We were lucky to catch up with Garnett Phillip recently and have shared our conversation below.
Garnett, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Alright, so one thing we think people don’t talk about nearly enough is investments – either time or money. What’s one of the best or worst investments you’ve made and what did you learned from the experience?
I really don’t think any of the decisions/investments were bad – all a great experience. I would say the best investment was/is The Rogers Garden. I was able to see all the investors get their initial investment back. It also taught me how to be a better business woman, take care of my staff, and learn how to budget and survive is the harsh climates.
Garnett, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Garnett Phillip is a distinguished and forward-thinking entrepreneur, business strategist, and powerhouse with over fifteen years of extensive business experience she’s proven that hard work and resiliency always pays off in the long run. garnett is an unstoppable force that has been honored to recreate something so symbolic, speaking for the many immigrants who had hopes of achieving the “american dream.”
one means of spreading her message throughout the community is enlightening people on their history with a strong focus on rum and tradition. Garnett demonstrates a proven track record of success, developing a platform of expression speaking not only to New York City but, especially to the Caribbean people.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
When I started the Rogers Garden when there wasn’t a pandemic. I was 90% complete with design, construction, and art work. So, I had to set the garden up with new furniture separating people, the window facing the garden was now a service window, and I had to find a way to serve real food (not bar bites). I never incorporated a kitchen at all. Never. We started allowing pop up’s to come by and cook. It was the only way to serve liquor. You must serve food with liquor under the governors insane law. Made no sense. It wasn’t fair and left us scrambling.
Can you open up about how you funded your business?
Well, obviously business loans for new businesses is nonsense. I have never received funding from any institution. I had the credit , home equity, etc. I had the business plans and the savings to begin. Nothing was ever given to me. I had to use 13 credit cards, take out personal loans from high int. lenders and push to get private investments from close friends, which forced me to have business partners/investors that I may not have really wanted. I was left no choice. I needed the money to start this dream.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.garnettphillip.com
- Instagram: @iamgarnettphillip
- Twitter: @garnettsjourney
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@rumtalkswithgarnettphillip1512
Image Credits
Garnett Phillip