For most of her career, Jamaican Basillia Barnaby-Cuff was a radio broadcaster, event host, and university lecturer. The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 changed all that. At the urging of her husband, she and their family started a YouTube Channel entitled “Stuff from the Cuffs” where, as stated on their Facebook page, “We give you content that’s F.I.R.E. – Fun, Inspirational, Real, Educational.” The videos they made explored various aspects of marriage and family life, and Barnaby-Cuff found herself becoming a content creator.
The Beginning of a New Career
Barnaby-Cuff said that she was camera shy when she first started to make the videos, attributing it to being accustomed to being heard and not seen after some 10 years in the radio field. After she had produced content on YouTube for a year, however, she got over her shyness, and then, “I accidentally joined TikTok” because she didn’t know how to delete an account. After several days on the platform, she decided to stay and “give it a try,” making comedy videos about Jamaica and the Caribbean. A month later, Barnaby-Cuff had more than 10,000 followers, over 1 million views, and several videos that went viral. She then realized the potential of the TikTok space and focused her energy and creativity on entertaining people with her content.
Path to Success
Barnaby-Cuff acknowledged that her path was not always easy, especially trying to balance content creation and all of its aspects while also managing a household and being a wife and a mother to her two young children in addition to all of her other commitments. She praises her husband for his strong support, which along with his experience in being a television producer, helped to refine her ideas to make her content better. She described him as “the absolute best teammate ever!” Success as a content creator came from her consistency and creativity, and this has in turn opened doors for her in the corporate world. She has obtained several brand partnerships for television commercials, billboard and calendar appearances, and social media commercials for numerous brands.
Now a Published Author
She became a published author with the launch of her children’s book, “The Adventures in Mannershill Valley.” The book follows two children, Bree and Bella, as they take an exciting trip through the magical land of Mannershill and discover that being polite is the right thing to do, and it is the key to developing meaningful friendships and harmony in their own lives. The book teaches children the positive impact that polite behavior has in a way that is imaginative and fun.
Busy and Grateful
Now, in addition to being a radio and television presenter, emcee, content creator, voice-over talent, speaker, and influencer, and the founder and director of the only national gospel awards show in Jamaica, The Sterling Gospel Music Awards, she can add “author” to her list of accomplishments. In the social media post announcing the publication of her children’s book, Barnaby-Cuff wrote, “So grateful to God for every opportunity I get to make a difference. I am now a Published Children’s Book Author. Thank you, Jesus!”
Photo – Instagram
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