What if the biggest thing standing between you and your goals isn't your circumstances, but your fear of taking the first step? This is a reflection on faith, resilience, and why choosing your character is more important than choosing your career.
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Influential Woman · Sales and Marketing
Victoria Carter Dunagan
Community Relations Director, Holston Senior Living
Wytheville, VA 24382
7Years experience
1Article published
4Awards received
Her Story
About Victoria
Victoria "Tori" Dunagan is a Community Relations Director, marketing strategist, and communications professional based in Wytheville, Virginia. Her career spans healthcare, hospitality, nonprofit leadership, public relations, digital marketing, and business development, with a passion for helping organizations grow through authentic relationships and effective communication.
As Community Relations Director at Holston Senior Living, Tori leads admissions, community outreach, marketing, and healthcare partner relations, guiding prospective residents and their families through the senior living process with compassion, transparency, and personalized support. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Communication from Old Dominion University, graduating summa cum laude.
Throughout her career, Tori has developed successful branding initiatives, digital marketing strategies, public relations campaigns, websites, email marketing programs, and community events that have increased visibility, engagement, and revenue. Her experience spans both corporate and nonprofit organizations, giving her a well-rounded perspective on building brands that resonate with the communities they serve.
In addition to her full-time role, Tori offers freelance and contract marketing services for businesses and nonprofit organizations, specializing in branding, graphic design, digital marketing, public relations, website content, and strategic communications. She is also the creator of Tori Talks Marketing, a free educational platform that provides practical marketing insights and resources for entrepreneurs and small businesses.
Known for her relationship-driven leadership style, Tori believes the strongest organizations are built on trust, integrity, and genuine human connection. Whether supporting families through important life transitions, leading community outreach initiatives, or helping organizations tell their stories more effectively, she is committed to making a meaningful impact through communication, service, and leadership.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Victoria
01What do you attribute your success to?
My success comes from a combination of resilience, determination, and the people who matter most to me. I'm incredibly stubborn in the best possible way; I don't give up when things get difficult. More than anything, though, I'm motivated by my family, especially my 10-year-old son. I strive to be the kind of woman I hope he grows up respecting and the kind of example that teaches him how to value, encourage, and support strong, compassionate women.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Success isn't about being the smartest person in the room; it's about being someone others trust. Invest in relationships, keep learning, and let your work speak louder than your title.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Remember that you can't control other people; you can only control yourself. If you rely too much on others for your success, it's going to take a lot longer. Focus on what you can do every day to improve, work hard, and create opportunities for yourself.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
In my current role, one of the biggest challenges is balancing shifting priorities. Of course, my goal is to bring new residents into our community, but I'm also working in a place where real people need care and support every day. Sometimes that means putting immediate resident or family needs ahead of everything else. Learning how to balance business growth with compassionate service is both the biggest challenge and the greatest opportunity in senior living.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
My Christian faith is the foundation of everything I do. I believe God has opened doors throughout my life and career, and I strive to honor Him by serving others with integrity, compassion, and excellence. My family is my greatest motivation, and I want my life and work to reflect the values I hope to pass on to my son: faith, kindness, perseverance, and a genuine desire to help others.
Her Content Hub
Articles by Victoria
Don't Wait Until You Feel Ready
Finding purpose through faith, perseverance, and the courage to take the next step.
If there's one lesson my life has taught me, it's "don't wait for perfect circumstances before you start moving."
For a long time, I believed everyone else had some kind of roadmap that I had missed. School was difficult for me. I barely graduated high school. I was living with undiagnosed ADHD. At the time, I didn't know why I struggled. I just knew I had to work twice as hard to accomplish things that seemed to come naturally to everyone else. So I just assumed I wasn't very smart.
It would have been easy to decide that school just wasn't for me and that my circumstances determined my future.
Instead, I kept searching.
I didn't have all the resources I needed at first, so I found them. I asked questions. I watched videos. I sought mentors. I experimented with different ways of learning until I found what worked for me. Eventually, I earned my bachelor's degree in Communication from Old Dominion University, graduating with honors.
That journey taught me something I'll never forget.
The obstacle wasn't the end of my story.
The question is, "What am I going to do next?"
Life will always give us reasons to quit. Sometimes those reasons are real. We experience setbacks, loss, illness, financial struggles, self-doubt, or circumstances outside our control. We don't get to choose every obstacle we face, but we do get to choose our response.
