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Stick-to-it-iveness: Building What Matters When the Going Gets Tough
- Kevon Gareth Fodergnham
- 17 hours ago
- 3 min read
Published: June 2026
"Stick-to-it-iveness" is not the sexiest word in the English language, but it might be one of the most important. It describes that stubborn determination to keep going when things get difficult, to continue building when progress feels slow, and to remain committed long after the excitement of a new idea has faded.
As I reflected on this month's newsletter and how I'd introduce it, I realised that almost every person we feature, support, collaborate with, or celebrate possesses this quality in spades.
An endless determination to keep going.
Being a creative, changemaker, or entrepreneur often means waking up each day and choosing to continue. Continue creating. Continue serving. Continue believing. Continue building.
Our Social Good Superstar and cover story this month, Lucia Cabrera Jones, Founder and CEO of Women Owned Media and Education Network (W.O.M.E.N.), embodies that spirit. Through her commitment to empowering women and girls through education, media, technology, and leadership development, Lucia has demonstrated what happens when vision is matched with persistence. Her work reminds us that meaningful impact is rarely built overnight.
It is built one decision, one partnership, one programme, and one opportunity at a time.
On Saturday, June 21st, we'll be hosting our inaugural AMPLIFY Connect: IRL (In Real Life), a new monthly live event series from East Yard Enterprises that brings together a Creative, a Changemaker, and an Entrepreneur to share powerful ideas and experiences around a common theme.
Three Perspectives. One Conversation.
In observance of Men's Mental Health Month and Father's Day, our first edition, Redefining Manhood, will explore what it means to be a man in today's Caribbean through TED-style talks, a live panel discussion, audience Q&A, networking, and a special performance.
June is also a noteworthy month because on June 27th the United Nations commemorates Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSME) Day, and that observance resonates deeply with me.
Behind every small business is a person who chose not to quit.
Someone who decided to take a chance on an idea.
Someone who learned, adapted, failed, tried again, and kept moving forward.
That, to me, is what MSME Day truly celebrates.
On our end, in recognition of MSME Day, our AMPLIFY Connect: Creative Social Enterprise Fellows will officially launch their social impact products at AMPLIFY Studio Café. These products represent months of research, testing, learning, and refinement. More importantly, they represent six entrepreneurs choosing to stick with ideas they believe can create positive change.
East Yard Enterprises will also release my newest book, Get Up and Get: Poems for Creatives, Changemakers and Entrepreneurs, ahead of its official launch in July.
The collection is rooted in a simple belief inherited from my mother and repeated often throughout my life: when circumstances become difficult, when obstacles appear, and when doubt creeps in, you get up and get.
You keep moving.
You keep creating.
You keep building.
You stick with it.
Whether you're building a business, launching a community initiative, creating art, writing a book, or pursuing a dream that only you can see clearly right now, remember that progress is rarely the result of talent alone. More often than not, it is the result of showing up consistently, even when the outcome is uncertain.
The future belongs to those with the stick-to-it-iveness to keep building what matters.
Give thanks,
Kevon Gareth Foderingham
About Kevon
Kevon Gareth Foderingham is the Founder and Cultural Director of East Yard Enterprises, Arima's Creative and Cultural Campus. Through East Yard, he works at the intersection of creativity, commerce, community impact, and cultural exchange, supporting creatives, changemakers, and entrepreneurs, in building ventures that create positive change.
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