We were lucky to catch up with Dawn Hall recently and have shared our conversation below.
Dawn , appreciate you joining us today. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?
In October 2023, Dawn Hall and a fellow businesswoman stood in an empty apartment lobby, envisioning a small Women’s Business Expo with around eight participants. Fast forward to January 11, 2024, Dawn attended her first networking meeting in nearly 20 years. Despite her initial reluctance, she knew this was a crucial step for her newly launched business, Shaping Women Naturally Magazine & Events. At this meeting, she hoped to find at least one woman interested in participating in the Expo. To her surprise, several women registered, and by March 24, 2024, the Expo had grown significantly, with 40 women showcasing their businesses and over 120 attendees. This inaugural event laid a strong foundation of support among women entrepreneurs, small business owners, and startups.
Part of the event’s success was due to the Women In Business Magazine, a vibrant, full-color glossy publication filled with ads and workbook pages, reading like a story. Inspired by this success, Dawn revisited the idea of a more intimate setting where eight women could showcase their businesses, collaborate, and leave with actionable steps to expand their ventures. The Women’s Business Mini Expo sent out invitations, and within a few weeks, registration was full. On July 28, 22 women, including speakers and guests, gathered for another event. Dawn’s heart was filled with anticipation and hope that each participant would receive more than they had anticipated.
People often marvel at the success of SWN Mag & Events, especially considering Dawn started with a network of just one and had never organized an expo in her life. Dawn is a lifetime entrepreneur and a meticulous planner, taking her time to prepare before going public with her endeavors. With over 35 years experience as a health and fitness professional, she has launched her own line of supplements, published a fitness handbook, created a botanical skincare line, and more—all thoughtfully planned and executed.
Dawn values quality over quantity and typically collaborates with 1-3 trusted partners to bring her visions to life. She is deeply grateful to the all of the women who, with blind faith, chose to be part of the expo. Their belief in her idea has given her the confidence to continue moving forward with projects and ideas that will continue to help women in business thrive.
She keeps her ideas quietly brewing, which she says helps release the pressure of deadlines. Instead of setting goals, she lives by lifelines and schedules are driven by her heart’s desires. She has learned that rushing or worrying doesn’t change outcomes; instead, her well-being is her number one priority, allowing life to fall into a harmonious rhythm. She even wears a t-shirt that says, “With All My Heart Not My Effort.”
Dawn’s life isn’t necessarily easier than others; she has faced significant losses, including her career, car, health, and home. Yet, she cherishes what she has and values people who respect her. For Dawn, business is about people, not just the business itself. She is a connector, not a networker, and has continued to build deep connections with the women from the March Expo and more since.
The bottom line is that quality comes from careful planning and preparation, sometimes for years, before involving others. Dawn’s approach establishes a stable foundation that others can rely on for their journeys as well.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
As an unmarried mother at 19, Dawn was determined to be present for her son throughout his childhood. With no college or technical training and little interest in pursuing further education, she chose to wait tables at an upscale restaurant. This job allowed her the flexibility to take her son to school and pick him up each day. However, this work schedule eventually became unbalanced, conflicting with Dawn’s creative and physically active nature.
Her passion for fitness led her to the gym, where she enjoyed witnessing the physical and mental benefits of exercise that helped her through some life challenging seasons. She became a certified personal trainer and even participated in fitness competitions. Dawn’s enthusiasm for helping women achieve their ideal weight and reach their fitness goals grew, culminating in the opportunity to own and operate her own ladies gym.
Over time, she felt confined by the gym’s walls and realized she needed to move on to continue growing. Letting go of the gym was the best decision, allowing her to take a few years to focus on herself. By then, her son was 18 and living independently, giving Dawn the chance to rediscover who she was without the daily responsibilities of motherhood.
Dawn found that she was still the same person, continuously planning and preparing for new projects. She realized that a person’s core purpose remains constant, even as their circumstances, appearance, and possessions change. This insight brought her comfort and clarity.
In addition to her expertise in health and fitness she’s a “Lifestyle Coach.” If you are wondering what the difference is between a life coach and lifestyle coach is, a life coach helps a person with a specific area and situation/circumstance such as health & fitness, business, family, or spiritual. A lifestyle coach helps a person in all life areas by teaching one style that fits every situation/circumstance.
Dawn believes in understanding the roles of the people in her life, similar to characters in a movie—whether they are leading, supporting, following, or in the background. Being aware of each person’s role in a relationship creates a healthy atmosphere, allowing decision-making processes to flow naturally as relationships or businesses grow.
Most importantly, before one can understand the roles of others, one must first understand oneself. Once we know who we are, we can position ourselves in a way that ensures everyone is working together for the good of all.
After decades of experiences in both personal and professional realms, Dawn has mastered the art of being mindful of these dynamics, making her approach to relationships and business a seamless and intuitive process.
If someone asked her to define her tagline, she would respond: “Each day, I commit to opening my heart to all women, providing a safe space for them to express themselves freely and leverage their businesses to help others. I am passionate about coaching women and creating opportunities for their businesses to grow and thrive in entrepreneurship, small business, or startups. I achieve this by building a platform for women who seek genuine connection, mutual support, and collective growth.”
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
Pride: I don’t know it all.
Fame: It’s exhausting to be popular.
Fortune: Money doesn’t make one joyful.
Vanity: Short lived and lonely.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
Be faithful to the few that are already following you. Follow them, like their posts, share their posts. Others will see your posts and follow if they are interested. It’s better to have a few quality followers that interact and genuinely like what you are posting than to have 1000’s who aren’t even paying attention.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.shapingwomennaturally.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shapingwomennaturally/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Shaping-Women-Naturally/61550363095383/?mibextid=LQQJ4d
Image Credits
Hallie Keller Photography (Featured Photo)