Amar and Sara start their travels in Istanbul and as they navigate the citys vast Grand Bazaar to get to their hotel, Sara is keen to guide them straight there but Amar just wants to smell, listen and touch every item in the bazaar. Because if I dont keep moving, Im going to end up back in that dark place, and I dont want to go there. It is a tearful, honest, underplayed confession and deeply touching. Ultimately, their journey through Turkey becomes transformational for both. The Blind Guy Who Wants To Show You The World. But her brilliant descriptions of the sights the pair encounter are just what youd want if you couldnt see them. Each participant takes an active role in this powerful learning experience. For his entrepreneurial achievements, Amar received The Outstanding Young Person of the World accolade (Business / Entrepreneurial category) from the Chamber of Commerce International and the prestigious Stelios Disabled Entrepreneur Award, presented by Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou. [2], Born and raised in Glasgow,[3] Latif gained a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics, Statistics and Finance at the University of Strathclyde,[4] spending part of his course in Canada at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. Their relationship frank, funny, fond is strengthened as they go. JustinAnderson, By
We have a strong global presence with our team of 110 colleagues based across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and North America. Sara has a beautiful way with words and her unique way of explaining things really created some outstanding mental images for me. Its a rich and at times emotional journey, but an absolute joy to share. It showed the world that sight-seeing isnt just for the sighted, and Ive since trotted all over the globe to bring this message to anyone wholl listen! Head to iPlayer, please, and you can. I know that you dont need sight to see how beautiful our planet is, and I hope that I caninspireyou to come and explore it with me. I think this new show highlights how sighted people can sometimes focus too much on the visuals and getting the perfect Instagram image, so they arent so present in the moment and then miss out on the multisensory experience that travel, for me, is all about.. And then, suddenly, as the pair touched down in Istanbul, the programme seemed to find a different and much better groove. Their time in the mountains also gives Amar and Sara time to understand each other better. [11] In 2016, he appeared as a tour guide in Channel 4's The Last Leg Goes Down Under. I learned so much about myself what I could still do, what the world still had to offer me and I ended up infected with the travel bug in a major way. Amar explains to Sara how becoming blind as a child changed his philosophy on life and desire to experience the world. Sara became a wonderful sighted guide and we experienced and learnt a huge amount from each other. These are their stories. His other books include: Seminar Selling for the Financial Industry, published by McGraw-Hill and How to Market to High-Net-Worth Households. See production, box office & company info, British Broadcasting Corporation (United Kingdom). Extraordinary conversations across fault lines of ethnicity, class, faith, and generation. This trend is not likely to end in the near future. The destination is Turkey and their journey takes them off the beaten track as they explore the countrys bustling cities, remote mountains and extra-ordinary landscapes. All the pitfalls were sidestepped. Losing my sight might have seemed like the end of my adventures to most but, to me, it has just opened a world of possibilities that I intend to keep exploring. It didnt feel like a disability was being exploited or patronised (helped greatly by Latif being the kind of presence you just want to up and follow as an abject devotee wherever it leads), or used to say: Hey, theyre not different from us! Or that someones suffering was being pressed into the service of self-improvement for another. Travelling Blind demonstrates a completely unique way of travel, as Sara uses her sight to guide and describe the world around, creating a mental picture of the places we visit together. Images that were once familiar in his imagination - clouds, birds, his mothers face - are fading. Wholesalersbootcamp.com | All Rights Reserved.