Ep.118 - Unlocking Hidden Talent

There are a billion people with disabilities worldwide—are companies missing this talent pool? 🌎This conversation reveals how inclusion creates stronger leaders and better businesses. 📈✅ Doug McCullough explains how his disability shaped his resilience and professional journey✅ How stigma around disability can prevent people from identifying openly✅ The connection between representation and opportunity in leadership✅ Why disability unemployment remains disproportionately high✅ The business case for hiring and developing employees with disabilities✅ How Johnson & Johnson built one of the largest employee disability groups globally✅ The importance of preparing disability talent for leadership opportunities✅ How mindset shifts changed corporate views from charity to business value✅ The importance of self-acceptance as a foundation for leadership growth✅ Where listeners can find Doug’s book and his Disability Leadership Ventures workWhen businesses recognize disability as talent—not limitation—they unlock innovation and leadership potential. 🌟Website: https://disabilityleadershipventures.com/Amazon: A Billion People in the Shadows: The Ultimate 1-hour Guide to Understanding DisabilityLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/doug-mccullough-2a64473Doug McCullough grew up on a dairy farm in South Central Pennsylvania. He received a bachelor’s degree in dairy science from Virginia Tech, was named top dairy student in the nation, and was a brother and officer in the Alpha Gamma Rho social-professional fraternity. He then went on to obtain a master’s degree in dairy management and operations research from the University of Florida.McCullough worked in the dairy industry as a farmer in the family business, as an extension outreach specialist at the University of Wisconsin, and as a consultant at a start-up dairy financial services firm. After going back to school for his MBA at Duke University, heworked at Johnson & Johnson for 23 years in roles of increasing responsibility in customer logistics as well as procurement, materials management, and project management. Most recently he worked for the company’s pharmaceutical division as a senior manager supporting global supply chain reliability. He was a leader in the company’s DEI community, serving on multiple DEI councils and helping launch and lead the global disability employee group which grew to 4,000 employees and encompassed autism, disability, neurodiversity, and mental health. He’s also the business manager and co-owner with his brother of a 600-acre cattle and crop farm outside of Springfield, Missouri.Born with spinal muscular atrophy, a degenerative neuromuscular disease, McCullough performs community service to help people with disabilities lead more active lives. He also serves on advisory committees for CureSMA, US Volt Hockey Association, and Penn Medicine Princeton Hospital in Princeton, New Jersey, and previously for the National Muscular Dystrophy Association. Recently, he launched a program focused on leadership development specifically for people with disabilities.A popular speaker known for his authenticity and humor, McCullough has been invited to speak at events throughout the continental US as well as in Puerto Rico, Colombia, Germany, and Turkey.His first book, “A Billion People in the Shadows: The Ultimate 1-Hour Guide to Understanding Disability” was published in October 2024 and reached #1 in Amazon’s Business Diversity & Inclusion category.Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Disability Employment Solutions ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ⓒ 2026 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠PodPro Entertainment⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#SaveAsAbility #Ability #Inclusive #Inclusivity #LaborForce #Disability #DisabilityEmployment #ReasonableAccommodation #Accommodation #TheNewRadio