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Austin Hatch

Two-Time Plane Crash Survivor, Former College Athlete & Inspirational Speaker

Helping Teams & Individuals Overcome Adversity

Adversity is universal. Regardless of what we face, we can overcome it.

We will all face challenges, but we can find a way to overcome them. We have a choice: We can either dwell on our setbacks and believe that our lives are a product of circumstance… Or, we can choose to approach our struggles with positivity and perseverance.

The lessons that Austin Hatch learned on his journey from a coma, to a wheelchair, to playing basketball for Michigan can apply to overcoming any form of adversity. His talks leave audiences inspired to overcome challenges and achieve their goals. We each face challenges every day; Austin believes part of his purpose in life is to inspire others to find ways to thrive in the midst of them

The Secret

Why is it that some people and groups are able to overcome adversity while others are not?

When you look at all individuals and organizations that have been able to persevere in the face of great turmoil, tragedy, and tribulation, there is one thing they all have in common…Grit.

Austin’s talks leave audiences inspired to overcome challenges and achieve their goals. We each face challenges every day; Austin believes part of his purpose in life is to inspire others to find ways to thrive in the midst of them. By understanding the deeper reasons that drive our actions, we set ourselves up to successfully overcome any form of adversity, regardless of its magnitude or difficulty.

The History of Grit

Many experts have written about the crucial role grit plays in organizational and individual success. In fact, it’s often cited as the primary ingredient needed for personal achievement.

University of Pennsylvania Professor and New York Times Bestselling Author Angela Duckworth says, “Grit is passion and perseverance for very long-term goals. Grit is sticking with your future, day in and day out, not just for the week or month—but for years, and working really hard to make that future a reality.”

In addition to our long-term goals, grit applies to everything we do every single day.

Overcome It (with G.R.I.T.)

Tailored inspiration for individuals and organizations who are committed to succeeding together

“Austin Hatch delivered a truly remarkable and inspiring talk at recent conference, leaving the audience in awe of his journey and his unwavering optimism. His message resonated deeply with everyone in the room.

His story is undeniably tragic, having endured the loss of two separate parts of his family in separate plane crashes and temporarily losing his basketball career. However, his ability to rise above these adversities and share his experiences was nothing short of extraordinary. His talk served as a powerful reminder that no matter how challenging our own troubles may seem, there is always hope and strength within us.

One of the highlights of Austin’s presentation was his use of the GRIT acronym, which encapsulated the key principles he has embraced throughout his journey. He emphasized the importance of finding a bigger purpose, adopting a growth mindset, and turning setbacks into opportunities. His message of resilience struck a chord with our audience , urging them to choose the harder right over the easy wrong and to be resilient in taking action.

Austin’s integrity and commitment to others were evident throughout his talk. He stressed the importance of following through on commitments, even when circumstances change. His dedication to making the world a better place and being a great teammate resonated deeply with the audience, showcasing his genuine and down-to-earth nature. Austin’s genuineness and sincerity shone through, making his presentation raw and relatable. His story of survival and his unwavering tenacity left a lasting impact on everyone present. The audience was deeply inspired by his outstanding message of hope and resilience.

We highly recommend him as a speaker who can ignite motivation, inspire resilience, and remind us of the incredible strength of the human spirit.”
Carson Wealth Partners

“THANK YOU….you message was extremely well received. The team was truly inspired by you. I hope we can work again together. You were truly awesome. Your attitude was incredible and really resonated with people. If I can ever do anything for you, please do not hesitate to ask. Thanks again Austin. You were awesome!!”
John Kennedy, President of Lincoln Financial

“Asking Austin to present to our clients and professional partners was a highlight of our 2020 marketing campaign. While his story is incredible, his mindset, and the way he views his life today was extraordinary and motivational. We should all adopt the GRIT mentality he shared.”
Brian Haloossim, Senior Managing Director Bernstein Private Wealth Management

A Few of Austin’s Clients in Financial Services

Alliance Bernstein
Brighthouse Financial
Carson
Colonial Life
Edward Jones
Guardian
Janus- Henderson
Lincoln
John Hancock
Mutual of Omaha
New York Life
Thrivent
Sage View
TIAA
UBS
Wells Fargo

Learn From It

LAMP 24

Austin Hatch- Overcome It- Agent Business Seminar

Miraculous: The Austin Hatch Story – ESPN

Travels From: Michigan
City:

$20,001 to $30,000

Biography

Austin’s path to helping others overcome adversity started with a devastating twist of fate. In hisy early years, his childhood was one that most would dream of – filled with youth sports, family dinners, and milkshakes before bed.

