Today we’d like to introduce you to Erika Darbouze.
Erika, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was two years old when my parents decided to leave the United States to move our family, me and my older sister, back to their home country, Haiti. 30 years later, I had founded Haiti’s Corner, an export marketing firm. I am humbled to walk you through my journey, and how I, a young Haitian woman, combined my passion for the Haitian culture with my marketing expertise to create a purposeful business.
Growing up in Haiti was nothing like the stories that would make the headlines of the reputable American news networks. Haiti was always filled with colors, music and great flavor. Even the sad days of younger me seemed colorful.
On occasion, I would spend summer in the states, with family; but my favorite vacations were always the ones spent in Haiti, in the countryside sleeping under the stars.
On January 12, 2010, at 4:53 PM, my whole life changed. Haiti was hit with a 7.3 Mw earthquake that had forever changed the lives of millions of people, including my own.
Two months after the devastating earthquake, I moved to Florida leaving behind my home, my family, everything and everyone I knew. Over there, I attended Florida Atlantic University and graduated with a BBA in Marketing. During my time at FAU, I unconsciously became a brand ambassador for the Haitian culture. My attachment with my country, my love and my passion for this island were being channeled in everything: my choice in fashion, my accessories, even my sandals were causing people to halt me down and inquire about the origin of those unique pieces.
The wonderment in people’s eyes when they would admire those handcrafted items from Haiti always left me with a strong sense of pride, but also a bit disheartened. I wondered how can a country filled with so much riches and talent be so impecunious.
There was an obvious need for a connection to be made between those treasures and the rest of the world. The aspiration to use my marketing expertise for something that would help my homeland, be truly impactful and touch lives, draw me to the conception of Haiti’s Corner.
This idea was born out of necessity but also by the desire to see my culture being recognized for its Beauty and its Authenticity.
With Purpose and Passion, I’ve created a bridge that introduces the Haitian culture to the world through its enthralling production. I work with Haitian manufacturers to make their productions accessible in stores around the world; which in turn helps tremendously with employment creation and has a direct impact on the gross domestic product of Haiti.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road has not always been smooth but the certainty of going in the right direction helps with all the bumps on the road. My first major challenge was to take the first leap and launch the business. It took me three years to set Haiti’s Corner in motion. The dissimulated reliability of a full-time job, dealing with the unknown, doubts, the excuse that I did not have the whole plan figured out, all played a role in attempting to convince me to stay a bit longer in my rat race.
I’ve learned that I don’t always need to have all the pieces of the puzzle to start somewhere. It was a huge challenge to trust and take that leap of faith. Figuring it out as I go is one of the most terrifying yet fun and rewarding parts of being an entrepreneur.
Another challenge worth mentioning is time management. 24 hours in a day is never enough time for any entrepreneurs; especially when having to wear different hats many times in a single day. One hour I’m scheduling our social media ads and posts, the next hour I’m working on invoices, the following one I’m working on identifying the right trade show to attend and gathering information. The list never ends; there’s always an email to send or to respond to, an email campaign to work on, an ad to design. Those challenges had allowed me to master the art of setting boundaries as well as balancing perfection with progress; which is still a daily challenge of mine.
Please tell us about Haiti’s Corner. What should we know?
Haiti’s Corner is an Export Marketing Firm, this means that we offer export marketing services to our clients; we simplify the challenge of export market growth for Haitian manufacturers. In parallel, we provide stores and boutiques with authentic items from Haiti. We curate the most sought-after Haitian items and strategically place them in stores where they can be available for sale. This allows us to introduce the Haitian culture through its fascinating production.
We specialize in Product Evaluation, Market Study, Product Placements, Social Media Marketing to name a few; but ultimately, we specialize in making the world fall in love with Haiti’s culture through its production.
Haiti’s Corner touches many aspects of the life of a product. When we see a beautiful item on a store shelf, we don’t think about what it took for its conception. As a company, the biggest impact and our pride comes from the lives we touch through each item: the artisans that get fed, the children that can go to school because their parents work have been ordered in a store oceans away, the schools that are being build thanks those orders, the workshop that will expand, thus creating more job opportunities for more artisans and craftsmen and craftswomen to work. Those life-changing impacts are not seen when a store orders one of our brands but these are the things that we are most proud of.
One of the things that set us apart, is the fact that we are a pioneer in the services we offer. Realizing that we were writing the script, was both intimidating and reassuring. We are in a race with our selves, challenging each other to be better every day and do more for our clients, for our distributors, and Haiti.
We do so by personally taking the time to create meaningful relationships with our distributors and our clients. People do business with people, not with businesses. Understanding that made me realize the power and the importance of connection building. I care about every store owner that carries our brands and I support them beyond the point of ordering our items. We carry the same mentality with our clients, the talented Haitian business that produces those unique items we get to market to the world.
Another differentiator is that the word Integrity is at the core of Haiti’s Corner. We believe in Honesty & Transparency. I’ve been told that it is a dog eat dog world and that “everything” is fair play in Business. I strongly disagree. We stand by moral values and choose to conduct our business with Integrity.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
We were in the city of Les Cayes, in the countryside of Haiti. My parents have taken my sisters and I, along with my aunt and uncle and their two sons, my cousins, for a family vacation away from the noise and the lights of the capital. It was night time and we were all exhausted from a long drive. They showed us, my sisters, my cousins and I to our rooms; and as the visit continued, they showed us the rooftop of the house, which unveiled a starry sky as I have only seen in fairy tales. Shooting stares were passing by the dozens. This picture was breathtaking and mesmerizing. No one slept in their room. That night, we all slept under the stars and I remember falling asleep making wishes to the shooting stars.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://haitiscorner.com/
- Phone: 1-757-52-HAITI (42484)
- Email: hello@haitiscorner.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haitiscorner/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/haitiscorner/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/haitiscorner
Image Credit:
– DoomyShots
– Paul-Eddy Princivil
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