1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,680 All right. So imagine this, okay, you're online and, uh, 2 00:00:03,680 --> 00:00:07,680 you're ordering a wheelchair. It's like as easy as ordering, I don't know, 3 00:00:07,680 --> 00:00:11,080 take out or something. Right. You just punch in like a few clicks, 4 00:00:11,080 --> 00:00:14,000 your measurements, all that. And boom, like a couple of weeks later, 5 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:18,080 it just shows up at your door. It's wild and under a thousand dollars. 6 00:00:18,080 --> 00:00:20,960 It's crazy. Like that even possible. 7 00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:23,760 That's exactly what not a wheelchair is trying to do. 8 00:00:23,760 --> 00:00:27,120 And that's what we're diving into today. Like how are they actually making this 9 00:00:27,120 --> 00:00:29,360 happen? This isn't like, you know, some fantasy. 10 00:00:29,360 --> 00:00:31,640 This is real. They're already shaking things up. 11 00:00:31,640 --> 00:00:34,080 And we're going to look at how they're trying to completely change, 12 00:00:34,080 --> 00:00:38,240 like revolutionize how wheelchairs are made and sold and, 13 00:00:38,240 --> 00:00:40,160 and just the whole market really. 14 00:00:40,160 --> 00:00:45,160 So who are the people behind this? Well, there's Zach and Cambry Nelson. 15 00:00:45,160 --> 00:00:46,200 Zach, you probably know him. 16 00:00:46,200 --> 00:00:50,000 He's the brains behind that crazy popular YouTube channel, Jerry rig, 17 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:50,840 everything. 18 00:00:50,840 --> 00:00:53,960 Yeah. You know tech, you know Zach. Totally. And Cambry, 19 00:00:53,960 --> 00:00:55,640 she uses a wheelchair herself. 20 00:00:55,640 --> 00:00:58,120 And that's really what makes their story so interesting, right? 21 00:00:58,160 --> 00:01:02,080 You have the tech side and then the actual lived experience all in one. 22 00:01:02,080 --> 00:01:03,520 But before we get too far, 23 00:01:03,520 --> 00:01:06,080 let's talk about the current state of the wheelchair market. 24 00:01:06,080 --> 00:01:09,080 So we understand why what they're doing is such a big deal. 25 00:01:09,080 --> 00:01:10,680 I mean, let's be real. 26 00:01:10,680 --> 00:01:15,120 Getting a wheelchair right now can be like a total nightmare. 27 00:01:15,120 --> 00:01:17,720 You're jumping through hoops, dealing with insurance. 28 00:01:17,720 --> 00:01:21,800 Yeah. You're a hundred percent right. It's usually like this whole process, 29 00:01:21,800 --> 00:01:24,080 right? You've got doctors, seating clinics, 30 00:01:24,080 --> 00:01:26,840 those insurance companies we talked about, DME suppliers, 31 00:01:26,840 --> 00:01:29,720 all these people adding time. And let's be honest, 32 00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:32,920 extra cost onto the whole thing. And for anyone who's like, wait, 33 00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:37,080 what's a DME supplier? We're talking about durable medical equipment. 34 00:01:37,080 --> 00:01:41,560 That's just a fancy way of saying that people who like supply wheelchairs and 35 00:01:41,560 --> 00:01:43,680 other mobility devices. Right. Exactly. 36 00:01:43,680 --> 00:01:48,000 And because of this whole complicated system, people end up waiting months. 37 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:51,360 And then the price, forget it. You're talking thousands, 38 00:01:51,360 --> 00:01:54,320 tens of thousands of dollars sometimes. And not a wheelchair. 39 00:01:54,320 --> 00:01:57,640 They're trying to blow that whole system up, right? Their whole thing is going 40 00:01:57,640 --> 00:02:01,840 directly to the people who need the chairs, no middlemen, just straight to you. 41 00:02:01,840 --> 00:02:06,200 And they're using technology to make the whole process faster, 42 00:02:06,200 --> 00:02:09,680 way more efficient and most importantly, way more affordable. 43 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:10,800 Yeah. It's pretty mind blowing. 44 00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:14,600 Like you can go to their website right now and customize like the dimensions of 45 00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:18,120 the chair, pick your colors, even choose some of the features all online. 46 00:02:18,120 --> 00:02:21,280 Imagine that designing your own wheelchair right from your living room. 47 00:02:21,360 --> 00:02:24,560 That's wild. It's like ordering, you know, I don't know, 48 00:02:24,560 --> 00:02:28,760 like customizing a pair of sneakers or something, but it's a wheelchair. 49 00:02:28,760 --> 00:02:32,160 Exactly. Yeah. But how can they afford to make them so cheap? 50 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:34,360 That's where Zach's YouTube channel comes in. 51 00:02:34,360 --> 00:02:37,000 That thing has millions of subscribers. 