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Dawn Airhart Witte on Motherhood, Service & the Secrets of Being

Dawn Airhart Witte on Motherhood, Service & the Secrets of Being

1. The Mantra as a Compass: Your guiding mantra is “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” Dawn, how did your role as a mother specifically shape what that “change” looked like, and how does it continue to influence the strategic direction of the Desire to Inspire Foundation?
I believe that every person has value and everyone deserves to feel seen, loved, and valued just because they exist. I love Gandhi’s quote, “Be the change you wish to see in the world,” because I have always felt that if we see something in the world that we dislike, we have the power to do something about it. We may not be able to eradicate hunger for everyone or provide clean water to all, but we can do something that helps.
Being a mom is the greatest gift I could have ever received. Raising my daughters taught me what unconditional love feels like, and it taught me so much about life and myself. My children were and still are my greatest teachers, and I am so grateful for them. The love that I have for my girls is at the heart of everything I do. Whether it is through my foundation, my podcast, or my books, I want to add more love to this world, and I want every soul to live into their highest potential, feeling seen, loved, and valued.
As far as a strategic direction, I look to the communities where I work to tell me what their most pressing needs are. Some need clean water, others need money for shelter, food, medical treatment, and I help with those things. Most of all, I want to offer love.

2. The Transformative Journey: You embarked on a solo trip to Ghana after your daughters left for college. Beyond the profound humanitarian work, what was the most significant personal “secret” or truth you uncovered about yourself during that period of solitude and service?
I was a stay-at-home mom until my daughters were in college. I volunteered in their classrooms and held positions in the PTA and National Charity League. When my daughters were in school, I became a Big Sister and a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for children in the Los Angeles foster care system. I have always felt strongly called to help children. No matter how much I did and how many lives I touched, I did not see any value in what I had to offer the world. Going to Ghana that first time showed me that I did have value and I had much to offer the world. That was the first time I was just Dawn. I was not someone’s wife or mother; I was simply me, and that experience helped me see the value in myself. I used to judge myself because I did not graduate from college, and I did not have a profession or title. I do not judge others for those things, but I did not show myself the same grace I show others. I think the biggest “secret of being” that I discovered is that none of those things I did not have did not mattered. I learned that the word “vocation” comes from the Latin word “Vocari” which means your calling. A calling to change people’s lives is the best calling I could have.

3. Bridging the Global and the Personal: Your work spans from drilling boreholes in Ghana to writing children’s books. How do you see the connection between fulfilling a basic human need like clean water and the inner work of personal development and self-acceptance? Are they two sides of the same coin?

I believe that they are two sides of the same coin. I did not go to Africa with the idea of drilling boreholes, but when I saw the need, I had to help. Parents need to address their children’s needs while also loving them and planting the seeds in the young minds of their worth and their value. Everything I do comes from that profound love of a mother.

4. The Voice of “Be…”: Your “Be…” book series, including the award-winning collection and the children’s version, uses a powerful, simple verb. Why is this format so effective for conveying profound truths to both adults and children, and which “Be” word do you find yourself returning to most often in your own life?
The evolution of “Be” did not happen overnight. I had written some thoughts about things that I really wanted my daughters to know about life, like the importance of love and kindness. I wanted them to be their most genuine selves because they are perfect just because they are them. I wanted them to remember to be strong because life can be hard sometimes. I wanted to remind them to be inspired because that is what lifts us up when the world feels heavy. I wanted them to understand the importance of being grateful for all that they have because there are so many people in the world who have very little, and I truly want them to live happy lives because life is a gift.
After I had all of these quotes written and was trying to come up with a title for the book and I thought of “The Seven Deadly Sins.” Instead of writing about seven things not to be, I decided to organize them into seven words that we could all choose to be, and that is how I came up with the title, “Be…” I use the three ellipses to symbolize a world full of infinite possibilities.

5. Curating Conversations: On your show, “The Secrets of Being,” you engage with thought leaders. What is the common thread you seek in your guests, the essential quality or perspective that you believe holds a key to helping people overcome life’s challenges?
I named my podcast “The Secrets of Being” because we have all had those “aha” moments in our lives where we think, “I wish I had known that,” or “I will never be able to look at things in the same way again.” Sometimes it is a quote that we read, or a reel that we watch on social media. Sometimes it comes from being a parent or just being a human. I did not set out to have a podcast of my own, but was encouraged by some friends who believed in me and wanted me to share the things I have learned on my journey. I love getting to meet people from all over the world doing some truly extraordinary work who have some incredible “nuggets” or “secrets” of being to share. The common thread that all of my guests have is that they want to make the world a better place. They want people to understand that life is a beautiful gift, and while there are going to be moments that crush our hearts, they want to share ways to help anyone anywhere live their happiest lives full of purpose, love, and happiness.

6. The Honor of Service: You’ve been recognized with prestigious awards, including the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award. While humbling, how do you hope these accolades serve not just as recognition of your past work, but as a beacon to inspire others to embark on their own paths of service?
The awards I have received have been great honors for me. They always take me by surprise because I am just doing the work that fills my soul. My greatest “awards” are the messages I receive from the children whose lives I have touched. There is a quote that I love by Ralph Waldo Emerson that says,
“ To laugh often and love much;
To win the respect of intelligent persons
And the affection of children;
To earn the approbation of honest critics
And had to endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty;
To find the best in others;
To give of one’s self;
To leave the world a little better,
Whether by a healthy child,
A garden patch
Or a redeemed social condition;
To have played and laughed with enthusiasm
And sung with exultation;
To know that even one life has breathed easier
Because you have lived
This is to have succeeded.”

This, too, is my definition of success!

7. The Next Chapter of Being: Having built foundations, authored books, and created communities, what does the next “Secret of Being” you wish to explore or embody look like? What new frontier, either internally or in the world, is calling to you now?

So many fun and exciting things are on the horizon for me. I am working on my next children’s book called “I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Do.” It is inspired by the love I feel for my grandson. My podcast is growing, and I look forward to many more uplifting and inspiring conversations with my amazing guests. And last but not least, “The next frontier for me is one of deeper empowerment, dignity, and shared possibility. Over the years, my work has naturally expanded from meeting essential needs—like clean water, safe shelter, and nourishment—to creating opportunities for people to express their gifts and build lives of meaning and purpose. That evolution is now taking shape through a new initiative I’m launching called the Ubuntu Creators Circle.

This program is rooted in one of my deepest beliefs: every soul carries a gift, and when we lift one another, we all rise. Instead of relying on ongoing donations, the Ubuntu Creators Circle provides a pathway for talented young people—especially those in underserved communities—to earn income through their creativity. They will receive support, mentorship, and skill-building opportunities, and they’ll be paid for the artwork, designs, and contributions they create. Their talents will be showcased through my Be Line store, and they will earn commissions on every sale. In this way, we move from a model of charity to a model of empowerment—one that honors dignity and sparks sustainable change.

This is the ‘next secret of being’ I feel called to embody: being a guardian and nurturer of the gifts within others, helping people discover their own brilliance and build lives that reflect their potential. As this circle grows, I hope to expand it beyond art and design into other creative and vocational fields—writing, craftsmanship, digital skills, storytelling, and any offering that helps someone cultivate a meaningful livelihood.

Ultimately, I envision this becoming a global movement where people from all backgrounds rise together, sharing their talents, lifting their communities, and learning from one another. That’s the heart of Ubuntu: I am because we are. And that is the chapter I’m stepping into now—one filled with hope, empowerment, and the belief that when one person thrives, we all thrive.