How the Web Levels the Playing Field for a Solopreneur with Cerebral Palsy
Hello, I’m Glenda Watson Hyatt; a solopreneur overflowing with ideas, enthusiasm and passion. However, when first meeting me face-to-face, that is probably not what you first notice. More likely, you see my jerky movements, my facial grimaces, my electric scooter and you hear my speech impairment as I speak Glenda-ish. I have cerebral palsy: a phrase that elicits misconceptions, misperceptions and misunderstandings about my abilities and limitations.
These pre-formed notions do not make for a great first impression; face-to-face networking is not highly effective without clear verbal communication. Wheeling into a networking event with people standing and milling about is intimidating because my eye level is their fly level; making eye contact difficult. Most people walk into a room and notice how many people are wearing glasses; I wheel in and notice how many flies are undone – a surprising number! With my current scooter I am at breast height. It’s not exactly a thrilling perspective for me, but I am moving on up in the world!
Forget the idea of meeting someone for coffee or lunch to discuss potential opportunities for forming strategic alliances or joint ventures! And, until we got a cable internet connection at home, my business phone line was only used for internet connection. I was terrified to answer that phone. A heavy-breathing, inaudible voice answering the phone would likely kill any potential business opportunity!
The web has opened a whole new world to me. I can communicate with others without my disability getting in the way. Oftentimes, others don’t even know I have a disability. If they do, they may not know the extent of it. This means we can have more meaningful exchanges because we can bypass the misperceptions and misunderstandings of my cerebral palsy and get right to the topic at hand.
That is not to say I intentionally hide my disability; I’m fairly open and forthcoming when people ask me about it and I really don’t mind people asking questions. But, by working virtually, my clients are interested only in my experience and if I can do what I say I can do. My disability, for the most part, is not an issue. I can be Glenda with all of my knowledge, skills, ideas and opinions, without people getting caught up on my disability. It is such a liberating feeling!
With current technology, the ways I can interact online and conduct business are only limited by my imagination. Last Friday, I used a computerized voice and PowerPoint to give my first internet radio interview. Imagine that!
Email, blogging, online conferences, discussion forums, and instant messaging enable me to participate fully in the virtual world and to lead the exciting life of an online solopreneur. It is amazing who all I have connected with online. The web truly levels the playing field for me.
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Glenda Watson Hyatt recently self-published her autobiography I’ll Do It Myself, in which she intimately shares her life story to show others cerebral palsy is not a death sentence, but rather a life sentence. She is currently on a virtual book tour “40 Blogs in 40 (Business) Days“. If you are interested in hosting an appearance, please view her schedule for available dates.
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