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This is John Robinson, an Our Ability podcast and Disability in the Public Square, and today we're continuing our conversation on entrepreneurship.
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I'd like you to meet Todd Stoppelfeld.
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Todd is an expert in technologies for the spinal cord injured and has contributed to New Mobility magazine.
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He's also been a keynote speaker at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference and the GeekWire Summit.
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Todd is the CEO and founder of C4 Consulting, and Todd will explain to you what C4 Consulting is and and how he got the name, and it's it's a great story.
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Todd lives in the Puget Sound area of the state of Washington with his wife, Karen, and he's an entrepreneur.
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I hope you enjoy this conversation.
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Sure.
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Todd, welcome to the podcast.
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Thank you, brother.
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Good to see you.
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Tell me a little bit about your background and uh and and personal.
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I want to know a little bit about who you are before we get into the crux of the matter.
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Okay, sounds good.
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Uh yeah, Todd.
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I was uh born in late 70s, so 79, in a little town um called Great View, Washington.
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So I'm Washington State over on the West Coast.
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And um, you know, normal sort of mom, dad, sister grew up on a family Christmas tree farm.
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So grandma and grandpa were on the same property, so to speak.
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Unfortunately, my dad passed away in a horrific motorcycle accident when I was four.
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And um, and then sadly, four years later, so this is 87, I was eight years old, um, I got shot um by my cousin and resulting in um a complete C4, you know, um spinal cord injury, uh, starting, you know, at the age of eight.
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So that was um, you know, sort of the start of of my whole scene.
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I think I meet all the sad statistics, you know, and hit all the numbers.
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And that was sort of the the start of um to my sort of story.
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Um, but man, I grew up on a really tough love, I think is the term that's used um quite a bit.
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My and and I guess I'll start too with man, I I don't have any beef, bro.
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I I got no shade, I got no, I got no angries, um, I'm not writing stuff in a journal of hate.
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Uh, I'm I'm one solid dude, you know, that is it might be Gandalf the gimp at this point, but I am solid in my story, and I'm happy and I got a lot of joy, and uh I'm just excited every day to get up and get after it.
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Um, but uh, but all that being said, my mom made it real clear uh that uh I was not going to be staying in her home uh after the age of 20.
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She gave me two years of grace.
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I had to be in college or I had to have a job, and and so that just sort of was the storyline.
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Mom remarried when I was 14 to an incredible dad, um stepdad, Dan, who has just been a solid dude in my story.
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And then my dad was like, Todd, what are you gonna do?
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You know, when you get older, and like what's your what's she what do you want?
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I'd like, well, I always wanted to be in the military, but with being paralyzed, I sort of pivoted.
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And with because being injured, I wanted to be a psychiatrist, so I wanted to go to like med school.
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And my dad was like, right, what do you what if that doesn't work?
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What if you get sick?
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And I thought, man, I I probably I should have some sort of trade, like something I could fall back to.
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And so uh there was this thing called the internet, and was able to find a school that could teach me software development.
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Bottom line is at the age of 17, I was done with my high school diploma, I was done with my associate's degree, and the reality is there's no way I'm going to med school.
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I wanted to go down to California because of the warm weather.
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It's just so many realities to a 17-year-old quadriplegic.
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You know, I grew up, I was the only disabled person like in my town, other than Michelle.
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Um, she was blind, and I was in charge of getting her to different classrooms.
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I I didn't know what I didn't know, and I just immediately just started trying to get a job.
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All right, C4.
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Tell me, just give me some give me some medical.
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How high up is that in the spine so that people get a frame of reference?
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Yeah, basically, you know, if you start counting the discs on the back of your neck, starting from the top, you know, count down one, two, three, four.
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So it's like both the shoulders, yeah.
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And I'm a complete C4 quadriplegic.
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So my spinal cord was spinal cord was severed.
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Bullet went through my chin, through my throat, and then uh severed the spinal cord.
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So it was the never gonna talk again, never gonna breathe on his own again, probably gonna die when he's like 18 or 19.
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So don't set up too much of a story for him because you know he's a little baby, he's gonna die soon.
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You know, so that was just sort of presented back in the day.
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Well, and a couple things that really stick out to me.
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So I my uh my grandparents had a dairy farm in upstate New York, and I spent my summers on the dairy farm.
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And what you said, you know, and my mom, who was their child, the tough love, 100% the tough love, right?
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So you're gonna be she would tell, and I'm 10 years older than you are, roughly.
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She would tell me, John, when you're 18, you're out.
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Uh, but she did say to me, When you're 16, I'll buy you a car.
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So she she dangled the carrot and had the stick, and uh no joke, I went to Syracuse University when I was 17 because it's time to time to get up and get out.
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And so I were you born with the nubs, or did those get cut off?
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What happened to you?
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No, I was born a quad amputee, so born with a three foot eight, born without the extension of my arms and legs.
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Oh, okay.
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So you got no legs either.
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Okay, yeah, yep, okay, gotcha.
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I uh and I can ambulate on my own, which is great, but um, but no, it was definitely tough love.
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I mean, it's here's what you're gonna do at at 18.
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You're gonna get up and get out, and God bless her for doing it.
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So I I completely hear Amen.
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Yeah, what you say, yeah.
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I can I'm I'm into the tough love, man.
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It's like no accountability and margins, you know.
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Um, I think kids need it.
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So I did.
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I was a really little one, too.
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So I'm good.
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I'm I'm glad you and me grew up in the same space, bro.
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Yeah, and when you say Gimp out, boy, I I uh my the pub that I'm gonna in retirement buy is gonna be Gimpy's Irish pub, and nobody everybody's gonna be offended, and I don't care.
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I don't care either.
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I don't I don't even know how to be offended.
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Uh I used to be I we used to be introduced by my grandfather as as his spastic grandson, which is completely inappropriate.
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Yeah, I mean, words are words, and if we're gonna give value to the word, then that's gonna be an issue.
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But yeah, GIMP, crippled, all of it.
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I just didn't have that scene in the 80s, it just wasn't my thing, and I didn't, I just not bothered by it, but either way, I want to be that guy.
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Yeah, so tell me about we're we're here for entrepreneurship, so we should probably cut to that one.
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But tell me, tell me about C4 database management.
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What are you doing?
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What was your original goal?
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Is it where you wanted it to be now?
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That kind of thing.
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I want I want the trajectory of the business because to me, as an entrepreneur, that always that always resonates with me.
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Uh all right.
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So, one, my mom, um, Gwen, and one of my best friends, she is still with us, and she was an entrepreneur as well.
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So she had a haircutting salon.
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Gwen's special touch.
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And that is what I grew up around, you know, since the moment I could remember.
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So it the entrepreneur thing sort of runs in the family.
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Um, I don't I don't know if I'm into it as much as I used to be, because it is sort of a thing, and it's sort of like a bit of a diagnosis in itself.
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Um, and it all started on my end because I had been working for this company, you know, for 10 plus years.
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I was their VP of ops.
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I was really getting into it.
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I thoroughly enjoyed it, just a total nerd um in the medical space.
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And I really liked the idea of what we were doing as a business, um, because it got because it allowed me to see the other side of the veil.
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As a patient, always waiting for the results, right, of that specimen.
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Um, sometimes I'd be sitting in the ER, you know, waiting for that urine culture to come back.
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Now I'm a person that is writing the lab, the laboratory specimen tracking software.
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So I got to sort of see what was happening behind the scenes on why maybe people were waiting for results.
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And it really gave me a real desire um to really get into that that line of work.
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And I really, really fell in love with database management, working on databases, making databases, cleaning databases.
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Um, databases are are like a like a European card, they need to be managed, they need to be maintenance and tinkered with, you know, for efficiencies and how they write on on disk arrays.
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I mean, it's so nerdy, John.
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I was into it.
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Uh, I really, really got into it.
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And in and in that business, what I what I now know in my late 40s, I didn't know necessarily my early 20s, um, is that a lot of these software vendors that write these tools and and and create software solutions, but they don't offer database man like what's called database administration.
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Uh, they don't really offer that as part of their software package.
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I get that now looking back, but I did not get that in my early 20s.
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I got that job um January 14th, 1997.
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I'd been 18 for like a little over a week.
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And so I got into that job.
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I've been doing it for a couple years, really, really liking it, started really leaning hard into the database piece, and and just started end up getting a name for myself with our our current customer base, um, because a lot of our customers were, you know, like mom and pop, you know, pathology laboratories, you know, studying specimens and you know, skin specimens, body like autopsies, all that world.
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And but they weren't really thinking necessarily about their database servers and are they efficient?
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So I really got into that space and plus 10 years, I've been really, really doing it, but my bosses and the owners, they were like, Todd, we're not really getting paid, you know, for that type of work, and we're really not responsible to doing that type of uh work for these customers.
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I said, Well, we should.
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And uh, and they just didn't see it the way I saw it.
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And about that time of my story, I don't know, I guess the entrepreneur bug was digging in a little bit, uh, as well as one of my coworkers was unfortunately passing away um with uh with cancer.
