Travels from Arizona, USA
Jessica Cox's speaking fee falls within range: $25,000 to $30,000
Motivational Speaker, “Possible Thinking” Business Consultant, Guinness World Record Holder
Despite being born without arms due to a birth defect, Jessica has lived an otherwise normal life. After overcoming her self-esteem issues, Jessica earned a degree in psychology and got her airline pilot’s certificate.
Earning her pilot’s certificate also earned her meetings with heads of state, an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records, and even a meeting with the Pope. Putting an emphasis on the way we think versus our physical limitations, Jessica has shared her positive message in her travels to more than 20 countries.
Flying continues to be a passion for Jessica as she attends many of the largest aviation events in the world. Along the way, she has been recognized for numerous awards including Inspiration International from the Inspiration Awards for Women, UK, and a distinguished speaker award from Egypt’s President at the World Youth Forum in 2019.
Born in 1983 in Sierra Vista, Arizona, Jessica has learned to live her life with her feet. There were many questions at the time about whether Jessica would be able to live a “normal” life. However, Jessica’s father has said he never shed a tear about her birth condition. He had full confidence in her potential. With the support of her parents and family, Jessica became confident in herself as an adult and continued to explore the world with her feet.
At the age of 14, Jessica earned her first black belt in the International Taekwondo Federation. After graduating from high school, Jessica attended the University of Arizona, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology. When talking about her degree, she frequently explains that psychology credits the way people think with having a greater impact on their lives than a physical limitation. During college, Jessica joined an ATA Martial Arts club and became the first armless person to earn a black belt in the ATA.
Jessica’s most famous accomplishment was learning how to fly. It took three states, four airplanes, three flight instructors, and three years to find the right aircraft: a 1946 415C Ercoupe Airplane. In 2008 Jessica earned her Light Sport Pilot Certificate. She received the Guinness World Record for being the first person certified to fly an airplane with only their feet in 2011.
In May 2012, Jessica married in the beautiful city of South Pasadena, CA. In the fall of that same year, Jessica became a Goodwill Ambassador for Humanity & Inclusion, a Nobel Peace Prize winning NGO, and advocated for disability rights in Ethiopia, the Philippines, Nepal, and the US Senate.
Flying continues to be a passion for Jessica as she attends many of the largest aviation events in the world. Along the way, she has been recognized for numerous awards, including Woman of the Year from the Tucson Hispanic Chamber, an honorary doctorate from Universidad Santander in 2023, and a distinguished speaker award from Egypt’s President at the World Youth Forum in 2019.
In 2019, a generous fan donated a 1946 415C Ercoupe with tail number N26R (“two-six-romeo”) for Jessica’s use. With an 85 horsepower engine, two seats for a pilot and a copilot/passenger, a cruising speed of around 90 miles per hour, and a flying time of a little over three hours, N26R is a fair-weather airplane designed primarily for local daytime flights. Because of the performance limitations, Jessica plans to build The Impossible Airplane, a 200 mph four-seat RV-10 airplane with custom controls for Jessica to use.
At this speaking engagement at the AOPA Aviation Summit, Jessica demonstrates to the audience the physical challenges she had to overcome to get her pilot certification. By “thinking outside of the shoe”, Jessica taught herself different ways to succeed by focusing on her ultimate goal.
Never seeing herself as a victim, Jessica shares her inspirational stories of success and overcoming failures in a “two-handed” world. Jessica’s seminars help people find inner strength and overcome their own challenges in business or any walk of life.
Using the four elements of creativity, desire, fearlessness, and persistence, Jessica’s speaking engagements encourage her audiences to overcome the seemingly impossible.
ACHIEVE THE IMPOSSIBLE
Adaptability is the key to survival. As industries face constant fux, the ability to adapt hinges on embracing a mindset shift. By fostering a culture of openness to change, resilience, and innovation, businesses can effectively navigate uncertainty and seize new opportunities with confdence.
