Meet Riley Sewell: Public Speaker and Writer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Riley Sewell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Riley, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Risk is a prerequisite of courage. When we leave our comfort zone and step into the courage zone, there are risks involved but there also lies the potential of miracles.

I once met an 80-year-old ex-marine and spy who replied to the questions, “what’s the key to a thriving life?”, as “your life exponentially grows when you take risks”. I think the quality of your life is directly linked with how many risks you are willing to take. Courage is the fuel to take the vehicle of risks.

Pivotal moments in my career and life took risks, like:
– moving from New Zealand to America without knowing a single soul or how to drive on the other side of the road
– releasing my first blog
– starting my online mentoring business
– speaking in front of crowds of thousands
– deciding to self-publish my book about courage, rather than go down the traditional route – even when publishers told me I’d fail

I dare you… take a shot of courage and risk it for the things you desperately want in your life. Miracles honor the risk-takers!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Donald Miller in his book, ‘A Million Miles in a Thousand Years’, says “a story is about a character who wants something and overcomes conflict to get it”. Once I knew I saw the main character, and God was the author, I realized I could write a better story. I wanted my story to be filled with determination, beautiful scenes, moments of climax, wrestling matches with conflict, and love substories. But more than anything, I want my story to remind you to be courageous.

I faced courage on an island off the coast of Thailand as my family and I ran for our lives away from a 75 Tsunami. After surviving an event that killed 280,000 people, I set my mind on using words to evoke your courage. A near-death experience is an ugly wake-up call that life is too precious to let fear win every day. I know there are days when fear ties you to your bed. But courage is not the absence of fear (or fear-riddled days), but the assessment that something is greater. You are greater than the fear you face!

Courage has been the secret sauce of my life. Courage has opened doors that seemed block-shut. Courage has led me to over 30 countries. Courage convinced me to fight for acceptance into a Master’s program where the average age of the students was fifty (and I was twenty-two). Courage got me through loneliness and convinced me to search for community. Courage told me I had what it took to write a book and become a paid public speaker.

P.s. the world needs YOU to be courageous!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Ohhhh adventure is my love language!!

The weekend will assist of:
– sunrise surf sess in Malibu by the pier
– my famous avocado/bacon/egg toast with Italian olive oil for breakfast
– biking to Copa Vida in Pasadena for our coffee intact and stopping off at the Town Hall
– driving up to Angeles National Forest to watch the sunset and hike
– getting a drink on a rooftop bar, maybe Granville in Pasadena cause it’s walking distance
– church on Sundays (gotta keep the Lord’s day 😉 )

I could go on and on. Let’s just say you will be content but tired by the end, bestie. Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Credit goes to my “board of directors”- a group of individuals who mentor me in different areas of life.

With a little bit of grit, persuasion, and storytelling, I was somehow able to convince several powerhouse people to mentor me on a regular basis. From a NY Times Best Selling Author, my MMA coach who trains NBA players and FBI agents, an African American fiery preacher, a man experiencing homelessness who gifted with a flute and a ten-year-old girl. Cause here’s the thing… life’s greatest teachers are often the person you least expect. But I have remained open to lessons from surprising places!

Website: www.rileysewell.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/rileywithcourage

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/riley-sewell-904813105

Twitter: linktr.ee/rileysewell

Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@rileywithcourage