In the journey from a challenging childhood in Detroit to the pinnacle of career success, Daria Burke embodies the power of self-transformation. “We don’t earn our beginnings, but we can choose who we become,” asserts Burke, a belief rooted deeply in her journey and research in neuroscience and epigenetics.

As a best-selling author and award-winning chief marketing officer, Burke has spent over 20 years transforming iconic brands alongside cultural icons like Tracee Ellis Ross. Her work illustrates the intersection of identity and transformation, allowing individuals to reimagine narratives of their lives. Her USA Today best-selling memoir, “OF MY OWN MAKING,” dives into trauma and healing, providing a road map for personal reinvention.

Despite the adversities of her youth, Burke transformed her narrative — moving from survival to thriving, proving that our stories can transcend the mere facts of our beginnings. In this clip from her keynote at the Women in Retail Leadership Summit, held earlier this year in Miami, Burke shares her personal story of choosing who she became despite difficult circumstances.

Women in Retail Leadership Circle members can watch sessions from the 2026 Women in Retail Leadership Summit as they’re released here.