Happy New YeAr: Updates, Laughs, Gratitude, and a Gift to Brighten Your Inbox
First things first: I hope your holidays were filled with joy, awkward family stories, and at least one dessert you did not regret. Welcome to 2025—let’s make it amazing!
Now, let’s get down to business. Over the last year, I’ve been building something truly meaningful—my Professional Speaking Business. It’s been an incredible ride:
🎤 I delivered dozens of keynote speeches.
🎥 I gave a TEDx talk that’s been watched over 330,000 times (still pinching myself).
💡 I created content to help others tackle life’s challenges head-on.
Why am I writing to you today?
Because so many of you have played an integral role in my journey—mentoring, encouraging, and inspiring me. I wanted to say a big, heartfelt THANK YOU! 🎉 You’ve kept me going, and now I’m thrilled to give a little something back.
I’ve poured my experiences, knowledge, and love for neuroscience-backed strategies into a complementary mini eBook, inspired by my TEDx talk. It’s my gift to you as we kick off 2025 with a bang! My first Book, my memoir, will be coming out over the next few months! Stay tuned for that – I’ll be telling all from my mis-adventures at the Playboy mansion to jail in China to my journey through paralysis, and more!
👉 Click here to download your eBook now! 👈
(For screen reader users, please email me back and I more than happy to send you a Word document of my eBook directly)
Inside, you’ll find three practical strategies to Keep Moving Forward in life (even when everything feels sideways):
- Re-directing Your Attention – Finding focus in chaos.
- Re-framing Success and Happiness – Because “happy enough” beats burnout every time.
- Re-claiming 100% Responsibility – Taking charge of what’s in your control.
These aren’t just fluffy ideas—they’re actionable tools to reduce burnout, engage teams, foster belonging, and tackle life’s curve-balls with resilience and humor.
But wait, there’s more!
If you, your organization, or your association is looking for a keynote speaker who blends neuroscience with dark humor and meaningful insights, let’s connect!
👉 Click Here to learn more or email me directly at Ali@AliIngersoll.com. Oh, and one quick housekeeping note: This is my shiny new professional speaking email, so please check your spam folder just in case Gmail gets overly protective.
Thank you again for being part of my journey. I can’t wait to connect with so many of you this year. Let’s make 2025 the year we Keep Moving Forward—one bold, messy, and meaningful step at a time.
With gratitude (and maybe a coffee in hand)
I’ve been INVITED into a CLINICAL TRIAL – Be the Scientist in Your Own Life
I will never stop learning, reading, and experimenting on myself with nutrition, exercise, pain management techniques, how to better work with my audiences, and so much more.
My chronic burning pins & needles pain reaches about a 8.5/10 each day & can be utterly debilitating. If you’ve experienced chronic pain I’m sure you can appreciate. Over the years I have created an arsenal of different neuro focus strategies to help turn down the volume so to speak in order to live my life.
Each day I use a form of meditation, guided self-hypnosis visualizations, over a dozen small mental conversational strategies with myself, distraction in the form of working towards a greater purpose, and more. They help. Don’t get me wrong.
However, as I age with spinal cord injury the pain levels started to change year-over-year & some of my current techniques are no longer as effective as it would like.
Not only do I believe in neuroplasticity (Neurons that wire together fire together), think use it or lose it, but I have proved it works. Science backs it time and time again. We, human beings, quite literally are our thoughts and they have the power to make us better or make us sick. Consider reading the book by Joe Dispenza the “You are the Placebo.”
A few months ago, I decided I needed to experimenting new techniques. I know I can completely eliminate my pain; I just don’t think I’ve had the right modalities in place for me over the last several years.
I recently got connected with Ann Van de Winckel, PT, MSPT, PhD at the University of Minnesota at the Brain Body Mind Lab. She and her colleagues are running a fascinating clinical trial funded by the NIH to explore the feasibility of reducing chronic pain through a virtual clinical study.
I am so happy to announce I have been accepted in this multi-month trial where I will be assigned a Chigong instructor (Ancient Chinese breathing + coordinated body-posture movements + meditation) to work with over many months to retrain my brain once again.
It is a major time commitment each week, but what wouldn’t you do to turn down the volume on whatever pain you suffer from in life? Psychologically? Physically?
We pop on social media for an hour in the blink of an eye, but what if we took this hour a day to engage our minds more cohesively? I do this every day whether that is in reading or meditating or learning something new. However, I realize that I need to tweak my daily practice and I am ecstatic to be accepted into this exploratory virtual clinical trial.
I think a brilliant way to start off 2025! Remember, if we don’t have our bodies, where are we going to live? Take care of yours. A friendly PSA reminder 🙂
book publishing underway!
For many that know me, I simply love to write. I think in writing. I wake up in the middle of the night and take notes. Now, I appreciate this is probably not brilliant for my sleep cycles, but it’s the way I’m wired.
