Denise DuBarry Hay – is a leading entrepreneur and successful actress who has amassed several impressive credits in film and television. Today, DuBarry Hay uniquely and seamlessly executes her creative talent and outstanding business acumen as President of
Palm Springs Women in Film and Television, while running her newly formed entertainment/media company, Kaswit, Inc. which develops and funds infomercials and feature films.
DuBarry Hay founded Thane International, one of the leading global direct response marketers in the world, in 1990 with her husband and business partner of 15 years, Bill Hay. The company, headquartered in La Quinta, California, continues to achieve the unwavering respect of its peers and customers in the direct response business. Thane International has created several highly successful brands in diverse categories with global marketing and distribution operations that extend to over 100 countries worldwide. DuBarry Hay served as Chief Creative Officer and executive producer for more than 90 long-form infomercials and spot programming for Thane. She was also actively involved in product development and selection, as well as internet marketing. She has created brand names and strategic marketing initiatives for several top-selling products including: the Orbitrek elliptical glider, California Beauty, Klear Action Whitening Light, and the best-selling drugstore Klear Action Acne Treatment, among others. Her infomercials and products have generated more than 1 billion dollars in sales.
DuBarry Hay’s commitment and perseverance was honed at an early age. A child of divorce and the oldest of five children, she was charged with looking after her siblings while her mother worked. Undaunted by the obligations thrust upon her, DuBarry Hay remained positive and focused throughout her childhood. As she watched her mother struggle to make ends meet, she resolved that she would take charge of her own life and not be reliant upon others for her welfare or happiness.
At the age of 18, DuBarry Hay went to work for her father in his paper recycling business and attended acting lessons at night. Her dedication to her career and goals, as well as her natural acting abilities, paid off when she won starring roles in several motion pictures, including a featured role in the 1979 film classic, Being There. DuBarry Hay was also a regular on the acclaimed NBC World War II television series, Black Sheep Squadron, and guest-starred on popular television shows, including Charlie’s Angels and Trapper John, M.D.
DuBarry Hay expanded her creative capacities, and continued to develop her innate sense for what customers/viewers desired. She watched and listened carefully to learn everything she could about the entertainment industry – from production to marketing and distribution. Subsequently, in 1988, when she was approached to produce a “how-to” video on playing piano, DuBarry Hay not only confidently obliged, she enthusiastically presented what was, at the time, a new and unorthodox marketing vehicle to the product owner – the infomercial. Knowing that her instincts were on target, she and her partner chose to proceed and, as they say, “the rest is history.” The infomercial entitled Play the Piano Overnight was immensely successful, hundreds of thousands of videos were sold, and soon after Thane International was born.
DuBarry Hay is involved with several local and regional community initiatives, including Olive Crest homes for abused children where she serves as a trustee and co-chair of the development committee for the Coachella Valley. She has also served as a board member of the Annenberg Center for Health Sciences, the Palm Springs International Film Festival, Women Leaders Forum, the Electronic Retailing Association (ERA) and Thane International. She currently serves as a member of the boards of the Marywood/Palm Valley School, WIFTI (Women in Film & Television International) and is a director and the President of Palm Springs Women in Film & Television.
Among her many accomplishments, DuBarry Hay was the executive producer of the live awards gala for the annual ERA Convention and Expo in 2003, 2002, and 2001, hosted by comedians Paul Rodriguez and George Wallace. As a result of her involvement with the ERA, she was presented with the 2002 Volunteer of the Year award. Moreover, that same year, the City of Palm Springs also honored DuBarry Hay with her very own star on its Walk of Fame. DuBarry Hay and husband Bill were also recipients of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneurs of the Year award in 1998. In October of 2005, Palm Springs Life Magazine named DuBarry one of “The Incredibles” and she was listed in the top 20 of the most dynamic women of the Coachella Valley.
DuBarry Hay’s entrepreneurial streak also extends to the booming yoga industry. Not only is she a certified Bikram yoga instructor and practitioner, prior to relocating to La Quinta in 1990, she founded Malibu Yoga in beachside Malibu, California.
Last but definitely not least, DuBarry Hay adheres to the credo that “family comes first.” She is a devoted wife and mother of two daughters and three stepsons. Her oldest daughter, Samantha Lockwood, is an actress who aspires to follow in her mother and father’s (Gary Lockwood of 2001: A Space Odyssey) footsteps and Dubarry Hay is helping to guide her career.
In addition to deftly managing her dedication to family, work and the community, Denise DuBarry Hay is perhaps most proud of the fact that she is living her life to its fullest.
See www.pswift.org, www.olivecrest.org.
