Are you holding yourself back from the work you really want to do because you feel you are at some sort of disadvantage? After listening to Brett Heising, you might see your disadvantage as an opportunity like he did. His story will inspire you to turn a disadvantage into opportunity.
He’s the founder of brettapproved, a travel website for travelers with disabilities based in Phoenix, AZ. He believes travel should be for everyone and wants to make travel more accessible for physically challenged travelers.
He got the idea after traveling a ton himself as a PR exec. He was tired of how difficult it was to plan trips to accommodate his needs. He has cerebral palsy.
In our conversation we discuss:
- How Brett his currently funding his business and his revenue plans.
- How he is building his community (he says he’s business is all about relationships).
- Why Brett believes success lies in being comfortable with who you are and not what you are good at.
Life Skills That Matter In This Episode
- Build community.
- Overcoming adversity.
- Tell your story and own your story.
How Brett Works and Thinks
- Wake up time: 6:30-7:50 am
- Ideal work environment: A quiet office on a Sunday afternoon.
- Superpower: Perseverance
- Definition of success: The number of people he positively interacts with.
- Self-reflection practice: Takes 5-10 minutes at the end of each day to ask, “What did I do to move my business forward?”
- Book recommendation: Walden by Henry David Thoreau.
- Favorite productivity tool: slack
- 90-day goal: Continue to interview accessible travel professionals.
Inspirational Quotes
“I believe travel is for everyone and we’re going to do everything we can to make it as easy as possible.”
“If I sat around and thought about all the things I can’t do, I wouldn’t get anything done.”
“Relationships aren’t guaranteed, they’re a privilege.”
“Secret to life is not knowing what you’re good at, the secret to life is being comfortable with what you’re not good at.”
Coaching Advice
If you are trying to figure out how to turn your business idea into an actual business, Brett offers this advice:
1) Think about your value proposition for the issue you are trying to solve.
2) Don’t be intimidated by your competition.
Resources + Bonus Materials
New York Daily News articles by Brett