52 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:40,160 We're talking millions of people watching his videos, 53 00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:43,160 which means he's making bank on ads and partnerships. 54 00:02:43,160 --> 00:02:48,000 So it's like they're taking internet fame and using it for like a good cause. 55 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:50,480 It's pretty amazing. You don't see that too often in this industry, 56 00:02:50,600 --> 00:02:52,640 having that kind of money to play with from the start. 57 00:02:52,640 --> 00:02:53,920 And here's the really cool part. 58 00:02:53,920 --> 00:02:56,520 They're putting all that money back into the company. 59 00:02:56,520 --> 00:02:59,400 They've got this insane manufacturing facility, 60 00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:03,920 like 26,000 square feet of high tech, everything robotic laser cutters, 61 00:03:03,920 --> 00:03:06,160 computer controlled things that bend tubes. 62 00:03:06,160 --> 00:03:08,880 They even have a powder coating station. I mean, 63 00:03:08,880 --> 00:03:12,640 it's like something straight out of, you know, Ironman or something. 64 00:03:12,640 --> 00:03:16,000 It's definitely not your grandpa's wheelchair factory. That's for sure. 65 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:19,600 This tuck focus is how they're cutting those wait times down and making the 66 00:03:19,600 --> 00:03:21,080 whole process super efficient. 67 00:03:21,080 --> 00:03:24,680 And they've gotten so efficient, they can make a whole chair in just a few hours, 68 00:03:24,680 --> 00:03:27,600 which is crazy. But the big question is, 69 00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:31,760 can you really make a thousand dollar wheelchair that's as good as the ones that 70 00:03:31,760 --> 00:03:34,120 cost like five or 10 times that? 71 00:03:34,120 --> 00:03:36,600 That's the million dollar question, right? And to be fair, 72 00:03:36,600 --> 00:03:39,160 the fives and dollars gets you their most basic model. 73 00:03:39,160 --> 00:03:43,160 They design it to be simple, but functional. Think of it as a starting point, 74 00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:46,120 right? Like a blank slate. It's how they keep the costs so low. 75 00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:49,520 But for those who want something, I don't know, a bit more exciting, 76 00:03:49,680 --> 00:03:53,680 they have all kinds of upgrades, different materials, different color options. 77 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:56,720 You can add things on. You can definitely personalize it to a certain extent. 78 00:03:56,720 --> 00:04:00,280 And yeah, the upgrades cost extra obviously, 79 00:04:00,280 --> 00:04:02,320 but even with all the bills and whistles, 80 00:04:02,320 --> 00:04:06,200 it's still way cheaper than going through the traditional route. 81 00:04:06,200 --> 00:04:09,720 And don't forget, we're still talking about custom built wheelchairs here. 82 00:04:09,720 --> 00:04:13,800 Okay. That actually sounds amazing. They're really trying to change things up, huh? 83 00:04:13,800 --> 00:04:18,000 It'll be interesting to see how the big wheelchair companies react to all this, 84 00:04:18,320 --> 00:04:19,760 but that's something we can dive into a bit later. 85 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:24,080 It's like they're totally changing the game, right? But like with anything new, 86 00:04:24,080 --> 00:04:26,800 there are going to be questions, things to think about, 87 00:04:26,800 --> 00:04:30,280 like going straight to the customer is cool, but what about getting, you know, 88 00:04:30,280 --> 00:04:32,520 a professional fitting? That seems important. 89 00:04:32,520 --> 00:04:35,720 You've got a point there. I mean, usually you'd go to a seating clinic, 90 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:38,840 talk to specialists, make sure the chair fits you perfectly. 91 00:04:38,840 --> 00:04:40,240 That's important for everyone, 92 00:04:40,240 --> 00:04:44,160 but especially for people who are in their chairs all day, every day, 93 00:04:44,160 --> 00:04:46,240 helps avoid pressure sores and all that. 94 00:04:46,320 --> 00:04:49,400 Right. Exactly. So that's something to keep in mind. 95 00:04:49,400 --> 00:04:51,640 If you're thinking about buying one of these chairs, I mean, 96 00:04:51,640 --> 00:04:55,080 they do have like measuring guides on their website and they say, 97 00:04:55,080 --> 00:04:56,920 you should talk to a professional if you need to, 98 00:04:56,920 --> 00:05:00,760 but it's not quite the same as having someone there in person. 99 00:05:00,760 --> 00:05:04,840 It does make you wonder about the whole like long-term support thing too. 100 00:05:04,840 --> 00:05:09,240 What happens when your chair needs an adjustment or a repair a few years down the 101 00:05:09,240 --> 00:05:12,200 line? Not everyone's a, oh, a handyman, right? Yeah. 102 00:05:12,200 --> 00:05:13,840 Yeah. That's a good point. 