As we close the month of March, a month often dedicated to celebrating women, I find myself reflecting on a question that feels more personal than ever:\nIs being a mom, in many ways, the purest form of entrepreneurship?\nThis is my way of expressing my love and deep respect for a woman I truly admire: my mother.\nReflecting on her journey, I realize that what she has accomplished so far goes far beyond traditional definitions of motherhood. She has built, led, adapted, and persevered in ways that mirror the very essence of entrepreneurship, without ever calling it that. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Life of Leadership, Care, and Responsibility<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n My mother did not simply raise her children. She has held together, and continues to hold together, an entire family system.\nShe cared not only for her nuclear family, but also for our extended family, brothers, sisters, cousins, daughter-in-law, son-in-law and today, her grandchildren. She makes sure everyone is supported, connected, and moving in the right direction, even though most of us are now adults.\nManaging family members is not always easy. Different personalities, different needs, different challenges\u2026 it takes patience, emotional intelligence, and resilience.\nAnd yet, Lisette, or rather Manmie, a true champion of harmony, has always been the cement that brings everyone together. Often, that connection happened around something simple but powerful: a family gathering where good food was always shared with love. (Truth be told, as I write these lines, I can almost taste her famous cornmeal souffl\u00e9\u2026 \ud83d\ude0a)\nShe created unity. She created moments. She created a sense of belonging. That is leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her \"Clients\" Were Her People<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If we think in entrepreneurial terms, her \"clients\" are the people she serves or used to serve every day:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Her children, her late husband, her brothers and sisters, her cousins, her son-in-law, her daughter-in-law, her grandchildren\u2026 and so many more. And with time, friends who simply became family.\nShe shows up for each of them, consistently, intentionally, and with kindness. <\/span>She guided us (and still does, in her own way), supported us, and prepared us for the real world. She carried responsibilities that went far beyond what anyone could see on the surface.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Lifelong Hustler<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Alongside everything she carried at home and the challenges life threw her way, she never stopped working and creating opportunities. Resilience, Faith, and Quiet Strength<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite losses, hardships, and the weight of the years, including mobility challenges, she has never lost her spirit. So\u2026 what if motherhood was entrepreneurship all along?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Today, I believe the answer is yes, at least in spirit. Alors que nous cl\u00f4turons le mois de mars, un mois souvent d\u00e9di\u00e9 \u00e0 c\u00e9l\u00e9brer les femmes, je me retrouve \u00e0 r\u00e9fl\u00e9chir \u00e0 une question qui me touche plus personnellement que jamais : \u00catre maman est-il, \u00e0 bien des \u00e9gards, la forme la plus pure d’entrepreneuriat ? C’est ma fa\u00e7on d’exprimer mon amour et mon profond respect pour une femme que j’admire sinc\u00e8rement : ma m\u00e8re. En repensant \u00e0 son parcours, je r\u00e9alise que ce qu’elle a accompli jusque-l\u00e0 va bien au-del\u00e0 des d\u00e9finitions traditionnelles de la maternit\u00e9. Elle a b\u00e2ti, dirig\u00e9, su s’adapter et pers\u00e9v\u00e9rer d’une mani\u00e8re qui refl\u00e8te l’essence m\u00eame de l\u2019entrepreneuriat, sans jamais le nommer ainsi. Une vie de leadership, de soin et de responsabilit\u00e9 Ma m\u00e8re ne s\u2019est pas content\u00e9e d\u2019\u00e9lever ses enfants. Elle a maintenu, et continue de maintenir, tout un syst\u00e8me familial. Elle a pris soin non seulement de sa famille nucl\u00e9aire, mais aussi de notre famille \u00e9largie, fr\u00e8res, s\u0153urs, cousins, belle-fille, beau-fils\u00a0\u00a0et aujourd\u2019hui, de ses petits-enfants. Elle veille \u00e0 ce que chacun soit soutenu, connect\u00e9 et sur le bon chemin, malgr\u00e9 le fait que la plupart d\u2019entre nous soient d\u00e9sormais adultes. G\u00e9rer les membres