The
doorman at the upscale hotel noticed everything about
the people he greeted. René Godefroy saw himself
as a sponge absorbing how guests dressed, how they carried
themselves and how they talked.
He had lessons of his own to teach and believed his story
of escaping a life of poverty in Haiti would inspire people
to make changes in their lives. He thought his job at the
hotel would give him the polish and the connections he needed
to make it as a motivational speaker.
His job as a doorman was a remarkable accomplishment, considering
his early years in an impoverished village without electricity
or plumbing. He said the people there thought the one they
called the crippled boy would not survive his childhood.
But as far as he had come, Godefroy saw his job at the hotel
as a step toward his goal of becoming a writer and speaker.
After 10 years of opening doors and parking luxury cars,
the Smyrna resident is now making a name for himself on the
speakers' circuit. This month, he has told his story to business
and civic groups in six cities from Boston to Miami. His
book, "No Condition is Permanent," is doing well
in local bookstores, and he has appeared at three book signings
in Cobb County and Atlanta.
" My
life is beyond my wildest dreams," Godefroy said. "Three
years ago, I was a doorman. Now, I am riding in the
back of limousines and staying in big hotels."
But Godefroy, 41, said his success has sometimes jogged
bittersweet memories. When he spoke at a business convention
in Jamaica two years ago, he saw children asking for
money. He remembered begging for pennies as a child outside
hotels in Port-au-Prince and wondering what it was like
inside.
" During my talk, I reminded them about the children
outside,"
Godefroy said." I told them that I had been on the
other side of the fence. I knew what they were thinking."
Recalling his first day at the Waverly, Godefroy said
he was amazed at the hotel's 14-story atrium. He remembers
thinking, "I am finally inside."
Godefroy left the village where he was born after seven
years to live with his mother in Port-au-Prince, the
capitol.
As
bleak as his childhood was, Godefroy said he always knew
that he would find a way to America. His break came at
20 when a drama troupe he belonged to toured Canada.
After a performance, he left the group with $5 and a
small valise.
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He
smuggled himself across the border by wedging himself
on a small platform above the wheels of a truck.
A cousin helped him move to South Florida where he washed
cars and did odd jobs. He learned English by reading children's
books in the library and studying menus in fast-food restaurants.
Every day, Godefroy wrote three words on his hand and memorized
them. After seeking political asylum and becoming a naturalized
citizen, he moved to Atlanta to find a better job.
When Herman Gammeter hired Godefroy to work at the hotel,
he recalled his own journey. Gammeter saw the same spark
and determination he had when he came to the United States
from Switzerland 40 years ago.
Now area general manager of the Renaissance Hotels, Resorts
and Suites, he remembers arriving in America with only $25
and a return ticket. He said those memories encourage him
to advise employees from other countries.
" I couldn't speak English and could only find work
as a fry cook. Now I am senior vice president of the company," Gammeter
said. "I help people like René because I know
what they can do."
Robert Hampton, senior doorman at the hotel, saw the same
promise in his young protégé. Hampton has offered
Godefroy advice and guidance, and refers to himself as Rene's "play
father."
" So many young people waste the chances given to them," he
said. "René didn't have these opportunities
and look what he has done. "
Godefroy hopes his story will serve as more than an inspiration
to others. Several years ago, he started the Village
Hero Foundation to raise money to help children in the
village he lived in as a child. He has gone back to Haiti
to help organize a medical clinic and would like to start
a school there.
" I have always told myself that the culmination
of small virtues makes a big victory. I never thought
about giving up," he said. "When there is
blood running through your veins, there is always hope."
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