Bonaire's Chemaine Petit-Booi is the managing director of her very own company RomaDesignz Inc. This motivated, young woman moved to St. Maarten when she was just 20 years old. Since then she has created a lot of her own success due to hard work and belief in herself!
What is your background concerning your career?
My favourite school classes were always painting, arts and craft, shop classes, languages and art history. I have a passion for artistic things and have always loved museums of all kinds. I started drawing for fun on computers at the age of 12. Missing home I used to draw sunsets with flamingos in Microsoft paint. It became a hobby. I wrote my first poem in Papiamentu at the age of 11 when I noticed that I could actually write. I did several more after that. At 14 I switched to English and set up my first website to display all my poems. This is when I started creating websites for fun.
What is it that you do?
My first job on St. Maarten was at Triple l Communication, an advertising company for billboards and their famous friendly island passport. I also felt talented and skilled enough to take on the job of graphic designer. I did many billboard ads for some of the best jewellers on the island and was always complimented on the speed and quality of my work. After long hours, I would build small websites using, html, flash, etc. As my skills improved, I decided that after two years working for Triple 1 Communication, it was time for me to start on my own at 22 years old. This was a very risky decision that changed my life. I have absolutely no regrets for starting Romadesignz Inc. Working with many people on the island and abroad, I have made different websites, advertisements and flash animations which compliment many businesses/events.
What is your inspiration?
Everything! I don't know where it comes from, but according to me, the next site is always better. I keep developing my skills, learning new things every day about the programs I use and the internet media "designs/looks" of today. I listen to my clients, and designs just flow in my head while meeting with them for the first time. By the time I get to my desk, it just pops out. I mostly hit the jackpot on the first trial leaving me with a happy and satisfied customer.
Any perks to the job?
The pros are I can do my job anywhere in the world and on my own schedule. Now that I am married and thinking about family, it's a great way to be a stay at home mom and still be a professional working/business woman. The cons are that sometimes clients don't understand the word vacation (smiling) but it's all worth it. I never mind doing some work if it's urgent. I'm spending money on my vacation, so it's nice when there's a cheque waiting after the vacation.
Do you have any other talents you'd like to mention?
I have been experimenting with cooking since I was12 years old. I always create new dishes depending on what's available in the store. I'm extremely creative and can never plan the outcome. It's always perfected. I always wanted to become a chef and I began pursuing that dream by taking classes to become a professional chef when I was 18. I was always the teacher's favourite; I was always inventing new recipes on the spot. At first they didn't trust my instincts on certain flavours mixed together, but after the first two months, they allowed me to experiment without asking questions as long as I kept myself to the rules of hygiene and used appropriate preparation skills and learned the basic recipes that were required for graduating. Around that time, I made some bad relationship choices and somehow ended up in St. Maarten at 20 years old.
What is your message to people with similar interests?
If you know what you got as talent, believe in it! The reason why I am successful is because I know I can and will succeed in whatever it is I am going to be doing. Otherwise I wouldn't be doing it in the first place. Be true to your customers, they are your bread and butter. I believe in proper customer service and happy clients. I try my utmost to achieve perfection, but of course I am only human and electronics don't always do what you tell them to.
Check out Chemaine's business site: http://romadesignz.com
Services include logo design & tag line, corporate identity, brochures & flyers, catalogues, CD/DVD booklets & cover, labels & packaging artwork, direct mail advertising, print advertising, outdoor advertising and more.
