Early Hustles and the Hustler Mindset
The journey began long before corporate boardrooms, rooted in humble beginnings where basic needs required creativity. At age 8, Odetta’s first taste of entrepreneurship was selling hand-drawn raffle tickets for a cake baked by her grandmother. This taught her the power of community sales and reinvesting profits. By age 12, she was hosting local “fun days” with contests—a difficult but valuable lesson in organizing events.
In her young adult years, she balanced formal education with weekend work selling beach tickets and coordinating pageants. Even her entry into the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry as an “assistant to the admin assistant” provided essential exposure to formal work environments, despite the low initial pay.
The Entrepreneurial Manager: Side Businesses
Even as her corporate career ascended to vice presidency levels, the “side hustle” remained a constant. She successfully ran a clothing business, selling items from a boutique and even out of her vehicle. This venture was highly lucrative, especially with high-demand items like flip-flops that could be sold for ten times the purchase price.
Other ventures included:
- The Salon & Barber Shop: Utilizing a passive model by renting out chairs to stylists, providing income regardless of her physical presence.
- The Taxi Business: A standout success that grew to ten vehicles. The unique model allowed drivers to own their cars after a few years of weekly payments, fostering community growth while generating steady returns.
- The Bar & Haberdashery: Community-focused businesses that provided cash turnover and supported family members in building their own lifestyles.
Corporate Career and Big Business
A major pillar of her million-dollar income was a 25-year corporate career. Spending 15 years at Xerox (formerly ACS), she rose from entry-level to Vice President of a Fortune 500 company, earning a six-figure US salary with extensive benefits.
Later, as the first employee of Sutherland in Jamaica, she spearheaded its growth from a one-person operation in her car to a massive entity with over 6,000 employees. These roles provided the capital necessary to fund larger investments and business ventures as an angel investor.
Passive Income: Bonds, Stocks, and Real Estate
The transition from active work to financial independence relied heavily on passive income streams:
- Bonds and Mutual Funds: Long-term investments in corporate and government projects that provide consistent quarterly interest payments.
- Dividend Stocks & Index Funds: Leveraging compound interest through platforms like the S&P 500 and holding stocks in major companies like Apple and WinCo.
- Short-Term Rentals (Airbnb): A highly profitable venture. The “secret sauce” here is designing suites with high-end furniture while maintaining market-competitive rates and adding value with free transportation services.
Digital Innovation and Modern Streams
In recent years, the portfolio has expanded into the digital and strategic realms:
- YouTube (Rockstar Academy): A significant stream earning six-figure income through AdSense by sharing wealth-building knowledge.
- Consulting & Board Fees: Providing high-level expertise to corporate boards and private companies, a role that leverages decades of executive experience.
- AI Music: An experimental but passive stream under the artist name “Sandy Rocket,” earning royalties from platforms like Spotify and Apple Music through AI-generated tracks.
The Journey Continues
While these first 19 income streams provided the foundation for a multi-million dollar net worth and early retirement, they represent only the beginning. The common thread across all of them is the willingness to start small, learn from the “failures,” and consistently reinvest into higher-yielding assets.
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