2024, wow, it has been a year on the go so far for me and so much to do in less than 2 months still. On my bucket list in life has always been to write a book. I suppose I might look at it as my legacy since I don’t have children, but I’ve had many who have been so instrumental in my life tell me that the time is now.
32 days later – 89,000 words – 16 hrs/week!
LEADERSHIP RE-IMAGINED – Humbled and Honored to be Featured at the North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA)
Last year I received the most incredible call from such a talented artist named JP (Jermaine Powell) who chose 8 leaders in North Carolina to showcase the celebration of human resilience and what JP refers to as “post-pandemic leadership.” His exhibit of these leaders showcases members of both the local and global communities and how they discovered new ways to create, innovate, and lead during a challenging time in human history.
NCMA commissioned PJ for these pieces and it has been such a beautiful journey. I had the distinct pleasure of getting to know him as a human being, he interviewed me, we laughed together, and we spoke about how we both use different mediums to help make a mark on the world.
Last night was the exhibition opening and I was completely blown away. He captured my essence, my spirit, and I was completely mesmerized by his authentic & artistic talent.
This exhibition opening comes at a time when I did not know how much I needed it. I have just been hammering away day after day, year after year, and last night gave me pause for thought on how far I have come, where I want to continue to go, and why I do what I do.
I wish I had the beautiful skill to create a masterpiece like this, but I’m so thankful this exhibit will be up until May so I can feel inspired when I need a little bit of inspiration myself. Thank you, PJ, for all that you do! This picture simply doesn’t do the piece justice as there is so much dimension that a 2D photo does not reflect. If you live in the Raleigh area, I highly recommend you come see all of his works of art!
Who inspires you on a daily basis? Where do you get a little inspiration pick me up when things are challenging in your life?
I receive much of my inspiration from others, particularly in my disability community and in my beautiful speaker community. Thank you each for consistently pushing me to accomplish what I never believed I could when I broke my neck 14 years ago.
The Art of Being RESPONSIBLY IRRESPONSIBLE
I spent several weeks with friends and family living my best life in Costa Rica on an incredible trip engaging in Whitewater rafting, meditating, zip lining, and so many adventures with family.
I have received so many private messages on how irresponsible it is for me to be going Whitewater rafting or other physical adventures
I live by a philosophy in life for myself and myself only… Not only do I live my story, but I am RESPONSIBLY IRRESPONSIBLE.
Let me explain. I’m a big researcher whenever I do anything and then I go with the flow. I research the consequences of my actions if I engage in any semi-extreme activity & then weigh the pros and cons.
RACE CAR DRIVING AS A QUADRIPLEGIC – Breaking Boundaries
I connected with the most amazing group of human beings – The All Veterans Group. These heroic brave men and women have fought for our country, risked their lives, and still find the time (whether on active duty or retired) to help people live their best lives. They work with veterans, families, and people with disabilities heal from trauma, experience life in a new way, and are just a ton of fun.
I had the distinct privilege to meet Mike Elliott who founded most of the team and are all retired from the Golden Knights Parachute Team. The Golden Knights are a USA Army parachute team and they are a demonstration and competition parachute team. They provide hope, inspiration, and true patriotism for all those who have served in the Armed Forces.
Mike formed the All Veterans Group where they jump professionally for corporate events, major sports games, and so much more. The team is comprised of gold medalists, record holders, and community leaders. It is a team with a purpose! As with any beautiful story and mission it usually starts with tragedy. One of Mike’s best friends, Dave Wherley, took his own life suffering from PTSD in 2013. After his liked ended, Mike, dedicate his life to continuing his legacy.
https://www.allveterangroup.org/
These folks are the best of the best and we were strategizing techniques for skydiving, which I am so excited to take part in October. When I was down there in Fayetteville, North Carolina – we thought… Hey, let’s go racecar driving!
This team is so much fun, but they are professional to the highest level. The minute logistics and safety came into play… It’s all business. I love meeting new and incredible people and I’ve adopted the entire team!
There are so many ways to heal from trauma and this is one Beautiful Way the entire team gives back to community.
How do you give back to your community?
#healingjourney #healingprocess #youcandohardthings #HopeAndHealing #inspiredaily #liveyourpurpose #keynotespeaking #keynotespeaker #TEDx #tedxspeaker #missiondriven #usaarmymilitary #givebacktothecommunity #advocacymatters #advocate #wheelchairlife #wheelchairgirl #goldenknights #allveteransgroup #BeTheDifference
ADAPTIVE BEHAVIOR – Hygiene Accessibility
Before my accident it was quite automatic to just wake up, roll out of bed, walk into the bathroom, brush my teeth, use my hands to turn on the sink, wash my face, etc. It wasn’t until months after I returned home from the hospital when my caregivers were helping me with my hygiene activities that I realized my bathroom was simply not accessible.
