- The port for this program was provided by Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey.

Berkeley College Education drives opportunity.

Be inspired.

- Hello and thank you for tuning in today to Pathway to Success.

I'm John Harmon, founder president, CEO of the African-American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey.

You know, we've been fortunate to have a diverse group of people to interview on this show, and many of them have stories of success and, and how they've really have just shattered the odds.

And so today we have a gentleman who I've come to admire and respect for his journey.

And today's gonna share his story with us.

I speak no other than Mr. Sean Icky.

He is Chief Visionary Officer and Co-founder of Unblinded, also founder, president of the Icky Law Firm.

And Sean, welcome to Pathway to Success.

- John, I'm honored and privileged to be here today.

And thank you so much for everything that you do and the feeling is entirely mutual, deeply moved, inspired, and respectful of everything that you're up to in the world.

So thanks for having me here today.

- Ditto my friend.

So let's start just a little bit about your upbringing.

- I'm from the great state of New Jersey, born in Margaret Hague Hospital in Jersey, city of New Jersey.

I will be a Jersey person from wire to wire of my time here on this earth.

I, I am genetically challenged with a hereditary eye disease called Retinitis pigmentosa, which my incredible leader and grandfather pop had.

And my mom knew I had that disease at five years old.

My parents got divorced at one.

We lived with my grandparents in Jersey City.

My mom actually pushed a hotdog cart in Jersey City when I was a baby.

You know, my dad stayed in my life.

But it was, you know, a series of interesting dynamics growing up.

Financial abundance was not a part of things, but certainly we were abundant in love.

And also at the highest level mentorship.

There was so much given to me by so many incredible people in my family.

I was an only child grandchild and great-grandchild for the first eight years of my life.

And then my sister was born, a cousin was born.

So I had a lot of time with older folks and I heard and listened deeply as a child.

- Let's talk a little bit about education.

- So I went to Catholic Grammar school as we migrated from Hudson County to Bergen County.

I ended up graduating from a small high school called Emerson in Bergen County.

And I was a three sport athlete.

I went from there to Columbia University.

I was recruited by a hundred different schools to play college baseball.

Vast majority division one.

I played at Columbia.

I was a four year division, one starter.

I was captain of my baseball team.

So John, my educational background, at least up and through undergrad, was all about athletics, academically, did all right, you know, but didn't pay a whole lot of attention.

- Can you speak more to influencers in your life?

- Sure.

My grandparents for sure.

As I've mentioned, Nani pop, my grandma Rose, unbelievable people.

My mom and my dad, you know, for sure.

And I had stepparents as well that were enormously important.

You know, my dad's wife, my mom's husband, and they were incredible people.

Muhammad Ali, one of my great mentors from afar, fictional characters, Batman, James Bond, Luke Skywalker, star Wars, captain Kirk in Star Trek.

All these leaders that faced the most impossible situations, but found the way through Sugar Ray Leonard, Larry Ennis, my high school baseball coach.

I had these incredible people all around me.

These Vince Lombardi like characters full of power, strength, love.

And that just sort of washes over you.

You know, I believe in proximity or Tony Robbins says proximity is power.

And I was very wealthy in that model.

Close to me.

You - Found a love for law.

How did that come to be?

- Yeah, so, so John, I went to law school after my baseball career ended.

Okay.

Because I didn't wanna be blind, broke, and then alcoholic, like some folks in my family were.

And so I was the first person in my direct family line to graduate from college.

I had hoped to be a professional baseball player.

My hereditary eye disease crushes that.

So I decided to go to law school because I thought, okay, at least I could have something.

I didn't know when I was gonna go blind.

That clock was ticking down.

Different people in my family lost their ability to read drive at different ages.

So I had this like time ticking down, wasn't quite sure.

So I didn't particularly have this great desire for law.

I had a great desire for survival and being able to support a family.

So I went to scene hall law school in the great state of New Jersey.

And that piece was transformative.

And I did really well.

I actually had a higher grade point average by far in law school than I did in high school, and way higher than I did in undergrad.

- But, but Sean, as you talked and start to share about this, this, this clock, this ticking, how do you balance that, that pressure?

