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Dr. Dorothy Bonvillain
Dr. Dorothy Guy Bonvillain
Entrepreneur, Wife, Mother
For over 40 years now, I have been a highly sought-after mentor and leadership expert. A motivator for young and old, I have a passion for helping others to live fuller lives through motivational workshops, personal writings, my blog, and e-mail subscription.
At a young age, I discovered my calling to teach. Initially, I began by sharing warmth and wisdom as an elementary school teacher. I loved instilling the younger generation with character development, leadership potential, and the importance of goal setting.
Then I spent almost a decade mastering my skills as a dynamic speaker and teacher. Later I was even asked to become the principal of a public high school in crisis. In this job, I worked closely with non-traditional students; many experienced difficulty performing in standard school systems. Some attended due to court-orders, jail sentences, or had previously dropped-out.
It was during this time that I learned the most about how to invest heavily in students, teachers, and parents – ultimately my goal was to inspire lasting change and motivate many teachers and parents to become role models in my students’ lives. Over the next five years our team led the students and staff to become a nationally-awarded program.
Me with one of my mentors, John C. Maxwell, World-Renowned Leadership Expert.
As a coach and mentor, I love to speak to large audiences as a keynote speaker and develop custom-designed programs to improve organizational culture and individual growth. I also continue to work closely as a mentor to military spouses using everything I have learned with my husband’s long-term government career.
In the last ten years, I focused on collaborating with local military installations to improve their leadership and mentoring capabilities for active duty personnel, spouses, and families.
As a result of my commitment to personal excellence, both as a professional and as a military spouse, I have been so privileged to be recognized for my work in the Sultanate of Oman, the National Council on US-Arab Relations, the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, Foreign Service Institute, the TRADOC Culture Center; more recently, I also served locally as a leadership consultant to Fort Huachuca, Cochise College, the Sierra Vista Chamber of Commerce, and other business leaders.
My printed works will continue to expand when I add my leadership and character development book “Wally Goes to School” to my already-published “Loving Your Life: 7 Steps for Military Wives” (available on Amazon/Kindle).
I truly love nothing more than inspiring individuals and organizations to dig deeper, reach higher, and achieve the “impossible.”
Success Story
Dr. Dorothy Guy Bonvillain is a CEO, Author, Coach, and an International Speaker. A 47-year military spouse, Dorothy is the Creator of Warrior Wives Academy, an online training program designed to teach and inspire military wives how to become CEOs of their own lives and businesses. Her ultimate goal is to help women build lives of significance and create a lasting legacy.
“Our current outcomes are the
result of our best thinking so
far; let’s raise the bar…”
Experience
Founder/CEO: Dr. Dorothy Guy Bonvillain LLC
Television Producer/Presenter: Access Tucson T V: “Military Wives: Serving Those Who Serve” (2015) and “Learning to Live on Purpose” (2013-2014).
Huffington Post Guest Blogger
Chief of Partnership – TRADOC Culture Center / ISC Consulting Group
Trainer and Curriculum Developer in Cultural Competency for General Dynamics
High School Principal – Nationally-recognized USFS Award for Project-Based Learning
Presenter: American University, Intercultural Management Institute, Washington, DC; Women in Business, Cochise College; Sisters and Brothers in Arms, Fort Huachuca, Arizona.
Special Consultant to Minister of Education in the Sultanate of Oman: Leader & sole American on international research team.
Program Manager: Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia & National Council on US-Arab Relations, Washington, DC.
Keynote Lecturer: Foreign Service Institute, Arlington, Virginia, for Government Personnel transitioning to live & work in the Middle East
Published Works
- Loving Your Life: 7 Steps for Military Wives – a practical handbook for military spouses/families
- Wally Goes to School - a digital children’s leadership book for personal growth, ages 7-11
- Traditional Handicrafts of Oman (English and Arabic); Doctoral Dissertation “Cultural Pluralism and the Americanization of Immigrants: The Role of Public Schools and Ethnic Communities, Baltimore 1880-1920”
- Several published articles in professional journals.
Add Your Heading Here
1) Please share your amazing achievements with our readers.
- I successfully led an educational research team for the Ministry of Education throughout remote villages in the Sultanate of Oman. I was the only American on the team.
- I completed my Ph.D. in Educational Administration and International Education at American University in Washington, DC when I was 53.
- I have been a military wife for 48 years and am the mother of two awesome sons.