d’une famille n’est pas toujours facile. Des personnalit\u00e9s diff\u00e9rentes, des besoins diff\u00e9rents, des d\u00e9fis diff\u00e9rents\u2026 cela demande de la patience, une intelligence \u00e9motionnelle et une grande r\u00e9silience. Et pourtant, Lisette ou plut\u00f4t Manmie, v\u00e9ritable championne de l’harmonie, a toujours \u00e9t\u00e9 le ciment qui rassemble tout le monde. Le plus souvent, ce lien se tisse autour de quelque chose de simple mais de puissant : une agape familiale o\u00f9 nous partagions toujours avec amour de bons repas. (Pour dire vrai, en \u00e9crivant ces quelques lignes, j\u2019ai le go\u00fbt de son fameux souffl\u00e9 de ma\u00efs \u00e0 la bouche\u2026\u00a0\ud83d\ude0a\u00a0) Elle a cr\u00e9\u00e9 de l’unit\u00e9. Elle a cr\u00e9\u00e9 des moments. Elle a cr\u00e9\u00e9 un sentiment d’appartenance. Cela, en soi, c’est du leadership. Ses \u00ab clients \u00bb \u00e9taient ses proches Si l’on pense en termes entrepreneuriaux, ses \u00ab clients \u00bb sont les personnes qu’elle sert ou servait chaque jour : Ses enfants, son d\u00e9funt mari, ses fr\u00e8res et s\u0153urs, ses cousins, son beau-fils, sa bru, son gendre, ses petits-enfants, pour ne citer que ceux-l\u00e0. Et avec le temps, des amis devenus comme de la famille.Elle est pr\u00e9sente pour chacun d\u2019eux, avec constance, intention et bienveillance. Elle nous a guid\u00e9s (Et le fait encore \u00e0 sa mani\u00e8re), soutenus et pr\u00e9par\u00e9s au monde r\u00e9el. Elle a port\u00e9 des responsabilit\u00e9s qui ont \u00e9t\u00e9 bien au-del\u00e0 de ce que quiconque pouvait percevoir en surface. Une battante de toujours En parall\u00e8le de tout ce qu’elle portait \u00e0 la maison et d\u00e9fis que lui a impos\u00e9 la vie, elle n’a jamais cess\u00e9 de travailler et de cr\u00e9er des opportunit\u00e9s.Je me souviens qu\u2019elle trouvait toujours un moyen de m\u2019emmener avec elle lorsqu\u2019elle allait faire ses courses, particuli\u00e8rement les vendredi apr\u00e8s-midi \u00e0 O Market sis \u00e0 l\u2019avenue John Brown, \u00e0 Port-au-Prince. Je l\u2019ai vue se lancer dans une petite activit\u00e9 d\u2019importation, allant chercher \u00e0 l\u2019\u00e9tranger des produits bien pr\u00e9cis pour r\u00e9pondre aux besoins de son entourage. J’ai \u00e9t\u00e9 t\u00e9moin de son esprit entrepreneurial bien avant de comprendre ce que ce mot signifiait.Elle a m\u00eame cr\u00e9\u00e9 et vendu du Pikliz, des tablettes de noix, de la confiture fait maison sous sa marque VERINICKs, un nom inspir\u00e9 de ses trois enfants. Elle approvisionnait des supermarch\u00e9s locaux et participait \u00e0 diverses opportunit\u00e9s de vente.\u00c0 de nombreuses reprises, elle a su saisir les occasions d\u2019installer un kiosque de nourritures et de boissons lors de grands rassemblements religieux, notamment aux congr\u00e8s charismatiques annuels de la communaut\u00e9 catholique ha\u00eftienne. Disons-le simplement : prier, c\u2019est essentiel\u2026 mais manger aussi, surtout sous le soleil d\u2019Ha\u00efti. Et elle, elle avait tout comprisTout cela, tout en occupant deux emplois permanents. Celui d\u2019\u00eatre une professionnelle en ressources humaines et celui d\u2019\u00eatre m\u00e8reElle cherchait toujours une nouvelle voie. Toujours un moyen de contribuer, de cr\u00e9er, de pourvoir. R\u00e9silience, foi et force tranquille Malgr\u00e9 les pertes, les \u00e9preuves et le poids des ann\u00e9es, y compris des difficult\u00e9s de mobilit\u00e9, elle n’a jamais perdu son \u00e9lan vital.Elle continue de sourire. Elle continue d’encourager les autres. Elle continue de prier pour les gens. Elle continue de dire des mots qui \u00e9l\u00e8vent, m\u00eame dans les petits moments.Sa foi en la vie et en Dieu a toujours \u00e9t\u00e9 sa boussole. Quelles que soient les circonstances, elle n’a jamais perdu son nord.En la regardant aujourd’hui, je r\u00e9alise quelque chose que je n’avais peut-\u00eatre pas pleinement saisi auparavant :Ma propre passion pour l’entrepreneuriat vient peut-\u00eatre d’elle.Non pas de la th\u00e9orie. Non pas d’une salle de classe. Mais de l’observation.De l’avoir regard\u00e9e cr\u00e9er. De l’avoir regard\u00e9e s’adapter. De l’avoir regard\u00e9e servir les autres tout en b\u00e2tissant quelque chose qui lui appartenait. De l\u2019avoir vue continuer \u00e0 avancer, sans jamais s\u2019arr\u00eater. Alors\u2026 \u00catre maman, est-ce de l’entrepreneuriat ? Aujourd\u2019hui, je crois que la r\u00e9ponse est oui, au moins dans l\u2019esprit.Parce que si l’entrepreneuriat, c’est