November 26, 2025 • 8 mins
On this episode of Abilities Zone with Paul Amadeus Lane, we sit down with Ty Smith, a quadriplegic entrepreneur and founder of T.W. Planning and Investments — a company dedicated to helping members of the disability community build financial stability, confidence, and long-term security.
Ty opens up about the accident that changed his life, the challenges and triumphs of his recovery, and the purpose that led him to launch a business focused on financial empowerment. From navigating benefits and budgeting to planning for independence, Ty shares practical insights and a deeply personal journey of resilience and reinvention.
We also highlight Ty’s recent appearance as an exhibitor at the Abilities Zone Expo in Scottsdale, Arizona, where he showcased his mission to support and educate individuals with disabilities on their financial future. Whether you're part of the disability community, a caregiver, or someone seeking inspiration, this conversation is an uplifting reminder that ability comes in many forms — and so does success.
Ty opens up about the accident that changed his life, the challenges and triumphs of his recovery, and the purpose that led him to launch a business focused on financial empowerment. From navigating benefits and budgeting to planning for independence, Ty shares practical insights and a deeply personal journey of resilience and reinvention.
We also highlight Ty’s recent appearance as an exhibitor at the Abilities Zone Expo in Scottsdale, Arizona, where he showcased his mission to support and educate individuals with disabilities on their financial future. Whether you're part of the disability community, a caregiver, or someone seeking inspiration, this conversation is an uplifting reminder that ability comes in many forms — and so does success.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Oh I'm a day. Yeah, you don't wait for no one.
It ain't no stopping when I'm reaching for the top,
and I know looking back, I'm only looking forward my goals,
and my goals don't define.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Who you know. And I'm fine, I'll be fine.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
I just want you to know, and ain't no stopping
when I'm reaching for the top and I know and
you know looking back, I'm only looking forward my goals,
and my goals don't define who you know.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
And I'm fine, I'll be fine.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
I just want you to know.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Just hello and welcome to the Ability Zone. What's up.
It's me Paul, I'm my day Slane, so delighted to
have you on this episode.
Speaker 4 (00:34):
Why we're gonna catch up with one of our exhibitors
who exhibited at our Scottsdale show and his booth dealt with.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Something you never really see at the Abilities Expo. It
has to deal with financial planning. So we're gonna have
them on shortly, but before we do, if you like
to know what's going on with the Abilities Expo, always
go to abilities dot com. You can find out what
exposure in your area or any other related news, and
(01:01):
if you like to connect with me, you can reach
out to me. Paulamadeas Lane dot com. Are on all
social media, Paul Amadeus Lane even on LinkedIn. Why because
I am a business man, because I'm all about my businessman.
So we will welcome you who are listening, who are
watching to this show in this episode today our first
(01:22):
guest and our only guest. I should say, as a
person who was injured five years ago.
Speaker 4 (01:28):
After his injury, he saw a need to help us,
to help our community because he became us part of
the disabled community. Let's hear about a story and the
services that he offers. I am so delighted to have
my next guest with me, like I talked about in
the intro, had the opportunity to meet him at the
(01:52):
Buildings Expo in Arizona and had a wonderful conversation with him.
Wanted to make sure that all you knew what his
organization is doing while he created it. So let's welcome
on Tyrell Smith.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Tie, what's going on, buddy?
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Oh, just fighting a good fight, and you.
Speaker 4 (02:14):
Are fighting a good fight, you know. I kind of
talked about it in the beginning before I brought you
on about you creating T W. Smith planning and investments,
and we want to get into that origin story of
why I was created in the first place. But before
we do, tie you are firston with a disability like myself.
(02:36):
How did you become one?
Speaker 3 (02:38):
That's right? So I'm a C six quad complete, although
I self class that's what they classified me in the hospital.
I self classify myself as a C six C seven
because I do have some function in this in this hand,
which I don't think a lot of C sixes have.
(02:58):
So I'm, like me, very very grateful for that.
Speaker 4 (03:03):
Yeah, definitely.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
But this was twenty twenty, so this was during COVID year.
We me and my two oldest boys and a buddy
of mine from Michigan, we decided to take a trip
out to Moad and go on a dirt bike trip
over there. And I've been I've been begging someone to
come with me for a while, actually at the time
(03:27):
when I used to live in Colorado and we'd go
every year with our buddies over there, and so this
was the first year my oldest boys were actually going
to be old enough to go with me, and I
was really excited about that. And so we made the trip.
We drove it was like twenty four hours. We drove
straight man, we drove straight through the night. Like, couldn't
(03:49):
take too much time off of work, right, So we
just lifted up all the bikes in the back of
the truck. We drove straight through the night. Got there
the next day and had a wonderful day. I think
we slept so before we went riding. So we slept,
and then that next day we had a wonderful day
just riding through the sand. And I don't know if
you've ever been to Moab, Paul, that's just beautiful sandstone
(04:12):
and all that stuff. It's just beautiful. So but that
evening we decided to go on a night ride and
I rode. I ride a motocross bike. It's it was
a CRF four fifty R and no headlight, right, So
my buddy's like, I don't worry about it. Well, I've
got this this headlight that will mount on your helmet
(04:34):
and it'll be.