I adapted the best I could and still do. When I finally purchased my condo in 2020, I made my sink area accessible with respect to being able to roll under the vanity itself. However, as it came to the faucet I needed to adapt to the products currently on the market. They are still not accessible, but I made them work through adaptive behavior for myself.
My hands are paralyzed and I have limited upper body movement. I find if I lean forward, I can turn on the sink faucets myself and pull myself forward to get my hands wet. I also found an electric toothbrush helps tremendously because I can rest it in my little paralyzed “paws” while my teeth get clean. In the early days after my accident, I had people brush my teeth, but ended up with a tremendous number of cavities.
As you will see from the video, I will show you all of my solutions and “Hacks” around my bathroom that I use to make my life just a little bit more independent.
As many of you know I believe showing parts of my personal and private life that many may feel uncomfortable watching whether this is for my intimate life to how I get dressed to simply how I brush my teeth. Why? Well, as with anything I do, I love to help people. If this one video gives someone an idea to help a loved one or themselves then it’s a win for me.
In the dark humor department… I am pretty much naked 60% of my day and somehow was not born with a modesty gene in my body 🙂 I’m not sure if this comes from my German roots of growing up half naked and running around naked as a child in the Bahamas or simply because of my international background.
In any event, for me it all comes down to VULNERABILITY. This very much plays into being a keynote speaker in bringing my, hopefully, true authentic self to the stage when helping individuals or companies learn how to tackle the most challenging problems in the face of adversity & turn them into achieving personal or professional goals.
How do you bring your authentic self to work or in your life? What do you feel comfortable or uncomfortable sharing with the world?
UNITED AIRLINES – BROKEN Wheelchair (My LEGS) AGAIN
It almost feels as though every time I travel, I’m living Groundhog Day.
There are a few major challenges that I’d like to address. The first is that every major airline contracts with a third-party company to handle ground transportation (folks that help individuals with disabilities inside the airplane & around the airport.) Very occasionally I get folks who are semi-knowledgeable & really great at taking direction on how I need to be moved. More often than not though, and it happened on my most recent trip to Denver… The several men trying to lift me in and out of chairs did not speak English. This is very challenging when you’re trying to give directions.
The other major issue that stands out in my mind is the baggage handlers who are responsible for putting the wheelchairs on the plane. I really want to stress that most of them do the best they can b/c many of them are not trained properly and they also have to get luggage out fast!
Most domestic flights in the US usually are generally Boeing 737 planes or smaller. This is problematic b/c the aft cargo door opens to 35”. Generally, power wheelchairs are higher than this. Even if you break your wheelchair down and take the backrest off as I do… The doors open inwards which makes the clearance even lower. Why is this problematic? Well, b/c you have to slightly tip the wheelchair in manual mode to roll it in, but you CANNOT PUT IT ON ITS SIDE.
Most folks do this b/c they don’t take the time to ask the passenger what is the best way to move the chair and get it out. I happen know the answer and when I am flying to a destination I always get to meet with the chief operations director to guide them. The problem is when we land, even when I give the captain directions to please tell them not to move my chair before they take it out of the plane, this usually doesn’t happen. So, the guys on the other end are left wondering how the heck to get this wheelchair out. At the end of the video, you will see 2 photos of these challenges.
Oh, did you know animals have more rights on planes than people with disabilities?
I will give credit to United and that their corporate office did call me the next day and are working in an expedited fashion to resolve this. It’s not really altruistic b/c it’s generally cheaper to pay for a handful of broken $30K wheelchairs than put a robust training program in place for their staff. It behooves them to pay attention to this b/c any press on this issue is bad news for them.
I have another chair, but many do no not. Thousands of us are constantly trying to bring awareness of this issue and implore airlines to work directly with us.
HUMBLED to be recognized in CEO Los Angeles Magazine.
Have a read: https://ceolosangeles.com/leadership/12-amazing-thought-leaders-making-a-positive-impact-globally-in-2024/
There are no words and, honestly, extreme gratitude to be 1 of the 12 featured thought leaders from CEO Los Angeles. The leaders in this article are in a field of their own and I am honored to be written alongside of them.
I love advocates, thought leaders, and folks who are trying to push the boundaries of what is possible. We are only limited by our own belief systems and our perspectives. I think a key ingredient for any great leader affecting systemic change is one where they have no ego. There’s no room for ego.
There a few times in life when I can honestly say I started to develop an ego and I was immediately was smacked down by life in one way or another. This taught me a lot and living a life with a significant disability now, paralyzed from the chest down, my body alone simply humbles me every day. Just when I think I have something figured out, the opposite happens. This is an incredible life lesson for me on a daily basis because it does, not only keep me humble, but keeps me pushing for change where there are injustices in the world.
