Do you ever think about the persons doing the jobs we hate to do so much? Does it ever cross your mind that what we frown upon someone else gets up in the morning just to do that?
That’s, in a general sense, what J.T.P Building and Grounds Maintenance is all about. It’s their slogan, if you will and we had a chance to sit and have a conversation with the Will and power behind it all.Shirnell Dupre, accompanied by Jeanelle Merius and Trudy Herman represented the brains and the brawns behind J.T.P’s overall value. Shirnell, the founder and idealist behind the company gave us quite the interview, both personal and professional wise.
Dazzle: What was life like for you growing up?
Shirnell: I attended the Anglican Primary School, and then Corinth Secondary School in form 3 I left St. Lucia to travel abroad. I got certified in cosmetology, so I can do hair, nails and all the works. After a few years I decided to venture into property maintenance and started off with just a weed eater. And it was like all the houses I went to, a service was needed. There was always something to be done, so I looked into getting the different equipment and that’s how I started to grow. Now we offer all different kinds of services.
Dazzle: What are you most passionate about?
Shirnell: Apart from being a mother, I’m passionate about my business. You see most people doing things because of the money, but I’m really passionate about what I do. From a very young age I always liked to clean and see things in a certain way so doing this means a lot.
Dazzle: What services does your company offer?
Shirnell: We do basic cleaning, detail cleaning and polishing and buffing of floors. We do construction site cleaning, tree trimmings, pressure washing, lawn maintenance, de-bushing, property clearance, upholsteries and the list goes on.
Dazzle: With such a wide range of services, how are you able to manage the operations of so many moving parts within one company?
Shirnell: Well I guess when you like something, it’s easier to manage and with the help of my daughters, I get the job done. I also have a team of guys who work with me, but it depends on the job that we’re getting called to do. With some jobs you may require less or more persons but yes, I have a reliable team. I am very hands on and operate a lot of my equipment. I believe the only way you can offer a quality service is if you know what you’re about and you can only do that by getting involved. I have a choice whether I can or can’t do something but most of the time I do it, especially if we’re working with floors. If the guys need a break for lunch or otherwise, instead of that being time wasted I would operate the equipment myself and get the job done.
Dazzle:You talked about your jump from cosmetology to this, so what background do you have pertaining to this?
Shirnell: I mostly got my experience through research and hands on knowledge. With time and hard work I was able to build and motivate myself to where I’m at right now. It was, and still is a lot of work and there are so many components to this job. I do not always have the educational background, just hands on experience. I continue to do this and not something like fashion, something that everyone else seems to be doing because it never interested me. It seemed like it was limiting, and right now I’m already thinking about my next move.
Dazzle: What are the most challenging parts of your profession? And how do you overcome them?
Shirnell: For most business persons, one of the greatest challenges would be management of staff. You find that everyone has their own personalities and in my field of work, I work with mainly men so it could be a bit challenging on a daily basis. Other than that, I think I’m doing a pretty good job with everything. What I do is more a man’s field, lifting heavy things, operating machinery, you’d find a man doing that. You’d find women doing easier things, and people have that mentality that because you’re a woman you’ll automatically want things done the easier way or bend the rules to get what you want. So, standing firm and letting them know that you believe in yourself is how I push forward and that can be challenging. I’m really proud of myself because all in all I’ve proven myself. The companies I’ve worked for know that I’m reliable, and that I know what I’m about and I think having the passion for it helps a great deal.
Dazzle: You started off six years ago doing grass cutting, and now you’re doing so much, how did you move from just grass cutting to adding so many things to your list?
Shirnell: As I said before, I saw that things needed to be done and I’m thinking why limit myself to just this one thing? If there’s no grass to cut and something else needs to be done, then I can do it. And with the help of my mother, helping with getting the equipment from the States willingly, she’s been a great help. She’s been supporting me through everything, encouraging me to keep going. That helps a lot to know she believes in me.
Dazzle: How do you unwind at the end of a long day?
Shirnell: When you love the things that you do, it doesn’t feel like work. I mean you do get tired, but these are things that have to be done. I don’t let it beat me up and tear me down. I’m someone who meditates a lot. I spend a lot of time with my thoughts so even that could be relaxing for me. So at some point in the day, mostly at night, I would have a cup of coffee and spend time with myself, just recollecting on the day and coming up with a plan for the next one. Prayers also help me. I pray a lot ceaselessly throughout the day and it keeps me sane and brings a lot of clarity.
Dazzle: What words of inspiration do you have for persons coming up in the working world?
Shirnell: Well I mean, I can tell them life has its challenges, but people just have to continue to believe in themselves. They have to understand that it may not necessarily work in their timing but if you have the vision and the passion for it just do whatever it takes because eventually it’s going to payoff.
We wish Shirnell well in her endeavours and hope that both and and J.T. P Building and Grounds Maintenance see a bright and prosperous future.
