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Denise DuBarry-Hay, actress, athlete and entrepreneur, has an uncanny sense for catching a wave way before most of the rest of us even leave the beach. For example, more than 20 years ago she discovered the benefits of Bikram yoga and even became a yoga instructor. In 1988 she became one of the first -- male or female -- to pioneer the concept of "infomercials," a concept which she has raised to an art form and to a multi-million dollar, international company. The results of her entrepreneurial efforts garnered her and her husband Bill -- with whom she developed Thane International -- the Inland Empire's 1998 Entrepreneur of the Year Award from the prestigious consulting firm Earnst & Young.
As do All entrepreneurs, DuBarry-Hay has an innate sense of what people are looking for, of what's around the next bend and what works. She also knows how to blend her acting and athletic skills with her business acumen to create, develop and market products that appeal to millions of people around the world.
Yoga was one of the first waves DuBarry-Hay caught early. "I was acting in a mini-series with Paula Prentiss," Du-Barry-Hay relates. "She had a great body. I asked her what she did to look so good and she told me about yoga, so I tried it. I was in my early 20s, working out next to a man in his 60s. He made it look like a walk in the park. If it could keep him in such good shape, I knew it was something worth doing." |
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DuBarry-Hay went on to become an instructor and opened the first yoga studio in Malibu, "Malibu Yoga." Though she is no longer associated with the studio, it is still in operation and doing well. "I believe it's important for people to exercise and I encourage them to do it," she says. "Exercise makes you more attractive, helps you think better and makes you more productive and energetic." Yoga has become a way of life and a family affair for DuBarry-Hay and her clan. Her 22 year old daugher is now a yoga instructor, her six year old daughter and her husband go to the yoga studio with her and even her two teenage sons occasionally join in.
Her work as an actress brought DuBarry-Hay to her next big wave -- the infomercial. her interest in working on both sides of the camera, as a performer and as a director/producer/writer, led her to a job producing a video called "Play the Piano Overnight." And that led her to founding her own company partnering with Bill Hay to establish Thane International. It wasn't so much the video itself that launced her career as the fact that once it was produced DuBarry-Hay wanted to find a way to market the video. She came up with the idea of creating a program that would combine attributes of a commercial with the benefits of a television show where the product could be thoroughly explained to the audience.
From there DuBarry-Hay found new ways to combine her many skills, talents and interests. Her understanding of the importance of exercise led DuBarry-Hay to the Orbitrek, an elliptical trainer which she began to market through her company, Thane International. "As the Chief Creative Officer for the company (her husband Bill is the Chief Executive Officer), I test all the products before we agree to market them," explains DuBarry-Hay. "If it doesn't work for me, if I'm not happy with it, we won't sell it." Needless to say, the Orbitrek is on of her favorite workouts.
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"Knowing how to turn the
negative into a positive is
the key to being happy . . . " |
Her love of exercise and movement led to Street Heat, an exercise video that moves to a lively hip hop beat. She discovered the hip hop workout at the Canyon Ranch Spa in Tucson and worked with the instructor to develop a video series that would help people get a great cardio workout and have fun at the same time. "The music lets you express the cool side of yourself," says DuBarry-Hay. "I like it because I can tap into the little girl inside me, and because it lets me move my body in ways other than the ones I normally do."
Her belief in the importance of taking care of your body has led DuBarry-Hay to other discoveries as well. When she met Dr. Bob Delmonteque, DuBarry-Hay was impressed with his fantastic physical shape and his excellent mental attitude. "He's 84 years old and he looks incredible. He does yoga, lifts weights and does aerobic exercises. He really looks great." Dr. Delmonteque is a clinical psychologist, a naturopathic doctor, and is America's leading senior fitness expert. He has developed special blends of supplements to help keep the mind clear, the heart strong, the skin vibrant and the joints supple. His "Youth Cocktail" is one of the ways DuBarry-Hay keeps herself healthy. She uses these supplements daily.
DuBarry-Hay also caught the internet wave. She understood early the importance of the internet to direct response businesses. "The internet is an essential part of any direct response campaign and can mean the difference between success and failure," she explains. "I oversee our internet business including e-mail marketing, product positioning and the protection of our intellectual properties on the net." She is also a board member for the ERA (Electronic Retailing Association) and has been the executive producer of several "live events" for the ERA, such as their annual award show in Las Vegas with a full cast of celebrities.
Business maven though she is, DuBarry-Hay is much more. She puts her family first, in spite of her dedication to her work. And sometimes she actually gets some "downtime." "We have a summer home in Canada where my husband is from," says DuBarry-Hay. "My home office there overlooks a forest with a stream and I spend the summer without acrylic nails, my hair never sees a hair dryer and between e-mails, writing scripts, casting, and looking at rough cuts of shows, I do a little gardening and my kids love to help me bake pies."
Family, a positive attitude to life and yoga to keep herself in shape and mentally balanced have all helped get DuBarry-Hay where she is today. "Knowing how to turn the negative into a positive is the key to being happy," she says. "It's hard to be successful with negativity around you. Being positive helps you to succeed, and success generates more success." She add, "happiness is a choice."
Article Source: http://www.americansavermagazine.com/0105_celeb.html
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