No Barriers

This is our condensed version of this interview. Please tune into episode 40 for the full extended version.Welcome to the first episode for our new weekly Alchemy Series, sponsored by Wells Fargo and Prudential. Our No Barriers motto, "What’s Within You is Stronger Than What’s in Your Way”is more relevant now than ever before. We’ll be featuring thought leaders and experts in harnessing adversity. They’ll provide practical guidance, hope, and optimism during these uncertain times. Our hosts, Erik Weihenmayer and Dave Shurna speak with the leading expert in the field of handling adversity: Dr. Paul Stoltz.   DR. PAUL G. STOLTZ is considered the world’s leading authority on the integration and application of grit and resilience. He is author of five international bestselling books on the subject and was voted byHR Magazine as “One of the Top 10 most influential global thinkers.” Dr. Stoltz has served as faculty for MIT’s acclaimed entrepreneurship program and for Carnegie Mellon’s distinguished Global Leaders Program, where his AQ and GRIT- related methods and assessments have been used to equip tomorrow’s leaders and entrepreneurs.Erik, Dave, and Dr. Stoltz discuss his many scientifically backed methods for approaching and harnessing adverse circumstances, including the concept of "Engaging Your Core."C.O.R.E.Control - What is beyond my control in my situation? What facets can I potentially influence?Ownership - What can I personally do to affect this situation immediately and positively?Reach - How can I contain this adversity? How can I minimize the downside or optimize the upside?Endure - How do I break this down and manage it, so that I can hang in for the long term?Listen to hear and learn more.  Continue listening each week and together, we will power through this pandemic and come out stronger.Additional Information:Watch Dr. Stoltz's TED Talk.Learn more about Dr. Stoltz's principles at PEAK Learning.Continue to develop your No Barriers Mindset.Thank you to our generous sponsors, Wells Fargo and Prudential! 

Content Warning: Profanity and Adult Content Visit Josh's Website to learn more.Following his groundbreaking win on NBC’s Last Comic Standing in 2006, Josh Blue has risen through the ranks to become a well-established headliner at venues throughout the world. In 2018, Josh crushed his set on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. In the same year, he was honored with a performance at the William H. Macy Gala at the prestigious Just for Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Canada. He wrapped up 2018 by recording his fifth hour special at his home club, Comedy Works in Denver, CO. Josh does over 200 shows a year, continuing to spread laughter and break down stereotypes of people with disabilities. His stand-up routine is in a constant state of evolution and his off-the-cuff improvisational skills guarantee that no two shows are alike. Critics have said Josh is not a cerebral palsy comic; he’s a comic who happens to have cerebral palsy. However, his closest friends describe him as “a d-bag.”Josh made his television debut on Comedy Central’s Mind of Mencia. His story has been featured on Fox, CBS, ABC, MSNBC,  and CNN.  He was the first comedian to perform stand-up on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, was named Best Winning Reality Show Guest on Live with Regis and Kelly, and made standout appearances on Comics Unleashed.  He has appeared twice on Ron White’s Comedy Salute to the Troops on CMT and made his late night television debut on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. He became the first comic to premiere a stand-up special on the big screen when 7 More Days in the Tank was shown in movie theaters across the country. It also aired on Bravo Network. Josh starred in Comedy Central Presents: Josh Blue in 2011. His third one-hour special Sticky Change aired on Showtime and Netflix. In 2016, Josh released his fourth one-hour special, DELETE on HULU and Amazon. Josh dropped a music CD Josh Blue and the Hooligan Stew Review  with some original songs. It has been described as “Tom Waits meets the Muppets.” Josh is a repeat guest on such nationally syndicated radio programs as NPR’s Talk of the Nation, The Mancow Show, and numerous podcasts including Getting Doug with High, and WTF with Mark Maron. He has been featured in numerous print publications including People Magazine and The New York Times. Josh is all over social media with over 1 million views on his YouTube clips and almost one million followers on Facebook. Josh represented the United States in 8 countries as a member of the US Paralympic Soccer Team. Josh and his team were thoroughly disgraced in the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece by not scoring a single goal.He is a single father living in Denver, CO with his son, Simon and his daughter, Seika. He also boasts a girlfriend.Follow Josh on Facebook: @officialjoshblue Follow Josh on Instagram: @joshbluecomedySubscribe and follow Josh on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/joshbluetube

