Wendy Lewis redefinding success through hard work

2026-01-25 - 21:09

MICHELLE OBAMA, the wife of the 44th president of the US, Barack Obama, once said, “Women and girls can do whatever they want. There is no limit to what we as women can accomplish.” Wendy H Lewis is certainly proving that. Driven by a vision to create change, impact lives and fulfil purpose, 54-year-old Lewis wears many hats. An international keynote speaker, broadcast professional and leadership strategist, she brings more than three decades of experience across media, entertainment, corporate training, cultural adjudication and women’s empowerment. A seasoned radio host of D Khalabash Corner and television presenter of Straight Talk with Wendy and A Woman’s Worth, Lewis is also the CEO of Khalabash Productions (artist and event management) and founder and CEO of The TT Corporate Training Academy, formerly The TT School of Protocol, the first school of protocol in the Caribbean. Her multifaceted career further spans roles as a certified counsellor, certified protocol officer, ordained minister, mentor, author and chair and regional president of the Caribbean Women Honors & Empowerment, Trinidad and Tobago Chapter, a south-based NGO. Beyond the boardroom and broadcast studio, she is also a vocalist and made history in 2001 as the first woman to win the London Calypso Monarch title as a member of the Association of British Calypsonians. A victory which was repeated as she defended her title. Raised in San Fernando, her mother, Marilyn Lewis and her father, Isaac Lewis, have been her strongest pillars of support. They fully encouraged her decision to pursue studies overseas after completing secondary school in TT. Lewis became a certified protocol officer through the European School of Protocol, also based in the UK. She has spent over three decades in the entertainment industry and is the longest-serving female artist manager in the region. She currently manages soca artist Roger George and international Bollywood singer Anuradha Hansraj. Her musical roots trace back to the mid-1990s Kiskadee Karavan musical movement as the then European manager for Curtis ‘General’ Grant. Lewis is the cousin of former Road March champions Nigel and Marvin Lewis. [caption id="attachment_1204331" align="alignnone" width="681"] Wendy Lewis. -[/caption] Encouraged by her cousins and the late Odian "Skunky" Cyrus, formerly of Charlie’s Roots, Lewis made her recording debut in 1999 with Iron in de Charcoal, written by Cyrus and recorded by the late Graham Wilson in Woodbrook. The song later led to her first album, D Journey Continues (2004), produced by St Lucian arranger Shawn Marcellin with contributions from Kenny Phillips and Martin “Mice” Raymond. After migrating to the UK, she balanced performing with management. Her defining breakthrough came in 2001 when she won the UK Calypso Monarch title, becoming the first woman to do so and successfully defending her crown the following year. Her winning songs, Immigrants' Dilemma; My Kind Ah Man and Black Man, all penned by former calypso monarch, Ortneil Bacchus, aka Tobago Crusoe. Lewis was mentored by cultural icons Ella Andall, the late Black Stalin and Singing Sandra. In 2008, having achieved her academic goals, she returned to TT intending to spend just six months with her mother. That brief stay, however, turned into a permanent homecoming when she secured the position of CEO at the TT Entertainment Company, a role that anchored her return and kept her based in TT. Upon her return, Lewis also trained in broadcasting at the Institute of Broadcasting Careers and was certified under popular radio personality and journalist Eddison Carr. She began hosting the morning show on then Soca 91.9fm until assuming her role at TT Entertainment in 2009. Then came her move into television with encouragement from soca singers Denise Belfon and Fay Ann Lyons-Alvarez during a casual conversation at a hotel lobby in Washington DC. Studying the craft and drawing inspiration from Oprah Winfrey, Lewis launched Down to Earth with Wen’D on CNC3. Following the pandemic, the programme was rebranded to Straight Talk with Wendy, which aired on state-owned TTT. In 2014, she launched the TT School of Protocol, the first in the Caribbean. The institution was rebranded as the TT Corporate Training Academy in 2017 and now delivers training locally and regionally. CWHE is a global initiative under the Diversity Advancement Network in Canada. There are 13 chapters in Africa called AWHE (African Women Honors & Empowerment); 11 in the US called BWHE (Black Women Honors & Empowerment), and nine in the Caribbean, where CWHE (Caribbean Women Honors & Empowerment) was formed. Lewis was headhunted seven years ago to lead a chapter in TT, and she obliged. From district manager, now chair and regional president of the organisation, a role she has held since 2019. Lewis champions initiatives that assist women who are and have been victims of gender-based violence, whilst empowering women and girls. There is also an arm called Men We Are Here For You, which is a safe space for men to share issues which may affect their mental health. In 2024, Lewis, along with her board of directors, spearheaded an islandwide period poverty campaign across TT addressing menstrual health, period poverty and youth empowerment via access through advocacy, partnerships and community engagement. She also successfully launched Stush, her first all-white, inclusive cultural experience in 2025. Following its overwhelming success, Stush is scheduled to return in 2027. Lewis currently serves as a director on the board of Southern Academy for the Performing Arts and is also a broadcasting host with TTT. Asked how she manages to remain focused while wearing so many hats, she pointed to the importance of a strong prayer life, discernment and intentional relationships. She went deeper, stating that her inner circle became more refined, her purpose grew clearer, bringing greater peace, alignment and fulfilment. Today, Lewis describes herself as grounded, focused, fulfilled and yet growing daily. [caption id="attachment_1204337" align="alignnone" width="566"] Wendy Lewis. -[/caption] Questioned on her future plans, she shared the execution of A Woman’s Worth – The Conference; the release of not just one but a few books, and another timely event which she chose to keep under wraps for the time being. Asked about her love life, she replied with a broad smile, “Let’s just say there’s a person of interest.” Her message to other women juggling multiple roles is “Put God first, then yourself, and then anyone or anything else. You are already functioning at a very high level in a world that asks too much of women and still expects grace.” “Give yourself permission to pace your life in seasons: select that one thing and take life one step at a time. Ask for help without apology and feel free to redefine success on your own terms. What matters most is making your gifts work for you, not what society thinks you should become or achieve. Finally, open those eyes; there’s a reason you have two and discern as if your life depended on it. There are a lot of wolves in sheep’s clothing out there seeking whom they can devour.”