Then, at the age of 8 years old, a tragic plane crash claimed the lives of his mother, sister, and brother. His father was left severely injured. his own physical injuries were minor, but the emotional pain of losing his mom and siblings at such a young age was devastating.

Even then, he understood the importance of continuing to live a life fueled by positivity and optimism in his family’s honor. The bond his dad and Austin shared grew stronger and they were each other’s reason to keep going.

Eventually, his dad was remarried to Kimberly, a wonderful woman with three children of her own. Together, they formed a blended family, which restored a sense of normalcy in his life. Meanwhile, he worked hard on his basketball skills, and the hours he put in were beginning to pay off. On June 15th, 2011, Austin was offered a full scholarship to play basketball at the University of Michigan, his mom’s alma mater. It was a dream come true.

Nine days later, a second plane crash claimed the lives of his father and second mother, and put Austin in the hospital in critical condition and a medically-induced coma.

Two months later, he came out of the coma and began the long road to recovery, which included re-learning how to walk, talk, eat, and live a normal life.

Austin achieved his goal of making it to The University of Michigan, where coach Beilein honored his scholarship. He had four great years with the basketball program and while he only scored one point, he took pride in his role and found ways to make a positive impact on the team.

After graduation, he worked in Domino’s corporate office, developed the G.R.I.T. Framework, and began his true passion of speaking to and inspiring individuals and teams to overcome adversity.

Presentations

Overcome It (with G.R.I.T.)

There are four key components to Grit, but I believe Grit is driven by having a Greater Purpose. If we are working just for ourselves, it is very likely that we will eventually face some form of adversity that will cause us to give up because we don’t have a driving force for why we do what we do. We need to find something that we’re willing to sacrifice for. If we are working for something bigger than ourselves, I believe we will always do what it takes to get the job done, no matter the task and no matter the circumstances. Our Purpose drives Grit.

Austin defines G.R.I.T. as

Growth
Resilience
Integrity
Team First Mentality

The Growth Mindset is the first component of Grit. The Growth Mindset believes every setback, every failure, every adversity, is an opportunity. Even when we inevitably fall short of a goal, the Growth Mindset does not believe that is a permanent condition. We can find a way to grow through adversity and be better because of it. The adversity alone will not be a source of growth, but I believe we can grow from how we choose to respond. It’s a choice to have the Growth Mindset.

The decision to be Resilient is the second component of Grit. If we make the decision to be Resilient, we take Massive Action in the face of adversity. Massive Action. It took Massive Action to go from a coma to playing for Michigan. I believe achieving our goals in the midst of challenges is the result of taking Massive Action. Massive Action alone does not guarantee we’ll overcome our challenges and achieve our goals, but not taking massive
action will guarantee that we won’t overcome.

The third component of Grit is Integrity. In the context of overcoming adversity, or working to achieve any goal, I believe Integrity is about following through on our commitments, especially when our circumstances change. I believe we should always deliver on what we commit to, both to ourselves and to those on our team. A lot of people set goals, and that’s very important, but I think it’s more effective to set commitments that will put us in position to achieve our goals. If we have integrity, we’ll always follow through on our commitments, no matter the task and no matter the circumstance.

The fourth component of Grit is The Team First Mentality. We owe it to the team to take pride on our role, whatever it is. We should make the effort every day to be the best that we can be. Every person on every team has a role and that role is very important. We may not be the best on the team, but we can all make the effort to be the best we can be for the team. There is no “I” in team, but I believe a team will be better if it is made up of individuals who are personally driven to be the best they can be.

We all face challenges every day. I believe part of my purpose in life to help others find ways to thrive in the midst of them.

Areas of expertise

Grit
Resilience
Teamwork
Adversity
Peak Performance

RO MORRISON & ASSOCIATES

A PERSONALIZED SPEAKERS BUREAU SERVING THE FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY

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