A Brief History of CDI

Career Dreams IncorporatedTM was founded in January, 1994 by Gregory G. Braendel. CDI has been working with organizations on developing, refining, and implementing "Finding Your Personal ProductTM" and "Identifying Your Personal CompanyTM". Several case histories exist with the federal government including the Federal Quality Institute in Washington, D.C.

The Federal Quality Institute (FQI) is made up of thirteen top senior executives, SES level, of different federal agencies who pool their talents and experience for the purpose of bringing more efficient management to government. This group has been responsible for major changes in every organization from the armed forces through the civilian agencies. FQI is directly under the Executive Branch of the government. It has been working with major corporations (IBM, 3M, AT&T, etc.) , as well as universities to find and implement better ways to handle the changes needed for today's workforce. CDI worked closely with the FQI for over a year and a half. Several of the FQI executives are now working with Career Dreams IncorporatedTM on a full and part-time basis.

The Federal Quality Institute was a major factor in helping us refine and understand the groundbreaking achievements that had been created within the CDI system. We are now even better able to understand the significance that CDI is having and will continue to have on the changing workforce in America. One of the FQI executives, Dr. Gill Mayhew, called CDI "the golden key" to what unlocks in each of us how we can be far happier and more productive in our careers.

Pilot and contracted programs in the government have been with the Department of Labor, the Department of Treasury, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Department of Defense (DOD), and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

Career Dreams IncorporatedTM currently has an ongoing contract with the CIA Career Center in Washington, D.C. that started on January 21st 1997.

CDI has also met with state government organizations in California. Our pilot programs have received very positive responses from state officials and continuing negotiations are in progress to sign contracts in 1997. Interactions with the State of California Conservation Corps, Los Angeles County, the Boys and Girls Club of Venice, CA are just a few examples of the organizations that are interested in the CDI programs.

The pilot program for the Boys and Girls Club of Venice, CA started in January of '97 and will continue throughout the year. The age range of the students is from 11 to 17, grades 6 through 12. Over fifty percent of these students are from families currently receiving welfare. We are offering the CDI program to their parents, as well. In each household positive attitude changes will actualize productive employment opportunities and career dreams for the whole family. We are closely monitoring the results to take to schools and to the welfare and unemployment departments of the federal, state and local governments.

Our program was initiated as a pilot in the fall of '95 at Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia. Student responses to the program are available.

The CDI system is now being taught as an integral part of an accredited course which commenced in the fall of 1996 at Marymount University.

Gregory Braendel, the President and founder of CDI, was the keynote speaker for the Human Resource Symposium for the Intelligence Community in Washington, D.C. in the Spring of 1995. In May of 1996, Greg was a keynote speaker and a presenter of "Finding Your Personal ProductTM" to the Hugh O'Brien Youth Foundation. This 38-year-old foundation encourages leadership qualities in high school students. This year there are 216 students involved. The students understood the life-changing significance of discovering their personal talents and how applying this newfound knowledge can have profound, positive effects on their future life-choices and career directions.

Greg Braendel was featured in a 7-page article in the April,1989 tenth anniversary issue of Inc. Magazine. He has also written an article for Inc. Magazine, June '94, about a very successful manufacturing business he started with friends who possessed no prior experience in this field. This business was started with a $10,000.00 investment and within three was years worth $10,000,000.00. His company was 100% on time the five years Greg owned it.

The principles in management, productivity, worker and customer satisfaction, and career planning that Greg developed during this entrepreneurial venture provided the seeds for the foundation of the innovative CDI system. He is now authoring a book, BREAKING OUT OF THE BOX with a partner, Brad Swift, author of several books and hundreds of magazine articles. He has written the book NAIVE POWER: THE STORY OF THRISLINGTON that will be published at a later date.

There has been national exposure in the media concerning the CDI system. In October 1995, Aspire magazine published a lead article "How To Find Your Dream Job" by Brad Swift. The Gannett News Service published "Rediscover Your Dream Occupation" by Anita Bruzzese during the winter of 1996 in their newspapers distributed throughout the United States, Guam and Puerto Rico. The Washington Post published the lead story "Making Downsized Dreams Come True" on its Federal Page on November 28, 1995.

Career Dreams IncorporatedTM has built a very solid foundation and is now actively selling its programs in the Washington D.C. and southern California regions. CDI expects to move into the rest of the country as opportunities open up. CDI Career Centers are under development and are expected to start operation before the end of '97 in Washington and southern California. These will be expanded throughout the U.S. and Canada.

CDI has researched other programs offered in the arenas of outplacement, career development, and human resource development. CDI's programs are outstanding not only as stand-alone systems within organizations, but serve as much-needed complements to many existing programs in the market today. CDI has positioned itself in the marketplace to seek and develop strategic partnerships with many existing firms and organizations.