Today we’d like to introduce you to Norma Stanley.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Norma. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I am a diversity/inclusion public relations consultant, specializing in reaching the disability community. I am also an author, speaker and a singer/songwriter. The mother of an adult daughter born with mental and physical challenges, I serve as an advocate for the disability community and have been since my daughter was born, nearly 30 years ago.
As President/CEO of E.E. E. Marketing Group, Inc., which stands for Enlightened, Empowered and Enriched, I work as a diversity and inclusion communications consultant, workshop facilitator and speaker, helping companies better understand and effectively leverage opportunities to reach, connect with and market to multicultural communities, specializing in the disability community. As a marketing professional and the mother of an adult, dependent daughter born with cerebral palsy, my mission is to serve as an international change agent for the disability community, leveraging the multi-media platforms of informational and inspirational speaking, media, strategic marketing communications, as well as music.
An award-winning public relations professional, I have been honored personally and professionally by businesses and organizations, over my 30+ years of service. Last year, I was blessed to be among select honorees nationwide, who received President Barack Obama’s Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award for my dedicated community service in the disability community.
I have also been blessed to have worked with and for some great companies providing marketing and communications services, such as Universal Press Syndicate, Grey Advertising, Arby’s Inc., The Coca-Cola Company, General Motors, The Gillette Company, Georgia-Pacific, City of Atlanta, 1996 Olympic Torch Relay, Ketchum Public Relations, The Morrison Group, etc.
A few years ago, I authored my first book for and about mothers of children with special needs like myself. The book is called “The Elected Lady—Finding Victory in the Challenge” (Words of Faith, Reflections and Inspiration for Mothers of Special Needs Children and Other Moms). This is an inspirational book of testimonies, including some original poems, that shares the trials, tribulations and triumphs of five mothers, including myself and their experiences raising a child with disabilities. In one case, the book shares the story of how one mother did it, despite having disabilities herself.
Due to having to put my professional dreams on hold for many years to help my daughter maximize her potential, as well as the sudden death of my childhood sweetheart and husband of 25 years, I came to realize just how precious time and life really is. As a result, I am doing more of the things I’ve always wanted and loved to do, as well as some things that I’ve been afraid to do in the past, which includes singing professionally!
I’ve learned quite a lot about myself through this whole process. As a publicist, I was always promoting others and was content to sit in the background and watch them shine. However, since deciding to stop hiding my light behind a bushel and being afraid of my own greatness, some pretty awesome things have been happening! In addition to received the award from President Obama last year, I was recently nominated in five categories (author, speaker, music (two categories) and radio show host for the upcoming 2018 Prayze Factor Awards. In addition, my first independent CD project, “Nella-Joi,” will be released this summer, an inspirational, R&B, social-conscious, jazz fusion project featuring a song entitled, “Just Do It!, about the dangers of procrastination. This is something I fought with for years, due to my own unconscious fear of success. My second book, “Just Do It! (Tips for Avoiding the Dream-Stealing Trap of Procrastination)” will also be released this summer. I also host an online radio show, called “Nella-Joi Nation, on Blogtalkradio.com, which shares information about the disability community, and about some amazing people, companies and organizations overcoming their own challenges, pursuing and finding success and working to make a positive impact in our local, national and global communities.
An avid community servant and volunteer for organizations serving the disability community, I serve as Community Outreach Ministry leader for Salt and Light Truth Center in Decatur, GA, which includes a ministry for families of children with special needs. I am also a graduate of Atlanta’s All About Developmental Disabilities’ Partners In Policymaking Program, and am a board member of Abel 2 Non-Profit., an organization working to enhance the quality of life for people with disabilities and the under-served, through music and arts opportunities for employment and enjoyment.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It has definitely not been a smooth road! In addition to having to learn how to successfully maneuver working around taking care of my daughter so I could make a living, I had to come to terms with my own lack of self-confidence and fear of success, which for many years, caused me to make decisions that were not in the best interest my growth and success of personally or professionally, and I had to do a complete 180!
I recognized that I was hanging around people who didn’t have the same hopes, dreams or drive as I did, so I had to change my circle. I stopped wasting time watching television (which I really didn’t do much anyway), stopped talking and just started doing, and began attracting, meeting and networking with professionally and financially successful people, so I could learn from them.
It took some time, but I realized that at one point, I actually went through a period of depression in my early 40’s because I didn’t like where my life was heading, and for a period of time, I didn’t really care much about anything, except helping my daughter maximize her potential. This negatively impacted my marriage, my appearance and my health and my future. I ended up getting adult-onset epilepsy (which I no longer have!), because of the stress my unhappy thoughts were causing me. I have always been ambitious and wanted personal and financial success, but was afraid of going for it at the same time. I guess I believed I didn’t deserve it, so I subconsciously did things to sabotage myself when doors would open.
