To Table of Contents
Then the other side is representation . There ' s representation in film , television , and music movies . Last year during the heart of COVID , it was the first time in Oscar history that they had a wheelchair ramp ever seen in a 93-year history . There ' s also the clothing side ; VO business wrote that the adaptive clothing market is $ 400 billion . Now , companies are recognizing that this is a community . To call it a community is diverse by nature , but it ' s a community . Nonetheless , that ' s a billion people . It ' s more significant than the size of China . If you consider families , it ' s half the planet .
One of the essential things is understanding what the disability economy looks like . I coined the phrase , disability economy . So , how do you define it ? How do you organize it ? How do you shape it ? How do you own it , and who is a part of it ? It ' s ever-growing ; it isn ' t just about the individuals ; it isn ' t about the organization . It ' s about that matrix that creates it . That is what ' s exciting for me , to be a voice there , whether helping private equity firms , young entrepreneurs , coaching , or consulting .
I turned 50 , and I realize I ' m here ; what do I do with the rest of my life ? I have to say to myself , what is it that I want to be doing ? What do I want to spend my time and focus my attention on ? This is certainly part of it . I believe in being adaptable ; I am in spaces where I can consult , teach , write , and use all my skills .
I ' m lucky that I don ' t go to work , I go to play , and that ' s how I look at my mission and job . I was very lucky to have a father who loves what he does . He taught me and still asks me , ' Are you going to play ?' and I say . It ' s exciting for me , and I hope that my work can benefit others because I ' m in the helping profession .
Q : Mindset matters , your Forbes column , you have been writing for over three years . Can you share with me what it is all about , why it means to you , and the goals you have for its future ?
A : It ' s become my laboratory ; my focus is really on that intersection between business , disability , innovation , leadership , and culture . Looking at the disability world through those lenses and figuring out it isn ' t just the silos ; it ' s the interconnection between them . That interconnectivity is so important and eventually evolves the culture itself . The world of work , the future of work , technology , culture , film , and television . It allows me to have that 30,000-foot view of culture , bring in what I do for a living , and then explore other ideas .
Q : When you are planning your column , choosing topics , or finding inspiration , how do you go about finding an inspiration or decide what you want to focus on since it is just a constant thing ?
A : It can be based on where my thinking is at the moment and things I want to share . It can be very topical . As things in the world happen , I ' m like , I need to write about this . I find now that I ' m writing two or three articles about the same topic thematically . I like that I can let an idea percolate , play with it , and think about it . I want people to engage with it . The goal is for my column to be a springboard to dialogue because I ' m a firm believer in critical thinking ; I don ' t like taking things at face value . Talk to me ; if you disagree with me , that ' s great .