When we talk about representation, too often the spotlight falls on the people standing in front of the camera. Designers. Models. Influencers. Creators.
They’re absolutely important.
But the plus size community is powered by so many more brilliant women whose work happens behind the scenes, inside boardrooms, marketing departments, nonprofits, creative agencies, startups, classrooms, and corner offices.
Because representation isn’t just about seeing yourself on a runway.
It’s about seeing yourself leading the meeting.
Launching the campaign.
Running the company.
Designing the vision.
Making the decisions.
That’s exactly why our Curvy Boss Spotlight series exists.
We believe every plus size professional deserves to see what’s possible. Because when one woman owns her seat at the table, she quietly gives another woman permission to pull up a chair.
This month, we’re introducing you to MaDonna Awotwi, Marketing Director for Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Central PA, self taught graphic designer, entrepreneur, and a woman whose story is rooted in resilience, creativity, and choosing purpose every single day.
Creativity Wasn’t Just a Skill. It Was a Calling.
Some people discover their career through school.
MaDonna Awotwi built hers through curiosity.
While her professional background is rooted in communications and marketing, graphic design became something much more personal.
Completely self taught.
She simply followed the creative spark.
“I’ve always been creative, and over time I leaned into that and taught myself how to turn ideas into something visual and meaningful.”
That willingness to teach herself opened doors she never imagined.
Today, one of her favorite parts of her work isn’t simply making things beautiful. It’s helping businesses finally see themselves.
“There’s something really special about helping brands, especially small businesses, bring their vision to life.”
For MaDonna, design isn’t decoration.
It’s storytelling.
It’s strategy.
It’s helping someone else’s dream become something people can actually see.
And honestly? That’s pretty magical.
The 5 A.M. Routine Behind the Creativity
Creativity may look effortless from the outside.
Behind the scenes?
It’s discipline.
MaDonna begins most mornings long before the rest of the world is awake.
Her alarm rings at 5 a.m.
The first stop?
The gym.
That routine isn’t about checking off another wellness trend. It’s about creating intention before the rest of life starts demanding her attention.
“That routine has become a huge part of how I stay focused and intentional.”
From there, she reviews her goals, prioritizes her day, and then dives into everything from brand strategy to visual design and creative problem solving.
She describes her workspace as both grounding and inspiring.
No two days look alike.
But every day begins with purpose.
When You Don’t See Yourself, You Start Questioning Yourself
Representation isn’t simply about visibility.
It’s about belonging.
As a woman, a plus size woman, and a single mother working in creative leadership, MaDonna Awotwi understands what it feels like to wonder whether you belong in spaces where you rarely see anyone who looks like you.
“There were many moments where I questioned whether I belonged because I didn’t often see people who looked like me taking up space in this field.”
Those moments created something many women know all too well.
The quiet voice asking whether you’ve actually earned your seat.
But over time, she realized something incredibly powerful.
The very experiences she once questioned became the reason her work connects so deeply with others.
“My perspective and experiences are actually some of my greatest strengths.”
For MaDonna, representation isn’t simply seeing someone who resembles you.
It’s seeing proof that possibility exists.
“Creativity, leadership, and success are not reserved for one type of person.”
That’s the kind of reminder we all need.
Fashion Has Always Been Part of Her Confidence Story
Let’s be honest.
We’ve all had that outfit.
The one that somehow changes everything.
MaDonna laughs knowing that some of her strongest style moments happened during seasons when confidence wasn’t exactly overflowing.
Yet somehow…
The outfit helped first.
“When I put on an outfit that I love, something shifts.”
She doesn’t believe confidence magically appears before action.
Sometimes confidence arrives because you intentionally choose the things that reconnect you with yourself.
For her, that means honoring herself through fashion, wellness, creativity, and daily routines.
“Confidence comes from honoring the things that make me feel most like myself.”
We couldn’t agree more.
Turning Grief Into Purpose
One of the most moving parts of MaDonna Awotwi’s story is how she transformed unimaginable loss into something that continues to inspire other people.
She shares openly about losing her son at just 13 years old.
She also lost her mother four years ago.
Experiences that forever changed her perspective.
Instead of allowing grief to define her future, she made a conscious decision.
Choose joy.
Choose purpose.
Choose gratitude.
Every single day.
“Life is precious, and we should not wait for the ‘perfect’ time to pursue the things that set our souls on fire.”
That philosophy inspired her annual vision board workshops, where she encourages others to dream bigger than their current circumstances.
Her message is beautifully simple.
Your situation is not your ceiling.
“We can always go back to being ordinary, and ordinary will still be waiting for us when we’re done doing extraordinary things.”
Goosebumps.
Stop Waiting for Permission
If MaDonna could offer one career lesson, it would be this:
Stop waiting.
Seriously.
Stop waiting for permission.
Stop waiting until you know everything.
Stop waiting until you’re fearless.
She draws inspiration from Steve Harvey’s famous analogy about jumping out of the airplane and trusting the parachute to open.
“The space between the life you have and the life you dream about often comes down to that moment of stepping out of the plane.”
She believes growth happens in motion.
Not perfection.
Not certainty.
Motion.
“Your perspective, your experiences, and your story are what make your work unique.”
That sentence deserves to live on a sticky note somewhere.
Her Style Rule? Wear The Outfit.
When it comes to professional style, MaDonna refuses to play by outdated rules about what plus size women “should” wear.
Her answer?
Wear what makes you happy.
Mix prints.
Wear color.
Try the pattern.
Ignore the unnecessary rules.
Apparently, her brother has lovingly called her “polka dots and stripes” for years.
Honestly?
That’s iconic.
“The best style hack I can share is to love your body, dress your body, and make no apologies for it.”
Read that again.
Then wear the outfit you’ve been saving.
A Perfume Collection Worth Talking About
Every Curvy Boss has something delightfully unexpected.
For MaDonna Awotwi?
Perfume.
Lots of perfume.
When asked how she celebrates wins, she admitted her love language is gifts.
And that little celebration often comes in the form of adding another fragrance to her collection.
How many bottles?
Around 200.
Yes.
Two hundred.
Each fragrance becomes a tiny celebration of another milestone, another lesson, another victory earned.
Honestly?
We support the dedication.
Three Dinner Guests That Say Everything
If she could host dinner with anyone, living or gone, her guest list would include:
- Maya Angelou
- Tupac Shakur
- Frida Kahlo
It’s a trio that perfectly reflects who she is.
Wisdom.
Storytelling.
Art.
Resilience.
Each transformed personal experience into something that changed culture.
It’s easy to understand why their influence continues to inspire MaDonna’s own creative journey.
The Curvy Boss Takeaway
If we had to describe MaDonna Awotwi in one sentence, it would be this:
She reminds us that purpose isn’t found after confidence arrives.
Purpose creates confidence.
Whether she’s helping brands discover their voice, encouraging others through vision board workshops, or reminding plus size women to wear exactly what they love, she leads with authenticity.
And perhaps that’s the greatest lesson of all.
You don’t have to become someone else to make an impact.
You simply have to become more yourself.
Because the world doesn’t need another copy.
It needs your perspective.
Your creativity.
Your story.
And yes…
Your seat at the table.
Want to Be Featured?
Are you a plus size professional making waves in your industry? We’d love to celebrate your journey through our Curvy Boss Spotlight series.
Are you a plus size model, content creator, or influencer? Don’t worry, we’ve got dedicated spotlight features for you, too.
Because representation matters in every corner of our community, and your story just might inspire the next woman to take up space.
Stay tuned for our next spotlight, and if you’re ready to share your journey, we’d love to hear from you.
