We recently had the chance to connect with Dan Blanchard and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Dan, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
Drink water. Put a load of laundry in. Use the bathroom. Drive to the gym while listening to positive affirmations. And then work out in the gym while listening to blogs that improve my knowledge.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Dan Blanchard, and I’ve built my life around helping young people and those who care for them live with more confidence, purpose, and possibility. I’m a bestselling and award-winning author, TEDx speaker, educator, TV host, and the current President of the National Speakers Association’s Connecticut Chapter. By day, I’m a longtime public school teacher and coach, and through my side work, I write, speak, and train on leadership and personal growth.
A defining part of my story is that I grew up facing some tough challenges, including being born deaf and struggling to find my voice—literally and figuratively. Those early experiences lit a fire in me to show young people that their struggles don’t disqualify them; they prepare them. My brand, Granddaddy’s Secrets, grew from that mission. It’s built around the belief that every young person already has greatness inside them—they just need someone to help them find it, trust it, and use it.
What makes my work unique is that it’s not theoretical. I’ve spent decades in classrooms, wrestling rooms, and youth programs working with kids who often feel unseen or underestimated. I bring real stories, real struggles, and real hope into everything I do—whether it’s my TEDx Talk “Breaking Free from Routine”, my teen leadership books like The Storm, or the workshops and assemblies I deliver around the country.
Right now, I’m speaking at school assemblies across the region using The Storm and its companion parable to teach powerful teen leadership lessons that help students see the greatness already inside them. I’ve also launched a new project called “Travel in Time with Dan,” where I blend travel, history, and leadership through YouTube videos, blogs, podcasts, digital magazines, books, and speeches. Alongside this work, I continue growing my skills as a special education teacher, history teacher, coach, and school leader as I prepare for future leadership roles and opportunities, while expanding the reach of my message so more young people, educators, and parents can benefit from practical, uplifting tools that help them push “play” and live more exciting, meaningful lives.
At the heart of it, my work is about reminding people—especially young people—and the people who help our young people, that they matter, they’re capable, and they can become the kind of leaders the world needs next.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
That I was small, weak, and a victim.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
You are enough.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
Absolutely!
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope the story people tell about me is that I showed up—for kids, for educators, for families, and for anyone who needed a little belief poured into them. I hope they say I made their world feel a little bigger, a little brighter, and a little more possible. Growing up, I didn’t always have someone telling me that I mattered or that there was greatness inside me. So I’ve tried to spend my life being that person for others.
If people say I left young people more confident, teachers more inspired, and communities a little stronger, that would mean everything to me. I want the story to be that I didn’t just talk about leadership—I lived it. That I worked hard, served hard, loved people deeply, and never stopped believing that even one encouraging word can change the trajectory of someone’s life.
And if the next generation tells stories about how “Mr. Blanchard helped me believe in myself,” or “Granddaddy’s Secrets helped me see a different future,” or “his assembly made me want to do something great,” then I know I’ve done my job. Ultimately, I hope the story is that I used whatever gifts I had to help others discover theirs.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://granddaddyssecrets.com/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-blanchard-speaker-educator-and-author-82a69723/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@danielblanchard2757
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
