God has made a way for MoNique Stevens.

A single mother with three children, she is also the owner of three businesses: Ieshun S, Bermuda Brand Box and Bermuda Trail Mix.

She started down the path of entrepreneurship back in 2007. Then a member of the Bermuda Police Service, she came up with the idea of revamping clothing for customers.

It took ten years but she eventually turned it into a business.

Three years later, after some “fasting and prayer”, Ms Stevens took a “crazy” step of faith and quit her job and its guaranteed income, to focus on Ieshun S. The company offers custom clothing creations and educational sewing programmes for young Bermudians.

“Ieshun S is what I started with initially years ago,” she said. “From the beginning, being a mother was a struggle for me to sew and focus on certain things, but I still got it done and built a reputation for myself.”

Although faith gave her the courage to start her first business, “circumstances” gave birth to the others.

“Bermuda Brand Box [was created] during the pandemic to promote Ieshun S with other businesses I was familiar with or had relationships with. That business is where my faith was more recognisable than the others, because I didn’t choose Bermuda Brand Box, Bermuda Brand Box chose me. I saw God’s work and his ability to touch others through me through the business,” she said.

“For Bermuda Trail Mix, I just took something we had in the house, something that I love to [eat] and said, ‘Hey, let me take a shot at it.’”

She’s grateful that God has His hand in all three of her companies.

“Being an entrepreneur full-time, [your income] can fluctuate, affecting your financial income [which can be worrying], especially having a family. But God has shown Himself in every single one of them.

“Entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart. Many obstacles will make you want to quit, or feel like this is maybe not the right decision for your life. Being grounded in understanding God's purpose and will for your life and staying aligned helps.”

Her plan is to expand each of her businesses however Ms Stevens believes Bermuda Brand Box has the potential to become a global entity.

“It’s going to be international, it’s going to be big. That's all I can say. It will be a well-known household name. There is so much possibility and opportunity and advantage for everyone, and I love that part of it,” she said.

“I am steadily praying for what may come through as a location for Ieshun S, where I could facilitate and grow my camp programme and teach young children how to sew and give them some understanding of fashion.”

Her hope is to also offer sewing classes for adults and a place where mothers – single mothers especially – can meet.

“Just as a holistic space where we can commune together. As well as teaching, whoever wants to learn how to manufacture clothing.”

Teaching the next generation to sew will open the door for new Bermuda brands, Ms Stevens believes.

Apart from the sewing lessons she encourages all of her students to establish a relationship with God so they may “know His voice” in their life.

“Knowing God’s voice is the best thing to be familiar with to understand the direction of where he wants you to go and your willingness to be obedient and to say yes,” she said.

“God will ask you to do some wild things. Who am I to leave a comfortable enough job with three children as a single mother to establish three businesses? That in society is considered crazy. God does things wildly. God will ask you to do crazy things. So if you want to get the most out of your purpose, you have to be able to say yes to God.”