- So when I was 17 years old, my mom told me I was going blind.

I had no idea.

And I inexplicably, when I found this out, it just, I saw my grandfather's journey.

I saw his heroic dynamics.

And I didn't lose hope.

I didn't lose faith because I love my grandfather.

He's one of the greatest mentors in my life.

Taught me a tremendous amount of empathy.

He also taught me a tremendous amount about strength.

So I found out I gonna go blind like him.

I was like, all right, let's go.

And so as this clock was ticking, I had a fundamental dynamic of never feeling sorry for myself.

But the concept didn't even enter my mind.

But when I went to law school, which was like, let's go like whatever's next is what we're gonna deal with.

And I wasn't a race against time, but I was also relating to it that I was only gonna be able to control what I could control.

So I couldn't control the blindness part.

I could control the speed of acceleration academically.

And where I was really confused is I thought that the person who got the best grades would win the game of law, which I thought would mean you win the game of economics and financial abundance.

I would later come to find out that that wasn't true at all.

But coming outta law school, I thought I won the game of it all.

Getting a job at another great New Jersey institution, one of its most prestigious law firms.

And I thought, okay, like this is what's gonna happen.

This is where we're gonna be and we're good.

And I couldn't have been more wrong.

- Let's talk about what you thought would be a great pathway to your success.

- So my vision was to build more hours than everyone else at this giant prestigious law firm in central New Jersey.

And that's gonna be my life.

And it's all gonna work out.

I had no clue about how business work.

I didn't wanna be a business person.

I just didn't wanna be poor.

So somebody told me at some point they're like, Hey, do you get how this works?

Like I was leading the firm in billable hours and more than a hundred attorneys in the firm for the first number of months that I was there.

And they're like, it's not who bill's the most hours.

It's not who's the best lawyer?

It's the person that brings in the business.

That's the person that becomes free in time, free in abundance, financially free in the ability to impact more.

And in that moment, John, my heart sank and I felt deceived and defrauded by my undergraduate degree, even the great Seton Hall Law School, because nobody told me this.

And the idea that I went to law school to become a marketer and sales person, nothing felt more disgusting and gross to me.

'cause I was ignorant.

I was bond in the ways of the world and truth, integrity and business.

So I sat back and I said to myself, I'm like, I'm either gonna quit this, become a high school baseball coach and football coach, and have fulfillment in my heart and go blind, or I'm gonna have to go do something I don't want to do and I'm have to trade money for my soul.

But then I figured out that that wasn't at all true and it wasn't an or it was an ant.

And that moment changed my life, - But now I'm gonna go back again to sports, right?

Because of your, your vision.

You, you had to forego that, that plan and start another path.

How did that mentally have an impact on your, on your game plan?

- I knew I was not getting drafted.

All these beautiful things are gonna happen.

I played semipro baseball in Point Pleasant, and then I started to struggle with the lights.

And Eddie Ford was told by the, the gentleman coaching that Team Art Rooney, that I had this eye problem.

And at that moment, Eddie Ford basically said to me, I was like, listen, you know, you're awesome.

Love you, you're great.

He said, but there's no way we can go forward.

I felt like my life had no purpose.

I felt hopeless.

I didn't, I didn't know what to do.

And the only thing I could think of doing was coaching.

Coaching people in baseball, coaching people in football, passing on.

The things had been been given to me, but I knew I was gonna lose the ability to do that pretty soon.

So like, what am I gonna do now?

And that was the beginning of this recreation of my identity.

And what I didn't realize, John and folks, I didn't realize that it was all the same thing.

And when I discovered the fact that people out there taught people how to succeed in life, not just sports, how to succeed in business, I'm like, that sounds exactly like what I wanna do.

- You starting your own practice.

How did that come to be?

- Yep.

When I watched somebody who is a mentor of mine at this firm be pushed aside after he broke his leg doing playing softball for the firm and helping build morale, I'm like, I do not see my future in any way in this place.

'cause I don't wanna be that guy who just gave 10 years of his life.

I'm like, that's my future.

No thanks.

At that same time, I had a chiropractor who said, Hey, before you quit, because I was gonna quit law and go coach baseball and football and go blind and be broke, and that's what it was gonna be.

