Donna Salyer's 2023 Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame Induction Speech | Awesome Inc Video Podcast - Episode 141

Awesome Inc

Donna's speech from the 2023 Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame ceremony in Lexington, KY on November 2, 2023.

Donna Salyers

President and Founder, Fabulous Furs

Beginning with a faux fur sewing kit she designed and assembled in their basement, Donna Salyers Fabulous-Furs has grown into a majority asset of Salyers Group, a diversified investment company. Her products are sold through catalog, Internet, retail, and wholesale accounts in over 4,000 hotels, stores, and boutiques including Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, plus TV shopping networks Shop HQ and Australia’s TVSN.

Inspiration occurred in the late 80’s when, on her way to purchase a mink coat, Donna chanced to hear a broadcast describing kittens being skinned alive for “mink” teddy bears. Instead of buying a coat, she set out to create a luxurious alternative.

Known as the World’s finest faux furs, her designs have appeared in hundreds of Broadway productions, movies, and TV shows, plus every major fashion magazine. Donna was profiled in People Magazine and twice in the Wall Street Journal. A retail showroom in Covington houses Donna Salyers Fabulous-Furs and Fabulous-Bridal.

Salyers Group opened Hotel Covington in late 2016 and added 23 suites in 2023, complementing the Madison Event Center they opened in 1989. Donna wrote a syndicated newspaper column for 17 years, leading to a video series, a national TV show and eight books.

Links:

• Donna Salyer's Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame profile

--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awesomeinc/message