“I’m here because I’m a huge failure.”

So began the motivational keynote address from Torsten Gross, a C6 quadriplegic racecar driver, on the third and final day of the ASI Power Summit.

Gross, who has used a wheelchair since 1994 after a diving accident, told attendees that the difference between “failed” and “failure” is no longer trying versus still learning, even if it means making mistakes along the way.

Torsten Gross, a C6 quadriplegic racecar driver, encouraged attendees to look beyond what’s perceived as failure and to find differentiators in a competitive marketplace.

“It’s all about managing failure,” he said. “Let’s get motivated to fail.”

And manage he has. Gross, a former keynote speaker at ASI Show Fort Worth, is not just a competitive racecar driver (now with a documentary called Just Hands: For the Love of Racing on Amazon Prime). He’s also a rescue diver, marathoner, founder of the Just Hands Foundation (which offers athletes of different abilities the opportunity to participate in motorsports) and a marketing executive.

“Everyone has a wheelchair,” he said. “Mine is just visible. When we realize we all have one, we can help solve things together. And then we can have fun.”

Part of that process, he said, is reframing failure and being honest about it, which Gross admits can be “terrifying.” Still, failure and learning from mistakes help distill a way forward.

Gross explains what it means to be motivated to fail and how failure can lead to success.

“If you’re everything to everyone, you’re nothing to no one,” he said. “People don’t care how many pen colors you offer. They remember stories, not products. So, speak emotionally, not rationally. Remove the fear of trying something new, and set goals and tell people about them before you know how you’re going to do it. It keeps you accountable. And remember – one day does not define you.”