Sales Force
Haiti’s Jewels, LLC is a wholesale company partnering with Haitian artists to design, produce, and sell beautiful jewelry made of recycled materials and local Haitian products.
In my opinion the business’ success is truly determined by its sustainability. If Haitians are unable to operate something, how will it have any resounding value? Part of making this company sustainable is finding bulk buyers… wholesale customers. The focus on large scale buyers has been necessary to build the wonderful group of clients we now have.
Bret Pinson is one of these individual buyers who is quickly expanding a market for HJ in Baton Rouge, LA. He is on the board of Respire Haiti and has been coming to Haiti regularly for the past two years.
“This was one of the first tangible economics development projects in the area that had early success and momentum (creating jobs and changing lives), the initial market response was outstanding; women absolutely love the story, the jewelry and most of all, the purpose!” –Bret
I met Bret in June of 2012 when he came down to Haiti on a service trip with his church, The Chapel from Baton Rouge, LA. He’s a consultant who works independently with a growing number of companies across the United States… so naturally one of the first things we did was talk. Bret got the whole story of Haiti’s Jewels, the artisans, myself, the business plan, and then asked one fateful question, “How can I help?”
At the time SALES were a problem for us. We were selling enough jewels to break even and inventory was stacking up. I asked Bret to help by buying a wholesale package to sell it to his friends and associates. I knew that between his outgoing personality and large network, they would sell quickly. I didn’t expect, however, that he would become Haiti’s Jewels’ #1 individual buyer, impacting Gressier in a new way…
“I am a management consulting and a big part of my practice area is executive recruiting. (I have) recruited dozens of CEOs, CFOs, COOs, and many other leadership positions. Once those jobs are filled there is some satisfaction from a job well done. That being said, nothing in my professional life has ever given me the fulfillment that working with you (Haiti’s Jewels) and the many others that are working to serve our Haitian brothers and sisters. Helping an affluent American secure another position is one thing but helping a Haitian feed their family, pay for education, provide funds for life threatening medical care, and all the many other life changing things has a depth and purpose that supersedes success in the excessively abundant world we live in here.” –Bret
Individuals are just as strong as businesses when it comes to sales. Haiti’s Jewels is still in need of individuals who are interested in adopting a unique story and product to share with their community.
1. You further a culture of socially responsible business in Haiti- a nation where 90% of it’s population are unemployed.
2. Jewelry has a 2-3x retail value. You can make 50-70% profit on every piece sold.
3. By building a network of people who become passionate about the jewelry, the story, and the artisans, you will be able to expand your market by supplying and selling to other individuals.
email info@haitisjewels.com for more information.
Direct Translation
As Haiti’s Jewels has grown and developed, I’ve found myself being blown away by how much the artisans have connected with the business and it’s values. When I was thinking about what to write in this blog… and what YOU, the reader, wants to hear… I decided to let the artisans speak for themselves.
Words from the artisans about Haiti’s Jewels.
Chrismate: “My dream is not to make certain jewels out of a few materials. No, my dream is to learn and master many different mediums with which to build. I’ve begun to relate creativity, development, and building to success and opportunity for my family.”
*”My dream enterprise is one in which those who are hungry and thirsty around the mountain will come to my shop to find relief and comfort in a hot meal, cold drink, and relaxing place to sit. It will be a haven in the community.
Johnny: “I make special jewelry. For me to make these intricate pieces out of plates and porcelain cups I must work twice as hard but doubly rewarding. I create unique artwork. I am always on the lookout for colorful or unusual pieces of trash that can be rescued and turned into something very different and added to my collection.”
*”My dream is to have an enterprise that finds new and improved ways of doing the same things that Haitians already do. My country needs creativity.”
Vanessa: “Making jewelry advances me as a woman. I don’t need a boyfriend to provide me with education, medical care, and food. I am independent… which I LOVE. When we create new things, as artists, we are opening up our minds and the world continues to expand.”
*”My dream job is to be a cosmetic wholesaler that supports local companies.”
