Corine Palierse’s journey shows how passion and determination can turn challenges into success. Through creativity, hard work, and a strong sense of purpose, she has built meaningful projects that create value for people, business, and the environment.
How did your journey begin, and what encouraged you to become an entrepreneur?
I believe that people who embark on entrepreneurship are individuals whose temperament is dictated by a sense of creation or innovation, sharing and usefulness, independence and authenticity. Through their passion and belief in what they are doing, leaders convey a dynamism and enthusiasm through their actions and dedication that inspires others to follow them. True leaders, who are natural and authentic, build loyalty among those around them through their way of being.
My professional career has been unusual but rich and varied due to the different sectors in which I have worked. I have used each experience to grow and consolidate my skills. Following a wrist injury during Kobudo training, I took up drawing and painting again to regain the use of my wrist, which had suffered a ligament tear and a fracture. The hotel industry was already beckoning, and I created Nainy & Co, designing collections and painting decorations on porcelain, using gold, silver, and Swarovski crystal for decorative objects.
What difficulties did you face when you started, and how did you handle them?
France was in the midst of a property crisis, and hand-painted tableware was not a priority for customers, who were more attracted to easy-to-use tableware that did not require special care and, above all, was available at discounted prices.
Nainy & Co appeared in several home decoration magazines and was selected to participate in the Louvre’s Biennale des Métiers d’Art. As the Nainy & Co gallery was not very visible, the only way I could showcase my creations and those of my partners was to participate in several trade and public fairs throughout France.
Was there a moment that completely changed your life or career path?
My wrist injury during Kobudo training completely changed my life.
I went from being an employee to becoming self-employed in the arts and crafts sector. By creating Nainy & Co, I am learning foreign trade techniques at the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris. I work closely with transport companies. With the Chamber of Artistic Crafts, I am creating my website. My trip to China for several months to find porcelain designers in Jindenzhen changed my life in every way, teaching me to know myself better and to make choices. His experience gave me an insight into the behind-the-scenes world of entrepreneurship in the arts sector, which is very different from the administrative world, enriching me with additional knowledge.
You have worked in many fields how did this path develop over time?
I started out in aerospace and was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to work in other internationally renowned groups in both the financial and pharmaceutical sectors. I have a temperament that adapts to my environment and the vagaries of life.
Corine Palierse considers each experience to be a lesson from which I must filter and retain what is necessary.
What inspired you to create your own projects and initiatives?
Introspection, an honest understanding of oneself in terms of both personality and skills that can be constantly improved.
Nainy & Co was born out of physical and mental therapy. The need to create was vital for me to regain my balance and collaborate with other crafts, which was enriching. The establishment of fair trade with artisans in Madagascar was a necessity. The position of Executive Assistant in Human Resources, although very interesting, is isolated.
Based on my experience in the field as Executive Housekeeping Manager, and recognising the difficulty of achieving a stable, confident and fluid environment in housekeeping that works with people and logistics, HK by CP was created. Housekeeping is often made up of people with limited knowledge, yet these people contribute to the hotel’s reputation without their work being presented and tracked. Housekeeping is a service and must be thought out. HK by CP bases its services on CSR, whose pillars of Economy, Society and Environment are relevant to housekeeping. The SOCIAL pillar is particularly important and must be applied through the implementation of processes and training, so that each individual can develop their skills and their work is valued in terms of figures. As a result, the service is secure and runs smoothly.
Sensitive to biodiversity and aware of Madagascar’s natural resources, the Phoenix & Orchidaceae Association was founded in October 2023 to transform Madagascar’s weaknesses into exploitable resources. The association’s actions focus on tackling malnutrition, recycling waste and preserving biodiversity in order to create sustainable cities, promote responsible consumption and the use of renewable energy, and establish an autonomous and circular agricultural economy to lift Madagascar out of its humanitarian status.
How do you combine creativity with meaningful work?
Creation, innovation and improvement are part of my dynamic nature. It’s intuitive or innate. And at the same time, it’s a need. In my current job, creativity manifests itself in slideshows, animations and the creation of templates and tables in Excel for my work. It’s useful and innovation in the Housekeeping
Why is sustainability and giving back so important to you
Human values must be cultivated in order to continue to exist and for life to be appreciated at its true value. Sustainability lasts as long as our own lifetime, for each of us. We hope that what we have built with our faith will continue beyond our existence. Knowing how to be useful to others is a tribute to life, and my deep faith makes me a servant of God, whom we must all serve with humility, regardless of our religion.
Nature has been given to us, and we must take care of it.
What is important is not to denigrate what has enabled the world to progress with its millions of inhabitants. On the other hand, now that we know what is endangering our future through a fragile environment, we must act.
How do you personally define leadership today?
For me, leadership stems from management. They are inseparable, and how to add value to this position depends on the person’s temperament.
Management through methodology and a clearly expressed vision of its objectives. Leadership by example through commitment. Coaching through assistance. These three roles each have their share of responsibility, and it is important to designate referents and assistants for the implementation and achievement of objectives.
This is because a manager or leader cannot exist without the support of their team.
Which accomplishment makes you feel the most proud?
When I was preparing for my Bachelor’s degree in International Hotel Accommodation Services Management, the dissertation assignment on one of the responsible luxury hotels was “how luxury can be reconciled with sustainability”. My class and I found that the only weakness in this well-designed hotel was the waste generated by breakfast and lunch.
So we suggested that cooked dishes could be served in jars. And that’s what I implemented when I was asked to help the manager of a senior citizens’ facility become a luxury aparthotel. I put all the knowledge I had acquired during my bachelor’s degree into practice. I set up Mews with the first co-working services, the swimming pool with aperitifs, events, I trained the day and night reception teams, I set up breakfast by cooking myself at first, I ordered the food and beverages… as well as the jars of prepared meals.
In the housekeeping department, I took inventory of all the rooms, ordered amenities, furnished the offices, and set up the reception areas and Easter and Christmas themes. I did the first round of hiring and ordered uniforms. I set up paid laundry services.
What guidance would you give to someone just starting their entrepreneurial journey?
Ask yourself the right questions about the project, because motivation is its primary source of energy. Then comes faith and clarity about the project.
Prudence, modesty, discretion, and positive curiosity are beneficial friends who make good travelling companions.
What goals or dreams do you have for the future?
My wish would be to see the Phoenix & Orchidaceae Association progress in its humanitarian and environmental actions by repelling the scourges it fights, and to see Sustainable Tourism, with tourist accommodation managed by HK by CP, offer customers the luxury of being in harmony with the environment during their stay.
With regard to HK by CP’s objectives, we aim to establish logistics and maintenance partners in each country in order to support hotels in the process of opening, SPECIFICALLY in the housekeeping department, with the implementation of a CSR policy and all the tools and knowledge necessary for its application.
Is there any message or experience you’d like to share with our readers?
Authenticity, being yourself, learning to know yourself in order to identify your strengths and weaknesses with complete honesty, brings self-confidence without pride.
Knowing how to think gives us different perspectives and broadens our field of vision beyond the shutter; it is a quiet, thoughtful process that brings wisdom and strength to decisions and conclusions.
Name: Corine Palierse
You can contact her through her LinkedIn profile
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