Often individuals are encouraged not just to look at the journey ahead of them, but to look beyond the journey at the destination.

Dr Trisha Bailey is one individual who did exactly that. The Jamaica-born US multimillionaire did not allow the journey ahead of her to deter her from going after her goals.

Bailey, who spent her formative years in St Elizabeth, described her childhood in Jamaica as simple, yet wonderful.

“Growing up in Jamaica was an amazing experience. I got the chance to be with my family, live an innocent life, and everything was simply and easy going,” said Bailey.

Bailey recalls spending time with her uncle on his farm and labels it as one of her fondest memories.

“I would spend hours on the farm with my uncle, harvesting all the crop in the middle of woodland. It was my sacred place. It would take hours to get there and once we arrived it was a joyous time.”

At age 13, she migrated with her family to the United States, making Hartford, Connecticut their new home. Like many Jamaicans who have migrated to the US, this move was seen as a chance at a better life for the family.

But things did not go as 13-year-old Bailey imagined they would. She told Our Today that, upon arriving in the US, she experienced a barrage of culture shocks.

“I always had the thought of America to be this utopia where the roads are paved of gold, but it was nothing like I had envisioned. Even in school, hearing Spanish for the first time was a shock for me. Everything was just so different,” Bailey shared.

Although the St Elizabeth native encountered several social issues, including racism, she has never allowed them to cripple her progress, but instead, used it as a catalyst to go after her goals.

Bailey, who attended the Springfield All Age while in Jamaica, said despite being a track athlete throughout high school and university in the US, that was not the case while attending school in Jamaica.

She believes that people should identify their strength and find what works for them in order to achieve their true potential.

“I started running at the age of 15 in the US. I realised I wasn’t good at gymnastics and found out that track was my strength.”

The entrepreneur has worn many hats along her journey to becoming a self-made millionaire. She has worked as a stockbroker and owned a recruiting business. Currently, she owns several pharmacies across American states and sells medical equipment. The serial entrepreneur has dived into the international real estate market where she plans to create major waves.

Bailey shared with Our Today how she has managed her career over the years.

“I was a stockbroker and then decided to have my first child. I knew the industry wouldn’t be conducive to me being a mother and decided to transition into a more comfortable field for me and my child.”

Bailey made her first million at age 35 and now has an estimated net worth of US$650–US$700 million.

“I made my first million at 35, and as much as I felt proud, I felt I had to continue on to the next milestone. Since then, I’ve continued to set achievable goals for myself,” she said.

Despite being on her way to become a billionaire, Bailey said sheat no time aspired to become a millionaire.

“No. Money has never been my goal. My purpose has been. Today, everything I have is simply a result of me being intentional in my purpose,” Bailey said.

As an experienced businesswoman, Bailey is currently investing in real estate in Jamaica and believes that the island has a lot of resources to offer.

She expressed that she has no desire to be the only success story and, through her philanthropic efforts, she has sent 270 Caribbean students to college.

Bailey recently created history, making the largest cash donation in the history of the University of Connecticut, which she said gave her her first start in life with a full scholarship.

The journey for Bailey has not been an easy one, in the most difficult parts of her journey, the multi-millionaire said she relied on God and pressed ahead to accomplish all that she now has.

Bailey who experienced traumas along the way, remained focus in getting to where she needed to be.

“I have had a significant number of traumas since the second day of being in the US. I spent a lot of time in the darkness, but even during those enduring times, I knew that the gifts that God had given me was something I could share with the world.”

The philanthropist prides herself on giving back. She said she enjoys helping others because it gives her a sense of purpose.

“Giving back is important to me because it fulfills me. It allows me to reach back and somewhat pull someone in need of mercy, grace, or help. It gives me purpose and it reminds me that every day I wake up that I could one day be that person,” Bailey said.

According to the entrepreneur, she developed a strong understanding of the value of saving at a young age, putting away portions of her lunch money every week, and has remained disciplined throughout her life.

She is encouraging the younger generation to set goals and go after them, but, in doing so, she said they must be disciplined.

“Be disciplined with money. Be disciplined with your goals. Always, always, remain morally sound in your decisions. And most importantly, you must always consider how others feel because money isn’t everything. It’s the bond that you build that’s important,” she noted.

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