Speaker 4 (04:34):
Good to go.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
And so we got that going and we left about dusk.
And then as it got you know, as the ride
progressive got darker and darker, I started to realize that
that light on that helmet was not not very good.
It was insufficient, I guess you could say so, and
I recognize that, and so, and we ended up getting lost,
(04:58):
and we were out there way later than what we
planned on being out there, but towards the end of
the ride, we finally found our way home. And on
the way back to camp, there's this huge sand wash.
It's like probably one hundred yards across, and it's it's
a good you know, probably a good mile or two
miles back to camp on that sand wash, and there's
(05:22):
nothing in it but sand. That's just sand, right, And
so when we hit that sand wash, we we're all
everyone's relieved. We're like, okay, we know where we're going
from here. So everyone just takes off and I was
at the back of the group because I was one
of the more experienced riders. I was just making sure
everybody was okay and making it home. And as we
(05:43):
started heading out, I mean as soon as I started
heading down that wash, I can still just vividly remember
it in my brain right now, just that booop hit.
I hit something and it bucked me from the bike.
Something I didn't see. It bucked me from the bike,
and I, as my surgeon says, he kind of explained
(06:06):
what he thought happened, but he said I lawn darted
the ground at about forty miles an hour and that
was that was it. That was it. So they unfortunately,
because I was the last of the group, I whan
saw me go down, and so I had to lay
there in the desert in the dark by myself for
(06:28):
a while ere before they found me. So I was
there for about an hour, but they came back found me,
life lighted me to Grand Junction, Colorado at Saint Mary's
there and cut me open and pulled me apart and
put me all back together. And five years later it's
(06:49):
been about it'll be October actually fifteenth. I'm coming up
on just five more or five or six more days
till my anniversary October fifteenth. When it was twenty.
Speaker 4 (06:58):
Twenty, well you know it's we call it the break,
your nickaversary, that's what we call it in our and
our disability, and mine is January twenty first. It was
nineteen twenty first, nineteen ninety three when I when I
had mine, and in ty that that had to be
just something you had to grapple with your new normal
(07:24):
then pandemic, So you had pretty unique circumstances with your injury.
How were you able to kind of keep it together?
I know you had probably ups and downs like all
of us do. What were some of the things that
kind of helped you to kind of deal with it
during that time?
Speaker 3 (07:45):
Oh, you mentioned the pandemic, and the pandemic actually made
it really really tough because I was by myself. They
wouldn't let anybody in to come and visit, you know,
so you know, gratefully, there were some nurses at Saint
Mary Corwin that were just you know, they're just angels.
(08:12):
They and they they I feel like it was like
a double O seven mission, like they snuck me. I
kid you not, like so, I guess, let me explain
a little bit. So we lived in Michigan, right, my
my wife was visiting my sister in Washington when this happened, right,
(08:34):
and uh, and then I'm broke my neck and I'm
over here.
Oh I'm a day. Yeah, you don't wait for no one.
It ain't no stopping when I'm reaching for the top,
and I know looking back, I'm only looking forward my goals,
and my goals don't define.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Who you know. And I'm fine, I'll be fine.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
I just want you to know, and ain't no stopping
when I'm reaching for the top and I know and
you know looking back, I'm only looking forward my goals,
and my goals don't define who you know.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
And I'm fine, I'll be fine.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
I just want you to know.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Just hello and welcome to the Ability Zone. What's up.
It's me Paul, I'm my day Slane, so delighted to
have you on this episode.
Speaker 4 (00:34):
Why we're gonna catch up with one of our exhibitors
who exhibited at our Scottsdale show and his booth dealt with.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Something you never really see at the Abilities Expo. It
has to deal with financial planning. So we're gonna have
them on shortly, but before we do, if you like
to know what's going on with the Abilities Expo, always
go to abilities dot com. You can find out what
exposure in your area or any other related news, and
(01:01):
if you like to connect with me, you can reach
out to me. Paulamadeas Lane dot com. Are on all
social media, Paul Amadeus Lane even on LinkedIn. Why because
I am a business man, because I'm all about my businessman.
So we will welcome you who are listening, who are
watching to this show in this episode today our first
(01:22):
guest and our only guest. I should say, as a
person who was injured five years ago.
Speaker 4 (01:28):
After his injury, he saw a need to help us,
to help our community because he became us part of
the disabled community. Let's hear about a story and the
services that he offers. I am so delighted to have
my next guest with me, like I talked about in
the intro, had the opportunity to meet him at the
(01:52):
Buildings Expo in Arizona and had a wonderful conversation with him.
