192: Navigating Success Even When Life Gets In The Way With Dawn Abbott

Today's Guest: Dawn Abbott Dawn Abbott, CSEP is CEO and Owner of Fun Productions, Inc. which she began with her husband Tim in 1991. They started the business from the ground up and have changed, reinvented, and improved upon both the businesses and life through a huge number of ups and downs, trials, mistakes, and obstacles. Dawn started another entity as a passion project in 2010 and serves as the Owner and Creative Officer of that company as well, Connections Team Building & Training. Dawn served for 2 years as the Western Regional Vice-President for ILEA and has served 6 years on the ILEA Denver Board of Directors. She was inducted into the ILEA Denver Hall of Fame as well as Colorado Meeting and Events Magazine Hall of Fame. Dawn has also served on the Meetings Industry Council Board and on the Denver Small Business Development Center advisory board and The Colorado Meetings and Events magazine Advisory Board. Dawn has grown her small business from a tiny start up out of her home to a multi-office, 15,000 square foot warehouse and showroom with 15 full-time and 100+ part-time employees and multi-million-dollar revenues. Life took a turn in 2013 when the Abbotts had 3 businesses, 18- & 21-year-old sons, and a busy life. The accidental blessing of Dawn’s pregnancy just when their empty nest was right around the corner started some big changes. Three months after Tim & Dawn’s baby was born, the family and community lost Tim in an accident. Dawn was supposed to be slowing down, potentially selling a business, reconnecting with a husband of 25 years while getting used to an empty nest. Instead, she was a widow with an infant, 2 young sons who had lost their Dad, and businesses to run without a partner. She made very intentional and calculated decisions to find her passions, discover her strengths, and start choosing what her life was going to look like. Through the last 9 years Dawn has explored, read, gotten several certifications, joined mastermind groups, and dove deep into self-discovery and p