Turning Adversity Into Opportunity
What decades of overcoming unexpected obstacles taught Joey about adapting when life changes the plan.
Motivational speaker
When life changes the rules, you learn how to play a new game.
Joseph “Joey” Gargiulo does not speak about overcoming adversity because he studied it. He lived it.
Joey’s journey has included losing much of his eyesight at a young age, undergoing multiple corneal transplants, rebuilding his life after a devastating near-fatal automobile accident, facing extraordinary personal and professional challenges, and repeatedly confronting moments when the future he had planned suddenly disappeared.
Yet his story is not really about blindness, an accident, or hardship.
It is about what happens next.
- What do you do when life does not cooperate with your plans?
- How do you keep moving when the path in front of you suddenly changes?
- How do you rebuild confidence after failure, loss or adversity?
- And how do you stop allowing the circumstances you cannot control to determine what you do with the things you can?
Those are lessons that extend far beyond Joey’s personal journey. They apply to:
- The executive facing uncertainty
- The salesperson hearing “no”
- The athlete recovering from defeat
- The team struggling to believe in itself
- The student who feels different
- The young person wondering whether the obstacles in front of them will define the rest of their life
- And anyone who has ever been forced to begin again
More than a motivational speech
Joey brings more than four decades of experience in sales, business, competition, coaching, writing and life experience to the stage.
His presentations combine storytelling, humor, vulnerability, practical lessons and audience interaction to explore resilience from a very human perspective.
This is not about pretending adversity does not hurt. It is about understanding that the worst chapter of your story does not have to be the final chapter.
Audiences leave thinking differently about obstacles, failure, fear, change and their own potential.
Speaking topics
Presentations can be customized for the organization and audience, including:
Beyond What You Can See
Lessons from navigating life with severe visual impairment and refusing to allow a limitation to become an identity.
The Comeback Is a Decision
Rebuilding after a devastating automobile accident and discovering what it takes to start again.
Playing the Hand You’re Dealt
A poker-inspired presentation about decision-making, uncertainty, resilience and making the best possible choices with imperfect information.
No Doesn’t Mean Never
Lessons from more than four decades in sales about rejection, persistence, confidence and human connection.
Pressure, Failure & the Next Decision
Designed for athletes and competitive teams: you cannot change the last play, the last hand or yesterday’s mistake — but you absolutely control the next decision.
For Youth: Your Story Isn’t Finished Yet
An age-appropriate message about overcoming limitations, bullying, setbacks, self-doubt and the pressure to define yourself by what other people think you can or cannot become.
For corporations. Teams. Schools. Organizations.
Joey’s presentations can be tailored for:
- Corporate meetings and retreats
- Sales organizations
- Leadership conferences
- Sports teams
- Schools and universities
- Youth organizations
- Nonprofits
- Poker and gaming organizations
- Community groups
- Special events
Every audience is different.
The message should be, too.
Rather than delivering the exact same speech everywhere, Joey can work with your organization beforehand to understand your audience, its challenges and the message you want people carrying with them when they leave.
You don’t get to choose every hand life deals you.
You do get to decide how you’re going to play it.
If your organization could benefit from a message about resilience, perseverance, adaptability, confidence and finding possibility when circumstances say otherwise, let’s talk.
Bring Joey to your next event
Book Joey Gargiulo for your organization, team, conference or event.