Gary Aboud: Why I Refuse to Stay Silent (Even When It Costs Me)

Gary Aboud has never been afraid to speak his mind. From building More Vibes into one of Trinidad and Tobago's most recognisable retail brands to becoming one of the country's most outspoken advocates on environmental protection, entrepreneurship and national development, Gary has spent decades challenging the status quo. In this candid conversation, he discusses: • The journey from a small retail store to a national business • Why data drives every decision at More Vibes • Growing up with dyslexia and overcoming academic struggles • The importance of creating opportunities for young entrepreneurs • His philosophy on leadership, integrity and purpose • Why he believes business owners have a responsibility beyond making money • The YES Programme and helping small businesses succeed • His advocacy on environmental issues, corruption and governance • Why he continues to speak out—even when it comes at a personal cost Whether you agree with his views or challenge them, this conversation offers a rare look into the convictions, experiences and philosophy of one of Trinidad and Tobago's most recognisable business leaders. 💬 *What part of Gary's story or perspective resonated with you most? Join the conversation in the comments.* If you enjoyed this episode, please like, subscribe and share it with someone who should hear it. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 🎧 SUPPORT THE PODCAST Get early access, exclusive episodes and behind-the-scenes content on Patreon.   / coriesheppardpodcast   📱 FOLLOW CORIE SHEPPARD 📸 Instagram   / coriesheppod   👍 Facebook   / coriesheppardpodcast   🎵 TikTok   / coriesheppod   𝕏 X https://x.com/coriesheppod ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ #GaryAboud #MoreVibes #Entrepreneurship #Leadership #Business #TrinidadAndTobago #CorieSheppardPodcast 00:00 Introduction 01:00 How More Vibes became data-driven 04:05 Why Trinidad needs more entrepreneurs 06:45 The YES Programme for small businesses 10:05 Growing up, dyslexia and studying in Canada 15:05 Why Gary became an activist 21:10 Why he speaks on so many national issues 24:10 Politics, criticism and speaking out 31:15 Hiring great people at More Vibes 32:45 How More Vibes invests in staff 34:30 Why he started his own business 38:30 Fishermen & Friends of the Sea explained 42:15 Saving Trinidad's marine environment 46:40 Threats, advocacy and standing his ground 51:00 Respect, leadership and public discourse 55:40 The early days of More Vibes 01:03:10 The collapse of the fabric industry 01:10:20 The bombing, the fire and rebuilding 01:18:00 Why Trinidad needs better leadership 01:20:30 Why he won't enter politics 01:22:15 The story behind the YES Programme 01:31:15 Final thoughts