MEET DAPHNEE FLOREAL
Photo Credit: Miab Photography
CBN: Hi ! We’d love to learn more about you, your story and what you are focused on professionally – whether it’s a business, nonprofit, artistic career etc. Please tell our readers about what you do, what you feel is most exciting or special about it, as well as anything else you’d like folks to know about your brand/art/etc.
Daphnee: Hello, I am really happy to share my story on this Caribbean platform. I will present myself as an Artist who always dreams to live intensely. I don't like uniform so I am a big fan of Unicity. I have launched 18 years ago my brand Bijou Lakay that is a strong ambassador of the Haitian and the Caribbean heritage. Our pieces speak about the culture, the history and colors that have characterized the Haitian population. I grow up in a family where entrepreneurship and creativity have always been encouraged. I am not only Bijou Lakay owner, I am most importantly the Designer behind the 30 collections launched during our journey. I work with community of artisans to create unique pieces of jewelry with natural materials, like bullhorn, wood or bones. Currently, I am working on the launch of my new collection for this year.
But get ready to be surprised because i also count 18 years in the Finance Industry. I had the privilege to serve as a Loan Director Department at Haiti first private bank, i serve also as the COO of the Agency for Investment Promotion and when I move in the USA, I start a career as a Financial Professional. As a Gemini, I need the art and the finance to find a true balance in my life. My biggest project is my family. I am married with two adorable boys, Malik and Hakim and they are real blessings in my life.
CBN: It’s wonderful to meet you! Thanks for that lovely insight. How did you find your purpose?
Daphnee: My purpose comes with I am passionate about. I love fashion, accessories and being different. I also appreciate a great source of income. So having the possibility to create my own accesories is so rewarding for me. Every time, I see someone with my pieces, I have the same reaction of the first days..... Excitement, happiness - I can’t describe it!
I also know I want more awareness about finances in the family and community. So this is also the reason I have always work in Finances. My family is important and everyday i discover how they help me to become a better version of myself. For this and the joy brought, I am forever grateful.
“Be able to make a real assessment of yourself and understand the areas you will need to improve. Some people decide to work on the weakness. Me? I prefer to focus on my strengths to have better results. I am perfectly aware of my challenges but they are not honestly my main focus. I prefer to excel on what I master and outsource or hire someone else to do the rest.”
CBN: Where do you get your resilience from?
Daphnee: Being Haitian teaches you a lot about resilience. We know the country is always going through something and always have to adapt ourselves. I am not sure if it is positive or not or if even resilience; but I am sure about one thing, I can not give up. It is not a luxury that I ever have. When I started Bijou Lakay, i was highly criticized by creators like me who found my pieces were too much, too big, too abstract, etc. Despite of this, I never stopped. My mantra was simple: people who always have to say something negative about your work, will never be your client, so why should I give them my energy, my time ? Let's focus on how to keep moving and perfect my art. This has been my state of mind.
CBN: What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Daphnee: I will say beginnings can be scary. Starting over is maybe the most difficult experience, I am currently having . However, I learn, based on my previous experience, the foundation is the most crucial step in anything and this is why you can not rush it. So to people like me who are starting over, or new in a field, I will stay take the time to learn and be humble enough to ask for help. Be able to make a real assessment of yourself and understand the areas you will need to improve. Some people decide to work on the weakness. Me? I prefer to focus on my strengths to have better results. I am perfectly aware of my challenges but they are not honestly my main focus. I prefer to excel on what I master and outsource or hire someone else to do the rest. This is exactly how I managed Bijou Lakay for those 18 years.
We thank you Daphnee for sharing your BOLD JOURNEY!
Contact/Follow: www.instagram.com/bijoulakay | bijoulakay@gmail.com
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