Wanted to make sure that all you knew what his
organization is doing while he created it. So let's welcome
on Tyrell Smith.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Tie, what's going on, buddy?
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Oh, just fighting a good fight, and you.
Speaker 4 (02:14):
Are fighting a good fight, you know. I kind of
talked about it in the beginning before I brought you
on about you creating T W. Smith planning and investments,
and we want to get into that origin story of
why I was created in the first place. But before
we do, tie you are firston with a disability like myself.
(02:36):
How did you become one?
Speaker 3 (02:38):
That's right? So I'm a C six quad complete, although
I self class that's what they classified me in the hospital.
I self classify myself as a C six C seven
because I do have some function in this in this hand,
which I don't think a lot of C sixes have.
(02:58):
So I'm, like me, very very grateful for that.
Speaker 4 (03:03):
Yeah, definitely.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
But this was twenty twenty, so this was during COVID year.
We me and my two oldest boys and a buddy
of mine from Michigan, we decided to take a trip
out to Moad and go on a dirt bike trip
over there. And I've been I've been begging someone to
come with me for a while, actually at the time
(03:27):
when I used to live in Colorado and we'd go
every year with our buddies over there, and so this
was the first year my oldest boys were actually going
to be old enough to go with me, and I
was really excited about that. And so we made the trip.
We drove it was like twenty four hours. We drove
straight man, we drove straight through the night. Like, couldn't
(03:49):
take too much time off of work, right, So we
just lifted up all the bikes in the back of
the truck. We drove straight through the night. Got there
the next day and had a wonderful day. I think
we slept so before we went riding. So we slept,
and then that next day we had a wonderful day
just riding through the sand. And I don't know if
you've ever been to Moab, Paul, that's just beautiful sandstone
(04:12):
and all that stuff. It's just beautiful. So but that
evening we decided to go on a night ride and
I rode. I ride a motocross bike. It's it was
a CRF four fifty R and no headlight, right, So
my buddy's like, I don't worry about it. Well, I've
got this this headlight that will mount on your helmet
(04:34):
and it'll be.
Speaker 4 (04:34):
Good to go.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
And so we got that going and we left about dusk.
And then as it got you know, as the ride
progressive got darker and darker, I started to realize that
that light on that helmet was not not very good.
It was insufficient, I guess you could say so, and
I recognize that, and so, and we ended up getting lost,
(04:58):
and we were out there way later than what we
planned on being out there, but towards the end of
the ride, we finally found our way home. And on
the way back to camp, there's this huge sand wash.
It's like probably one hundred yards across, and it's it's
a good you know, probably a good mile or two
miles back to camp on that sand wash, and there's
(05:22):
nothing in it but sand. That's just sand, right, And
so when we hit that sand wash, we we're all
everyone's relieved. We're like, okay, we know where we're going
from here. So everyone just takes off and I was
at the back of the group because I was one
of the more experienced riders. I was just making sure
everybody was okay and making it home. And as we
(05:43):
started heading out, I mean as soon as I started
heading down that wash, I can still just vividly remember
it in my brain right now, just that booop hit.
I hit something and it bucked me from the bike.
Something I didn't see. It bucked me from the bike,
and I, as my surgeon says, he kind of explained
(06:06):
what he thought happened, but he said I lawn darted
the ground at about forty miles an hour and that
was that was it. That was it. So they unfortunately,
because I was the last of the group, I whan
saw me go down, and so I had to lay
there in the desert in the dark by myself for
(06:28):
a while ere before they found me. So I was
there for about an hour, but they came back found me,
life lighted me to Grand Junction, Colorado at Saint Mary's
there and cut me open and pulled me apart and
put me all back together. And five years later it's
(06:49):
been about it'll be October actually fifteenth. I'm coming up
on just five more or five or six more days
till my anniversary October fifteenth. When it was twenty.
Speaker 4 (06:58):
Twenty, well you know it's we call it the break,
your nickaversary, that's what we call it in our and
our disability, and mine is January twenty first. It was
nineteen twenty first, nineteen ninety three when I when I
had mine, and in ty that that had to be
just something you had to grapple with your new normal
(07:24):
then pandemic, So you had pretty unique circumstances with your injury.
How were you able to kind of keep it together?
I know you had probably ups and downs like all
of us do. What were some of the things that
kind of helped you to kind of deal with it
during that time?
Speaker 3 (07:45):
Oh, you mentioned the pandemic, and the pandemic actually made
it really really tough because I was by myself. They
wouldn't let anybody in to come and visit, you know,
so you know, gratefully, there were some nurses at Saint
Mary Corwin that were just you know, they're just angels.
(08:12):
They and they they I feel like it was like
a double O seven mission, like they snuck me. I
kid you not, like so, I guess, let me explain
a little bit. So we lived in Michigan, right, my
my wife was visiting my sister in Washington when this happened, right,
(08:34):
and uh, and then I'm broke my neck and I'm
over here.
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