Over the last year, Glenda Watson Hyatt and I have become virtual friends. Due to oxygen deprivation at birth, Glenda has cerebral palsy and she is an inspiring living example of positivity in action. We got the chance to meet this last October at an industry conference, and I can now confirm with certainty—Glenda knows how to light up a room both in person and with the written word
Read on as we discuss blogging, viral marketing, entrepreneurialism, and the gifts life gives us.
Q: Glenda, many people have large obstacles to overcome. Some people let the obstacles stop them in their tracks. Others turn them into an opportunity: “they live their lives as a lesson, not as a warning.” Like you!
What are some of the core beliefs you have about who you are as a person that has enabled you to transform your challenges into gifts?
A: Wow, that is a great question! Not one I had considered before. I believe I am of value and have something to contribute to society; the challenge is finding an effective way to contribute. I am a positive person, meaning that I focus on what I do have rather than on what I don’t have or on what I can’t do. I am determined and ambitious; I am not content to sit back and let life pass me by. Life is too precious and there are too many opportunities to sit on life’s sidelines.
Q: What inspired you to make the decision to become an entrepreneur?
A: Actually, it was a decision based on necessity. I wasn’t having any luck finding employment; I had no doubt it was due to my disability, but I couldn’t prove it. After all, that is discrimination, which is illegal! My next option was self-employment. I had been interested in heading in that direction and, with no jobs on the horizon, I took a leap, enrolled in a Self-Employment Program and haven’t looked back.
Q: What are some of your tips and tricks for staying inspired and motivated when things don’t go the way you planned?
A: Between having a physical disability and being an entrepreneur, the unexpected often comes up and plans go awry. I find being flexible helps and not getting upset if plans don’t go as I had wanted; although, sometimes that is easier said done. Quick thinking and creative problem solving can a sometimes salvage a plan or make plan B better than plan A. In the end, I keep my key or core goal and focus on how I can get there. When plans really get derailed, I take a break, replenish my motivation, for example by listening to Rod Stewart’s “Never Give Up On a Dream,” and then I kick butt to get the job done.
PREVIOUS PAGE
