Over the course of her impressive career, Westmoreland native Gail Abrahams has ascended the corporate ladder, accumulating a wealth of titles — journalist, corporate communications exec at, among other companies, GraceKennedy Financial Group; vice-president of marketing, and sponsorship at the Supreme Ventures Group, chairman of the JIS advisory board, and most recently, marketing communications consultant at Cornerstone/Barita Investments Limited. Now, she’s telling all in Heels, Hustle, Heart: Claiming Your Seat Without Losing Yourself, her memoir.

To celebrate the book’s release, over 50 of Abrahams’ intimate circle convened at the S Hotel Valencia B suite on Thursday, February 12. The guest list read like a who’s who of media and corporate, representing important figures from all stages of her professional life, including: Fae Ellington, who trained and refined Abrahams in her formative days as a news reporter; Jamaica Observer Media Group Deputy Managing Director Natalie Chin Samuda and Senior Associate Editor, Lifestyle & Social Content Novia McDonald-Whyte, who have lent their support for over a decade; long-time cheerleader, reggae artiste Alaine; fellow author Jean Lowrie-Chin; former Grace Kennedy Financial Group CEO Grace Burnett; Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information and current president of IWF Jamaica Senator Dr Dana Morris Dixon; and Supreme Ventures and Cornerstone/Barita execs.

“Tonight is not just the launch of a book. It is the release of a truth. A truth I have carried quietly, in boardrooms, in strategy sessions, in interviews, in applause… and in exhaustion. I wrote
Heels, Hustle, Heart because I have met too many brilliant women who were winning on paper but quietly losing themselves. Promoted. Applauded. Decorated. Yet they were slowly disconnecting from who they were. And I know that woman. Because at different seasons, I was her,” mused Abrahams. She says the book was not written from theory, but rather from lived experiences: Sitting at executive tables where she had a voice, but sometimes felt unseen; and from navigating spaces where competence was expected, but authenticity felt risky.

The book’s title is intentional. “The heels represent presence — how you stand, how you show up, how you carry authority. The hustle represents discipline — the preparation, the excellence, the grind. And the heart represents humanity — your values, your compassion, your authenticity,” she explained. “Too often women are told to choose. Be strong, but not soft. Be ambitious, but not emotional. Be visible, but not too visible. I wrote this book to say clearly: You do not have to amputate part of yourself to succeed.”

The formalities — led by Barita Investments Vice-President, Premium Wealth and Corporate Solutions Sancia Thompson — began with a performance by Abrahams’ husband, gynaecologist and obstetrician, comedian and poet Dr Michael Abrahams. Next, reggae artiste Alaine’s voice floated above the buzz of light conversation as she delivered her 2016 hit
Born To Win.

Terise Kettle, senior vice-president, investment banking at Barita, and Abrahams’ friend, was among the guests invited to read excerpts from the memoir. “Gail, I just want to say congratulations. For me this book is such an inspiration, especially coming up in the corporate world, and really and truly trying to find who I really am, and harness all the potential that I wanted to harness, without losing myself,” said Kettle, who particularly identified with Chapter 7: Managing Stress and Avoiding Burnout, and emotionally recounted juggling her early days of motherhood and career, and the pivotal role her parents played in helping her to achieve success.

Photographer: Karl Mclarty

[ESTABLISHING SHOT]Karl Mclarty

Heels, Hustle, Heart: Claiming Your Seat Without Losing Yourself author Gail Abrahams signed a copy of her book for President and Chief Executive Officer of the VM Group Courtney Campbell.Karl Mclarty

Moments after securing a signed copy of Heels, Hustle, Heart from author Gail Abrahams (centre), Camille Facey, managing partner at Facey Law, joined Abrahams and Barita Investments Vice-President, Sales and Services Dave Dixon for a photo-op.Karl Mclarty

Heels, Hustle, Heart author Gail Abrahams had the support of her husband Dr Michael Abrahams. Karl Mclarty

Heels, Hustle, Heart author Gail Abrahams (left) and Jamaica Observer Media Group Deputy Managing Director Natalie Chin SamudaKarl Mclarty

Former Grace Kennedy Financial Group CEO Grace Burnett (left) shared the frame with corporate trainer Elaine Wint (centre) and author Sandre Cooper.Karl Mclarty

Heels, Hustle, Heart author Gail Abrahams had the support of Supreme Ventures Gaming CEO Stefan Miller (left) and Supreme Ventures Senior Vice-President, Operations & IT Services Aden Whittaker.Karl Mclarty

Author Gail Abrahams (fourth right) had the full support of her WLI sisters, President Dr Dana Morris Dixon (third right) and members (from left) Jean Lowrie-Chin, Minna Israel, Eleanor Jones, Camille Facey, Sharon Lake, Patsy Kelly, and Dr Nadiya Figueroa.Karl Mclarty

Sharing the frame were (from left) Jamaica Observer Senior Associate Editor, Lifestyle & Social Content Novia McDonald-Whyte; reggae artiste Alaine; and chartered accountant Patricia Henry Brown.Karl Mclarty

Host Sancia Thompson declared, “This is not a traditional book launch; it is a curated conversation and a shared reflection.”Karl Mclarty

Terise Kettle, senior vice-president, investment banking at Barita, read an excerpt. Karl Mclarty

Born To Win by Alaine — an anthem about championing through struggles — did not fail to uplift.Karl Mclarty