PHIL TEMPLET was born completely blind, regained vision in one eye shortly after birth, and then later lost all vision when he turned 40. Despite being completely blind, Phil has been a successful hospital administrator, appointed by the Governor to sit on various committees, and lived a life full of adventure. From skydiving to snow skiing and turkey hunting to officiating weddings , Phil is pretty much up for any challenge that comes his way.

In this conversation Phil shares his insights and experiences that has helped him create a life of fulfillment even in the face of extreme adversity.

Phil is one of my dearest friends and has been a true guiding force in my life.

Join us in this inspiring conversation with Blind Adventurer, Phil Templet.

Show Notes:

:15 Intro

3:42 Overview of Affiliated Blind of Louisiana

4:31 Assistive technology for the blind

6:41 Born with congenital glaucoma

9:10 Gains vision in right eye

10:21 What Phil actually sees

10:48 “I was going to go blind”

12:15 First spike in loss of vision

12:35 First cornea transplant

13:22 Thought process of preparing for blindness

14:10 Light and recorded memory in the brain

15:42 Eyes surgically removed

16:21 Fun with removable eyes

19:40 Why the need for prosthesis

25:25 “There’s nothing to be sorry for”

26:30 Everyone else accepts his blindness

28:06 Difference between hope and finale

28:41 At peace with blindness

30:12 Not being held back

32:58 “…going blind was not that big a deal…”

34:23 Guiding belief: I am alive

34:42 Being grateful for life

36:26 Trying to give back

37:40 Not allowing one event to define you

38:24 Trying out new things

38:47 Running, skydiving, turkey hunting, hiking in the Himalayas, skiing

40:01 Gratitude from tragedy

45:40 Future adventures

48:41 Half marathon training

50:20 Advice for those experiencing vision loss

SAUL BLINKOFF is a Hollywood filmmaker who has worked for many high profile clients including; DISNEY, DREAMWORKS and NETFLIX. He was a Disney Animator on iconic Disney films like Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Mulan and Tarzan and has directed movies such as Winnie the Pooh and Kronk's New Groove, as well as the hit tv show Doc McStuffins.

Saul has had an amazing career in Hollywood, and over the past several years has also become a keynote speaker and host of the highly inspirational podcast LIFE OF AWESOME.  Besides animating and directing new projects Saul is on a mission to inspire others by sharing practical tools for finding success, meaning, and fulfillment in ALL aspects of Life.

Whether you are big fan of movies or just interested in creating an awesome life…..I think you’re really going to enjoy this conversation.

Saul's website: saulblinkoff.com

Instagram: @saul.blinkoff

The journey to bring a dream to reality is often filled with lots of ups and downs and all sorts of unexpected challenges along the way. New York Times Bestselling author, Matt Eicheldinger shares his incredible 15 year long journey of coming up with the idea for a book...getting it published....and ultimately landing a multi-book deal. 

Matt talks about going all in, the power of kindness, taking risks, and telling stories on social media (which have gotten more than 70 million views).  

If you've ever thought of writing a book...Matt will walk you through all the steps he took...from self publishing...to landing an agent....and everything in-between.

Matt shares some awesome nuggets of wisdom and life perspectives in a conversation that highlights the importance of pursuing big dreams...and telling some great stories along the way.  

TikTok: @matteicheldinger

Instagram: @matteicheldinger

Show Notes:

1:42 Intro

3:51 From conception of a book to New York Times Bestseller

12:17 Writing query letters and trying to get an agent

20:02 Support from family and asking the right questions

24:05 Kickstarter and self-publishing

34:07 Power of kindness

36:05 Finally getting representation

37:50 Selling the book

39:05 Working with an editor

41:52 Expectations of the big pay day

42:33 Life changes and going all in

44:46 Taking a risk and helping others

47:24 Telling stories on Instagram

54:00 Sticky Notes - the book

56:07 Showing humanity through the lens of a child

57:48 Four more books coming out over the next year

1:03:28 Buying books and helping authors

Amazing conversation with U.S. Paralympian Hagan Landry.  We discuss winning the Silver Medal at the 2021 Paralympics, setting the American Record in the shotput, as well as all of the highs and lows of forging an incredible 10 year career as a Paralympian.  

From small town Louisiana roots, Hagan has used his grit and determination to travel all over the world and compete at the highest level.  His story is one of resiliance and persistence in the face of countless setbacks.  Hagan is a world class athlete looking to compete in the 2024 Paris Paralympics while also using his knowledge and experience to help coach the next class of future Olympians and Paralympians.  

Follow Hagan on Instagram: @hagan_landry

It's graduation season....and one of my favorite things are commencement speeches. On this episode Rich attempts to give a commencement speech....of sorts.....not necessarily offering up life advice but just proposing 2 little ideas.  

If you like commencement speeches as much as I do......you might want to check these out.....

Tom Hanks at Yale in 2011:   https://youtu.be/baIlinqoExQ?si=S1gn0pb5AihJ3TfD

David Foster Wallace's "This is Water": https://youtu.be/DCbGM4mqEVw?si=dwLmYSwwUVs62FJq

Charlie Day's speech at Merrimack College: https://youtu.be/IulvPqb1Eus?si=wvDJAV0FdpyFEd6i

Conan O'Brien at Dartmouth: https://youtu.be/KmDYXaaT9sA?si=oG5_CSbPPVMd8crO

Neil Gaiman at University of the Arts: https://youtu.be/ikAb-NYkseI?si=0CAlYCVO-MvFIisg

I think LOVE has an incredibly practical application in our daily lives. On a normal day I find that my brain is constantly working on overdrive. Constantly worried about things at work…..worried about my kids…...it wants something to happen....or wants someone to act a different way.....it’s always trying to figure out how to do something....or why something happened to me.

Always spinning….with thoughts of WORRY, WANT, HOW, or WHY?

But what I'm learning is that LOVE is greater than all of these things.....

What I'm learning is that love may just be the alchemy of life. 

It's the New Year and time to set new goals!  On this episode I'll tell you about 3 simple ways I've found to more easily expand my comfort zone and help me accomplish more of my goals.  

A chance encounter with a stranger, a bad training run, and high fives at carpool have me learning about creating joy in my life and at work.  

Tennis has become a HUGE thing in our family recently.  As I watch more and more matches I've started to learn about THE SPACE and a new way to look at the challenges and obstacles that come into my life.  

Thank You notes have had a HUGE impact on my life. They've helped me learn about business and sales, shine a light on my dreams, who I want to be, and the absolute awesomeness of people.  Listen as I learn from three specific thank you notes that I've written.