Joseph Stout has over 20 years of experience in business management and growth, including working as a consultant for a large multi-national corporation. For the last eight years, he has worked assisting individuals with developmental and related disabilities to live independently. He finds this work rewarding as it allows him to help people achieve personal goals and growth, similar to how he previously helped businesses achieve growth. Stout was encouraged to try this line of work and has found it fulfilling to enable individuals to pursue daily goals and reduce stagnation in their lives.

1. Joseph Stout
511 Caudle Av, Springdale,AR 72764 | (479) 502-2291| joseph.stout@cox.net
May 25, 2016
For the last eight years, I have been working with "individuals with developmentaland related disabilities so that they
may live, work and play in their community", "providing choices and opportunities".
Prior to that, for the most part of 28 of the past 31 years, I was involved in some aspect of management or growth and
development of businesses.At least 20+ years of that was in the dry cleaning industry, building growth and protecting the
bottom line.
One conglomerate corporation I worked for, having Business Enterprises in Hotels, Motels, Fast Food Restaurants,
Specialty Restaurants, Specialty Retail Stores, Drycleaners, Laundromats, Construction, etc.., my role was a consultant, or
a "third person" if you please, reporting to the COO/VP, giving advice in decision making. The corporation had business
operations that spanned two Continents. Of all the things I brought to the table, constructive criticism was demanded by
the corporate officers, and if I couldn’t bring it, then they couldn’t use me. Plus, any advice I gave,couldn’t be partialto any
system or thought.
My challenge? It was to follow behind their failed ideas and promotions that they had tried, bringing one of their
businesses out of the Red, and into the Black. The milestone that they wanted me to reach first, in bringing the business
out of the Red, was doubling their revenue sales within 90 days.
One week prior to my 90 days,we had accomplished that goal. Within five months, the business was paying its own bills,
without funneling revenue from other Enterprises within the conglomerate.
Another business owner, who was operating in the Red so bad,he had vultures waiting for him to close his doors, so that
they could bid on who was going to get the nod from the bank,to be able to walk in and take over his business. The
business owner showed me a check that a relative wrote him so that he could pay the bills on his business.Two months
later, he was able to pay himself, and after one year, 11 months, and 15 days of being employed as the manager of his
business, the owner was able to sell his business for over twice what he owed on his business.
A competitor of another business that I had worked for, looked me up after he heard that I had resigned from his
competition, visiting me at my new employment. Said that he wanted to meet the person that kept him on his toes,

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causing him to work hard to retain his customer base,and shake my hand.He Offered me an opportunity with him as well,
checked the opportunity out, but chose to stay with the employer I left his competition for.
So, how does what I am doing now, have a correlation to what I did before? Answer: They both involve "growth".
One was working on growing the value and worth of the business,the other is working on the personal self-worth and
growth of the individual.
Where the major difference is between building the growth of a business vs assisting in the growth of an individual, is a
business owner would eventually become satisfied with their newincreased revenues,and I would feelthat my services
were nolonger needed,and eventually find another business owner that wanted more.
An individual, on the other hand,is in constant need of growth; you and I included. We as individuals, cannot allow our
lives to become stagnant. If we do, then our lives will never become filled to the fullest in our daily pursuits, and never
fulfilling our dreams and goals in life.
An individualwith developmentaland related disabilities, their lives too, become stagnant,not becoming the fullest, when
his / her dreams and goals are stifled. By not being able to have the needed assistance, or access to the assistance,
pursuing those daily goals in their life, in many cases, if not most or all, their chances of working towards their lives being
fulfilled, is not attainable.
Where a business owner would come to a point of satisfaction, individuals in their personal lives never reach a level or a
point of satisfaction in their endeavors, except for only for the moment. Working with individuals with developmentaland
related disabilities, there is no exception to that rule. Once a goal has been achieved,whether that goal is grocery
shopping, a visit to the mall, visiting with a friend, or domestic activities around their home, there will be other goals to
achieve throughout the day,and the next day, and the next.
I was encouraged to, and offered the opportunity to work with individuals with developmentaland related disabilities a
little over 8 years ago. I have been around friends and family with disabilities all my life, but had never worked in the
industry. I was asked to give it 6 months, then leave if it wasn’t for me. I can say, it has been self-rewarding, assisting
individuals achieve daily goals in their lives.
Where I was, for over 20 years, assisting employees accomplishing goals in their work, to help grow a company; for the
last 8 years I have been assisting individuals to achieve their own goals. That is heartfelt and rewarding.
Sincerely,
Joseph Stout