Today we’d like to introduce you to Dawn Marie Morris.
Hi Dawn Marie, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Corporate training found me more than 15 years ago.
As a recent graduate of Howard University in Washington, DC, with a BBA in Marketing, I was newly married and living in Chicago with my husband and our son. While working in customer service for a major telecommunications company, a man who would later become my training manager walked by my desk and encouraged me to apply for “this job.” At the time, I had no idea what “this job” was, but after reviewing the description, I thought it sounded like an opportunity worth pursuing.
Several interviews later, I landed the position. It was my first role as a Customer Service Trainer—and the rest is “herstory”. I quickly fell in love with training and development. During my time with the company, I was promoted three times in six years within the training division, ultimately serving as the Regional Manager of Recruitment and Training.
Later, I was recruited by Dick’s Sporting Goods to travel the country as a Leadership Trainer, facilitating a wide range of leadership development programs for entry-level and mid-level managers. It was there that my passion for leadership development was solidified.
After several additional corporate leadership and training roles, I answered what I believe was God’s call to “graduate” into entrepreneurship. In 2019, I founded The World Class Training Institute, Inc., with a mission to help leaders and organizations elevate performance, strengthen culture, and achieve world-class results.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Anything without challenges is not worth having. Yes, there have been challenges, but those that have not destroyed me have made me stronger. I am in the midst of pivoting, again, to optimize my offerings and deepen my client relationships. The World Class Training Institute has become a trusted resource for leadership development solutions, and now is the time to expand our partnerships.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
At The World Class Training Institute, we believe leadership development is not an event—it is a strategic advantage.
Organizations invest significant resources in developing leaders, yet too often those investments end with a single workshop, leaving leaders to navigate complex challenges without continued guidance or reinforcement. We exist to change that.
As a strategic leadership development partner, we help organizations build the leadership capacity necessary to create stronger cultures, more confident decision-makers, healthier teams, and sustainable organizational success. Through our comprehensive leadership ecosystem, we provide executive advisory services, leadership academies, organizational consulting, executive coaching, team alignment, communication development, and ongoing leadership reinforcement that transforms learning into lasting behavioral change.
Our approach is built on a simple philosophy: **Leadership must be intentional to be transformational.**
Rather than delivering isolated training events, we partner with organizations to develop leaders over time through customized leadership journeys that align with their mission, culture, and strategic objectives. Whether supporting a newly promoted supervisor, strengthening an executive leadership team, coaching senior executives through complex organizational challenges, or reinforcing leadership growth through our World Class Leadership Alumni Network, our work is designed to produce measurable organizational impact—not just memorable learning experiences.
We proudly serve corporations, airports, public agencies, housing authorities, colleges and universities, healthcare organizations, and nonprofit leaders who understand that strong organizations are built by strong leaders.
At The World Class Training Institute, we don’t simply teach leadership.
We become your trusted leadership development partner—helping your leaders think strategically, communicate intentionally, lead courageously, and create cultures where people and performance thrive.
When your leaders are better, your organization is better.
“When you’re better, we’re better.”
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
The ability to breathe God’s air each day makes me happy. Why? Because each day is a gift, and I am grateful to receive every one of them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.worldclasstraining.net
- Instagram: @worldclasstraininginc on IG
- Facebook: @thewcti on Facebook
- LinkedIn: The World Class Training Institute or Dawn Marie Morris on LinkedIn
- Youtube: @theleaderslounge
