Posted by Sam Richards
This is a story that will humble most any listener. And frankly, I’d love to have every undergraduate business student in the U.S. listen to it–particularly those who assume that they’ll eventually land in six figure jobs with complimentary gold cards and regular frequent flier upgrades. (Not all do, of course, as most Penn State business majors are simply happy to get a job interview…I fully recognize that.) Nonetheless, many of them will make this kind of money, of course, and not necessarily because of their own abilities. Somebody has to fill those positions and, being staffed by mostly washrag talent from top to bottom, most companies simply reproduce what they know drawing on the vessels of empty vision and stale thinking that are available to them.
If that sounds judgmental and harsh, it is. But only because I just listened to this story and in my lifetime and travels I have met far too many people like Yvrose Jean Baptiste, the woman highlighted by NPR in this story. Had the creator/fate decided that her spirit should enter a body in a more developed nation, she’d very quickly have risen to the top and won any race or competition that required guts, determination, stamina, and outside-the-box creative thinking. This is a woman with an unmatched entrepreneurial spirit and a gutsy grit that would shame all but a few standouts on the path toward financial security here in the U.S. — people who are on THAT path only because they were born in a land a few hundred miles north of the land mass we call “Haiti.”
I hate to sound so damn uppity myself, especially because I’m pretty “wash rag” and mediocre in most of what I do, but listen to the story and then ask yourself: How would I get on in Haiti and what might Yvrose do if she had the opportunity walk through the world wearing my shoes?
I think that her story really and truly is inspiring. It is great that she can really be such an entrepreneur and look after herself. I saw in an earlier post that it discussed an “uneven starting line.” This is an excellent example of that. I agree that she would probably be a great success in the US. I know that most people here don’t know what it is like to have to work that hard. I can’t help but think what would happen if someone from the United State had to try to make a living over in Haiti. I wonder if, when faced with the same condition as her, if they could find that drive inside of them to learn, grow, and become an entrepreneur like Yvrose is in Haiti. And be just as successful.
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I don’t necessarily feel that everyone who goes into the business field that goes to Wall Street or enters Corporate America is useless washrag; however, I don’t also feel people get there just by their own “hard work.” I fully am aware that there are people out there that don’t get the fair chance and advantages that many of us in America do get. Also, I’m sure that many of them would perform our jobs for less and do it more efficiently than we ever will. This particular story is a clear demonstration that there are others out there that, given the equal opportunity, would completely surpass our work ethic and capabilities. While this obviously isn’t fair, this goes back to the recurring issue of Free-Will vs. Determinism. I know for sure that I wouldn’t be anywhere close to where I am today without the full aid of my parents, their parents, my community, my teachers and my economic class. This isn’t meant to come off as snooty but my ancestors moved to America and generated wealth and opportunities for their kin while persons such as Yvrose Jean Baptiste’s ancestors didn’t – either due to lack of funding to move or choice. Either the reasons, my family continues to work hard to perpetuate our socio-economic class in hopes that we can make our children’s lives even easier and less stressful. In class, I enjoy discussing the issue of having the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. While, at first, one would think that if a poor person truly wanted to get out of poverty they could but in reality the argument holds true. While the rich continue to generate returns on their wealth the poor are left rowing in a canoe next to a speedboat of the wealthy. Persons like Yvrose are the type of people who deserve a fair chance at entering the business world. Maybe corporations like Bank of America, Citigroup and J.P Morgan Chase should recruit in Haiti where people are used to non-stop labor and are willing to take a lower pay. Maybe people like Yvrose wouldn’t accept the multi-million dollar bonuses while our economy continues to struggle. I admire this woman’s drive and motivation, whatever they may be, and I wish that one day I would have the insight and incentive to work as hard as her. People who are born in America have already been given rights and advantages that peoples in Mauritania dream of, yet we complain about the little insignificant issues. Basically, on a level playing field I feel that Yvrose would completely surpass me given her motivation and impetus. While this may be true, one should also think would she actually be as motivated and inspired to work as hard if she were born in my shoes?
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This post brings up a lot of the issues that Sam has talked about throughout the semester so far. Sam regularly talks about how we all start at different levels in society and because of these starting points people have different opportunities in their lives, and those that start at the top usually end up at the top. All of us are fortunate enough to attend Penn State, making all of us well ahead of the majority of people. Obviously some of us are much better off than others, with some of us having to work a full time job to go here, and others having their entire tuition taken care of by their parents. Most students fall somewhere in-between these two extremes, but it’s pretty safe to assume that the vast majority of us come from middle class families.
I think most people understand this, but where Sam starts to lose people is when he says that those of us fortunate enough to have some help from home are unworthy. I hear a lot of questions in class that are directed this way. This is probably due to the rather forceful language Sam uses. I don’t want to speak for Sam but I think another way of putting it is that we should all consider ourselves very fortunate. To be born into a situation that enables you to attend a well respected university, when only 15% of Americans have a college degree, is an opportunity that should not be taken lightly. Being born into this family had nothing to do with us, we were just fortunate enough to be the result of our parents having sex. We could have just as easily been born into a destitute family in Haiti like Yvrose Jean Baptiste was. I think we could all benefit from reflecting on this scenario. Even our discussions of the poor in the US don’t stack up to poverty in other areas of the world.
All of us are born with varying degrees of benefits. All of us need to realize however that we are so far ahead of the majority of people in the world from the beginning. Is this because we deserve it? No. You can’t be deserving of something that was in no way shaped by your own doing. Again I don’t want to speak for Sam, but I’m sure his choice of words is for a reason. I’m sure it is related to trying to stimulate us to think. Telling us that we should all be thankful has a tendency to go in one ear and out the other, but this phrasing makes us stop and think.
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One thing that bothered me about this post was that I felt like it was saying that just because Yvrose’s success didn’t bring her the riches that corporate America is known for, she was being gypped or cheated of something. Not having a gold card doesn’t mean anything. Without personally knowing Yvrose I feel it is wrong to look at all she’s accomplished and earned and say that something is missing. Prior to the earthquake she could have been happier then the majority of Americas CEOs combined and here we are blogging that it is not fair that she doesn’t live in the great land of America. There is no arguing that had Yvrose been born elsewhere her life would be drastically different. And, yes she would put a lot of business people to shame with her work had there been an even playing field but that’s not the way life works. You do the best that you can with what you have. Life’s not fair; we often don’t get what we deserve or alternatively receive that which we haven’t earned. But all of this is irrelevant if you are happy. Nowhere does it say that money equals happiness, and until then we have just as much reason to be jealous of Yvrose and she has to be jealous of us.
What is unfair and devastating is the impact of the earthquake on Yvrose and the rest of the Haitians. They are being faced with something that no people should have to go through. A lot of times we say “God only gives you as much as you can handle” and things like that, and I can only hope that is true. I don’t know that I would be strong enough to recover from the devastation, but I pray that the Haitians are.
More now than ever, Yvrose’s “entrepreneurial spirit and a gutsy grit” will stand out as an example for all of us to follow. Life would be great if no one was faced with the challenges and obstacles that Yvrose has, but that’s not an option. For now we can simply look to Yvrose as an example of the potential that may be found inside us all. As she fights to rebuild her business and her life, we can look inside ourselves and ask what can we do to be great? Maybe it will mean making a million dollars or maybe it wont but that’s not what’s important. If the only measure of our success is the color of our credit card then we live in a petty world. Sam was dead on when he posed the question, “How would I get on in Haiti and what might Yvrose do if she had the opportunity walk through the world wearing my shoes?” The answer to this question is important, it can make the difference of being a mediocre wash-rag or an unmatched entrepreneurial spirit.
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Yvrose Jean Baptiste's story is one that is inspiring and frankly left me in awe. This woman, with a fifth grade education, is doing things that, honestly given that situation, I doubt I would be able to accomplish. She is working for her family and showing everyone that it is possible. The fact that in such adversity she is able to make something of herself is truly inspirational. She was born in an extremely impoverished nation and still is managing to make money in a way that many of us could not think of ourselves.
I think what strikes me the most about Yvrose Jean Baptiste is the fact that she travels to a richer nation, The Dominican Republic, comes back to Haiti, and loans the goods out to shopkeepers, only to then return to collect interest. The business knowledge this woman possesses is something to be admired and respected. I'm not sure I know anyone, who after receiving simply a fifth grade education, would be able to go out into the world and accomplish such things. It is almost funny that this woman with a fifth grade education, seems to understand things that people pay thousands of dollars to learn. Don't get me wrong, I think a college education is essential in our society, but it just kind of makes you think.
This leads itself to another point. What would have happened if Yvrose Jean Baptiste had been born in a more modernized country, such as the United States? Maybe I'm being a little hopeful, but I would like the believe that she would rise up and become a successful business woman. But then I get to thinking, what would happen if she would have been born to a poor family? Would she still have become successful? Maybe her story lends itself to the answer of yes. Obviously she possesses some type of 'street smart' by doing what she is doing. I find it almost disconcerting that just because where you are born can determine how much money you make and how 'successful' you become in life.
I feel so fortunate to have been born in the United States to a family that pushed me through school and never let me think anything other than a college degree. But had I been born in Haiti I would not have had that opportunity. I feel that it is such luck. I am lucky to be at Penn State. I am lucky to have been born in a modernized, developed country.
Sam always talks about the race and how some people got a head start. This is a perfect example. Because of where she was born, Yvrose Jean Baptiste, almost started with an unfair advantage. She wasn't born into a family or even in a country that could provide her with a good, solid education. She had to fend for herself.
So before people start jumping on this and criticizing what Sam has said, I think this story needs to be digested. We are so incredibly fortunate to be in the position we are in. Because let's face it, how many of us could actually do what Yvrose Jean Baptiste is doing?
