We were lucky to catch up with David Norec recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, David thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

After losing my brother and sister to diabetes in 2013 and 2014, I prayed to God to give me a new mission and calling for my life. That prayer was instantly answered, as I was inspired to write an interactive children’s book that would teach kids about the importance of healthy eating and exercise. I keep the memories of my brother and sister alive by reaching out to the next generation in hopes they won’t suffer from diabetes or other obesity-related illnesses.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I was a school teacher for fourteen years before turning to writing full-time. After losing my brother and sister to diabetes, I wrote “The Adventures of Exo and Cy”. Exo and Cy (exercise) live in the town of O.B. City (obesity), where Mayor Diane Beeties (diabetes) wants everyone to be unhealthy. In this first book, Chip and his dog Nacho (potato chips) are sent to steal everyone’s healthy snacks. As the adventure ensues, there are eleven different “exocyses” that readers are encouraged to do, thus getting an exercise workout from reading the book! Now I travel to schools across the state and nation, bringing students a unique, interactive presentation where they learn about the importance of healthy eating and exercise. Through this book, I want to battle the epidemic of diabetes and obesity.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I started out by competing in as many pitch competitions as possible to provide much-needed seed money. One of the competitions I attended had a great amount of money up for grabs. The competition stated that there would be three grant recipients. I gave it all I had, and I felt very confident that I would receive one of the three prizes. I was wrong. In the end, the judges decided that only one company would be awarded the grant money. When I didn’t hear my name, I was devastated and ready to give up. As I was leaving the auditorium, one of the judges chased after me. Through tears, she told me that she fought so hard to get me part of that grant money, but the other judges wouldn’t budge. She told me that my idea was a definite winner and not to give up. That’s exactly what I needed to hear. I kept fighting and doing my part. A few months later, I won a pitch competition and an innovation grant to get my business going. I learned that not every door is an open door. There will be peaks and valleys along the way, and all we have to do is just take the next right step.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

The most effective strategy for growing clientele is to simply get out in front lines and grind every day. You have to realize that the answer won’t always be “yes”. There will be many doors slammed in your face throughout the journey, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to quit. Always be willing to work harder than your competitors. Get out of your comfort zone and meet new people! If we never ask, the answer will always be “no”.    

Contact Info:

• Website: www.davidnorec.com
• Instagram: @davidnorec14
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/davidnorecexocyse