Meet Aspen Baxter

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Aspen Baxter. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Aspen, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

Finding my purpose has been nothing short of difficult. After a devastating and life changing medical injury and abuse at the hands of medical professionals, I was left paralyzed and feeling smaller than I have ever felt in my life. The neglect and belittling I endured made me feel like I had lost all of my worth and purpose for life.

However, as I continued to learn how to navigate my life and the darkest moments, I realized I really didn’t want anyone else to suffer or feel the same feelings that I had felt and, in some ways, still do. This tiny little spark within ignited a deep passion for advocacy which has become my purpose.

With the incredible support of my family and friends, as well as the indescribable companionship from my service dog, I somehow found my purpose and drive to keep pushing forward. Today, sharing my story and advocating for others through social media and public speaking has given me the purpose that I thought I would never have again.

I not only find purpose by raising awareness, sharing my story, and encouraging others, but also just empowering others to find their voice because it does matter. Everyone has a story that deserves to be heard. It definitely hasn’t been an easy or smooth journey but sometimes the most beautiful things take a lot of stress, pain, and fighting to actually be able to see the beautiful outcome. I’m thankful for my support system who kept fighting for me when I didn’t have it in me to keep fighting.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

My name is Aspen Sage, and I am a Disabled Travel Blogger and Accessibility Advocate. After being medically injured in September 2021, I didn’t want my new paralysis diagnosis to slow me down. Prior to my injury, I was working in education as well as with children with disabilities. I still am passionate about speaking to schools and to organizations on how our communities should strive to be inclusive to all abilities. Travel has always been a part of a healthy balance for me. I collaborate with local communities, travel industry brands, and businesses, to spread awareness on everything from accessible travel and adaptive products to mental health and wellbeing. I hope to inspire others to not let their disabilities or their mobility aids, slow them down and show people of all abilities that it is possible to live a fulfilling life no matter what we go through. My goal is to always work with others because we can always make a difference when we work together.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

3 qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in my journey would have to be Resilience, Self Advocacy, and having a Purpose-Driven Mindset. If you would have asked me three years ago, if I considered myself a resilient person, I definitely wouldn’t have said yes because I felt so lost, broken, and misunderstood but looking back now, I know that I am full of resilience because I had to be. I could have let my medication injury define me, but instead I have chosen to use it as a motivation for self-growth. Self-Advocacy has been an incredibly large part of my journey because when I was originally in the hospital, I was the only one allowed to speak for myself. I often felt like the nurses and doctors were just trying to silence me, but I wouldn’t allow that because I deserved to be heard and not immediately shut down. We know our bodies better than anyone, so no matter what you are your biggest voice. It has always been really important to me to have a Purpose-Driven Mindset because I have always wanted to be successful and finding my purpose has given me direction and meaning for every hard thing I have ever been through. It has really helped me having a community of people who reach out or even follow me on social media because it has motivated me to keep advocating for not only myself, but for the whole community of people who follow my journey. When it comes to all three of these things, Resilience, Self Advocacy, and having a Purpose-Driven Mindset all starts with learning from setbacks, creating a support system, reflecting on your values and the things and people that matter the most, and really just learning how your personal experiences can positively impact the lives of so many others.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

I am always looking to collaborate with others because I think we can all build a stronger, more motivated community when we work together. Ideally when I am collaborating with others, I can:
-Provide Accessible Travel Content Via Reels, Posts, and Stories.
-Blog Posts and Print Interviews.
-Collaborate with Relevant Brands, Chains, and Sponsorships.
-Speaking Engagements- Advocacy, Accessibility, Mental Health, Autism, Travel, etc.
-Relevant Product Modeling.
-Disabled Acting Roles.
These are only a few ways that we can work together if you are looking to collaborate. I am always flexible and looking for opportunities to grow. The best way to reach me is by email at [email protected]

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Shine a Light Photography, LLC.

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