Katrina’s Story

Growing up amid the Civil Rights Movement where there was a massive effort to desegregate public schools across the United States, was an impactful time in young Katrina’s life. Though it was a stressful time for most African Americans, Katrina managed to keep her head above water. While attending Melrose High School in Memphis, Walker started up the entrepreneurship ladder. “Back then, I didn’t even know what the word ‘entrepreneur’ even meant”, recalls Walker. “I was just hustling to make money”. At the age of eight, young ambitious Katrina would wake early on Saturday and Sunday mornings to collect glass bottles to deposit back to a recycling center near her home in Memphis. Depending on the size of the bottle, Katrina would make pennies on the dollar for each bottle she collected. “

“At the age of nine, I started to iron sheets as a service to Caucasian customers while they watched the ‘Young and the Restless’ after school”, Katrina recalls. At the age of thirteen and in the 9th Grade, Katrina ran the entire third shift of a popular Memphis Restaurant called, ”The GridIron” as the cook, waitress, and cashier. At the age of sixteen, I worked at the Hyatt Regency Hotel as the Salad Girl. I fixed and served salads and garlic bread to upscale hotel guests in Memphis. “I met the one and only Michael Jackson while working there. He was such a nice guy and being in his presence inspired me to hone my skills as a creator”, recalls Walker who would do funny impersonations between classes to make her schoolmates laugh.

In High School, Katrina decided to become a journalist and at the age of seventeen, she was accepted into Texas Southern University where she majored in English. “I was always in awe of Marge Thrasher, a popular news reporter. I loved her poise and the way she spoke on television, so I selected my major based on her influence. My Mom was never around, She was out hustling, so I had to fill out my own paperwork to attend college. I selected Texas Southern University because my favorite cousin lived in Texas”, recalls Walker. Determined to become a television personality, that goal was railroaded when Katrina opted to start a family instead.

As life threw unexpected curves, Katrina rolled with the balls tossed her way. “Life was rough when I gave birth to my first child. So, when I had my second, I was at the end of my rope like Tina Turner (May she Rest in Peace)”. Thankfully for her neighborhood friend Sherry who often fed Katrina and her children, another colleague helped Walker obtain a job at FedEx through a temp agency. “I then made friends with some of the ladies at the company”, recalls Katrina who then tried her hand at stand-up comedy. It was while working at FedEx that she would get booked for gigs all over the nation during the weekends. “It was rough, but I made it happen. I had a dream of cultivating my talent and ability of making people laugh, so I did whatever it took to get there”, smiles Katrina.

In the late 90’s, Katrina Walker came up with the idea to open a 24-hour childcare center for single parents needing to work nights and/or odd shifts. It was while taking a walk-through a building with the landlord that she opted to rent an entire floor instead of a few rooms. There, Rainbow Kids was constructed. Thirty years later, this Memphis, TN staple is still providing around-the-clock care for newborn babies and toddlers. “Though I still own the day care, I no longer handle the day-to-day business of the children’s center”, states Mrs. Walker. To date, this community staple has serviced thousands of families over the years. “One of my top accomplishments is still the construction and completion of my very own childcare facility. I overcame obstacles unimaginable, dedicated my life to thousands of infants, children, and young low income struggling mothers. Providing parents with options to select the hours needed for them to go back to school to further their education or go from welfare to work to better their lives for their young children and themselves was extremely fulfilling for me”, recalls Katrina.

Though the culmination of the daycare is summarized, Katrina admits that she could not have done this without forming and forging relationships. “Relationships and networking are key elements to have on this road to success”, states Walker. “Integrity is everything. Once you know your purpose, begin to execute as if you already have the resources. God will and has always provided”. When asked what makes her stand out from the rest, Katrina states, “Most people say they are going to do things. Talk is cheap. I have been on the grind every single day. I grind every day to make things happen. The fish won’t catch themselves”.

In 2017, Katrina released her first book, “Unbreakable: 5 Husbands, Homeless to Self-Made Millionaire, The Katrina Walker Story”. Unbreakable is the riveting story of Katrina Walker, a self-made millionaire who went from being an abused teen bride and mother of four, to one of the most successful women in her region. “I am very proud of myself for writing my life story. I want my grandchildren and great grandchildren to know about me when my day is done here on Earth. I want the world to continue my story on Broadway someday”, smiles Katrina. It’s the story of five marriages and a page-turning roller-coaster ride through each of them, including perilous situations that included being penniless, homeless, and ultimately a millionaire. She brings you in with action and emotion from page one, recounting a horrific home invasion that nearly took her life, and the day her beloved mother dies. The reader goes deep into her life growing up in Memphis, TN. As a child in the 1960s she writes about Dr. MLK Jr. visiting Memphis to speak up for sanitation workers like her grandfather, only to be assassinated there. And well…You will need to read the book to see how this story turns out. “I see my book turned into the next “Color Purple”, states Walker.