Who We Are- FOCUS Marketing & Development Solutions
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ABOUT THE FOUNDER

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International strategic business developer and marketer, sport management professional, educator and speaker, Bermuda tourism ambassador, community leader, and social media enthusiast, Kennette J. Burgess is a Bermudian living between North Carolina,USA and Bermuda with over 19 years of combined marketing and business experience, heightened by years of international business experience. She is the recent winner of Winston-Salem State University's Alumni Achiever Awards 2022, Bermuda's Annual BEDCs 2021 Female Entrepreneur of the Year, winner of BEDCs 2019/2020 Female Entrepreneur of the Year - 1st Runner Up award (2020), a Best of Bermuda Awards for ‘Best 2011 Mobile App’ for a local Bermudian tourism based app despite tough competition, ranked top 20 of Bermuda’s influential social media rankings, winner of the impressive 2015 40 Under 40 Alumni award from her Winston-Salem State University and also a winner of the prestigious Who’s Who Awards in America. Kennette can be seen globally speaking to empower future leaders , small business owners, 1st generational owners, female business owners and minority entrepreneurs to become market leaders and follow their dreams, regardless of the obstacles in their way.

Everyone who knows Kennette will tell you that she is an extremely passionate and energetic professional who is creative, organized & self directed. Kennette can be seen spending most of her time on charitable efforts because she understands the value of giving back to her communities!

Highly motivated and regarded by others as creative, organized, self-directed, and a great multi-tasker with the ability to persuade others, and a good team player with forward-thinking leadership qualities, Kennette J. Burgess always strives to be “AN ASSET, NOT A LIABILITY!” Kennette’s strength is that she always gets the job done and admits her weakness comes from being a perfectionist to a fault.

Kennette Jannora Burgess is a native of the beautiful island of Bermuda. She has a B.Sc in Sport Management from Winston-Salem State University where she graduated with highest honors Summa Cum Laude. She also has her MBA (Hons) from High Point University and was a proud member of the NBMBAA Piedmont Triad Chapter. She felt the best way to cultivate her International Marketing skills after graduation was to remain in the USA and work for an international company that can utilize her background in project management, advertising, merchandising, brand management, event planning, B2B & B2C sales & marketing, and creative development. Therefore, for almost 10 years she was the International Product [Marketing] Manager (Supervisor)  for North Carolina based one-to-one marketing and direct selling global giant SHOP.COM | Market America managing and launching products globally in Australia, Europe and Canada while also responsible for successfully launching business operations in the United Kingdom and Mexico. As a global celebrity marketing manager, she was responsible for managing MA brands for celebrities such as Carmelo Anthony  and wife La La Anthony, Bob Marley's son Rohan Marley (owner of Marley Coffee), Fat Joe and Scottie Pippen. While living between North Carolina and Bermuda, as a global virtual marketing manager, Kennette balances her professional career between her markets full-time creating promotional campaigns, launching products and developing businesses with her marketing clients.

Prior to working for SHOP.COM she has worked for several other business giants and nonprofits, The Salvation Army,  NASCAR, professional basketball teams, with advertising agencies,  and throughout the Bermuda local trade and International business sectors. Kennette is no stranger to hard work, she had worked since she was in elementary school because she wanted to make her own money and save up for when she was 16 in Bermuda to buy her motorcyle!

Areas of Expertise & Industries
  • Minority owned businesses
  • Small Business
  • Education/Academics
  • Brand Creation & Management
  • Business to Business Marketing
  • International Business
  • International Marketing
  • International Product Launches
  • Marketing Management
  • New Product Development & Launches
  • Nonprofit Marketing
  • Strategic Marketing
  • Sport & Tourism Marketing
  • Trade & Technical Marketing
  • Healthcare Marketing
Honors, Awards & Recognitions
  • Winston-Salem State University Alumni Achiever Award (2022)
  • Bermuda Economic Development Corporation (BEDC)- Female Entrepreneur of the Year Award (Winner) (2021)
  • Bermuda Economic Development Corporation (BEDC)- Female Entrepreneur of the Year Award (Nominated, Voted 1st Runner Up) (2020)
  • Winston-Salem State University Alumni 40 Under 40 Honoree for Career & Community Service (2015)
  • Best Mobile App Developer Award (Bermuda Tech Awards 2011)
  • Ranked Bermuda's Top Social Media Influencers (by Bernews)
  • Who’s Who Award Winner [USA]

