CEO Nadine Vogel — One Proud Disability Mama and Entrepreneur Helping Others
By Meg Hale Brunton
A serial entrepreneur and a mother of a disabled child, Nadine Vogel understands how crucial it is to ensure individuals with disabilities have the same rights as everyone else. Since people with disabilities are the largest and fastest-growing minority in the world, she wanted to do her part to make the world a little more comfortable for them. After graduating from the College of Charleston with her B.S. in Industrial Psychology and an MBA in Marketing from Golden Gate University, Nadine got a job working for a large corporation. She worked there for five years when she was promoted to Chief Marketing Officer. Nadine started a program within the company with services and products to help families who have disabled children plan for the future. She was granted the nickname ‘Queen of Disability’ by her staff. Her division quickly became the company’s most profitable department.
One day, the company’s CEO asked Nadine why, when creating this division of the company, she didn’t start her own business. Two years later, she decided to do just that and made that very same CEO a member of her new company’s advisory board. Nadine’s company, Springboard Consulting, began in March 2005 and now, eighteen years later, it is a highly successful, global company. Nadine attributes the majority of Springboard’s success to the fantastic people she works with. “You need an amazing team to execute.”
Springboard’s role is to help mainstream individuals with disabilities as candidates, employees and customers. They currently offer their services in over 70 countries around the world. Springboard helps businesses assess, develop and implement strategies to ensure they are appropriately and effectively integrating individuals with disabilities of all types across every functional area of the company from talent acquisition, management and sourcing to communications, compliance, facilities, employee resource groups, digital and more.
After creating a successful multinational corporation, Nadine didn’t slow down. She went on to found The Springboard Foundation, a charity that offers college scholarships to students with disabilities. Her next move was to create DisAbility Mama & Co., a company whose goal is to empower, celebrate, honor and encourage women around the world who are caring for children with disabilities. Recently, to continue her efforts to empower women even further, Nadine created the The WIP (Women, Influence & Power) Group, which focuses on supporting women as business owners and executives. Nadine then went on to start her own global interior design and consultation firm, Sweetgrass Living. Sweetgrass serves both residential and commercial clients throughout the build or remodel process. The company has a unique expertise in applying the principles of accessibility and universal design to the beautiful spaces everyone is looking for. “That’s the creative side in me and I love to do that,” Nadine says.
Photo Credits: NV Photo
Despite having multiple businesses to contend with, Nadine says the lifestyle suits her personality. “Life is crazy, but I get bored really easily, so it kind of works for me,” she says, smiling. To her, the idea of a work/life balance is an unrealistic goal. “I don’t think there is such a thing. To me, it’s about work/life integration.”
To female prospective entrepreneurs, Nadine advises trusting their instincts. “Trust your gut; it’s usually right. If you’re questioning your gut, determine what areas you’re questioning and bring in experts,” she warns. “Don’t do anything you’re not 5,000% passionate about. That energy and passion comes through your skin and people identify with that and want to align with that. Make sure you love it, because there are good days and bad days. If you don’t absolutely love it, those bad days could kill you.”
Now, with a home in Folly Beach, SC, and one in Florida, Nadine feels she is where she was always headed. A global speaking fellow, she hosts interviews and keynote speaking engagements across the globe. Once the host of her own television programs on Bloomberg and RVN networks, she now has her own podcast, entitled Disabled Lives Matter. “It’s like being a kid in a candy store,” she says. “I feel like a proud Mama. If they do better and thrive, then so will we.”
For more information on Springboard Consulting, visit their website: www.consultspringboard.com
For more information on DisAbility Mama, visit their website: www.disabilitymama.com
For more information on Sweetgrass Living, visit their website: www.sweetgrassliving.com
