No Barriers

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 bo

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 hom

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 Bar

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 p

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 ro

Our hosts caught up with Natasha Nurse, before they meet her in person at our No Barriers Summit this June 13th-15th. Natasha spoke with Jeff and Erik about the map to start loving yourself and the road she personally traveled to get to that point herself. Now, a successful business owner and coach who illuminates the path for others, Natasha will be speaking and sharing her pointers with our No Barriers audience this June in Tahoe. Listen to the episode and let us know what you think in a review. If you haven't signed up for the No Barriers Summit yet go here and Register today For more about Natasha's company, Dressing Room 8, Check it out here. Get more fashion tips at Plus Model Magazine. If you loved the content of Natasha's story, definitely check out her and her husband's podcast: WokeNFree

Jeff and Erik connected with Jamie to hear her story and how her drive and grit has led her to become such an accomplished actress, activist, dancer, and founder of THISAbility, a performing arts conservatory and professional theatre company, cultivating inclusion in the arts. At age 19, Jamie was given a misdiagnosis and experienced a terrible reaction to medication that led to semi-paralysis and confinement to a wheelchair. After such a devastating blow, Jamie chose to fight back. Listen to Jamie discuss her musical and artistic trajectory and how she became a well known face and name in the performing arts community. Follow Jamie on social media at: @thisabilityarts Register for our No Barriers Summit here.

Koichiro Kobayashi, known as “Koba,” is a “paraclimbing legend.” Koba went blind at age 28 from a degenerative eye disease and at age 31 decided to take up climbing. He has since racked up a number of gold medals around the world! Koba envisions a world where various groups of people can live together without being worried about their handicaps. To pursue his vision, he established a Tokyo-based non-profit organization called Monkey Magic that promotes free climbing among those with visual impairments. Koba believes climbing “is a lifetime sport that people with disabilities can enjoy throughout their lives which increases exercise opportunities, promotes self-reliance and social participation by empowering, and improves quality of life.” Koba is joined today by his guide, Naoya Suzuki. Erik and Skyler speak to Koba and Naoya about their journey into paraclimbing and how they work together in this adaptive sport. They speak about all the different techniques they use together on a technical level to communica

Our three hosts sat down with George Basch in our studio. Repeat episode description. For Jeff and Erik it was more of a reunion as they have a climbing history together. They reminisce on their first climb in ‘98 up Aconcagua. In fact, George and Erik met in Phoenix during Erik’s previous life as an English teacher (he taught George’s son!) and he essentially became a mentor and an inspiration when he was looking to make his life in the mountains as an adventurer. Previous to his life as an adventurer, he was a business person. Our hosts dive into George’s past in the business world; including a time when he had to declare bankruptcy. He essentially started over at age 50. Part of his internal ethos (that he inherited from his family) is to go out and DO. To be part of action and make a difference in folk’s lives. He’s active in the American Alpine Club, the Explorers Club, and other organizations. But one constant has been his desire and drive to give back. “That was part of the family DNA - there was an a

*Please note that this episode explores mature themes and has minor profanity Dave brought Nadia in as a guest after he heard her speak at the Nantucket Project and was incredibly impressed with her and the parallels of her words and our No Barriers messaging. All three hosts sat down with Nadia in our studio in Golden to talk about her own journey to become a Pastor for House for All Sinners and Saints, a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denver, Colorado. From her struggles with alcoholism and feeling lost in the world, Nadia found a community when she entered the world of comedy and became a stand up comedian. Using humor and her faith as therapy, she eventually began to heal and transformed her trauma into a passion for helping others. Now, she has two best-selling books and most recently released her latest book, Shameless, an examination and take down of the "harmful and antiquated ideas about sex, gender, and our bodies." The hosts and Nadia discuss the concepts of forgivene

