- Expert on Overcoming Obstacles & Navigating Change
- Quadriplegic & Advocate for Patient-Centered Care
- Best-Selling Author of Vision-Mindset-Grit
Vision-Mindset-Grit
Inspire Your Team with Scott Burrows'
Life-Changing Presentation!
Inspirational Healthcare Speaker Scott Burrows ignites teams with a life-changing presentation that will help your team learn practical tools to Stand Up to Any Challenge! With the rapidly changing healthcare crises, healthcare workers, nurses, leaders and support teams need help navigating the extreme challenges of COVID-19, in addition to the overwhelming trials of budget cuts, equipment shortages and economic uncertainty.
Whatever your healthcare challenges are today, the true measure of success is how well you respond to adversity, change, setbacks and fear. Whatever belief system you employ must be powerful enough to conquer these obstacles and any other impediments to your personal and professional growth, or you—and your organization—will be left behind.
“The Carestream experience with Scott Burrows was nothing short of extraordinary. He did not simply speak to our people, he transformed the way we think, and challenged us to reframe and purposefully examine where we are and where we want to be. The few moments when my eyes left Scott to see how our people were receiving him, I was moved by the extent of their engagement; eyes riveted, leaning forward, holding their breath, crying and laughing, riding his highs and lows with him. Scott connected with our group at a deep and meaningful level. From my 40 years of experience in this business, I place Scott among the giants in this field. Tactically, Scott was diligent and invested in preparing for our group, professional and proactive in all communications with us, genuine and personal in his delivery, and masterful in working our reality into his message. I feel fortunate to have met and worked with Scott, and we are better people and professionals having experienced his presence.”
NEIL BRYANT
Vice President,
Sales Development, US&C
Rising to the Challenge:
Keeping Healthcare Teams Cohesive & Motivated
As Healthcare Audiences have discovered, Scott Burrows’ thought-provoking presentation and compelling story is the hero’s journey, providing what will be an unforgettable and lasting memory to inspire your attendees to stand up to any challenge. Using his physical paralysis as a visual metaphor, Scott reveals how to drive results using the same mental focus that helped him reinvent his life after a catastrophic accident left him paralyzed from the chest down. He will demonstrate there are no barriers or stop signs in life, or in the healthcare marketplace, just detours and workarounds.
Through the power of storytelling, Scott will show your healthcare professionals firsthand how to apply the same timeless principles of Vision-Mindset-Grit that have had a profound impact in his life. Three simple yet powerful words that, when put into action, can absolutely help you conquer adversity and master change, setting the stage for developing cutting-edge ideas, patient care, and leadership strategies that will benefit your entire organization.
Healthcare Speakers and Leaders RAVE about Scott’s knowledge of their industry, knowing he understands patient-centered care, what challenges healthcare professionals face, and how they can influence and impact patients’ lives. As a former spinal cord injury patient and advocate for both patient and healthcare providers, he shares his very personal experience as a quadriplegic. Scott will encourage healthcare professionals to find more passion and fulfillment in their work while teaching them to encourage their patients to Never Give Up Hope.
“Scott Burrows is outstanding! He captivated our attendees with his personal story by touching on all emotions. Scott inspires people to think differently about life’s challenges both personally and professionally. His story is powerful and motivating. Scott will leave you believing that you can conquer anything with the right Vision, Mindset and Grit.”
Jodi Schweiger RD, LD, CDE, Employer Health Services Director, The Iowa Clinic, P.C.
Scott’s Compelling Story of Transformational Change Is the Hero’s Journey!
Scott Burrows is a top Inspirational Healthcare Speaker who teaches the concepts of Vision, Mindset and Grit worldwide using his life-changing story as the backdrop for organizational success. Three simple, yet powerful words that when put into action can help you and your organization stand up to any challenge, push the limits of what is possible and set goals that stretch the mind—even during times of change, uncertainty and fear.
By the age of 19, Scott was a star athlete and fierce competitor. He excelled in golf and track, was a college wide receiver at Florida State University for legendary coach Bobby Bowden, and a top-ranked kick-boxing Black Belt champion whose last fight was broadcast by ESPN.




During the height of his collegiate career, his life changed dramatically. On November 3rd, 1984, he survived a catastrophic automobile accident as a passenger in a friend’s car and broke two vertebrae in his neck that left him paralyzed from the chest down and diagnosed a quadriplegic. Told he would be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life, Scott realized his split-second decision to not wear a seat belt altered his course forever.
