Lessons from a leading CEO Lessons from a leading CEO

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“I can ‘see’ everything, as if I’m working on an actual computer,” she said. Through her motivational speaking, Howery also educates businesspeople and students on living with blindness and does her best to advocate on behalf of the blind. The right note Howery puts her musical talent to work through her other business, MajorKey Entertainment, which she started last year. A classically trained pianist who’s been playing since she was 2, Howery appeared on the television show “That’s Incredible!” at the age of 7. These days, she sings and plays piano/keyboard at weddings, receptions and corporate events, among other “engagements.” “One of the most unique gigs I did was on Valentine’s Day, when a man wanted me to serenade his girlfriend right before he proposed to her,” she said. “I sang for about 10 minutes, and she was all teary-eyed afterward.” From a musical perspective, Howery loves living in the Capital Region because of its proximity to New York City and Boston; on a local scale, her recent move to Clifton Park will keep her between Albany and Saratoga Springs — and enable her to expand her home recording studio. Her immediate family includes her husband, Tom, her 10-year-old daughter, Keyra, and her guide dog, Tenille, about whom she jokes, “I’m the Captain, she’s Tenille.” Upon arriving in Albany in 2005, Howery enrolled in the music industry program at The College of Saint Rose, having previously earned an associate’s degree out of state. At Saint Rose, she has expanded her musical horizons, learning about performance, technology, contracts, content management and other aspects of the music business. Howery earned her bachelor’s degree last month and is grateful to her professors and fellow students for their support. “I’ve definitely gotten a certain amount of networking from being in school, and I’m so glad that I’ve earned my degree,” she said. In addition to her two businesses, Howery works in Internet radio, podcasts and descriptive video, which she likens to closed-captioning. With descriptive video, scripts are written and narrated to describe what’s happening in television programs when there are pauses in the dialogue, so that visually-impaired people can follow the action on screen. Introspective Although some may see her blindness as a disadvantage, Howery takes an insightful approach to her situation. “My businesses did not happen overnight. With any business, you start small, get bigger, turn a small profit and then make more profits,” she said. “Whether I’m doing consulting, motivational speaking or playing music, I try to inspire and contribute positively to people’s lives.” And she isn’t offended by the term “blind” because, quite simply, it’s the truth. “When you talk about the ‘visually impaired,’ that encompasses a lot. I can’t see anything. I’m blind,” she said. “But I have trust and faith in myself, so even though technology may change, I am resourceful enough to learn new skills. And some skills, like listening and communicating effectively, never go away.” Although Howery is a woman in business, most people overlook her gender and see her as a blind person first. Looking back, perhaps that’s why many people encouraged her to pursue music as a career over the years. “When you’re blind, music is a field that people expect you to get into, like Stevie Wonder or Ray Charles,” she said. “There was some resistance on my part, at first, but I’ve come to terms with that and now I love what I do.” Howery assessed the current business climate for women as ripe for opportunity. “It’s still difficult for women in business to be taken as seriously as their male counterparts, but our nation is changing,” she said. “We have an African-American and a woman as candidates for the presidency. Women can come up with nontraditional approaches in the workplace, and I think we bring a lot of creative problem-solving skills to the table.” Howery uses a Humanware mPower, which is essentially her laptop computer 18 VISIONS acchamber.org :: techvalley.org
member anniversary Stewart’s grows, but stays close to customers Stewart’s Shops Corp. has been a member of the Albany-Colonie Regional Chamber of Commerce for 20 years this month. However, the company’s history dates back to 1921, when Percy and Charles Dake began making Dake’s Delicious Ice Cream at the farm on Daketown Road in Greenfield. It wasn’t until 1945, however, that the Stewart’s name came into its own, when the Dakes purchased a dairy, ice cream freezer, hardening room and shop from Donald Stewart of Ballston Spa. Their purchase of this plant coincided with the discharge of Charles Dake’s son from the Army. The young veteran, intrigued by the ice cream plant, decided to start production and sell ice cream in the shop located on busy Route 50, in Ballston Spa. And so the first Stewart’s Shop was born. Today, more than 80 years later, there are over 300 Stewart’s Shops in upstate New York and Vermont. Despite being a large company, Stewart’s thinks of itself as a bunch of small shops and departments, each having a small business feel. This comfortable, friendly atmosphere allows employees to get to know their customers and embodies the company’s slogan, “Closer to You,” in more ways than one. “We value our Albany-Colonie Chamber membership, as well as our memberships in all area chambers, as a way of being connected to the community,” said Gary Dake, the company’s president. “Stewart’s Shops are committed to serving the needs of all the communities in which our shops are located.” Other Chamber members celebrating anniversaries in June include… 20 years Times Union Center 15 years AMRI, Inc. Apex Sewer & Drain Cleaning Service, Inc. Family Danz Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. Hart Alarm Systems, Inc. Slosek’s Music & Amusement Company The Business Council of NYS, Inc. The Guardian Albany County Republican Committee 10 years New Covenant Christian Fellowship Spiak’s Audio Visual Shop Pyramid Brokerage Company, Inc. Albany Kripalu Yoga Center Coldwell Banker Prime Properties, Inc. acchamber.org :: techvalley.org VISIONS 19
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