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And uh her name was Judith.
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And I just remember one day she said, Todd, I I think you're made for more than this company.
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I really challenge you, you know, to step outside of your comfort.
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And I thought, well, I don't know what that even means.
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She passed away.
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I started thinking about my story in more detail, and I think I sort of shut down a little bit.
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I wanted to write books, I wanted to maybe be sort of a comedian.
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I was trying to think of like different ways that I could serve.
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Um, I really enjoyed working with disabled, you know, uh youth.
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Uh there was just something about like what I learned, I wanted to show people and teach people.
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But the reality was, um, timing, it was just bad timing of all that.
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And I didn't know what I didn't know.
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I was a young dude.
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So I ended up quitting that job, and and mainly because they didn't like some of my ideas.
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I wanted to, I even offered the idea of like, well, what if I bought you guys out?
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You know, what if I did something like that and and that wasn't seen as too much of a positive?
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And so unfortunately, I I just sort of I quit.
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I just said, I'm done.
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What I didn't realize, John, is that over that like you know, 10 plus year history, my cell phone number was on a bunch of sticky notes on server racks all across this incredible country.
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So just a few months after I'd quit, I started getting phone calls uh of uh hey, you know, our database is sideways.
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Can you jump in?
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I'm like, oh well, I can't do that for free.
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And they're like, okay, no problem.
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Well, what do you want?
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I'm like, oh geez.
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And then I was always obsessed with this concept, uh, before it was famous now, was subscriptions.
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Yeah.
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Uh, I wanted our company to do subscription-based models, and and this is like 2012, 2011, 2010, and uh, it's old, old timey, and uh and I and plus I wanted everybody to work from home.
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Well, that's not the future.
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I'm like, no, it is um a disabled person or a mom, you know, on maternity, and then there's so many different ideas for the workforce, anyways.
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They they didn't see that.
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That's fine.
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So now I'm sort of hanging out, I'm getting phone calls from from previous customers, and so I started C4, and I did I start I called my company My Disability just because I thought it was sort of silly.
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Uh, plus I wanted to write jokes and and sort of write comedy and uh and whatnot.
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So I thought, well, it'd be fun to make fun of my disability.
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I had no idea that I'd start getting calls about database management and different customers, and then my customers were like, Why did you call your business C4?
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That's an explosive, you know, you don't want that, and I was like, Well, yeah, but I wasn't uh, you know, it anywho, it all was very organic, all word of mouth, and that's how I literally stumbled into my business and I started it in May of 2012.
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That's fantastic.
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So I went more the disability than the explosive, so it, but that takes another person with a disability to do that, I think.
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Oh, for sure, for sure.
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So tell me who high like so who hires you right now?
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Who calls you at C4 and needs what?
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In Western medicine, the laboratory industry is not that big, so you sort of know everybody, and I've been in this industry since 1997.
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Um, a lot of people just know my name, uh, and they just know what my company does.
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So a lot of times I'll get a phone call of hey, I uh you know, I'm laboratory XYZ and I'm having some problems with my software, but they the vendor that makes the software says it's a is it is a SQL server issue or a database server issue, but they don't do that.
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Um, could you do that based on your website?
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Well, absolutely.
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Um, the 99% of my business though is referrals and just my customers knowing other customers.
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You know, laboratories know laboratories because they go to conferences and I end up just getting phone calls from from that.
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Um, and so yeah, I just take care of laboratory data.
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Um, whether it's a hospital situation, like a lab in a hospital, or what's called a reference lab, is a lab outside of a hospital.
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And I end up just sort of taking care of all those types of laboratories, whether it's what's called toxicology, which is like drugs, um, clinical, you know, um molecular, uh, anatomical pathology, basically all types of everything that's coming into the body or out of the body, um, autopsies, pap smears, uh, if you're on drugs, right?
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All that stuff is getting tested.
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And I just manage the data servers that are responsible for those results.
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That's very cool.
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My daughter works at Boston Children's Hospital in the research lab, so I'm sure she I'm sure she knows.
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So that's pretty cool.
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Yeah, I love it.
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Yeah.
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Um, so uh this might be Captain Obvious here, but uh Annie wanted me to ask you about your relationship with the disability community, but I want to turn it a little bit since we talked about that to some degree.
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Is the speaking, is the comedy a way for you to uh to educate to others maybe in the non-disability community?
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All the above.
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Yeah, yeah.
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The only way that I have done my story is through comedy.
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Um, I've done the alcohol and the drugs and been clean and sober for since 2011.
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So yeah, I am I am so solid in my position, and I find humor works really, really well for um you know the A Bs, right?
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The able-bodied uh and just sort of introducing him to us and our stories, because I get written off quick.
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Um, you know, when we go into an uh we go do something, buy something, or looking at something, they're always going to my wife, right?
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I who who is the little one with you that's all hairy and gray, you know, and uh and oh that's my husband.
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Oh, that's not your kid, right?
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I mean, you get everything in uh in the under the under the name, but yeah, I'm not humor is where I find um connectivity and uh and and letting people be okay, you know, that uh yeah, all right, he's so he doesn't be talk too loud, he can hear us just fine, and you know whatnot.
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So yeah, that's sort of where I go.
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I think that's I mean that's great, and you're right, you're you're exactly right.
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Uh I don't I use humor all the time, and I also I make people engage.
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So if if I'm in a scenario where they're talking to my wife first, I it's I I'll I'll interrupt.
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I mean, I'll just get right into it, just because let's let's cut to the chase.
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We're here for one reason, whatever it is.
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So my wife is uh my wife's all military, uh she was 25 years in the navy and retired as a um United States Naval Commander.
00:17:45.680 --> 00:17:50.640
So she's a real like no frills.
00:17:50.960 --> 00:17:53.519
Uh and uh so lots of times it's pretty funny.
00:17:53.759 --> 00:18:05.200
So when somebody starts to approach her, she'll just point at me and she won't say anything to that person, and then that even makes it even more uncomfortable.
00:18:05.519 --> 00:18:06.799
So yeah, we we're pretty good.
00:18:06.880 --> 00:18:10.240
We're we're pretty good about shaking the tree a little bit, but yeah, man.
00:18:10.880 --> 00:18:11.920
That's fantastic.
00:18:12.400 --> 00:18:28.480
Um tell me about some of the adaptive technology, and I I'm I'm I'm I'm thinking about this because I I co-teach a class with another person with a disability on disability and accommodation and the history of accessibility, and so I've been thinking a lot about it lately.
00:18:28.960 --> 00:18:38.079
But tell me go give me a quick rundown and some of the adaptive tech that you've got going on, but you know, work, yeah, but more more life.
00:18:39.039 --> 00:18:44.880
Well, as you can see, partly I'm I'm turned sideways a little bit, so you can sort of see me.
00:18:45.119 --> 00:18:58.880
But if I was straight, right now you know now you got an iPhone that I'm using um software features called switch control uh to access the phone and another software tool called voice control as well.
00:18:59.039 --> 00:19:07.440
You know, the the screen next to the phone is the wheelchair dashboard, and I'm using a old school, I'm what's called direct access.
00:19:07.680 --> 00:19:09.119
So there's a joystick.
00:19:09.200 --> 00:19:14.000
I got buttons, fiber optic buttons on the gimbal ball here, here.
00:19:14.319 --> 00:19:19.519
I have you know micro light switches, then they get the mouth mouse, that red device over there.
00:19:19.839 --> 00:19:29.440
So I am crazy into assistive technology, yes, to do to do my job, but honestly to do my life, uh and whatnot.
00:19:29.680 --> 00:19:34.480
So um I am, I mean, the house is automated at this point now.
00:19:34.720 --> 00:19:37.599
Uh and I've been doing this for so long.
00:19:38.160 --> 00:19:42.400
This stuff didn't exist in the 80s and the 90s uh in the early twos.
00:19:42.720 --> 00:19:48.720
This stuff didn't really come together until uh around that 2013 and more uh and whatnot.
00:19:48.880 --> 00:19:56.480
So I've just sort of embraced all the technology that I can to one, just be a grown man uh and whatnot.
00:19:56.559 --> 00:19:59.359
You know, but it's something pretty dope when you can text your lady.
00:19:59.519 --> 00:20:11.680
Um, I was um wooing and loving on Karen before iOS 7 came out with switch control, so it was my caregivers that were helping me send text messages and uh and whatnot.
00:20:11.759 --> 00:20:16.240
And then we learned really quickly, my wife did at that point, she's just my just my girl.
00:20:16.400 --> 00:20:23.039
She was like, I think I'm gonna save some of our dialogue for either emails or when we're on the phone.
00:20:23.200 --> 00:20:28.400
I didn't realize that your caregivers, you know, were seeing what we're writing back and forth.
00:20:28.640 --> 00:20:34.079
And my wife had no experience um with dating somebody that was disabled.
00:20:34.240 --> 00:20:38.640
Um, she she didn't even really grow up with anybody that was disabled in her story.
