Scott Bolzan

With a "never give up" attitude Scott Bolzan has persevered through the loss of his first daughter, drug addiction of his son, career defeats and challenges as an NFL player, becoming a pilot and owner/entrepreneur of a successful private aviation company, and a devastating brain injury that erased the memories of his 46-year life. Bolzan tells the story of his life in My Life, Deleted: A Memoir (HarperOne), which was co-written with his wife Joan Bolzan Sought after keynote speakers, Scott and Joan Bolzan have shared their amazing story and how their life lessons apply to a variety of groups, including business organizations, athletic associations, educational institutions, and brain injury associations. Some of their speaking clients include Business Clubs of America, Tucson Medical Center, Sprint, CBS Outdoor, Udall Law Firm, the University of Phoenix, and The Ken Blanchard Executive MBA. The Bolzans can be booked together or separately. Their custom-tailored talks are interactive, filled with humor, and leave audiences inspired and spellbound.

On December 17, 2008, 46-year-old Scott Bolzan awoke in a hospital with no memory of who he was or how he got there. He did not know that the pretty blond woman at his side was his wife of more than 20 years, Joan - or even what a wife was. He could not remember the births of his two teenage children, the daughter he'd lost, his time playing football in the NFL, or his successful career as an entrepreneur.After slipping and hitting his head in his office bathroom, Bolzan had suffered profound retrograde amnesia, one of the most severe cases on record. My Life, Deleted is the inspiring story of one couple who faced a real-life nightmare, and then picked themselves up and started anew. With unflinching candor, the Bolzans describe the day they learned that, contrary to initial medical opinions, the amnesia was likely irreversible. My Life, Deleted tempers tragedy with stories of enormous love, and even humor. Through moments of indescribable pain emerges - against all odds - an enviable love story, as Scott and Joan fall in love a second time.

Bolzan's unrelenting determination has allowed him to recreate himself numerous times, but never as fundamentally as he's had to in the last few years. In December of 2008 Bolzan suffered a brain injury that erased the memories of his entire 46 years of life due to profound retrograde amnesia. Since his amazing recovery, he has worked to rebuild his experiences and lessons of his previous life. Bolzan also serves on the Board of Directors for the Brain Injury Association of Arizona. Throughout this traumatic brain injury he has learned to persevere through adversity and remain hopeful and optimistic as he reinvents himself to become an even better man than before.

In Bolzan's talks, he unfolds his compelling, inspirational, and courageous journey. He shares his drive to overcome obstacles with his ingrained values and learned discipline, how he maintains a marriage of 25+ years while remaining fully engaged in the lives of his two children, and how he successfully balances career endeavors in light of adversity. With a strong emphasis on "family first", Bolzan exhibits outstanding strength to move forward through extraordinary life challenges.

Bolzan has fulfilled the dreams of playing in the NFL, becoming a professional pilot, and owning and operating a successful aviation company specializing in managing corporate aircraft. Growing up in Chicago, IL in a middle class family provided him with the work ethic and character building foundation necessary to achieve his goal of playing in the NFL as an offensive lineman. It was apparent in high school that he was blessed with talent. After his successful high school career he accepted a full athletic scholarship to Northern Illinois University.

Bolzan's talents flourished under the direction of his head coach Bill Mallory and mentor Joe Novak at Northern Illinois University. Throughout his college career, he grew as a person, realizing the lessons he learned through football would one day become very important in his life. His college career blossomed as he became a four-year starter and 1st team Mid-American Conference, as well as All American (Honorable Mention) his senior year. Bolzan was also inducted to the Northern Illinois University Hall of Fame.

In 1984, Bolzan was drafted by the New England Patriots in the 9th round. Along with many other rookies, Bolzan experienced a daily fight to earn a spot on the roster. Eventually he was released from the team and signed with the Memphis Showboats in the USFL. After enjoying a season of gaining much-needed pro playing time experience, he once again dealt with the life lesson of being released. This allowed him to get back into the NFL with the Cleveland Browns where he sustained a career-ending injury in his second season. These obstacles strengthened the "never give up" attitude that allowed him to create himself in business. After football, successful careers in financial planning and the insurance business allowed Bolzan the opportunity to seek his fortune in his true love: flying.

Bolzan grew a successful and trusted charter business in Scottsdale, AZ, and was soon flying surgical transplant teams throughout Arizona as well as nationally. His company was honored to bring the first heart transplant into the state of Arizona for Mayo Hospital. In record time, the charter company went from unranked in 2004 to ranked number two in 2005 then to the number one ranked charter company by Arizona Business Magazine in 2006. Bolzan sold the charter company in 2008 and is now the Founder and CEO of Legendary Jets LLC in Tempe, AZ, specializing in professional business aircraft management and ownership. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the NFL Alumni Arizona chapter as the Membership Director.

Scott and Joan have been happily married since 1984 and reside in Gilbert, AZ. They have one son, Grant, and one daughter, Taylor.

My Life, Deleted: Whatever Life Brings, Look for Opportunity (with Joan Bolzan)

Never Give Up: Turning Life’s Setbacks into Life’s Opportunities

Business and Leadership Lessons From the Football Field

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