Today we’d like to introduce you to Doreen Heake.
Doreen, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I was born and raised in Dallas, TX and have always loved being a native Texan and Dallasite. From a young age, I have always had a passion for writing, marketing and being around people (whether through sports, hanging out with friends or volunteering). Naturally, it brought me to a career in Marketing & Communications. After completing my B.A. at University of Texas – San Antonio and returning back to my hometown of Dallas, I worked for iHeartMedia as a Promotions Coordinator on a local and national level. I received my MS in Digital Marketing which led me to start a blog as one of our assignments was to develop a business plan for a brand. Once I developed the business plan, I put it into action and haven’t looked back since. Currently, I am the Regional Marketing Conceirge for a mortgage company.
Has it been a smooth road?
The journey to success has definitely been challenging but as one of the women I admire the most, Dr. Maya Angelou, once said: “You may encounter many defeats but you must not be defeated.” Life is going to throw you various curve balls, roadblocks and dead ends but these are the moments that define you and build your character.
One of the biggest struggles I have in writing a blog that covers Dallas lifestyle and my relationship with my friend and family and finding a balance is respecting their privacy and being transparent with our readers.
For young women who are just starting their journey, I would encourage them to be patient, trust their gut and find their niche. It may seem like there are a million women “doing the same thing” you want to do but everyone has their own unique perspective and point of view.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into Hanging With the Heake’s story. Tell us more about the business.
I truly believe what sets us apart from others is the genuine yet playful vibe. We love to showcase travel, Dallas lifestyle, food and write about what’s going on in our daily lives. My husband and I don’t dine or shop at strictly top of the line shops and we don’t eat at only 5-star restaurants. We love a lot that Dallas has to offer from Burger House and OMG Tacos to Whistlebritches and Perry’s. It’s important to us that our brand offers a variety and reflection of budget-friendly things to do and also showcases fine-dining and luxury travel.
For good reason, society often focuses more on the problems rather than the opportunities that exist, because the problems need to be solved. However, we’d probably also benefit from looking for and recognizing the opportunities that women are better positioned to capitalize on. Have you discovered such opportunities?
Although I was born in the late 80’s and remember dial-up internet, I have had the privilege of growing up with fairly advanced technology and I would say that women – especially in this day and age – have a lot more opportunities. With internet based companies like BeautyCounter, Rodan + Fields and vlog/blogging, just to name a few, women have the ability to build their own business and brand at their fingertips while working full time and/or being a mother.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.hangingwiththeheakes.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/hangingwiththeheakes
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/hangingwiththeheakes
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/happilyheakes
Image Credit:
I’sha Gaines Photography, Doreen Heake
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