Johanne Brierre on the Carry On Friends Podcast

The Joy of Pursuing Your Gift

In this episode I had an exciting conversation with Johanne Brierre. Johanne, of Haitian descent, is a connector and community builder for small business operations. 

Johanne’s passion for community building has led to her success in various projects in the Brooklyn area. Her work has contributed to Brooklyn Commons scaling to the coworking space it is today, and its expansion to a new location. She believes that as a Caribbean community we should work together and build together. Her goal is making sure that our people and our culture survive the new real estate spaces in Brooklyn.

Her second project, NY Beauty Suites, began during the pandemic. Johanne tells us the story of how her niece inspired this latest venture. Because few real estate developers were willing to invest in the beauty industry at the time, Johanne took a chance by opening up commercial space for them.

NY Beauty Suites has a unique business model, offering beauty and wellness professionals 24 hour flexibility and useful amenities. This space also fosters a collaborative atmosphere as referrals and working together is common among the women. Johanne shares details about their business programming which expose the women to opportunities that they would not have had otherwise. She says that mindset is key within the community as they learn to build a legacy for the next generation.

As we wrap up this episode, Johanne gives a bit of advice. She believes that each of us is born with a fire inside of us, but life situations can cause us to forget it or ignore it. She encourages us to pursue that idea or gift and trust that opportunities will open up. 

In light of this, I talk about my love for facilitating conversations, learning and being a resource for my community. Pursuing this fire, despite the doubts and fears, has led to the longevity and success of the Carry On Friends Podcast.

Key Points

  • Johanne Brierre is a connector and community builder for small business operations in Brooklyn.
  • Her work has led her to grow Brooklyn Commons and begin a new venture, NY Beauty Suites.
  • NY Beauty Suites is a collaborative working space for beauty and wellness professionals, with unique benefits.
  • Johanne’s goal is to make sure that our people and our culture survive the new real estate spaces in Brooklyn.
  • She gives advice and encourages listeners to pursue their ideas and gifts.

Stay Connected


Connect with Brooklyn Commons-  Website | Instagram

Connect with NY Beauty Suites–  Website | Instagram | hi@nybeautysuites.com

Connect with @carryonfriends – Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

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Kerry-Ann

Kerry-Ann Reid-Brown is Founder & host of Carry On Friends one of the first podcasts dedicated to the Caribbean American Experience. She is leading the way for Caribbean Podcast as the founder of Breadfruit Media, the first Caribbean podcast production company; and founder of the Caribbean Podcast Directory a place to discover podcasts by people of Caribbean Heritage.