An eight-year-old boy wanted to wear jeans like his classmates. That request exposed a gap in adaptive fashion and pushed his mother, Mindy Scheier, to challenge an industry that kept saying no.

Mindy's son Oliver has a rare form of muscular dystrophy and struggled with buttons and zippers. As a fashion designer, she altered a pair of jeans overnight. Watching Oliver dress independently changed how she understood clothing, confidence, and choice.

Building Runway of Dreams was far from an overnight success. Mindy shares the rejections she faced, why her first designs failed in a focus group, and how learning directly from people with disabilities reshaped her approach.

When brands resisted investing in adaptive fashion, she changed Runway of Dreams from a for-profit business to a nonprofit without abandoning her mission. Her persistence eventually helped open the door to Tommy Hilfiger and mainstream adaptive clothing.

Mindy and Jaime also discuss the medical uncertainty her family faced, the fear of letting people down, and the inner work that helps her keep going. Mindy shares her documentary, *RARE AS F@K, and her hopes for changing disability representation in mainstream media.

Timestamped Chapters
0:00 Mindy Scheier's Journey into Inclusive Fashion
1:56 The Pair of Jeans That Changed Everything
5:04 Rejection Before the Tommy Hilfiger Yes
9:23 Flying the Plane While Building It
12:12 Why the First Focus Group Changed Her Designs
17:10 Parenting Through Medical Uncertainty
22:50 Therapy, Meditation, and Inner Work
27:36 Why No Is Feedback, Not the End
30:30 Pivoting Without Losing the Mission
33:00 The RARE AS F@*K Documentary

Guest Bio
Mindy Scheier is a fashion designer and disability advocate who founded Runway of Dreams, a nonprofit advancing accessibility in fashion and beyond. She also founded GAMUT Management, focused on adaptive design, consulting, certification, and representation. Her work was inspired by her son Oliver's experience with muscular dystrophy.

Quotes from the Episode
"I needed to fly the plane and build it at the same time."
"even if I change the life of one other person, that's a win."
"Don't ever lose sight of what is your North Star."

Leadership Insights
Q: How can leaders create change before they feel ready?
A: Mindy Scheier's approach is to begin while learning. Test ideas with the people affected, listen when something isn't working, and improve along the way. Complete preparation and outside approval don't have to come before action.

Q: How can entrepreneurs use rejection without losing their purpose?
A: Mindy treats rejection as feedback about an approach or potential partner, not a verdict on the mission. When fashion brands resisted her for-profit model, she turned Runway of Dreams into a nonprofit while preserving her goal of inclusive mainstream fashion.

Resources

• Connect with Mindy Scheier on LinkedIn
• Learn more about Runway of Dreams
• Explore GAMUT Management
• Explore RARE AS F@*K at DOC NYC
• Learn more about Jaime Taets and Keystone Group International
• Explore Jaime's Executive Retreats
• Follow Jaime on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook

If you know someone waiting for the perfect plan or one more yes before making a difference, share Mindy's story with them.

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Jaime Taets