I was recently asked the question by a business colleague, “Is it possible to reinvent yourself?” My answer? An unequivocal, "Yes"! Not only is reinvention possible, it is absolutely necessary in order to survive in an ever changing world---and especially so in a struggling, economic state.
I was vying for a spot on the United States Equestrian team when an accident left me permanently disabled. I had a traumatic brain injury and was forced to "re learn" everything differently by using other senses (talk about reinvention!). Re-learning reading, writing, walking and talking differently was at first difficult, but those challenges presented incredible opportunities.
I founded what was to become my new dream and career; Canine and Abled, Inc. ( www.canineandabled.com), an award-winning motivational program that teaches people to believe in the beauty of their dreams; while spotlighting disability/service dog awareness, and offering business training/workshops to teach business leaders their rights/responsibilities toward disabled clientele who utilize service dogs. We've created a task force with law enforcement on the local and federal level to help bring "fake" service dogs to justice, and we mediate in cases internationally to help handlers who may have had their rights violated by access denial.
Canine and Abled, Inc. fulfilled me in ways I could never before have imagined, and I was grateful for the opportunities my re-invention provided me.
In 2006, my daughter (then three), service dogs and I became homeless after a brutal attack from an alcoholic family member. I was forced to close the doors of Canine and Abled, Inc. while we went into hiding from our attacker/stalker. I again I chose to reinvent myself (yes, it was a choice. I chose to reinvent and not settle for my current circumstances. We may not be able to choose what happens to us, but we DO have a choice about what we will do about it!).
Not able to run C&A by myself without my board, and not having the time/resources to find a new one, I started training dogs---something I did before my accident. I worked with aggressive dogs, dogs that were on their way to being put down from dangerous behavior---the ones no other trainers would work with. They were my specialty. I understood that most of these dogs got to where they were because their owners mis-read them.
I created a new program, Canine Ability, LTD (Living The Dream), and offered dog bite prevention assemblies, seminars in canine behavior, offered in-home behavior modification, and trained my dogs to more "fun" tasks to present in a new highly-entertaining educational program for schools.
Canine Ability was a big hit, and saved Canine and Abled, Inc. I met many new, and very talented people through that journey--ones who wanted to resurrect the Canine and Abled program and my dream.
Today, we have a new board of directors, and are bigger, and stronger than ever. We have double the education (because we expanded our audience base through our re-invented program, Canine Ability), and now are able to offer even more services to businesses (through training workshops and consulting for fake service dog prosecution) and clientele with disabilities who are in need of advocacy. We are planning to build a multi-faceted canine education facility in order to raise/train/provide service dogs for other people with disabilities.
Had I not reinvented myself to meet the current needs of my situation, I would have gotten "stuck," and been unable to move forward, despite seemingly insurmountable obstacles. In order to succeed in a changing world, we must embrace change and utilize it to achieve success.
Reinvention! It's not only possible....it's necessary!
--Kimberly Carnevale
Kimberly Carnevale is an accomplished motivational speaker, author, disability advocate and business consultant. She has been invited to publish articles for the business and disabled community as an expert in her field, and travels nationwide to deliver her award-winning motivational speeches and business training workshops.
Copyright 2010 by Kimberly Carnevale. No part of this work may be copied or reproduced by any means without the expressed, written permission of the owner.
