Ian Bowen: Resilience Expert
Motivational speaker Ian Bowen empowers audiences with Positive Persistence and the RINSE Methodology, transforming adversity into resilience, peak performance, and breakthrough comeback success.
- Highlights:
- Diagnosed with neurosarcoidosis and paralyzed from the chest down at age 32
- Relearned to walk after spinal cord surgery
- Creator of the RINSE Methodology: Remember, Imagine, Notice, Shift, Expect
- Founder of Positive Persistence
- Formats:
Keynote Speaker and Resilience Facilitator
- Audiences:
Corporate teams, leadership groups, sales organizations, healthcare professionals, educators, and anyone navigating change, setbacks, or high-pressure environments.
- Outcomes:
- A practical framework to reframe adversity and regain control
- Tools to build resilience and sustain motivation under pressure
- A renewed belief in what is possible through a Watch Me Mindset
- Travels from: Chicago, IL
- **Fee range: $5,001 - $10,000
Keynote Topics
Watch Me Mindset- Combining unwavering positivity and relentless determination to achieve the unthinkable.
What if you’d like to start and grow a venture that serves others, deliver a powerful talk or write a book, and finish a demanding personal project—without letting fear or doubt hold you back? Surveys have shown that approximately 70% of people experience feelings of inadequacy or self-doubt, which prevent them from embracing their challenges and relentlessly pursuing their dreams. Those who struggle with self doubt are often unaware that they can cultivate their mindset to achieve the unthinkable. And that the power of belief, resilience, and unwavering persistence can transform challenges into triumphs. So what are the keys to overcoming our limiting beliefs?
As a paraplegic who defied the odds and became a marathon runner, Ian Bowen understands what it takes to achieve the unthinkable. But along our journey towards success we inevitably encounter setbacks that can affect our confidence and our “mindset.” Ian believes that mindset is everything, and by creating a Watch Me Mindset we can tap into our potential, crush limiting beliefs and rise above our challenges.
In this impactful and engaging program, Ian shares how we can build resilience and self-confidence to conquer life’s challenges.
Learn the three pillars of creating a “Watch Me Mindset” — Wash, R.I.N.S.E and Repeat — and how with the right mindset you can not just survive, but thrive against the odds and achieve the unthinkable.
Takeaways
- How to identify negative thoughts and stop them before they turn into limiting belief.
- How to use the R.I.N.S.E method to overcome your challenges.
- How to adopt empowering language and mindset and replace powerless words to fuel action and confidence.
- The 3 pillars to creating a Watch Me Mindset, so that you become the driver of your outcomes, not a bystander to circumstance.
THE POWER OF POSITIVE PERSISTENCE UNLOCKING RESILIENCE IN LEADERSHIP
According to Gallup research 82% of companies have poor performing employees in management roles. This statistic highlights a major problem with identifying and selecting effective leaders within companies, which means a large majority of managers may lack the necessary skills to effectively lead teams.
Gallup estimates that the lack of leadership capability in the U.S. can cost corporations up to $550 billion annually.
This engaging talk will challenge leaders to embrace a mindset that fosters growth, adaptability, and perseverance, equipping them with the tools to navigate obstacles and inspire their teams. At the same time illustrating how resilience and unwavering determination can unlock potential and drive success.
Takeaways:
Leaders will gain valuable insights into the concept of positive persistence and its potential to reshape their leadership approach during team or 1×1 mtgs. They will learn effective strategies for cultivating resilience both in themselves and within their teams, fostering an environment that encourages support and growth. Attendees will discover techniques for adapting to challenges and setbacks, transforming them into opportunities for development. Ultimately, they will leave with actionable methods to inspire and motivate their teams, creating a culture that embraces persistence and achievement.
TURNING SETBACKS INTO COMEBACKS HARNESSING THE POWER OF POSITIVE PERSISTENCE
Join Ian Bowen, a motivational speaker and resilience expert, as he empowers graduating students to transform setbacks into comebacks through the power of positive persistence. In this inspiring presentation, Ian shares his personal journey of overcoming challenges and offers invaluable insights into how students can navigate the uncertainties of the future with confidence. Through engaging stories and practical strategies, Ian equips graduates with the tools they need to embrace resilience, adapt to change, and pursue their goals with unwavering determination. This keynote is designed to inspire students to view setbacks as stepping stones to success.
Takeaways:
- Understanding Positive Persistence: Learn what positive persistence means and how it can be a game-changer in personal and professional pursuits.
