Norma Stanley, Founder, CEO of E.E.E. Marketing Group, Inc.

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Norma Stanley a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Norma, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

Changing the trajectory of societal opportunity for people with disabilities and helping them to be seen as the vital, but largely untapped consumer segment they are, is a large part of my mission. This comes as a result of being the mother of an adult daughter born with intellectual and physical developmental disabiities.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am a multicultural communications consultant and journalist specializing in the economically significant, but still largely untapped disability consumer segment. I work to leverage my professional and personal lived experience to develop and execute strategic marketing communications programming for companies on how to connect with and market to the growing disability community. The mother of an adult daughter born with intellectual and physical disabilities for whom I am the primary caregiver, my mission is to serve as an international change agent for people with disabilities (PwD), leveraging the multimedia platforms of informational and inspirational speaking, media, strategic marketing communications and music.

The founder/CEO of E.E.E. Marketing Group, Inc., where I serve as a speaker, author, trainer and multicultural communications consultant, specializing in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility, I also work to ensure the many stories about the issues and accolades within the disability community gets shared, To that end, I also serve as the creator, producer/host of the Disability World TV Show on the streaming Prayze Gospel Network. I am also the co-host of the weekly Disabled Lives Matter Podcast with Nadine Vogel, creator/producer and founder of Springboard Enterprises and the global Disability Matters Conference.

A seasoned, award-winning and multi-faceted professional with more than 30 years’ marketing communications experience, I have worked in executive capacities or consulted with top companies like The Coca-Cola Company, Bank of America, Arby’s Inc., General Motors, Ketchum Public Relations, The Gillette Company, Hallmark, America’s Favorite Chicken, The Biloxi Veteran’s Healthcare System, Converse, etc. My areas of expertise include strategic planning, corporate communications, publicity development, events marketing, executive speech writing, etc.

An award-winning professional, I have been recognized by professional and community organizations for my work, these include awards from the Public Relations Society of America and a Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award for my over 30 years of disability community service work, from President Barack Obama and one from President Joe Biden. I am also the author of three books, including one for mothers of children with special needs, entitled “An Elected Lady—Finding Victory in the Purpose—Words of Faith, Reflections and Inspiration for Mothers of Special Needs Children and Other Moms.”

An avid disability community servant, I also donate time with a few disability non profit organizations focused on breaking down barriers for PwD and enhancing the quality of life for individuals with disabilities and their families. These include SHOWAbility, where I serve as board chair, as well as a member of its INCLUSIVE CHORUS, featuring talented singers with and without disabilities and RespectAbility, where I serve as a member of their national speakers bureau.
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I am also the creator, host and producer of the Exceptional Parents Celebration, a motivational Atlanta-based event for parents of children/adults with disabilities, whose children don’t comprehend the significance of Mothers and Father’s Day.
On my more creative side, I also try to maximize any opportunity to share my gifts as a singer/songwriter and independent recording artist, known as Nella-Joi. My first CD project, “Next Chapter”, can be heard on Spotify, YouTube, etc. and purchased on Apple, Amazon, etc.

One of the things about which I am most proud, is that I can serve as an example to other mothers/parents of children with intellectual and physical disabilities, that dreams deferred can still be realized. Although I put my professional career on hold for many years in order to focus on maximizing my daughter’s potential, both she and I are still realizing our potential. Although she is primarily non verbal, she is a lovely young woman who has had the opportunity to become a fashion model featured in a number of runway events, including New York Fashion Week, as a signature model for Sharon Gary-Dill, owner of Fashion by D’Shacourt, an Atlanta designer who focused on including models across the disability spectrum, in her fashion showcases. I on the other hand, became a business owner, author, speaker, singer, etc., and proceeded to do things I was always too afraid to pursue. However, my daughter has helped me to recognize my purpose, which is to use every gift, talent and skill I have to ensure we both have the best life possible. As I move into this exciting chapter of my life, I am looking forward to seeing what the future has in store for both of us.

Norma Stanley, aka Singer Nella-Joi with her daughter, Sierra at her CD release party

One of the many looks of multi-faceted Norma Stanley

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

A lesson I had to unlearn was trying to do everything myself and being so protective over my business. I had to open myself up to collaborating with others in order to begin seeing the kind of results I wanted economically and professionally. Once I began to partner with others who had skills in areas I didn’t, I saw my business begin to grow. Trying to do everything myself was not only counter-productive, it was exhausting. Another critical lesson I had to learn was to stop procrastinating!!! I had to learn to do the hard things first and get them out of the way, so I wouldn’t unwittingly self-sabotage. Procrastination is an insidious habit, which will steal your dreams out from under you, if you’re not careful! I actually have a book coming out about it, and wrote a song about it on my CD, called “Just Do It.”

Norma’s first book was written for mothers of children with disabilities.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

I have secured new clients in many ways, networking, speaking, etc., but I would say the best source of new clients have been via referrals. My first client as a PR consultant came as a referral from the company I had just left, Ketchum Public Relations. The first Gladys and Ron’s Chicken and Waffles Restaurant in Atlanta was my first client, which came to me because they needed someone to help with coordinating the PR around their restaurant’s VIP grand opening, which was only three weeks away. They weren’t paying enough for that big PR company to do it, so they referred the business to me, for which I am eternally grateful. I got to meet and work with people like Gladys Knight, Aaliyah, Genuine, etc., who attended the opening. That piece of business led to securing PR projects with other companies of note, like General Motors, The Coca-Cola Company, etc.

Norma is Board Chair of SHOWAbility and a member of its INCLUSIVE CHORUS.

Contact Info:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/norma.stanley.35/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/norma-stanley-3295458/