He said, before you do that, why don't you read a book by Tony Robbins, awaken the Giant Within.

And that book told me that you could be a marketer and sales person, you could feel proud of it, you could do it in integrity.

And I began to reframe my thinking.

I'm like, but you know what, I'm gonna figure this out.

So I quit my job in 1997, John, the firm offered me psychological counseling.

I kid you not.

That said, I probably have some type of adjustment disorder.

'cause 3000 people had applied for the firm, five people that were hired.

I was one of 'em.

Like, how could you possibly even think about quitting here?

Whatcha you gonna do?

You're 27 years old, you're gonna start your own law firm, be outta your mind.

And so I quit my job.

I jumped off a cliff knowing that I had the urgency of going blind.

I could not thank the mother of my three children, my wife at the time, who's the only person who said, this is a good idea.

Wow.

The only person.

I'm like, all right, let's go.

So I did it.

And every single day, John, for the next year, I wanted to quit.

It was the scariest, most horrific transition of my identity.

I felt like an imposter of, I didn't feel like an imposter of fraud as a lawyer, but I felt like an imposter and fraud as a business person.

After A BNI meeting business networking international, I went to my car and I wept.

And then every single day I put one foot in front of another, I studied and things got a little better and a little better.

Didn't stop me wanting to quit, but that was the beginning.

- Sean, you know, I'm just captivated by this whole conversation.

We'll be back in a moment with Shine Calley here on Pathway to Success.

- The African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey is your pathway to success.

We encourage you to visit our website at www.aaccnj.com or call us at (609) 571-1620.

We are your strategic partner for success.

- Welcome back to Pathway to Success.

I'm your host, John Harmon, founder, president and CEO of the African-American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey.

I'm truly enjoying our talk today with Sean Calley, chief Visionary Officer and Co-founder of Unblinded.

He's also the founder and president of the Calley Law Firm.

One of two attorneys outta 1.2 million attorneys in America that achieved two top 100 national jury verdicts between 2014 and 2016.

As a blind person.

Speak to that and how you defied the odds and just shut down the doubting Thomases.

- Yeah, no, thank you for that, John.

So every single thing I've ever done in my life, people told me it can't be done every, the silliest little things like playing varsity, high school baseball all the way through.

So after I had the privilege and blessing of quitting this job at a major law firm wanting to quit every day and building a 40 person law firm within two years out of law school, people were shocked.

It was crazy.

I sold that first law firm and it was quite frustrating because a lot of folks began to say something that I disagreed with, that I was a great marketer, but I wasn't a great attorney.

Oh, wow.

And I didn't believe that to be true at all.

And the way we became successful is 'cause we got great results from people.

So then God dropped this miraculous blessing into my lap.

And in a two year period, we got introduced to two different cases.

Both were business cases, both were cases where people had committed in my, my thoughts, crimes, deep civil wrongs, fraud breaches of fiduciary duty.

And we said, all right, let's go.

Because at that time, my outcome wasn't to be actively litigating cases, trying cases.

I was very present to being more of a business owner than operator in the law firm.

And I was very present to my kids.

My kids played in a thousand sporting events.

I missed nine out of Alden baseball, football, soccer.

It was a beautiful blessing.

So I said, all right, I'm gonna take this case.

One was in New Jersey, one was in Arizona.

Interestingly, in both cases we had a $0 offer going into trial, both cases.

And for those that understand law, like you don't get a $0 offer going to trial, get something $0.

We achieved eight figures in compensatory damages.

Wow.

That's the, that's 10 million plus in both to make up for the wrong, and then eight figures in punitive damages.

So the shocking part about that was that the other side though, we had no case.

These were cases against all odds and the dynamic.

And so how'd I do it?

Being a blind person, great team, great conditioning to my memory moving forward.

But there is truly a formula and a mechanism for how you can create profoundly unbelievable outcomes.

And these outcomes were completely achievable.

And we have a little fun saying that people don't see what they don't see, and they work to do with unblinded.

And these other people on the other side, they did not see what they didn't see.

But the dynamic of it all is that we can all produce outcomes that are so far in excess of what we believe.

