Buzzz Caribbean Lifestyle Magazine

. "Criticism is a part of the game and it makes you into a better person. I'm my harshest critic and there is nothing anyone can say about my work that I have not thought about myself. My philosophy is that you are as good as the last story you produced."

Copping the coveted Journalist of the Year award twice in three years has caused many Jamaicans to sit up and take a closer look at CVM TV's Garfield Burford, a young man whose work ethic and schedule continue to redound to his success in the face of constant pressure.

He is clearly no stranger to producing high quality work. A perfectionist and at times his harshest critic, he always strives to improve on his previous efforts. All of this makes it extremely hard to remember that he is only 26 years old.

His feature "Caribbean Terror Alert", which looked at Islamic extremists in the Caribbean in light of the JFK airport bomb plot, earned him the top media award in 2007 from the Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ), a feat he had previously achieved in 2005. He described the accolade as humbling and noted that there are many equally qualified and hardworking persons in the media fraternity. He added that it has served to motivate him to raise the bar.

"It is a call to act, as you cannot sit on your laurels…basically my peers have said, 'Yes, you a have done a good job, but here is a call to do greater work'."
His award-winning story took him to both Guyana and Trinidad , as he pulled off interviews with prominent individuals, some of whom had previously refused to speak with the media.

"Most of the preparation for me is mental. I did the research…and we made our contacts from here. Going to Guyana was hectic, as we had limited time to do the interviews, like a five-hour window. Fortunately, we got assistance from our regional media partners and used their equipment and they assist us with ground transportation.

"The groundwork was very important. Some thought it was a bit far-fetched, but we are especially proud…it was a first venture outside of Jamaica , so it was great to be able to pull it off against such odds."

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Ian Lyn–
The Driving Force behind Brand Mitsubishi

How would you like to be considered among the most eligible young bachelors in Jamaica? How does one earn that reputation anyway? Well, you could ask Ian Lyn, Brand Sales and Marketing Manager at Motor Sales and Service Company Ltd. He is one of the few who has been included on such a list.

Ian considers himself a Marketing Manager like no other. In this capacity, he has aggressively marketed the Mitsubishi brand in particular, hoisting it to its present status as volume leader at the company, which sells only new cars.

"We have showcased our brand in some of the most unique ways. For example, we have made sure that we are involved in promotional activities at high society parties like Osmosis and French Connection, as well as at doctors' conferences," he beamed.

"We are also the sponsors of several major events such as Jamaica Carnival, Fashion Block in Style Week Jamaica, Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival and Sumfest. We also provide ground transportation for persons such as One Third, Beenie Man, Barbie, Delano and evangelist Bishop T.D. Jakes, among many others."

On a typical day, Ian gets in to work at eight in the morning. He jumps right into checking emails, returning phone calls and hosting sales meetings with his team. He occasionally hosts business lunches before checking up on deliveries for the day, meeting and greeting customers and participating in managers' meetings.

Whoa…catch your breath! No wonder he's still a bachelor at age 34. He admits that the challenge of balancing his "massive" marketing responsibilities with leisure time is a great one, but he somehow manages to pull it all together. The most rewarding part of his job, he says, is improving the brand image of Mitsubishi in Jamaica and continuing to increase sales.

To read more pick up your copy at the nearest bookstore