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🌟 10X Thriving Beyond Sight

In partnership with Grant Cardone Foundation, Thriving Blind Academy is breaking barriers with 10X THRIVE BLIND—a first-of-its-kind initiative designed to empower 100 Blind and Visually Impaired teens (ages 15–21) to learn real-world financial and personal success strategies.


Matt's Thoughts

My "net worth" is in my "network" aka "My people" "My community"


This week I was blessed to spend Sunday and Monday with the most dynamic, prophetic, and world changing people. It was the inaugural Thriving Blind Academy event! We were also blessed by Grant Cardone Enterprises


We had a meet and greet on Sunday night "breaking the ice" this is key to building and developing a deep relationship. Then starting at 9:05 we attended the "MORNING MEETING" if you have not attended this envision the most hyped-up call to action meeting. The room is filled with all of the Grant Cardone Enterprises team. Then going through the WINS from the day before. I told people as they left if you are not FIRED up after that your wood is wet.


Morning session: We leaned into hashtag #10x Mindset with Robert Hamilton 🧠


Biggest nugget I took away 👉 If you're having a bad day "Produce something" after you produce it's hard not to be positive. In addition, manage the "content" going into your mind. What goes in is what comes out.


Afternoon session: We SMASHED hashtag #10x Goals with Dave Robards 🎯 aka BIG BROTHER DAVE...


The main takeaway 👉 your thoughts become your words 👉 your words become your actions 👉 your actions are what you're known for and make up your reality and define your legacy


My purpose at the event was to be a mentor to the students from Thriving Blind Academy but they actually mentored me. I came away with so much fire and passion for our blind and low vision community. Folks, I MUST tell you the future is bright with these students. In the 48 hours we spent together they truly transformed themselves and everyone in the room with them. Don't ever let your disability make you feel less than. It is your ability to RISE UP. I saw a dozen students up against the norm and take a stand for their dreams and goals.


Thanks so much for the invite, Kristin Smedley and Charlie Collins this will be a memory I hold onto for the rest of my life, and I cannot wait for the next event.


Lastly, THANK YOU Grant Cardone for building an environment where the Blind and Low Vision community can THRIVE.


It's not where your start but where you finish.

Success is an expectation




Why Now?

For decades, blind and low vision youth have faced crisis-level unemployment and underachievement—but the time for talk is over. As Kristin Smedley emphasized, “The time for talking is over. This is the tipping point.”


What’s Inside the Program

  • Free, high-impact mentor workshops hosted at Grant Cardone’s HQ and online—no financial barriers, just commitment.

  • Year-long coaching through Thriving Blind Academy’s robust mentorship and community support.

  • The 10X Classroom experience, teaching mindset growth, goal-setting, and financial literacy alongside peers and role models that don’t just listen—they take action.


Core Principles: The THRIVER Formula

Kristin and Charlie lead with the transformative “THRIVER” framework. Recently, they unpacked the first “H”—Handicap—as a tool for equity, not excuse. Their message:

  1. Stop hand‑handicapping by letting youth face challenges

  2. Level the field; don’t lower the bar—accessibility ≠ easing

  3. Play the long game—growth happens through sustained effort

  4. Lean into fear—strength comes from discomfort

  5. Join the tribe—community fuels lasting change (linkedin.com)


Real Success in Action

Clarke Reynolds — Blind Braille Artist

“Every thriving movement has that first ‘oh sh**’ story… That person is Clarke Reynolds.” Kala Smedley shared he began as a Succeed Without Sight Summit attendee, and today he’s an international sensation, breaking art barriers using Braille.


Why It Matters

  • 70% unemployment among blind individuals

  • Only 14% of blind college students graduate (kristinsmedley.com)Thriving Blind Academy—along with its new Grant partnership—is rewriting those statistics.


Join the Movement

  • Upcoming info webinar (February 20, 2025): Learn how to enroll youth and spread the mission.

  • Workshop dates: June 22–23, 2025, in Aventura, FL: A launchpad for teen transformation.

  • Ongoing membership: Year-round coaching, community, and VIP access to Succeed Without Sight Summit (thrivingblindacademy.org).


Homework for Action

  • Score a spot for your teen in 10X THRIVE BLIND

  • Bring along caregivers, educators & advocates to the webinar

  • Embrace the THRIVER Formula in your home & schools

  • Support the movement––nonprofit donations, sharing stories, partnering.


This isn't just another event—it’s the tipping point for blind youth empowerment. As Kristin says, we’re not lowering bars; we’re raising them, then handing teens the ladder. Let’s go. 🚀


Call to Action for a11yranger.com audience: Have a youth or group you support who could benefit? Sign up for the info session or the summer workshop today—and help us build a future where blindness is never a limit, only a launchpad.

Let me know if you’d like sections expanded (e.g. step-by-step enrollment guide), quotes styled differently, or more visuals!

 
 
 

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