Creating a Business with Purpose. Meet Dana Donofree from AnaOno Intimates

Dana was diagnosed with breast cancer the day before her 28th birthday and two months before her wedding. Following reconstructive surgery and a grueling regimen of chemotherapy, Dana realized her body no longer fit in traditional lingerie and bras. So, she took her degree in fashion and design and turned it into AnaOno Intimates — a line of bras, underwear and accessories designed for women just like her.

Now she's dedicated to helping breast cancer survivors of all ages feel beautiful and confident again. And as one of our recent Small Business Big Game top 10 finalists, we just had to learn more about her story.

Take it away, Dana!

Name: Dana Donofree

Business: AnaOno Intimates

What has most surprised you the most so far about running your own business?

The outpour and outreach that I've received from other women who have bought and worn my product has truly been the most surprising. 

They not only really love the way the bras fit, they love the way they make them feel.

What’s your favorite part about running a small business?

My favorite part of running a small business is being my own boss! 

I think that’s probably one of the best parts of it. I mean, it gets a little bit hectic and out of control and crazy at times, but you get to make choices about how you want to do things, whether it's the people you hire or the way you operate your business or the way you grow your business.

For me, that's been the most rewarding part of this entire experience so far.

What is your least favorite part about running your own business?

My least favorite part of owning my business is that you’re always on. 

It’s really hard to hit the off switch — you can, occasionally, and you do, but there’s always something going on in the back of your mind about what you need to do the next day, or what you didn’t wrap up the day before, or ideas for moving into the future. 

As exciting and thrilling as that is, I've learned that you have to try and sneak in a vacation from time to time!

What has been the biggest challenge you’ve encountered along the way?

My biggest challenge is with finances and cash flow. 

I launched my business with only the money out of my own pocket. I didn't have any investors or a big capital fund to draw from. I learned quickly that being extra careful about your decision making and balancing your finances regularly becomes very important. 

At the end of the day, you need cash flow to pay for new product, but you can't sell product if you're not making product. That's definitely been a learning curve for me.

How do you stay inspired day in and day out?

Keeping the passion alive is not a problem for me. I meet so many inspiring women every day and their stories are so heartwarming. Each one has a different challenge or a different surgery or a different request or a different story — and it just fuels me and keeps me going because I know how crucial it is for women to feel confident and feel good about themselves.

The fact that I can help with just a little bit of that through my business makes me feel so honored and gracious.

 If you had a magic wand that you could use to make only one of your business challenges disappear, what would you use it for?

I would pick a magic wand that could give me financial support.

I have so many ideas and exciting new projects and purposes for my business that I want to explore. If I had continuously flowing funds, it would be a very easy thing to do. I would love to just be able to follow my dreams and create new products that need to be available for these women.

If you had one piece of advice for a small business owner who is just starting out, what would it be?

I would just say to follow your heart. 

Your heart will lead you to the place it’s supposed to be and if you really truly believe in something, you’ll make it happen. But you have to believe in it because you live it and you breathe it every day. 

If you’re not passionate about it and you don’t love it, it’s going to present a lot of challenges when you get to the especially hard stuff.