5 Questions with Shellesia Neil

As a young entrepreneur and YouTuber, Shellesia Neil is using her personal and spiritual life lessons to motivate others in maneuvering their own. Shellesia’s YouTube journey began approximately 3 years ago and has only grown and expanded, as she has become more confident in her passion and her purpose. From that platform, she has evolved into a young entrepreneur by launching ASDDESIGNZ. A true role model by nature, she has a few tips to help others hoping to enter the arena of entrepreneurship.

Tell us a little about your educational journey.

I am preparing to graduate from the University of the West Indies with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a minor in criminology. I had one year of face-to-face classes, but for my last two years, I had online classes due to the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. I served in various roles during these years: from being the assistant treasurer of my cluster on AZ Preston Hall, to serving as the marketing manager of the Preston Entertainment and Cultural Ensemble (PEACE) for two years. While it was definitely challenging trying to balance school and my personal life, the department I worked with had amazing colleagues who were easy to work with and very helpful in times of need. Some teachers made learning fun and not just educational, but also showed how the theory of what we were learning applied to our day-to-day lives. While some were fun, some sessions made many of us emotional and prompted us to perform deep introspections.

From 2017 to 2019 I attended DeCarteret College, where I did two years of sixth form. My subjects included science, English literature, digital media, and other mandatory subjects. While many saw the subjects I chose as confusing, those same subjects helped me to start my entrepreneurial adventures, specifically YouTube. I was also the treasurer of the debate club in my second year.

I attended Manchester High School from 2013 to 2017, where I received most of my secondary education. High school aided in my personal development, as it not only helped to shape me academically but also emotionally. Lastly, from 2006 to 2013, I attended the Villa Road Primary and Junior High School, which has been renamed Villa Road Primary School.

What would you say is your primary source of motivation, and why?

My primary source of inspiration comes from knowing that God has called me to do greater than what I am doing right now. In addition to that, I am aiming to give my parents a better life. I desire to fully take care of them to the point of living a comfortable life without worrying or working for their entire lives. I have seen them sacrifice to provide for me as best as possible, and they have supported me through every decision I have made in life thus far. I pride myself on helping and encouraging others and helping people build their dreams while I also build mine. I have the strongest desire to help those in need and give and care for those who feel neglected - especially children. I believe that I have a big heart and I do have a special love for mental health and therapy, so I try to give back as best as I can.

While I do, at times, seek and appreciate external praise and commendations, most of my motivation is intrinsic. I refuse to accept the bare minimum and the simple hand-to-mouth, the barely-making-it-through”, the “I’ll sleep when I’m dead,” the overworked-but-underpaid, or the looking-like-you-have-it-all-together-but-in-reality-you-don’t a lifestyle. I believe in having balance, and while elevating, helping others to elevate as well.

What is the story behind Amanda Speaks and how have you been using this platform to inspire others?

I had always been told that: I should start a YouTube channel, I have a way with words, and I’m great at giving advice. While these may have been true, I wasn’t sure if anyone would actually listen to me. However, after much internal deliberation, on April 2, 2019, I decided to post my first video, and to my surprise, many received it well. Unfortunately, I was still camera shy, so I struggled with consistency and did not post regularly. When 2020 came around, I started to take it more seriously and began posting more videos while trying to be more consistent. At first, the name of the channel was amanda_ps66, because my middle name is Amanda. The name was then changed to AmandaSpeaks in June when I thought I needed a more professional, memorable and catchy name that people could easily remember. After changing my intro two or three times, I think I've now settled on something permanent.

Over the past two years, I’ve been more intentional with what I post and received clarity on the vision for the brand itself. I’ve been using the various platforms to not only motivate and bring hope to those who watch but to also shine a light on certain topics that many easily misunderstand or project their own misinterpretation or bias towards, such as those of femininity and Christian women. I’ve also been told that some people use my videos for learning purposes, which is also an aim of mine: to educate and share whatever I have learned so far in my lifetime, as well as share whatever wisdom the Lord has given me. I’ve also been using the brand to help give individuals a platform to speak on conversations they may not have been able to, or that would not have reached a certain demographic, such as conflict resolution, whether or not men need accountability and business. Most importantly, this brand has not only inspired and helped others to understand themselves and those around them, but it is also relatable and gives youth hope that there’s a different way and that it’s OK to be different and be authentic. For some younger than me, I’ve been told that they look up to me as a role model. This tells me that I’m reaching them in some way, whether near or far.

Tell us about ASDDESIGNZ and how others can support your business.

ASDDESIGNZ is an online store that was launched on June 15, 2022, after finally sourcing a platform that could accommodate what the startup needed at the time. ASDDESIGNZ stands for “Amanda Speaks Designz”. We sell hoodies, shirts, sweatpants/joggers, cups, and crewneck sweatshirts. ASDDESIGNZ was created to be a reminder of everyone is created for a purpose. It should help us remember that nothing is by chance and that purpose is permanent, while pleasure is fleeting. Persons can support us by visiting our website (https://asddesignz.creator-spring.com/) and following us on Instagram and Facebook (@asddesigz) to keep up to date with us. For any business enquiries or partnerships, we can be contacted at asddesignzz@gmail.com.

As a young entrepreneur, what advice would you give your peers who want to start their own businesses?

I know this may sound cliché, but GO FOR IT! On the more practical side, as I was once told, write the vision and make it plain. Don’t just hop into something blindly. Instead, you should do your research on whatever business venture you’re going to pursue. Analyze the current market situation as best as you can, and ask those who have done it and have more experience for advice and tips on how you can start. Ensure that you also learn about any mistakes that they made and what they learned from them. As I said before, ensure that your vision is plain and it includes the following information: what you want your brand to look and feel like, what impression you want to have on your customers, what your mission is, what your motto is (if needed), and the reason behind the brand itself. Be confident in yourself and the brand you’re building. You should also be strategic, and honest, and establish your prices; but also be flexible with your strategies, as markets change from time to time. Last but not least, strive for balance. Ensure that you are well-rested, focused, and determined, but also open to receiving help. Rome was not built in a day, and no man is an island.