| powered by thecodifiers. The program is designed to transform the inside team from a client relations mind-set, to a world-class sales team. Comedian Sara Pascoe joins him on a tr Amar Latif hasn't let his lack of sight stop him from travelling the world, he has visited more than 100 countries with the help of sighted companions. As Sara and I continued our journey through Turkey, it was an amazing experience to know that the relationship between me and Sara was developing as we fell into a comfortable rhythm with each other. Latif won the 2005 Outstanding Young Business Entrepreneur of the World and Outstanding Young Person of the UK, both awarded by the Junior Chamber International;[citation needed] the 2006 One Vision Man of the Year;[16] and the University of Strathclyde's 2006 Alumnus of the Year award. UK pubcaster the BBC is producing the new odd-couple travel doc Travelling Blind, from London-based TV prodco Spun Gold TV. 2019 saw him team up with comedian Sara Pascoe in Travelling Blind to lead this BBC documentary through some of Turkey's most famous attractions, all in the name of showing Sara (and the hundreds of thousands of viewers who tuned in to join them) exactly how much there is to be gained by stepping out of your comfort zone and opening yourself up to new ways of seeing the world. Right now, while many advisors continue to limit face-to-face meetings with wholesalers, the inside team possesses an enormous opportunity to drive new sales. Travelling Blind is made by Spun Gold TV for BBC2. She can tell him that the bull he hears passing them on an alpine farm has testicles the size of your head. Amar was told that blind people couldnt be accountants but he defied that, studying Maths and Finance at Strathclyde University. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, Sara Pascoe with the endlessly, genuinely charming Amar Latif in Travelling Blind. Detouring to the Grand Bazaar on the way to their hotel, Pascoe is eager to reach the latter. The interaction between those with sight and blind travellers enables both sides to experience travel from another perspective and, in turn, take away a lot more than they would have before. Comedian Sara Pascoe joins him on a trip exploring Turkey. He is the founder of the American Seminar Leaders Association and is a popular presenter at national meetings and conferences, including the Million Dollar Round Table. We had the statutory opening shots emphasising their differences: him selecting and immaculately packing his holiday wardrobe and enthusing about the coming journey; her clambering over her unmade bed wondering what she should take. Copyright Spun Gold TV Ltd 2021. Most recently, Amar Latif took part in Celebrity MasterChef, their first blind contestant, reaching the semi-final and the final six of the competition, attracting a legion of fans along the way. Through sheer determination, he has managed to turn an unpromising tale of loss, into one of inspirational achievement. Sara and I have a very different style of travel; however, during our time in Turkey we both learnt to discover a new way of traveling, said Latif in a statement. Amar Latif is a blind traveller, entrepreneur and television presenter with an astonishing track record of facing up to major challenges. This is just some random content to show the different layouts possible, Realscreen is a trademark of Brunico Communications Ltd. Site copyright 1997-2022. Screened worldwide, this was a gruelling 220-mile trek on foot across the rugged interior of Nicaragua, from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast. But whenever Amar travels he relies on a sighted companion to guide him. They head to Cappadocia, a unique landscape formed from volcanic mud that has been eroded to create staggering rock formations. She is risk-averse to the point of self-parody (Other cultures scare me, she whimpers), and convinced every stranger is a murderer. After three days in Istanbul, Amar and Sara head east to the mountains along the Black Sea. Realscreen title, tagline and logo are trademarks of, and the events are produced by Brunico Marketing Inc. We understand your decision to use an ad blocker, however realscreen journalism takes time and funding Subscriptions and advertising are both necessary to fund the journalism we bring to you. Amar feeling Saras face, with misty mountains in the background. After all, once you start looking with your other senses, youll discover how alive the world can really be! Properly trained and coached, the internal sales team will close more sales on their own, in addition to working with their team to move sales forward. By his late teens he had 95 per cent sight loss. The beautiful relationship between blind entrepreneur Amar Latif and his sighted guide, comedian Sara Pascoe, elevates this frank and funny travelogue. Additionally, Pascoe, as well as viewers, get to learn about blindness along the way. Or any of the other infuriating ills that such setups are generally heir to. [12], From 2017 to 2018, Latif and Anna Richardson co-presented the Channel 4 show How to Get Fit Fast, which aired for two series. Travelling Blind demonstrates something I have known for a very long time, that sight is not the most important thing to truly see the world. By