00:20:38.799 --> 00:20:46.400
So I was sort of introduction to this whole concept of you know quadriplegia in a wheelchair and uh and whatnot.
00:20:46.640 --> 00:20:52.000
So it was wild, you know, to go before technology and now.
00:20:52.240 --> 00:20:55.279
And I use this stuff every day, all day for my world.
00:20:55.359 --> 00:21:00.480
It's Apple runs my life and uh Rendo Windows runs my business, yeah.
00:21:00.960 --> 00:21:04.799
And I just married the two together, uh, and it works out really, really well.
00:21:04.960 --> 00:21:06.160
That's wicked cool.
00:21:06.319 --> 00:21:07.759
That is fantastic.
00:21:08.079 --> 00:21:12.720
Um well, you could do a whole episode in assistive technology.
00:21:12.880 --> 00:21:14.240
That is that is really neat.
00:21:14.319 --> 00:21:14.640
You know what?
00:21:14.799 --> 00:21:19.200
I might ask you, Todd, someday, if you would you speak via Zoom to our class.
00:21:19.359 --> 00:21:24.720
We we do uh Tuesdays and Thursdays at 3 30 East time, so it'd be 12 30 your time.
00:21:24.799 --> 00:21:27.599
But I I'd love it if you'd if you'd geek out with them.
00:21:27.839 --> 00:21:28.720
They're pretty quiet.
00:21:29.599 --> 00:21:31.440
I work with a lot of OTs.
00:21:31.519 --> 00:21:33.680
Uh I do a lot of work with OTAs.
00:21:34.240 --> 00:21:36.400
Um, every state has like an ATAP.
00:21:36.559 --> 00:21:37.839
I do stuff with them.
00:21:38.160 --> 00:21:40.000
Most every state has uh what are they called?
00:21:40.079 --> 00:21:58.720
What do you call those uh um I can't remember that there's so many acronyms, but yes, I I spend a lot of time working with people um about what technology can do, like purpose, opportunities, like just sort of like what's out there, uh, and uh do it all the time, John.
00:21:58.880 --> 00:21:59.839
So yeah, I'd be glad to do it.
00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:01.039
I could for you, boss.
00:22:01.200 --> 00:22:09.680
Yeah, we're uh so uh how we started this iteration of what we're doing with our ability, we started with uh uh uh job recommendation engine we've been using.
00:22:09.839 --> 00:22:11.279
We built our own LLM.
00:22:11.359 --> 00:22:15.920
So my CTO came from Microsoft that we built our own LLM before OpenAI came out.
00:22:16.079 --> 00:22:24.160
Okay, and then we've integrated we've integrated the big boys into our LLM to recommend jobs to people's b people with disabilities based on skills and interest.
00:22:24.319 --> 00:22:25.359
You know, what can you do?
00:22:25.519 --> 00:22:28.240
Yeah, what's your interest in doing, and let's match you to a job.
00:22:28.319 --> 00:22:32.000
And so now we've morphed into different offshoots of that.
00:22:32.079 --> 00:22:35.039
But I the the technology part of where we're going.
00:22:35.279 --> 00:22:36.559
I just got a question today.
00:22:36.720 --> 00:22:42.079
I spoke to a law school, and one of the law students said, you know, what do you feel about technology in the future?
00:22:42.160 --> 00:22:45.119
And I said, it's it has been a great equalizer for what we're doing.
00:22:45.279 --> 00:22:47.920
Am I completely afraid of the AI we're building?
00:22:48.160 --> 00:22:51.759
Absolutely, but that's because I watched Battlestar Galactica and that I geeked out on that.
00:22:51.839 --> 00:22:53.279
But I love that channel.
00:22:53.599 --> 00:22:54.559
Uh I agree.
00:22:54.720 --> 00:22:57.279
But and yeah, it AI is gonna take us all over.
00:22:57.359 --> 00:22:57.759
I know that.
00:22:57.920 --> 00:23:04.079
But in the meantime, I'm gonna have fun building a better world for our world because we've needed it.
00:23:04.880 --> 00:23:05.839
So understood.
00:23:06.559 --> 00:23:07.279
Good for you.
00:23:07.519 --> 00:23:11.119
Yeah, uh, tell me a little bit about your book.
00:23:11.279 --> 00:23:12.559
How can people find you?
00:23:12.720 --> 00:23:15.920
How can people find C4 if they need some data management?
00:23:16.160 --> 00:23:18.160
How can they get a hold of Todd?
00:23:18.640 --> 00:23:22.480
You know, at this point, I am so on the grid.
00:23:22.640 --> 00:23:26.240
Uh, you literally could just Google Todd Sobblefeld.
00:23:26.400 --> 00:23:29.440
That's interesting to see the results that come back from that.
00:23:29.680 --> 00:23:34.880
Um, you know, the website, uh, again, you you just do the name and that'll take you everywhere.
00:23:35.119 --> 00:23:41.759
But um, you know, my website, solutions by c4.com um, or c4 database management.com.
00:23:41.839 --> 00:23:46.079
You can do either one, you can do my name, Toddsobblefeld.com.
00:23:46.480 --> 00:24:01.759
Um, uh, yeah, there's again, there's so many ways to get a hold of me uh and connect with me, whether it is in relation to what I call my life and sciences side of my story, you know, which is the the the database, the healthcare, uh, the managing of those items.
00:24:01.920 --> 00:24:10.319
And then there's the sort of outreach side, which is just the old gray beard guy, you know, offering out his ability to share his story.
00:24:10.559 --> 00:24:12.880
Um, yes, I am working on a book.
00:24:12.960 --> 00:24:17.519
Uh Q1 2027 uh is the release of that book.
00:24:17.680 --> 00:24:19.920
Everybody always says, hey, what's the title?
00:24:20.160 --> 00:24:23.119
Um, and I always come back with uh I don't have it yet.
00:24:23.279 --> 00:24:25.359
Um I am signed with a publisher.
00:24:25.599 --> 00:24:32.160
I I but every week when I work on the book, they they always reassure me it's okay not to have a title right now.
00:24:32.400 --> 00:24:36.000
And I'm like, I know, but but every human asks, what's the title?
00:24:36.079 --> 00:24:37.119
Uh and uh whatnot.
00:24:37.200 --> 00:24:40.400
And I saw right now, I have 20, 23 working titles.
00:24:40.640 --> 00:24:43.920
Um, and uh, and I'm sure it'll come out when it comes out.
00:24:44.000 --> 00:24:50.079
I'm I was 20,000 words over on my uh manuscript, and they absolutely loved it.
00:24:50.240 --> 00:24:56.960
Uh, and they said uh it's really, really easy to work with somebody that comes over prepared rather than underprepared.
00:24:57.119 --> 00:24:58.880
And I I'm I'm that dude.
00:24:58.960 --> 00:25:03.200
Uh I'm measured, you know, 14 times, cut once, uh, type of deal.
00:25:03.279 --> 00:25:06.880
But it is a memoir, and it'll be read by me as well.
00:25:07.039 --> 00:25:10.480
Um, and so you know, at the moment, just Q127.
00:25:10.799 --> 00:25:23.440
Um, I'm redoing my website to support the the book, and then also thinking about if people want me to do some readings uh or any sort of teachings from the book, um I'm I I think I might be open to that as well.
00:25:23.680 --> 00:25:37.119
You know, I'm 47 years old, I'm third as of like August 13th, the last month, I'm 39 years now post-injury, and I'm blown away that I'm still here.
00:25:37.359 --> 00:25:46.720
And I really do feel like my life now is more of this concept of outreach and just sort of showing people what is possible.
00:25:46.880 --> 00:25:53.440
Um, and I think when I was young, like in my 20s, I felt like, no, you should be doing this, and you should be doing that.
00:25:53.680 --> 00:25:57.119
And I think now in my late 40s, it's more like this is what I did.
00:25:57.359 --> 00:26:03.519
Is there anything that you could potentially glean from my story, you know, to help you navigate, you know, your story?
00:26:03.759 --> 00:26:10.880
And uh, and the book is is a memoir for sure, you know, uh the still the telling of my life pre and post.
00:26:11.200 --> 00:26:15.039
Um, there's just some different thoughts that I wanted to share with people.
00:26:15.119 --> 00:26:16.799
So it's a read for everyone.
00:26:16.960 --> 00:26:25.359
Um, it's really just anybody who's dealing with any level of brokenness that wants to figure out what purpose looks like, you know, and opportunity.
00:26:25.519 --> 00:26:28.640
So that's sort of where my heart is and where my mind goes.
00:26:28.880 --> 00:26:32.319
Um, but yeah, I mean that's that's that.
00:26:32.559 --> 00:26:34.240
Uh yeah, me too.
00:26:34.319 --> 00:26:39.119
I'm really excited to see what it ends up being, you know, and how many people are interested, you know.
00:26:39.200 --> 00:26:41.279
So well, when it's done, let me know.
00:26:41.359 --> 00:26:42.319
I'm curious about it.
00:26:42.400 --> 00:26:44.160
I I I was the opposite.
