We recently connected with Hope Donnelly and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Hope thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Too often the media represents innovation as something magical that only high-flying tech billionaires and upstarts engage in – but the truth is almost every business owner has to regularly innovate in small and big ways in order for their businesses to survive and thrive. Can you share a story that highlights something innovative you’ve done over the course of your career?

8-Count Productions was a work in progress for many years while working in Professional Sports Entertainment. It was meant as a creative umbrella for the variety of contract work I was already doing and hoped to do in the future. It wasn’t until this abandoned, historic venue found me, that it grew roots as a home to dance classes, an art gallery, productions, and events as well as my office, art studio, and now home. Business models evolve with market changes, unexpected pandemic closures, and personal development, so parts of 8-Count have taken a back seat while hosting events and productions have taken the most of my time and energy, but they are not forgotten. Purchasing a building in the heart of Tampa but in a long-forgotten neighborhood, as the roof was caving in and there were quite literally no front doors, was the biggest risk (and biggest reward) so far in my entrepreneurship journey.

As I developed my initial business plan and presented it to lenders to finance buying a brick and mortar (and the necessary renovations), many turned me away simply because my plan didn’t fit their mold. 8-Count was multi-faceted and the building would be operated for many purposes. It was not a dance studio nor an art gallery, as it is challenging for those businesses to be profitable. It was not just an event venue where most of the bookings are limited to weekends, leaving an empty building most of the week. It took finding a creative lender to see that the various facets of my plan could make for a profitable business model by operating almost 24/7, and I was able to get 100% funding as a creative business for three quarters of a million dollars as a first-time entrepreneur with little revenue history. In fact, at the time, I was working as a high school art teacher and university dance and cheer coach, bought a building, spent a year in renovations, and slowly grew the building operations before resigning.

I also had very specific needs and wants in a brick and mortar to include creative spaces, gathering spaces, a living space, a central location, and a historic structure. All of those items were non-negotiable and it took some creative searching after numerous contracts fell through, to find the right home. But the challenges didn’t stop there. Finding the right insurance was no easy feat, because again it was not one clear “thing”. Getting construction permits approved and contractors to complete the work, has always been the biggest struggle as codes do not support mixed-use renovations within an existing historic structure and I had to focus on the business renovations and hold off on the residence in order to get the permits approved.

Luckily, I do not scare easily and there was no option to fail. I needed to persevere and support my family in order to lead the lifestyle I craved. And it has paid off. I have been blessed with Historic Preservation Grants, added solar power to the historic structure and focus on operating “green”, preserved the unique character of the structure, while creating a versatile blank canvas for events and productions.

The North Franklin Historic Business District may have been on the National Registry of Historic Places, but most Tampanians had no clue where it was and it was close to abandoned when I purchased the Rialto in 2013. Now, every store front is occupied, numerous projects are proposed to be developed, and we are trying to preserve the original small businesses while the neighborhood and entire city grows and changes.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I have had many titles (and names) through the years as my career developed. I was Hope Chanel (for stage and performances), Coach/Ms D/HD for my students and teams that I have coached, and the full Hope C. Donnelly, MA SEP professionally. But my favorite title so far is simply mama. Titles are a funny thing and vary greatly depending on your field or area of expertise. Technically I am an Owner, CEO, Creative Consultant, Community Connector, Curator, but that is the nature of being a small business owner who wears many hats inside my business and within the larger community. My education is in art, psychology, and sports psychology and my background has been in entertainment, professional sports gameday scripting and execution, teaching, and coaching collegiate and professional teams while dabbling as an artist in 2D and mixed media disciplines.

8-Count Productions was built on the concept that every business, personal, and creative relationship is similar to choreography set to music with a set of steps to maximize the desired result. It has allowed me to create art, be a choreographer and talent manager, curate galleries and public art installations, preserve historic spaces, consult creative individuals and businesses with creative projects, and operate a historic venue. It is still evolving and over the next year will undergo a name change and rebranding to reflect those evolutions. Tampa and the Rialto Theatre have been my home base and focus for the past decade, but I foresee that growing nationally and internationally to focus on creative consulting, historic preservation, and curated spaces and experiences while I share the world with my two daughters.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I grew up knowing that my only path was college before career. I became an educator on and off between other professions and believe in the power of a good education. I thought I had to get my Master’s Degree to be taken seriously and to further my career, despite my college advisor telling me the opposite. I greatly appreciate the exposure to performance enhancement concepts, creating FLOW on the field or in the office, and the psychology behind much of our behaviors and performance, however the letters behind my name did not lead to anything specific and were entirely unnecessary in what I actually do. As my advisor said, I should have started earlier and stopped doubting the experience and abilities I already had in order to be successful. How much further along my journey could I have been? The world has always been my classroom, and given the opportunity, I would have explored more as I developed my business plan.

Has your business ever had a near-death moment? Would you mind sharing the story?

My largest source of revenue is booking weddings and other private events at the Rialto Theatre. Guess what was prohibited in Tampa for over 6 months during COVID? And limited for another year after that? Large gatherings. For almost 1 year, the Rialto Theatre was mostly vacant and my revenue plummeted.

During that time, I was thankful that I had recently refinanced with a smaller, local lender who held my hand through financial assistant applications. It felt a lot like funding my college education, applying for every grant possible, writing essays, and accepting help as needed. As a single mom of a newborn and a 4 year old when our world shut down, my “work days” became time researching and applying for assistance that was available, still marketing my product, and relying on payments for future or deferred bookings, between dance parties, craft projects, lots of baking, and movie marathons. My payment structure allowed me to maintain some revenue despite lack of new business, and all of the events scheduled during closure were able to shift to new dates so there was less of a loss in the end.

It has been a slow rebuilding process, but I survived where many event related small business were forced to close. I know I could not have done that without a lot of support, my community, a local lender, and a ton of heart.

Contact Info:

• Website: rialtotampa.com
• Instagram: @rialtotheatretampa @8counttampa
• Facebook: @rialtotheatretampa @8countproductions
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hopecdonnelly/
• Twitter: @rialtotampa @8counttampa
• Other: about.me/hopechanel