Participants will receive a roadmap for success with a comprehensive, strategic, and tactical approach to inside wholesaling. As is the moment when they are present at a mountain sunset and he says: These are the moments when its shit being blind. He notes that it has been so long since he saw a sunset that, like the faces of his parents, it is beginning to slip from his memory. An air date has not yet been announced. You can imagine my disappointment, then, when I discovered that no travel company would accommodate an independent blind traveller. He has travelled extensively, visiting over a hundred countries and taken up skydiving, bungee jumping and skiing. Traditional communities still live here and have a long history of summer festivities. You can unsubscribe at any time. Unfortunately, much of this potential is never realized because the inside sales team has not been properly trained and coached. A commemorative bookazine celebrating Queen Elizabeth IIs life via broadcasts. Company legal name and Company registration no: Traveleyes Ltd/ 05093967. A particularly poignant moment for me occurred when I managed to persuade Sara to climb up a rickety boardwalk with me, to see where beehives were kept in the trees. Through sheer determination, he has managed to turn an unpromising tale of loss, into one of inspirational achievement. Ive challenged Turkish oil-wrestlers on. I decided to take matters into my own hands, and in 2004 I launched Traveleyes with the determination to make the world more accessible for blind and visually impaired travellers. Moments like sitting around a campfire, high in the mountains, singing Turkish songs with local farmers (despite not knowing any Turkish) are what truly makes a trip and being able to experience this with Sara, someone who wouldnt normally put themselves in that kind of situation, was a great thing to witness. Proving everyone wrong, Amar spent seven years working at BT, finally heading up their Finance Division - managing a team of seven accountants and financial responsibility for multi-million pound business deals. She is a solitude-loving homebody who doesnt even like spicy food and prefers to hide in her hotel whenever she goes abroad. The atmosphere of the program is motivational; the content is concise, and achievement driven. So I wish you could see it. 2019 saw him team up with comedian Sara Pascoe in Travelling Blind to lead this BBC documentary through some of Turkeys most famous attractions, all in the name of showing Sara (and the hundreds of thousands of viewers who tuned in to join them) exactly how much there is to be gained by stepping out of your comfort zone and opening yourself up to new ways of seeing the world. This programme is not currently available on BBC iPlayer, except Northern Ireland & Northern Ireland HD. But Amar is completely fearless, going off the beaten track and needing to be in the thick of things smelling, listening and touching everything to get a real impression of his surroundings in the absence of being able to see. With Pascoe serving as Latifs sighted guide, the two learn from each others very different travel styles: she is an introvert, while he is a bold explorer. For myself, I truly enjoyed encouraging, a sometimes hesitant, Sara to use her other senses more. Inside wholesalers will learn the art, as well as the science, of prospecting, qualifying, selling to ideal prospects, time management, creating new profitable relationships, referral generation, setting up effective call rotations, etc. Participants will learn the blocking and tackling skills needed to close more sales from the inside by asking smart questions, actively listening, and handling objections. Amar overcame his depression by deciding to say yes to everything and becoming an immensely positive person. call our friendly team on+44 (0)113 834 6094. Pascoe is intrigued as I suspect are we all who share her introverted persuasion by the endlessly, genuinely charming Latifs attitude and his perennial enthusiasm for life. accountability, and value add programs., The Wholesaler Bootcamp provided me with the strategies needed to maximize my sales.. [13], In 2019, Latif and Sara Pascoe featured in the BBC Two documentary Travelling Blind, in which they explored Istanbul's Grand Bazaar, remote Black Sea-bordering mountains, traditional summer oil wrestling festivities, traditional alpine cattle and bee farming methods and Cappadocia rock formations. The worst part was that I eventually started to believe them. Amars unique way of embracing the world provides for a refreshing new take on the travel format and not only helps Sara see the world differently, but also encourages us all to think about how we interact with the world around us, said Emily Smith, BBC commissioning editor of documentaries, in a statement. Heres a lovely one-off programme, the most original TV travel show in years. His not blindness is due to the incurable eye condition retinitis pigmentosa. By 18, he had lost his sight completely and found himself trapped in darkness, just as his friends were getting girlfriends and exploring the world. [5] On leaving university, he trained as an accountant,[6] eventually becoming Head of Commercial Finance for British Telecom. Wholesalers will be introduced to the Value-First Selling System, a state-of-the-art sales process designed specifically for todays inside wholesaler selling in todays unique financial marketplace. In return he opens their eyes and their senses to a different way of travelling. As well as seeing a new side to Turkey, audiences will enjoy the developing bond and banter between the inspirational Amar and Sara as their journey becomes just as much about their relationship as their