Dreams do come true with a combination of persistence, chutzpah, luck, and networking all rolled together as one.
My wonderful journey of networking started when I joined the Ventura County Professional Women’s Network (VCPWN), in 1997. In 1998 someone at VCPWN suggested that I contact Milt Wright & Associates, Inc., in Chatsworth, CA. They did organizational design and training and development, along the lines of disability awareness, which has always been my focus. Awareness is the first step to eradicating prejudices that people without disabilities have towards people with disabilities.
I figured that the best way to get to know someone at Milt Wright & Associates was to order a book from their catalog. I ordered, ‘The Job Placement ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) Connection.’ After reading through part of the book, I had planned on calling to get to know someone who worked there. Milt Wright & Associates was doing their own marketing, and Lynda Jean Groh called me. After talking on the phone once a week for two months, I invited Lynda Jean to meet me for lunch in Thousand Oaks at a deli, which would be my treat.
I’m glad that Lynda Jean and I developed a close friendship. She has also given me advice on ways of better marketing myself to the public. She has stressed the importance of developing a website, creating a brochure, and having business cards.
In 1999, my website was created. I realized how many people I could reach through the website. No more geographic barriers!
My website, along with my social media sites on both LinkedIn and Facebook (Capable Carol), have helped to add validity to what I have been doing through my motivational speaking and my journalism.
I had found out through having looked at Milt Wright & Associates’ website about a conference that was coming up in Oxnard, CA in early1999: ‘Employees Could Shine.’ I came to the first morning presentation. Then, at lunch, I met Dianne Owens, the Vice President of Curtis & Associates, who was cosponsoring the event. I mentioned to Diana about my disability awareness game idea: ‘Capable Kids Game.’
Diane Owens and I kept in touch over the summer of 1999. She talked about me, my game idea, and my website to Bryan Kuntz, who was the Assistant Director of the Product Department of Curtis & Associates in Nebraska.
In September of 1999, Diane Owens invited me to a breakfast and talk put on by Curtis & Associates in Oxnard, CA. After the keynote talk, I was able to talk with Bryan Kuntz. I gave him a copy of the ‘Capable Kids Game’ questions, and the rules that I had. When I talked to Bryan in mid-October, he said that he was forwarding my game idea material to Dr. Franklin Rubenstein in Connecticut, who was the owner of Franklin Learning Systems. Then, on November 1st, I talked to Franklin on the phone. He said that he was interested in working with me on the further production and the eventual publication of the game.
First, both Franklin and I decided that my initial title of my motivational talks, that started in 1997, ‘Call Me Capable,’ was a better name for the game instead of the, ‘Capable Kids Game,’ since it was inclusive of all ages. We also refined the three categories I already had with open ended questions about different types of disabilities: Emotion; Experience; and, Imagination. We added a fourth category that focused on famous people who had/have disabilities, and various situations, which became the Challenge Cards. And, we worked on putting a board for the game together, too.
I’m proud to say that the Call Me Capable Game ™ was published by three different publishers from 2002-2017! Franklin, who was the initial publisher for 12 years, until he retired, even sold it internationally! Most of the international sales were to England and Canada.
Thus, what a difference networking makes! Continue to network and Hustle with Chutzpah since it does pay off! Dreams do come true!
Contact me at hello@capablecarol.com for more information.