Besties Courtnie Watson — Sagicor public relations and social media officer — and Toni Oliver, social media manager at Jamaica Yellow Pages and CEO of her digital marketing start-up company, e-fire, are as familiar with promoting corporate brands in the online sphere as they are with making head-turning appearances by each other’s side at the hottest social events. The twenty-something gal pals, who have known each other since their high school days at Campion College, are in chill-mode, and ready to talk about work, beauty necessities and why Jamaican women assuming more management positions is a good thing.

What is your cocktail of choice?

Courtnie Watson (CW): Hennessy on ice, or Appleton V/X with coconut water.

Toni Oliver (TO): Champagne all the time, failing that anything Appleton Estate with water and a twist of lime.

What five words best describe you?

CW: Intuitive, creative, sarcastic, smart and straightforward.

TO: Everyone seems to think I’m extremely funny, but I also strive to remain compassionate, conscientious, creative, and humble.

Flats or stilettos?

CW: Flats for day, stilettos for night. I tend to do a lot of running around in the daytime so I like to be comfortable, but I don’t feel fully dressed on a night out without my heels on.

TO: Stilettos, because a good pair of heels can make any outfit better.

Jeans or a LBD?

CW: I prefer the LBD because it looks like you put a lot of effort into your look when you really just threw something on.

TO: I would have to say jeans because I don’t like wearing all black or little dresses.

Who does your hair?

CW: Lisa Hutchinson at Lisa’s Full Service Salon.

TO: Only Marsha Robinson touches these tresses.

Who does your nails?

CW: I do my own nails. I’ve mastered the art of painting my right hand with my left!

TO: I am terrible at maintaining my nails because I get anxious thinking about being without my hands for two hours, but, when I do find the time, it’s always Adam & Eve Day Spa.

Which professional woman are you most inspired by?

CW: My mother, Cecile Watson. She is the smartest, most resilient woman I know. She is the first woman from Barbados to graduate with first-class honours in electrical engineering. She was also named the Jamaica ambassador for Women’s Entrepreneurship Day, and she’s recently launched the Caribbean’s first regional crowd-funding platform, pitchandchoose.com.

TO: I am most inspired by my aunt, Sharon Spence-Gibbs, general manager of Singer Jamaica Ltd. Being the first from our family to achieve a master’s degree while supporting herself the entire way she made it clear to me that “where I come from does not dictate where I’m going”, teaching me to always be learning, independent, and have an extra pair of clothes in case you have to sleep at work to get the job sent off in time. I hope to be half the woman she is someday.

You’re both in the business of social media. What is your approach to keeping your subject matter interesting?

CW: I try to get as familiar as possible with my target audience, and then create content that will resonate with my audience, and that they will find engaging and relevant.

TO: Having done my degree in psychology, I am always thinking from the consumer’s point of view. What does that target market want to see, speak about, engage with? And then I just go with it, Social media is a lot of trial and data analysis. You test your content strategy by trying it, monitoring the analytics and adjusting to the most favourable outcomes. No two brands are the same so thorough analytics monitoring is the only

way to keep abreast of your audience’s interests.

What’s the next big thing in social media?

CW: It seems like Instagram is pretty much here to stay… for now…but I think the next big thing in social media will be visual listening. Remember you heard it from Courtnie first.

TO: For brands, the big important thing is engagement, and if we speak about engagement, Instagram leads the way for consumer interaction. So I definitely think that is going to get bigger and better. However, I am currently testing a new platform called ‘Fyuse’, it’s still in Beta and has already surpassed Vine in downloads. Basically labelled as Instagram gone 3D, it allows you to create spatial photographs, share across all networks, utilise hashtags, target locations, and organise albums for fluent access. If I’m placing bets… it’s next.

A recent survey declared that internationally, Jamaica ranks as one of the top spots for female managers. Do you find this progressive for females or an indictment on men here?

CW: I think that’s awesome. I was so proud when I heard because I work with a lot of smart, go-getting women at Sagicor. I definitely think it’s a progressive move for women, especially because I find that in Jamaica, we still have the “boys’ club” hurdle to jump. We’re moving in the right direction; now we just need the economic leadership as well. More women should be owning the businesses, not just running them.

TO: This is progressive for females. The study doesn’t remove men of their dominance as CEOs and entrepreneurs; it just proves that our women are becoming more independent, taking charge and working non-stop to get to the top. We have a fair chance at equality and that can only be progressive, no matter how you look at it.

What are your five beauty must-haves?

CW: Neutrogena Sunscreen, Smashbox BB cream, Nars blush, chapstick and raw virgin coconut oil.

TO: My Anastasia Beverly Hills brow pencil, Mac powder, Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturiser, quality virgin Indian hair, and fusion lashes by Fabulashes.

What is your idea of the perfect man?

CW: Smart, attractive, funny, ambitious, loyal, and smells good!

TO: He is driven, honest, respectful and committed to us being the best we can be.

What is your idea of the perfect date?

CW: Dinner, dessert and drinks.

TO: I love to cook so if I can cook for you and relax in the comfort of my home, that’s perfect.

Where do you see yourself five years from now?

CW: In five years, I see myself having completed my master’s, travelled the world, and immensely happy.

TO: In terms of career, I am grooming myself to be an innovator in digital marketing so the next step is opening a full-scale digital marketing agency. However, I was awarded a scholarship to Caribbean Maritime Institute’s Logistics & Supply Chain Management master’s programme, so will also explore the imminent growth of Logistics globally. Whichever way God takes me, I am certain that five years from now I will be contributing significantly to my country and my loved ones.