Richard: “I love making beautiful things that change my family’s lives. I believe wealthy and famous people, like our president, are going to recognize this. I began carving stones into new shapes and have changed both the stone’s and my own identity. Now, I am a designer and this stone is a piece of high quality jewelry.”
Wilnes: “I want to thank God first for everything he has done for me. I remember the day I first made earrings. I saw Sophie doing a jewelry class and I thought the pieces were so unusual. I was curious. Then, before I knew it, we were working together and I was starting to help my wife, my child, and my head (sanity). I got married and I brought a child into the world, I paid for my father’s medical bills and the rent on his house, and began to call myself a designer. My favorite material to work with is Haitian Coconut. I saw a girl wearing coconut earrings that were very lacquered and I decided I could make some that were more beautiful and natural. I made twenty pairs in different shapes and sizes and brought them to Sophie. Together we picked out the best designs, of course she loved them and made them apart of the Haiti’s Jewels collection.”
Robenson: “Hi! My name is Robenson and I am a handsome young man. I love making earrings. One day I was leaving English class and I saw a white girl making jewelry with some Haitian people I didn’t know. I started making jewels and quickly became good. My favorite earrings to make are made from recycled glass and have an elegant look. I’m saving to study in the states because I want to help my country. If I work hard, I can serve the suffering.”
Donald: “It was a pretty Wednesday when I met a pretty girl (me?). She was teaching jewelry making in a nearly empty classroom with a few people I didn’t recognize around her. I walked into the classroom and had a vision of myself as an artist. Everything I’m learning is making me better. It’s UP TO ME to recycle trash to make beautiful things. I want to spend my life learning. When I start to work, I want to use the money I make to help other young people do what I love so much, LEARN. I am the youngest person in this business and I have a lot of respect for all the artists who have become almost like a family. With this job I will travel, go to university, and so much more. Thanks to all who have supported this idea!”
Michel Ange: “The biggest reason why I began making jewels was to support my son, Dawins. He is the love of my life. My greatest duty in life is to be an excellent mother to my children and, if I am able, to be the parent of a child who has no family. I have a new addition to my family, a little boy who yearns to be loved… something the orphanage cannot give him. I can thank God for blessing me with the ability to add to my family. I’ve never met many of the people who buy the jewelry I make, but I want to thank them, PERSONALLY, for being apart of this.”
A Call to Arms
This is a short update that I hope will start a movement among the small group of people who know and love Haiti’s Jewels.
Wilnes, just two weeks ago, developed his own line of coconut jewelry. He has trained Chrismate and Vanessa to make necklaces and bracelets with organic, hand-hewn coconut, while he continues to design earrings. This is why I started Haiti’s Jewels. I didn’t think the artisans would simply learn a new skill and stick to making the same jewelry with the same materials. No way. They are too innovative for such a boring fate. Instead, they are designing more than I can sell. The lines are becoming more and more diversified and I have more jewels than I know what to do with.
But here’s the problem: I am not a sales woman. I’m in Haiti. Web Marketing works… to a certain extent… but I’m preoccupied with the actual design and construction of jewels- not getting them sold.
We need to SELL some Haitian Jewels!
I want to encourage any readers to think about becoming a sales representative to your friends and family. One of the best ways to convey a story is to present it with a tangible product. If you think you have what it takes to be a convincing sales person or if you have a network of any kind (church, school, etc.) you are already perfect for the job!
This is a call to arms. Email me to order wholesale jewels, strap on your favorite pair of earrings, and start selling!
Sophie Wiseman-Floyd
info@haitisjewels.com
swisemanfloyd@gmail.com
Empowerment Personified.
Learn about Haiti’s Jewels. A socially responsible business employing Haitians in Gressier. Check out EMPOWERMENT!
Empowerment Personified.