00:26:44.319 --> 00:26:55.039
I started with I started writing a journal for my kids, and the journal became more, and then uh, but I really kind of started with the title first and then move moved into the the rest of it.
00:26:55.119 --> 00:26:56.960
So I was exactly the opposite.
00:26:57.039 --> 00:26:57.680
So there you go.
00:26:57.920 --> 00:26:58.640
Okay, all right.
00:26:58.960 --> 00:27:00.319
Yeah, yeah, all good.
00:27:00.640 --> 00:27:01.039
Very cool.
00:27:01.200 --> 00:27:03.920
And so did you actually is your book out?
00:27:04.559 --> 00:27:05.680
Yeah, 2009.
00:27:05.839 --> 00:27:09.279
So uh Syracuse University Press published it.
00:27:09.359 --> 00:27:20.640
They did it because uh public broadcasting had done a documentary of the same name about me, and so the uh PBS had said, you know, documentaries go better when there's a book attached.
00:27:20.799 --> 00:27:25.759
So Syracuse University published it, and uh, you know, proud of that.
00:27:25.839 --> 00:27:28.640
It's been it's the reason I started my company, truthfully.
00:27:28.720 --> 00:27:39.839
So but I didn't want to just be me, I wanted to do something, so that's why we started our jobs board to help people match the career path because the career is uh allowed me to afford my life, and that's amen.
00:27:40.240 --> 00:27:42.000
Yeah, oh I like that, John.
00:27:42.240 --> 00:27:46.079
All right, well, I'm really into uh is there an audio version by chance of it?
00:27:46.319 --> 00:27:56.160
There is not, so it was pre it was kind of pre-audio, and it's one of those things that I need to sit down and take take a week and do it, and I just haven't done it.
00:27:56.480 --> 00:27:58.160
Please that's that's on me.
00:27:58.400 --> 00:28:02.400
Okay, well, because my whole world is audio uh and whatnot.
00:28:02.480 --> 00:28:09.519
I'm on a good page turner, and uh and honestly with PDF and scrolling, um, and then maybe that's an option.
00:28:09.599 --> 00:28:11.200
Do you have like an electronic version of it?
00:28:11.359 --> 00:28:12.079
Yeah, yeah, I do.
00:28:12.160 --> 00:28:12.799
I'll send it to them.
00:28:12.960 --> 00:28:13.440
Yeah, I'll send it to it.
00:28:13.519 --> 00:28:20.559
Well, then yeah, because then what I've been doing, and I really enjoy this part of the AI, you know, is like is is reading to me.
00:28:20.720 --> 00:28:27.440
You know, if I can't get an audio version to listen, um, you know, I can get uh like voiceover and stuff to read it to me.
00:28:27.519 --> 00:28:29.839
Uh and that's really been really, really cool too.
00:28:29.920 --> 00:28:34.319
So okay, well, I'm I'm gonna reach out to you on that if you don't send it to me because now I'm interested.
00:28:34.480 --> 00:28:34.880
Oh, good.
00:28:35.039 --> 00:28:37.119
Um, because we've been doing this forever, bro.
00:28:37.279 --> 00:28:45.119
And it's it's sort of neat to teach the young ones, you know, like, no, there is still life here, you know, there is still joy here.
00:28:45.359 --> 00:28:53.359
Um, yes, it looks different than maybe you know what you thought a couple years ago, but no, man, you can still wake up and have them some smiles, you know.
00:28:53.680 --> 00:28:57.920
Yeah, and that's and to me, that's what employment, that's what that's what employment's about, right?
00:28:58.000 --> 00:29:01.759
You it it pays for those smiles that that from everywhere else.
00:29:01.839 --> 00:29:06.000
And that's that's so that's such the key for everybody with disabilities.
00:29:06.079 --> 00:29:07.119
We need to have purpose.
00:29:07.759 --> 00:29:08.559
And failing.
00:29:09.680 --> 00:29:10.319
Amen, dude.
00:29:10.400 --> 00:29:11.359
I'm right there with you.
00:29:11.839 --> 00:29:13.440
Todd, I'm gonna stop the recording.
00:29:13.519 --> 00:29:20.640
I want to thank you publicly for for the time and stay stay in contact with our ability when you when the book comes out.
00:29:20.720 --> 00:29:21.200
We would love it.
00:29:21.519 --> 00:29:22.799
Okay, you got it, brother.
00:00:00.560 --> 00:00:09.279
This is John Robinson, an Our Ability podcast and Disability in the Public Square, and today we're continuing our conversation on entrepreneurship.
00:00:09.599 --> 00:00:11.839
I'd like you to meet Todd Stoppelfeld.
00:00:12.240 --> 00:00:18.399
Todd is an expert in technologies for the spinal cord injured and has contributed to New Mobility magazine.
00:00:18.960 --> 00:00:24.719
He's also been a keynote speaker at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference and the GeekWire Summit.
00:00:25.519 --> 00:00:36.960
Todd is the CEO and founder of C4 Consulting, and Todd will explain to you what C4 Consulting is and and how he got the name, and it's it's a great story.
00:00:37.280 --> 00:00:43.359
Todd lives in the Puget Sound area of the state of Washington with his wife, Karen, and he's an entrepreneur.
00:00:43.759 --> 00:00:45.200
I hope you enjoy this conversation.
00:00:46.000 --> 00:00:46.159
Sure.
00:00:46.399 --> 00:00:47.759
Todd, welcome to the podcast.
00:00:48.320 --> 00:00:49.280
Thank you, brother.
00:00:49.679 --> 00:00:50.640
Good to see you.
00:00:50.960 --> 00:00:55.359
Tell me a little bit about your background and uh and and personal.
00:00:55.520 --> 00:00:58.799
I want to know a little bit about who you are before we get into the crux of the matter.
00:00:59.119 --> 00:01:00.560
Okay, sounds good.
00:01:00.799 --> 00:01:02.320
Uh yeah, Todd.
00:01:03.039 --> 00:01:10.159
I was uh born in late 70s, so 79, in a little town um called Great View, Washington.
00:01:10.319 --> 00:01:12.959
So I'm Washington State over on the West Coast.
00:01:13.200 --> 00:01:20.079
And um, you know, normal sort of mom, dad, sister grew up on a family Christmas tree farm.
00:01:20.319 --> 00:01:23.519
So grandma and grandpa were on the same property, so to speak.
00:01:23.680 --> 00:01:28.560
Unfortunately, my dad passed away in a horrific motorcycle accident when I was four.
00:01:28.959 --> 00:01:45.519
And um, and then sadly, four years later, so this is 87, I was eight years old, um, I got shot um by my cousin and resulting in um a complete C4, you know, um spinal cord injury, uh, starting, you know, at the age of eight.
00:01:45.680 --> 00:01:49.680
So that was um, you know, sort of the start of of my whole scene.
00:01:49.840 --> 00:01:54.159
I think I meet all the sad statistics, you know, and hit all the numbers.
00:01:54.319 --> 00:01:58.480
And that was sort of the the start of um to my sort of story.
00:01:58.719 --> 00:02:06.879
Um, but man, I grew up on a really tough love, I think is the term that's used um quite a bit.
00:02:07.040 --> 00:02:10.800
My and and I guess I'll start too with man, I I don't have any beef, bro.
00:02:10.960 --> 00:02:17.120
I I got no shade, I got no, I got no angries, um, I'm not writing stuff in a journal of hate.
00:02:17.280 --> 00:02:31.439
Uh, I'm I'm one solid dude, you know, that is it might be Gandalf the gimp at this point, but I am solid in my story, and I'm happy and I got a lot of joy, and uh I'm just excited every day to get up and get after it.
00:02:31.599 --> 00:02:42.560
Um, but uh, but all that being said, my mom made it real clear uh that uh I was not going to be staying in her home uh after the age of 20.
00:02:42.719 --> 00:02:44.319
She gave me two years of grace.
00:02:44.400 --> 00:02:50.960
I had to be in college or I had to have a job, and and so that just sort of was the storyline.
00:02:51.199 --> 00:03:00.800
Mom remarried when I was 14 to an incredible dad, um stepdad, Dan, who has just been a solid dude in my story.
00:03:00.960 --> 00:03:04.080
And then my dad was like, Todd, what are you gonna do?
00:03:04.240 --> 00:03:08.719
You know, when you get older, and like what's your what's she what do you want?
00:03:08.879 --> 00:03:14.719
I'd like, well, I always wanted to be in the military, but with being paralyzed, I sort of pivoted.
00:03:14.879 --> 00:03:20.000
And with because being injured, I wanted to be a psychiatrist, so I wanted to go to like med school.
00:03:20.240 --> 00:03:23.039
And my dad was like, right, what do you what if that doesn't work?
00:03:23.199 --> 00:03:24.319
What if you get sick?
00:03:24.560 --> 00:03:30.400
And I thought, man, I I probably I should have some sort of trade, like something I could fall back to.
