As the world pauses to recognise International Women’s Day, it is only fitting to highlight the resilience of those who have countered great challenges to achieve success.

Tassia Bernard—marketing manager of Bashco Trading Company Limited, as well as 100 Restaurant and Gaming Lounge, is a perfect testament. The 24- year-old is the holder of a Bachelor of Science degree in Management Studies and Marketing from the University of the West Indies, Mona and is on the brink of launching an official website for her marketing agency and consultancy called Simak, on March 29.

Before all this success, Bernard transitioned from role to role, starting as a promo girl at just 16-years-old.

“I worked with VantageOne (Marketing) Group. Then, I moved on when I was 18 to Barcode Jamaica. That is where I started my 9-5 while, doing school. At 18, I was a legal secretary, a bottle service hostess, and also a student. For the legal secretary post, I had that for about a year-and-half. However, I was still a bottle service girl and still a student, up until 2023. From the legal secretary post, I moved to an admin assistant and from an admin assistant to a marketing assistant. Then, finally, a marketing manager after only two months as a marketing assistant,” she said.

Bernard shared that one of her co-workers explicitly told her that she would not become a marketing manager anytime soon, while she worked as an administrative assistant.

Bernard, who attended Holy Childhood High School before transitioning to St George’s College for sixth form, said her parents— Paula and Patrick Bernard— were supportive of her ambitions along the way.

While in sixth form, one of her teachers told her that she would never make it in life without accounting, and barred her from classes. Bernard’s challenges further increased after being robbed, and experiencing an attempted kidnapping, being held at gun point and even being stranded during her bottle service/ promo stints.

Then, at 21-years-old, another car crashed into hers while at a stoplight resulting in permanent spinal injury. She was medically informed that she would never walk again, but has defied the odds.

By the time she matriculated to university, she was certain that political science was her passion. However, in her final year she realised that her work experience in the marketing world was paving her true calling, all along. Bernard made a bold switch in degree, and strategically mastered time management so that she could thrive in academia and her blossoming career.

“There was no particular strategic way. I’m somebody who works very well under pressure. So, if I know I have something to get done, I just have to get it done. What I would normally do is leave work to go to school. When I leave school, then I go home.

“Most times for the event, it’s normally on a weekend. So, what I tried to do is make sure I don’t have any classes on a Friday or a Monday. Outside of that, when it was exam time, I just did all-nighters,” she explained.

Despite her efforts, Bernard was still met with a stubborn hurdle during the final lap of her degree.

“It was very hard for me, especially because in the latter part, I wanted to just get this over with or I just wasn’t capable. I don’t know. But, my last two courses that I had to get done, I had to do them four times because I failed them,” she divulged, reflecting on the journey.

The marketing manager is the youngest among her staff members. She strikes a balance between democracy and honesty to ensure that she is a team player, but that each member gets their job done efficiently and effectively.

As she expands, she explained that Simak will offer marketing plans, campaign planning, SEO (search engine optimisation) and SEM (search engine marketing), event planning, and social media management. All of these will be found on the website at tassiabernard.com.

Bernard is encouraging other women and girls to be intentional about their goals.

“First, have faith and pray. Some people might not think that God is real, but He definitely is real. But, you have to believe in Him and you have to have faith. You also have to understand what it is that you really want and sit down and break it down,” she said.

Tassia Bernard—marketing manager of Bashco Trading Company Limited, as well as 100 Restaurant and Gaming Lounge