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After listening to this story and reading Sam’s comments on it a few things come to mind. First of all this is a very sad and inspirational story. It is amazing how much people can accomplish with so little given to them. This woman was able to master sophisticated business tactics with only a fifth grade education in such and poor country with almost no resources for a decent education. It is hard to believe that after all that happened to that country she is continuing to persevere and attempt to continue with her business. All of her capital was destroyed along with all of her vendors which would seemingly be enough to push anyone to just give up. It is hard to think that the bank she owes money to is demanding their money back is such desperate times for these people and their families. From what I learned about this woman in this listening I am sure that she will somehow find a way to go around this obstacle and continue to run her business. You would be hard pressed to find many people in the United States who could overcome obstacles as large as the one’s that have faced this woman throughout her lifetime. It is really a shame that remarkably intelligent people such as Yvrose are born into such poverty. Their starting line is extremely far behind those in the United States and she must work that much harder to achieve any sort of success. If she had been born in the United States I am sure that she would be experiencing a multitude of success. Unfortunately that is not the case for her along with many other intelligent people that do not have the opportunities that so many of us have and so many of us waste.
Having said this I do find it a little hard to swallow some of the things that Sam says about all of us being deserving. I realize that we would not be where we are without our ancestors success and many poor people are where they because of a continued cycle of poverty. My problem is that even though we are given a lot of opportunities it does not mean that CEO’s and college students do not work hard to get to where they are. I would not call CEO’s washrag talent. They have obviously worked hard and sacrificed to get to where they are even if they get a head start over the less fortunate of the world. I think it is a really hard subject to get into because I do somewhat believe what Sam says about what we do and do not deserve, but it is hard for me to believe that all the school work that I’ve done does not make me deserving in some sense of the word.
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After listening to this story and reading Sam’s comments on it a few things come to mind. First of all this is a very sad and inspirational story. It is amazing how much people can accomplish with so little given to them. This woman was able to master sophisticated business tactics with only a fifth grade education in such and poor country with almost no resources for a decent education. It is hard to believe that after all that happened to that country she is continuing to persevere and attempt to continue with her business. All of her capital was destroyed along with all of her vendors which would seemingly be enough to push anyone to just give up. It is hard to think that the bank she owes money to is demanding their money back is such desperate times for these people and their families. From what I learned about this woman in this listening I am sure that she will somehow find a way to go around this obstacle and continue to run her business. You would be hard pressed to find many people in the United States who could overcome obstacles as large as the one’s that have faced this woman throughout her lifetime. It is really a shame that remarkably intelligent people such as Yvrose are born into such poverty. Their starting line is extremely far behind those in the United States and she must work that much harder to achieve any sort of success. If she had been born in the United States I am sure that she would be experiencing a multitude of success. Unfortunately that is not the case for her along with many other intelligent people that do not have the opportunities that so many of us have and so many of us waste.
Having said this I do find it a little hard to swallow some of the things that Sam says about all of us being deserving. I realize that we would not be where we are without our ancestors success and many poor people are where they because of a continued cycle of poverty. My problem is that even though we are given a lot of opportunities it does not mean that CEO’s and college students do not work hard to get to where they are. I would not call CEO’s washrag talent. They have obviously worked hard and sacrificed to get to where they are even if they get a head start over the less fortunate of the world. I think it is a really hard subject to get into because I do somewhat believe what Sam says about what we do and do not deserve, but it is hard for me to believe that all the school work that I’ve done does not make me deserving in some sense of the word.
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This is a pretty cool story, in the fact that not very many people in Haiti do not have enough education to even think about a business similar to this. In addition, it can be quite tough to start a business like this when you do not have a working model to work off of. However, I do not think that we can glorify this woman to the point that we idolize her. After all, many other people have have similar stories like this. In fact, I feel that it could be even harder to come from a poor background in the United States and be a good business person.
A person in the United States who founds a successful company will, granted, make exponentially more money than this woman does, however, he or she will also face much greater barriers of entry into the market. A poor person in the United States is behind rich people from the start. Often, the poor receive an inferior education. High schools attended by the inner city poor are often underfunded and students are not afforded a vibrant array of activities and opportunities. When poor students graduate high school, many cannot afford college or must stay home to support their family. The few that are lucky enough to afford college often must attend a local community college and work while taking classes. The Haitian woman, meanwhile, is on an even playing field with everyone else. No one has money or an education.
If a poor man is able to overcome these barriers, he still faces many more. A college education often leads to a decent-paying job, however, it provides little insight into actually building a business in the real economy. An entrepreneur who wishes to start his own business often must have a spectacular new business model or creative new idea in order to have a chance to succeed. He cannot establish a company similar to the behemoths that already exist; his company would be crushed instantly. If he is able to formulate an enterprising idea, he must acquire investors to create his company. Even with investors, funds often fall short, and startups fail. If a company makes it through these initial barriers, it must successfully advertise and convince a national audience that it is better than the trusted mega companies who spend millions on advertising campaigns backed by celebrity sponsors. Through this process, the entrepreneur must higher trust worthy workers, and navigate the tangled web of legal barriers and regulations thrown up by the government.
So now I return to this Haitian woman. Is her story impressive. Yes, it is. But thousands of people like her do this every day with equivalent or greater barriers. There are many examples including Sheldon Adelson, Li Ka-Shing, Roman Abramovich, and Francois Pinault. This woman has presumably done this for years, but has never received any attention. However, an earthquake that devastated her country enabled us to hear her story. The fact is that around the world, thousands of people are doing this day in and day out, but we do not hear about it.
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This story of Yvrose is truly inspirational and it is incredible that she can do such amazing things in a nation that is so poor. She only has a fifth grade education and she is able to understand the complex ideals of finance that I can not even comprehend. I am studying to become an elementary education teacher so finance and currency exchange and loans is not exactly my field of knowledge. However, I do not think I would be able to try to do the things she does. She has to be a very strong woman to be able to put her children through school and pay for anything off of her small business. Actually this business is not small at all she has ten clients that she sells to and it is absolutely devastating that she was not able to get her money since she works off of a loan system. I can not think of one business that would just loan it's products out to sellers and then collect money two weeks later. Everyone wants their money now. It is sad that she lost all of capital because of this system she has been so successful with.
It still amazes that she started this business only with a fifth grade education. Like the reporter said, many people spend years on Wall Street trying to figure out the things she was able to accomplish. People spend thousands of dollars each year in order to get a "proper" education to be able to do the things that Yvrose does. It goes to show that people who are dedicated can accomplish anything they really put their minds to. So many people in the US that have privileges that only this woman could dream of would not be able to do what she does. If only she could have the education that many of us think comes easily she would be able to do even greater things. However, what she did was truly spectacular. She used these complex ideals with products people would probably not normally use them with. She has to be able to understand the currency exchange and be able to barter with people in the Dominican Republic. Even the economic adviser to the Prime Minister was amazed at what Yvrose has accomplished with her education and her lifestyle. She would definitely be an excellent addition to any United States company because she would have field experience that probably no one in the company, including the CEO, would be able to compete with.
I also feel bad for her because she gave out everything she had right before the awful earthquake that took so many lives. Of course, her bank is still looking for money from her. I can not believe that the banks are still trying to get money from people who have clearly lost everything.
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Despite all of the horrible things that have been going on in Haiti, this story is pretty inspiring. Here is a woman that has made the most of what she has and done spectacular things with it. I find her business knowledge and ethics so remarkable considering that she only has the education of about a fifth grade student. The fact that she has thought out her entire business routine, including being able to trust her clients enough to loan them the products and then collect the money plus interest from them later is pretty cool considering how the country is very much under-developed.
Being a business major myself, I do agree that some people take the business world for granted and think that a six figure job with great benefits will just be handed to them on a silver platter. I also agree that some people with such high paying jobs and people that are CEOs of big companies don’t necessarily deserve to be in these positions. Some are there not because of their incredible ability in the type of business they’re involved in, but because they know how to schmooze their way up the corporate ladder. Now the people that do know how to schmooze and work their magic up into the top positions might have a right to be there since they are ones that know how to become CEOs and such. But are they definitely the most able and those with the most ability? I don’t necessarily think so. Yvrose’s story describes a woman who is pretty far advanced in the business world compared to other Haitians, and that is because of her ability, not because she simply knows how to work the people. I also find her story even better since she is a woman, compared to a man, who is excelling in business in a third-world country.
It is crazy to think how different Yvrose’s life would have been if she were born in a more developed country, such as the United States. It is unfortunate that because she lives in Haiti, she will never have as many options and ways to excel through her work than if she were to live in the United States. Yvrose will probably be doing the same kind of work for the rest of her life because of the lack of options in Haiti. Part of me thinks that Yvrose would excel in the business world if she were to live here because of her entrepreneurial spirit; however, another part of me thinks that she might just be another average business woman in the United States given how many options there are here. Nevertheless, hearing Yvrose’s story made me extremely grateful that I live in a country where business opportunities are plentiful and there are numerous ways to excel and modify your work.
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Yvrose has determination and a hard work ethic that such a large portion of the United States population truly lacks. Having an education equivalent to a fifth grader and to overcome so many problems and adversity to make a better life for her is inspirational. It is hard for many of us to begin to imagine, but picture in fifth grade what was your mindset? I know mine was all about playing with friends after school and maybe recess at school. I don’t think I could have gotten very far in trying to operate a slightly sophisticated business like Yvrose is doing. Like thinking about it, I really wonder how she learned about the different aspects in the world of business such as taking loans and charging interest. I am not a business major, so Sam’s comments just made me chuckle a little bit and nothing else. However, I feel like they were a little incorrect for that business majors, and wall street workers that earn six figures deal with much more complicated businesses that Yvrose currently would not have the knowledge for, nothing against her it’s just a fact. With that being said, the way she made a business out of the small opportunities available in Haiti is amazing.
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I was reading over other peoples comments and I agree, for Yvrose’s hard work is so inspirational and shocking to an extent. I know its possible to do anything you set your mind to, but the fact is she only has education up to a 5th graders. I think that she is a strong woman especially after the earthquake. She is motivated and she didn’t just think about doing this, she actually went for it and is successful in making it happen. I think that people should admire what she is doing, and especially not being able to have the necessities right now to get very far in what she wants to do. I find it very interesting and I am curious how she learned all of the economics and business tactics she needed to know to start her own business. I am aware that there are tons of books written about these topics, but it is very interesting to see what people can actually learn from probably teaching themselves these certain subjects. People spend tons of money every year on education learning about all of these things. And to see it done with a woman that hasn’t received very much education throughout her life is the most inspiring thing I have ever heard.