Despite his grim diagnosis, Scott astounded his doctors and refused to be sidelined. After six months of intense physical therapy at Craig Hospital in Denver, Colorado, he fought to stay alive while battling numerous life-threatening complications, including a pulmonary embolism. With the support of his family, friends and his Christian faith, Scott turned an impossible goal into a reality. He returned to college and graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance and had some fun along the way—competing again, this time, in a completely different sport. They call it full-contact wheelchair rugby, otherwise known as Murderball, a Paralympic sport that allowed him to compete with the best physically challenged athletes from around the world. Working as one, these people came together to expand their Vision and prevent their Mindset from becoming their biggest handicap.
After graduating from college, Scott’s served as a Financial Advisor in the Insurance and Financial Industry for Northwestern Mutual. He specialized in life and disability insurance planning as well as retirement, estate and wealth planning. In his 5th year, he hit a huge goal and qualified for the prestigious Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT), the Premiere Association of Financial Professionals, which is a 100% commission-driven sales production award that fewer than 8% of his peers qualify for annually from more than 500 companies in 70 countries around the world.
At the pinnacle of his career, Scott experienced yet another setback, a second automobile accident. Although he was buckled in this time, new injuries forced him to RE-evaluate, RE-invent and once again RE-ignite his life by practicing and executing what he preaches.
During his nine-month recovery, Scott reminisced about the overcoming adversity speakers he heard at sales and leadership conferences. Their life-changing stories inspire others to chase their dreams regardless of obstacles or barriers. That’s when Scott decided he would make the tough decision to leave an industry he had so much passion and success in to pursue a speaking career that has taken him around the world.
Scott also took advantage of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help expand his brother’s golf course fertilizer, chemical and equipment company into Southeast Asia by disrupting an industry and doing what the competition was unwilling to do — offer custom-blended fertilizers designed specifically to meet the needs of golf course fairways and greens based on individual soil tests. This expansion brought in an excess of 1.6 million the first year.
In Scott’s book Vision Mindset Grit!, his father defined those three empowering words in the foreword: Vision refers to your goals and aspirations, the endpoint you are seeking; Mindset is the continual mental preparation and adjustment needed to meet oncoming challenges; Grit is the day-to-day determination to persevere when you are too tired, too sore or too beleaguered to continue on.
Scott has inspired audience throughout the United States as well as Australia, Spain, Bahamas, India, Thailand, Bermuda, Costa Rica, Mexico, the Czech Republic and Canada, as well as to our soldiers at the Minot Air Force Base.
KEY PROGRAM Takeaways
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Scott's Clients Have Used These Alternate Titles:
- VISION, MINDSET, GRIT: Transforming Patient-Centered Care
- Anything Is Possible
- Triumph Over Adversity
- Rising and Thriving
- Stand Up to Any Challenge
- Thriving Through Changing Times
- Overcoming Adversity
- Don’t Stop Believing
- The Power of Tomorrow: NO LIMITS
“Scott brings the fundamentals of service excellence to life. He is a person who has lived a nightmare and emerged with life lessons that inspire us all. He speaks eloquently and passionately about family who supported and motivated him, and about healthcare professionals who looked at him as a case and those who looked at what he could accomplish with appropriate challenges and optimism. I have never before seen managers lined up for 30 minutes during a break just so they would have a chance to speak with him personally. Truly remarkable.”
Marna P. Borgstrom, President and CEO
Yale-New Haven Health System
“Thank you for your contribution to a successful kick off for the GE Healthcare’s IT business’ Sales and Marketing organization. Your story was very inspirational and your message motivational. What really confirmed that you were the right choice for this meeting was your ability to take the information you gathered in our pre-meeting call and weave it seamlessly into your message, which made it relevant to each and every person in the room. You really hit a home run with the team, which is evident from the following comments we received in our post meeting survey:
Excellent…moving…totally nailed the message that the team needed to hear in light of the OP challenges we face this year.
Very motivational, excellent story with real life connections.
He was awesome! One of the best keynote addresses I’ve ever heard.
Wow, did not see that coming huh! Incredible presentation, captivated the audience and gave us all a sense of thankfulness.
While some motivational speakers are pro-forma, Scott actually brought out strong emotional reactions from many of us. He put personal commitment at the top for me.
Thank you again.”
CHRIS POWELL, Senior Vice President & GM
Sales & Marketing Americas
“Scott grabs your attention from beginning to end! His story of grit, determination, and perseverance is powerful and compelling. He leaves you feeling inspired!”
