In this powerful episode of the Early Accountability Podcast, host Kimi Walker welcomes Laura Bratton, speaker, coach, author, and resilience advocate. Laura shares her remarkable journey of navigating life after losing her vision as a teenager due to a rare retinal eye disease. With candor and compassion, Laura discusses the emotional and practical challenges that came with her transition to blindness—highlighting the critical roles of family, friends, and community support in her healing and adaptation process. 

The conversation dives deep into the themes of resilience, self-advocacy, and navigating change with courage and gratitude. Laura opens up about becoming the first blind student to receive a Master’s of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary, tackling both internal and external obstacles along the way. She breaks down her trademarked approach of “Experiencing Grit and Gratitude” and offers listeners tangible strategies for facing setbacks, validating emotions, and moving forward moment by moment. Whether you’re grappling with change or helping others through life’s storms, this episode is a testament to the strength we find when we accept both the grit and the grace within ourselves. As Laura reminds us, “You are enough—right now, as you are.” 

Topics Covered in This Episode 

• Laura’s personal journey through vision loss and her path to resilience 
• The transformative power of supportive relationships during major life transitions 
• Advocating for yourself and adapting to new environments, like graduate school 
• The true definition of grit and gratitude in facing adversity 
• Practical steps to ground yourself during setbacks or major changes 
• Rethinking resilience: validating emotions and taking small steps forward 

About Laura Bratton

Laura Bratton was diagnosed with an eye disease at the age of nine and, over the next decade, faced the difficult transition to life without sight. Despite these challenges, she graduated with a BA in psychology from Arizona State University and went on to become the first blind student to earn a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary. Laura is the author of Harnessing Courage and the founder of Ubi Global, where she provides speaking and coaching to empower people to overcome obstacles with grit and gratitude

Connect with Laura Bratton 

• Website: https://www.laurabratton.com/ 
• Email: laura@laurabratton.com 

Connect with Kimi Walker: 

• Visit: earlyaccountability.com 
• LinkedIn: Kimi Walker 
• Facebook: Kimi Walker 
• Instagram: Kimi Walker 
• YouTube: Kimi Walker