Men of Impact: Sean Stephenson

Struggle is something we all deal with throughout our lives. It tests us in every way imaginable and can drive us past our physical and mental limits. But few can argue that they have gone through as much as Sean Stephenson.


When Sean was born, he was quickly diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder called osteogenesis imperfecta; the condition is commonly known as “brittle bone disease”. This pretty much means that he was born with incredibly weak bones that would break even at the softest touch. Because of this, most of his bones were broken during his delivery. Doctors concluded that he would not live very long but fortunately, he survived. However, he spent most of his life growing up in pain as his body grew stunted. By the time he was 18, he had fractured over two-hundred bones.
  But Sean didn’t let all these obstacles destroy him. With positive influences particularly from his mother, he became a motivational speaker at 17. He was able to work alongside the likes of Tony Robbins and Bill Clinton. Since then, he has became a successful author and speaker, with his ideologies reaching people like Richard Branson, the Dalai Lama, Paula Abdul, and more. On top of that, he just got married to an amazing woman ( Mindie Kniss) four years ago.
  Sean Stephenson is the definition of “anything is possible,” and he uses his own personal struggles to teach others how to improve every aspect of their life and block out the things that hold them back from success and development. He is the perfect inspiration for anyone who is bitching about the bad things that are going on in their lives. Here is a guy that literally has every excuse to fail, but he doesn’t let that get to him and has accomplished more than most could dream of.

Early life

When Stephenson was born, doctors quickly recognized the signs of the genetic disorder osteogenesis imperfecta, commonly known as "brittle bone disease". Most of his bones had been broken during the delivery. He was placed in intensive care at Chicago Children's Hospital, and doctors warned his parents that he might die very soon. He survived, but spent much of his youth in pain and experienced the stunted growth and mobility limitations common for people with osteogenesis imperfecta.

Education and career

Stephenson began delivering motivational speeches at the age of 17. With the assistance of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, in 1998 Stephenson met his motivational speaking hero, Tony Robbins. Robbins became his mentor and encouraged him to change his lifestyle to improve his health. While attending DePaul University, Stephenson worked as an intern for President Bill Clinton and for Illinois Congressman Bill Lipinski. After receiving his bachelor's degree in political science in 2001, he published his first book, How You(th) Can Succeed!: Transforming Dreams into Reality for Young Adults, and returned to motivational speaking.
  After his speeches, Stephenson found he was often approached by people seeking advice on personal issues. Feeling ill-equipped to advise them, he decided to go back to school and become certified as a therapist. He took courses at Bennett/Stellar University, a private institution specializing in neuro-linguistic programming and hypnotherapy, and at American Pacific University (since renamed Kona University). In March 2004, Stephenson began work on a Doctor of Clinical Hypnotherapy degree at American Pacific. He operates a therapy practice from offices in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois. He also continues to work as a motivational speaker, earning $15,000 to $30,000 per appearance.
  His second book, Get Off Your "But": How to End Self-Sabotage and Stand Up for Yourself , was published in 2009. It was a self-help book that recounted his own personal story along with the stories of others, and provided exercises for readers to perform while they read. Tony Robbins provided a foreword. That same year, Stephenson was the subject of "Three Foot Giant", a television documentary that aired on The Biography Channel in November 2009.

Personal life

On May 14, 2011, Stephenson proposed to Mindie Kniss. The couple married on September 14, 2012. They reside together in Arizona.

Books

How You(th) Can Succeed!: Transforming Dreams into Reality for Young Adults (2001)
Get Off Your "But": How to End Self-Sabotage and Stand Up for Yourself (2009)