No Barriers

Dave and Erik interviewed No Barriers supporters, business leaders, and co-founders of AFAR Media, Joe Diaz and Greg Sullivan for this episode’s podcast.  AFAR Media is a critically acclaimed, multi-platform media company. Founded by Diaz and co-founder Greg Sullivan in 2009, AFAR inspires, guides, and enables the world’s best travelers to have deeper, richer, and more fulfilling experiences. AFAR’s innovative and award-winning platforms include AFAR Magazine, AFAR.com, AFAR Experiences, AFAR in Residence, and AFAR Conversations. Ten years ago, when they launched AFAR Media, they also joined forces with No Barriers Youth to also launch Learning AFAR, which provides travel experiences to high school students from low income families. Over 1,500 students have been given life changing experiences through this joint program. Greg started his career as a corporate securities attorney and later an investment banker before launching a series of successful entrepreneurial ventures, including the world’s largest selling coin-operated basketball game manufacturer and the second largest used car sales and finance company in the USA. He currently also serves on the board of directors of Carvana, the leading online car retailer. For Joe Diaz: in addition to his daily responsibilities at AFAR, Joe is an accomplished speaker and frequently lends his expertise on a variety of topics, including travel trends, startups, brands, entrepreneurship, innovation through digital media, and more.Starting with a pivotal trip to India in 2009, Joe and Greg were quickly inspired to share their love of travel with the world. They see travel as not just glamorous or escapism but as a way to instead seek and discover meaning, purpose, and connection in their lives. They realized that there was a lack of resources for global travelers that explored the transformative power of travel. They wanted to start a magazine and literally went on amazon to order books on how to begin that process. Joe and Greg discuss these humble beginnings as well as what “transformative and experiential travel” means to them:“It starts with a mindset, that travel isn’t something you do two weeks out of the year but an approach you take to life. That you’re curious about the world and want to really get off the tour bus and sit at the kitchen table. It’s a spirit - everytime you walk out your front door you take it with you.” - JoeThey offer planning tips to get out in the world in more meaningful ways and how to take advantage of the resources and mission driven organizations that are out there to assist. It doesn’t always mean following an itinerary - you can volunteer or “spin the globe.” Greg and Joe speak to the value of guides and trip builders who help craft experiences for clients to get the most impact. “What does ‘been to’ mean? How many kitchen tables have you set at? Take part in experiential and deep-dive travel.” - GregOur guests discuss how to be open and curious during your day to day. How to start conversations with the people you encounter in your everyday experiences like commuting and grabbing coffee. With the No Barriers program, Learning AFAR, Greg and Joe wanted to expand these amazing opportunities to people that don’t have the financial means. Not everyone has access or funds to hop on a plane and get to another continent. Providing programs that allow underprivileged kids to experience different cultures and languages gives them a new perspective on life. And the most rewarding part is that they return wanting to do more for others.“How do you put a value on that??” - Greg“And now they can pay that forward.” - JoeJoe did a TEDx Talk where he talks about this: After years of traveling, Joe found that the most dangerous worldview is that of those who have never viewed the world. The more we travel, the more we learn and the less we fear our world. We can help people to fear less.Ultimately it is invaluable to know your neighbors and treat our planet with care and that is the message that Greg and Joe are sharing with others with their travel company and No Barriers programming. AFAR MediaNo Barriers Learning AFAR programInstagram, Facebook, & Twitter: @AFARmediaJoe’s Ted Talk

