently available ONLY at www.thesuccessfarm.com.
What are you most looking forward to this year?
Traveling (locally and internationally) and introducing myself to the world. After 2 years of limited human interaction and exploration I am excited about what the new world and its beautiful people look, sound and feel like off my phone screen!
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