- tools for Resilience: Discover actionable strategies for building resilience, including mindset shifts and practical exercises to handle adversity.
- Adapting to Challenges: Gain insights into how to embrace change and turn obstacles into opportunities for growth and success.
- Actionable Steps for Success: Leave with a clear roadmap of steps to take in the face of setbacks, empowering students to stay focused on their goals and dreams.
Talent Short Bio
Ian Bowen is a motivational speaker, resilience expert, and founder of Positive Persistence. In 2009, at just 32 years old, Ian was diagnosed with neurosarcoidosis and left paralyzed from the chest down following spinal cord surgery. Doctors told him he would never run again.
Rather than accept that prognosis, Ian committed to an extraordinary rehabilitation journey. He relearned how to sit, stand, and eventually walk, driven by an unshakable belief that mindset determines outcomes. Through this experience, he developed the RINSE Methodology: Remember, Imagine, Notice, Shift, and Expect, a practical mental framework that helps individuals overcome adversity, reframe setbacks, and unlock untapped potential.
In 2022, Ian achieved what many believed was impossible. He ran his first of two marathons, proving that limitations are often mental before they are physical. Today, Ian delivers keynote presentations and workshops that challenge audiences to adopt a Watch Me Mindset, build resilience under pressure, and pursue bold goals despite obstacles.
His story moves beyond inspiration. It delivers a repeatable strategy for perseverance, comeback leadership, and sustainable high performance.
Read Full Bio
In 2009, Ian Bowen‘s life took a dramatic turn when he was diagnosed with neurosarcoidosis. A rare disease that left him needing spinal cord surgery that caused him to be paralyzed from the chest down. At just 32, with two young children and a promising career, doctors told Ian he would never run again. But instead of accepting defeat, Ian chose to defy medical expectations through sheer willpower, determination, and what he calls Positive Persistence.
His rehabilitation journey was grueling, requiring him to relearn basic tasks like sitting up and standing. With every small victory, Ian Bowen’s mindset strengthened, leading him to create the RINSE Methodology: Remember, Imagine, Notice, Shift and Expect- a framework he now uses to inspire others to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds. In 2022,Ian achieved what doctors thought impossible—he ran his first of two marathons, a testament to the power of mindset.
Ian’s story is not just about survival; it’s about thriving despite the odds. His experiences offer hope and inspiration to anyone facing obstacles, proving that with the right mindset, anything is possible.
As the founder of “Positive Persistence” it has become Ian Bowen’s mission to teach others how to overcome adversity, rise beyond their challenges, comeback from setbacks and achieve the unthinkable by realizing their potential and developing a Watch Me Mindset.
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Talent Videos
Ian Bowen: Watch Me Mindset | From Paralysis to Marathon Through Positive Persistence
In this 5 minute 30 second keynote highlight, Ian Bowen shares how the Watch Me Mindset and RINSE Method turned paralysis into purpose and a marathon comeback.
Read Summary & Key Moments
Summary
In this powerful 5 minute 30 second presentation, Ian Bowen is introduced as a coach, motivational speaker, owner of Fit Body Boot Camp, founder of Positive Persistence, and creator of the RINSE Method. The central theme of his message is the Watch Me Mindset, a philosophy rooted not in ego or flash, but in quiet conviction and relentless belief.
Ian takes the audience back to 2009, when doctors at the Mayo Clinic discovered a tumor on his spine. He was told that surgery was necessary to determine whether it was cancer or neurosarcoidosis, a rare autoimmune disease. The procedure carried a devastating risk: paralysis.
After surgery, Ian woke up paralyzed from the chest down. Doctors told him he would likely walk again with a cane but would never run. Instead of accepting that limitation, Ian made an internal decision. He refused to let doubt define his future. That moment sparked his Watch Me Mindset.
Through what he calls Positive Persistence, Ian relearned how to sit, stand, and eventually walk. The journey progressed from wheelchair to walker, to crutches, to two canes, to one cane, and finally to walking independently. There were countless falls along the way, but each setback reinforced his resolve.
Ian then introduces the RINSE Method: Remember past wins to build confidence. Imagine yourself succeeding. Notice small victories that compound over time. Shift your focus to what you can control. Expect adversity as part of the process.
In 2022, Ian completed his first marathon. His story demonstrates that when self belief aligns with conviction, individuals unlock their true potential and become unstoppable.
Key Moments
- 01:40 Waking up paralyzed and rejecting the “never run again” prognosis
- 02:30 Rehabilitation journey from wheelchair to walking
- 03:30 The RINSE Method explained step by step
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