Laura DeMaio Roy has been training pet and service dogs for 10 years with a specialization in guide dog training and instruction. She has run successful dog training businesses in Connecticut and Colorado and currently owns DoggyU LLC where she runs a popular YouTube channel and helps owners train their own service dogs. Her YouTube channel, DoggyU, brings practical, positive reinforcement-based step-by-step training instruction to those who may not otherwise have access to it. Her channel also covers product reviews, dog lifestyle videos, service dog training, and dog and van travel videos. Laura has performed with her dogs all over the country, spoken at national and state conferences, and her dogs have appeared in print media ads. Laura is a certified guide dog instructor and placement specialist for Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation where she trains and places German Shepherd Guide Dogs with clients throughout the US and Canada. She holds a BA in Business and Entrepreneurship and a Masters degree in Public Administration with a certification in Public and Non-Profit Management from the University of Connecticut.Outside of her career, Laura enjoys traveling in her van with her two dogs, Jake and CoolWhip, visiting national parks, hiking solo or with her husband, playing disc, training tricks, herding, bikejoring and jogging with her dogs, and generally exploring everything the US has to offer. She has officially visited all 50 states! Fun Facts about Laura:- she placed her first guide dog she ever trained with her father (his first guide dog)- she gave up a corporate internship to shovel poop at White Oak Conservation Center where she worked with hoof stock (zebra, bongo, giraffe etc.), cheetahs and more- she didn’t own a dog until she was hired at Fidelco at age 22 - She loves to take extended trips living in her van up to 2 months at a time exploring the US with one or both dogsSubscribe to Laura's YouTube Channel for the latest dog training tips, enrichment and travel advice.Follow Laura and DoggyU on FacebookVisit Laura's website for more.Learn more about Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation 

TAPOOZ TRAVELLaurent Roffé and Aïcha Nyström are the husband-and-wife team behind Tapooz Travel.Prior to founding their accessible travel company in 2012, their diverse professional backgrounds included architecture, technology, business consulting, design and photography. Aïcha and Laurent have lived, worked and traveled across Europe, Africa, South America, the Middle East and the United States.They have been involved with the disability community for many years, including volunteering as accessible outdoors expeditions trip leaders. Since the inception of Tapooz Travel in 2012, Aïcha and Laurent have organized accessible trips for hundreds of clients, from individuals and families, to small group travel. Today, the company operates in over 27 (and growing) carefully selected destinations in the US, Canada and worldwide.Their deep experience and hands-on expertise translate into the ability to customize accessible trips to the specific requirements and budget of their travelers.  Tapooz Travel is a member of ENAT, the European Network for Accessible Tourism.Learn  more and book a trip with Tapooz.Follow Tapooz on Facebook here.Sign up for updates on the No Barriers Summit and join us in September.

Ryan spoke to our hosts, Erik, Dave, and Jeff, about his own personal journey that has inspired his following his life's passion to bring recognition, agency, and awareness to the stories of migrants and refugees around the world. Born in Kuwait to refugee parents, Ryan Letada was raised in the Philippines before his family immigrated to the Bronx.  His journey from failing student to CEO of his own organization has taught him a thing or two about luck, grit, and survival. While living and going to school in the Bronx, Ryan was awarded the Posse Foundation Scholarship. This recognition paved the way for a Fulbright, which he then used to launch the One Laptop Per Child program in the Philippines. His team launched and piloted the country’s first one-to-one digital learning program in rural communities.Today, as the founder and CEO of NextDayBetter, a media company that exists to humanize the migrant experience. With the goal of creating the world’s largest library of migrant stories, the company seeks to reimagine migrants, immigrants, and refugees as a benefit to humanity. Its agency arm, NextDayBetter Studios, partners with mission-aligned brands (such as AARP and Mailchimp) to launch award-winning campaigns that engage multicultural, immigrant communities.Continuing his work as an entrepreneur and storyteller, Ryan also serves as a Google Next Gen Policy Fellow focused on advocating for inclusive tech policies. He is a Fulbright Scholar, Posse Foundation Alumnus, and serves on the Board of Trustees of Wheaton College Massachusetts.Follow Ryan and NextDayBetter here:On Twitter: https://twitter.com/rletada On Instagram: ​www.instagram.com/rletada  ​& www.instagram.com/nextdaybetter On Facebook: ​www.facebook.com/nextdaybetter Check out the Website: ​www.nextdaybetter.comAdditional Reading:Check out Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari 

