We recently connected with Christeena Burks and have shared our conversation below.

Christeena , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

Picture it. Richmond, Va 2017.

For about a year, I owned a lipstick line. I was living in Richmond, Va at that time and I was very proud of the brand and products I created. Unfortunately, I had to shut down shop on the lipstick line because I needed to focus on my personal life and create a better space for me to sustain my lifestyle and run a business at the same time. It was a very tough decision to make and I didn’t really understand the feelings then, but I grieved the conclusion of my business for about a week. I was sad, I felt like a failure, like I had given up. I know I was hard on myself. At that time, I didn’t really have anyone to talk to who I thought would understand how I felt about, basically, having to stop doing something that I loved doing and being a part of. Even though, I was upset, the reality is that I am a person who does not like to stay down for long. I am very solutions oriented and that rings true in every area of my life. With that being said, I started to think about how I could avoid myself or others feeling like they were in the entrepreneurial struggle alone. I wanted to see how I could make a difference in another woman’s life by empowering, motivating and supporting her. Perhaps even sharing or providing a resource that I had that she didn’t. After a few days, I came up with the name and idea of #GirlBossBrunch USA. I chose this name because when we think about brunch, we think about fun, girl talk, mimosas…an overall feel-good experience. I wanted this to be a space where no one felt alone. Where women, at any stage in their entrepreneurship and career, could feel free to ask questions, vent and just get that push that they need. Since then, I have grown the platform, met & collaborated with many of my followers and recognized over 100 women as #GirlBoss of the Week. Since moving to Houston, the opportunities to collaborate, expand and continue to uplift others has been plentiful and so fulfilling. In my spare time, along the lines of helping and empowering, I’ve designed two journals and written a book. All designed to help others in their journeys via safe spaces and lessons learned.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

Currently, I’m an HR professional, Founder/CEO of #GirlBossBrunch USA, host of the #GirlBossBrunch Talks podcast and an author.

I was born and raised in Alexandria, Va and am, currently, located in Houston, TX. I received my BA in Human Resources and then went on to obtain my MBA and some other professional certificates…no more school for me.

It took me a while to figure out what it was that I was purposed to do (outside of HR, of course). It was through a hard decision to put my business, at the time, on hold to decide that I wanted to make sure that I could create a space where women could feel Empowered, Motivated & Supported. I know what it’s like to feel discouraged when chasing your dreams and pursuing entrepreneurship, so I decided that if I could help it, no one else would feel that way. It is my ultimate goal to do what I can to have a positive impact on my community and the people around me.

I find great joy in connecting with others through collaboration and I have to say that running this platform has been one of the most rewarding experiences. I’ve met and worked with a lot of amazing ladies that I actually connected with through #GirlBossBrunch USA and I look forward to continuing to do just that.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

The biggest thing that I had to unlearn was that I needed to have complete control. This was a big one for me because even though I am a huge risk taker, I like to have control over most situations, especially when it came to my business. The problem with control is that 1. you hinder your ability to pivot. The fact that something didn’t go as planned completely thrown you off and now you’re scrambling. 2. you limit the amount of opportunities that you’ll actually explore. This one was a big one for me because my need for control meant that I would only go for and consider opportunities that I believed I qualified for. Well, at the very end of 2021, I decided that while I will maintain a plan and some structure, I was not going to limit myself and that I would use my best judgment to explore and entertain opportunities that presented themselves and give my best. That way, if something does not work out, I can say that I tried and I have a good foundation and experience to take with me the next time. Since I decided to let go and to stop limiting myself, I have have been able to make even more connections, experience more growth and I feel good about exploring and taking opportunities presented to me.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Honestly, I am no social media expert, but I can say that being authentic has helped for me to grow a meaningful audience. I know that there is a pressure to have thousands of followers, but I strive, personally, to build an audience of people who I can relate to, interact with and may actually benefit from what I have to offer and vice versa.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.instagram.com/girlbossbrunchusa
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/purpmarie
• Other: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B09L6GZN5R/about https://msha.ke/purpmarie#about-1

Image Credits
Desire Nicole Photograpy