Michel Ange, who I’ve introduced in past blogs, is a character worth
sharing with the world. She’s a very petite woman, no more than 5 ft
tall and 100 lbs, with a mouse like voice. Upon first meeting her, I
assumed she lacked confidence and drive. The first two weeks were
torturous. She would simply start making something and refuse to
accept further instructions or constructive criticism. She was
definitely the most stubborn of all the artisans. On several occasions
she even cried when I tried to address these problems. We had a
frustrating relationship. I felt like she was degrading herself. She refused to act like a human. She whined like a child, took instructions as discouragement, and couldn’t even make eye contact when speaking to someone.
She disappeared for about two weeks and didn’t make any jewelry. I was
beginning to assume she didn’t have it in her.
But yesterday we had a break through.
She showed up to class, sat down with her tools, and didn’t say a word
until our business meeting was over. The minute we had moved on to
quality control she asked me, while looking into my eyes, to speak to
her alone outside. She led me outside, planted her two feet on the
ground, stared me down, and said, “Sophie, I am ready to work. I’ve
made up my mind and I want to be apart of this business. Teach me.
This is going to be MY enterprise too!”
My heart leaped. YES!
“When are you ready? I have a new design specifically for you, Michel
Ange,” I said.
“I’m ready right now. I’m ready to learn now.”
What a blessing!
After class we practically ran down the mountain to the big green
concrete house that I live in, sat at my desk, and introduced a new
product for 147 million orphans. They are a large socially conscious
business out of Nashville, TN and sell artisan goods from all over the
world, including Haiti. 147 was recently with us in Gressier and I had
the pleasure of sitting down with them and designing a new exclusive
piece which will soon be available for sale!
Let me just say this, Michel Ange OWNED that piece. She watched me
make it once and then just did her thing. It is beautiful. She is
beautiful. She is empowered.
She told me that she could finish the order (for a sample line of 45
pieces) before Sunday for a bonus so that I can get it in the mail by
next week.
This is what I love to see. I love to see both MEN and WOMEN taking
ownership of their work. It brought so much joy to watch her take
control of making these beautiful necklaces. When she was done she
held up her finished work and said, “Yes. I love this and I will only
grow to love it more as I make more and more of them.”
So what more could I ask for? I’ve been blessed, beyond measure, with
the artisans I’m working with. Everyone so unique, loyal, and
passionate. My very soul is overflowing with thanksgiving for this new
family.
And then there were nine… GROCKISANZ pt. 3
It’s been a few MONTHS since my last post… and a LOT has happened. We now have 9 artisans (Grockisanz: glass and rock jewelry makers) who are working hard and producing some new, beautiful jewels. Biju Ayiti (Haiti’s Jewels) has four new talented artisans:
Johnny: Wilnes’ twin brotha-from-anotha-motha
Johnny is about 6’7″, as skinny as a bean pole and has a smile that is two times too big for his face. Alice in Wonderland’s Cheshire Cat aspires to Johnny’s smile, which stretches beyond the confines of his face. Wilnes taught Johnny everything he knows. They both have young children and wives to care for; they work with vigor and incredible attitudes. Last month, when he began working and earned his first paycheck, he almost seemed surprised that he was being paid to work. As we were walking down the mountain he whispered, “Thanks.” I whipped my head around macro-fast and said, “You worked hard, you earned this!” He smiled until corners of his mouth kissed his ears and said, “Yeah, you just wait, I’m going to make a bunch of zanno, yo (earrings).”
Vanessa: Ti Blag
Vanessa taught me perhaps the most important word in my Haitian vocabulary, Blag (comedian, joker, goof-off, silly kid). I’ve never had side-splitting laughs anywhere in the world like I’ve had in Haiti. In a place that’s so… (okay let’s be honest)… desolate. Perhaps Haitians must compensate with laughter. Vanessa is one of these blags, almost everything that passes through her lips is either uncontrollable giggles or words aimed making the entire team of artisans fall off their chairs laughing. I’m honestly becoming concerned that she’s an artisan just for the sake of hanging out! Should that be the case, however, I don’t think it would be a real problem. We all need some hearty laughter in this life. Vanessa quickly adapts to any challenge and has participated in making and designing some beautiful rock jewelry. March on ti blag, you bring us laughter!
