Marissa Barnes’ career is rooted in humble beginnings. While she was studying in college, her summer job consisted of selling windows and doors. Nowadays, she’s moved on to bigger and better things.
Barnes graduated from the prestigious Kelley School of Business at Indiana University in 2011; her studies focused on marketing and management. All the while, she learned the ins and outs of the world of business. Her education, as well as her first few jobs, have since served her well as the owner Parlor Doughnuts in Valparaiso, bringing delicious delights to the community.
While on the route leading to where she is now, Barnes did a bit of bouncing around. From working in Chicago for a handful of years to getting into personal training for half a decade, the journey hasn’t always been the clearest. Nevertheless, all of it has certainly paid off, since it ignited inspiration in her at the right time.
“When I graduated, I worked for a bunch of different companies. I started with Nordstrom, did headhunting for pharma companies, and then I did a little stint with Eli Lilly. I recently just stepped away from coaching as a personal trainer at Orangetheory at the end of 2022. Four years into that job, I realized that I really liked the franchise model, and I knew I always wanted to own my own business,” she said.
Prior to searching for gaps in the market in Valparaiso, Barnes and her husband put their heads together and eventually capitalized on the beauty of the franchise. With the Region in mind, she felt comfortable getting things going where she was.
“I came across Parlor Doughnuts through a few of my family members that were living down in Evansville. I then filled out a franchise application and hit it off really well with the founders, and everything just snowballed from there,” she said.
Now that she’s fully living the life of a business owner, challenges of all kinds are the most difficult part about maintaining a sense of balance.
“Balancing, finding good people and being able to take care of them, all of that is essential to taking care of the business. I find myself constantly balancing things, like paying my people more or putting more money into the upgrades of equipment. I'm weighing it all, thinking about where to go next and what decisions are going to be best in the long run. The hardest part out of all of that becomes the decision-making,” she said.
Even past putting out all of the little fires of the day-to-day happenings within the business, Barnes has been able to find joy in doing it all. Being responsible without having the chance to catch a break is sure to transform into an unbeatable-feeling stressor. However, after incessantly collaborating and compromising with other local businesses in the area, she’s found favoritism for perhaps the most interesting aspect of her work.
“My favorite part about the job is finding outside businesses that we can do collaborations with. It's rewarding to be able to help other business owners who are potentially struggling with the same issues as me and be able to band together and move ourselves forward to compete with the big dogs that just have bankrolls of funding,” she said.
Barnes has had a positive effect on the community around her. It’s all in the simple things, like using her business to hook up the area's teachers, nurses, firefighters, and police officers with doughnuts. She’s also sponsored lots of charity events. When Christmas Time comes around, for example, she’ll pitch in toward Toys for Tots, permitting kids all over to receive gifts.
One of the most helpful things Barnes’ business provides is the opportunity for young adults to make some cash. Considering the fact that it’s tricky for younger people who are eager to work to just jump right into a decent-paying job, her offering this prospect surely allows her to stand apart from other businesses.
“I want to inspire and impact our youth. We hire 14-year-olds and up. Our main goal is to get integrated with our communities, like educators, and to help students learn the value of hard work, proper time-management skills, responsibility, and organization. Being able to essentially give kids the confidence that they can do whatever they want matters so much to me because I feel that I can relate to them,” she said.
Barnes cherishes the time she gets to spend with her daughter, Ella. Outside-of-work affairs usually are taken up by time with the family, but there’s always time to play with her dog, Kobe. Still entirely close with a group of friends from high school, she’ll go out to eat with them every now and then, which has invited her to establish some lifelong relationships.
The multifaceted nature of the lifestyle that Valparaiso grants each and every one of its citizens is priceless, and it’s hard to find anywhere else. Barnes has realized this truth, making her living experience here all the more grand.
“Valparaiso uniquely has the best combination of nightlife and dining, as well as a hometown feel, with the summer events and the farmers’ market. It's such a great combination of all those things, as well as being full of lots of fun, like different family activities. It’s got to be one of the best places to raise a family, in my opinion, and it’s extremely safe, too,” she said.