Shortly after the Thanksgiving holiday Sean Swarner came to Launchpad studios to meet with Jeff and Erik and speak about his journey beating the odds to become an incredible adventurer and inspiration to so many. With only one functioning lung, a prognosis of fourteen days to live, and being in a medically-induced coma for a year, Sean Swarner is the first cancer survivor to stand on top of Mt. Everest. Sean has broken through defined human limitation in order to redefine the way the world views success. Diagnosed with two deadly, different, and unrelated forms of cancer, once age thirteen and again at age sixteen. Sean astounded the medical community when he survived both. He realized that after defeating cancer twice, no challenge would ever be too great, no peak too high. He has since topped the “7-Summits”and skied both the South and the North Poles. He continues to test his own endurance and inspire and motivate people around the world with his message of hope. He founded the non-profit organization, The

Jeff and Erik met up in Golden following Thanksgiving to hang out with Craig Demartino, a renowned rock climber who is also an amputee. They are missing their “fearless leader,” Dave Shurna. Craig works with an organization called, Adaptive Adventures, that helps folks of all abilities get out and experience athletic endeavors. Craig works with helping people learn to or get back to rock climbing despite any challenges they are facing. Half the population he works with are Veterans (they are a vetted VA provider) and will come in a few times a week to the rock gym before they venture outside. He talks about the different adaptations and innovations they use to get anyone up the wall. But before Craig worked with this group he was just a regular climber. Before 2001, he was focused mostly on what he wanted to do and where he wanted to be, along with his wife and two kids. They traveled and climbed as Craig worked as a photographer. In 2002, Craig was climbing with a partner in Estes Park and has a life changi

Angie Shireman, a jewelry artisan, small business owner, certified yoga instructor, wife, mom, and artist, Angie seemingly has lived a carefree life. But, her smiling personality belies her real story. During this episode, our hosts have Angie recount these dark moments in her life and how she dug deep to find her way to the light and become the shiny person she is today. Host, Erik Weihenmayer has a new film that is making the rounds on the film festival circuit: Weight of Water, about his pursuit of kayaking the Grand Canyon. The film was started in 2014 by director, Michael Brown, and now is winning awards left and right. At the time of this episode it had just taken home the Grand Prize at Banff Mountain Film Festival. Dave points out that the movie highlights the internal struggles of those folks in Erik’s life and how we are all carrying some sort of mental or emotional burden at any given time. Angie has had her fair share of burdens. She starts with an overview of her childhood, growing up in Buffalo,

Dave, Jeff and Erik welcomed Luis to the No Barriers Podcast studio and it felt initially like a trip down memory lane. Jeff and Erik have known Luis since they were all young mountain climbers in their late 20’s. They have made films, went on great expeditions and shared countless experiences. Since those days all three have been on different trajectories all while still maintaining a connection to the outdoors where it all started. When Luis is asked if he expected to have gone from climbing to being in the world of business and politics he is adamant he never saw this path for himself. In 2001 the team that would eventually summit Everest together and make history as the team that included the first blind person, Erik Weihenmayer, to ever reach the top. They were brought together, along with our Technical producer and expedition photographer, Didrik Johnck, by their team leader, Pasquale (PV) Scaturro. Luis talks about how people viewed this decision to take a blind guy up Everest as a “career-killer.” The

Erik and Jeff begin the session recapping a recent experience helping Nerissa Cannon, a young woman in a wheelchair, climb a Colorado 14er. The discussion revolves around the importance of teamwork which is fitting since our guest is Maj. "Diggs" Brown who, since he left the Army, has worked with teams of Veterans to help them heal. Diggs has had seemingly many lives. He's a current film actor, served in the Army as an officer in the Special Forces, and even worked as a financial advisor - the position he had when 9/11 happened, which led to his decision to join the Army. The conversation starts with Diggs describing how he found the organization No Barriers at age 56 after returning from Afghanistan with a TBI and other injuries, including PTS and joined the No Barriers Warriors to take on his first expedition with other Vets. When he returned home he was lost and it was during his time with these other Vets, in training sessions and during talks around the campfire, that he found his purpose: to