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I think it comes to show that you can truly do whatever you set your mind to. She hit very bumpy roads living in Haiti and the fact that she is not giving up shows true commitment, strength, and leadership. I feel this way because she can easily make an example to the people in her country how to accomplish certain things when you don’t think you have the means to be able to.
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I am sure people will read this article and think its crap, but this shows that there is far more intelligence in this world and people are just too blind to see it and they take people for granted. I think people like Yvrose are more inspiring then people that get through college, and go work at a law firm. I think entrepreneurs’ are the most inspirational because it is their own idea. They come up with what they want to do, they work their butts off to make it happen, and then they go for it. It is the most risk taking job you can do for yourself and you show others how courageous you actually are. It comes to show that going to college isn’t everything. People always look down on people that don’t attend college, its not about where you get your education, it is about the person being dedicated, and wanting to receive things that are offered to you all around. And in this case, there weren’t many things offered to her and she went for it all anyway.
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Yvrose is an inspirational business woman and it is amazing how she has been able to turn her sales into a sophisticated micro-business. The more I think about it, the more I find myself in agreement with Dr. Richards in realizing that much of our success is not a measure of our own achievements. Even though I come from a working, middle class family I realize that many of my accomplishments were set up by the people and things around me. I think that I would have not achieved nearly as much or be where I am now without the assistance from my parents. Without high expectations from others, how many of us would seek out opportunities and find motivation to be successful from an early age? My parents enrolled me in sports and other extra-curricular activities at a young age. They placed pressure on me to do well in school and would reward or punish me based on my performance. I attended an excellent high school that assisted in giving every student the opportunity to attend college. Now I understand what is necessary to succeed in this society and have more self-motivation to perform well and be involved.
In Dr. Richards’ case, his mother suggested he become a stenographer after high school, but instead he attended college. Eventually “something clicked” and he found the motivation to get serious about his work and eventually earned a Ph.D. He is responsible for many of these achievements but still thinks he has had a lot of help and believes that had he gotten more assistance or grown up in a wealthier family, he could be doing the same thing at a more prestigious university.
I wanted to agree with the statement/question made in class on Tuesday that the killing of so Native Americans could be explained with the Darwinian theory and survival of the fittest. However, the point was made that it is hard to make the argument that the “fittest” are actually on top in this world because the fittest are simply the product of other fit people. If everyone was left on their own to fend for themselves from the beginning, circumstances would be very different. I agree with this point and it goes both ways as in Yvrose’s case because sometimes the strongest and most capable do not survive or are not on top.
I think Yvrose is a good example of someone who probably hasn’t been set up for the success she is capable of achieving, but makes out very well given her circumstances. To have a 5th grade education and be able to grasp and effectively apply the concepts of lending money, purchasing goods internationally, then loaning them with interest to merchants is quite remarkable. Like most parents, she is probably motivated to succeed for the benefit of her children. There are certainly many people in this world who are as intelligent as Yvrose and it’s interesting to imagine what they might be capable of if they were afforded more opportunities.
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This is an amazing story of a woman that has taken business and her future into her own hands. She has single handedly taken the steps and process of creating a business that works for her and the vendors in her country. First of all, this is a woman that has a fifth grade education. There is a constant concept or ideal that people need to be taught in the classroom and that people need a number of degrees in order to be successful in this world. Indeed, education is the greatest equalizer in the world, but many of us I feel have lost the idea of what it means to have human intuition and street smarts. I think that this story is a perfect example of someone who has taken their future and pushed the human mind to different levels of intellect to survive. At this moment in time, Haiti is in state of turmoil. Their business, economy, livelihood, and all other forms of life or basic necessities of life have been taken from them yet, here we have a woman that has made a living and continues to survive and make a living for her. The economic advisor for the country himself has taken time out to meet this woman and realize what she has done because it is truly a story that shows the human ability to adapt and make the best out of any situation.
Another aspect of her situation is the fact that she has masterminded her craft, but also carries out her business and tasks of the business. Like many of my other peers have pointed out, this ability to not just mastermind a plan, but then carry it out is what is lacking in American business. We live in a world of CEO and presidents of companies who have lost the common touch or ability to communicate with their consumers and the people working/slash moving their product. It has developed a huge gap in the social class and economic class between people in the U.S. This gap is what has caused discrimination in our country and the clashes and tension that exists between people. It is a problem that we must correct. This woman single handedly puts many businessmen and women to shame in how she carries out her business. Many people in the business world must develop some kind of theory or ideal about how she carries out her business because obviously something is working with how she carries out her business. I am happy that this blog was posted because it shows that there is more than one way to carry out a business and that hard work really can work.
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First of all, after reading this article, you cannot deny Yvrose’s hard work and drive. After all, this is a woman who did not have a full education, and some of the things she has done and overcome are really remarkable. Yvrose running a micro business is almost like a shock to me, and you have to tip your hat to her. It is quite an accomplishment for her I think when she did not have the complete education to learn about the inctracies of business and finance. It is almost mind boggling when you think of how she learned everything about currency and accounting. The tragic events in Haiti are so devastating for people such as these and to me it’s just so heartbreaking to see stories like that of Yvrose. We in this country take so much for granted, and you can’t help but feel for this woman, who started from scratch and became successful with business, only to have Mother Nature take it away. She does everything from top to bottom in her business, from the planning to executing and everything in between and after. I feel so blessed and fortunate that I have the life I have as a young adult. Yvrose maximized her potential from the little opportunity she had. After all, she does not have the same chances to succeed as other people all around the world.
Another thing I feel after reading this article is that we here in this country have so many different options. Options in everyday life as where we want to live, work, what we want to eat, etc. In countries such as Haiti even before the earthquake, you either have one option, and you either take it or leave it. This story of Yvrose was one that was very touching to me. It is inspiring and if you cannot help but admire her courage. I think and believe in time, Yvrose will continue to fight because she will have so much resiliency and perseverance. In time, she will be okay, hopefully. As far as competing on a level playing field with this lady, I think she can run with the best of them.
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Okay, as crazy as this may seem this is not surprising to me. I am African so I sort of understand the struggle she is going through. I do not come from a rich/well to do African family. My grandfather and grandmother have always struggled to make a living. Living in Liberia my grandfather worked as a nurse, my grandmother did not work, instead she would manage the farmland and sell water, kala (an african appetizer) just to bring in extra revenue. I always enjoy hearing my oldest cousin tell me stories about her adventures on the market ground. Regardless of the low wages my grandparents received they managed to send all their children to Catholic School.
I mention this story because this is the normal hustle for any native of a third world country. If you do not have an education it does not mean you are dumb, but just street smart. that why I laugh at American when they complain about the simple things in life, its cold outside, my lights got turned off, I cannot pay my cell phone bill. I wish they can switch lives with someone from a third world country living in the village. Try walking everyday to a nearby well to get water to bathe, cook food, drink, or to simply wash your hand. They will learn to appreciate all that they are blessed with. Some parts of my country do not even have electricity but they are still alive and struggling to make a living.
So, yes I do give this Haitian woman her props. She is very business orientated and understands that sitting at home and complaining will not bring you a weekly income. She recognized everything that needs to be done and she does it accordingly. Although she did not obtain a college degree does not mean she is not smart and she is dumb. I am sure she has been exposed to many things in this lifetime and has grown strong over the years. She probably made mistakes the first time doing business and took a few pointers from a neighbor.
But everybody is not business orientated as the Haitian woman. At home my mother receives phone calls from my uncle living in Ghana for money. She suggested that he start his own business back home by selling water and he agreed to do so. The plan was for my mother to send him a large sum of money to start it off and he collects all the profits. Instead of him doing just that, when he received the money he used it for himself. The only way the family found out was when my aunt returned back to Africa only to see no water/ no market/ no nothing. Someone she knows in the United States could have pitched the idea of selling food to her. And luckily for her, she took their advice and is now making money.
It is bad for people to take advantage of others who intentions are only good. That is why business is not for everybody. Only the person who knows what is it to struggle for money can appreciate the outcome and benefits.
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Truly a remarkable story coming out of an area riddled with such tragedy. A 5th grade education, yet able to understand such intricate and challenging concepts that they talk about definitely speaks to the importance of getting real world experience. You can only be taught so much in a classroom, but you need have a passion for knowledge and go through mistakes and failures to actually gain something. I think micro-credit is a fantastic idea, started up my someone many of you probably have heard of, Mohammad Yunus. A significant amount of trust is involved, in that you are lending money (although in small amounts) to very impoverished people, and may not see it come back. However, it has actually spurred entrepreneurial activity, like Yvrose and I'm sure many other stories of people beating the odds. That being said, I started to think about the question posed, which was what if Yvrose wasn't under such confounding circumstances. What if she was born to a middle class family on the East coast of America. How different would things be? Well, first maybe a sense of determination and hardwork would not have been instilled in her, if she was given the so called 'easy life'. Maybe being bogged down by an ordinary education, simply jumping through hoops would not have sparked her to make such amazing business moves. However, she lives in Haiti. She has a great business going, but it is in Haiti. Would she have even been given the chance to take a loan in the United States with a 5th grade education, trying to start an entrepreneurial venture? Probably not. So, in a way I think I'd have to say I disagree with Sam. If I was to extend his philosophy of 'if she was born in a developed nation she would have risen straight to the top because of her spirit', then I'd guess perhaps Sam thinks that leaders are born, and cannot be made leaders. In my view, I think there is a combination. She was placed in a situation where she needed to be creative, needed to be highly ambitious, and needed to lead. Perhaps she was looking after many siblings at a young age, or worked for a shop keeper and learned the nuances of business at a young age. Whatever the case may be, She had to make the best out of her situation, and has. If she was born in a developed nation, perhaps she would have been more complacent and not reached the height of her potential. But to say that if she would definitely have thrived here is perhaps not a given. Also, to say that a person here who was born into a middle class family and maybe just does the minimum to get by because they know they are supported, wouldn't survive a day in a place like Haiti is wrong as well. It is definitely, in my mind, a combo of where/how you are brought up and your inner spirit to succeed. Maybe that latent spirit in the person who is just doing the minimum here would have erupted in a poorer nation, and that person may truly be able to do great things.
