Hometown: St. Petersburg, Fla.
Occupation: Magazine Publisher

Dawna, 37, is the founder and publisher of "Her Sports" magazine, a national women's sports magazine that won a 2004 Charlie Award for "Best New Magazine of the Year." The Southern California native and former Olympic swimming hopeful graduated from UC Berkeley with a B.S. and earned her M.B.A. from UCLA. Before entering the publishing business, Dawna served as Chief Marketing Officer at MarineMax, a $700 million publicly traded marine retail company, where she directed all marketing activities for the company's 60 plus locations. Prior to MarineMax, she served as president and general manager of PR*Nutrition, a $20 million sports nutrition company. Dawna also spent four years as a strategy consultant for Deloitte Consulting and two years as a financial analyst for Morgan Stanley. She currently resides in St. Petersburg with her husband Matt and two dogs, Buffett and Val.

When will you consider yourself "a success?"
To be honest, I'm not sure I'll ever consider myself a "success". I feel I've been successful at a lot of things, but every time I complete a goal I immediately find myself setting new ones. I'm constantly trying to achieve more in business, sports and my personal life. All my friends tell me I'm too hard on myself and that I need to slow down, work fewer hours, travel less, etc. But I'm enjoying what I'm doing and who knows? Maybe one day I will look back and consider my life a success, but for now I'm focusing on that next goal.

How would you describe your leadership style?
I believe you're only as good as your team so I always try to hire the best. I lead by allowing those around me to take responsibility and I try never to micro-manage my team since micro-management hinders talented people. I believe all people are capable of more than they think they're capable of. Giving individuals responsibilities and holding them accountable is what gets results. But the only way this is successful is if the leader checks in on a regular basis, moves the process along if it stalls and gives guidance where needed. I like being a mentor for those who work for me. The biggest reward I can ask for is when someone says to me, "You're the best boss I've had" or "I've learned so much from you".

How do you deal with personal and professional challenges?
I face all challenges head on. By breaking down a challenge into manageable pieces the challenge doesn't seem as daunting. I try and look at every challenge as an opportunity for growth. I know that sounds cliché, but I've found that I've learned something from every challenge especially those that at first seemed unmanageable.

What, in your opinion, is the most important quality to have in order to succeed in life and why?
Drive, determination and passion (OK, I know that's three). There are so many things that can help people to succeed in life - intelligence, contacts, education, etcetera, but if you don't have drive and determination those things really don't matter. You also have to have a passion for what you do. Passion is what motivates me to strive for more and is the thing I most admire about Martha Stewart - her passion for her business.

What's more important: College Education or Real World Experience?
Wow, that's a tough one. Deep down I'm a true believer that a college education is crucial. I have always placed a high value on education. I have a B.S. from UC Berkeley and an MBA from The Anderson Graduate School of Management at UCLA. I've even contemplated going back for a PhD. However, education alone isn't enough, it's still important to experience the real world. Most of the important lessons I've learned have been on the job. I've been a Financial Analyst for Wall Street investment bank, Morgan Stanley, a strategy consultant for Deloitte Consulting, the president of a $20 million sports nutrition company, the Chief Marketing Officer for a $700 million retailer and most recently the President and Publisher of Her Sports magazine. All these "real world" experiences have been invaluable.

Have any previous Apprentice winners motivated or inspired you?
The first two winners, Bill and Kelly, struck me as intelligent, professional business people. Because of my background as a competitive swimmer and triathlete, most of my inspiration comes from athletes - both well known/professional athletes and amateur athletes. I am also constantly motivated and inspired by everyday women who find time to be active. These women are the main reason I started Her Sports magazine.

How do you combine your creativity with your business savvy?
Creativity is often what helps one recognize potential business opportunities but business savvy is what lets one take advantage of these opportunities. People often think creativity and business savvy are mutually exclusive but I think your most successful business people possess both creativity and business savvy. I like to think, like Martha, I'm one of those people.

Faves;
Music: I like all kinds of music but James Taylor, Elton John, Aerosmith, Dave Matthews, Billy Joel, Norah Jones, John Mayer and Jimmy Buffett are among my favorites.
Books: Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
TV: The Apprentice, of course, also Survivor and West Wing, although the only show I watch religiously is The Apprentice. The only other thing I can't miss is the Tour de France every July. I hope to go and ride some of the mountain stages next year just to see if I can make it.
Movies: Prefontaine (the story of distance runner Steve Prefontaine), Chariots of Fire and Sabrina (with Audrey Hepburn). Both Sabrina and Prefontaine have been remade. I only enjoyed the original version not the remake. When I was a kid I watched Grease at least 40 times. I use to know all the words by heart (maybe that's something I shouldn't admit!)