The author, speaker, leader, professor, and mom creates an unforgettable experience speaking with leaders about the storms of leadership with insight, knowledge, passion, and most of all, resilience.
It is always surreal to learn about professionals around the world who, instead of working only on achieving their personal goals in life, work toward spreading a wave of positive change in the lives of others. These individuals work tirelessly to ignite positive change, which is why it’s so important to shed more light on the journeys of top voices who leave no stone unturned in empowering others. One such incredible personality is Dr. Donya Ball.
Dr. Donya Ball is a one-of-a-kind keynote speaker who recently was selected to speak at TEDxVisalia, which will be held on September 7, 2024. She is also the author of multiple books including Adjusting the Sails: Weathering the Storms of Administrative Leadership and Against the Wind: Leadership at 36,000 Feet. Through her writing and speaking, Dr. Ball ensures that her audiences expand their leadership knowledge and skills to optimize their impact and face any challenges with courage.
She has dedicated her career to guiding leaders through the storms of leadership with knowledge, insight, passion, and resilience- qualities that today have driven her to become a top leader herself, as well as a speaker who has the experience to empower others. Giving over two decades of her life to her work, her journey was marked by several rejections and transformations; despite the overwhelming challenges she has faced, she chooses to create a profound impact on others’ lives, becoming a prominent figure who loves inspiring and igniting change.
The graduate of Pepperdine University with a Bachelor’s degree in advertising says that while she interned briefly at an ad agency in Venice Beach, she realized that the industry was not going to fulfill her career passions long term. Though she loved the marketing/branding aspect, she was missing out on a burning desire to serve people. This led her to teaching, followed by several years in school and district administration; ultimately serving as superintendent of schools. Working as a leader, she explains, combines service to people and branding—both of which she does extremely well.
During her teaching and early years in leadership, she had three children and earned her master’s and doctorate degrees. After years of working hard to achieve her goals,, Dr. Ball says, “It is also about being able to achieve equilibrium in life and leadership investing in both your family and the people you serve professionally.” Sharing about her struggles, Dr. Donya Ball says that she faced intense career rejection. However, she also mentions that without this rejection, she wouldn’t have authored multiple books, spoken on stages around the country, met different people worldwide who were hungry to learn, and catapulted to achieving her purpose in life: to inspire and empower others.
Speaking to people facing career challenges, Dr. Donya Ball highlights, “You must first determine if your core values align with the organization’s priority. If it doesn’t, you should focus on creating a path for yourself. Initially, it may feel too challenging or even impossible, but that bold step out of your comfort zone will help you achieve unimaginable success and growth in your career.”
She is highly inspired to ignite a fire for success to current and aspiring leaders. As a speaker and leader herself, she often talks about the storms these leaders face daily and normalizes them, ultimately providing audiences with key takeaways on overcoming the most challenging storms. She loves walking alongside aspiring leaders as they chart their course to greater impact.
Dr. Ball believes authenticity and her commitment to creating genuine connections have helped her stand out from the rest in the industry. She serves as a beacon of insight, resilience, and inspiration, helping leaders thrive while guiding them to redefine progress and leave a lasting legacy.
To view Donya’s content or learn more about her, visit her website donyaball.com and follow her Instagram account @dr__d__.