la r\u00e9silience, le leadership, le sacrifice, la cr\u00e9ativit\u00e9 et la capacit\u00e9 \u00e0 construire quelque chose de significatif tout en naviguant dans l’incertitude\u2026Alors de nombreuses m\u00e8res vivent cette r\u00e9alit\u00e9 chaque jour. Y compris la mienne.Il existe d\u2019innombrables femmes, en Ha\u00efti, au Canada et partout dans le monde, comme Lisette, qui dirigent discr\u00e8tement, soutiennent, b\u00e2tissent et maintiennent les familles unies, sans jamais revendiquer le titre d\u2019entrepreneure. Mais peut-\u00eatre l\u2019incarnent-elles mieux que quiconque.Ce blog qui vient plut\u00f4t du c\u0153ur est ma fa\u00e7on de dire merci.Ma fa\u00e7on d’exprimer mon admiration.Ma fa\u00e7on d’honorer une femme extraordinaire dans ma vie.Et alors que nous c\u00e9l\u00e9brons les femmes en ce mois de mars, je ne peux m’emp\u00eacher de penser :Certains des entrepreneurs les plus marquants que nous conna\u00eetrons jamais\u2026 ont toujours \u00e9t\u00e9 appel\u00e9s simplement : Maman.Pensez \u00e0 ces femmes qui vous ont port\u00e9, guid\u00e9, ou simplement accompagn\u00e9. Qu’ont-elles construit en silence ? \u00c0 quoi ont-elles renonc\u00e9 pour vous ? Et quelle le\u00e7on vous ont-elles transmise, sans jamais lire un livre de management ?<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1545,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19,8,10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1542","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entrepreneuriat","category-inspire-toi","category-leadership"],"yoast_head":"\n
I remember how she always found a way to take me along when she went shopping, particularly on Friday afternoons at O Market on John Brown Avenue in Port-au-Prince. I watched her launch a small import venture, sourcing specific products abroad to meet the needs of those around her. I witnessed her entrepreneurial spirit in action long before I understood what that word meant.
She even created and sold homemade Pikliz, coconut tablets, and jams under her brand VERINICKs, a name inspired by her three children. She supplied local supermarkets and seized every sales opportunity that came her way.
On many occasions, she set up food and drink stalls at major religious gatherings, particularly at the annual charismatic congresses of the Haitian Catholic community. Let's be honest: praying is essential\u2026 but so is eating, especially under the Haitian sun. And she understood that perfectly.
All of this, while holding down two permanent jobs, that of an HR professional, and that of being a mother.
She was always finding a new way forward. Always looking for ways to contribute, to create, to provide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She continues to smile. She continues to encourage others. She continues to pray for people. She continues to speak words that uplift, even in the smallest moments.
Her faith in life and in God has always been her compass. No matter the circumstances, she has never lost her north.
Looking at her today, I realize something I may not have fully grasped before:
My own passion for entrepreneurship may well have come from her.
Not from theory. Not from a classroom. But from observation.
From watching her create. From watching her adapt. From watching her serve others while building something of her own. From watching her keep moving forward, without ever stopping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because if entrepreneurship is about resilience, leadership, sacrifice, creativity, and the ability to build something meaningful while navigating uncertainty\u2026
Then many mothers are living that reality every single day. Including mine.
There are countless women, in Haiti, in Canada, and across the world, like Lisette, who quietly lead, support, build, and hold families together without ever claiming the title of entrepreneur. Yet perhaps they embody it more than anyone else.
This blog, which comes straight from the heart, is my way of saying thank you.
My way of expressing admiration.
My way of honoring an extraordinary woman in my life.
And as this month of March draws to a close, a month that belongs to women, one thought stays with me:
Some of the most impactful entrepreneurs we will ever know\u2026 have always been called simply: Mom.
Think about the women who raised you, supported you, or simply showed up for you. What did they build? What did they sacrifice? What did they teach you, without ever opening a business book?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"