Ayanna Kirton Hynes – The Necessity of Joy

AYANNA Kirton Hynes believes that finding joy in one’s career is neither a luxury nor a destination — it is a constant necessity. The multifaceted marketing and communications professional has learned from her two decades in the field that joy is not coincidental, but is the product of being passionate about what you do, confident in who you are, and balanced in how you manage your personal and professional life.

“I strive to be a balanced individual. I’m a Libra. I aspire to have as much balance in my life as possible, and be able to make sure that whatever I am focusing on, I am getting fulfilment and joy out of it,” Kirton Hynes, who currently serves as the marketing manager for Western Union in Jamaica and the Diaspora, shared with All Woman.

But like many ambitious women who strive to be good leaders, workers, wives and mothers, Kirton Hynes once struggled to find that balance, so much so that she thought it was an overrated or illusory ideal. But like it did for so many other people, the coronavirus pandemic forced her to take stock of what really matters most.

“I decided to put my family, myself and my mental health first,” Kirton Hynes said. “It is so important for us to be happy in everything we do. There was a time when I used to think it was overrated, but I realise that it is so critical. If you feel like you’re just in the bottom of a deep well and the things that you’re doing are not fulfilling, it really just makes everything more difficult.”

After coming face to face with depression and realising just how much she needed to be able to find joy to sustain her and keep her going, Kirton Hynes decided to share her findings with others. She launched a podcast, The Necessity of Joy, two Fridays ago, with the sole intention of reminding us of just that.

“I feel the need to share with people the importance of focusing on your mental health and making yourself a priority so that you can ultimately attain that joy — because it is so necessary for survival,” she said passionately.

Kirton Hynes has always been a lover of innovation. Perhaps the only parallel that can be drawn through all the positions she has held is that they have all been geared towards innovation. Her early ambitions of being a visual artist were dashed by her pragmatic father, who encouraged her to pursue an area that was potentially more lucrative. But although she took her father’s advice and read for a first degree in tourism management, Kirton Hynes’ first job was in digital media.

“Some ‘sistrens’ of mine, because we were unemployed out of university at the time, started whaddat.com,” she recalled. “It was the brainchild of Rebecca Packer Burrell, who I’ve known since first form at Immaculate High. This was in 2001, before social media became so popular, and I had a passion for writing and for dancehall and Jamaican culture, so we were doing our thing.”

Kirton Hynes also dabbled a little in hospitality and spent two years working as a front desk agent at a Marriott hotel in Connecticut in the US. After the end of a whirlwind romance in the Big Apple, the bright-eyed young woman returned home to Jamaica to lick her wounds.

“I also really didn’t see myself having a long-term career in hospitality and I realised that I really loved media, so I got a job in media.”

She worked as a business reporter while pursuing her master’s degree in communication studies, before moving over into the area of media where she still is — marketing. Kirton Hynes has since worked as a consultant or manager for several of the region’s most visible brands. These include Pepsi, Yello Media group, ICD Group limited, Digicel Group, and since last November, GraceKennedy Financial Services.

Being the naturally competitive and results-driven woman that she is, Kirton Hynes found herself in the thick of it when COVID-19 struck, and ‘pivot’ became the order of all her days. When her husband and two children began noticing how tightly wound and burned out she had become, she knew that she had to find a way to balance the scales.

“People don’t understand how much of a toll it takes when you’re trying to balance motherhood and being a ‘career woman’. I remember reading something late last year that said we should not be normalising and glamourising a lack of sleep and being overworked. We need to normalise getting enough sleep and having healthy relationships with our families, and being more balanced individuals,” she reasoned.

Now Kirton Hynes is learning to take each day in stride, making the most of the moments that matter. She is no less of an achiever or a professional, but she is all the more intentional and mindful, and constantly in pursuit of happiness. And she wants everyone to join her on that journey.

“We have a lot to be grateful for. The simple things — health, family, good weather and protection from the harshest elements,” she said. “I am fortunate enough to be able to take my children on some days to swimming lessons…I never had that opportunity a year ago because my head was just down in work. I have a better understanding now about the importance of gratitude, and being deliberate in giving thanks. What is important to me now is really focusing on the things that fulfil me and bring me joy.”