Solomon Sharpe: Thinks outside of the box
Published:Friday | January 25, 2019 | 12:10 AM
Let’s be honest, managing people is no simple job. In fact, it’s one of the most difficult roles to excel in, and there is no single recipe for success – no book, no programme, no silver bullet that can prepare someone to master the skill set quickly.
However, Solomon Sharpe was exposed to the concept, functionalities, and responsibilities of taking care of as well as leading a team as a young boy growing up around his father. Owen Sharpe was a pilot and racehorse trainer, and Solomon would spend his time at Caymanas Park, leading in the horses when they won and travelling to many countries around the world with him.
“If you are involved in horse racing, it takes a certain level of intensity to succeed. You develop a natural fire to be successful in business, and you always want to win at everything you do. I learnt to deliver at the highest standards and not to take no for an answer,” Sharpe said.
As an all-rounder, Sharpe was also very athletic and was an avid football player during his formative years at Wolmer’s Preparatory and Campion College. “I was very competitive. When I was about six years old, I wanted to join the football team, and I wasn’t given the opportunity. The next year, I decided that no one was going to push me out, and I cemented my place on the team,” Sharpe said.
“In my first year playing on the team, we won the Alberga Cup and for two consecutive seasons after that, and we were the knockout champions for four years,” he added.
Sharpe also played in the minor and major league for Santos and Tivoli Gardens football clubs.
“I learnt to be a team player, and I have built my life in a way that there is no one-man-band situation. Horse racing and football are both team sports, and when I look at my role as a marketer, I don’t get a chance to speak to every client or consumer, but my presence is always felt,” Sharpe said.
From his athletic prowess, Sharpe was granted a football scholarship to Tiffin University in the United States, where he completed a double major in business administration/management studies and sports management.
At his first job as a public relations assistant at then Desnoes and Geddes Limited, Sharpe said he learned to push the boundaries, and was able to build relationships that have lasted over the years. “I learnt the intricacies of the business on the backstretch and developed branding in areas that was never thought of. I could have been described as aggressive, but I believe it was more being resilient and persistence,” he said.
According to Sharpe, his mentor, Frank ‘Tony’ Ray, former journalist and public relations practitioner (now deceased), gave him advice that has continued to resonate with him over the years. “I learnt to stay behind the scenes and make things happen. The job came with a profile, but I quickly learnt to put myself in the background and worked towards moving the objectives of the company forward,” he said.
Sharpe is now chairman of Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Limited. Following his appointment last month, he was a director of the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Commission and the Jamaica Racing Commission.
“You have to know when to challenge thestatus quo. I take a non-traditional approach to the way I operate every day. I was not a journalist, but I worked in public relations and showed the tenacity to succeed and be different,” he said.
In 2004, Sharpe took things to an all-new level, becoming the co-founder and chief executive officer at Main Event Entertainment Group, a premier event management, production, promotions, and digital signage solutions company in Jamaica.
“True to my mantra of always thinking outside of the box, we have taken a very dynamic approach that facilitates an immersive brand experience for our clients. We have a highly organised structure, and we have carefully nurtured all our brands over the years,” he said.
“It’s not just coming in and doing a party, but connecting with our clients on an individual basis,” Sharpe added.
The former recipient of the Private Sector Organisation of JamaicaGleaner 50 under-50 Business Leaders award, Sharpe said that family time is very important to him, and he ensures that he is always there, especially for his children.
“I worked hard to present a business that can function with or without me. I try not to miss the activities of my children, and no matter where in the world I am, I have never missed the birth of any of my three children,” he said.