Written by Alex Popa, Shots by Tchakayiti
“I’m Annick Mégie, born and raised in Haiti where I currently live. I’m an advertising specialist at i7lab, a food blogger at Tchakayiti, and a food photographer at Shots by Tchakayiti.”
This is how Annick Mégie begins her story, one worth sharing and remembering. Currently, she owns the only digital marketing agency in Haiti, where she and her team provide SEO and online marketing services for businesses all over the world. She also has a food blog, Tchakayiti, dedicated to Haitian cuisine.
…owns the only digital marketing agency in Haiti, where she and her team provide SEO and online marketing services for businesses all over the world.
When we asked her what drives her, her answer was simple: “Passion and my desire to see things done right in Haiti.” She wants to motivate other Haitian women to take a stand and reach for their dreams because “no one else will do that for you.” Annick says that any form of success depends on commitment first and foremost.
How Did She Get Started?
Annick Mégie had a rough start as an entrepreneur. In the beginning, she worked full-time for a local advertising agency, and i7lab was only a part-time project that she pursued. In 2014, she landed her first clients for i7lab, though, and she left her full-time job to pursue her business venture.
At first, even getting an office space and furnishing it was a tough challenge for the new entrepreneur. She says that “all the furniture at the time was borrowed from different households. Believe it or not, it took us a year to actually acquire our first brand-new desk and office chairs!”
Tchakayiti, her food blog, came to life in late 2013 as well, but it wasn’t until 2020 that Annick introduced Shots, the photography section of the food blog. Surprisingly, she’s most proud of Tchakayiti rather than i7labs because the food blog allows her to promote Haitian cuisine abroad.
Her Advice to New Entrepreneurs
Annick Mégie’s story is an inspiration to all the countless Haitian women who think success is impossible for them. Even Annick had to deal with discouraging remarks from her peers who said that “You don’t need to try that hard. It’s Haiti.” But this didn’t stop her and, instead, it encouraged her to push her limits.
In her eyes, being an entrepreneur is all about commitment, dedication, patience, and resilience. Being committed to your dream and having the patience to push through the obstacles are key components of achieving success. Her work-life balance was chaotic in the beginning, but she’s learned to adapt and take a break when necessary.
For the future, her dream is to expand both i7labs and Tchakayiti internationally, and we wish her good luck!
Contact:
Website: tchakayiti.com
IG: instagram.com/tchakayiti
