For Carmen Daniels Jones, a car accident her junior year of college changed her life. A spinal cord injury meant that from that point forward, she’d have to get around with a wheelchair. When the marketing major graduated from Virginia’s Hampton University—not too far behind schedule—she didn’t receive any job offers. Instead, she began working with people with disabilities. “I was counseling people, but I was also counseling myself,” says Jones. “I was still finding my way. I was seeing what was open to me and what was possible for me.”
As you are navigating the entrepreneurial waters, realize that every single victory and setback allows you to sharpen your business, expand your influence and impact, and the very thing that may seem like a setback is a set up for a greater purpose.
Love brought her to Northern Virginia, where she took a job in the federal government. “That’s when I saw the opportunity to market to people with disabilities,” she says. “With that epiphany, I started my company.” Solutions Marketing Group helps businesses and governmental bodies reach the disability market—a total of 56 million people. It was the perfect fit, she says, combining her marketing expertise and her personal experience. After serving as an appointee for the Obama administration—an “amazing privilege,” she says—she moved her business to a WeWork Crystal City office. “My accident changed my life in every way,” says the 50-year-old entrepreneur. “It gave me faith and courage to face my fears. Because I survived this, I’ve developed confidence. I know that every situation can be used for a greater purpose.”
Photos: DFinney Photography