We had the good fortune of connecting with Nakeitra Burse and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Nakeitra, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I have always desired to be an entrepreneur. I believe it is in my blood, my father is a serial entrepreneur and I’ve always watched his hustle. But, on the other hand, I had the desire to help people in a way that is less restrictive. I wanted the creative ability to develop strategies and solutions to problems our communities face, but I didn’t want our people to have to pay for those services…because we’re up against enough, right? I wanted my clients to be the organizations and agencies that had the power to 1) create sustainable change and 2) offer services that would make healthy decision making easier for people who look like me. So, I structured my business in a way that we challenge the system to invest in strategies and solutions that will improve health outcomes for Black women.
Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My business is a public health research, development, and practice company focused on improving maternal health outcomes. Health equity and social justice are the heart of our work.
What sets us apart? We are a Black woman owned and run company. Our workforce includes all women, primarily (86%) Black women and we all get it. We all understand that the poor maternal health outcomes among Black women are driven by racist systems. Our work is nationwide and we bring a very personal touch to our work with our clients. Because our work is in public health, data drives our field, our company takes the data and humanizes it, brings it to life and really helps decision makers see the need to change their policies and practices.
What are you most proud of? Personally, I am proud of the fact that I stuck with it. Business is hard, selling a service is extremely hard, and building company of qualified professionals is even harder. I am also proud of our ability to take risks and jump into an unknown territory and make it work. In 2019, I produced a documentary about maternal morbidity and mortality. I am not a filmmaker, but I used what I knew in public health, my family’s personal experiences and merged them into a beautiful and necessary story that has reached more than 5,000 people, been shown all over the country and even featured on the BET Docuseries Disrupt & Dismantle with Soledad O’Brien. That is how being a dreamer and visionary paid off to have an impact on the issue of Black maternal mortality, and I am most proud of that.
How did you get where you are? Persistence, showing up genuinely, being accountable to myself and my clients, and always bringing my community into the room with me. Entrepreneurship is not for everyone, but I believe it is a part of my story and my calling. So, along this journey, I feel like I reinvent my business year after year to make sure we are growing and remaining relevant in our field and committed to our mission. No, this has not been easy because the highs are always good, but the lows, are very very low. It takes a toll on you mentally and physically, especially when the livelihood of others depends on your decision making and leadership abilities. Therefore, I try to continuously improve my leadership skills, seek knowledge and counsel from mentors, and invest in my own professional development as a leader.
To overcome challenges is somewhat of a process for me. First, there is the initial shock/sting from the challenge, then I have the (short) period of pouting/sulking. After I’m over that, it is prayer and decision making and trusting myself in that process. I also go into business understanding that there is a chance that something will not go as planned. I try to give myself grace because I am human. And then the accountability part is the hardest, when your decisions or mistakes look you right in the face and you have to own them. But, I don’t know, it may be the thrill of all of that that keeps me motivated.
What lessons have you learned? Trust yourself and your vision. I know that if something keeps pressing on me, even if it is scary, I have to do it. I am always confident that whatever I put out to the world will be beautiful and necessary to someone.
I have also learned to move on from mistakes. I previously mentioned that pouting period. I don’t let myself stay there long because it is harder to dig yourself out, which can be detrimental to your business.
Lastly, I’ve learned that nothing beats being genuine, transparent and giving the world, your clients, and your team who you truly are.
What do you you want the world to know about your brand?
We are all about create strategies that will improve health outcomes for Black women. We don’t hold back or shy away from how racism has gotten us to this point and we are unapologetic in our message and the way we do our work.
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to Black women. We are the solution to saving the world…and we’re just dope all the way around.
Who else deserves credit: My family. Family to me, is a whole bunch of people, parents, friends, sister friends, my children, husband, and my community. I am a visionary and visionaries often have really, really big dreams that can be a bit much for the people that support them. But, my family has always believed in me no matter how many (crazy) dreams I have. They always believe it will work. To me, that is top tier support because I always have ideas that I am ready to execute, and I am sure that can be exhausting for those around me.
Website: www.sixdims.com
Instagram: @sixdims
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nakeitraburse/ and https://www.linkedin.com/company/six-dimensions-llc/
Twitter: @sixdims and @nakeitraburse
Facebook: @sixdims
Image Credits
Chuckway Washington, Corris Watson