Promoting Abilities

The Greater Green Bay Chamber defines any business with less than 50 employees as a small business. Small businesses make up more than 80% of our membership base, and we are proud to offer them support and resources through programming, events and workspaces. This blog post is part of a new monthly series highlighting the small businesses in our community. Learn more about Promoting Abilities in this Q&A with Owner and Founder, Greg Maloney.

Tell us about Promoting Abilities. What is your mission?

"Promoting Abilities is all about helping high-functioning disabled adults learn the necessary skills to become independent. This all starts with developing them on necessity skill sets to better improve their life."

What services do you offer?

"We provide a technical service term called community-based adult day service. We are out in the community providing hands-on learning opportunities that can only be replicated through real-life practices. We provide a large variety of skill development from learning how to become independent in grocery shopping, community integration through public transportation (both sectors of microtransit & traditional city buses), successful living in an apartment setting, money and time management skills, and navigating through soft skills development that can be incorporated in any scenario."

Who does Promoting Abilities serve?

"We serve high-functioning disabled adults who have a strong desire and ability to learn necessary life skills to transition into independent life style. Ideal candidate age ranges from 18 to 30 years old, and someone who is open-minded to ideas of developing themselves for independent future. We have served and do serve individuals outside those age ranges, but we want to make sure that we have a cohesive group that find the same or similar lifestyle values and will develop lifelong lasting relationships."

When was Promoting Abilities established?

"We established ourselves truly in 2018."

Why did you decide to start Promoting Abilities?

"My experience as an advocate for high-functioning disabled adults through ongoing roles in the social work field led me to develop this program. After a decade of experiencing ongoing requests to find a program that could truly develop high-functioning disabled adults, I decided to develop this comprehensive program. I brainstormed ways that I could develop a program that could bring disabled individuals into higher standard of living outlook."

How would you describe your journey as a business owner?

"I feel as though I am ever-learning with ever-changing aspects like life itself. You go through life feeling as though you have many stages or chapters that define moments you experience along your journey. The early stages help create a foundation that allows you to withstand whatever obstacles you encounter, and you come out learning from those life experiences which causes personal growth. I went from learning how to just run a small business effectively to adapting for the COVID-19 pandemic, then transitioning from renting to owning my new business location. I have been so fortunate to have people in my life that have given me opportunities to naturally grow as a small business owner."

What has been the most rewarding moment for you as a business owner?

"Seeing participants succeed in life after so many people discredited them in life. When you go from someone coming straight from high school and within two years, they are working full-time, living on their own, and managing their own life by accessing their community via public transportation as navigating outlet, what an awesome outcome manifests from our working relationship."

What has been the most challenging part of owning a business?

"Marketing yourself in a field that is guarded due to others taking advantage of disabled adults in life. You do not get to market your business in this field like a traditional business owner might in other fields. The other aspect is finding out how unbalanced business renovation costs are (typically double to triple the cost from residential to commercial). This makes it extremely challenging when unexpected repairs arise. I found out the hard way, when I purchased this commercial property and needed it completely renovated."

Who has been the most influential person to you as a business owner?

"My wife, Melissa, without a doubt. She has been someone who has fully invested in my business from the very beginning, and her role only continues to grow. She is such a naturally gifted person. She helps come up with strategies and ideas on how to better teach our participants or incorporate ideas to leverage their talents which comes from her years of upper management experiences with influencing positive workplace changes. I can honestly say she is one of the most creative and artistically-inclined people I know. She makes the majority of my marketing material and comes up with most of the ideas. Interior design and concepts is something she does well with, and her problem-solving skills are top-notch. She figures out how to navigate through issues all the time with innovative ideas. When it comes to any projects we can do together, she is right there helping. I could not have done the transition from Start Up Hub tenancy to owning my current space without her ongoing help and support. We both work practically every day of the week together through our multiple businesses we run now. I truly am a better business owner and overall person because of her influence."

What are you the most excited about as you look to the future of Promoting Abilities?

"Obtaining more creditability as a provider as participants move out into their own apartments, get future jobs, take public transportation on their own, and more individuals graduate from my program."

How can people find Promoting Abilities?

"Promoting Abilities is located at 822 Cormier Road, Green Bay, WI 54304. Visit our website or Facebook page to find updates on what’s happening in our program."