CCS Interactive In The News
Future Vision
In 1982, Gail Horton worked for the Azusa school district. She purchased an Apple computer for work – a novelty at the time – and taught family, friends and co-workers how to use it. This was the start of her ride on what she calls the "wave of technology". February of that year, "Steve Jobs hit the cover of Time Magazine and it confirmed that a new era was just beginning, so I took a leap of faith" Horton says. She opened California Computer Schools the following May, and for the next 28 years taught others about computers.
"The challenge was to learn the programs intuitively and write all of our own training manuals." she says. "Computers for Dummies did not exist at the time."
In 1992, Horton launched a branch of the company called CCS Interactive to handle Web design. Current clients include Morongo Nation and Pomona Valley Hospital.
CCS Interactive keeps clients’ site cutting edge. “We named ourselves CCS Interactive because of our focus on features such as animation, online forms, data collection and many other elements that keep the users engaged, “Horton says. She recently put together a team to address search engine optimization and social marketing. “You can have a beautiful site, but if you are not found, you have a masterpiece in the closet, “she says.
Her work has paid off. In 2010 the company brought home two Addy awards from the American Advertising Federation Inland Empire for best Web site and best video.
Horton is often applauded for being a woman in this stereotypically male-dominated industry. Yet, she never felt discriminated against or looked down upon by her speers. “People in the tech field are open to innovation and embraced me,“ she says. “I’ve made great friendships that have lasted over 28 years.”
Horton always believed her business would be successful, thanks to working at Adventures in Achievement with Tony Robbins at the age of 19. There she says she was influenced by great positive thinkers like Jim Rohn and Zig Ziglar, adding that “they gave me the greatest gift in the truth, “Whatever you think is possible, is.”
Now, she inspires others.
It’s a long way from the girl who got her first taste of the business world making Santa centerpieces as part of her middle school Junior Achiever class. “It’s been a great ride,” she says. “ I can’t tell you how fun it is.”