Robenson: Donald’s Twin
Towards the beginning of March and I was sitting with Donald, showing him how to make double tier glass earrings, he had just wrapped his first pair perfectly when I saw a shadow pass in front of the light coming in the door. I looked up and all the blood drained from my face, because standing five yards away from my was Donald, the same spitting image of the Donald right in front of me. I stared for a few seconds and then turned my eyes over to the boy standing in front of me.”Donald,” I asked, “Why is there a Donald clone standing over there?”
He laughed.
“That is my brother, Robenson, most people think we are twins (marasa).” Donald said, introducing his brother. Robenson took a few steps closer and I began to notice small differences between them, thankful that they wouldn’t pull a parent trap on me! He sat down and before I even had time to protest he had wrapped a pair of perfectly matched earrings.
“What…How? Where did you learn to do that?” I asked, completely shocked.
“I’ve been watching my little brother do this every night for the past 3 weeks, I should know a thing or two.” He said, smugly.
“You’re hired,” I said.
Robenson is a reliable worker. He’s still in school but spends an hour or two working on jewelry every night and creates between 10 and 15 pairs daily. More than enough to save up for important things like university and school necessities.
Michel Ange: Girl Power
There is a movement, growing in developing countries and non profits, of investing in women. The female race is vogue right now. It’s cool to hire women, it’s cool for women to be in power, and it’s not so cool to hire mostly men… especially for a jewelry business. So, despite the fact that I care very little about what’s “in” or “out,” I can’t help agreeing that employing women is a fantastic thing to do, especially in Haiti.
I had expressed this desire to Megan and within a few days she recommended Michel Ange. She’s the mother of a kindergartner in the Respire School and had come to Megan looking for a job. Respire (Megan’s org.) already employs half of Gressier so there really wasn’t a convenient job for her working at the house or school. Megan instantly mentioned her and said that she didn’t have a lot of confidence but has made an effort to search out work. Michel Ange came over the next day, she is a curvaceous woman with a high pitched voice and very little confidence. When I tried to give her a hand shake she touched my hand lightly and didn’t make eye contact. I invited her to come to class the next day and she showed up at 4:00 sharp, unlike all of the other artisans who are continually between 30 minutes and an hour late. I was delighted to have time with her to work specifically on what she could do. Boy, could she DO! She made a rock bracelet in 30 minutes and then demanded that I give her another project. A few weeks ago, before I left for the states, I taught her how to make glass earrings and she has been working with Victor Richard regularly to improve. Out of all of the artisans, I expected the least from her. I suppose this is God’s way of redefining my first impressions.
I was in the states for a few weeks to renew my passport and donate my head to a friend’s hair dying competition… random, eh? I’ve only been back in Gressier for a few weeks.
I would like to send a shout out to my new hero, Bonnie Kate. She was an intern at Respire this spring and essentially MANAGED Haiti’s Jewels while I was away. Despite health problems, starting a bakery, babysitting, and saving the world, she has been an invaluable addition to our team. She takes inventory with Chrismate every week, communicates with the stateside team, and meets with the artisans to give new assignments and fill them in on new orders. She recently had to go home due to some undiagnosed health problems and she is greatly missed. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers because we can’t wait to have her back again. As a Haitian would say, Big thanks “BONNIE CAKE!” We love you!
Dynamic Duo: Grockisanz Pt. 2
In the last week Haiti’s Jewels has been blessed with two new, completely original, GROCKISANZ (glass and rock artisans). I wrote a few days ago describing our first tremendous trio and today I’ll introduce you to two more… making the FABULOUS FIVE!