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Hearing this story was truly inspiring but it made me think of how much being in situations like that where you have to do whatever it takes to provide for your family and how unselfish you have to be especially as a parents brings me back to the way my parents did everything they can to survive here in the United States after moving here from Ecuador with absolutely no money. My mother and father literally worked two jobs each as well as sold clothes on the side, in which they purchased on their own and distributed them to people they knew at a higher price. My parents never went to school for business but for some reason they had this motivation and drive to make it here in America in any way that they could with very little resources. I was a Business major and with as much education as I have gotten on the world business, it was the pursuit of money that I was going for. For my parents, it was a way to SURVIVE or else our family would die of starvation and most likely be homeless.
Yvrose brought back to me the passion and dedication that many people seem to take for granted when they are given the things they need they're entire lives by their parents. I certainly realize how muc h I take for granted the struggles my parents went through in order to put food on the tablem the give us the shekter we had and in order to give my sister and I the education we needed. True business instincts come out when you need to have the will and dedication needed in order to provide for yourself and ones you love. I admire Yvrose for her intelligence an her determination because she needed a way to survive for her children because she knew if her country could not be able to help her, she would have to do it on her own.
My mother would always joke with me about how bad she would feel for me if I had ever grew up in the poor situation she grew up in when she still lived in Ecuador. Every time I would complain about the grade I got on a test or about not being able to get the shoes the other girls in my class had, she always humbled me down with the stories of her upbringing. I think it is very important to think about the situations of others in worst conditions than yourself because first being humble pushes you to be an even better Business person. I wonder how life would have been growing up in Ecuador where I had the same lifestyle as my parents growing up. Would I have the same attitude as I have today? Would I have the same motivations, the same skills as I have today?
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Hearing this story was truly inspiring but it made me think of how much being in situations like that where you have to do whatever it takes to provide for your family and how unselfish you have to be especially as a parents brings me back to the way my parents did everything they can to survive here in the United States after moving here from Ecuador with absolutely no money. My mother and father literally worked two jobs each as well as sold clothes on the side, in which they purchased on their own and distributed them to people they knew at a higher price. My parents never went to school for business but for some reason they had this motivation and drive to make it here in America in any way that they could with very little resources. I was a Business major and with as much education as I have gotten on the world business, it was the pursuit of money that I was going for. For my parents, it was a way to SURVIVE or else our family would die of starvation and most likely be homeless.
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R2 D2. Anyway, this article, about the woman from Haiti, definitely gets me a thinking. There are so many people in this world that are capable of a lot of things, but their circumstances don’t allow them to achieve their full potential. Yes, she lives in Haiti, so she doesn’t have a lot of opportunities to do things that we would be able to do in the United States of America. It’s a pretty disappointing reality that this is the reality – if you catch my drift. Driftwood, that is. You know, like the stuff that you find on the beach when you’re on the Jersey shore (which was a horrible, but yet entertaining, stupid freakin show). So this woman in Haiti has a pretty hard time even making a living, despite how educated (self educated that is) she is. There’s not too much someone like me can do about it at this point. However, I am studying to go to law school, and I want to study international law, probably at temple, where I can get an international degree called an L.L.M. This degree will be very beneficial to me because honestly, I want to help people like this woman who live in an underprivileged country. I really want the world to be a flat, level playing field so that everyone can get what they deserve.
On another note, I agree with Sam when he said that in the United States of America, companies’ managements hire people because they are the best people that can find for the job.
Now I’m going to talk from a different point of view.
Fuck Haiti man this is AMERICA
My roommate wrote that.
Anyway, I feel pretty bad for the people of Haiti. They are very unfortunate – I think that I’ve heard that they are one of (if not the) poorest country in the entire world. Honestly, I think that it doesn’t matter how smart you are. If you are in a bad situation where you cannot find a job that utilizes your skills, abilities, and knowledge, you really have no way of finding a job that utilizes all of these things.
I don’t have prejudice towards anyone (unlike my roommate obviously), because I think that every single person on this earth can be just as smart as the next person, or just as smart as someone on the other side of the globe who is in a completely different situation. The unfortunate truth is that everyone is not in the same situation. A lot of people who are in third world countries could easily have been born into families in the United States or other countries that have fantastic job opportunities, and they could have done well. It’s really a shame, but I guess that’s luck, fate, destiny, inevitability, etc.
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That was a truly devastating story that is probably one of thousands of devastating financial stories coming out of Haiti. Being such an entrepreneur in such a low class and poor society is truly inspiring and it makes you wonder what kind of potential people from third world countries have if just given the opportunity. The fact that she has mastered all these business principles and manages her business so thoroughly is very impressive. The fact that she lost everything in the earthquake besides the bank payment is truly depressing. She couldn’t catch a break even after a massive earthquake hit and destroyed her home. Money is everything in this world, even in places who don’t have a lot. They still expect to get paid on time by a person who has lost everything. I hope the money that the U.S. is giving to Haiti will also be used to help the citizens with individual problems. What is the bank going to do if she can’t pay? It’s not like she has anything to repossess. Her lively hood right now is selling chicken necks out of a plastic tub to people who have no money. She’s really down on her luck so I hope the prayers people are saying for Haitians will help out Yvrose in any way possible. I can’t imagine the loss these people are going through. Losing virtually everything including family members and friends. The fact that this woman is still fighting for some money through everything she has went through is truly admirable. If Yvrose had the kind of opportunities I have now; to be in college and have money saved up, than I think she would be the type of person to start and join organizations. She would probably excel in math and business classes. She would probably be way better at accounting than I am, but that really isn’t saying much. All I’m saying is that the world is not a fair place. People are born into situations and have to make the best of them. Yvrose is doing just that. She is in one of the worst situations right now and she is doing everything to make it a little better. It’s inspirational and it makes me feel like a lazy, ungrateful American. I hope her children know how hard she is trying to keep their heads above water, literally. I think the best thing to do after hearing this story is thank your lucky stars for everything you have and make the best of the opportunities you are given. We are given much more than we actually appreciate and we use less than what we are actually given. So in conclusion, good luck Yvrose and God bless you and all of Haiti.
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I find it fantastic that she was able to make it so well and be such a business tycoon when her resources were so limited. She was able to succeed in a world where failure was expected. But Sam posed the question, what would Yvrose had done if she had the opportunity to walk in my shoes? I think that that is something that I would be able to guess at just because each person is the sum of their experiences and if she had had different experiences she would have been a completely different person. For all I know may be it was the hard life she had that led her to fight for the ability to be all that she is today. Maybe if she would have been able to walk in my shoes and have the privileges that I had she might have turned out completely different, in fact she probably would have turned out completely different. I suppose though if she was able to figure out how to keep a steady business going she would be a good business woman.
As far as how I would be able to do if I was in her situation, it would be the same thing. I would have grown up and been a completely different person. But if you were to take me right now and drop me off in the middle of Haiti and say, “figure it out” I would be in trouble. I know that I am too used to this way of life that I have to be able to make it while “roughing it” so to speak. I commend her for being able to make the most out of what she has. I think that to be able to make the business transactions she did while balancing a family, having food for them, and still being able to keep everyone happy would take a tremendous amount of energy and determination.
I think that if it were not for her trying situation she would not have found the motivation to be all that she was in the first place. I don’t see many American people her age figuring things out the way she did. I don’t mean to sound like I have some issue against American people and I am not calling them lazy, I am just saying that they don’t have to figure things out the way she did. And it all has to do with the way we grew up, where we grew up and how much money our parents had as we grew up. Like Sam said, it is similar to the king of the mountain. We are already above the people in Haiti, so to speak, and they have to work harder. We are just handed what we have.
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This story is amazing. Yvrose Jean Baptiste is an incredible woman. I cannot believe that she has this entire system of work with only a fifth grade education. It is sad to hear about how she lost all of her capital because of the earthquake destroying businesses and killing her customers. It seems like bad luck that her bank happened to survive the earthquake and they are still expecting her payment. I feel extremely sorry for her to have to be in this situation. I think that more Haitian people need to take about Yvrose. By no means am I saying that Haitian’s are lazy, but maybe they just need a little push. To get that little push I do understand that they need better education in their country which will not come. Hopefully one day down the road we can see a change. Although Yvrose is very ambitious and talented, I do not think she would survive if she came to the United States. It’s a whole different playing field here. With her small level of education and her lack of money, I do not think it would be possible for her to get very far or be compared to the smartest business men and women here. For Americans to get on top, you need to have a strong education and Yvrose just does not have that. It is incredible, though, the amount of knowledge she has about business. By no means would she be under-priveledged with her ability to manage everything, but I don’t think she would be up there with the top. Now if I switched spots and went to Haiti, I have no idea how I would survive. I feel so priveledged after hearing this story, but I also feel somewhat selfish and lazy. I feel that with an education, it is very easy for Americans to get jobs in the United States and be well off without being overly ambitious. If I went to Haiti, I would need to definitely improve my talents and ambitions and strive to even survive. I think the United States takes for granted everything we have. Most, not all, really aren’t doing so bad for ourselves, even if we think we are. A lot of what we get and what we end up having has to do with our parents also. We cannot compare our determinism to the people such as Yvrose in Haiti because they come from poor families who literally have next to nothing and have no way in helping their children. I hope that this video inspired some people to be more ambitious and not take things for granted. I wish Yvrose nothing but the best and hope that good things will eventually come her way.
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Hearing this story was truly inspiring but it made me think of how much being in situations like that where you have to do whatever it takes to provide for your family and how unselfish you have to be especially as a parents brings me back to the way my parents did everything they can to survive here in the United States after moving here from Ecuador with absolutely no money. My mother and father literally worked two jobs each as well as sold clothes on the side, in which they purchased on their own and distributed them to people they knew at a higher price. My parents never went to school for business but for some reason they had this motivation and drive to make it here in America in any way that they could with very little resources. I was a Business major and with as much education as I have gotten on the world business, it was the pursuit of money that I was going for. For my parents, it was a way to SURVIVE or else our family would die of starvation and most likely be homeless.
Yvrose brought back to me the passion and dedication that many people seem to take for granted when they are given the things they needs through inheritance or through the struggles of their own parents. I certainty realize how much I take for granted the struggles my parents went through in order to give my sister and I the education we needed to live better lives than they have. I think true business instinct comes out when you are strong and have that dedication in which you will find any way possible to provide for yourself as well for those people you love. I admire Yvrose for being the intelligent, determined woman that she is and using that passion within her to give her children as well as herself the means to survive in the country where very few opportunities are available.