After my husband of 25 years passed away nine years ago, I had to regroup, work to change my mindset and do whatever I had to do to make sure my daughter, who is now in her late 20’s, but who does not have the intellectual capacity to care for herself, has the best quality of life possible. In order to do that, I have to have the best life possible, so I’m more determined than ever that the rest of my life will be the best of my life, and that requires daily attention and focus on my approach to everything—my health, personal and professional relationships, time and money management…everything!
If I could talk to my younger self, or any young woman today, I would recommend that they get to first know who they are before getting married or caught up in a serious relationship. I was very young and a bit sheltered from real life when I got married and still learning who I was. I’ve been blessed with many gifts and talents, but also became that person who didn’t want to outshine my husband, whom I loved, so unfortunately, I held myself back in many ways. I would tell young women to NEVER do that!!! Always be your authentic self!
Managing my time effectively was also a big problem for me, so I had to get a business coach to keep me on task. I’ve come to understand that the most successful people have coaches and accountability partners. We should also never stop growing and learning, as ongoing personal and professional development is vital to life fulfillment.
Please tell us about E.E.E. Marketing Group, Inc.
I’ve been a journalist, public relations and multicultural communications professional for over 30 years and I have become known for a variety of services. For example, small business clients who don’t know how (or who don’t like) to write documents like professional bios, news releases, speeches, corporate proposals, etc, come to me for help. I also assist medium and larger size corporate clients with strategic communications counseling, assistance with publicizing their businesses or events, community relations, etc. However, more recently, I have been working as a diversity and inclusion consultant focusing on helping companies understand and connect with the disability community.
The next big consumer segment, the disability community is the largest minority population in the nation, with over 56 million people, who have spending power of over $500 billion. This community is starting to be recognized as a viable consumer segment, that can no longer be overlooked and neglected. I’m proud that I’ve worked over the past 20-30 years to help educate people and companies about the disability community and generate awareness about organizations, individuals, businesses, systems, etc., that are committed to enhancing the quality of life for this community, by helping them focus on the opportunities inherent in their abilities and not their disabilities.
I’m thankful that I’ve been able to do this through my online radio shows, articles I’ve written, books, community programs I’ve helped create, coordinate or publicize. For example, for more than five years, I’ve been hosting an annual event for mothers of children with special needs around Mother’s Day, called the Exceptional Moms Celebration and am working on a few other projects designed to bring awareness to the issues and resources available to enhance the quality of life for people within the disability community.
As an author and speaker, I give talks and conduct workshops about the disability community, as well as about women empowerment, diversity and inclusion, business growth issues. I’m currently participating in a powerful multi-city, grassroots level tour around the country, called Self Discovery: Pain, Positioning and Purpose with award-winning author and suicide survivor, Venessa Abram, which is addressing the issues of mental illness (an invisible disability) and suicide, which is devastating our communities.
In addition, recently, I got a chance to work as an associate producer on a developing a series of mini-documentaries by a filmmaker for CBS, about the disability community. The first documentary featured footage of models with disabilities participating in an annual fashion show event committed to incorporating models with disabilities, which included my daughter. The popular event is produced by Atlanta-based designer Sharon Gary-Dill, called “An Evening of Fashion and Elegance. “ The filmmaker is in the process of compiling footage for the next documentary, but the opportunity to help guide the filmmaker in tapping into the key issues that need to be covered and shared about the disability community in these short films, is one that I don’t take lightly and hope to help maximize.
As I continue to work on being my authentic self and living my own best life, I realize that God has gifted me with many skills and talents and I want to put them all to use, so I can leave a powerful legacy of not only helping myself and those I care about, but also helping as many as possible, including people with disabilities, to live their best, most abundant life, as God intended!
Are there any apps, books, podcasts or other resources that you’ve benefited from using?
My professional development is very important, but my spiritual development is also vital, so I work hard at building my relationship with God, through daily meditation, as well as through the empowering teachings shared at my church, Salt and light Truth Center in Decatur, GA., where Dedric M. Avery is senior pastor. As a believer in personal development, I am a big fan of the works of authors/ motivational speakers like John Maxwell, Oprah, the late Wayne Dyer, Tony Robbins, Steve Harvey, Lisa Nichols, Eric Thomas, etc.
Although I love reading, finding the time is very challenging, so I listen to a lot of audio books while walking and driving. Among my favorite books are” Instinct: The Power to Unleash Your Inborn Drive” (T.D. Jakes); “Jump: Take the Leap of Faith to Your Life of Abundance” (Steve Harvey);” You Are A Badass” and “You Are A Badass at Making Money” (Jen Sincero), “No Matter What: Nine Steps to Living the Life You Love” (Lisa Nichols) and of course, my own, Just Do It! (Tips for Avoiding the Dream-Stealing Trap of Procrastination), being released this summer. The book addresses procrastination– a subtle and insidious habit, that is totally based on fear and something that is stealing the dreams of too many people, because time does run out eventually.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.normastanley.com
- Phone: 4044511811
- Email: booknorma@normastanley.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/norma.stanley.35
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/AnElectedLady
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/norma-stanley
Image Credit:
Chanteria Walker (Norma Stanley’s Head Shot), Jay Belle (Sierra Stanley in black dress)
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