Meet Dante DiBattista

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dante DiBattista.

Hi Dante, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I graduated in the bottom 25% of my high school class, failed out of college my first time around, and was nearly kicked out of school multiple times after that. However, I turned my failures into a transformational experience. Through a dedication to self-awareness and development, I became obsessed with the process and wanted to help repeat it in others.

Later in my college journey, I became a 4x Dean’s list student and an award-winning campus leader. I was in a fraternity in college that was on the brink of closing because we were constantly suspended for our toxic culture and hazing practices. I wanted to be the person who turned the organization around so I took over our new member education process and revolutionized it. Two years after, our chapter was a national award-winning chapter. The executive board of the organization was comprised of young men who went through the program I designed. When asked about how they became such successful leaders, many of them pointed to me and my program.

I realized I had a knack for crafting transformational experiences that cultivated leadership capabilities. I began receiving invitations to travel and tell my story. Leaders who went through my program went on to impact their communities at large. An international exchange student went back to Brazil after joining our fraternity and started an urban leadership project for schools in his city; he called me to design the curriculum for him. I began getting involved in schools around the globe. My passion for education drove me to join Teach For America, which placed me in Orangeburg, South Carolina as a special education teacher. During my second year of teaching, I had 6% of my students in the top 1% of growth across the district. It reinforced my belief that I had a gift for teaching and developing others.

I went on to receive my Master’s in Organizational Leadership from Johns Hopkins University where I conducted research on the school-to-prison pipeline in the state of South Carolina. Now? I develop and coach leaders who transform schools, businesses, and communities.

I share more about my story as it unfolds on my podcast, which is called The Pursuit of Self-Actualization.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road in the slightest. Before I share my struggles I want to acknowledge my privilege. I was blessed with every opportunity you could imagine. I came from a great household in a wonderful community. I had engaged parents who raised me right. I cannot look back and blame anyone or any circumstance for my struggles. I was truly given every chance to succeed and I still failed, miserably.

I always say adversity is advantageous because it takes resistance to develop strength, and it is the truth. However, since I was not born with any I found ways to create them for myself. After I failed school in my freshman year of college, I found myself as a 19-year-old with my mom in a meeting with someone from academic support services to discuss my performance. I realized at that moment how ridiculous that was and how undeserving my mother was of dealing with my nonsense anymore. They said they would let me back into the school but I had to change majors, remain on academic probation, and lose my scholarship. I decided from that moment on that I was moving out of my parents’ house and never going back. I cut myself off from any support from my family and decided it was sink or swim. I wouldn’t ask for help, no matter what. It was time for me to figure it out.

I worked 3 jobs while going to school full-time and still struggled to afford rent and food at times. There was a point in my life when I lost so much weight that my mom was concerned I had a drug problem, but the truth was I couldn’t afford it. That experience is what I needed to wake up and turn things around for myself. That experience is also what made me realize how much I owed to my parents. It also made me realize how important it was for me to give back to communities that don’t resemble the suburban utopia I grew up in.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about your work?
I am now the Principal Consultant for my own company. I offer management consulting, leadership development, and coaching services. I am known for being an inspirational force and change agent for people, companies, and communities. I think what sets me apart is my equal commitment to the well-being of the people I work with as I am the business results. People are my inspiration, and it is felt through every interaction I have with my clients and my audience. If your business or school sees stronger results, but each life isn’t better because I am apart of it, I’m not satisfied. I deliver measurable results because the numbers matter, but I help remind leaders that numbers aren’t the only thing that matters, and I exemplify that through the quality of my service.

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I love the Summerville and greater Charleston area for the weather, the landscape, the entertainment, and the opportunities. The thing I find most unfortunate about our region is the divisiveness of locals vs transplants.

Contact Info:

• Website: dantedibattista.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dantedibattista/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanteDiBattistaLLC/