Meet Calibe Thompson | Creative Director at Island Syndicate Holdings LLC

We had the good fortune of connecting with Calibe Thompson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Calibe, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
At the start of my working life in the United States, I found that I was working overtime because I wanted to, not because I was being paid for it. I was giving my time away too freely. I enjoyed work more than I enjoyed leisure, so it just made sense that I would focus on doing my own thing rather than giving that dedication to an employer who may or may not have valued that quality, and who I eventually wasn’t happy working with.
I’m also from an entrepreneurial family, and have always done some amount of revenue generating activity.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I’m very proud that my minority owned and operated business works with local governments and major corporations in a niche that we manage very well. We’re comfortable working with majority and ethnic people and subject matter. Diversity is built into how we operate. Our quality of production is always going to be spectacular, because that is our standard. Many people say that, but our partners consistently work with us because we also DO it. We are really proud that we can represent Caribbean people the way we do. We show up with that spirit of resilience, hard work and achievement typical of Caribbean immigrants, but without the cautious nature that many of us have. We more often take the approach – say yes first and then figure it out after.
In terms of how I got to this point in my business, I recognized my shortcomings. I’m very talented at many things, but not the best at doing everything all at once. I needed to have a partner to bring my efforts to the next level, and my partner, David I. Muir, also works better with someone else on his team. It took me quite a while to find someone who had a similar work ethic, focus and the stick-to-it-iveness to build a successful independent business. Just like dating until you find the right life partner, you really have to find the right partner for your business. Especially in a small business, personalities have to work well together. You have to be tolerant and even supportive of each other’s quirks. It’s not like it is on TV. Everything isn’t roses all the time. And you must keep ideating, assessing, analyzing and figuring out how to reasonably make more with less, so you can grow efficiently.
This is one of the most important lessons I’ve learned: Finding people to fill the gaps of what you are unable to do or are not great at, is a big part of moving your “thing” from a hobby to a business. And then you also need to find people to do the things you ARE great at so you can grow that business. If your weakness is management or sales, you might be best suited to find a partner, and then employees. If you find that you simply need more hands to do the things that you need, but can handle things like sales, marketing and bookkeeping well on your own, just get some employees to do the physical work, and you can take charge of growing and running your business.
We are now at the stage where we promote retainer options or large standalone project options for our service-oriented business. We have found a niche where we create keepsake coffee table books for municipalities and corporations who are approaching a key milestone, such as a 20-, 50- or 100-year anniversary. We research, write, photograph, layout, assemble and print interesting histories, creating physical pieces that are timeless and tell comprehensive and engaging stories in words and images.
Simultaneously, we are thinking about streams of revenue that are more passive and residual. As much as you may love your “thing,” exchanging time for money becomes tedious. Developing a residual source of income for a small business, or anyone in fact, is a great idea.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I don’t actually go out much or have too much of an active social life. My go-to’s for nice food and atmosphere are Seasons 52 at the Galleria Mall, where I enjoy the salmon salad or a nice flatbread and soup. For breakfast or brunch I go to Milk Money near the Sistrunk area. Everyone who comes to visit me must visit Island SPACE Caribbean Museum. It is my passion project and something they’ve never seen before. As the only dedicated pan-Caribbean heritage museum in the US, it makes everyone who visits proud of the region they came from and understanding of why I do what I do. They can enjoy the artwork, the cultural exhibits, and of course the archive that tells the story of the whole Caribbean region. Other local activities I might plan for include a play at the Broward Center, a cruise on one of the river boats in Fort Lauderdale, and a visit to one of the cool night spots in Greater Fort Lauderdale, like the Rooftop at 1WLO. I’m not a club-goer at all, so we would be doing more chill kinds of activities.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There is a network of kind folks who have been very supportive to me over the years. People like attorney Marlon Hill, music manager Allison Hunte, my business partner David I. Muir, my mentor in video production Lukkee Chong, and many other selfless folks who just want to see someone else do well. The team at my company, Island Syndicate, is small but mighty. We hold each other accountable, and I could not produce the spectacular work I’m able to present in publishing, video and photography creative services without their fabulousness.
In recent years, I would have to give credit and thanks to the board members and volunteers of the non-profit I co-founded, Island SPACE. Being responsible for an entire newly formed institution is a gargantuan task. You can’t lift something that heavy on your own. You need a tribe to keep you functional, and mine has done that really well.

Website: https://islandsyndicate.com | https://islandspacefl.org

Instagram: https://instagram.com/islandsyndicate | https://instagram.com/islandspace

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/islandsyndicate | https://www.linkedin.com/company/island-space-caribbean-museum

Facebook: https://facebook.com/islandsyndicate | https://facebook.com/islandspacefl

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@islandsyndicate | https://www.youtube.com/islandspace

Image Credits
Courtesy of Island Syndicate