Meet Dr. Katrina Burruss

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Katrina Burruss.

Hi Dr. Burruss, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
What’s up VoyageRaleigh family! First, I want to thank you for taking the time to sit down with me and learn about the face behind the vision. So my journey began much like everyone else in the empowerment genre. I am the product of a broken yet stable home. I grew up in a small neighborhood, across the river as they say.

River meaning the Cape Fear River. As far back as I can remember, I have always been a creator, As a child, I used to live in imaginary classrooms, stories, and plays. I always wanted to be a person that helped others but never knew how. My need to be accepted was born early on when my mother abandoned my brother and me at a young age. She was the one person that I always idolized which I guess explains a lot of who I’m today.

As it relates to how my journey really started, I would have to say when I joined the military, I am a US Air Force veteran and I have to admit that being in the service was the beginning of my success. It taught me discipline and the rewards of hard work. I joined the military with no real direction, afraid, nervous, yet excited. Excited to face the unknown. Excited to experience something new, the spark that ignites my joy is the suspense that lies ahead.

I always seeking ways to be the vest version of myself. The inner work that I have done plays a large part in the way that I am perceived by others and the woman I am today.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Definitely not! Throughout my career, I have walked through some of the darkest valleys you can imagine and stood atop some of the highest mountaintops but without struggle, strength has no place to bloom. If everything in our life was easy, how would we ever learn how to adapt to life challenges.

Every new level in life requires new sacrifices. It requires you to be a different version of yourself than you were the day before. The transitional periods that we experience help you to define who you are and embrace whose you are. I think that had I not experienced rejection, failure, competition, jealousy, etc. that I would never have tapped into how truly gifted I really am. I have spent so much of my life trying to fit in not realizing that I naturally stand out. I have wasted precious moments of my life, sharing my life with others in an effort to fill a void they didn’t help create and I ended up losing myself in the process.

These “aha” moments were the catalysts to my growth journey. I spent a lot of time in quiet prayer and meditation because I wanted t to ensure I was doing my part to be self-aware. I think one of the biggest struggles I that. still battle with is the fact that everyone doesn’t have the same heart that I do. And that’s ok. I think once I truly embrace that then I will be able to whole things a whole lot differently. I would also say that the struggle to accept my wins is one of the main things I have to constantly work on.

I am typically so focused on celebrating others that I shy away from celebrating myself. When I first started this empowerment journey, I had no idea what my purpose would be but as each day passes, I am learning more and more the woman I am meant to be because of the challenges that I encounter and conquer along the way.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
By trade, I am a Medical Laboratory Director. I have served in the field of clinical laboratory science for nearly 20 years and it is truly my passion, I wanted a career that would allow me to serve others. Fun fact about me, when I was in high school I wanted to be a nurse anesthetist. That was until I realized I had to be a nurse first and rotate through all areas of the hospital then specialize.

As a 16-year-old that was really intimidating. not to mention, I am a natural empath so I could not fathom the thought of one of my patients dying, So, I opted for the lab because as the backbone of clinical care, I would be afforded the opportunity to serve others just from a bird’s eye view, it is truly the best decision, I ever made. I am also the owner and CEO of Precise Lab Consulting, LLC. A premier lab consulting firm that specializes in the area of laboratory start-up and compliance monitoring, one of my newest ventures, The highlight base on IG is the platform that I use to express my creative side.

Makeup is a form of therapy for me and helps me to tap into my best self. I absolutely love the way it transforms a person’s mood and instantly boosts their self-esteem, I also see makeup as an opportunity to educate, connect, and serve others. Serving others is my happy place because I truly feel that by serving others I creating room to be renewed.

It creates space for new things because once you pour out everything you have, you make room for the things you are meant to receive. Last but not least, I am beyond ecstatic about the release of my new book and the launch of my non-profit this summer So stay tuned for details!

Can you share something surprising about yourself?
That is a great question, One thing that most people may not know about me is that I tried out for America’s Next Top Model when I was an undergrad. LOL. When I started college at my forever HBCU, Fayetteville State University, I auditioned for the Illusions Modeling Club. It was one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life for several reasons. Modeling made me feel seen and heard. I felt validated and valued. As a young child, I spent most of my days being bullied and called names.

So, I had a very distorted view of beauty and confidence. I was always looked over by the cute guys in school, nobody ever really wanted to hang out with me so I just figured it was because I was ugly, As I got older and went off to college, I began to surround myself with women that I aspired to be. I wanted to walk with my head held high and my shoulders back but since I had never been taught, I had no idea where to start. So, I started modeling, the club was a big confidence booster for me.

It challenged me and made me get out of my comfort zone. It forced me into a space that I had never been in and it taught me the importance of consistency. It taught me that if you do something long enough, it will become a habit that will eventually become a daily routine, anyway, I noticed that Tyra was doing a casting call so I decided to fill out the application.

My application made it all the way to the decision board but unfortunately, I was. It was a tad bit too short so I didn’t make it, But I still have hope!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @katrinachanel2; @thehighlightbawse
• Facebook: @katrinachanel_30
• Twitter: @katrinachanel2

Image Credits
@rotcelisrosephotography