Our hosts, Jeff and Erik, sat down with Timmy at our studio in Golden to catch up. He was in town to train with Erik for their upcoming expedition to climb Ama Dablam, a beautiful peak in Nepal. Timmy, Erik, and Jeff have been friends for many years and know Timmy not just as a wild speed climber but as a thoughtful philosopher of sorts who has dedicated a large portion of his life to giving back both through his nonprofit, Paradox Sports, and his work with Cure Blindness in Africa. Timmy talks about his quest to live in the now and to find meaning in all of his pursuits. He works with folks who are in the midst of challenge; whether they are physically disabled and part of Paradox Sports, or are taking part in one of his leadership seminars, and he has learned many lessons along the way. A brief background on Timmy:Hailing from Philadelphia, Timmy O’Neill left after one semester of college to head out and design a life for himself. He quickly became known as the “Urban Ape," scaling buildings around the country, like the Chicago Tribune Tower, without any ropes. Now, he’s a seasoned Patagonia-sponsored climber with a lengthy and impressive resume that includes setting world speed climbing records in Yosemite, and first ascents around the world in Venezuela, Patagonia, Pakistan and Greenland. Timmy is also a world class slack liner, mountain biker and kayaker and recently guided completely blind kayaker, Lonnie Bedwell, down the Zambezi, a class V River. Outside of his athletic achievements, Timmy is always giving back. He co-founded Paradox Sports, a national nonprofit dedicated to providing inspiration, opportunities and adaptive equipment to the disabled community and provides ophthalmic surgical care in Africa as part of the organization, Cure Blindness, along with Dr. Geoff Tabin. Timmy's vitality and zest for life continues to inspire others as he pushes on to live a life of meaning. Follow Timmy on InstagramCheck out his Facebook and give him a like.Read more about Paradox Sports and Cure Blindness

Our hosts, Jeff Evans and Erik Weihenmayer, had the opportunity to catch Charlie for an hour during his extremely busy schedule. Charlie was in the midst of training to head off on his latest pursuit: to run from the lowest point on earth; the Dead Sea to the tallest; the summit of Mt. Everest. Jeff and Erik wanted to hear more about not only his athletic accomplishments (too many for one podcast!) but to hear about how he got to this place of focus in his life. Charlie Engle is many things: a writer, runner, recovering addict and speaker. He’s run across the Sahara Desert, the Amazon, swum with crocodiles and summited ice covered volcanoes, but according to Charlie his greatest challenge has been becoming sober. He has stayed clean since 1992 and has channeled his addictive nature into his passion to run and what he calls “positive, purpose-driven pursuits.” He discusses the mental clarity and resolve it takes to run such long distances and not avoid pain but to tap into it. He also talks about the sheer logistics and planning that go into endeavors like the ones he takes on and the folks in his life who help make it all possible - like his wife who works tirelessly on logistics behind the scenes. In 2016, he wrote a memoir titled, “The Running Man” to illuminate the lessons he’s learned in his struggles and his triumphs.  To learn more and keep up to date on Charlie's adventures by signing up for his newsletter go to his website.Follow Charlie on Facebook: @charlieengleruns, Instagram & Twitter: @charlieengle 

Jeff and Erik spoke with our guest, Tish Scolnik, calling in from her Boston headquarters, about her journey to cofounding and running her own company: GRIT that created the Freedom Chair. Tish has been a longtime friend and supporter of No Barriers. Her Freedom Chair, the "mountain bike of wheelchairs" has been used by many folks at our No Barriers events to navigate tough terrain and help wheelchair users climb mountains that would be otherwise completely inaccessible. While at MIT Tish met her friends and co-founders who came together over their belief that everybody deserves access to the outdoors and adventure. They created a prototype of the Freedom Chair and brought it around the world. Many iterations later, they are still working hard to customize chairs and improve each new version for their many users - all with unique needs. Learn more about GRIT here.Call GRIT at 877-345-4748Message them at Facebook and Instagram @GRITFreedomChair. GRIT is a small team committed to their users and loves hearing their experiences.    

