A rejected resignation letter, the loss of her mother, and a battle with depression became defining moments that shaped A-List Marketing & Entertainment Group, founded by CEO and Managing Director Nickeria Smickle. With a deep passion for arts and entertainment Smickle initially pursued photography and media studies in college. However, her entrepreneurial drive had been brewing long before.

Raised in a single-parent household she struggled to gain her mother’s support for her business aspirations as she was encouraged to follow a more traditional path: “Get good grades, get a good job.” Determined to secure stability, Smickle took a job at a law firm, but it never felt right. A disagreement with her boss became the final push — when her resignation was rejected she knew it was time to walk away and pursue her own path.

“She wrote ‘Not accepted’ on my resignation letter and told me to come back to work. But I just knew that it was not where I wanted to be. I never wanted to just survive — I wanted to feel alive,” she recalled in an interview with the Jamaica Observer.

Smickle founded A-List Marketing & Entertainment Group in 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The business initially focused on providing vixens and brand ambassadors for corporate events, music videos, and commercials. However, while working on these projects she noticed a gap in the promotional merchandise market.

“I remember visiting a bank, and the security [guard] hesitated to lend me a pen. When he finally did I thought, ‘Is this ugly pen really worth all that fuss?’ That’s when I realised there was an opportunity to supply high-quality, well-designed, branded merchandise to corporate clients,” she explained.

Her vision was different; she didn’t want to offer just generic items like pens and diaries. Instead, A-List focused on premium, unique, branded items that would stand out. But despite her passion, her mother remained sceptical, urging her to find another job instead of operating a business. The early years were tough. Most of the money Smickle made went directly into paying models, covering transportation, and managing logistics. Many times, there was little to no profit left for herself. Her mother, despite her initial doubts, was still supportive behind the scenes.

“She used to pack market bags of food and send them to me on the bus. If someone was passing through Kingston, she’d ask them to bring me food — cut-up chicken seasoned for stew, curry, or fry,” she shared with the Sunday Finance.

But just as the business was slowly transitioning to merchandising branding, securing its first two corporate clients, her mother fell ill in 2021. Doctors diagnosed her with kidney failure, initially believing it could be managed with treatment. However, in September 2022 Smickle’s mother passed away, leaving her devastated.

“It was almost as if a part of me died with her,” she said. “From the day she passed on September 18, 2022 to the summer of 2023, I barely left my house.”

She was in a state of depression for so long that A-List Marketing lost the few corporate clients it had. Later in the same year, a friend and her partner encouraged her to try again. She took their advice and travelled to Atlanta in the US to clear her mind. While there, she ordered 200 keychains and 100 tumblers, determined to restart her business. Returning to Jamaica, she faced another setback; her car was broken into and everything was stolen, including her passport, driver’s licence, bank cards, and business tools. But instead of giving up, she persisted. She then acquired more products to demonstrate her branding skills, using her living room as a print office and storage facility.

“That year, not one of them was sold. Where [do] I still have some of those tumblers? They didn’t sell. The keychains? I still have some of them,” she told the Sunday Finance.

She then compiled a list of businesses, calling and emailing potential clients. She sent so many emails in one day that her account was temporarily blocked for spamming. But a breakthrough came when Proven Wealth requested samples. Proven was sceptical at first because A-List didn’t have a strong digital presence and no established portfolio, but after strict vetting,they gave A-List a chance. Soon after, Tourism Enhancement Fund, NHT, and General Accident reached out, and A-List was officially back in business. Smickle structured A-List Marketing’s offerings into five pricing categories to accommodate different business budgets — from mass-market corporate gifts to ultra-high-end luxury items. Her goal was to offer something fresh and unique in the promotional merchandise industry.

“I was tired of seeing the same ugly gifts, pens, and notebooks every year. What about a book that can charge your phone?” she questioned.

By January 2024 A-List secured its first physical location at 10-12 Half-Way-Tree Road, complete with an office, showroom, and production hub. The business prides itself on supplying corporations with unique gift tokens sourced from India, China, and other international markets that will leave a lasting impact and memory on customers of that corporation. While it grows its clientele, it’s looking forward to a year of expansion in the printing area — doing tablecloths, banners, ad signs, and feather banners — as it currently prints shirts and bags but believes it can offer more. Through all the challenges, financial struggles, personal losses, setbacks, and relaunching the business from scratch, A-List Marketing & Entertainment Group stands as a testament to resilience.

“Starting a business wasn’t easy. The hardest part was fear — fear of failure, fear of the unknown. But I refused to let fear stop me. My only regret was my mom did not really get to see the fruits of her labour and witness the business take off,” said Smickle.

From left: Karen Haughton of Salvation Army Nest Children’s House, Tashoni Ellis of Dolla Financial, and Nickeria Smickle.

Group CEO and Managing Director Nickeria Smickle of A-List Marketing & Entertainment.

Part of A-List Marketing’s merchandise are these cups branded with their logo..

A-List Marketing’s backpack branded with its logo is displayed as a sample..

A bag branded with the company logo, as a sample, forms part of A-List Marketing’s merchandise.