Our hosts, Erik, Jeff, and Dave, spoke with André, the other week during his training for his newest endeavor: to  explore human potential as him and his team cross continents - from the lowest point to highest summit, starting with South America.But André's story began in 2003 when, as a 23 year old student in Prague, he wound up on the tracks in front of an oncoming subway train. His injuries required both of his legs to be amputated above the knee. After his recovery he still returned to Prague to resume his studies, but it was a long road to recovery - both physically and emotionally. He wrestled with his inner demons and the choices he made that had led him to be in this situation. He speaks in depth about the mindset and steps it took to bring him to where is today in his athletic achievements. André’s journey taught him that he is always capable of more. In 2010 he became an ultra endurance pioneer, a Team USA Paratriethlete, an Ironman World Champion, and the only wheelchair athlete to finish an Ultraman Triathlon. Then, in 2017, he finished the Race Across America, hand-cycling 3,100 miles in just 12 days, sleeping 90 minutes a night to make it from Oceanside, CA to Annapolis, Maryland. Now, despite his tragic accident, André is a renowned speaker and incredible athlete breaking world records. Now, along with his teammates, he is setting off for Southern Patagonia at Laguna del Carbón, the lowest point in the western and southern hemispheres to ride 1,800 miles over gravel, road, and mountain passes to Aconcagua National park. They will trek in and climb up the 22,841 ft. peak, the highest summit outside of the Himalaya.Follow his South American journey on Instagram: @LowestHighest Learn more about André and his past and current adventures here.Check out the trailer for his upcoming film, Joyrider, here.  

Our hosts, Erik and Jeff, sit down with our first No Barriers Podcast guest of 2020, Anne Lorimor. Erik and Jeff had just both returned from their own adventures in Nepal and were fighting jet lag and the come down of an epic trip but as Jeff puts it: Anne was the cup of coffee they needed.Anne is a goal setting achiever at heart. She holds numerous degrees, including an RN, "as a backup career choice," and never stops pushing her limits to achieve what others see as impossible. Anne keeps up her fitness with hiking around her hometown and around the world; all with the goal of not just aging gracefully but to break records. At age 85, she broke the record for being the oldest woman to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest free-standing mountain in the world.  Her record was soon broken, so at age 89, she returned to the mountain to reclaim the record.  In July of 2019, she became the oldest person to summit Mount Kilimanjaro, giving her a place in the 2020 Guinness Book of World Records.  But Anne doesn't just shatter records for her own ego. She comes from a childhood of poverty and homelessness, and because of her background she has motivation to give back to children who are in similar circumstances. With her deep desire to  give youth the tools to reach their full potential and encourage them to pay it forward, she founded Lorimor Child Empowerment Foundation dba Creating Exciting Futures in 2016. Her charity works to provide opportunities for education and better options for children in underserved areas. During their conversation, Jeff and Erik, discover how Anne's purpose to help others drives her forward, but also about the rope team, the educators and mentors, she credits for helping her in her youth to overcome her barriers. Listen to learn more about Anne and Creating Exciting Futures at  her website.See Anne being interviewed on ABC News.Follow Anne on social:FacebookInstagramTwitter    

Gena Harper works as a Certified Investment Management Analyst, Senior Vice President and Senior Investment Management Consultant at Morgan Stanley and provides her clients with custom financial planning that delves into and simplifies even the most complex situations. Gena also happens to be blind and has spent her entire adult life proving that limitations are simply hurdles to be cleared.  She made the US National Para cycling Team in 2012 and won a bronze medal in the National Disabled Ski Championships. She cycles, bikes, whitewater rafts, rock climbs, skateboards, practices yoga and has even tried cliff diving. She has won numerous awards including being the first recipient of The Glaucoma Foundation Award of Merit, the Women of Vision Award, the American Foundation for the Blind Kay Gallagher Award, and was recognized by Morgan Stanley as one of the 15 outstanding women professionals in 2015. She is passionate about empowering others, and improving the lives of people with many kinds of disabilities, not just the blind. She helps employers to understand that by hiring people with disabilities they will acquire hardworking, willing employees. Every day, she proves that having vision for herself and for others doesn’t require being able to see.Gena’s energies and passions focus first and foremost on her family and my career, but they also extend into community involvement and motivational speaking. She is passionate about empowering others, and improving the lives of people with many kinds of disabilities, not just the blind. She helps employers to understand that by hiring people with disabilities they will acquire hardworking, willing employees. Some of her outreach activities have included:Current Board Member, Lighthouse for the BlindDowntown Berkeley YMCA; Past PresidentVolunteer, Girls Inc. of Alameda CountyPast Board Member, Guide Dogs for the BlindPast Board Member, The Glaucoma FoundationMember, The California Governor's Committee for the Employment of Disabled PersonsMotivational Speaker, Smith Barney Training on Business Practice Management Keynote Speaker, Guide Dogs for the Blind annual luncheonKeynote Speaker, Women of Vision EventKeynote Speaker, Munich Reinsurance of America, Inc.Speaker, International Foundation for Employee Benefit PlansGena Harper’s commitment to meeting life head-on extends to everything she does. Every day, she proves that having vision for herself and for others doesn’t require being able to see.Article about Gena for more information: https://www.davisenterprise.com/sports/for-gena-harper-its-more-than-meets-the-eye/