00:03:30.560 --> 00:03:38.400
And so uh there was this thing called the internet, and was able to find a school that could teach me software development.
00:03:38.879 --> 00:03:53.439
Bottom line is at the age of 17, I was done with my high school diploma, I was done with my associate's degree, and the reality is there's no way I'm going to med school.
00:03:53.520 --> 00:03:56.719
I wanted to go down to California because of the warm weather.
00:03:57.120 --> 00:04:02.240
It's just so many realities to a 17-year-old quadriplegic.
00:04:02.400 --> 00:04:06.879
You know, I grew up, I was the only disabled person like in my town, other than Michelle.
00:04:07.120 --> 00:04:10.800
Um, she was blind, and I was in charge of getting her to different classrooms.
00:04:11.039 --> 00:04:15.599
I I didn't know what I didn't know, and I just immediately just started trying to get a job.
00:04:15.759 --> 00:04:16.800
All right, C4.
00:04:17.040 --> 00:04:19.040
Tell me, just give me some give me some medical.
00:04:19.120 --> 00:04:22.319
How high up is that in the spine so that people get a frame of reference?
00:04:22.560 --> 00:04:31.120
Yeah, basically, you know, if you start counting the discs on the back of your neck, starting from the top, you know, count down one, two, three, four.
00:04:31.360 --> 00:04:33.040
So it's like both the shoulders, yeah.
00:04:33.199 --> 00:04:35.519
And I'm a complete C4 quadriplegic.
00:04:35.759 --> 00:04:38.800
So my spinal cord was spinal cord was severed.
00:04:39.040 --> 00:04:44.560
Bullet went through my chin, through my throat, and then uh severed the spinal cord.
00:04:44.639 --> 00:04:51.439
So it was the never gonna talk again, never gonna breathe on his own again, probably gonna die when he's like 18 or 19.
00:04:51.600 --> 00:04:57.199
So don't set up too much of a story for him because you know he's a little baby, he's gonna die soon.
00:04:57.279 --> 00:04:59.759
You know, so that was just sort of presented back in the day.
00:04:59.920 --> 00:05:02.000
Well, and a couple things that really stick out to me.
00:05:02.079 --> 00:05:08.639
So I my uh my grandparents had a dairy farm in upstate New York, and I spent my summers on the dairy farm.
00:05:08.800 --> 00:05:15.360
And what you said, you know, and my mom, who was their child, the tough love, 100% the tough love, right?
00:05:15.439 --> 00:05:20.639
So you're gonna be she would tell, and I'm 10 years older than you are, roughly.
00:05:20.800 --> 00:05:23.519
She would tell me, John, when you're 18, you're out.
00:05:23.759 --> 00:05:27.120
Uh, but she did say to me, When you're 16, I'll buy you a car.
00:05:27.439 --> 00:05:36.399
So she she dangled the carrot and had the stick, and uh no joke, I went to Syracuse University when I was 17 because it's time to time to get up and get out.
00:05:36.639 --> 00:05:40.160
And so I were you born with the nubs, or did those get cut off?
00:05:40.240 --> 00:05:40.800
What happened to you?
00:05:40.959 --> 00:05:46.079
No, I was born a quad amputee, so born with a three foot eight, born without the extension of my arms and legs.
00:05:46.319 --> 00:05:46.720
Oh, okay.
00:05:46.879 --> 00:05:48.000
So you got no legs either.
00:05:48.160 --> 00:05:49.920
Okay, yeah, yep, okay, gotcha.
00:05:50.319 --> 00:05:55.839
I uh and I can ambulate on my own, which is great, but um, but no, it was definitely tough love.
00:05:55.920 --> 00:05:58.319
I mean, it's here's what you're gonna do at at 18.
00:05:58.480 --> 00:06:00.959
You're gonna get up and get out, and God bless her for doing it.
00:06:01.040 --> 00:06:02.959
So I I completely hear Amen.
00:06:03.680 --> 00:06:04.879
Yeah, what you say, yeah.
00:06:04.959 --> 00:06:06.800
I can I'm I'm into the tough love, man.
00:06:06.879 --> 00:06:09.920
It's like no accountability and margins, you know.
00:06:10.079 --> 00:06:11.600
Um, I think kids need it.
00:06:11.680 --> 00:06:12.560
So I did.
00:06:12.639 --> 00:06:14.160
I was a really little one, too.
00:06:14.319 --> 00:06:15.199
So I'm good.
00:06:15.279 --> 00:06:17.600
I'm I'm glad you and me grew up in the same space, bro.
00:06:17.759 --> 00:06:27.680
Yeah, and when you say Gimp out, boy, I I uh my the pub that I'm gonna in retirement buy is gonna be Gimpy's Irish pub, and nobody everybody's gonna be offended, and I don't care.
00:06:28.000 --> 00:06:29.120
I don't care either.
00:06:29.360 --> 00:06:31.680
I don't I don't even know how to be offended.
00:06:31.839 --> 00:06:40.639
Uh I used to be I we used to be introduced by my grandfather as as his spastic grandson, which is completely inappropriate.
00:06:40.879 --> 00:06:45.600
Yeah, I mean, words are words, and if we're gonna give value to the word, then that's gonna be an issue.
00:06:45.680 --> 00:06:47.759
But yeah, GIMP, crippled, all of it.
00:06:47.920 --> 00:06:55.439
I just didn't have that scene in the 80s, it just wasn't my thing, and I didn't, I just not bothered by it, but either way, I want to be that guy.
00:06:55.600 --> 00:06:59.839
Yeah, so tell me about we're we're here for entrepreneurship, so we should probably cut to that one.
00:06:59.920 --> 00:07:02.319
But tell me, tell me about C4 database management.
00:07:02.399 --> 00:07:03.439
What are you doing?
00:07:03.680 --> 00:07:05.439
What was your original goal?
00:07:05.759 --> 00:07:07.519
Is it where you wanted it to be now?
00:07:07.680 --> 00:07:08.319
That kind of thing.
00:07:08.399 --> 00:07:15.680
I want I want the trajectory of the business because to me, as an entrepreneur, that always that always resonates with me.
00:07:16.319 --> 00:07:16.959
Uh all right.
00:07:17.120 --> 00:07:26.480
So, one, my mom, um, Gwen, and one of my best friends, she is still with us, and she was an entrepreneur as well.
00:07:26.560 --> 00:07:28.399
So she had a haircutting salon.
00:07:28.639 --> 00:07:30.399
Gwen's special touch.
00:07:30.560 --> 00:07:34.319
And that is what I grew up around, you know, since the moment I could remember.
00:07:34.480 --> 00:07:37.759
So it the entrepreneur thing sort of runs in the family.
00:07:38.000 --> 00:07:47.600
Um, I don't I don't know if I'm into it as much as I used to be, because it is sort of a thing, and it's sort of like a bit of a diagnosis in itself.
00:07:47.839 --> 00:07:55.759
Um, and it all started on my end because I had been working for this company, you know, for 10 plus years.
00:07:56.000 --> 00:07:57.680
I was their VP of ops.
00:07:57.920 --> 00:07:59.600
I was really getting into it.
00:07:59.839 --> 00:08:04.160
I thoroughly enjoyed it, just a total nerd um in the medical space.
00:08:04.240 --> 00:08:12.720
And I really liked the idea of what we were doing as a business, um, because it got because it allowed me to see the other side of the veil.
00:08:12.800 --> 00:08:17.279
As a patient, always waiting for the results, right, of that specimen.
00:08:17.439 --> 00:08:22.240
Um, sometimes I'd be sitting in the ER, you know, waiting for that urine culture to come back.
00:08:22.560 --> 00:08:28.879
Now I'm a person that is writing the lab, the laboratory specimen tracking software.
00:08:29.120 --> 00:08:34.399
So I got to sort of see what was happening behind the scenes on why maybe people were waiting for results.
00:08:34.639 --> 00:08:40.559
And it really gave me a real desire um to really get into that that line of work.
00:08:40.720 --> 00:08:48.399
And I really, really fell in love with database management, working on databases, making databases, cleaning databases.
00:08:48.559 --> 00:08:59.360
Um, databases are are like a like a European card, they need to be managed, they need to be maintenance and tinkered with, you know, for efficiencies and how they write on on disk arrays.
00:08:59.440 --> 00:09:00.960
I mean, it's so nerdy, John.
00:09:01.360 --> 00:09:02.480
I was into it.
00:09:02.559 --> 00:09:04.320
Uh, I really, really got into it.
00:09:04.399 --> 00:09:22.879
And in and in that business, what I what I now know in my late 40s, I didn't know necessarily my early 20s, um, is that a lot of these software vendors that write these tools and and and create software solutions, but they don't offer database man like what's called database administration.
00:09:23.039 --> 00:09:26.399
Uh, they don't really offer that as part of their software package.
00:09:26.559 --> 00:09:31.039
I get that now looking back, but I did not get that in my early 20s.
00:09:31.200 --> 00:09:34.799
I got that job um January 14th, 1997.