And if I'm a blind guy and can have these top jury verdicts in these cases that seemed unwinnable, like what can anybody else do?

And that sits in my heart deeply.

- What is unblinded and what was the mission?

- I decided to learn how to build business when I learned it.

And I achieved these very unbelievable outcomes.

I bought a home, I bought a beach home.

I had money in the bank, I I was free.

And it was shocking.

I decided in 2002, I wanna be able to give this to people, teach this to people, share this with people.

And I set out on a mission, just like in baseball, football, wrestling was given to me.

I wanna give people a complete set of diagnostic tools, actualization tools to build the money, the financial abundance, the time freedom, the impact they wanted to create in the world.

And I didn't see anybody else who's handing that to people.

And what I'm blinded does is train coach and support people in a blueprint.

And it develops skill sets.

Because if you don't have the skill sets you strike out, you get pinned in business in a life.

- So talk about mastery skills and taking someone from hello to - Yes.

Yeah.

So thanks for that, John.

Now, now I'm smiling and now we're talking.

Thank you.

Everything is about causing this.

The reason, John, that you've achieved all the things you have, the reason you have this show is 'cause you can cause people to say yes and watch it cause people to say yes and join the chamber and become part of the President's club you cause yes, at a masterful level, you have people in high positions in the state that wanna seek your approval, they want your yes.

We're not taught that in grammar school, high school, college, graduate school.

And so the superpower of influence is a thing and it's a skill set that can be learned.

It's not innate.

But the second piece is when you have that skillset, where do you apply it?

And here's what I tell business people and people in philanthropic causes.

The number one thing you gotta do is exponentially grow your sales meetings, whether it's for people to make a donation or to become your client.

And if you solve the dynamic through your influence of exponential growing sales meetings, which is a formula, do that, we call that process mastery.

If you do that, it's all but game over.

But there's the third piece and the third piece is your self mastery.

So you need to, cause yes, that's influence mastery.

You need to know what to point it at.

That's your process mastery.

And then your self mastery is how you get yourself to actually do the things.

It's a rainy day.

Maybe John, you didn't feel like coming here today.

Maybe you don't feel doing a lot of things you do to help and support people.

I certainly don't as well.

I'm sure everybody watching doesn't want to do lots and lots of things, whether it's how you lose five pounds by getting on the elliptical or the treadmill, whether it's lifting weights, whether it's building business, whatever that is, self-mastery, that is specific scientific mechanisms to get yourself to do stuff, to do the stuff you need to do to achieve your dreams is actually a science.

And we so often think it's this like elusive form of magic and it's a science that could be fun, powerful, and transferable.

And then in a nutshell is the unblinded mechanism and formula.

- So the heart of influence, what's that all about?

- Yeah, people make every decision they make from a place of emotion.

Like the folks today, John, you're not gonna remember anything I really said.

You'll only remember how I made you feel.

So people make decisions emotionally and they justify them logically.

And the ability to do that begins with this concept.

How do you open the listening of people, have them drop into their heart in integrity and have them see you so they see the possibility of their future in you.

Whether you're gonna coach them, teach them, you know, athletic coach them, teach them academically you are gonna be a parent, you're gonna be an uncle, an aunt, a friend.

How do you business person, how do you cause people to trust you and say yes to you?

Because if we're not learning how to cause people to say yes, what yeses to cause how to build stuff, we're missing everything.

But how do you raise an extra $50,000 because a kid in your town is dying of cancer and you wanna have an experimental treatment.

How do you do that?

That's what I believe life's about and that's what I'm blind's about.

- So how can unblinded help individuals and businesses like members of the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey?

Yeah, - Well I believe John, that people are in the African American Chamber of Commerce because they want more money and or they want less time.

And what does that mean, by the way, real quick?

Because sometimes people say, Hey, I'm making the money I wanna make, I just work too hard, I wanna work less.

That money's fine.

I just wanna beat with my family more.

I have more fun.

So some people want time, they have some money.

And the third piece is sometimes people have the money and time.

They're like, I just wanna impact more how to create a platform, how to get a TV show.

How do I become a president or a leader of an organization?

