Success Stories

"My Vistage group helped me see things I couldn't see on my own."

Kell Williams
President (now retired)
Wheeler Consolidated Inc.
Tampa Bay
Chip Webster-Chair

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I joined Vistage purely for the effect it would have on my business and my professional life.  I had no expectations for anything beyond that.  Yet one of the reasons Vistage is so treasured by its members (like me, for example) is that Vistage Groups and Vistage Group Chairs aren’t just able to help you make better decisions in the board room, they can help you make better decisions when it comes to how your work effects your life in general. 

That’s what brings me to a very personal subject. 

Two years ago, my then three-year-old son was diagnosed on the autism spectrum.  Although his case is considered very mild, when we first had him diagnosed by a pediatric neurologist, he couldn’t verbally respond to yes or no questions and suffered through endless meltdowns seemingly without reason.

We started intensive therapy.  For a time, doctors appointments and therapy sessions kept me out of the office more than I was in.  I turned to my Group Chair, Bill Hopf for guidance on how to balance this very difficult situation.  Obviously, I needed to lead my company as best I could but I had a more important priority now.  Talks about delegating and working more efficiently were topics Bill and I discussed intensely.  Vistage allowed me to get through a difficult time with minimal effect on my company.

Amazingly, with the help of some brilliant therapists and a technique known as Applied Behavioral Analysis (A.B.A), my son began to respond.  Obsessive behaviors nearly disappeared.  Meltdowns lessened.  Although his communications skills still lagged behind those of a typical child, not only did my son start answering questions, he’d seek out conversations.  Thanks to the therapy, and my son’s determination (He gets that from me!) he made great strides.

Now, most strangers who meet him just think he’s “a little quirky.”  They have no concept of how far he’s come in such a short time.  There’s still a long, long way to go but I can now envision a future for him that before seemed impossible.

And that’s when my business and personal life intersected again.

I had an idea.  The A.B.A. therapy my son received worked wonders, yet many parents with children on the autism spectrum know nothing about it.  Other parents who are told about its benefits still can’t take advantage of it because of A.B.A.’s extremely high costs that often aren’t covered by insurance.  Worse, there are many, many small towns where this kind of therapy simply isn’t available.

So I had an idea for a business that could not only provide a valuable service to parents but one that could also generate money towards autism research.  And, it could help offset some of the tremendous expenses our family has incurred over the last few years in getting my son the treatment he needed.

The idea I had was a company called Special Needs Associated Programming.  (S.N.A.P.) It would be the first company to produce videos by parents for parents, educating them on A.B.A. therapy, using real therapists demonstrating A.B.A techniques.

After discussing it with Bill, my Group Chair, I brought the business concept to my Vistage group to get their thoughts on its viability.

The feedback I received was of tremendous value.  I was able to hear perspectives from every point of view imaginable.  From how best to distribute the content to possible pricing structures to how to expand it beyond mere videos.  In a single meeting, I had feedback that could have otherwise taken me years to obtain.  It also made me realize how close you become with your group.  You really become comfortable discussing everything.  Their encouragement and support meant a great deal. 

I left my Vistage meeting that day not only with a vote of confidence but with a much more concrete idea of how the company should roll out. 

It’s funny because after discussing my existing business, Spark Inc., at many a Vistage meeting in the past, I’ve left saying to myself, “I wish I had joined earlier.  If I had this as a resource when founding Spark who knows how many obstacles I could have avoided.”

Now, I have that chance to start from scratch with Vistage by my side.  Hopefully, in my next blog, I’ll be reporting on the company’s preparation to launch and how the input from Vistage is playing a key part.

While your situation might not be as complex as mine, I encourage you to talk to Vistage about membership.  Being a CEO is tough.  Life is tough. Why would you ever want to go it alone?
 

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