Thursday, August 4, 2005

Brandy Baker / The Detroit News "Mom made it a point to ensure that I was not hidden from the world," says speaker, consultant and trainer Randy Graise, president of Randel Enterprises.

Local spotlight

Inspirational words pay off

His disabilities aside, Randel Enterprises owner encourages others to be the best they can.

By Lekan Oguntoyinbo / Special to The Detroit News

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SOUTHFIELD -- Even as a child, Randy Graise knew that his affliction with severe Osteogenesis Imperfecta, a disease that leads to brittle bones, would limit him physically. So he set out to make up for his physical limitations with his boundless intellectual capacity.

He developed a love for words, and that affection for the spoken word took him through high school, Wayne State University, Specs Howard, a decade-long stint at Ameritech and his present career as a full-time motivational speaker.

In eight years as president and owner of Randel Enterprises, Graise, who primarily uses a wheelchair and whose growth is stunted, is in constant demand as a keynote speaker, lecturer and workshop facilitator.

He says his business has been growing an average of 15 percent a year for the past three years.

Graise's growing business is consistent with survey results put out by the National Speakers Association, a Tempe, Ariz.-based group that represents 3,400 speakers like Graise. According to the survey, more than 40 percent of its members have averaged more than 10 percent growth in recent years.

His admirers say it's easy to see why Graise is in such demand as a speaker.

"The thing that strikes me about him is that even with his obvious physical disabilities, when (you're) with him you don't see it," says Jack Johnson, a resident of Corunna. Johnson with his wife Tina met Graise more than three years ago when he conducted a workshop that included their daughter Haylee, who is mildly paralyzed on the right side. "His spirit overcomes it."

These are bountiful times for Graise, a 38-year-old who has had more than 50 incidents of broken bones in his lifetime. Born in Vicksburg, Miss., Graise moved to Detroit when he was about 2 years old and lost his father shortly after.

Graise's mother was left to raise him and his three siblings on her own. Even in those early days, Graise said, his mother never let him use his disability as a crutch.

"I was one of those kids who was encouraged to be involved in what I wanted to be involved in," he says. "Mom made it a point to ensure that I was not hidden from the world. A lot of people with disabilities don't have that luxury.

"I had a lot of friends growing up. I was active when I was a youth with the Explorer Scouts program. That program helped me get out in the community. It helped me make friends.

"I had a lifestyle at home in which my family was very supportive of me. The situation was one that came about as a result of a lot of trust and letting me be me. That's really important to who I am today."

Graise didn't start out wanting to be a professional speaker. His initial ambition was to become a lawyer. He ditched that in college after discovering "that being a DJ is more fun."

He got an entry level job at Ameritech and then worked his way up into management. But after more than 10 years, he decided to capitalize on his gift for inspiring people.

"I love coaching people," he says. "I love helping them reach their goals. I was fortunate enough to recognize that my difference was not a mistake.

"I learned that people were often inspired by my attitude. That became a part of who I was. Before I knew it, I was seeking to help people get to better places in their lives."

The first few years were difficult, he recalls, and he barely broke even.

"In the speaking profession you first have to establish credibility," he says, He spent much time and resources in marketing himself.

These days, Graise spends a lot of time doing talks at public schools, government agencies and large businesses around the state and the country.

Although he spends much time motivating people, the bulk of his talks center on people with disabilities.

"There are 54 million Americans with disabilities," he says. "They are the largest minority in the country.

"Parents get so worried about children with disabilities. I enjoy going out there and being a symbol of hope for them and teaching them to be independent."

Lekan Oguntoyinbo is a Metro Detroit freelance writer.