00:09:34.960 --> 00:09:37.519
I'd been 18 for like a little over a week.
00:09:37.679 --> 00:09:39.200
And so I got into that job.
00:09:39.279 --> 00:10:03.440
I've been doing it for a couple years, really, really liking it, started really leaning hard into the database piece, and and just started end up getting a name for myself with our our current customer base, um, because a lot of our customers were, you know, like mom and pop, you know, pathology laboratories, you know, studying specimens and you know, skin specimens, body like autopsies, all that world.
00:10:03.679 --> 00:10:11.120
And but they weren't really thinking necessarily about their database servers and are they efficient?
00:10:11.360 --> 00:10:27.600
So I really got into that space and plus 10 years, I've been really, really doing it, but my bosses and the owners, they were like, Todd, we're not really getting paid, you know, for that type of work, and we're really not responsible to doing that type of uh work for these customers.
00:10:27.759 --> 00:10:29.120
I said, Well, we should.
00:10:29.360 --> 00:10:32.720
And uh, and they just didn't see it the way I saw it.
00:10:32.960 --> 00:10:45.600
And about that time of my story, I don't know, I guess the entrepreneur bug was digging in a little bit, uh, as well as one of my coworkers was unfortunately passing away um with uh with cancer.
00:10:45.840 --> 00:10:47.360
And uh her name was Judith.
00:10:47.440 --> 00:10:52.879
And I just remember one day she said, Todd, I I think you're made for more than this company.
00:10:53.120 --> 00:10:57.759
I really challenge you, you know, to step outside of your comfort.
00:10:57.919 --> 00:11:00.639
And I thought, well, I don't know what that even means.
00:11:00.799 --> 00:11:01.919
She passed away.
00:11:02.080 --> 00:11:07.120
I started thinking about my story in more detail, and I think I sort of shut down a little bit.
00:11:07.200 --> 00:11:12.480
I wanted to write books, I wanted to maybe be sort of a comedian.
00:11:12.639 --> 00:11:16.000
I was trying to think of like different ways that I could serve.
00:11:16.240 --> 00:11:20.639
Um, I really enjoyed working with disabled, you know, uh youth.
00:11:20.799 --> 00:11:27.519
Uh there was just something about like what I learned, I wanted to show people and teach people.
00:11:27.840 --> 00:11:32.159
But the reality was, um, timing, it was just bad timing of all that.
00:11:32.320 --> 00:11:33.679
And I didn't know what I didn't know.
00:11:33.840 --> 00:11:34.879
I was a young dude.
00:11:35.039 --> 00:11:41.200
So I ended up quitting that job, and and mainly because they didn't like some of my ideas.
00:11:41.360 --> 00:11:45.759
I wanted to, I even offered the idea of like, well, what if I bought you guys out?
00:11:45.840 --> 00:11:50.399
You know, what if I did something like that and and that wasn't seen as too much of a positive?
00:11:50.559 --> 00:11:54.080
And so unfortunately, I I just sort of I quit.
00:11:54.159 --> 00:11:55.360
I just said, I'm done.
00:11:55.600 --> 00:12:09.919
What I didn't realize, John, is that over that like you know, 10 plus year history, my cell phone number was on a bunch of sticky notes on server racks all across this incredible country.
00:12:10.159 --> 00:12:17.759
So just a few months after I'd quit, I started getting phone calls uh of uh hey, you know, our database is sideways.
00:12:18.080 --> 00:12:19.039
Can you jump in?
00:12:19.200 --> 00:12:24.000
I'm like, oh well, I can't do that for free.
00:12:24.240 --> 00:12:26.000
And they're like, okay, no problem.
00:12:26.159 --> 00:12:27.360
Well, what do you want?
00:12:27.519 --> 00:12:28.799
I'm like, oh geez.
00:12:29.120 --> 00:12:35.120
And then I was always obsessed with this concept, uh, before it was famous now, was subscriptions.
00:12:35.279 --> 00:12:35.600
Yeah.
00:12:35.759 --> 00:12:48.720
Uh, I wanted our company to do subscription-based models, and and this is like 2012, 2011, 2010, and uh, it's old, old timey, and uh and I and plus I wanted everybody to work from home.
00:12:48.879 --> 00:12:49.919
Well, that's not the future.
00:12:50.080 --> 00:12:58.559
I'm like, no, it is um a disabled person or a mom, you know, on maternity, and then there's so many different ideas for the workforce, anyways.
00:12:58.639 --> 00:12:59.519
They they didn't see that.
00:12:59.600 --> 00:13:00.000
That's fine.
00:13:00.080 --> 00:13:12.720
So now I'm sort of hanging out, I'm getting phone calls from from previous customers, and so I started C4, and I did I start I called my company My Disability just because I thought it was sort of silly.
00:13:12.879 --> 00:13:17.600
Uh, plus I wanted to write jokes and and sort of write comedy and uh and whatnot.
00:13:17.679 --> 00:13:20.399
So I thought, well, it'd be fun to make fun of my disability.
00:13:20.720 --> 00:13:28.639
I had no idea that I'd start getting calls about database management and different customers, and then my customers were like, Why did you call your business C4?
00:13:28.879 --> 00:13:44.960
That's an explosive, you know, you don't want that, and I was like, Well, yeah, but I wasn't uh, you know, it anywho, it all was very organic, all word of mouth, and that's how I literally stumbled into my business and I started it in May of 2012.
00:13:45.200 --> 00:13:46.080
That's fantastic.
00:13:46.240 --> 00:13:51.679
So I went more the disability than the explosive, so it, but that takes another person with a disability to do that, I think.
00:13:51.919 --> 00:13:53.519
Oh, for sure, for sure.
00:13:53.840 --> 00:13:56.399
So tell me who high like so who hires you right now?
00:13:56.480 --> 00:13:58.879
Who calls you at C4 and needs what?
00:13:59.840 --> 00:14:11.039
In Western medicine, the laboratory industry is not that big, so you sort of know everybody, and I've been in this industry since 1997.
00:14:11.440 --> 00:14:16.799
Um, a lot of people just know my name, uh, and they just know what my company does.
00:14:17.120 --> 00:14:34.399
So a lot of times I'll get a phone call of hey, I uh you know, I'm laboratory XYZ and I'm having some problems with my software, but they the vendor that makes the software says it's a is it is a SQL server issue or a database server issue, but they don't do that.
00:14:34.559 --> 00:14:36.799
Um, could you do that based on your website?
00:14:36.960 --> 00:14:38.080
Well, absolutely.
00:14:38.320 --> 00:14:45.360
Um, the 99% of my business though is referrals and just my customers knowing other customers.
00:14:45.519 --> 00:14:52.159
You know, laboratories know laboratories because they go to conferences and I end up just getting phone calls from from that.
00:14:52.720 --> 00:14:57.120
Um, and so yeah, I just take care of laboratory data.
00:14:57.279 --> 00:15:05.200
Um, whether it's a hospital situation, like a lab in a hospital, or what's called a reference lab, is a lab outside of a hospital.
00:15:05.440 --> 00:15:28.960
And I end up just sort of taking care of all those types of laboratories, whether it's what's called toxicology, which is like drugs, um, clinical, you know, um molecular, uh, anatomical pathology, basically all types of everything that's coming into the body or out of the body, um, autopsies, pap smears, uh, if you're on drugs, right?
00:15:29.039 --> 00:15:30.799
All that stuff is getting tested.
00:15:30.960 --> 00:15:36.080
And I just manage the data servers that are responsible for those results.
00:15:36.399 --> 00:15:36.960
That's very cool.
00:15:37.120 --> 00:15:41.759
My daughter works at Boston Children's Hospital in the research lab, so I'm sure she I'm sure she knows.
00:15:41.840 --> 00:15:42.799
So that's pretty cool.
00:15:43.120 --> 00:15:44.720
Yeah, I love it.
00:15:44.960 --> 00:15:45.440
Yeah.
00:15:45.759 --> 00:15:57.039
Um, so uh this might be Captain Obvious here, but uh Annie wanted me to ask you about your relationship with the disability community, but I want to turn it a little bit since we talked about that to some degree.
00:15:57.600 --> 00:16:06.320
Is the speaking, is the comedy a way for you to uh to educate to others maybe in the non-disability community?
00:16:07.039 --> 00:16:08.080
All the above.
00:16:08.240 --> 00:16:08.879
Yeah, yeah.
00:16:09.039 --> 00:16:14.639
The only way that I have done my story is through comedy.
00:16:14.879 --> 00:16:21.759
Um, I've done the alcohol and the drugs and been clean and sober for since 2011.
00:16:22.000 --> 00:16:33.519
So yeah, I am I am so solid in my position, and I find humor works really, really well for um you know the A Bs, right?
00:16:33.679 --> 00:16:40.799
The able-bodied uh and just sort of introducing him to us and our stories, because I get written off quick.
00:16:41.039 --> 00:16:48.159
Um, you know, when we go into an uh we go do something, buy something, or looking at something, they're always going to my wife, right?
