Broadcaster and media entrepreneur Ramona Samuels is a whirling dervish of energy. When you meet her, you are immediately struck by the aura she projects that she can derail anything in her path because of her quiet confidence and down-to-earth grit – a steel hand in a velvet glove.
She is celebrating a 15-year milestone of her signature Voicebox brand, having carved out a sterling reputation for hard work, underpinned by her charismatic personality and her distinctive voice which has appeared in numerous corporate ads over the past decade. She has never wavered in her continued commitment to honing her God-given skills, and shattering industry norms all while delivering quality service to her clients.
For Samuels, the 15-year milestone is both a celebration and a charge forward.
“Entrepreneurship in Jamaica is not for the faint of heart,” she noted. “But if you’re willing to innovate and remain consistent, you can carve out your own lane.”
She registered Voicebox on September 2, 2010, officially establishing Jamaica’s first voice over and personality brand. At a time when no such outlet existed locally, Samuels envisioned more than a service.
“I was creating a platform where voice talent could stand on its own as a business, complete with structure, professionalism, and international appeal,” Samuels reminisced.
Her early years as a voice talent had already made her a familiar sound across Jamaica. Samuels’ voice carried campaigns for Heineken UEFA Champions League, ATI, Kingston Restaurant Week, SSL, while also reaching international clientele in the Cayman Islands, Russia, the USA, and Canada. Still, she saw the opportunity to package her voice work into a business model, building something sustainable that could outlast individual projects.
“Realizing very early that my voice’s capability could be monetized and flipped into a business model was key,” Samuels reflected. “But sustaining it required discipline, constant reinvention, and an entrepreneurial mindset.”
That decision came with challenges. Educating clients about the value of voice over, setting industry standards for rates, and maintaining credibility as a young entrepreneur in a new space required persistence and grit.
Over 15 years, The Voicebox has grown into a multifaceted outlet, offering: voice over and voice acting, stage personality and event hosting as well as production coverage and media content creation.
Through it all, the brand has remained anchored by its tagline: “The Voicebox Makes You Heard.”
Today, The Voicebox is not only a trusted name for professional voice over production but also an active content producer through Ramona Samuels TV on YouTube with over 3,000 followers. The platform extends the brand’s mission by delivering independent coverage of cultural events, entertainment stories, and social commentary — all with a distinctly Jamaican voice.
Samuels has segued neatly into public relations over the last few years.
“I’ve had a pretty fortunate career and over the years I’ve been given a lot of great advice about how to succeed in public relations from some of the best in the business. With all the noise in the marketplace today clients need great PR counsel more than ever,” she said.
As The Voicebox looks to the future, its vision is clear: continued expansion, digital growth, and international collaborations, all while staying true to the mission of making voices, businesses, brands — and stories— heard. Samuels has a few nuggets of wisdom to share.
“Treat the client’s money like it was your own. Spend your time – and their money – on things that will make a difference – if you don’t then you are cheating the client and yourself. Great ideas can come from anyone – you just need to listen,” she said.
“The PR profession is not regulated like law or medicine, but that doesn’t mean we should bring any less integrity to the job.”