Podcast Episode Details
Back to Podcast Episodes
#144: The Crash That Changed Everything: How Belief and Forgiveness Became Dean Otto's Superpower
Season 5 Episode 144
What if your entire life...your success, your goals, your identity changed in one single moment?
For Dean Otto, that moment came without warning.
One minute, he was at the top of his game; leading global sales accounts for world-class brands like Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount Global, and McDonald's. He was a corporate powerhouse, known for his drive, his results, and his ability to lead high-performing teams across the globe.
But the next moment changed everything.
A near-fatal accident on a quiet road left Dean broken—physically, mentally, and spiritually. His doctors weren't sure if he would ever walk again, let alone run, lead, or live the life he once knew. Everything he had worked for seemed to vanish in an instant.
Yet, that's not where the story ends. It's where it begins.
Because Dean Otto didn't just survive—he finished the ride.
In this powerful episode of GRASP Confidence, host Tara LaFon Gooch sits down with Dean to explore how one man's unimaginable setback became a life-defining transformation—and how belief, courage, and forgiveness can turn pain into purpose.
Before the accident
Dean's life was a masterclass in achievement. For over three decades, he built a career that most people only dream of—climbing through the ranks of global giants like Pillsbury, Frito-Lay, and KPMG before transitioning into the fast-paced world of tech startups like Marigold and Braze.
At Braze, he served as a Senior Strategic Global Account Lead, managing some of the company's most high-profile clients and leading teams that drove millions in revenue. His results were extraordinary—so much so that in 2024, Dean was recognized as Braze's Top Global Salesperson.
But behind the success, there was a deeper story forming—one about the power of belief, the importance of grace, and the strength it takes to rebuild not just a career, but a life.
That story would take center stage after the accident that changed everything.
The crash left Dean with a broken spine and a new reality: the possibility that he would never walk again. Yet, rather than surrendering to despair, he made a decision—a decision rooted in belief.
"Belief isn't a feeling," Dean says. "It's a decision. Every single day, I had to choose to believe that something greater was possible."
That choice became the cornerstone of his comeback and the foundation of his life's new mission: to help others find the same strength within themselves.
Dean's mission today
Dean Otto is on a mission to inspire the world—not just through what he's survived, but through what he's learned.
In his keynote, Finish the Ride: The Power of Belief in Action, Dean brings his story to life in vivid, heart-stopping detail. But this talk—and this podcast episode—isn't just about one man's accident. It's about every single person who has ever felt broken, stuck, or afraid that their best days are behind them.
Dean shares how belief became the engine that powere
Published on 3 weeks, 3 days ago