Empowering children to feel confident and embrace devices for better hearing.
Is your child ignoring you? Maybe they didn’t hear you.
Have you ever called your child’s name, only to be met with silence? You might assume they’re ignoring you or even being rebellious. But what if they genuinely didn’t hear you?
Gregory Taylor Sr., a Sun Prairie resident, is one of more than 30 million Americans with hearing loss. After years of avoiding treatment, he now advocates for others to embrace hearing aids to improve their quality of life.
A life-changing decision
Taylor’s hearing loss began in his youth but went unaddressed for decades. A high school athlete in peak physical shape, Taylor recalls a pivotal moment when he tried to join the Army Reserve.
“I passed the physical, written and vision tests but was told I didn’t hear well enough to join,” he said.
Despite this setback, he didn’t seek help. Instead, he relied on strategies like sitting close to people and reading lips to mask his hearing struggles.
But the COVID-19 pandemic forced a change. Social distancing and mask mandates exposed his difficulty in understanding conversations.
“In my first staff meeting after the mask mandate, I couldn’t follow the discussions around me,” Taylor said.
That’s when he decided to get his hearing retested and ordered his first pair of hearing aids.
Empowering others
Now, five years later, Taylor has retired from his corporate job and founded SeeMyEars, a business dedicated to helping those with hearing loss. His mission is to empower individuals—especially children—to embrace their hearing impairment and to feel confident wearing hearing aids to improve their quality of life.
“Hearing is essential for learning and social interaction,” Taylor said.
He is looking to partner with local audiologists and licensed hearing aid specialists to provide testing and medical-grade hearing aids. At the same time, he is working to secure a convenient business location on the south side of Madison that’s easily accessible to all.
The hidden problem in schools
Taylor’s outreach extends to local schools, where he’s discussing opportunities for better hearing testing. Many schools don’t conduct annual hearing tests, leaving some students undiagnosed with hearing issues.
“Teachers and parents may not realize a child is struggling with hearing loss,” he explained. “Signs like a child sitting quietly at the back of the class, not participating in conversations or turning the TV up loud could be red flags.”
Taylor wants to help educators, parents and administrators identify these signs and take action. He believes addressing hearing loss early can prevent kids from falling behind academically or socially.
Removing the stigma
One of Taylor’s main goals is to remove the stigma surrounding hearing aids, especially for children. He hopes to make wearing hearing aids as cool as wearing glasses.
“We need to understand that hearing aids is not a sign of weakness, and if you experience hearing loss, you’re doing yourself a disservice by not wearing them,” he said. “Hearing aids are devices that help people effectively interact, communicate and thrive.”
For Taylor, getting hearing aids was a game-changer.
“They helped me engage with the world in a way I hadn’t been able to for years,” he said.
He hopes to offer others the same life-changing experience.
Through SeeMyEars, Taylor is committed to helping his clients—not just hear better but feel comfortable and accepted. His mission is to create a space where people of all ages can learn about hearing loss, receive the care they need and connect with others who share their experiences.
To learn more or schedule an appointment, visit SeeMyEars.com.
