We set up at the Abilities Expo in Schaumburg for a fast, unpolished conversation with Brandon—part survivor, part builder—about what it takes to turn a life-altering crash into a life with direction. No studio polish, just honest talk about spinal cord injury, early rehab victories, the detours that come with school and work, and the strange comfort of finding your people in a crowded hall of adaptive tech.

Brandon walks us through the moment everything changed, the grind of physical therapy, and the real-world choices that shape long-term recovery. We dig into the power of community at events like the Abilities Expo, where peer knowledge travels faster than brochures, and a five-minute demo can upend a tired limit. We talk practical resilience: how to stack small wins, protect energy, and turn experience into service without slipping into empty hype. 

There’s humor too—travel from Nashville, first-podcast jitters, and that universal cringe of hearing your own voice. Underneath it all lives a grounded perspective: life flips in a heartbeat, gratitude rebuilds in inches. If you’re navigating injury, disability, or a hard restart, this speedcast is a reminder that progress rarely arrives in a straight line. It shows up as community, courage, and the next honest step.

Tap play, share it with someone who needs momentum, and if the conversation resonates, like, comment, and subscribe. Then tell us: what small win moved you forward today?