We recorded this episode shortly after Erik had just returned from New York City where he circumnavigated all of Manhattan in a kayak to promote the No Barriers Summit that took place in October 2018. He took interviews along the way as journalists and you can read more and see some photos here. Erik, Dave, and Jeff dove in with Shannon asking about her and her daughter’s website and how they came up with the name: “endangered activists.” Shannon shares her love of activism with her daughter and decided to encourage her passion for animals and so, they built a project around this passion. “Perhaps activism is also an endangered species” Most of the time, Shannon explains, people find activism overwhelming and, especially in this day and age with all that is going on, it can seem like too much work to be involved. And instead, people become apathetic. But Shannon’s goal is to get people (including her daughter) to blast through this apathy, find their passion, and start working towards a goal or project to

After establishing Steve and Dave’s Chicago connection the hosts dive into why he’s been brought on as a guest - after Steve attended a No Barriers Corporate retreat he was able to recognize the core No Barriers elements that he could bring back to his own company to reinvigorate his teams. Corporations face their own types of barriers but in more “invisible” ways. Steve talks about how employees are not willfully disengaged but they have perhaps lost their connection to the mission or are checked out: “Something about their environment is disabling for them to give their best and have the fulfillment that comes from work.” By providing the No Barriers elements to employees Steve feels can reinstall a sense of agency to their job life. We dive into Steve’s background growing up overseas. His father’s job involved moving the family around quite a bit and exposed him to diverse experiences and cultures; igniting his sense of curiosity and passion for learning and adventure. He tries to carry that over into hi

Jeff, Erik, and Dave speak with Heidi McKenzie who is speaking from her home state of Kentucky. After a car accident left her as a T4 paraplegic in a wheelchair when she was just 21 she not just survived but started a thriving career and has been an outspoken advocate for folks with disabilities. Heidi talks about what it was like to now live day to day in a power chair and learn her “new normal.” One of the pursuits that helped her find her voice and passion was the founding of her adaptive clothing company, Alter Ur Ego. After she was crowned Ms. Kentucky and went on to Ms. Wheelchair America she networked with other girls in wheelchairs and when they talked about their various struggles one that kept coming up was the difficulty in finding cute but functional clothing! Heidi knew what she had to do. Her line of clothes include items that fit well, are still easy to get on and off, and have unique aspects like pockets on the thighs and straps on the waistband that work specifically for women in wheelchairs.

Erik and Jeff speak with Tom Dixon, a young man from Philadelphia and the inventor of a brilliant mobile app called ME.mory. Like most app inventors Tom identified a need that wasn't being met and created software to address that need. His tragic accident and unique story behind his creation is what sparked our hosts interest and what makes Tom a true No Barriers Pioneer. 8 years ago, in what Tom refers to as his "old life," he was on track to being a psychiatrist for children when he was hit by a car while out for a run. When he awoke in the hospital he was made aware he had sustained a traumatic brain injury which caused him to have severe memory loss. "I tell people it was a day I’ll never remember, and a date I’ll never forget.” He kept a notepad by his hospital bed to remember details such as what he had eaten that day and names of people that visited him. Without these notes Tom would eat multiple meals and recalled very little of his interactions. Tom discusses memory and how most peop

George Heinrichs' resume is filled with awards and accomplishments for his aptitude for business as well as social justice. But George would not have gotten where he is today, the CEO of a major company, without facing barriers both professionally and in his personal life. Our hosts, Jeff, Erik, and Dave, are familiar with George from his role as a Board Member of No Barriers. He helps to extrapolate the No Barriers message to the corporate world and how to use adversity to fuel success. Before our podcast team had secured a studio space we holed up in a coworker's basement, huddled together around a small table in the corner to hear George tell us about his accomplishments in his typical humble demeanor. He started by explaining his work at his current company, ANDE and its purpose with decoding DNA at such speed with little equipment needed. ANDE has power to be the ultimate public safety tool. It's used to improve the safety of our world; capturing terrorists, helping children out of child slavery, solvin