What's Your Pink Cadillac? Finding Joy After Rock Bottom with Ryan Campbell
Construct-ive Conversations
In this episode of Constructive Conversations, host Eddie Thompson steps outside the world of construction finance to talk about something universal: how to live better. His guest is Ryan Campbell, the Australian-born, Nashville-based keynote speaker who made history at 19 as the youngest pilot — and first teenager — to fly solo around the world.
Ryan shares the full arc of his story: the two years of planning and fundraising that got a "normal Aussie kid" to the start line, the 24,000-nautical-mile journey across 15 countries, and the devastating plane crash two years later that left him the sole survivor, with a spinal cord injury and a diagnosis of complete paraplegia. From that rock bottom, Ryan rebuilt his life — learning to walk again, returning to the skies, and discovering, with the help of an impulsively purchased 1959 pink Cadillac, a philosophy that now anchors his keynotes worldwide.
Eddie and Ryan dig into the "seesaw" of balance (with a nod to Bluey), why moments of joy aren't a luxury but a crucial tool for resilience and mental health, and practical steps anyone can take today — from seeking professional help to running a "joy audit." Plus: Ryan's Nashville restaurant picks and a spirited debate over Australia's greatest exports.
Learn more about Ryan and his book, Born to Fly, at RyanCampbell.co.