Misha Lobban, Contributor

Audrey Marks (right) with her close friend, Guadia Chevannes-Aquart, on Marks' wedding day.

The greatest gift is not found in a store nor under a tree but in the hearts of true friends. - Anonymous

Audrey Marks' vision gave birth to Jamaica's first multi-service bill-payment chain, Paymaster Jamaica Limited, and today she is regarded as one of Jamaica's most powerful business leaders and entrepreneurs.

She also wears the hat of first female president of the American Chamber of Commerce of Jamaica, in addition to being a wife and mother.

Through the eyes of her close friend, Guadia Chevannes-Aquart, we learn of Audrey's love for the game of golf and the simple side of life, like staying in touch with nature and taking regular drives to the parish of her birth, St Mary.

Guadia, who owns and operates three day spas in St Andrew and is currently the vice-president of the Young Entrepreneurs Association of Jamaica, also tells us of Audrey's strong sense of spirituality, her deep commitment to helping to influence change in Jamaica, and much more.

How did you meet Audrey Marks, and how long have you been friends?

Audrey Marks makes a swing

I had just opened my day spa at 27 Lady Musgrave Road, back in 1993, and Audrey came to me as a client to get herself professionally made up for her first TV interview on Profile. We were both in our 20s, both starting out in business with great idealistic ideas, and seeing the world as our oyster. She became a regular client thereafter, and our friendship just continued to grow as we kept discovering that we had so many similarities in values and passions. So, she came to the spa as a client and left as a friend.

This year, we celebrate 14 years of friendship which has now expanded into a business relationship, through our collaboration on a project, Visalus Sciences Products, which is aimed at improving the health and wellness of Jamaicans.

Over the years, we have shared many milestones together, supported each other and have been there for each other through the major events of our lives.

Tell us what you admire most about her, and why you think you have remained friends all these years.

Her simplicity ... Despite all her accomplishments and all that she has achieved, she remains a real person. She is the same today as she was yesterday and I believe that it has deepened her humility. It is her realness that has made us remain friends all these years.

Tell us something interesting about Audrey.

Something many people wouldn't know about her is that she would have a small group of friends over at her house on some Friday evenings for Bible study. This is driven by her search for her spirituality and her connection with God, and this is really a passion of hers right now.

Another thing is that the simple side of life is what appeals to her. She enjoys things that are related to culture, taking regular drives to the parish of her birth (St Mary), going by the river and staying in touch with nature.

What are some of the things you talk about when you get together?

Right now, we tend to talk about our community and how we can give back and contribute to the growth and development of Jamaica, and how we can influence change. We also spend a lot of time talking about things that affect our children.

Share with us one of the happiest moments you have experienced with her.

Her wedding day, for one … It was an occasion shared by only a handful of close friends, and the day was perfect and everything was just beautiful.

Tell us the first thing that comes to mind when you think of her, and why.

Her calmness and simplicity. She is so down to earth; as you see her, that's who she is.

What are her favourite food, favourite music and favourite sport.

Audrey 'eats a lot' but, lucky for her, she tends to eat lots of vegetables. Her favourite food is vegetable salad.

Her favourite music has changed over the years although she will always love reggae - Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Dennis Brown, Beres Hammond, Buju Banton - but more recently it is gospel, especially praise and worship music.

Golf is her favourite sport. She used to play two or three times a week and she is very good at it. Golf is not a game that involves competing against others, it challenges your ability to improve on your last performance, and I think that is why she loves the game.

Tell us the colour that you associate with her:

Yellow signifying someone you'll never forget

Orange signifying someone you consider your true friend

Red signifying someone you really love

Green signifying someone you'll remember for the rest of your life.

ORANGE. I really consider Audrey a true friend. She's someone I can call on at any time. She is supportive and always looks at how she can contribute to anything that I am doing.

Define for us what you consider to be a true friend.

A true friend is someone you can grow with, share with, depend on, and you have similar objectives and goals. A true friend is someone you can laugh with, cry with and just be yourself with. Those are some of the things Audrey and I share together. We could chart a graph and show how we have grown together along a similar path, and that's what helps to ensure longevity in our bond of friendship.

Please send your feedback and comments to lobban_misha@yahoo.com.