My mother always told me when I was growing up and I wanted certain things or I complained about things that were so minuscule, that I would have never been able to survive in the area she grew in because I was given everything I needed here in the United States. I think about what she says everyday when I complain about doing an assignment or about not being about to buy a pair of shoes that I want. I wonder how life would have been growing up in a developing nation such as the part of Ecuador my mother grew up in. Would I have the same skills and knowledge I have now or would my skills is better in one thing compared to another. I would probably be a better business person than I am now because surviving for myself and for my family would be an everyday worry for me if I live a very poor lifestyle. I may be rambling off but this has been something I have felt for a long time in that people in developing countries may be looked down upon by large developed countries but I think the people in the those nations have stronger characters and should be respected more than anything.
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Hearing this story was truly inspiring but it made me think of how much being in situations like that where you have to do whatever it takes to provide for your family and how unselfish you have to be especially as a parents brings me back to the way my parents did everything they can to survive here in the United States after moving here from Ecuador with absolutely no money. My mother and father literally worked two jobs each as well as sold clothes on the side, in which they purchased on their own and distributed them to people they knew at a higher price. My parents never went to school for business but for some reason they had this motivation and drive to make it here in America in any way that they could with very little resources. I was a Business major and with as much education as I have gotten on the world business, it was the pursuit of money that I was going for. For my parents, it was a way to SURVIVE or else our family would die of starvation and most likely be homeless.
Yvrose brought back to me the passion and dedication that many people seem to take for granted when they are given the things they need they're entire lives by their parents. I certainly realize how muc h I take for granted the struggles my parents went through in order to put food on the tablem the give us the shekter we had and in order to give my sister and I the education we needed. True business instincts come out when you need to have the will and dedication needed in order to provide for yourself and ones you love. I admire Yvrose for her intelligence an her determination because she needed a way to survive for her children because she knew if her country could not be able to help her, she would have to do it on her own.
My mother would always joke with me about how bad she would feel for me if I had ever grew up in the poor situation she grew up in when she still lived in Ecuador. Every time I would complain about the grade I got on a test or about not being able to get the shoes the other girls in my class had, she always humbled me down with the stories of her upbringing. I think it is very important to think about the situations of others in worst conditions than yourself because first being humble pushes you to be an even better Business person. I wonder how life would have been growing up in Ecuador where I had the same lifestyle as my parents growing up. Would I have the same attitude as I have today? Would I have the same motivations, the same skills as I have today?
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The hardships being endured by the Haitian people are beyond comprehension. It is truly endearing to hear this story about Yvrose Jean Baptiste. She is an inspiration because she appears to be independent, entrepreneurial and despite all setbacks, resolute in surviving. I am clearly impressed that she has worked out her business model and has had apparent successes, at least prior to the recent disaster. I think the real issue in comparing Yvrose to the undergraduate business major is not her creativity or the sophistication of her model. Rather, I am impressed with her determination and spirit. Yvrose may have benefited from a student’s knowledge of arbitrage, the futures market or the concept of collateral. These are tools that the business major would understand. What cannot be taught however is resolve and fortitude and that is what I find impressive about Yvrose Jean Baptiste.
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It is truly remarkable to hear about Yvrose’s story. It is very inspiring and saddening at the same time. I wonder how this woman with only a fifth grade education could figure out how to run such an efficient business? I call it efficient because she is making a small profit, enough to cover her necessary living costs. But in reality she is making nothing! She posses certain qualities that most other women in Haiti probably do not possess; she knows how to exchange foreign currency, borrow money from banks and even loan money to her different buyers. This is truly remarkable. Her days are extremely long and tiring and she works just as hard, actually harder then any other high paying American probably does. I say this because she is performing manual labor. First off, she is a woman and she has to carry that huge basket on her head. Most women in American would probably not even be able to lift that. Then she spends half of her day traveling and exchanging goods just so she can “hopefully” make three or four dollars? What American in their right mind would put that much effort into a job just to make three or four dollars? No one. Americans would just easily give up and more then likely become homeless. But no, Yvrose has such strong determination and will power. She wants to succeed in life and provide for her children. However, now she has to pay back all of her banks. This aspect is very sad to hear because she does not even have the money. I wonder how Yvrose would make a living for herself in American.
The sad thing about that is, she probably would not be able to find a job. Like we were learning in class the other day, minorities have a much more difficult time finding a job then whites do. They can even have the same resume! This is astonishing to me. When Sam pulled up the research study about all the resumes that were sent out and the same ones were sent out just with different names on them, and how the so called “white” people names got the jobs over “minority” names. I just do not understand how people can still have this kind of discrimination about minorities. They obviously posses all the same qualities of a white people and could probably do the job just as well as anyone else. It really makes you wonder when American will stop discriminating against blacks and minorities and just look at the individual rather then their background. Every person has the right to succeed and make a good living for themselves despite their color.
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This story really struck a nerve for me. I am one of those business students, and while I can not say that I am expecting a six figure salary, I can say that I do get happy any time I get an interview. Sam's remarks were not too harsh in my eyes because I know so many people that do drift through the system into a high paying job. If a woman like Yvrose was able to get her start here in America she would probably be extremely well off. Having said that, is it possible that the hardships that she has faced in Haiti has made her who she is? She is not a soft American business student who does not have the drive because he does not need to have drive, she needs to work hard to simply survive.
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It is pretty amazing that she is able to accomplish what she has in her situation. There are so many parts to her story that are remarkable. The fact that she only has a fifth grade education really caught me off guard. I know people in college that struggle with financial stuff and here is this woman who is running a business with practically no knowledge about how to manage a business. I am very curious to see what her book that she keeps all her financial records in looks like. With ten customers and getting loans through the bank, she must have been very organized in order to keep track of what she owed and what other people owed her. I would also like to know how calculated the interest on the deferred payments from her customers. I am also impressed at her work ethic as well. Being able to get loans, buy her supplies, distribute her supplies and collect the money on credit, and paying the loan back on time is an impressive feat for one person, especially in her situation.
I would be curious to see how well she would do in America if she was brought over now versus if she was born here. I feel like living in Haiti, or any third world country, would provide a lot of motivation for some individuals to go out and take risks on their ideas since they do not have many other choices. Some people who are born in America do not have that motivational drive from trying to survive because their parents might provide everything for them like food, shelter, and education. Even the people who are in poverty in America have it better than the Haitians since there are a lot more opportunities to be taken advantage of here, and the fact there are homeless shelters and other similar helping agencies that are available to people who are struggling. On the other hand, some people are just born with the talent, so maybe even if she were born here she would still thrive in the business world. If she were to come over to America now, it would be interesting to see how fast she would be able to pick up on the ways of American business. She had her own system that worked very well for her, but there are many more forms of competition in business in America then there are in Haiti so it would be a lot harder for her. After living in America for my whole life, I feel a great amount of respect for those people who live in the third world countries and are able to survive and find a way to make a living like Yvrose.
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This woman ran a remarkable business even before the earthquake. I can’t possibly imagine having all my capital destroyed so unexpectedly with no possible means of recovering it. And then to add even more obstacles, losing the capital caused a debt which would have caused many people to pick up and run. Not Yvrose though. She has been facing adversity running this business from the beginning and if I had a guess, I’d say she probably saw this tragedy and immediately began thinking of ways to get back on her feet. Through persistence and brilliant thinking, she was able to find a way to keep her business alive while helping many people survive during such a tough time. I can’t imagine how successful she would be if she had any of the resources I, and many of my friends, are blessed with.
I sometimes wonder how I would manage in situations similar to Yvrose’s. I’d like to think that I would do whatever was necessary to keep my business afloat, but under such duress I don’t know if I’d be able to continue operations. She has more guts and drive than most if not all CEO’s of companies today, and for this reason it’s hard for me to say with any certainty that I’d be able to pull off something like this also. That being said, I admire her for what she is doing, and hope that someday I am able to do something that is even close to as amazing as what she is doing right now.
Although most people will never be presented with the kinds of circumstances Yvrose faces every day, we can take many important lessons and ideas from the way she runs her business. For one, when her back was against the wall and there was nowhere to go, she persisted. When many would have simply seen the earthquake as too great an obstacle to overcome, she continued forward. This is not always the right thing to do, but to even consider moving forward instead of simply accepting defeat is a great start. This was Yvrose’s first step. When it seemed like there was no option but defeat, she amazed everyone by not running from this problem, but instead charging full steam ahead towards it. This is the lesson businesses should take away from this situation. When it seems there is nothing that can be done, be sure to evaluate all possibilities no matter how crazy they may seem. If this one person can operate a successful business with this many obstacles, what’s stopping businesses with thousands of employees and virtually unlimited resources from doing things that would help even more people. I know people start businesses to make a profit, but if this woman can both make a profit and help thousands of suffering people, why can’t all businesses.
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This is a very incredible story. It’s hard to imagine that in such a small underprivileged country there can be someone so business savvy. Especially with her only having a 5th grade education, this is incredible. When I was in 5th grade I was only just learning algebra, she is running a business. Being a business major, I sometimes worry that even after all my schooling I’m not going to be able to adapt to the business environment. This woman has had very little education and has been able to use her natural intelligence to create her own business in the poor country of Haiti. I am actually a little curious on where she gained this business knowledge however. Especially about foreign currency exchange, money borrowing and loans; I feel like these are things that you have to be taught and not just catch onto naturally. Not alone being able to run a successful business with the knowledge she has. One thing to consider is the fact that she is running this business due partially to necessity. Making money helps here to live. So her motivation to succeed is so much greater I believe than most businessmen in the United States, who at least have a high school education and are making enough money to live comfortably. I think that this woman should be given some aid or something to allow her to possibly have a chance to compete in a business environment in the United States, or in any other business oriented society. I don’t think it’s fair that she doesn’t have the opportunity to make the money or be as successful as she could possibly become in the United States when she has all the tools to be a great business woman. On the other hand, I don’t think it’s fair when Sam says about companies here in the United States about, “being staffed by mostly washrag talent from top to bottom”. There may be some companies that are like that, but making the assumption that the majority of companies are like that is a little brash and uncalled for. Especially like I said, me being a business major, I find that mildly offensive that that assumption would be made. There are so many CEO’s and upper management business people that are very business savvy and deserve to be where they are. It is, however, very unfortunate that such disparity exists between the United States and Haiti that people like this woman never get the chance that many of us as American’s have. Hopefully in coming years, more people like Yvrose will come out of the wood work and help Haiti to become a much wealthier and more successful nation.