CHRISMATE PIERRE: UREYTHANG GURL
I met Chrismate my second week in Gressier because of her rambunctious, adorably verbal five year old son. Every day, as I was walking up the mountain to Bellevue School, I would hear a munchkin scream, “Blaaaaaaaaaaaan!!! (White girl) Comment vas-tu?” I thought it was pretty adorable that this little kid shrieked down to me every day just to practice his French and by the 5th or 6th time I decided to go introduce myself as someone other than “Blan.” I walked up the hill and talked to little Robenson, introduced myself to Chrismate, and made sure they both knew that my skin was actually brown, not white. 😉
We talked for a few minutes but I quickly had to tear myself away because I was already forty-five minutes late for a visit to a dear friend of mine, Madame Vil. Story-of-my-life. I waved goodbye and Robenson screamed after me, “SCHOOPHIE, Bonne journée!” “Bye-bye,” I waved back. As I walked past the school I stopped dead in my tracks and almost slapped myself right upside-da-head. Why the hell didn’t I invite her to come jewelry class? Ughhh. On my way back home, later that afternoon, I stopped by her house again but the neighbor said she had gone to the market. Shoot. By monday, our next class, I had completely forgotten about my brain fart and was focused on teaching Donald to make double tiered earrings. Chrismate came up to the iron door and peeked in on the class. It’s like she read my mind! I was so stoked to see her that I told to Donald to ‘just keep practicing’ and took almost the entire class period to work with Chrismate. It’s always really hard with women, I don’t know why, to do the wire wrapping. It never makes any sense to me because I am a woman and obviously have a knack for wire, so… why do I have such a hard time finding other women in Haiti who can wrap the glass? But my gut told me she would learn. Tuesday class: Chrismate walked in and dumped 15 wire wrapped rocks onto the table, “Look Sophie, I’ve been practicing!” Most of them were actually wrapped pretty well. I was shocked. Sure I believed in her and everything… but this definitely surpassed my expectation. Within a couple weeks, she’ll be wrapping as well as any of the other Grockisanz.
MONSIEUR RICHARD PIERRE: QUALITY COMES FIRST
Richard joined us for class a few weeks ago because he had heard Wilnes had a new job wrapping rocks and wanted to check it out. He must have taken a few tips from Wilnes because he invaded my same three pet peeves. He stood over my shoulder, just inches from my ear, breathed down my neck, and blocked 90% of my light. Aww brings back memories. This time I waited a few minutes before I said anything just to see what would happen. He said, while breathing into my ear, “thaaat…breath.. looks easyyyy… breath…” “Really?” I said, offering him a challenge, “why don’t you sit yourself down and give it a try? I ate my own words, so to speak, because he is the most detail oriented Haitian I’ve ever met. He made two pairs of earrings in an hour, painstakingly slow, but they were without any imperfections.
Richard is a good deal older than any of our other grockisanz and has, in just few days, proved himself to be the wise, stable leader in eclectic crew. He is always telling us that “bon dye renmen nou” (good lord loves us) and other Gospel essentials. He came to class on Friday with 5 pairs of perfectly wrapped earrings. I couldn’t believe a human’s hands had wrapped pairs of earrings so identically. How? So his motto is one to remember and value quality>quantity.
I feel very blessed to already be working with five talented jewelry makers. I never, EVER, expected training to move so quickly.
Together they make the fabulous five and with yours truly we make the SENSATIONAL SIX.
Much love from Ayiti Cherie!
Gressier Photography
GROCKISANS
Grockisans: Artisans, particularly Haitians involved in Haiti’s Jewels, who use rocks and recycled broken glass bottles as their premiere artistic medium.
I can’t tell you how proud I am to begin to introduce them to you. For simplicity, I will translate our conversations into english.
Madame Vil Franch: Queen of the Recycled Plastic Feathers
(woah. that’s a great movie title) ^
The first week I was in Gressier, in early February, I was walking home from visiting one of the students in Bellevue when a woman shouted out to me from her front step, “Yo, white girl, do you have a little gift for me?”
This was nothing new. I sighed and said, for maybe the fourth time that day, “What do you think I have to give you? What would you even want that gift to be?”
