I was born in Muskegon Michigan, just a few miles from Lake Michigan and am the 4th of 5 children. My parents set the bar for each of us in our lives ahead! Dad who was a Navy veteran, worked for the State Highway Department, did all of our cooking, mom also a Navy veteran, went out of the home to work (even when child care cost more than she was making!) she loved yard work, gardening, sewing and hand making all gifts for friends and family! From the earliest of age my mom would tell me – “Don’t follow the crowd! Dare to Be Different”. In both high school and college, I was an art major. I started my first business “Dee’s Designs” at age 14, making crocheted scarves, purses, and hats. Next came molding plaster casts of MY hands, selling them to jewelry stores for their display cases. Class clown of my high school graduating class of 643 seniors, I’ve always had an adventurous and courageous view of my surroundings and whimsical approach to my future. Imagine if you would, your phone ringing, and someone asking, “Have you ever thought about joining the military? “ “Well, NO I said!” but soon after I found myself at the recruiter’s office, and after hearing about all the opportunities, signed up! I had never been more then 90 miles from home. It would set the course for my life ahead! Basic Training at Ft. Jackson, S.C., then to Mannheim Germany where I was due to spend only 11 months. I remained there for 2-1/2 years! Selected to be part of a 7-person team, we were tasked with putting in the first “computer” system for the US Army. The system was called SIDPERS which tracked and stored the location and personal records of all troops throughout Europe.
When I finished my commitment to the US Army, I had reached the rank of Specialist 5th class and was working in a TOP SECRET office, overseeing the records of over 7500 soldiers stationed throughout Europe. I had several life-changing, character-shaping moments in this job. I was a good soldier. Obeyed orders and followed instructions, UNTIL I was asked to carry out an unethical and trust destroying order from the person to whom I reported. Ultimately, this led to my being involved in a JAG (Judge Advocate General) “sting” helping to bring this person to justice – which was Ft. Leavenworth military prison in Kansas. It would take me nearly 15 years to feel I could trust the people I worked with and reported to. Through this period I determined my life work be focused on equipping people in organizations to be empowered and successful.
After the military, I moved to a little town in Maryland, where I took a job teaching remedial reading and writing to Vietnam refugees. I enjoyed that. So exciting for me to see people “get IT!” I was riding a bike to and from work (had no car), and then, along came winter….the worst snow of the century! I decided it was time to go SOUTH! I took my little bit of saved money, rented a U-Haul, packed it up with my belongings and off I went. This is where my real career begins. When I arrived in ORLANDO, FLORIDA, I knew no one, but remembered a friend whose grandparents lived there. I stopped at a phone booth (remember those?) called them, and they said, “stay with us until you get settled”, they didn’t even know me…but they played a BIG part in helping me trust again. The next 7 days were a whirlwind. They took me to Disney World “to play” and while there, I asked a Cast Member where to go to apply for a job. They took me to the Disney employment trailer and waited 7 hours for me to go through the interview process- I got the job! Next, they co-signed for a car and an apartment. I would stay with Disney for 20 years, growing from an entry level Cast Member to an executive level – holding jobs in Parks operations, the resorts, and then Human Resources where I held key training roles in several new parks and resorts in Florida and around the world. Next, I was selected to be one of 10 internal behavioral coaches to Disney’s top 800 executives through a culture revitalization – Performance Excellence. Disney provided extensive training and certifications throughout my career. My sunset job with the Disney organization was as a member of a newly formed department – Organization Development–where I worked side-by-side with executives and their teams, including Disney Entertainment, Security, Transportation, Laundry Facilities, and Human Resources. I had reached a position where I was reporting to the President and began to feel I needed to spread my wings (as my mother would say many times…spread your wings and fly!) I decided to leave the Disney organization and start my own consultancy. I had no real plan but enormous courage and KNEW I would be fine. And I was. Daring to be different!
Within the first year of being on my own, I was building a strong clientele base, working with healthcare, education institutions, and non-profits, with a focus of building efficient and effective processes, as well as focusing on trust and communication throughout those organizations. As a consultant, one lesson I learned early was business will ebb and flow. So, I used the “ebb” moments to pursue a new skill. A dog lover my entire life. I became a dog groomer; a skill that served me well over time. When the tragedy of September 11th and the 2008 financial crisis impacted our nation in so many ways, seemed NO BUSINESSES were investing in internal training, they were simply trying to stay afloat. My consultant business slowed to a trickle…but GROOMING started BOOMING…my claim to fame in the grooming business was “I come to you – so your dog is in their own surroundings when I groom them!” I built a strong base. Then was contacted by the external training arm of Disney – the Disney Institute. They contracted me to deliver training for them around the world. Simultaneously, my consultancy was rebuilding and grooming slowed to a trickle (through my choice). I travelled everywhere delivering Disney training to companies large and small, speaking at conferences, and in 2016 received the Speaker of the Year award from the Greater New York MPI Organization. Such an honor to be recognized for years of effort and change making! When Covid hit the world – everything again came to a halt! I was in the process of buying a retirement home in my hometown of Muskegon and suddenly found it would be a permanent change! I sold my home in Florida, where I had lived for 45 years, and made the move. I now live 1 mile from beautiful Lake Michigan and continue to deliver to my own clients, as well as partnering with other consultants on delivering meaningful and life-changing moments for individuals in all stages of life and careers. I will continue to do this work until I no longer feel I add value. I will always dare to be different. My courage remains, my sense of wonder and adventure will remain with me forever. I wake up every day hoping to change someone’s life in a small positive way.
Please try to do the same!
Thanks for reading my story.