Trini-born events executive offers support to local brands

Suzette Wilson Samuels has always been the woman behind the curtain; the one who makes things happen, sometimes pulling off the impossible while staying out of the spotlight.

But the Trinidad and Tobago-born, US-based events executive is about to step out of her comfort zone and make a move that is more than a professional pivot of her Strength Wisdom Soul (SWS) brand. She will be forming alliances with people in the local cultural industry to share her years of knowledge of the events and experience industry through speaking engagements and the development of workshops.

"I am not the person that will step into the room and take over the conversation. I’ll sit back and pay attention and tell you what will happen in the room. So this is me, in my new chapter doing everything uncomfortable so I can lend my voice and be more purposeful. So I’m hitting the speaking forum, doing more consulting and figuring out which brands I can help support."

This decision, though, has deep Caribbean and familial roots and is not just a project on a whim.

"It’s personal. I want to bring my voice, my tools, and my lived wisdom back to the Caribbean – not to lecture, but to learn, to listen, and to build," she told WMN in a Zoom interview.

"I’m actively cultivating partnerships with creatives and professionals who have long been doing this work on the ground, including Richard Gordon of Kairi People, whose vision and professionalism I truly respect.

"I don’t pretend to know it all. I just want to add value, not volume, to what’s already here.

"This isn’t about coming home with answers, it’s about coming home with questions, with collaboration, and with care."

And Wilson Samuels' industry knowledge and experience is extensive, having started at the lowest rung and working her way up the ladder.

"From the front desk to executive leadership, I climbed every step. I built events that spanned continents, teams, brands, celebrities – and I did it all with a quiet drive and a deep love for the work."

Among her clients are IBM for which she worked for over 20 years, and she has headed projects that featured people the likes of Serena Williams, Gwen Stefani, Sheryl Crow, Tom Hanks, Caroline Wanga, and Will Smith.

"I’ve produced for thousands and built teams that could execute flawlessly on tight timelines and even tighter expectations."

Now her focus is set on the beautiful Caribbean islands and its variety of cultural experiences – many of which she has had a first-hand taste.

"Even though I have so many years in the industry, I have not done much in the Caribbean, so I have to learn from the people there. So I want to share my knowledge, my experience, my success in executing large scale events. Some things will translate and some thing won’t. I’m not coming to take over, I need to learn what works in each island because each is different – the culture, the experiences."

Professionally, she said, she is grateful for the many brands with which she has had the opportunity to work.

"But now, my focus has shifted. It’s no longer just about producing events – it’s about producing impact. It’s about creating spaces, not just stages, where people feel seen, heard, and inspired. It’s about mentorship, storytelling, legacy, and truth. It’s about showing up – not perfectly, but fully."

The SWS brand, she said, was borne out of a lived experience.

"Of staying afloat in grief, of choosing grace under fire, of building despite heartbreak.

"I’ve never had it easy. I know what hard looks like. I know what it is to work hard. I know about joy comes in the morning."

Both her parents were diagnosed with cancer and died within years of each other – her mom in 2015 and her dad in 2019.

"Dean 'Daddy Dean' was a strong, towering man. His presence filled a room. As his health declined after he became a diabetic amputee, his physical strength faded, but his spirit only deepened. He held on to his humour, his storytelling, his love for family. That was his resistance. That was his power."

Her mother, Christiana had a different temperament.

"She was quiet but fierce and she never complained. She’d dress up for chemo, lipstick on point, showed up for others even when she was barely holding on. She carried her pain with grace that felt divine. Watching her gave me strength I didn’t know I had.

"She was given three months to live and stuck around for eight months, and planned her funeral six months before it happened, on camera with me and my husband. All I needed to do was press play when she died, and it was all there."

Amid her production of global events Wilson Samuels found herself having to juggle work and flights between TT and wherever she was working at the time.

And she didn't have the luxury of falling apart, because, like her father, she was "the fixer," so she had to hold it together.

"For my team. For my kids.

"So I whispered to myself three words every morning, every long drive, every heartbreak:

"Strength. Wisdom. Soul. Mom gave me those words, tied to my initials and name and defined it in ways no brand I’ve ever seen come to life

"That mantra saved me. It reminded me of who I came from. It grounded me when the world demanded performance and I had nothing left to give. And over time, it became a compass – not just for survival, but for how I wanted to lead, live, and love moving forward."

The magic words is also the title of her soon-to-be-launched book, which has been years in the making.

"It’s therapeutic. It’s almost ready, and I’m not just launching it to say 'I wrote a book. I’m launching it because I believe someone else needs to read what I wish I had during my hardest personal chapters.

"This next chapter of my life is about legacy. It’s about workshops, speaking, mentorship. It’s about helping young women find their voice before the world convinces them to shrink. It’s about giving back to the community that shaped me."

"I love to write. I stopped because when you’re juggling ten to 15 events at a time or more, you can easily spend on ten to 12 hours of calls per day. I resumed writing more so in the last ten years, but not things I would share."

Wilson Samuels has lived in the US for over 35 years, but remains an island girl at heart. Born in St Joseph and raised in Santa Cruz, her entry into the US events industry began in 1989 at the lowest level. And even as she rose professionally, she never lost touch with her homeland.

"As a Trinidadian, I love my culture. I love the events and festivals, the music, so I’ve always been attached.

"I used to sing with Oscar B in a band. I used to model. I’ve always been somehow serendipitously connected with events and experiences."

She recalled how much of an impact the simple courteous manner of most Caribbean people had on her.

"When I would go to sit with mom while she was doing chemo, everyone who passed by said 'good morning.'

"As a Trini, that means a lot to me and my Trini team, because in the US people pass you like a full bus without saying anything."

This cultural love is also responsible for her establishment of IslandMADE, a TT-based cultural platform that celebrates Caribbean excellence in music, art, design, and edutainment.

"Eventually, I’ll be ready to unveil it. For now, it’s a sacred seed being nurtured. But when the time is right, it will be bold, rooted, and unapologetically Caribbean."

Wilson Samuels says she comes to TT for Carnival and different events and observes how things change with different influences over time.

"There is definitely a lot to learn, and I think people from the US and globally are coming to see how we build events and experiences, and taking a little piece of it and calling it a festival. Everyone in the US is having a Caribbean fest, or a Caribbean flick, and it’s because they’ve come to TT and see the organic communities we’ve built through our music and our experiences, and they’re trying to rebuild that."

As she gets set to execute her plan, she too takes advantage of every opportunity to learn.

"I attended a lot of Richard’s events, and I've been having conversations with people who have recently gone through their Master’s in Carnival Studies."

And the fact that she loves and is surrounded by music, especially at home, makes this project even more meaningful.

The mother of three – Kwasi, Donavan and Roselyn – said, music sometimes saves her life.

"We have a recording booth at home. My husband (Gladstone) is a DJ; he's from Jamaica, but he thinks he's Trinidadian.

"My son plays the guitar. Growing up, I wanted to play the pan but my father didn't want me in the panyard. Five years before he passed he gifted me a tenor pan." which she still can't play.

And there is another part of Caribbean culture that is near and dear to her heart. "I am a big family person. I love a good lime."

You can connect with Suzette Wilson Samuels @strengthwisdomsoul on IG, Suzette Wilson Samuels on LinkedIn, or email strengthwisdomsoul@gmail.com