Our hosts, Erik and Dave, sat down with J.R. Martinez the night before our No Barriers Summit began in a conference room at Lake Tahoe Squaw Resort to talk about his journey. Background on J.R.: J.R. Martinez is an actor, best-selling author, motivational speaker, advocate, and wounded U.S. Army veteran. He hails from a small town in Georgia, where he grew up as the son of a single working mother who emigrated from El Salvador. After high school, he joined the army and in 2003 was deployed to Iraq. One day his humvee hit a roadside bomb, ejecting the three other soldiers and trapping J.R. inside. He suffered smoke inhalation and severe burns to 34 percent of his body. He spent 34 months in recovery and had 34 different surgeries, including skin grafts and cosmetic surgery in the eleven years since his injury. During his recovery, he discovered the power of sharing his experience and listening to others. He now travels the world spreading his message of resilience and optimism. He has spoken to troops at various bases around the world, universities, non-profits, and Fortune 500 companies.He’s starred and co-starred on a number of shows including daytime drama All My Children and in 2013, on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars he and partner, Smirnoff, were named season champions. Martinez is also the author of the New York Times best-selling book, Full of Heart: My Story of Survival, Strength, and Spirit, a memoir about how he was able to take his own personal tragedy, and turn it into an inspiration for others. To book J.R. or to learn more go to his website. Follow J.R. on social media at @iamjrmartinez Make sure to check out his latest book. To stay up to date with No Barriers and get updates on our 2020 Summit in San Francisco go here.

At our most recent No Barriers Summit at Lake Tahoe this past June, our three hosts were joined on stage by Mandy Harvey for a special live production of our podcast. Mandy Harvey is an award-winning singer and songwriter who also happens to be deaf. Mandy was a Vocal Music Education major at Colorado State University, when she lost her residual hearing at age eighteen due to a connective tissue disorder that affected her nerves. She left the program and pursued several career options, including education, but returned to music in 2008, as her true passion could no longer be denied. She quickly became a successful performer and has released three albums and won numerous awards. Most notably, in 2017 she was on America’s Got Talent where her performance of her original song “Try” while playing the ukulele, moved Simon Cowell to press his Golden Buzzer to send Mandy straight to the Quarterfinals. She went on to make the Finals and placed 4th overall. Watch her performance here. Mandy is also an ambassador to both No Barriers USA and Invisible Disabilities with a mission to encourage, inspire and assist others to break through their personal barriers. Though her hearing loss is profound, her timing and pitch are perfect and her passion is tremendous. With support from friends, family and her faith, Mandy continues to find joy in music. Our hosts talk with Mandy about the hard work and dedication that goes into being an award-winning singer and the efforts she puts in to not only keep up the quality of her own work and continue to tour and perform, but how she translates her style to teach others to "find their rhythm." Mandy recently released her latest single: "Release Me" and the music video is incredible. Watch (and share) it here. Follow Mandy on Facebook: @mandyharveymusic Follow Mandy on Instagram & Twitter: @mandyharvey Visit her website: Mandy Harvey Music to learn more.

Warning: Adult Content, please do not play with children present. The night before our No Barriers Summit began, our hosts Dave and Erik met with Gabriel Cordell at Squaw Resort at Lake Tahoe to record. Gabriel was scheduled to speak at the No Barriers Summit opening ceremony the next evening but came in early to meet with our podcast crew. Throughout the hour, Gabriel detailed how he dealt with his car accident at age 22 that left him paralyzed from his mid-chest down. After four months of recovery and physical rehabilitation, Gabriel continued to pursue his dream of being an actor, now as a paraplegic. He established his acting career on stage and screen, with credits including CSI, Dexter, and Numb3rs as well as national ads for IBM, Maxwell House and Pizza Hut. At the age of 42, Cordell focused on a different kind of role. He became the first person to roll across the United States in a standard, manual wheelchair — a 3,100-mile journey from the Pacific to the Atlantic, the final destination being his hometown of West Hempstead, New York. The inspiring trek is the subject of an award-winning documentary film called, Roll With Me: A Journey Across America. In 2014, Gabriel traveled to Israel and mounted a Roll for Peace between the Palestinians and Israelis, completing that 100km journey from Haifa to Tel Aviv in his wheelchair. In 2015, he teamed with the North Shore Animal League America and Bianca’s Furry Friends to raise money and awareness, by rolling 123 miles across Long Island, New York. As a motivational speaker, Gabriel Cordell finally gets to share his inspiring story of turning tragedy into triumph. Gabriel dives deep into the dark places his injury and subsequent anger and frustration led him. His truthfulness is raw and real and Gabriel goes on to talk about what inspired him to stop doing drugs, to reassess his life, and to take on the athletic challenges he pursues. Listen to hear Gabriel’s story along with his new No Barriers Pledge. Follow Gabriel on Facebook and Twitter at @rollwithmeusa and his website. Watch his film: Roll With Me on Netflix and for more info on his documentary visit: Roll With Me: The Movie