In this keynote, Jessica ignites a spirit of innovation and underscores the transformative potential inherent in setbacks—they serve as pivotal moments for resilience to fourish. This paradigm doesn’t only endorse resilience, creativity, and adaptability but actively cultivates them, laying a sturdy foundation for navigating the ever-changing landscape.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
• Recognize adaptability as a cornerstone of success and develop the mindset needed to thrive in dynamic environments • Capitalize on emerging opportunities and leverage setbacks as catalysts for innovation • Develop a sturdy foundation for navigating change with resilience, creativity, and adaptability • Explore strategies for embracing change with confdence and agility • Gain practical insights into how to effectively navigate complexities and challenges while maintaining focus on organizational objectives
THINK OUTSIDE THE SHOE
Organizations must adopt a problem-solving mindset as a driving force for change, recognizing challenges not as obstacles but as opportunities for growth. When teams build a culture that encourages proactive problemsolving, businesses can effectively navigate complexities, adapt swiftly to evolving landscapes, and thrive in dynamic environments.
In this keynote, Jessica sheds light on the power of unconventional thinking by urging audiences to embrace innovative solutions. By thinking outside the shoe, teams can reframe their perspectives to approach problems with curiosity, ingenuity, and boundless creativity.
KEY TAKEAWAYS: • Understand the importance of a problem-solving mindset as a key to overcoming challenges • Learn to reframe challenges as opportunities for growth and development, seeing obstacles as catalysts for innovation • Discover techniques for embracing unconventional thinking and fostering a culture of creativity within teams and organizations • Explore real-world examples of unconventional thinking to drive innovation and achieve breakthrough results • Develop skills and tools for cultivating a culture of innovation, encouraging experimentation, risk-taking, and creative problem-solving
AVIATE, NAVIGATE, COMMUNICATE
Navigating change involves prioritizing three actions: aviating, navigating, and communicating. “Aviating” involves maintaining a steady course amidst turbulence, similar to a pilot ensuring the stability and control of an aircraft during fight. “Navigating” entails charting a clear path forward by assessing the current landscape, identifying potential obstacles, and plotting the most efficient route to reach desired destinations. Finally, “communicating” is essential to ensure alignment, foster collaboration, and maintain morale throughout the change process.
Drawing from her own experiences, Jessica shows how setbacks can be reframed as opportunities for growth. By accepting failure as a natural part of the journey, teams can cultivate a culture of resilience that allows them to bounce back stronger than ever before.
KEY TAKEAWAYS: • Learn strategies for navigating change, including proactive planning, strategic decision-making, and adapting to evolving circumstances • Explore techniques for maintaining stability and control amidst turbulence • Develop skills for charting a path forward, assessing the landscape, identifying obstacles, and creating adaptable plans • Understand the importance of continuous evaluation and adjustment in navigating change • Discover strategies for fostering resilience and agility to embrace change, overcome challenges, and seize opportunities for growth
“You left us in awe, Jessica! – GoDaddy
“It is rare that indelible impressions are left in such a short period of time.” – Diana Han, MD, GE Appliances
“Jessica far exceeded our expectations.” – Michelle Paul, Salt River Project
“It was a speech that I wanted to go on and on.” – Marissa Carvell, Inspire ’17 UK
“Amazing. Do everything you can to join one of her audiences as soon as possible.” – Dave Calder, UBT
“She is so positive and she holds the audience spellbound with such an incredible story.” – John Donald, The Brandlaureate
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Speaker rating
Comments about seeing this speaker live? (This field not required to submit a star rating.)
Name *
Email *
Currently you have JavaScript disabled. In order to post comments, please make sure JavaScript and Cookies are enabled, and reload the page. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Disarm Your Limits: The Flight Formula to Lift You to Success and Propel You to the Next Horizon
Have you ever felt like you didn’t belong? Like everything was chaos around you, you didn’t have the support you wish you had, and your motivation to keep going was slipping through your fingers? If this sounds familiar, then you know how it feels to be “disarmed.” Jessica Cox was born without arms, yet she exceeded her limits to become the first woman to fly a plane with her feet, earn a Taekwondo State Champ title, travel the world as a motivational speaker and advocate for people with disabilities, and achieve her greatest triumph of all: unrepentant regard and self-acceptance for herself.Disarm Your Limits delivers the tools you need to design your own “formula for flight” and shows you how to: Innovate to overcome obstaclesAct with courage to push through doubtShake off false roles and embrace your authentic selfPersist through hard challenges to reach successTap into faith to soar to new horizonsYou have the ability to turn the obstacles you face around and use them to your advantage. All you need is the formula for flight. Are you ready to become the pilot in command for you?
Call us / email us / check availability and fee for your favorite speaker.
