Sherryn Gaworecki

April 5, 2025- Baltimore, Md. The WOW – Women of the World Festival in Baltimore was presented by Notre Dame of Maryland University. It celebrates the achievements of women and girls. It also addresses the challenges they face. WOW Baltimore is part of the global WOW movement, which has brought together over five million people across six continents. Featured speakers for the event such as Dominique Dawes, Dr. Gary Barker, India Gary-Martin, and Jude Kelly (Founder of WOW) inspired over 500 women to make great, personal and professional changes.

Although Dr. Gary Barker was the only male speaker at the event, he made an impact with his advice. He spoke on how boys can be raised with kindness and love despite the current culture climate. Mothers, daughters, grandmothers and female leaders can open up communication. They can learn to provide positive affirmations for boys and male coworkers as an educational method to enforce positive reinforcement.

Another great speaker was WOW Baltimore headliner, Dominique Dawes. Dawes is a three-time Olympian, mother, and wife. She is also the owner of a Gymnastics business aimed at ensuring children learn to live happier lives. Most of the leadership takeaways that I received from WOW were derived from Dawes 45-minute panel. She not only shares career highlights but also how personal failures shaped her into the person she is today. Lifelong fans of Dawes were teary-eyed. They were on the edge of their seats. They were inspired to take her advice on living the best life.

Dominique Dawes Advice for Women Leaders

1.) Be Uncomfortable. All great opportunities come from going outside of your comfort zone. Great leaders are uncomfortable every day. Use today to try something different. Dawes shared that she is an introvert who is still nervous about public speaking. She embraces the discomfort and tries her best daily. Now is the time to do what scares you so you can grow into being a leader.

2.) Keep Ego Out the Door. The Magnificent Seven was a strong gymnastics team because everyone kept their ego out the door. Professionally, in the workplace, and in school, there’s a mindset that there aren’t enough opportunities out there for women. The backstabbing, and competition for resources fuels factions within any group. Keep your ego out the door. Support other women. You will not only be able to break the glass ceiling, but also have a successful team.

3.) Be Content. After Dawes had a major blunder in 1996, her career in gymnastics reached its end. She later found happiness with her family, religion, and with future projects that supported her personal mission. Instead of dwelling in the past, she embraced the future and learned to heal from where she was at.

4.) Embrace Failure. Dawes has had many failures and successes. She has found silver linings with going outside of her comfort zone. She also believes that failure shouldn’t define you. You define yourself with your character, integrity, and with who you are as a person.

5.) Follow Your Gut. After Dawes left her career in gymnastics, several mentors and famous celebrities wanted to collaborate with her. As beautiful and as exquisite as some of these stars were, she learned to read the person inside. If Dawes can sense the mentor has a good personality, she would support the collaboration. They must have a mission similar to Dawes. When you meet and network with people, it’s best to connect with those who have good vibes. They should possess great ethics and also support your personal mission in life.

6) Find Balance. Growing up, Dawes had to practice gymnastics early in the morning. She had to study hard in school. Then, she went back to the gym to practice. This routine helped push her into being a stellar athlete but it burnt her out. Now, Dawes balances her life with her family, church, and with work that impacts her. It’s recommended to find balance so you can protect your energy and reduce burnout.

7.) YOU are ENOUGH. Dawes was an olympian in the 90s. She earned a college degree from the University of Maryland College Park in the 2000s. Gold medals, degrees, even fame can fade. All women should learn that they are enough. It’s okay to embrace who you are and to feel that you are enough. People tend to get ambitious and seek accolades to fulfill inner worth. By embracing your worth now, you can change and steer the course of your life with self love.

After this powerful session, I mingled with over 20 vendors. I drew an oil painting of Hawaiian flowers in the Art section. I had compelling interactions with amazing leaders in the Baltimore area. I look forward to attending the next WOW Baltimore festival in the coming years.