We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Mike Hess. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Mike below.
Mike, thank you so much for joining us today. Let’s jump right into something we’re really interested in hearing about from you – being the only one in the room. So many of us find ourselves as the only woman in the room, the only immigrant or the only artist in the room, etc. Can you talk to us about how you have learned to be effective and successful in situations where you are the only one in the room like you?
Being the token blind person in the room, with a cane no less, definitely makes me stand out. At networking events, I like to say I stick out…pun intended. But rather than shy away from that visibility, I lean into it. I’ve found that most people truly don’t want to be rude to the blind guy. In fact, I joke that it’s like the 19th commandment: ‘Thou shalt not be a jerk to the blind person.’ That mindset has served me well since the early days of building Blind Institute of Technology (BIT). It opened the door to conversations that eventually led to us becoming Salesforce’s official training provider for professionals with disabilities – a game-changing partnership. Then came the Golden Hoodie, one of the highest honors in the Salesforce community. So now I’m not just the blind guy with a cane…I’m the blind guy with a cane and a Golden Hoodie. And let me tell you – that combo has sparked some incredible conversations.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.blindit.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blinditorg
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlindInstituteOfTechnology
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/blind-institute-of-technology/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BlindInstitute
- Other: Mastodon: https://nonprofits.masto.host/@blinditorg
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