EnrichHER Edition: FORME with Donna Burke

03/23/17 • 8 min

Startup Funding | Learn from Venture Capitalists, Angel Investors and CEOs of Disruptive Companies

On this EnrichHer edition episode of StartUp Funding hosted by Dr. Roshawnna Novellus we have Donna Burke who tells us how she became an entrepreneur and how she came up with the idea of creating a Barre Studio. Getting most of her entrepreneurial spirit from her parents, Donna decided to follow in their steps.

Donna shares with us the story of how she got the idea for her very own Barre studio in Atlanta. Her story stems from when she started taking Barre, where she noticed her discomfort in boutique fitness settings, being overweight at the time and she began having confidence issues because of that. After identifying the problem, she decided to create a place where women could walk in no matter their fitness levels or looks or background and be able to make friends, learn about healthy living and nutrition. Donna created a Barre studio with emphasis on fun workouts and great music that everyone wants to come back to.

When asked how she is able to keep her Barre studio open to people of all fitness levels, Donna says she started from the fundamentals, addressing issues we all try to work on and talking about them. Her Barre studio also has an open space where you are immediately in the midst of the workout group when you walk in, according to her, this helps create a laid back atmosphere which helps everyone open up a little bit more.

Donna views success in her business as helping people in her Barre class achieve their desired weight goal or gain more confidence and generally be better than when they first came in. She also says she would like to make her success story impact more people. Donna also has an impact on Atlanta with various sporting events and charity programs with a focus on the younger generation.

Being an entrepreneur comes with its obstacles and Donna shares with us an obstacle she has faced as an entrepreneur and how she was able to overcome it. She also shares information on what all viewers and listeners can do to help make sure that the business is successful.

Roshawnna and Donna Burke discuss:

[01:44] Donna tells us more on how she became an entrepreneur and how she came up with the idea of creating a Barre studio.

[02:59] Donna shows us how she is able to keep her studio open to all kinds of people in all fitness levels.

[04:00] Donna shares what success looks like for her in her business.

[04:30] Donna shows us how she is having an impact on Atlanta.

[06:32] Donna shares information on what all viewers and listeners can do to help make sure that the business is successful.

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Roshawnna and Donna Burke discuss:

[01:44] Donna tells us more on how she became an entrepreneur and how she came up with the idea of creating a Barre studio.

[02:59] Donna shows us how she is able to keep her studio open to all kinds of people in all fitness levels.

[04:00] Donna shares what success looks like for her in her business.

[04:30] Donna shows us how she is having an impact on Atlanta.

[06:32] Donna shares information on what all viewers and listeners can do to help make sure that the business is successful.

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Previous Episode

EnrichHER Edition: Moisture Love with Jeannell Darden

On this EnrichHer edition episode of StartUp Funding hosted by Dr. Roshawnna Novellus we have Jeannell Darden who shares her experiences on starting her own beauty hair product Moisture Love. Jeannell has always been surrounded by entrepreneurs from her childhood and this influenced her decision to become one, she first created her product by trying to solve a need and now is in the process of building her own brand.

Jeannell Darden is an Atlanta native and a Georgia Tech graduate who began making hair as a chore from when she was little, she grew to love it and decided to have a career in beauty. The idea for her beauty product came when she had a bad experience with the color and chemical treatment for her hair and decided to cut it off and go natural. However, it was really difficult to find good products for an all-natural hair and she decided to make her own hair products. Now things are looking up, Jeannell recently landed her first international distribution deal and is currently working on expanding her lab space.

When asked what success means to her in her business, Jeannell says she feels enriched when she hears success stories from people who have used her products successfully and seeing herself actually create a company but ultimately her goal is to see Moisture Love become a household name when it comes to Moisture. Jeannell also gives us the lowdown on how she came up with the name “Moisture Love”.

Jeannell also talks about the future of her business and gives listeners and viewers information on how they can help expand her brand.

Roshawnna and Jeannell Darden discuss:

[01:50] Jeannell tells us about herself and why she decided to become an entrepreneur.

[02:51] Jeannell shares information on what’s going on with her nosiness that has her excited.

[03:30] Jeannell explains what success in her business means to her.

[04:21] Jeannell tells us how the name “Moisture Love” came about.

[05:03] Jeannell talks about the future of her business.

Next Episode

EnrichHER Edition: Virtual Professionals with Mary Gay

Today on our EnrichHer edition of StartUp Funding hosted by Dr. Roshawnna Novellus we have Mary who has an amazing startup company focused on helping people get employment. During our interview Mary tells us more about how her company works and the driving force behind her success as an entrepreneur. When asked what led her to become an entrepreneur Mary replies: “I’ve always been an entrepreneur....I have always had a heart for helping people”. By utilizing the full potential of the internet, Mary’s goal was to create employment when computers became so popular and using a model that worked.

Mary is no novice when it comes to running her own business having been in business for 17 years offering the type of services she does today, but this is the first time she has ventured to offer her services to small businesses who need it. Using an efficient model when dealing with small business which involves cold-calling Mary is able to convince small business that she can help them with the skills, knowledge, and people that can create value for them.

Eventually Mary with her business want to create a standard for non-traditional employment for people who cannot get regular jobs for one reason or the other. Speaking on what has got her excited about her company, Mary says she is honing her skills in marketing herself and her company as it is a new process for her but one that she look forward to. Success means a lot to Mary in her own words: “Success for me has always been if I was responsible for employing a million people” and with an impressive repertoire of skills and strategies she is determined to make that happen.

The company also has some positive impact on the city of Atlanta, by creating jobs and employment opportunities. Mary finally tells us how we can help her company successfully create employment for a million people.

Roshawnna and Mary discuss:

[01:40] Mary tells us more about her company and what led her to become an entrepreneur.

[02:48] Mary shares with us her effective model to work with startups.

[04:08] Mary talks about marketing and happenings in her company that has her excited.

[05:10] Mary answers the question “What does success look like for your company.”

[06:40] Mary explains how her company’s works positively Impacts the city of Atlanta.

[07:07] She shares ways we can help make her company a success.