Nashville Business Journal Women of Influence: Q&A with Britnie Turner, Aerial Development Group
Aerial Development Group is a Nashville-based residential and commercial development company dedicated to revitalizing urban neighborhoods and tackling social issues. Britnie Turner is the company’s founder and CEO.
What one person most influenced you to get where you are today, and how?
The legendary entrepreneur and billionaire Sir Richard Branson inspires me. I’ve been fortunate to have been his guest on Necker Island and spend time with him and his family. He helped me realize how businesses can be a “force for good” and that disadvantages can be overcome with creativity and vision.
What was the biggest professional hurdle you’ve had to overcome?
My company is doing things that have never been done before in this industry. … Besides overcoming small-minded people and stereotypes, we consistently go the extra mile to prove our ideas are not only cutting edge, but also a good investment.
What female executive in Nashville do you most admire, and why? Sherry Deutschmann, founder and CEO of LetterLogic, is my role model and mentor. Sherry … demonstrates what it means to empower other women. She has truly changed my life, and thanks to her, my business now has a much higher chance for continued success.
Is America’s gender pay gap overblown or underappreciated?
As a woman-owned business we focus on equality in the workplace, not just in the pay category but also in leadership, promotions and opportunities. I believe that “you never really change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model makes the existing model obsolete.” (Buckminster Fuller). We are making the existing model obsolete every day.
What is something people would be surprised to know about you?
I was Miss North Carolina United States and a hobby cage fighter at the same time.
What is your strongest trait that helps you achieve success?
I have a massively transformational purpose that guides my life and decision-making daily. … This drives me to always find a way through and around all of the obstacles that I’ve had to face over the last seven years.
Read original post here: http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/print-edition/2016/02/12/women-of-influence-britnie-turner-aerial.html