56 Haiti Open | People Culture Tourism
By Sarah Brutus
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WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
I’m from Jacmel, Haiti. I used to vacation in the United States with my family. Because of political instability, I would also spend more time in the United States, and when things got better I would go back to Haiti. I started living here permanently in 1995. Tell me about some of the jobs you had before owning your business.
When I was 18, I worked in a deli in Manhattan. John F. Kennedy Junior used to always come in there, so that was nice. When I moved back to Haiti, I worked in an import-export business that my family owned. I also was a life insurance agent, and I did some work as a timeshare sales person. After that I became a court interpreter. That’s what really got me started in the Haitian community. I was the official interpreter for the City of Miami. When it comes to interpreting, I’ve done it all. WHAT DID YOU DO AFTER YOUR CAREER AS AN INTERPRETER?
LEADING RADIO HOST
GUYLENE BERRY’S VERSATILE PROFESSIONS
From Import and Export, Insurance Agent, Interpreter, Consultant, to Becoming a Painting Contractor HaitiOpen.com | Spring 2016
I was the community outreach advisor to the North Miami CRA. I was also the communication assistant to the City of Miami. I held those two jobs as a consultant. Following that, I started the radio show. As a consultant I saw a lot of information and resources that weren’t reaching the Haitian community. So I started the radio show to fill that gap. WHAT WAS THE HARDEST PART ABOUT DOING THE RADIO SHOW?
As a woman, it was difficult because it was a predominantly male industry. It was difficult finding sponsors, and people didn’t understand the concept because my show was geared toward helping the community. Most of the topics I
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