How to raise money, more money for charity.

And that's what this is all about.

So when we think of the unblinded formula and these tools and mechanisms, we have to be in support and service.

- That's great.

Ah, we're winding down on time here, so I gotta get a few more in your impact unblinded as a international speaker.

Can you speak to that?

- Yeah, I mean, I've had the privilege on speaking on some of the biggest stages in the world.

I've spoken on Tony Robbins stage 18 times.

I've spoken events in Europe, like Tomorrowland in front of thousands of people.

They bring in a quarter million people over three days and they have something at the beginning of it for a day with some of the great thought leaders of the world to make the world greater and more impactful.

- Well they say you can do well and good at the same time.

Speak a little bit about your foundation in this impact.

Yeah, - So I'm a Christian, but I'm blind.

It's a secular program.

But my charitable foundation, it's the Calgary Christian Foundation, which you cannot donate to.

It's where I tie it through.

Now why don't I raise money through it?

The reason I don't raise money through it is because I have a very simple purpose and I want it to get complicated with other fine, beautiful folks.

Opinions and perspectives I give to causes.

I believe they're out to do good in the world.

Whether the things that traditionally people would relate to Christianity or not, and that's the purpose of my charitable foundation.

All right.

- So Sean and all the things you do and have done, what do you do for fun today?

- I'm a weird dude.

I ski in double black diamonds and blizzards as a blind man with audio assist from incredible people.

Yes, number one.

Number two, I scuba dive with sharks as a blind man.

And my son got actually his fin bitten by a shark.

We're diving two years ago, and I surf in hurricanes.

So I like to have some extreme fun.

It's not about adrenaline, it's about being creative.

It's about being one with nature and challenging yourself.

And those things are just a few of the fun things I do.

And I love to hang out with my kids.

I love my children.

- So here we go.

Speak to the possibilities that can be derived through a partnership with the African American Chamber of Congress of New Jersey.

- So I have a friend's, a YouTube influencer and partner, and he said, would you come speak on my stage?

I said, sure.

And the most money he'd ever raised for a charitable cause of $14,000 at any event.

And we raised 2.6 million at the first event, and it wasn't a fundraiser.

We can raise money, we can build businesses, and we could do things in ways that create immense clarity.

There's a reason that the immortal Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant did not win an NBA championship until they met Phil Jackson without Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.

Phil Jackson's not winning championships, but Michael won zero with Adam and Kobe won zero with Adam, with Phil Jackson.

Michael Jordan won six, Kobe Bryant won six.

The miracle and Ice team never wins without Herb Brooks.

When it all comes together, that's massive increases in the individual businesses.

The scoop reach of the African American Chamber and how I believe it could be a blueprint with your leadership, John, and some things that we can sprinkle in.

I mean, you're Jordan, but what if we might bring a little Phil Jackson to Michael Jordan, like maybe you're the greatest player ever at what you do in leadership.

You might give a few more additional tools how to apply that.

And all of a sudden that combination brings something that's like one plus one doesn't equal to five or 10, but maybe a million, a billion or even a trillion units of impact and wanna give more and more and more to these five folks that are out there, John.

- So Phil, I'm looking forward to working more closely with you.

Well, this has been great having this, this amazing conversation with Phil, AKA Sean Calley, chief Visionary Officer, co-founder Unblinded.

He's the founder and president of the Cey Law Firm.

This has been a great show today.

Until the next time on your pathway to success.

This is John Harmon, founder, president, and CEO of the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey.

Thank you.

Today's message is un blinding your success.

We just heard from Sean Calley, who had an ambition, desire goals of being one of the best baseball players, but then he also was dealing with a clock that would ultimately lead to going blind.

He pivoted against all the odds and set out to be something else.

So what I'm saying to you, ladies and gentlemen today, they'll ever make an excuse for something or some reason or some person stopping you from achieving your goal.

As black people, our ancestors may break out a straw.

We've overcome adversity time and time again through great resilience and focus.

I encourage you to partner with the African American Chamber of Commerce, link up with people who want to be successful and you too could unblind your success.

Thank you.

- The port for this program was provided by Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, Berkeley College education drives opportunity.

Be inspired.