Rene Godefroy has a passion for empowering others to be the best at whatever they do. His personal story of struggle, grit and perseverance exemplifies what it takes to embrace change and triumph over our challenges.
Born in a tiny and isolated village on the island of Haiti, Rene was an impoverished child tormented by extended illness. Abandoned by his father and left behind while his mother sought work in Port-Au-Prince, he survived primarily on breadfruits.
He was so frail and sick, many of his fellow villagers wrote him off. But Rene was unstoppable. He refused to give up. At the age of 21, he arrived in the United States with just five dollars, two shirts and one pair of pants housed in a tattered briefcase.
The tallest mountain he had to climb in the US was learning how to speak English. It was his biggest frustration. But Rene conquered that mountain one word at a time. Everyday, he would write three words on his hand. Then, he would review his words at the end of the week.
Where many would see nothing but overwhelming odds stacked against them, he saw an abundance of opportunity and a chance to pursue the American Dream. However, the journey to that dream was a LONG shot.
But Rene knew hard work, focus, and unwavering commitment would give him the edge to rise to fame and success in the US. In the first few years, Rene worked as a janitor and a factory laborer in Miami while he was learning English. Later, he made his way to Atlanta, Georgia.
It was there he landed a job working as a doorman in the upscale Renaissance Waverly Hotel. As a doorman, he learned how to model success. He would purchase the same book titles he spotted on the back seat of the cars he was parking at the hotel.
It was also how Rene discovered how to dress for success by observing the businessmen that came to the hotel. Today, Rene is living the American Dream! As a highly sought-after motivational keynote speaker, he is opening doors of possibilities for his audiences.
His message is simple: No Condition Is Permanent! Stay hungry. Stay focused.