She laughed and my spirits were lifted a bit “White girl, you know I’m just joking- but if you still want to give me something, I trust your judgement”
and wham. Just like that, we became buds. She offered me a chair and we sat on her front step talking about life for the next two hours. I had to make her repeat herself all the time, as my creole is still cave-man-esque, but it became very clear to me in those hours why I loved Ayiti Cherie so much. We talked until the sun went down and the rain began to fall and I still didn’t really want to leave. She was such a bro. Madame Vil France, has five children, a husband who’s no longer around, and strong desire to work. “Sitting is no thing to do in Haiti,” she told me, “no matter how hot it is, we almost all want a job.” Madame Vil sends her five children to school everyday, three go to Carrefour (10 miles to the east) and two go to Leogane (10 miles to the west, and the epicenter of 2010 earthquake). This woman, with next to no income, spends every dime she gets on her children’s education. She is empowering herself and her children and investing in the future. I’d be crazy not to invest in her!
The next day, after visiting another Ti Moun at the Bellevue school, I stopped in again and invited her to come to a little jewelry class up at the school. Madame was the only one, out of the four parents I invited, who showed up. She wanted this, I could tell. I struggled, at first, to find jewelry that she could do well despite her shaky hands. I really wanted to find something that could be her specialty, her territory.
Plastic Feathers. What? Yes.
They’re really quite simple to make but quite time consuming and require someone with gentle hands and patience. This was Madame Vil.
In two days she made 150 feathers and discovered beautiful red bottles to make HIV awareness earrings with red feathers. I’m very excited about the future with Madame Queen of Feathers.
Wilnes Pierre: Rock Extravaganza
I first met Wilnes when he came into our jewelry class and invaded three of my most sacred pet peeves: he stood right over my shoulder, breathed down my neck, and blocked 90 % of my light. After about 15 seconds I whipped my head around and said, “Do you want to SIT down?” He laughed and grabbed the chair right next to me saying, “That looks fun.” I welcomed the idea of a new student and handed him a tool set. Wilnes didn’t even need me to show him how to wrap a rock. Those 15 seconds of standing over my shoulder were enough. He wrapped the little white stone and then started making spacer beads with the scraps of wire. WHO IS THIS DUDE? He’s Wilnes. And he’s our official rock wrapper. He’s got a tiny baby and is engaged to be married this month. He gave me a wedding invitation the day after he met me. We have a line of rock bracelets and necklaces that is operated by him.
Donald King of the Zanno.
(Zanno is the Creole word for Earring).
Donald is a 17 year old boy who walked into class two weeks ago and asked to try making earrings. I showed him a couple pairs of glass earrings and he quickly and easily recreated them. Donald is in 11th grade and lives for education and the dream of studying in the states. Unfortunately his English is horrendous and he knows it! We practice English every day at 4 o’clock while we make earrings and learn new techniques. He’s really good at making earrings. In two weeks he has made over thirty pairs of glass earrings in class alone. I normally factor in two weeks for training alone, but Donald is the king.
Last wednesday I handed him an envelope of cash to pay him for the beautiful earrings he had made. Donald opened the envelope, peeked inside, and then handed it back to me saying, “I didn’t think we were getting paid for this! I just wanted to learn to make jewelry! If you give me cash like this, I will only spend it on things I don’t really need. What I need is to study in the states”
I was stunned. What? Who turns down cash? After 20 minutes of convincing him that he would eventually need money if/when he went to the states and that saving for university, whether in Haiti or in the US, was a smart idea, he finally agreed that we should create an account so that he can save up all the money he gets from jewelry making and not spend it until there is something truly important for his funds. He’s a smart kid.
So there, you’ve met them… the TREMENDOUS THREE!
I feel so unbelievably shocked and proud to know these three talented, diverse people. It was certainly not me who discovered them, yet somehow we all found each other. I’m so grateful for how quick, simple, and… beautiful this process has been. I was expecting to spend three months looking Grockisanz… But within two weeks we have three superstars! It’s DIVINE.
Haiti's Jewels 