Wow, this year has been nothing but stressful.
Part 01
In March Sri Lanka closed down, Maldives followed. I am from the tourism industry and a trade that came to a full stop due to COVID. I am a Maldives destination specialist when the destination closed I felt the walls closing in, the salary cuts starting my mind screamed the end was near. I am a man of stability, I have always learned different disciplines, helped so many in their businesses but always been the dude who did this one job. Stability went to the gutter I was left stranded alone on an island. What do I do, I started by fueling myself with the hope that trade will not die. I kept writing, inspiring myself and others we are global trade we cannot die.
Part 02
Mom always told me with the skillsets I own try doing some online courses, because I do not own degrees, I am not the certified Sri Lankan that is deemed by society. She has been advising this for over a decade, me not being certified never bothered me even though that is the singular thing that even keeps me from migrating. I was continuously learning never did it bother me to be certified. Randomly I saw this advert on Project management curiosity got the best of me before I knew it I was addicted. The next few months 12 courses I had completed https://www.linkedin.com/in/liswith-obinamuni/.
Part 03
My mind was still uneasy, I never been this unstable in over a decade (oh yeah I lived a very colorful life). I was frustrated and angry. I had a call with a friend of mine name Charith Heenpalla (Sri Lanka’s Best Food Photographer) was telling I want to try a new project, do it with someone. I was whining that I feel aimless and bored. A few days later he came with this idea findafreelancer.lk and we started working on the platform. After many sleepless nights, a few months in we presented to Sri Lanka www.findafreelancer.lk. The platform allows you to showcase your talent to business owners for free. The platform is free for the freelancer and the business that is searching for new talent.
Part 04 & Part 05 Overlap
First was the start of a journey of something inspiring, me and Duval Weerakoone (aka Malla, The Managing Director of The Nescius and Kubeira Holdings Pvt Ltd.) met with Ruwani and Geeshan Bandara (Wedding War Photographer) (aka the showrunners) two remarkably focused and driven people. This was the start of Patta History https://www.youtube.com/c/pattahistory/ journey, I have never met creatives, and individuals like I say ape Lamai who are so incredibly talented. Hearing every music beat, watching every storyboard come to life, see the passion that went into hardcore research, the art that gave this life OH MY GOD to date it is unbelievable. So much love went into this project and so much love is being received thanks to the incredible team I get to work with, being the taskmaster they so fondly hate (love you guys). This project to me is pure magic.
During this same time, Mr. Shohan Kulasuriya (aka Shohan Uncle) a serial entrepreneur (Founder of Mankiwwa) was starting something that is going to revolutionary for Sri Lanka being Sri Lanka’s First Lady Driven chauffeur service exclusively for ladies and kids. He asked if I wanted to join the founding team of Pink Drives. I was very excited, so much work went in before all you saw that launch held at Galadari. I met inspiring people during this journey, making commercials something I had never seen firsthand, helped in organizing the event in the small way I knew how to, onboarding incredibly strong ladies for the endeavor. This is being an experience of me entering the whole entrepreneur lifestyle wholeheartedly.
Pink Drives http://www.pinkdrives.com has so much love and hope for me in my heart. There shall be challenges but along a great team, it is never impossible.
Now coming back what happened to the travel industry? Have you given up Liswith?
No, every day I have worked since March lockdown to date. I still am the destination specialist for the Maldives. I still am selling, promoting, and loving every bit of the destination I promote. It was never a job for me, I enjoy what I do. I have been blessed that all the skills I have learned and applied in all of the above projects I learned from this trade. I have got to work with some of the hardest working and passionate people I know.
This journey I am writing of did not take years, this all happened end of March 2020 to 01 Nov 2020.
I am untalented like people say, but if I could you can. Work is not a chore but an inspiration to grow yourself. Remember that every task that seems impossible that you are given, once you learn it no one can ever steal it from you. It grows you, it grows your mind, it grows your brand.
Anytime you message me I will always be there to help anyone in any way I possibly can.
2020 is rough, I think it will get rougher. Distract your mind with amazing things and you won’t feel how bad of a show it was.
Much love!
LISWITH
