Lisa Dixon-Wells on making a difference

To what trait do you attribute your success?

I grew up as an elite competitive swimmer and I truly believe that dedication and persistence are two traits that have carried over into every aspect of my adult life. Getting up at 4:30 a.m. every morning to dive into a cold pool day after day builds some very strong character traits that transfer outside of the pool.

When/where are you most creative?

Unfortunately, the middle of the night is probably when I come up with some of my most creative ideas/plans. It is not unusual for me to be sitting at my computer at 3 a.m. while the world around me sleeps.

How do you overcome a fear of change?

Trust the process. If you’re passionate about what you do and you have surrounded yourself with wonderful people who share in that passion, the process of change will almost always lead you to where you need to go.

What has been your biggest hurdle?

In the past five to 10 years, the word bullying has become so overused and misused that it has actually caused a massive disservice to those who are being truly bullied and those who are trying to help. We have adults as well as children who are defining every conflict as bullying and, as a result, society is tired of talking about it.

Who is your hero?

My heroes are made up of the thousands of kids who come to school each day knowing that they will be laughed at, ridiculed and excluded, yet they show up anyway. My heroes are those kids and adults who step up and confront the bullies, when no one else seems willing to do so.

What’s next for you?

I want to just keep doing exactly what I’m doing, but train more Dare to Care facilitators so we can expand our reach.