journey, added Spun Gold MD Daniela Neumann. People started telling me that I could no longer do all the things I had wanted to do, with travel being at the top of the list. Not that watching oil wrestlers all in black rubber trousers, trying to reach the handles inside them and flip each other over doesnt present a challenge. In presentations, Amar shows that determination and the right attitude can take you far in life. The film follows Amar Latif (pictured, left), a blind traveler, as takes a trip through Turkey with comedian Sara Pascoe (right). If you'd like to get in touch with Amar (whether it's to discuss a broadcast or public speaking appearance or just to say hi!) During our journey, Sara told me that when you have sight you dont have to build an image from the ground up to the sky of whats going on around, and shed taken that for granted before we started our trip. For his entrepreneurial achievements, Latif received The Outstanding Young Person of the World accolade (Business / Entrepreneurial category) from the Chamber of Commerce International and the prestigious Stelios Disabled Entrepreneur Award, presented by Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou. Amar and Sara travel in completely different ways: Sara is an introvert, preferring to stand back and observe, avoiding talking to strangers. [2], In 2004, Latif founded Traveleyes, a travel agency specialising in tours for blind and partially-sighted travellers.[7]. I wish you could see it.. For 24 hours, Sara describes the scene in forensic detail to the extent that Amar can picture it in his mind and see again. What becomes clear is that Sara and Amar travel in completely different ways. Amar works with schools around the world taking students on a wide range of travel adventures whilst having them describe the sights to other blind travellers. It was still an odd-couple pairing, but one we hadnt seen before and which soon began to make use of its potential to explore new emotional and psychological territory. 1 in 5 British people have some form of disability. Our website uses Cookies to help improve your experience. In this one-off film, he is joined by comedian Sara Pascoe on a trip to Turkey, intending to go off the beaten track and explore the country's remote mountains and extraordinary mountains. Amar Latif, an entrepreneur who lost his sight 25 years ago at the age of 18, set out for Turkey with the standup comedian Sara Pascoe as his sighted guide. The most original TV travel show in yearsits a rich and at times emotional journey but an absolute joy to share Radio Times, www.spungoldtv.com Travelling Blind (BBC Two) threatened to be awful. Pascoe watches anxiously as he picks up and sniffs fruit (Im so afraid of being told off Hes hands and nose straight in) and gradually learns, as a sighted person who doesnt have to build from ground to sky to know whats going on, how much detail she needs to provide for Latif to add the physical world to what he can smell, hear and taste. To me, travel is just as much about what you feel, as what you see. Closing More Sales from the Inside enlists a variety of interactive adult learning technologies. Acting as his guide, Sara begins to see the world differently as she spends time describing whats going on around them through bazaars, ancient sites, traditional communities and incredible landscapes. Due to an incurable eye condition, Latif lost 95% of his sight by the age of 18. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); One of our consultants will get back to you soon. But blindness changed me. After going blind at an age when his peers lives were starting to expand, he fought off the depression that threatened to consume him by deciding he would start saying yes to everything. Please, whitelist realscreen.com in your ad blocker and refresh your browser. Initially, Sara was slightly reluctant about the adventure she had lined up for herself, both in the sense of guiding a blind man but also of being in a new and different culture, something she admitted scared her. Fuelled by a mix of wanderlust and teenage stubbornness, I boarded that plane with nothing but my newly acquired blindness and a suitcase full of thermals, and flew off to have the best year of my life. Whenever Amar travels he relies on someone sighted to guide him. He is the president of the Wholesaler Institute. Latif had to ford swollen rivers, cut through dense jungle, cross waterfalls, climb a 5,000 ft. active volcano and navigate the second largest lake in Latin America. Paul Karasik, a leading authority in the financial industry, has devoted 18 years to helping financial industry professionals achieve their goals. Theyd say it was too dangerous, and couldnt understand what a blind person could get out of sightseeing. For me, it was great to see Saras journey as she learns what it is to guide and I teach her how you can experience so much of a destination using other senses. Being blind doesnt limit me, but instead it opens up a world of other senses that I might not have paid attention to before. By entering your details, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy.