“Once you’ve tasted significance, success will never be enough.” ~ John C. Maxwell
That statement, made by leadership expert, John C. Maxwell, near the end of a transformational leadership mission trip to Guatemala really had an impact on Dr. Dorothy Bonvillain. She’s been contemplating it ever since and is using it as the foundation for the work she does today.
Dorothy has lived one of the most interesting lives I’ve heard stories from. She’s been a military wife for 50 years, having traveled the world, raised her children, earned her PhD in Leadership & Educational Administration, and built a career that allows her to use her considerable gifts and strengths in a way that’s making a difference in the world.
Today’s conversation begins by touching on an article Dorothy wrote recently describing a particular challenge in today’s world, and especially for military spouses. What do you do when you are alone because your spouse is on some extended deployment, you feel lonely and abandoned, and in the course of your work a member of the opposite sex finds you attractive and propositions you?
In her case, she was working in a shop as a salesperson and men were coming in to purchase gifts for their sweethearts (Valentine’s Day, perhaps?). As Dorothy was helping them make appropriate selections for wives and girlfriends, some of the men took an interest in Dorothy and attempted to seduce her.
Knowing what mattered most to her, Dorothy remained strong and resisted the temptation, but she understood that for many others, the temptation may be too strong, and some would fall. Today, she’s focused on helping military spouses define their core values, which is how one discerns what’s ok and not ok when faced with a choice. She works to help them discover their gifts and interests so they can find fulfilling work or build a business that allows them some sense of consistency and value when their lives are frequently unsettled through relocations and new assignments.
She’s asked herself: “What would I have wanted a Sr. Military person or wife to have told me when I was young and just starting this life?” And as she comes up with the answers to that question, she fills in the blanks and shares the wisdom with those who are now in the shoes she once wore.
Dorothy’s Bio
Dr. Dorothy is a Certified Coach and Founder of Warrior Family Legacy Foundation (WFLF). The mission of WFLF is to Build Families and Create Legacy for military families through Personal Growth & Development, and to connect the philanthropic community to veteran and active-duty families for additional support.
Dr. Bonvillain earned her PhD in Leadership & Educational Administration at American University, Washington, DC. and has continued to invest in herself as a Coach, Author, Speaker, and Entrepreneur. With fifty years of service as the wife of an Army Ranger, Dr. Dorothy has a passion to serve as a ‘Voice of Wisdom’ for our global military community and people who love them.
Her mission is building stronger families and inspire them to go from ‘surviving to thriving.’ In her book, Loving Your Life: 7 Steps for Military Wives, Dorothy offers practical steps in seven key areas of life. Her children’s book, Wally Goes to School, introduces children (age 7-11) to leadership principles and the value of mentorship by parents, grandparents, and teachers.
Dorothy’s experience crosses a broad, global spectrum, in part:
- Television Producer/Host: Access Tucson TV: “Military Wives: Serving Those Who Serve” (2015), “Learning to Live on Purpose” (2013-2014).
- Presenter/Keynote Speaker: Chamber of Commerce Leadership Program, Intercultural Management Institute, American University, ‘Women in Business’ Cochise College, ‘Sisters & Brothers in Arms’, Ft. Huachuca, AZ
- Special Consultant to Minister of Education, Sultanate of Oman: Team Lead and sole American, International Research Team.
- Program Manager: Embassy of Saudi Arabia & National Council on US- Arab Relations, Washington, DC.
- Trainer/Curriculum Developer: General Dynamics Information Technology, Cultural Awareness/Cultural Competence.
- Chief of Partnership: TRADOC Culture Center, ISC Consulting Group.
- High School Principal, Sierra Vista, Arizona.
Dr. Bonvillain’s published work includes: Loving Your Life: 7 Steps for Military Wives; Traditional Handicrafts of Oman; Wally Goes to School; and What’s in Your Wiggle, as well as articles in professional journals. She can be contacted at www.warriorfamilylegacyfoundation.com or dorothybonvillain@gmail.com.
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