00:16:48.480 --> 00:16:53.600
I who who is the little one with you that's all hairy and gray, you know, and uh and oh that's my husband.
00:16:53.759 --> 00:16:55.039
Oh, that's not your kid, right?
00:16:55.120 --> 00:17:12.559
I mean, you get everything in uh in the under the under the name, but yeah, I'm not humor is where I find um connectivity and uh and and letting people be okay, you know, that uh yeah, all right, he's so he doesn't be talk too loud, he can hear us just fine, and you know whatnot.
00:17:12.640 --> 00:17:14.160
So yeah, that's sort of where I go.
00:17:14.559 --> 00:17:18.400
I think that's I mean that's great, and you're right, you're you're exactly right.
00:17:18.799 --> 00:17:23.839
Uh I don't I use humor all the time, and I also I make people engage.
00:17:23.920 --> 00:17:29.680
So if if I'm in a scenario where they're talking to my wife first, I it's I I'll I'll interrupt.
00:17:29.839 --> 00:17:33.279
I mean, I'll just get right into it, just because let's let's cut to the chase.
00:17:33.359 --> 00:17:35.519
We're here for one reason, whatever it is.
00:17:36.160 --> 00:17:45.359
So my wife is uh my wife's all military, uh she was 25 years in the navy and retired as a um United States Naval Commander.
00:17:45.680 --> 00:17:50.640
So she's a real like no frills.
00:17:50.960 --> 00:17:53.519
Uh and uh so lots of times it's pretty funny.
00:17:53.759 --> 00:18:05.200
So when somebody starts to approach her, she'll just point at me and she won't say anything to that person, and then that even makes it even more uncomfortable.
00:18:05.519 --> 00:18:06.799
So yeah, we we're pretty good.
00:18:06.880 --> 00:18:10.240
We're we're pretty good about shaking the tree a little bit, but yeah, man.
00:18:10.880 --> 00:18:11.920
That's fantastic.
00:18:12.400 --> 00:18:28.480
Um tell me about some of the adaptive technology, and I I'm I'm I'm I'm thinking about this because I I co-teach a class with another person with a disability on disability and accommodation and the history of accessibility, and so I've been thinking a lot about it lately.
00:18:28.960 --> 00:18:38.079
But tell me go give me a quick rundown and some of the adaptive tech that you've got going on, but you know, work, yeah, but more more life.
00:18:39.039 --> 00:18:44.880
Well, as you can see, partly I'm I'm turned sideways a little bit, so you can sort of see me.
00:18:45.119 --> 00:18:58.880
But if I was straight, right now you know now you got an iPhone that I'm using um software features called switch control uh to access the phone and another software tool called voice control as well.
00:18:59.039 --> 00:19:07.440
You know, the the screen next to the phone is the wheelchair dashboard, and I'm using a old school, I'm what's called direct access.
00:19:07.680 --> 00:19:09.119
So there's a joystick.
00:19:09.200 --> 00:19:14.000
I got buttons, fiber optic buttons on the gimbal ball here, here.
00:19:14.319 --> 00:19:19.519
I have you know micro light switches, then they get the mouth mouse, that red device over there.
00:19:19.839 --> 00:19:29.440
So I am crazy into assistive technology, yes, to do to do my job, but honestly to do my life, uh and whatnot.
00:19:29.680 --> 00:19:34.480
So um I am, I mean, the house is automated at this point now.
00:19:34.720 --> 00:19:37.599
Uh and I've been doing this for so long.
00:19:38.160 --> 00:19:42.400
This stuff didn't exist in the 80s and the 90s uh in the early twos.
00:19:42.720 --> 00:19:48.720
This stuff didn't really come together until uh around that 2013 and more uh and whatnot.
00:19:48.880 --> 00:19:56.480
So I've just sort of embraced all the technology that I can to one, just be a grown man uh and whatnot.
00:19:56.559 --> 00:19:59.359
You know, but it's something pretty dope when you can text your lady.
00:19:59.519 --> 00:20:11.680
Um, I was um wooing and loving on Karen before iOS 7 came out with switch control, so it was my caregivers that were helping me send text messages and uh and whatnot.
00:20:11.759 --> 00:20:16.240
And then we learned really quickly, my wife did at that point, she's just my just my girl.
00:20:16.400 --> 00:20:23.039
She was like, I think I'm gonna save some of our dialogue for either emails or when we're on the phone.
00:20:23.200 --> 00:20:28.400
I didn't realize that your caregivers, you know, were seeing what we're writing back and forth.
00:20:28.640 --> 00:20:34.079
And my wife had no experience um with dating somebody that was disabled.
00:20:34.240 --> 00:20:38.640
Um, she she didn't even really grow up with anybody that was disabled in her story.
00:20:38.799 --> 00:20:46.400
So I was sort of introduction to this whole concept of you know quadriplegia in a wheelchair and uh and whatnot.
00:20:46.640 --> 00:20:52.000
So it was wild, you know, to go before technology and now.
00:20:52.240 --> 00:20:55.279
And I use this stuff every day, all day for my world.
00:20:55.359 --> 00:21:00.480
It's Apple runs my life and uh Rendo Windows runs my business, yeah.
00:21:00.960 --> 00:21:04.799
And I just married the two together, uh, and it works out really, really well.
00:21:04.960 --> 00:21:06.160
That's wicked cool.
00:21:06.319 --> 00:21:07.759
That is fantastic.
00:21:08.079 --> 00:21:12.720
Um well, you could do a whole episode in assistive technology.
00:21:12.880 --> 00:21:14.240
That is that is really neat.
00:21:14.319 --> 00:21:14.640
You know what?
00:21:14.799 --> 00:21:19.200
I might ask you, Todd, someday, if you would you speak via Zoom to our class.
00:21:19.359 --> 00:21:24.720
We we do uh Tuesdays and Thursdays at 3 30 East time, so it'd be 12 30 your time.
00:21:24.799 --> 00:21:27.599
But I I'd love it if you'd if you'd geek out with them.
00:21:27.839 --> 00:21:28.720
They're pretty quiet.
00:21:29.599 --> 00:21:31.440
I work with a lot of OTs.
00:21:31.519 --> 00:21:33.680
Uh I do a lot of work with OTAs.
00:21:34.240 --> 00:21:36.400
Um, every state has like an ATAP.
00:21:36.559 --> 00:21:37.839
I do stuff with them.
00:21:38.160 --> 00:21:40.000
Most every state has uh what are they called?
00:21:40.079 --> 00:21:58.720
What do you call those uh um I can't remember that there's so many acronyms, but yes, I I spend a lot of time working with people um about what technology can do, like purpose, opportunities, like just sort of like what's out there, uh, and uh do it all the time, John.
00:21:58.880 --> 00:21:59.839
So yeah, I'd be glad to do it.
00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:01.039
I could for you, boss.
00:22:01.200 --> 00:22:09.680
Yeah, we're uh so uh how we started this iteration of what we're doing with our ability, we started with uh uh uh job recommendation engine we've been using.
00:22:09.839 --> 00:22:11.279
We built our own LLM.
00:22:11.359 --> 00:22:15.920
So my CTO came from Microsoft that we built our own LLM before OpenAI came out.
00:22:16.079 --> 00:22:24.160
Okay, and then we've integrated we've integrated the big boys into our LLM to recommend jobs to people's b people with disabilities based on skills and interest.
00:22:24.319 --> 00:22:25.359
You know, what can you do?
00:22:25.519 --> 00:22:28.240
Yeah, what's your interest in doing, and let's match you to a job.
00:22:28.319 --> 00:22:32.000
And so now we've morphed into different offshoots of that.
00:22:32.079 --> 00:22:35.039
But I the the technology part of where we're going.
00:22:35.279 --> 00:22:36.559
I just got a question today.
00:22:36.720 --> 00:22:42.079
I spoke to a law school, and one of the law students said, you know, what do you feel about technology in the future?
00:22:42.160 --> 00:22:45.119
And I said, it's it has been a great equalizer for what we're doing.
00:22:45.279 --> 00:22:47.920
Am I completely afraid of the AI we're building?
00:22:48.160 --> 00:22:51.759
Absolutely, but that's because I watched Battlestar Galactica and that I geeked out on that.
00:22:51.839 --> 00:22:53.279
But I love that channel.
00:22:53.599 --> 00:22:54.559
Uh I agree.
00:22:54.720 --> 00:22:57.279
But and yeah, it AI is gonna take us all over.
00:22:57.359 --> 00:22:57.759
I know that.
00:22:57.920 --> 00:23:04.079
But in the meantime, I'm gonna have fun building a better world for our world because we've needed it.
00:23:04.880 --> 00:23:05.839
So understood.
00:23:06.559 --> 00:23:07.279
Good for you.
00:23:07.519 --> 00:23:11.119
Yeah, uh, tell me a little bit about your book.
00:23:11.279 --> 00:23:12.559
How can people find you?
00:23:12.720 --> 00:23:15.920
How can people find C4 if they need some data management?
00:23:16.160 --> 00:23:18.160
How can they get a hold of Todd?