The question isn't, "Is this difficult?"
The question is, "What am I going to do next?"
I've learned not to let fear make my decisions for me. So many people stay exactly where they are because they're afraid of making the wrong choice. They wait for certainty before taking the next step.
The truth is, certainty rarely comes first.
Action comes first.
You don't build confidence by thinking about what you could do someday. You build confidence by taking one step, learning from it, and taking another. Every success, every failure, and every unexpected detour teaches you something valuable if you're willing to pay attention.
My Christian faith has played a tremendous role in that perspective. I believe God gives each of us unique gifts, opportunities, and a purpose. That doesn't mean the path will always be easy. It means we can trust that even the difficult seasons are shaping us into the people we're meant to become.
Purpose matters.
One of the best decisions I ever made was to stop asking, "What career should I have?" and start asking, "Who do I want to become?"
That question changed everything.
- If I want to become someone known for integrity, then I need to make honest decisions.
- If I want to become someone known for compassion, then I need to serve others well.
- If I want to become someone known for leadership, then I need to continue learning, even when it's uncomfortable.
Your career should support your values, not define them.
Job titles will change. Industries will evolve. Opportunities will come and go. But your character is something you carry into every room you enter.
Trust yourself enough to take the next step.
Trust God enough to believe He can use both your victories and your mistakes for good.
And don't spend your Don't Wait for Perfect Circumstances
If there's one lesson my life has taught me, it's this: don't wait for perfect circumstances before you start moving.
For a long time, I believed everyone else had some kind of roadmap that I had somehow missed.
School was difficult for me. I barely graduated from high school. I was living with undiagnosed ADHD, although I didn't know it at the time. I just knew I had to work twice as hard to accomplish things that seemed to come naturally to everyone else. As a result, I assumed I simply wasn't very smart.
It would have been easy to decide that school just wasn't for me-that my circumstances would determine my future.
Instead, I kept searching.
I didn't have all the resources I needed at first, so I found them. I asked questions. I watched videos. I sought out mentors. I experimented with different ways of learning until I discovered what worked best for me.
Eventually, I earned my bachelor's degree in Communication from Old Dominion University, graduating with honors.
That journey taught me something I'll never forget:
The obstacle wasn't the end of my story.
The Question Is: "What Am I Going to Do Next?"
Life will always give us reasons to quit. Sometimes those reasons are real. We experience setbacks, loss, illness, financial struggles, self-doubt, and circumstances beyond our control.
We don't get to choose every obstacle we face, but we do get to choose how we respond.
The question isn't, "Is this difficult?"
The question is, "What am I going to do next?"
I've learned not to let fear make my decisions for me.
So many people stay exactly where they are because they're afraid of making the wrong choice. They wait for certainty before taking the next step.
The truth is, certainty rarely comes first.
Action comes first.
You don't build confidence by thinking about what you might do someday. You build confidence by taking one step, learning from it, and then taking another. Every success, every failure, and every unexpected detour has something to teach you-if you're willing to pay attention.
My Christian faith has played a tremendous role in shaping that perspective.
I believe God gives each of us unique gifts, opportunities, and a purpose. That doesn't mean the path will always be easy. It means we can trust that even the difficult seasons are shaping us into the people we're meant to become.
Purpose Matters
One of the best decisions I ever made was to stop asking, "What career should I have?" and start asking, "Who do I want to become?"
That question changed everything.
- If I want to become someone known for integrity, I need to make honest decisions.
- If I want to become someone known for compassion, I need to serve others well.
- If I want to become someone known for leadership, I need to keep learning-even when it's uncomfortable.
Your career should support your values, not define them.
Job titles will change. Industries will evolve. Opportunities will come and go.
But your character is something you carry into every room you enter.
Trust yourself enough to take the next step.
Trust God enough to believe He can use both your victories and your mistakes for good.
And don't spend your life waiting for permission to become the person you're capable of being.
Your Story Isn't Finished
Someone reading this today may feel like they're already behind.
Maybe life hasn't gone according to plan.
Maybe you've convinced yourself you're too old, too inexperienced, too overwhelmed, or too different to succeed.
I hope you'll challenge that thought.
Your story isn't finished.
The obstacles in front of you don't have to define your life.
Instead, they can become the very reason your story inspires someone else.
Keep moving forward.
You don't have to know every step.
You simply have to be willing to take the next one.life waiting for permission to become the person you're capable of being.
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