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Before founding the trio of the same name gymnastics and ninja training academiesDominique Dawes was a standout member of the iconic 1996 “Magnificent Seven” – the first U.S. women’s gymnastics team to win Olympic gold.
During these games, Dawes also won bronze in the floor exercise, becoming the first African-American gymnast to medal in an individual competition. But Dawes, being a competitor, thinks about what could occur. She says she made her biggest sporting mistake while on the court: a slip in front of three billion viewers that cost her the gold. Decades later, Dawes turned this embarrassing experience into an empowering one. “Because of this, I have perseverance today,” she said Entrepreneur. “Whenever I fail in my business endeavors or get rejected, I see it as an opportunity to grow.”
Hard work and perseverance
Dawes’ historic profession began and ended at an exceptionally young age. She took part in her first competition at the age of just six, and competed in the Olympics at the age of 15. At age 24, Dawes was competing in her third and final Olympics and was starting to feel the pressure of rethinking her life after track and field. “It was quite a challenge for me,” he admits. “I had to look long and hard for something that I had the same passion and talent for.”
After pirouetting from television to the Broadway stage, Dawes gravitated toward motivational speaking because of the impact she could have on other people’s lives. Revelations many years of misconduct at US Women’s Gymnastics, she strengthened her resolve to be a force for change. “When all the abuses in gymnastics came to light, I realized I had to be part of the solution,” Dawes says. This commitment to progress inspired her to open up Dominique Dawes Gymnastics and Ninja Academy in 2020, she focused on creating a supportive and nurturing space for young gymnasts.
Learning to be flexible
In November 2019, Dawes posted a photo of herself smiling with her children Instagramshowing its middle split when signing a 10-year lease for its first academy. Little did she know that just 4 months later, a global pandemic would turn the world the wrong way up.
The opening of the academy was imagined to happen in April 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic thwarted these plans. Despite every part, Dawes persevered. Proving she will be flexible in many ways, she pushed the launch to July 2020. “I had a chance to walk away and cut my losses,” Dawes says. “But I know from experience that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”
Jumping over obstacles
The setbacks Dawes faced as a recent business owner during the Covid-19 pandemic were barely more believable than skipping the Olympics and settling for bronze. Small businesses across the country have suffered record losses during the pandemic, with some studies showing business closure rates as high as 1,000 businesses 43%. In July 2020, the same month Dawes opened its first location, Wells Fargo launched the Open for Business Fund aimed at helping small business owners. From 2020 to 2023, the fund provided roughly $420 million to financial institutions and community development nonprofits, helping greater than 336,000 small businesses nationwide.
Although her academy did in a roundabout way profit from the fund, Dawes, a consistent supporter of small businesses, jumped at the opportunity to support the initiative. “I’m glad Wells Fargo stepped in and supported these small businesses to stay open during this most challenging time of their lives,” he says. “Ask yourself how many mom and pop stores did you support growing up? Imagine what a loss it would be to the community if it had to close its doors.”
Maintaining balance
Supporting small businesses is personal to Dawes, who grew up in an “entrepreneurial family.” Both her father and uncle owned and operated garbage collection firms in Takoma Park, Maryland, where they worked long hours every day. Dawes was inspired by seeing relations building their businesses, but he was concerned about how much the work was putting a strain on their personal lives. “Running a business full-time can keep you busy, so it’s also important to make sure you have clear priorities,” Dawes said.
Although he not has to fret about slipping while performing beam exercises, maintaining balance is still crucial to Dawes’ success. When she opened the first academy, Dawes was on site 24/7 putting out fires and helping with coaching. She quickly realized that this was not a sustainable lifestyle, especially for someone who valued family as much as she did. “If I tried to run this business and train full-time, my kids would never see me as a mom,” she says. With his coaching days behind him, Dawes is finding other ways to remain involved in the practice. She has personally interviewed over 100 of her employees and, every time possible, tries to refer to them individually and discuss their needs. Still, there are rare occasions when Dawes emerges as the most overqualified substitute gymnastics coach to ever step on the mat.