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This story about Yvrose is about as inspiring as you can get. Getting the kind of job that she has and only based off of a fifth grade education level is pretty much unheard of in the United States. I'm sure she is very proud to be able to stand above many of her own countrymen. It would be really interesting to see what would have happened had she gotten her education in America and competed on the American circuit for a job, but by the looks of it, she would have done a fine job and gotten many of the bonuses that today's corporate CEO's and other important businessmen and women get.
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Frankly speaking I don't agree with Sam's opinion that the Europeans came to America because of pure luck. No the Europeans didn't come by pure luck– they came here by the advanced sailing technology, by the strong support from their countries, by the politic revolution, by Renaissance… The discovery of the Americas might just be an accident, but in fact it was an accident of certainty. With the development of the capitalism in Europe, the productivity level has far gone beyond the small countries could take. So they sailed to the unknown world, they conquered their colonies, they fought for resources. You got that? This is not pure luck, this is a certain result of development of economies. Don't blame the Europeans anymore, they deserve what they got. (I am an Asian so I have no personal preference in this issue. )
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The story of Yvrose is an inspirational one. She literally took a bunch of chicken heads and corn meal among other things and turned them into a business that profited her. Even with a fifth graders IQ she was able to understand difficult economic principles and come up with the most profitable ways to run her business. Even in deprivation and the harsh circumstances she was able to overcome all the obstacles of education, poverty, slavery and harsh environments. If she was in America she would truly one to go up against. If she was given a proper education and everything that Americans are given then she would probably be a very rich successful women. People in America really don't realize the benefits that they really have. Americans go through the educational process without realizing how lucky they really are to have that kind of education. This woman was able to learn how to become business savvy with basically no education at all. If Americans took that initiative and actually took their education seriously because they had to make it in this world without all the money provided to us in America then our society would benefit greatly.
However at the same time it makes me wonder if this woman had to become this way because of the circumstances that she was living in. She had to become business savvy and learn how to support herself and make money in such a harsh unforgiving environment and country. We do things that need to be done when we are in trouble and need to survive. Our survival instincts kick in and we have to figure out what needs to be done to make it in this world. However if she was in America and had money, would she have needed to learn how to become such a good business woman? Or would she become like what most Americans are, lazy? Americans seem to have everything handed to them in one form or another; we don’t really know what it is like to be poor and have to do what it takes to survive. If we weren’t handed everything would it make a difference in our society as to how people’s work ethic would change? Would they want to work harder and actually apply themselves and value their education? Americans don’t seem to value their education or the opportunities they have. It is like Americans are ignorant of what they have. So if somebody like Yvorse was born in America and grew up in our society would she have the same drive and apply her smarts the way that she HAS to in Haiti to survive? I really don’t know and it makes you really wonder how much our developed country matters in how much people apply themselves and how smart we would really be.
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Okay, so after listening to that audio clip I've decided I am one of the laziest people on this planet compared to this magnificent woman. She is basically a powerhouse of hard work, determination, and achievement. Of course she would be me on a level playing field, unless agility was involved ha ha okay just kidding. It's weird that you posted this Sam because over the past week things have happened and I've randomly thought multiple times how unbelievably lucky I am to be where I am. I'm a junior at The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA. I have my own room in my apartment that has air conditioning, heat, water, electric, etc. I have a closet full of clothes and shoes. I have drawers full of clothes. I have a washing machine and dryer in my apartment. I only work in the summers and I'm taking an LSAT Kaplan course to get ready for law school. All of this with the obvious help from my parents. I know right – so spoiled compared to this woman and the life she lives. She busts her ass every single day, from the moment she opens her eyes in the morning until the moment she shuts them before bed. She's basically an unsung hero in my eyes. She is a direct reflection of all the things, even the tiniest most simplest that we take for granted every single day of our lives. I think about these things more and more and I become shocked and amazed at everything I have in my life and I do have to admit that it puts me in a better mood. Not in a selfish or bad way but in the same way something you really appreciate makes you happy.
If I had this woman's willpower and determination, I would be so much farther ahead in life and more responsible. But it's so hard for someone like an American to match the willpower of someone from Haiti. Both an American and a Haitian have to fight in different way to stay alive , but Haitians have it so much harder and have to fight so much harder to live, thus instilling them with a greater willpower. It's Nature vs. Nuture in a way.
Anyway, I just am sitting here typing this blog on my laptop realizing something right in front of me this whole time is one of the biggest things I take advantage of in my life. I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have my laptop. More importantly, I freak out when I lose my cell phone. It's like I lost a child of mine. But it's not like I can't live without them. We as Americans don't fully appreciate how things like a laptop and cell phone make life much simpler.
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In this class so far, I have felt either for or against most points, but I have never felt personally attacked. Although I still haven't felt personally attacked and probably won't (I feel it's important to keep a rational perspective on all of the controversial stuff we talk about in SOC119– it's all for learning purposes, after all), this is the closest I've come to it. Sam, I understand that everyone views the business world differently, but I feel that it is wrong of you to judge our country's top crop of executives and managerial staff the way that you did in this post.
I agree with the first person who responded. As an Accounting major in Smeal here at PSU, I am currently interviewing for internships with the Big 4 firms and other major business advising firms that I hope to someday be employed by; and in a successful, high paying position might I add. I don't feel that this approach is wrong– I will have worked extremely hard for any position I am lucky enough to secure upon graduation. Just as an education major works hard in hopes of getting to instruct and lead the 3rd grade classroom they've always dreamed of, I work hard every day because I dream of being an asset to a major business firm in New York. The rewards in terms of money just happen to be greater for jobs in the financial industry than they are elsewhere. Not that this is right, it's just how it is.
Now, I'm not saying that every CEO deserves their place in our economy's gears 100%. Sure, there are always going to be the people who get places because of who they know and not their natural-born abilities or self-harvested talent and hard work. But that's half of the game- to compete in a major global market such as the US's, you need to be a competitor and realize the importance of contacts and networking on an international level. It's how business is conducted each and every day, and how our economy remains in existence, even though that existence may be pretty meek today. This happens in other facets of our economy too; it isn't something just the business world can be criticized for. Going back to my example of an educator, it's typical for school districts to favor former students or local applicants before considering others when going through the recruiting and hiring process, before assessing pure skill and talent. That is just how the world is today, fair or not.
I am definitely impressed by Yvrose's story, though. She is a strong woman who has done amazing things given her circumstances and resources. With only a 5th grade education, she has been savvy enough to crack the code on effectively running a business that turns out a profit. But to say that all of the 'six-figure earning top executives' in our business world are undeserving compared to Yvrose, I think that that is a statement made in poor judgement. I think she deserves tremendous applause and recognition for what she has managed to accomplish, and I hope that the national media attention will work to her benefit financially. However, would she be placed in the US market, I am fairly confident she wouldn't make it out with the same success rate. Our market is highly competitive and complex, and has many more facets than the Haitian economy.
The true ingenuity in this story is not to compare Yvrose to US entrepreneurs and business executives and rank her higher than them. The true ingenuity is instead found in the fact that she thought of a successful strategy to raise a profit with very little knowledge of the ins and outs of business. This is seen in our economy when dire actions are needed or the many recent bailouts have taken place. People generally think of ingenius strategies when they need them the most. It would be interesting to see where Yvrose would be today had she been born a US citizen and spent all of her years in our country. Had she been given a formal education in our system and either been supported by a family or welfare, I wonder if she would still end up standing out as a business mogul. My guess is, she wouldn't. She wouldn't have the dire urge and need for that profit she is making in Haiti; there wouldn't be as much of a push for it. And she might have followed a passion instead of a profession out of necessity.
Who knows, maybe she would be working with Ben Bernanke setting the price of the US dollar. Or maybe she would just be another student who is just 'working their way through' classes, with no real drive realized yet. Maybe she would be one of the execs same is condemning. Our surroundings make a huge difference in the ways in which we develop and grow as a person, and Yvrose's stroy is remarkable for her native surroundings. It's not ok, though, to compare her drive to that of a U.S. businessman or woman's work ethic; different times, places, and situations all call for different measures, and no one is to say what measures Yvrose would take or would have taken up until this point in the US market.
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Wow, like so many of my classmates, I am truly inspired by Yvrose's story. This woman clearly has a drive and determination unmatched by many of us in the United States. I think it's kind of funny how the American system is set up. We spend some much time attempting to master concepts, that really aren't so complicated. Sometimes it seems like teachers and professors spend so much time teaching concepts the wrong way. If they were taught in more simple terms, maybe they really wouldn't be so difficult. Maybe people in the United States would be more education. So many of us here just go through the motions, instead of actually taking the initiative to master something we really care about. Clearly Yvrose took the initiative and was able to master these ideas without spending thousands and thousands of dollars on an education.
I completely agree with nearly everything Sam has said in class, including what he wrote in this article. Our success in life definitely has a lot to do with what we are born with. I live in a an upper-middle class area. I have far too many peers that cheated their way through high school, are now attending credible universities, and will most likely graduate find decent jobs because of the connections their parents have. Yeah, I've worked hard through high school and in college, but I certainly wouldn't be here at Penn State if I were born in Haiti. Fate has afforded us an amazing opportunity to come to Penn State and hopefully earn amazing jobs one day. Clearly it won't help if we just sit there and feel guilty. What's important now is what we do with that opportunity. It's important to fulfill our potential as well as be grateful for what we have been given and give back to those who weren't so fortunate.
Sometimes I like to think about what life would be like if I was born in a small village in Africa and I only had three different outfits and had to find and make food on my own. Right off the back your initial instinct might be, "that's horrible, why would you ever want that for yourself." I disagree though. I think people born in those circumstances almost have it better off. Their village is most likely all they know, so they are grateful for everything. They don't worry about having designer jeans or highlights. They grow up learning REAL ideas and morals and lessons that most of us in this fake materialistic world will never understand. In a way their lives are so much richer than most of ours will ever be. The playing field over there is leveled, and women like Yvrose come out on top (unless there's an earthquake). I guess there is just a sense of realness and genuineness there that's so intriguing to me. But then again like they say, "the grass is always greener on the other side."