Hosts Jeff and Erik spoke with Marisa about her trajectory from a dancer to finding her voice and her own company, Infinite Flow. After 20 years of dancing ballet and contemporary dance in both the US and Japan, Marisa discovered and fell in love with ballroom dancing while recovering from spinal cord infarction, a rare stroke which caused her to be temporarily paralyzed from the neck down. In 2015, Marisa founded Infinite Flow, An Inclusive Dance Company, leading a global movement to make dance accessible to all and use dance to inspire inclusivity. She has brought Infinite Flow’s professional dancers with and without disabilities to perform at over 100 events, from school assemblies to corporate events with Apple, Red Bull, Porsche, Kaiser Permanente, and others. Infinite Flow’s videos have been viewed by over 50 Million people and she has been featured in over 100 media outlets including NBC Today, Good Morning America, Refinery 29, and others. Our team was introduced to Marisa when she came to a No Barriers Summit in 2017 and performed onstage with her then dance partner, Adelfo. They made such an impression on the crowd that we invited them back to perform at the NYC Summit in 2018. Together, Jeff, Erik, and Marisa explore how her own brush with disability informed her mission and how the adversity she experienced in her life has motivated her to find the dancer in everyone she meets. Check out Infinite Flow Join us in San Francisco for our 2020 No Barriers Summit. Follow Marisa on social channels: @infiniteflowdance #infiniteinclusion

Jeff and Dave spoke with Scott Kim a few weeks before he was scheduled to speak at our No Barriers Summit in Tahoe. Scott called in from his hometown of San Francisco (and was appropriately sporting a Warriors jersey) to tell them about his journey to success in creation of the Rapael Smart Glove. As with other innovators and entrepreneurs they have spoken with previously - Scott outlines the difficulties and barriers he faced and how he dealt with them. Background: Scott is the CEO of NEOFECT USA, and one of the founders of its parent company, NEOFECT, a rehabilitation technology company headquartered in South Korea. He wore several different hats before joining Neofect – a management consultant and a product manager in the software industry. Scott worked for mobile gaming companies such as GREE, Z2Live (which was acquired by King.com, a “Candy Crush” maker) and 505 Games, and founded a couple of startups. Recently, NEOFECT went on an IPO in November 2018, and is currently traded on the KOSDAQ. A passion project; this innovation was born from personal experience. Scott was born with spinal bifida and has undergone surgery and understands the long process of rehabilitation. His prior experience in the gaming software industry has also contributed to his ability to create the games and software for the Rapael Smart Glove in the US market. Learn more here: Neofect.com

Erik, Jeff, and Dave connected with Mindy to talk about the leaps and bounds she's made in the field of accessible fashion for people with physical and cognitive disabilities. Although she had been in the fashion world for years she was unaware of the lack of consideration given to those with alternate needs until her son, Oliver, who was born with muscular dystrophy, wanted to fit in with his friends - fashion-wise. “In my entire career in fashion there was never a thought of the challenges people with disabilities faced.” Mindy talked about the emotional and personal struggles that came with having a child with a disability that wasn't immediately diagnosable and how ultimately her situation provided inspiration to help others. “I could help not just Oliver’s life but the millions of people out there who are experiencing the same thing. This gave me a sense of purpose in a situation where I felt helpless.” Our hosts dive into the Pioneering process Mindy went through from creating jeans in her living room to having an accessible line with Tommy Hilfiger and founding RoDF. Listen and let us know what you think and subscribe to hear more No Barriers stories. Check out Mindy's Runway of Dreams Foundation and keep up with their latest news!