- As a Leader and Principal, I created a hands-on projectbased learning program for a defective high school. Within five years our team alleviated the school to win a national award. This program continues to serve students in southern Arizona.
- In my 60s, I left my comfort zone as a career educator and followed my dream to become a successful entrepreneur as a mentor and leadership expert. My areas of specialty include coaching, public speaking. I am trainer in transformational leadership, personal/professional development, intentional living, and cross-cultural competence
2) What are your core business principles and values you adhere to?
- Integrity
- Adding value to others every day
- A Learning Organization & Teamwork
- Unwavering commitment to common goals
- Respect, Dependability, and Results
- OQP: Only Quality People!
3) What is your weakness and how do you compensate for this in business?
I am predominantly right-brain and therefore ensure collaboration with left-brain partners
4) What do you think is more important, motivation or execution? Why?
Motivation. Without motivation, execution results will be less than stellar!
5) What inspires and motivates you?
Creating a LEGACY, PASSION and Being INTENTIONAL about adding value to others every day.
6) What has been your biggest fail to date? How did you overcome it and what did you learn from it?
My biggest failure was not becoming an entrepreneur earlier in life. I overcame it by ‘jumping out of the airplane’ in my 60s and growing my wings on the way down! I learned entrepreneurship is hard later in life, so just do it hard - It’s worth it! I’m committed to encouraging young women to choose the challenge of becoming an entrepreneur.
7) From your experience as a very successful and powerful woman, what is the best way on how you can market your business or yourself?
Make it about the client. Find out what your client needs, then provide solutions to make their life better.
What is the secret to your success?
I am a visionary with a genuine love for people. Persistence and perseverance have brought me where I am today.
8) What quote do you live by and why?
I have two: “Do something that scares you every day” by Eleanor Roosevelt and, “Be kind whenever possible, and it’s always possible to be kind.”
I chose the quote by Eleanor Roosevelt because we cannot grow within our comfort zone. And the second quote because people are our most valuable resource. (The main reason people leave their job is because they do not feel valued
9) What advice can you give female entrepreneurs on the same journey as you who want to achieve the same success?
Success will take longer than you expect. Fully commit to persevere, play full-on and never give up!
10) How do you differentiate yourself from your competitors? What makes you unique?
With age and global experience comes depth of wisdom! I have been a highly sought-after mentor and leadership expert for over forty years and have also honed the art of listening and asking questions.
11) What makes you laugh? What makes you cry? What makes your heart sing?
People make me laugh. I cry if someone in my family or a friend is hurt. My heart sings when I live life on purpose and create significance.
I love what my Mentor, John C. Maxwell says, “Once You have tasted significance, success will never be enough.”
What People Say
When we met 14 years ago, my life as a military wife was just beginning and as an older, independent woman, the adjustment was not always friendly. But your shoulder, wisdom and support helped me better learn how I could still be my own person and follow my path and not just be a ‘dependant‘. You helped me recognize values, skills and experience in myself that I could provide the military community – which I never realized – and went on to become very successful with.
You (Dr. Dorothy) are the one rock of confidence over these years that I can talk with openly and honestly about my dreams, pursuits and desires – and know I may not always get the answers I want, but you give me the whole-hearted truth, which I always need.
You (Dr. Dorothy) are the one rock of confidence over these years that I can talk with openly and honestly about my dreams, pursuits and desires – and know I may not always get the answers I want, but you give me the whole-hearted truth, which I always need.
When we first met, Dr. Dorothy’s program didn’t have a formal name – but the end result is the same. I’m so much happier, my life isn’t out of control anymore and I am confident that my work is not only transportable to wherever he goes, but it’s also meaningful. My relationship with my husband is stronger and more connected too. I am THRILLED that Dr. Dorothy is FINALLY bringing a group of ladies together. I know I’ll be the first in line to get my book signed!
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Awards
National Association of Professional Women & Women in Power
Dr. Dorothy Bonvillain was nominated for an Author Academy award in the Self Help category for her book, Loving Your Life: 7 Steps for Military Wives. Dr. Bonvillain made it as a top ten finalist within the category.
National Association of Professional Women & Women in Power
National Association of Professional Women & Women in Power
National Association of Professional Women & Women in Power
Dr. Dorothy Bonvillain was nominated for an Author Academy award in the Self Help category for her book, Loving Your Life: 7 Steps for Military Wives. Dr. Bonvillain made it as a top ten finalist within the category.
National Association of Professional Women & Women in Power
Publicity and Endorsement
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