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I think hearing this story was truly inspiring. It is stories like these that make me happy to do work and to keep trying, it makes me feel like no matter how hard I work, there is always someone out there that is working 100 times harder. It reminds me of how much I have and how truly blessed I am to have everything that I do. She is a complete inspiration to people who do not think they have what it takes to be successful. This woman has pretty much made a whole sale shop out of nothing. This one woman had, by herself made an entire entity out of pretty much nothing. For one woman to make such an enterprise out of her intelligence and labor is amazing. It is crazy that someone with only a fifth grade education can so do something that is hard for someone with a college degree to do. I believe people everywhere can really take and learn a lot from this amazing woman. Her drive is unparalleled and can really show something to people. Not only does she have an amazing business sense for someone who does not know much about “businesses” as we know them, but she has motivation that is amazing for someone who has so little. This also says a lot for people who just float through life and do not have any reason to live. I dare anyone to listen to this woman’s story and then tell me that they do not have enough money, strength or resources to make something of themselves. I think more people should take a look at this woman and I have no doubt it will give them a different reason to live. I have read a few comments where people are saying that they are not very impressed by her story. I do not know how someone could read and listen to this story and not be completely moved. Yes, maybe compared to what we have here in the United States, her wholesale is small. But compared to what they have in Haiti, and to the level of education this woman has, she has worked her tail off to get where she is and I cannot imagine that anyone would not give her the respect that she deserves. I think it is very ignorant to think that she has not done much. I also think that anyone who cannot see her great accomplishments, should get up and try to make something like this woman has. I don’t know maybe I am being the ignorant, naive one, but it really pisses me off to see people not respecting this woman in the way that she deserves.
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I am in awe of Yvrose and really commend her hard work. She is a woman who has not let her position in the world place boundaries on what she is capable of achieving. She is a perfect example of what persevering can get you, no matter what your situation is, or in her case that she is living in the underdeveloped country of Haiti and only has a 5th grade education. Someone above had posed the question asking if she would be as resourceful if she was living in a developed nation such as the United States. While that would be interesting to see, I think part of the reason Yvrose has worked as hard as she has to make something of her life is because of the fact she does not come from a privileged life and has always had to work hard to reach her goals and achieve success.
It is really incredible that she runs her own business and understands complex business and economic concepts that many people who are far more educated would not understand. It seems that her fifth grade education taught her the basics skills she needed to be able to teach herself anything and in turn has become a successful business woman. Now because of the earthquake, she is completely responsible for her business because she IS the business in every aspect. I think Yvrose would quickly rise to the top in our country. Had she been given the resources of education and had the means to afford college, she would definitely fill the ranks at a large and successful company. She is a very smart woman and her ingenuity has allowed her to quickly catch on as well as teach herself essential business practices to be successful.
The fact that the bank wasn’t affected in the same way as the rest of the country makes me feel that the bank should be able to help out devoted business owners like Yvrose. She has always been good on the payments of her loans, and at the end of the day it is business owners like Yvrose who will slowly bring the Haitian economy back on its feet. While I don’t fully understand finance, it seems to me that in the case of a natural disaster, banks should have exceptions and somehow be more lenient about payments.
I am glad Yvrose’s story made it to the news. This woman’s hardwork, determination, and courage should be applauded because there should be more people like her in this world. The fact that Yvrose came from nothing and rose to be a successful business woman makes me feel confident that she will overcome the obstacles she is facing in the wake of this devastating earthquake.
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Being Haitian I love this story, but it is not a surprise to me the abilities that Yvrose Jean Baptise has with finances. They say Yvrose has a 5th grade education but that’s only if you measure the level of education, with technical terms and frankly a lot of other things that really do not matter. She was running her own business with a little knowledge about numbers and common sense. She understood the basic aspects of finance, but I do not think she see it like that. She probably sees it as natural, as what I have to do to make money. I will not say it’s easy to do what she does but it is a matter of supply and demand; she has what the people need. I would like to believe that there are many people like Yvrose in many other lower developed countries.
If Yvrose were to switch shoes with someone in the United States, I would believe she would blow them out the water so to speak. She shows drive and determination to make something out of whatever she has. Americans look at this story in disbelief as if someone of her circumstances would not be able to run as business as she does, and she runs it effectively. Hypothetically speaking, what if the earthquake never happened and she continued to run her business fluently, eventually her business would expand by her gaining more clients, then having to hire other people to help with the client overload. It sounds farfetched but her one business could have been huge for Haiti as a whole; creating jobs for citizens and expanding their economy little by little.
Every time I listen to this story one thing comes to mind and that is, ones drive comes from where they are from. As I stated earlier to Yvrose it probably does not seem like to her she is doing huge finances, it’s just a regular thing she does to survive. This lady in sense reminds me of my mother; she started with nothing, no silver spoon, no English. She was born in Haiti, migrated into the States in and twenties; had difficulty finding a job and had to learn the English language. Now my mom has a few jobs, living comfortably, and owns three homes. She rents out two so it is as if she runs her own real estate business.
Education is a huge part of peoples life’s in the United States, but in other lower developed countries I believe knowledge is key to survival and making it. The difference between knowledge and education to me is common sense versus book smarts. School gives you a lot of information but you have to have knowledge to apply it in the real world.
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I greatly admire Yvrose- her work ethic, determination, skills, and intelligence are incredibly developed considering the environmental context she lives in. Honestly, if we were to compete on a level playing field I believe she would prove to have more real world and applicable knowledge than me, a senior looking to graduate with honors from a prestigious college. Like me, she shows a great propensity for learning. But unlike me, she is under a much greater and different kind of pressure. If I don’t learn certain material adequately, I fail an exam. Although it’s a situation no one wants to be in, it can easily be fixed by studying harder for the next exam and getting a better grade. However if Yvrose doesn’t learn her material adequately, she might not have enough money to eat for a week or two. I believe it is the presence of this pressure that compels Yrvose to work hard.
Obviously in the world we live in today, level playing fields do not exist. Ideally we would all be compelled by comparable pressures and we could have a better idea of people’s real and relative potentials. If our lives depended on how successful we were in our jobs like Yvrose’s does, I think we would all work a little harder.
That being said, I am not ashamed of where I stand in society. I recognize the misfortunes of Yvrose’s situation and would help her in any way possible if I could. I also see it as my responsibility to take advantage of the opportunities I’ve been handed. It would be a shame for me to let go so many chances that could advance my personal life and my career. I understand that I’m incredibly lucky to have been born where I was and to the family I live with, but I’m not going to feel ashamed about it or sell myself short. I’ve worked hard for everything in my life, obviously in a different way than Yvrose, but still hard. We are in completely different environments and cannot be compared equally, but relative to both of our situations we both work hard and do well.
I’ve attended a private high school and an esteemed university, I spent a semester abroad in Europe, and I’ve gone on international vacations. But I’m not one of those individuals who takes their economic situation for granted- from each experience, I’ve learned and taken away a lot. I think this is a better measure to be used when comparing Yvrose and I- how much we indulge in and take away from our experiences. So I propose that, instead of condemning those who are in a high standing, do so to those who are so and still do not take advantage to the endless opportunities provided to them.
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This is a phenomenal story. It is a market I never realized existed. Never would i have guessed that the people of the Dominican Republic and the people of Haiti are making partner deals. It makes sense but you never think about it, since we don't cross the border to Mexico or Canada and get chicken necks or any other good to sell to those around us. We import things from all over the world, and to be honest I really don't know how we get them other than they come in boxes by truck, plane, boat, and train. This woman has so much more knowledge than me in the business field, and she only has a 5th grade education. It is sad for me in a way, to know that what I have learned in school maybe isn't the type of knowledge I should be learning. It would be helpful to learn business techniques and other helpful skills, rather than the unimportant things like picking out every single meaning of a poem. If our world had business men and women like her, maybe our economy would be better, although the credit situation is what got us in our rut i suppose. It is really great to hear a story of someone in Haiti prospering in the awful situation, and i think she could be and probably is an inspiration to many of the citizens and sympathetic onlookers of the tragedy. This woman's success and entrepreneurship is puzzling and raises some pertinent questions. Where did she learn this stuff? Who taught her how to do this? What made her start this business? These questions just are mind boggling. I would have no idea how to perform any of the tasks. Well I could sell the items, but the credit she holds and things are just awesome. Are there any other people doing the same things? I am sure there are, but it is neat to see such a cool story. It is also nice to see a woman doing good in an economy that is suffering from a tragedy. Even in today's society, I feel like women are not held in high respect, especially in smaller, poorer countries. So many people are putting the Haiti tragedy in the back of their minds since it has been a month or so and this story is good to remind us that there is still unrest and suffering in which we can help. It is also a sign of hope, that the native people of Haiti are able to start getting back on their feet and able to provide for themselves. Soon they will be able to support themselves after the devastation and get on with their economy and lives.
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Sam come one lets not go and say that every business student thinks that they are going to be making 100k and going to have management positions. Me and you both know that the students here don’t really think that and I know you talk about you only say those things to get people thinking but when its flat out slander your really putting some people out to dry.
As for this amazing lady who is out on her own and making a living and the way she is doing it is quite unreal. There are many people I know that have almost completed degrees that really don’t understand exactly what this lady is doing. I really think that it is amazing how she is pulling this off.
Her understanding of the finical system is very noteworthy. I also like the idea at the end of the radio broadcast that the leader of economic development supported her but also why don’t they do more of that.
Its also goes to show that yes people are lucky in the fact that they get to go to college for a lot of reasons but the fact that there are so many people who have the untapped potential to go to and even excel in college should make people feel even more responsible for the fact that they get to go to college.
I know truthfully people don’t even realize that there is people out there that could take someone spot in the work world just as easy. Just because they are not educated enough sets people back so far and we think that is amazing that someone from Haiti actually understand finance and there are able to do stuff like that really doesn’t surprise me.