Hosts, Dave Shurna and Jeff Evans, speak with School Leader's, Jan Harrison and Jason Malone of the Compass Community Collaborative School. The Compass School is a tuition-free charter school located in Fort Collins, Colorado. Students learn through active and engaging real-world projects — and graduate with a plan, a portfolio, and the tools to make a positive impact.Today we are speaking with school leader, Jan Harrison, and assistant school lead, Jason Malone. Jan has an extensive background in education with three master’s degrees, two in science and one in Educational Leadership, as well as a principal’s license and served for 15 years as a public education as a high school classroom teacher, a department leader, a Dean of Students, and as a district-wide high school interventions facilitator. She is highly qualified and committed to facilitate the work of a team of creative thoughtful, and energetic change agents who are committed to writing the next chapter in public education. Jason also has two decades of experience in public education in Fort Collins. He also worked as an International Baccalaureate Program Coordinator for 10 years and an IB Workshop Leader, Consultant and Program Evaluator working with schools all over North America. He believes teachers are lifelong learners and was drawn to the collaborative and innovative aspects of the Compass School. He says “the process of honoring of identity and the power of each individual student is at the center of my teaching philosophy and our work at Compass.”The Compass School was one of the first No Barriers partnered schools based on their mission-driven curriculum and  emphasis on student-focused, individualistic, purposeful learning that extends beyond the classroom. To learn more beyond the conversation today please visit the Compass website at:https://compassfortcollins.org/

Today we have a special episode for you. We are sharing some one on one interviews with No Barriers Summit participants from this past June at Lake Tahoe. Our host, Jeff Evans, took a “man on the street” approach and got firsthand accounts from various folks to talk about their personal experiences. He spoke with Veterans, teachers, coaches, parents and many more people who were taking part in different activities to get their feedback and their personal takeaways.Jeff meets up with Lanelle, a participant who just took part in the No Barriers activity: The Amazing Race. Like the show on TV teams move through various obstacles and work together to complete the challenges. The No Barriers version is all accessible and you might be paired up with a blind person, someone who is using a wheelchair, or a family of 4! The half day event proves that these physical differences aren't important when you unite around a common Vision. Lanelle is taking part in the No Barriers Warriors (she's a special educator) and hopes to bring back the lessons she learns here at the Summit and during Warriors expeditions to bring back to her students.Next, Jeff connects with a trio of Warriors who also just wrapped up at the Amazing Race. One participant speaks about starting her own Non profit dedicated to encouraging Veterans to choose meditation over medication. Having previously completed a Warriors program she had taken a hiatus but speaks to the importance of coming to the Summit to reconnect with her teammates:"It gets lonely out there and coming to events like this it reminds you of why you're doing it, but it also helps you find your battle buddies. We look out for each other, we keep each other going and it's good to come back together and reengage - to link arms and go back out in the world." The trio is headed together to Mt. Baker and then Mt. Rainier following the Summit. Jeff wishes them the best and heads to his next activity: Improv.After Improv wraps, Jeff meets Dan and gets his thoughts. Dan is a football and baseball Coach in his home life and he appreciated the way the facilitators broke down the process and got the group to be open, receptive, and ignore their fear - much like he does as a Coach. Following Improv, Jeff heads to a workshop with Mandy Harvey, a jazz singer who happens to be deaf and 3rd place winner on America's Got Talent. He meets with Andrew H. who was blown away by the different tactics Mandy introduced the group to in order to experience music in different ways.  By being more grounded and tuning in with more focus it leads to a deeper experience.  He likens it to his personal meditation practice. Andrew works with folks with Autism and wants to take back Mandy's tools to bring to his classroom. He is already considering using a drum circle and having his students use a tactile vest or even a balloon to feel the vibrations of the music. Another example of No Barriers activities sparking ideas and creativity for people to not just enjoy in the moment but to introduce lessons back home to enhance their communities.Jeff then gets the chance to speak to Megan K. a wonderful young woman who came to the Summit on a Reach scholarship. Megan is almost entirely blind and also has a powerful, lovely voice. At the end of the clinic she sang a duet with Mandy that must be heard to truly appreciate the beauty of that moment. Lastly, Jeff meets with Melissa S., a young woman with cerebral palsy from Leadville, CO, who has also been enjoying her time at the Summit. Melissa and Jeff bond over a love of the band, Journey, and Jeff admits that watching her reaction to Mandy's music brought him to tears. The Summit is for people from all walks of life with all types of challenges - whether physical, mental or invisible. The Summit experience is as diverse as the people who attend and we wanted to showcase these individual testimonies. The next No Barriers Summit takes place in San Francisco, September 2020 and we hope to see you there. Visit NoBarriersUSA.org to sign up for updates.