Bristol Myers Squibb
“I’ve been sourcing speakers for our annual leadership meeting for several years, and this year I believe Scott’s message was one of the most powerful and resonating keynotes witnessed by our attendees. There is a turning point in Scott’s message where I can guarantee your audience will all rise to their feet in thunderous applause, emotionally thunderstruck by the moment. His personal story of tragedy would ultimately prove to be no match for his will to triumph through Vision, Mindset & Grit. I don’t think there is another person out there that truly “walks the talk” as a keynote speaker. If you want to be reassured and inspired that the human will is stronger than life’s setbacks and there really are no limits to your dreams, let it happen with Scott Burrows.”
RYAN MacAFEE, VP Strategic Sourcing
“By all indications given by attendees, the Spring EXPO was a success – due in large part to our excellent presentations! The evaluations we received for your presentation showed a high satisfaction of our attendees. Some of the comments included:
Great motivational & challenging message. A great way to start the conference!
Awesome Presenter!
Excellent Speaker – Great example of a ‘Never Say Die’ attitude
What an inspiration. Since we work in the field of people with disabilities, he inspired me to challenge my resident and encourage them to do their best.
The presentation kept my full attention the whole hour and time went so quickly
I’ve included a copy of the compilation for the evaluations from your session. Our attendees overwhelmingly offered positive feedback for your presentation.”
MELODIE KING, Director of Education
“Dynamic speaker, entertaining, engaging and knows how to captivate the audience as he shares his journey. Scott’s story is one of overcoming adversity and keeping a positive attitude regardless of the situation or hardship. Scott assures his presentation is tailored to fit the needs of your conference and the audience he is speaking. One of the favorites of the whole conference …received a well-deserved standing ovation.”
LISA WRIGHT, VP Education
“Scott Burrows was the keynote speaker at our National Sales Meeting on February 14, 2019 in Palm Beach. Scott was the perfect choice and perfect fit to speak to our field sales team. His core message of “Vision, Mindset, Grit” embodied where we are as a company and was extremely motivational. The following were some of the quotes from audience members.
- “WOW, I think I ‘man-cried’ (fighting to hold back tears while trying to remain strong) for most of Scott’s presentation. Priceless!”
- “What an AMAZING motivational speaker!! He was the best I have ever seen live”
- “Scott was the best guest speaker that I have ever heard in 12 years as a pharma sales rep. Amazing. Inspiring. Awesome…”
- “I have been in this business for over 20 years, and have heard speakers from Dan Reeves to Rick Pitino and Scott Burrows blew them away. I don’t think there was a dry eye in the place. Looking at the current headwinds and challenges we are facing you all could no have selected a better speaker! Well done! Control what we can control! Take responsibility and show some true GRIT!”
Would highly recommend Scott for any talk you are looking to have for your organization!”
JAMES FORKER, Director, Training and Development
“The feedback on your presentation was EXCEPTIONAL! I/we could not have asked for anything better than what you delivered. Thematically, I could not have imagined a better presentation and how it tied into the journey that CONMED and its employees must undertake to regain our vitality in the markets we serve.
As you know from our conversation, it was a tough year for the Company but really the battle had begun years earlier. To hear your story around vision, mindset and grit really put our challenges into perspective. I am very fortunate to have run into you in the airport and I thank you for taking the time to talk with me and then engage in this presentation. I have many years of special guest speakers…your story was motivating, uplifting and engaging for the entire audience.”
CURT R. HARTMAN, President & CEO
“Scott’s presentation was received well from our participants. In fact, the line for his book signing was very long and I estimate 75% of the participants waited for an autographed copy of his book. I was impressed by how accurately Scott knew the facts about our business and incorporated them into his presentation in a way that felt authentic. I had an experience in the past with a speaker who clearly didn’t take the time to really understand our business and had several facts wrong in her presentation. I shared with Scott that we were considering another speaker and Scott as our two top choices, and clearly we made the right choice.”
From Scott’s
“Scott brings the fundamentals of service to life. He is a person who has lived a nightmare and emerged with life lessons that inspire us all.” – Marna P. Borgstrom, President and CEO

“Thank you for the extremely informative, emotional and truly enjoyable presentation you conducted for us here at BCBS. There was not one dry eye in the room.” – Alexis VanCort, Planner

“Unbelievable…Awesome…Inspiring…Excellent… These are just a few of the many wonderful comments! You truly touched their hearts and have inspired them to find their passion and believe in themselves.” – Bev Herman, Education Director
