Meet Dawn Shine | Light” Enthusiast & Speaker”

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dawn Shine and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dawn, how do you think about risk?
Just as in the financial world– the greater the risk, the greater the return and conversely, the smaller the risk, the smaller the return. No risk, no return. This principle is beautifully illustrated in the parable of the talents. For me, once I realized this principle would propel me to places that I wanted to go, I was able to let go of many inhibitions and take great risks in many areas– one being launching a non-profit organization in an impoverished community in West Africa.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am the Executive Director of Align Hope International. We are a 501(c)3 organization, dedicated to strengthening communities through women empowerment. We believe that when women are empowered, families and communities are stronger. This organization was birthed from my own struggles as a young, single mother, with little support and even fewer resources. Through those struggles, I saw and learned a lot, and adopted the mantra “each one, reach one,” hoping to reach other young women who found themselves in certain disadvantaged situations, who wanted better, but just needed someone to come along side of them , partnering with them, to show them that they did not have to be “stuck” in the cycle of physical poverty or even an impoverished mindset. Later on, another door opened and we were able to go overseas and impact some communities in West Africa (specifically Ghana and Liberia), partnering with groups there who were already engaged in women empowerment programs. It has not been an easy road– discouragement is one of the biggest, most consistent obstacles: if a client “drops out” of one of our programs, if the expected donations don’t materialize, or volunteers don’t show up, it can take the wind out of your sails! In one moment you’re thinking, “yes, we’re making progress– this is good, ” then the next, you’re asking yourself, “why does it seem things are not working out?” In those moment, I have to go back to my “why,” “Why am I doing this,” “why did I make the sacrifices to get here?” The answer is, this is my life’s mission and calling. That almost always resets my mind, remembering that this, too shall pass.” Lessons learned since starting Align hope: (1) Don’t assume someone’s need, let them express it. Often, cultural biases cause us to see a “need,’ that really is not a need. (2) Step out on faith– people must see fruit to buy-in to you/your organization. In the beginning, I was trying to convince prospective donors that we have a great mission, so that alone would get donations, right? WRONG. It wasn’t until we started actively SHOWING what we were doing (with pictures and testimonies) that we began to get donors excited to give. (3) Pledges don’t necessarily mean funding– this was a hard lesson. In the beginning, every time someone said they would give x amount, I added it and put it in the budget. For the first year, I was pouring most of my personal funds into the organization, just to make sure our projects were funded!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
This is a hard one– I am an introvert/homebody. But, if I were to come out of my shell for a week to show my best friend a good time, we would go to the Aquarium downtown– it has aquatic animals and white tigers, and a few interactive exhibits (like touching certain shell fish). Then we would have lunch at Pappa’s barbecue. We would also go to Miller Outdoor Theater to see whatever show they have lined up that day. Then, we can go to the Houston Zoo/Herman Park, complete with a picnic at the park. Some restaurants where we would go would be: Grace’s on Kirby, China East buffet in Humble, Pappascitos Cantina, Genghis Grill, and Kelley’s Home Cooking.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are SO many people whose love, support, prayers, and encouragement continue to build and push me to achieve my goals. But since I know my space is limited, and the top 3 are pretty standard (God, my mom, and my supportive husband), I want to send a shoutout to my college professor, Dr. Maria Curtis. This woman took to me (and I, her) from day one! We were quite an unlikely pair– she being a Muslim academician, pursuing excellence, and me being a Christian, ill-educated, pursuer of mediocrity! She saw something in me that I did not see in myself! She was my biggest advocate while there and pushed me to go beyond the low limits I had set for myself. Another person that was instrumental in helping to build me is Sharon Jenkins, the “Master Communicator” and “book midwife”– she is an amazing woman who had such a profound impact on me. I met her during a very low time in my life and she took me on a journey to self-(re)discovery, and instilled in me the idea that I CAN DO THIS (not to mention, she helped me “birth” my first “book baby!” Finally, I would like to send a Shoutout to my good friend, Dominique Joy. She is my friend and accountability partner– she will call me out and keep me straight. She will not accept my excuses and does not let me give up. I am truly grateful for her and know that my success is in part because of her persistence– I watch her work her businesses and am instantly inspired to work on an aspect of my own. So, in running my nonprofit, whenever I feel like giving up, I remember the words of all of these influential people and know that “it’s okay, I CAN DO THIS!”

Website: www.alignhope.org

Image Credits
Align Hope International