00:23:18.640 --> 00:23:22.480
You know, at this point, I am so on the grid.
00:23:22.640 --> 00:23:26.240
Uh, you literally could just Google Todd Sobblefeld.
00:23:26.400 --> 00:23:29.440
That's interesting to see the results that come back from that.
00:23:29.680 --> 00:23:34.880
Um, you know, the website, uh, again, you you just do the name and that'll take you everywhere.
00:23:35.119 --> 00:23:41.759
But um, you know, my website, solutions by c4.com um, or c4 database management.com.
00:23:41.839 --> 00:23:46.079
You can do either one, you can do my name, Toddsobblefeld.com.
00:23:46.480 --> 00:24:01.759
Um, uh, yeah, there's again, there's so many ways to get a hold of me uh and connect with me, whether it is in relation to what I call my life and sciences side of my story, you know, which is the the the database, the healthcare, uh, the managing of those items.
00:24:01.920 --> 00:24:10.319
And then there's the sort of outreach side, which is just the old gray beard guy, you know, offering out his ability to share his story.
00:24:10.559 --> 00:24:12.880
Um, yes, I am working on a book.
00:24:12.960 --> 00:24:17.519
Uh Q1 2027 uh is the release of that book.
00:24:17.680 --> 00:24:19.920
Everybody always says, hey, what's the title?
00:24:20.160 --> 00:24:23.119
Um, and I always come back with uh I don't have it yet.
00:24:23.279 --> 00:24:25.359
Um I am signed with a publisher.
00:24:25.599 --> 00:24:32.160
I I but every week when I work on the book, they they always reassure me it's okay not to have a title right now.
00:24:32.400 --> 00:24:36.000
And I'm like, I know, but but every human asks, what's the title?
00:24:36.079 --> 00:24:37.119
Uh and uh whatnot.
00:24:37.200 --> 00:24:40.400
And I saw right now, I have 20, 23 working titles.
00:24:40.640 --> 00:24:43.920
Um, and uh, and I'm sure it'll come out when it comes out.
00:24:44.000 --> 00:24:50.079
I'm I was 20,000 words over on my uh manuscript, and they absolutely loved it.
00:24:50.240 --> 00:24:56.960
Uh, and they said uh it's really, really easy to work with somebody that comes over prepared rather than underprepared.
00:24:57.119 --> 00:24:58.880
And I I'm I'm that dude.
00:24:58.960 --> 00:25:03.200
Uh I'm measured, you know, 14 times, cut once, uh, type of deal.
00:25:03.279 --> 00:25:06.880
But it is a memoir, and it'll be read by me as well.
00:25:07.039 --> 00:25:10.480
Um, and so you know, at the moment, just Q127.
00:25:10.799 --> 00:25:23.440
Um, I'm redoing my website to support the the book, and then also thinking about if people want me to do some readings uh or any sort of teachings from the book, um I'm I I think I might be open to that as well.
00:25:23.680 --> 00:25:37.119
You know, I'm 47 years old, I'm third as of like August 13th, the last month, I'm 39 years now post-injury, and I'm blown away that I'm still here.
00:25:37.359 --> 00:25:46.720
And I really do feel like my life now is more of this concept of outreach and just sort of showing people what is possible.
00:25:46.880 --> 00:25:53.440
Um, and I think when I was young, like in my 20s, I felt like, no, you should be doing this, and you should be doing that.
00:25:53.680 --> 00:25:57.119
And I think now in my late 40s, it's more like this is what I did.
00:25:57.359 --> 00:26:03.519
Is there anything that you could potentially glean from my story, you know, to help you navigate, you know, your story?
00:26:03.759 --> 00:26:10.880
And uh, and the book is is a memoir for sure, you know, uh the still the telling of my life pre and post.
00:26:11.200 --> 00:26:15.039
Um, there's just some different thoughts that I wanted to share with people.
00:26:15.119 --> 00:26:16.799
So it's a read for everyone.
00:26:16.960 --> 00:26:25.359
Um, it's really just anybody who's dealing with any level of brokenness that wants to figure out what purpose looks like, you know, and opportunity.
00:26:25.519 --> 00:26:28.640
So that's sort of where my heart is and where my mind goes.
00:26:28.880 --> 00:26:32.319
Um, but yeah, I mean that's that's that.
00:26:32.559 --> 00:26:34.240
Uh yeah, me too.
00:26:34.319 --> 00:26:39.119
I'm really excited to see what it ends up being, you know, and how many people are interested, you know.
00:26:39.200 --> 00:26:41.279
So well, when it's done, let me know.
00:26:41.359 --> 00:26:42.319
I'm curious about it.
00:26:42.400 --> 00:26:44.160
I I I was the opposite.
00:26:44.319 --> 00:26:55.039
I started with I started writing a journal for my kids, and the journal became more, and then uh, but I really kind of started with the title first and then move moved into the the rest of it.
00:26:55.119 --> 00:26:56.960
So I was exactly the opposite.
00:26:57.039 --> 00:26:57.680
So there you go.
00:26:57.920 --> 00:26:58.640
Okay, all right.
00:26:58.960 --> 00:27:00.319
Yeah, yeah, all good.
00:27:00.640 --> 00:27:01.039
Very cool.
00:27:01.200 --> 00:27:03.920
And so did you actually is your book out?
00:27:04.559 --> 00:27:05.680
Yeah, 2009.
00:27:05.839 --> 00:27:09.279
So uh Syracuse University Press published it.
00:27:09.359 --> 00:27:20.640
They did it because uh public broadcasting had done a documentary of the same name about me, and so the uh PBS had said, you know, documentaries go better when there's a book attached.
00:27:20.799 --> 00:27:25.759
So Syracuse University published it, and uh, you know, proud of that.
00:27:25.839 --> 00:27:28.640
It's been it's the reason I started my company, truthfully.
00:27:28.720 --> 00:27:39.839
So but I didn't want to just be me, I wanted to do something, so that's why we started our jobs board to help people match the career path because the career is uh allowed me to afford my life, and that's amen.
00:27:40.240 --> 00:27:42.000
Yeah, oh I like that, John.
00:27:42.240 --> 00:27:46.079
All right, well, I'm really into uh is there an audio version by chance of it?
00:27:46.319 --> 00:27:56.160
There is not, so it was pre it was kind of pre-audio, and it's one of those things that I need to sit down and take take a week and do it, and I just haven't done it.
00:27:56.480 --> 00:27:58.160
Please that's that's on me.
00:27:58.400 --> 00:28:02.400
Okay, well, because my whole world is audio uh and whatnot.
00:28:02.480 --> 00:28:09.519
I'm on a good page turner, and uh and honestly with PDF and scrolling, um, and then maybe that's an option.
00:28:09.599 --> 00:28:11.200
Do you have like an electronic version of it?
00:28:11.359 --> 00:28:12.079
Yeah, yeah, I do.
00:28:12.160 --> 00:28:12.799
I'll send it to them.
00:28:12.960 --> 00:28:13.440
Yeah, I'll send it to it.
00:28:13.519 --> 00:28:20.559
Well, then yeah, because then what I've been doing, and I really enjoy this part of the AI, you know, is like is is reading to me.
00:28:20.720 --> 00:28:27.440
You know, if I can't get an audio version to listen, um, you know, I can get uh like voiceover and stuff to read it to me.
00:28:27.519 --> 00:28:29.839
Uh and that's really been really, really cool too.
00:28:29.920 --> 00:28:34.319
So okay, well, I'm I'm gonna reach out to you on that if you don't send it to me because now I'm interested.
00:28:34.480 --> 00:28:34.880
Oh, good.
00:28:35.039 --> 00:28:37.119
Um, because we've been doing this forever, bro.
00:28:37.279 --> 00:28:45.119
And it's it's sort of neat to teach the young ones, you know, like, no, there is still life here, you know, there is still joy here.
00:28:45.359 --> 00:28:53.359
Um, yes, it looks different than maybe you know what you thought a couple years ago, but no, man, you can still wake up and have them some smiles, you know.
00:28:53.680 --> 00:28:57.920
Yeah, and that's and to me, that's what employment, that's what that's what employment's about, right?
00:28:58.000 --> 00:29:01.759
You it it pays for those smiles that that from everywhere else.
00:29:01.839 --> 00:29:06.000
And that's that's so that's such the key for everybody with disabilities.
00:29:06.079 --> 00:29:07.119
We need to have purpose.
00:29:07.759 --> 00:29:08.559
And failing.
00:29:09.680 --> 00:29:10.319
Amen, dude.
00:29:10.400 --> 00:29:11.359
I'm right there with you.
00:29:11.839 --> 00:29:13.440
Todd, I'm gonna stop the recording.
00:29:13.519 --> 00:29:20.640
I want to thank you publicly for for the time and stay stay in contact with our ability when you when the book comes out.
00:29:20.720 --> 00:29:21.200
We would love it.
00:29:21.519 --> 00:29:22.799
Okay, you got it, brother.
