I Didn’t Know Being “First” Would Feel This Heavy

A Story of Building, Belief, and Becoming in the Digital World with Aniquia Bell

I didn’t wake up one day and say,
“I want to be the first woman in tech from the Caribbean.”

I woke up saying,
“I want to solve a problem.”

I saw talented entrepreneurs struggling to sell beyond their borders.
I saw small businesses with big dreams trapped by systems that didn’t serve them.
I saw people with brilliance—but no bridge to the digital economy.

Through my journey as Aniquia Bell, I realized the importance of bridging gaps in the tech world.

So I started building one.

What I didn’t know was that being first doesn’t just come with opportunity.

It comes with weight.

When You’re First, There Is No Map

There was no blueprint for what I was trying to do.

No “Caribbean woman in tech” playbook.
No mentor who looked like me doing exactly this.
No shortcut.

Every step felt like walking into fog.

I was learning in real time:

• how to scale a platform

• how to manage systems

• how to negotiate

• how to lead

• how to fail quietly and rise again publicly

All while being watched.

When you’re first, people don’t just observe you.

They measure you.

The Doubt Didn’t Always Come Loud

Sometimes it Whispered
Not every obstacle came as rejection.

Some came as:
“You’re doing good… for now.”
“Let’s see if this lasts.”
“Maybe you should start smaller.”
“Are you sure you’re ready?”

Questions that sound harmless.

But over time, they stack.

They sit on your shoulders when you’re tired.
They echo when you’re already unsure.
They creep in when you’re making big decisions.

And still—you have to move forward.

Building While Carrying Everything Else

People see the wins.

They don’t see the nights I questioned myself.
They don’t see the moments I felt alone in leadership.
They don’t see the pressure of being responsible for other people’s livelihoods.
They don’t see the emotional labor of being “strong” all the time.

As a woman in tech, you’re expected to be:
Confident.
Graceful.
Strategic.
Humble.
Relatable.
Unbreakable.

All at once.

No days off.

There Were Times I Wanted to Quit

I won’t pretend there weren’t.

Times when the systems felt heavier than my strength.
Times when resources were limited.
Times when support felt conditional.
Times when I wondered if the fight was worth it.

But every time I thought about quitting, I thought about who I was building for.

The vendor who finally made their first online sale.
The young woman who said, “If you can do it, maybe I can too.”
The entrepreneur who stopped feeling invisible.

And I kept going.

I’m Not Just Building a Platform

I’m Building Possibility
This work isn’t just about technology.

It’s about ownership.

It’s about Caribbean people controlling their digital future.
It’s about Bahamians creating global businesses from home.
It’s about proving that innovation lives here too.

Not someday.

Now.

I want the world to know that we are more than consumers.

We are creators.
We are builders.
We are architects of systems.

Being First Means Being Misunderstood

Sometimes people don’t understand the vision until it’s already built.

They see the results.
They don’t see the sacrifice.

They see the brand.
They don’t see the battles.

They see “success.”
They don’t see survival.

But that’s the price of pioneering.

Why I Refuse to Shrink

I’ve learned that as a woman in tech, people will sometimes try to make you smaller so they can feel more comfortable.

Speak less.
Ask less.
Dream less.
Expect less.

I choose more.

More impact.
More access.
More opportunity.
More representation.
More legacy.

Not for ego.

For the next generation.

This Is Bigger Than Me

Every system I build makes it easier for the next woman.

Every door I open stays open.
Every standard I raise becomes normal.
Every limit I break disappears for someone else.

That’s what keeps me going.

Not applause.

Purpose.

To Every Woman Trying to Build in Silence

If you are building something no one around you understands…

If you feel alone in leadership…

If you are tired but still trying…

If you are doubting yourself while changing lives…

You are not weak.

You are pioneering.

And pioneers bleed before they’re celebrated.

My Promise

I will keep building.

Even when it’s hard.
Even when it’s lonely.
Even when it’s uncomfortable.

Because the Caribbean deserves digital power.
Because women deserve to lead boldly.
Because the world needs more voices like ours.

I am not here just to succeed.

I am here to shift what’s possible.

And I’m just getting started.

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