HCI Webinar Recap: Resilience Reimagined: Navigating Change and Transformation, with Chad E. Foster

In the latest HCI Webinar, Dr. Jonathan H. Westover talks with Chad E. Foster about resilience reimagined and navigating change and transformation. Check out the full episode and let us know what you think!

Watch the episode here:

Quick Recap

Chad Foster, a blind executive and tech innovator, shared his journey of overcoming blindness and building a successful career, emphasizing the importance of resilience, stepping out of one's comfort zone, and embracing challenges for personal growth. He discussed his framework for resilience, which includes five pillars that help people build resilience through practical mindset shifts, and his approach to keynote speaking that combines inspiration with actionable tools. Foster also shared his strategies for visualizing greatness, turning disadvantages into advantages, and executing bold visions, while emphasizing the importance of focusing on immediate steps rather than long-term predictions in a rapidly changing world.

Chad Foster's Resilience Journey

Jonathan introduces Chad Foster, a blind executive and tech innovator who has defied limitations with resilience and innovation. Chad created CRM software for the visually impaired and directed financial strategies that produced billions in revenues. They discuss resilience and navigating change, with Chad sharing his unique perspective on resilience as "reimagined."

Embracing Discomfort for Growth

Chad and Jonathan discussed the importance of stepping out of one's comfort zone for personal growth. Chad shared examples of challenging activities he engages in despite being blind, emphasizing the need to embrace discomfort for learning and innovation. Jonathan agreed, highlighting the human tendency to seek stability and the importance of overcoming evolutionary instincts to pursue growth and learning.

Overcoming Blindness, Transforming Careers

Chad shared his personal journey of overcoming blindness and transforming his career from the medical field to leading global dealmaking teams, highlighting how small, incremental improvements over time can lead to significant personal and professional growth. He emphasized that compound interest applies to personal development, noting that becoming 1% better each week can result in a 17,000% improvement over ten years, and he attributed his success to embracing challenging opportunities rather than easy ones.

Building Resilience Through Mindset Shifts

Chad discussed his framework for resilience, which he developed through his speaking and coaching business. He outlined five pillars that help people build resilience, moving beyond surface-level platitudes to practical mindset shifts. Jonathan agreed that while motivational messages can be inspiring, they often don't lead to lasting change without deeper understanding and application of resilience principles.

Chad's Keynote Speaking Framework

Chad discussed his approach to keynote speaking, emphasizing that while his personal story can inspire others, he also provides practical tools to help them apply concepts beyond the presentation. He outlined his "5 pillars" framework, which includes choosing responses to circumstances, telling oneself empowering stories, visualizing greatness, and taking action. Chad shared his own experience of going blind, explaining how he transformed his disability into a strength by choosing to view it as a tool for helping others.

Embracing Discomfort for Growth

Chad discussed his personal journey of visualizing greatness despite his blindness, emphasizing the importance of getting comfortable with discomfort and pushing beyond one's comfort zone for growth and innovation. He shared how he evolved his vision from becoming a successful businessperson to helping others through speaking, coaching, and writing. Chad also highlighted the concept of turning disadvantages into advantages, using his blindness to enhance his communication, focus, and introspection.

Executing Bold Visions With Focus

Chad shared his framework for executing bold visions, emphasizing the importance of focusing on the next step rather than getting distracted by potential obstacles. He encouraged the audience to connect with him through his website, where they can find various resources and links to his work. Chad also warned about the rapid pace of change, particularly with AI, and advised focusing on the immediate future rather than trying to predict long-term outcomes.

Listen to the webinar here: