Today we’d like to introduce you to Dawn Raagas.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
A little over 15 years ago, I was pregnant with our first child. I was working in a corporate position with great potential for advancement as the Director of Ops for a publicly traded company, working towards VP and then COO, but I knew I didn’t want to miss all of the amazing moments that come with being a new Mom. I knew there had to be another way to fulfill my career aspirations while also being a great Mom. My husband and I had a heart-to-heart, and I decided to leave the security of my corporate job and go out on my own. So, when our daughter was about three months old, I gave notice and took the leap. Talk about taking the leap… new mom, new adventure as a solo-preneur and honestly, I didn’t have a clue on how to do either. Let’s add to the mix that we needed my income to continue living the life we were living. So, this wasn’t like going on never-ending maternity leave. This was more like – get ready because you just signed up for two of the hardest jobs ever… being a mom AND starting your own business. What was I thinking?!?!?
Let’s fast forward 15 years, now a Mom of two amazing humans AND a successful businesswoman who proudly never went back to a corporate job, continue to learn every day, tries to be the very best Mom, Wife and Consultant/Coach I can be. All while failing miserably at times, but knowing that’s where the greatest growth happens and knowing that they are NEVER failures unless you quit… only lessons. In retrospect, that’s really why I’m able to have the greatest impact on my clients today. I’ve done something that I don’t think gets talked about a lot… I am a “work from home Mom,” and I’ve been at it for 15 years.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I took on (in my opinion) two of the hardest jobs all at once… being a Mom AND starting my own business. To say there were challenges and obstacles to overcome would be an understatement. I made tons of mistakes both as a Mom and as a new business owner.
I think the biggest mistake I made was, I was extremely hard on myself and thought I could always do more, be more and be better for everyone around me – my husband, my daughter, my clients, my parents, my friends… but somehow I forgot the most important person… me. Now, those were great aspirations (or so I thought), but it’s also ok to be good enough at times. It’s ok to take a moment and know that you’re doing the best you can with the tools you’ve been given and more than likely EVERYONE around you feels that way too. My advice to young women is to be nice to yourself and take care of yourself above all. I know that sounds ridiculous, but I can tell you that the impact it had on me was a lesson I will never forget and if I can impart that on even one other young woman I will be overjoyed. I didn’t put myself first, and it wasn’t until many years later that I realized how that had impacted me. And when I say “take care of yourself” I mean on all levels – emotionally, physically, mentally, spiritually. As the saying goes, “Take care of yourself, because you can’t pour from an empty cup.”
Please tell us about Dawn Raagas.
My corporate background was in business operations and human resources, so the natural transition when I went out on my own was being a consultant to businesses that needed help building their foundational systems and processes. I’ve had great success with that over the years and continue to engage clients looking for help in operations. It’s so exciting to see a startup or even an established company flourish once they have some fundamental systems and processes in place. I’ve had the pleasure of helping start-ups scale to millions in revenue in part due to great foundational systems and processes I’ve helped build. What could be more exciting?
One of the great advantages of working for yourself is that your “job description” gets to evolve and expand as you are presented with new opportunities and develop new skills. Over the last five to six years, I’ve had the opportunity to work with some great individuals and companies that have pushed me to work more on strategy and execution both short-term and long-term objectives. I’ve helped launch digital training platforms and headed up the marketing, pr, and promotion of an animated feature film. I’ve done some amazing things, and the beauty of all of it is that it’s allowed me to create a “treasure chest” of tools and experience that I can then “pay forward” to my new clients. I think the vast amount of experience I have in so many different facets of business sets me apart from others. I think the fact that I’ve done all of this while still being a full-time Mom to both of our kids also sets me apart because you better believe that’s taught me some incredible skills personally and professionally.
I think the work I’m most proud of is the consulting and coaching I’m doing with some rock star working Moms. I’m serving as a consultant to a family of start-up companies all operated by amazing women, AND I’m coaching a handful of incredible young Moms who are learning how to be awesome at both being a Mom and being an industry leader. At the core of what I do and what I’m best at lies in the business expertise and experience I bring to the table as a “work from home, working Mom.”
Do you think there are structural or other barriers impeding the emergence of more female leaders?
The biggest barriers to female leadership generally speaking are:
1. Lack of confidence
2. Trusting their voice
3. Owning their success
4. Perfection Paralysis
5. Lack of Clarity
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dawnraagas.com/
- Phone: 8583828992
- Email: dawn@dawnraagas.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dawnraagas/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dawnraagasbiz/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/dawnraagas
Image Credit:
Clutch Personal Branding (the first few photos with me in the sleeveless black shirt and white background)
Getting in touch: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