People surprise each other everyday and anyone can do anything that they set their mind to. I love to see it when people succeed and have the will and determination to go fourth and put an effort to make themselves better off.
As for that fact that people bore a couple thousand miles away a completely different life. Well that life and until we are completely a global economy it most likely gin to stay that way with people on the top trying to stay there. And people being uneducated not becoming educated to help themselves out. But people will breakthrough the mold. We see it with this lady how see figures it out sooner or later people will figure thing s out and this just gets to show that this will eventually happen one day.
Haiti has a chance to recover now and people will start to come out on top of this and hopefully help others along the way. This earthquake will totally reconstruct the way HATAI is ran and I hope it for the better.
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This is a very sad yet inspiring story. As one can imagine, life in Haiti did not sound too easy even before the earthquake. Yvrose Jean Baptiste showed such drive and dedication toward her work and should be commended for her efforts. In a town that wasn’t very well developed, she made the best of her circumstances. Also, the tactics she used in her line of work were very smart. She had much faith in her customers. I would have never thought to loan my clients the materials and then collect interest (which is why I’m not a majoring in business-I guess). I’m glad NPR highlighted her work. This story is very inspiring. With only a fifth grade education, she is doing pretty well for the conditions she is living in. It is nice to hear about others succeeding and might make others strive for the same goals.
I thought it was interesting that the interviewers just saw her on the street, and she became the story. I also think it was great that she was able to meet the economic advisor. I would like to think that this lifted her spirits immensely. After hearing about her daily life, I gained much respect for her and the job she held. It was so shocking that this woman was carrying thirty-three pounds of chicken heads on her head. This is not the image that comes to mind when I think of the “ideal job.” It was even more shocking that with each chicken head she sold she only made a small profit-a few cents for each one.
My heart ached as I listened and heard that the day after she leant out the last of her food supplies, the earthquake hit Haiti. If I were to place myself in her shoes after the devastation, I don’t know what I would have done. I probably would have crawled into a ball and cried for days. Luckily, Yvrose stayed strong. I am very curious as to whether she was able to pay her loan or not. However, I have a lot of faith that she was able to pay it. She has faced many struggles before, and I don’t know why this would be any different.
After reading the book Disposable People, I wonder how the earthquake affected their social roles in society. Will Haiti resort to a new form of slavery? Did the gap between the rich and poor widen at all? Will there still be people like Yvrose that will be able to make a living with this type of business? How will others survive? What jobs will they take? These questions are of much interest to me, and I will look forward to seeing how Haiti rebuilds their economy.
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"With a little push, how useful would we be," the prime minister said this and it actually leads me to wonder. He makes a great point though, because sometimes that is all someone needs to prosper. If you are not born into a life that does not require a "push", then one is necessary in order to get past the current conditions. Throughout all of the third world countries, where money is indeed an issue, they never get that extra push. They could be born with all of the intelligence and skills required to do all that we take for granted here in America. They are not able to make use of them because they have to worry about things like hunger and shelter every hour of their lives. This painstaking truth is critical. With little to no formal education they remain stuck in the cycle. How does one escape? They did not ask to be born into a society so bad off.
This Haitian woman flipped the script though. With only a 5th grade education, and the tarnished dream, she made a way to survive. She created a lucrative business that the average American would not be able to do in similar circumstances. She borrows money from a local bank, travels to the Dominican Republic, loans her goods, and collects her money 2 weeks later. She created a small scale wholesale industry that was destroyed only because of the earthquake. Our companies go under and borrow from the government when there's only a slight decline in economic activities. These same people have graduated college with multiple degrees. If the roles were reversed, would the situation be different?
I found Sam's outlook to be particularly interesting. There are hundreds of college students majoring in business, including those here at PennState. They will get the top executive positions partly because they were qualified and that they exemplified potential and intelligence. The other reason, would be because they were born here in America. They were given the opportunity to learn the material and skills necessary for business. They were trained by experts in the field, therefore they are picked amongst these companies based on the preparation received and how well they were able to retain the information and apply it to real-life situations. These less fortunate people were not given this opportunity. This does not mean that they would not have the same, if not better ability to retain and utilize the information presented to them, but that they simply do not have the same resources. What happens if they were given the same chances? The world would be way different, and the competition fierce. Would it really be in America's best interest to help them even the playing field? Exactly, NO! The lazy, wealthy people of America would actually have to do something to remain wealthy, and who wants that?
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It seems to me that fate plays a major role in determining the future of any person on the planet. No one can control where they will be born, what country they are from, or who their parents are. All that anyone can do is make the best of the situation they are presented with, and try their best at whatever their passion is. This woman was born in a country where it is hard for any woman to make substantial progress in business, let alone a woman who isn't nearly as well off as most poor americans. If she had been born in the United States she would have much more opportunities than she does now. Even though women in the american workforce are still underpaid compared to men, when compared to women around the world, they can hold some pretty powerful and important business positions. With her skills, she would be able to go pretty far in America.
To actually answer the question posed in the title, as unfair as it is, I would definitely have a better chance at progressing upward in the job ladder than her. Men are still paid more and offered more jobs than women, even though most of the women that I know work harder and seem smarter than most of the men I know. I hope that the near future holds great advancements for women in the workplace because our generation seems to have a higher amount of smarter women than past generations have, at least when compared to the men. From personal experience, most of the guys in college, with a few exceptions, are here to party and get laid. While the same is true for a large percentage of girls, they at least tend to go to class and get their work done on time. Women seem to be more schedule oriented and have better time management skills than most of the guys i know. With these trends, it would seem logical that women should get paid the same and have the same opportunities in the workplace as men, maybe even more.
I just wish that this country would uphold the principles of the constitution a little better and allow everyone, regardless of race or sex, the same kind of freedom. After all, its not like this country is run by just one exclusive people, thats the great part about america. We have people from all over the world, most likely the smartest and most hard working from those other countries too, since they managed to make it here to begin with. With all of them helping to make our country great, it doesn't make sense to me that they shouldnt have the same rights that everyone else has. I hope this current or the next president will pass some laws to make everything a little more equal for everyone.
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When I had a fifth grade education, interest was something I had in my roommate’s current girlfriend, not something I collected when people owed me money.
That just goes to show how impressive Baptiste’s knowledge is. Don’t get me wrong; Baptiste is an intelligent woman with an incredible work ethic and an inspiring story, but I want play devil’s advocate for a minute. If she lived in a more developed nation (the U.S., let’s say), would she really rise to the top of her profession?
Sam believes that “had the creator/fate decided that her spirit should enter a body in a more developed nation, she’d very quickly have risen to the top and won any race or competition that required guts, determination, stamina, and outside-the-box creative thinking.” Baptiste clearly has the skills necessary to get to the top, so that’s not the issue. The issue is the same one she faced in Haiti: lack of opportunity.
Based on Sam’s lecture yesterday, the fact Baptiste is a black woman harms her opportunities in the job market, even in the land of opportunity that is America. Sam cited studies that demonstrated, with every other factor constant except for skin color, black people would still receive less offers for the same job than white people. So would she really have “risen to the top and won any race or competition?” Even though she might deserve to, I’m not convinced she would have.
There’s no doubt if she’s going to get to the top, she has a much better chance of doing so in a more developed nation such as the U.S. Much better. The restraints on her opportunities in America aren’t nearly as restrictive as what she faces in Haiti, and she very well might be able to overcome them in America with the work ethic she possesses. In fact, I believe she could. I truly believe you can do anything you want to in America if you are willing to work hard enough at it, so I don’t doubt she could rise to the top. I just don’t think it would be the cake walk Sam implies, that’s all.
Again, not to discredit what Baptiste has achieved, but thinking about her story after hearing it, I began to wonder how much of her success was brought on by a need to survive. In other words, is her creativity something that really would have come out if her survival wasn’t on the line?
Think about it this way: If she was financially secure living in the U.S., would she need to enact the out-of-the-box thinking she did in Haiti, where she was backed into a financial corner? Not to say she couldn’t or wouldn’t want to, but would Baptiste need to go out of her way to be as financially savvy? In general, it seems when satisfied, we are willing to be complacent with what we have, but when it’s sink or swim, that’s when the creative thinking and risk taking are at their peak. Just a thought.
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As a business student, reading that was slightly harsh. But then the more I thought about it the more I agree. Albert Einstein was quoted saying; “It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education.” I truly agree with that, also. I came to Penn State because they have one of the best business schools in the country, and knowing the alumni network- I would have a much better chance of getting a job after I graduated. I feel like our society is all fixed. How does a business school become so “good”? Businessmen are individuals and I feel they succeed no matter what school they came from. However, our society today believes that your education is the most important. The education we’re receiving, all 10,000 of us in the business school, we’re all learning the same thing. We’re all learning the ways to do things. We’re all doing the pointless projects and proposals and mock interviews. And we are doing this so a company can look at our resume, see we came from the Smeal College of Business and hire us on account that we received that certain “education.”
We have never been forced to learn anything ourselves. We have never had to find different ways to do things. Honestly, none of us have even been out in the real business world. Or should I say the fixed world? Companies in the U.S. are simply going through the motions. They recruit “talent” that they feel comfortable with (in regards of past employees and alma maters, friends of friends, etc). They want the people who have gone through society’s motions; graduating high school, going to an expensive college, maybe grad school, etc. And would never, ever, even consider interviewing a woman like Yvrose Jean Baptiste, even though she would probably be more qualified to conduct business in any environment than me or one of my classmates. She has something many people in our generation do not, DRIVE. She has made a living for herself out of absolutely nothing. She has clients, businesses that count on her. She herself has ripple effected probably most of the economy in Haiti. I know that may sound a little excessive but think about it. She is a wholesaler (irrelevant that it’s small level) to more than 10 different shop owners. And those shop owners provide goods to their markets and so on and so forth. Yvrose is a true entrepreneur. Something our country has very few of today.
Her story is most humbling and inspiring, especially because of her situation. I can only imagine the difficulty of starting this business and keeping it going can be. In America we have millions of opportunities, even in this so called “recession.” Haiti’s condition all year round is worse than our pitfall of the century. If any one of us were sent to Haiti to try to survive financially, even with our “high-class business education,” I doubt we would be able to succeed in the ways Yvrose has.
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