Education

  • M.B.A., Master of Business Administration, High Point University, NC
  • B.Sc., Sport Management, Marketing & Promotions (Summa cum Laude); Winston-Salem State University, NC

Professional Boards & Associations

  • Greensboro Chamber of Commerce
  • BEDC Member
  • Black Marketers Association of America (BMAA)
  • QUEST School for Gifted & Talented Students, Board of Governors, Bermuda
  • Winston-Salem State University, School of Education & Human Performance, Sport Management Advisory Council, Winston-Salem, NC
  • W.O.M.B. (Women who Own or Manage Businesses) 
  • Empowered Girls of North Carolina, Former Board of Directors (8 years)

ABOUT THE COMPANY

You may have already heard a few things about FOCUS, but here are some key things you may want to know more of. FOCUS is an international strategic planning firm that FOCUSes on business consulting, product development and strategic marketing and is headquartered in the beautiful island of Bermuda with operations in USA. While we can do it all, our passion and specialty is in small to medium sized businesses and new business ventures. Key sectors are trade and technical industry, nonprofits, education, sports, healthcare and minority focused businesses.

By thinking of innovative marketing , product and business development solutions for our clients, we can solve many of their issues and help to increase their bottom line through creating opportunities for business growth.

We can start as our business coach and help you form your business idea, then we transition as your strategic marketer to help you lay out your business and marketing plans, then we put on our designer hats to create your business logos, stationary, websites, sales aids and advertising materials , to then turn into project/product managers to launch your business or product into the marketplace with a strategic concrete plan to secure your success in the years to come. For existing businesses, we can grow your business, launch new products or develop new services.

What we do can change the way you and your customers view your business. Effective marketing is a requirement for business growth! Strategic planning marketing is a requirement for business growth! Innovation and attention to detail is a requirement for your product’s success! If you’re passionate about your business success, then FOCUS is the right place for you! We are where passion meets passion.

Our job is to provide strategies and structure, what we call FOCUS, by executing the marketing mix and general business principles, while we let you FOCUS on doing the things you love to do the most! Let us FOCUS on the marketing and development, while you FOCUS on what makes you happy!

IN THE COMMUNITY

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From a young child, Kennette always strived to be active in her community and give back to create the opportunities that were offered to her. While in the USA Kennette is the Marketing Director and on the Board of Directors for Empowered Girls of North Carolina, the co-founder and on the Alumni Board of Campus Life Marketing Committee of Winston-Salem State University’s Office of Campus Life, Marketing Director of Abundant Life Church International and Edward Kirkpatrick Ministries in Greensboro, NC , and event volunteer with the Greensboro Sports Commission in various sporting events in the city. While in Bermuda, she was a Recreation and Marketing volunteer with the Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute, a Liturgical Dance Choreographer & Assistant Sunday School Teacher of Bethel A.M.E. Church, Kiwanis Club volunteer, community performer with the HPWC Hot Pepper majorettes, among other civic duties. However, while living in North Carolina, she manages the marketing remotely of Bermuda’s Hamilton Parish Club Youth Sports Program and her father’s Old School singing group ‘The U-Fonics’, among others as she takes on clients as a Marketing Consultant. Kennette is also the Director of Marketing for AH! TEMPO and QUEST in Bermuda, to bring her wealth of knowledge, experience and passion for young people, education, and the Arts.

Kennette believes in giving back to her community, that is why she donates part proceeds, products and services back into her communities!

Her favourite scripture is "I can do all things through Christ..." Philippians 4:13.