by Ilana M. Danneman
One thing leads to another.
It’s a trite saying but one that applies perfectly to the career I’ve crafted since graduating from the Medical College of Georgia Department of Physical Therapy in 1986.
I began my career as a physical therapist at Atlanta’s Crawford Long Hospital, then moved to the Shepherd Spinal Center. That’s where I met the president of Sportime International, a company that manufactures physical education equipment. He offered me a job writing a Sportime catalog specializing in physical therapy products for children, called Abilitations.
At this point, I was pondering the limits of my own “abilitations.” I’d never worked in sales, yet I was thoroughly versed in the kinds of products children need to optimize functioning and quality of life. I also had a newborn, which made the flexibility of the new job enticing.
So I took it. It wasn’t easy; I was Sportime’s first female director, and the company sold Abilitations to its current owner, School Specialty, soon after I came on board. Most daunting was my learning curve, which was steep, to say the least. But I learned about marketing and catalog production as I went along, focusing on the children I was serving, along with their parents, teachers and therapists. I didn’t obsess about my competitors, instead trusting my instincts and gauging my progress through sales. I added occupational therapy and speech/language products to the catalog.
Next, I decided to add an educational element to the catalog. Now, when we sell playground equipment adapted to special-needs children, for example, we explain how and why it will help children develop their motor skills. Or we explain the science and logic behind multi-textured wall panels to aid in sensory development. I also added an emotional element to the catalog text so customers could relate to the children and, therefore, the products.
The next logical step was to actually develop and design some of the products myself. My colleagues and I currently have 80 ideas in various stages of development. I don’t personally receive royalties, but I love this aspect of my job as it is creative and allows me to influence the market. Our products have been featured on the popular television show, Extreme Home Makeover.
On a personal note, I have a very supportive husband and four children, on whom I often test products and who are frequently the stimulus behind products I design. I very much enjoy being a mom, and School Specialty has provided me with a lot of flexibility.
I have the best of both worlds. I was the first person in our company to create a flexible work schedule and I am happy to say that I paved the way for many other employees.
I love my job and most of all am grateful to MCG and
the Department of Physical Therapy for providing a knowledge base that has
served me well in every aspect of my career. I don’t know what the future
holds, but I know I’ll be prepared to seize every opportunity that comes my
way.
| Medical College of Georgia Today welcomes submissions to the Reflections column of the magazine. Typed essays (approx. 750 words long) reflecting a professional or personal experience of a member of the MCG community should be submitted to: Christine Hurley Deriso, Editor, Medical College of Georgia, FI-1040, Augusta, GA 30912, (706) 721-2124 (phone), (706) 721-6397 (fax), . |