Meet Theresa Duncan | Coach Dunc

We had the good fortune of connecting with Theresa Duncan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Theresa, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Cheer has afforded me so many opportunities in life. I won four national championships as an undergraduate at Shorter University and the friendships that I forged then are still people that I lean on today. I wanted to offer the wonderful experience and lessons that competitive cheer has given to me to others. There is also a great need for qualified cheer coaches to work with middle and high school programs. I hope my business can fill the need where middle and high school cheer squads can cheer competitively with their classmates and represent their school instead of just teams that compete for a gym.

What should our readers know about your business?
My business started as a traveling choreography service that worked with middle and high schools all over the southeast. Top Cheer Talent initially grew by word of mouth because we served schools that had been unable to afford choreography services from NCA and Varsity affiliated organizations. By the third summer of hosting camps and clinics at schools and at Charleston Southern, I had built the brand to a level that warranted my own space. The biggest challenge was securing investor funding and navigating the government regulations for permitting, fire marshal inspections, retail licensing, etc. It was not easy, but thanks to Lowcountry Local First and my husband, Sam, I was able secure investments and successfully jump through all the bureaucratic hoops. I’ve learned that you can’t let paperwork intimidate you and you need to seek out help in order to start a business. There are great organizations and individuals out there who want to help small businesses succeed. You just have to seek them out!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My husband and I live in the neck of the Peninsula. It’s a great location exactly between Park Circle and Downtown. We love hosting guests and our first stop is always Folly Beach. I’d start with an early breakfast at Lost Dog then head to my favorite spot on 4th street for a few hours. Then we’d swing by Bert’s for some bbq and fried chicken sandwiches. After Bert’s sandwiches we’d head back home, shower up and hop on our bikes to ride over to Munkle Brewery. They have the best beers in Charleston and they always have a great food truck, so we’d grab dinner there too.
The next day we’d head to James Island County park. They have the best dog park in the world and there is so much to do there. After a day at the park, we’d head to Famulari’s to get some spinach cheesy bread and a smash burger.
If our guests are in town on a Saturday then we’d definitely take them to the Farmer’s Market at Marion Square, then hop around upper King Street getting some small plates. We’ll definitely make sure we make it all the way down to Spring street to hit Malagon and Estadio for their delicious tapas.
Sunday morning, we’d love to hip up Big Bad Breakfast for some brunch and then head down to the battery and waterfront park to take in the sights and do some shopping at the Market.
My husband likes to golf, so he would like to take our guests to the Muni on James Island. It’s awesome since the renovation. After golfing, we’d take our guests to our favorite restaurant, The Woodruff on Johns Island. Their Chef, Will Roach is amazing and they have an awesome wine and cocktail menu.
If there’s any time left, we’d love to attend a Riverdogs game, especially on one of their Bark at the Park nights.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d like to give a big shoutout to Lowcountry Local First, a Charleston nonprofit that promotes local businesses. They were extremely helpful when it came to me finding my first brick and mortar space, finding investors and networking. I’d also like to shout out my Charleston Southern University Buccaneers! The school and its athletes have been so supportive of me. I could not have done it without them.

Website: https://topcheertalent.com

Instagram: @topcheertalent

Linkedin: Theresa Duncan