We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Dawn Lewis. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Dawn below.
Dawn, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
The biggest risk I’ve taken is betting on myself. All my decisions are risky! I am a product of divorce, with my father dying at 29 from AIDS in the 90s. Both my parents only have high school degrees. My father used drugs and drank, while my mother was a young abused single mother with three kids under the age of two. When I was seven, my mother remarried to a man who is now a wonderful father to all of us, but at 19, he was dealing with his own pain. I was relocated from Oklahoma to GA at 15, unknowingly yearning for acceptance. In Atlanta, we embrace a curvier body type, while I, as a proper-spoken black girl, was considered too skinny. My mom relocated me to another school, where, frankly, there were only a handful of black kids, with my brothers and I being three of them. After being teased for years, I dropped out of high school with a few credits remaining and obtained my GED diploma. Man, oh man, I worked regular jobs and knew that wasn’t for me. While doing a preceptorship in junior college, I met an older man who was kind offered me pizza and all the things. Romantical ok… Little did I know at the time, he was an attorney. A few weeks later, I found myself locking my phone in the building, and he would be the one to help me retrieve it after hours. He then asked me out on a date as a thank you for his kind deed. Long story short, we dated, and when my parents, who are currently my best friends, got upset about other things and kicked me out with my clothes in trash bags, I called the attorney. He came and saved my life. We went on to have two kids together. After a fulfilling marriage, going to school, and raising my children, I requested therapy and pleaded that something wasn’t right. I made a dumb decision that resulted in the end of our 10-year relationship. He left me with material items such as a bed, clothes, a couple of dishes, my car, a full tank of gas, and $3.73. I left behind a three-story house with a basketball court and everything you could imagine. He told me I would be back, but that was my ammunition. With my next paycheck and good credit, I got an apartment for me and my kids. However, I later had to abandon it because maggots were crawling under the carpet. After cutting it, I discovered they were on blood in the padding under the carpet. Whoa! I left and purchased my condo, my first piece of property in Buckhead, GA. I continued to pursue education, certifications, and promotions. Five degrees and ten years later, as Dr. Dawn, a woman of God, raising amazing children, I declared myself a single woman dedicated to helping others. God revealed to me that I was ready to be a wife. I had considered myself out because I had the good man, the house, the beautiful healthy kids, and the career. But it was my time to serve. I realized that in my wait and sacrifice, staying true to Him and my purpose, He had prepared me to be a therapist for others, a wife. That’s what He called me to do. But first, He said, write about what you’ve done. I went to Amazon and Google, searching for a guided prayer journal for single women because I thought He meant for me to read something that someone else had written. I didn’t consider myself creative enough to write. After looking through 60 books and reading 1000 reviews, nothing made me put it in my cart. I said, “Now, God!” He told me, “Dawn, I said write.” Being hardheaded, I started on a post-it note and then moved to taking notes on my phone because it was expanding. Then I told my sister that I was writing a book because God told me to. She said, “Okay, I’ll be the editor.” I wrote and wrote and wrote. Then I shared it with a friend, and she said it sounded good. She wanted it done quickly so she could gift it for Christmas. God kept me up endless hours, praying and pouring onto the pages, which eventually became my first self-published book, “Call Me Wife.” Even now, I pray, and God keeps giving me assignments to reveal His way. None of this is my doing; it’s all God. I take risks that involve God and peace. FYI, my parents and I have a phenomenal relationship.We speak daily, and they are amazing parents and grandparents. This is water under the bridge.
Dawn, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I am the Director of Operations at a Trauma Center in Southern California with extensive experience as a healthcare director spanning over a decade. I have a diverse background in Mental Health Leadership, Men’s Health, and surgical centers. I have opened IOP/PHP programs and ASCs for companies across the world. I am also a Professor at a local college. In my spare time, I offer Somatic therapy, Brainspotting therapy, and sound bath meditation for my own clients. My ultimate goal is to assist with holistic healing in the BIPOC community. I believe that the sky is the limit when God is in it! My kids and book are my proudest moments.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
I had to unlearn that I’m undeserving or must have a struggle story to feel blessed. Meaning, I thought that I had to go through something to be blessed, and sometimes that’s just not true. For example, women think that the more they go through it with a man, it’s some symbol of how much they love him… Noooooo, you don’t have to experience cheating, verbal abuse, inconsistency, etc.
Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?
I would say listening, and definitely in white spaces. I work with mainly white men. I learned how to play chess like they do, what to say, and how to use white privilege as a Black woman. I use their code on them. When people show or provide you the code, use it!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: drdawn.life