103 00:05:14,040 --> 00:05:16,800 Although I did see Zach talking about this in one of his videos, 104 00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:20,760 he was saying the chairs are built to last and you can fix most things yourself 105 00:05:20,760 --> 00:05:22,280 with like normal tools. 106 00:05:22,280 --> 00:05:24,880 They're even going to sell replacement parts on their website. 107 00:05:24,880 --> 00:05:29,320 It's a very like do it yourself approach, which kind of fits with their whole vibe, 108 00:05:29,320 --> 00:05:33,400 but I'm not sure how well that'll go over with everyone, especially folks who, 109 00:05:33,400 --> 00:05:36,200 you know, usually rely on professionals for that stuff. 110 00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:38,640 Yeah. It'll be interesting to see how that all plays out, 111 00:05:38,640 --> 00:05:43,840 but let's switch gears for a sec and talk about like the story behind not a 112 00:05:43,840 --> 00:05:48,360 wheelchair because it's just as unusual as their business model. Like we said, 113 00:05:48,360 --> 00:05:52,240 Zach's this YouTube guy with millions of people watching him take apart phones 114 00:05:52,240 --> 00:05:56,200 and stuff. Oh yeah. Don't forget those crazy durability tests he does totally. 115 00:05:56,200 --> 00:05:59,920 But his whole journey into the wheelchair world, 116 00:05:59,920 --> 00:06:01,560 it all started with Cambry. 117 00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:06,760 And she's been incredibly open about like what it's like to use a wheelchair, 118 00:06:06,760 --> 00:06:10,280 sharing her experiences with all of Zach's followers. 119 00:06:10,280 --> 00:06:13,040 And this is where it gets like really real. 120 00:06:13,520 --> 00:06:17,080 She's talked in interviews about how frustrating it is to wait months for a new 121 00:06:17,080 --> 00:06:20,920 chair. I've had a lot of wheelchair users can relate to that. The delays, 122 00:06:20,920 --> 00:06:24,800 the paperwork and never knowing if insurance is going to cover it. It's a lot. 123 00:06:24,800 --> 00:06:27,280 It can be so dehumanizing. Yeah, totally. 124 00:06:27,280 --> 00:06:31,920 And for Zach who wasn't really connected to like the disability world before 125 00:06:31,920 --> 00:06:33,800 this, it was a total wake up call. 126 00:06:33,800 --> 00:06:37,080 It definitely shows in how they're building, not a wheelchair. 127 00:06:37,080 --> 00:06:39,800 Like this isn't just some business opportunity for them. It's personal. 128 00:06:39,800 --> 00:06:43,040 Yeah. It feels like they really want to make things better, not just for Cambry, 129 00:06:43,040 --> 00:06:46,160 but for everyone who uses a wheelchair, you know? Oh, absolutely. 130 00:06:46,160 --> 00:06:49,320 You can tell it's coming from a genuine place. And I think people see that, 131 00:06:49,320 --> 00:06:53,720 not just people with disabilities, but Zach's regular viewers too. Yeah. 132 00:06:53,720 --> 00:06:54,920 They're all in on this. 133 00:06:54,920 --> 00:06:58,400 It's like they've tapped into this whole community online who really care about 134 00:06:58,400 --> 00:07:01,640 this stuff. It's a pretty amazing story when you think about it. Okay. 135 00:07:01,640 --> 00:07:03,520 So we've talked about their vision, who they are, 136 00:07:03,520 --> 00:07:05,480 but let's talk about the actual product for a minute, 137 00:07:05,480 --> 00:07:08,320 because that a thousand dollar price tag, 138 00:07:08,320 --> 00:07:12,560 it's definitely got people talking. As it should. I mean, 139 00:07:12,560 --> 00:07:17,120 most custom wheelchairs cost like five grand at least, even with insurance. 140 00:07:17,120 --> 00:07:20,840 And remember that thousand dollars that gets you their basic model. 141 00:07:20,840 --> 00:07:24,560 They kept it simple, focused on function over everything else. Right. 142 00:07:24,560 --> 00:07:26,360 Like it's their way of making it affordable. 143 00:07:26,360 --> 00:07:30,120 But what about if you want something, I don't know, a little more personalized? 144 00:07:30,120 --> 00:07:33,640 They've got options. You can change up the materials, pick different colors, 145 00:07:33,640 --> 00:07:36,320 add stuff on. It's not like unlimited, 146 00:07:36,320 --> 00:07:40,480 but you can definitely make it your own. Of course, those extras, they'll cost you. 147 00:07:40,720 --> 00:07:44,840 But even with upgrades, it's still way cheaper than going through the usual channels. 148 00:07:44,840 --> 00:07:48,440 Don't forget, this is still a custom made wheelchair we're talking about. Okay. 149 00:07:48,440 --> 00:07:51,680 But be honest, some people are going to hear all this and be like, okay, 150 00:07:51,680 --> 00:07:55,640 but is a thousand dollar wheelchair actually any good? 151 00:07:55,640 --> 00:07:57,920 Can it really compare to the expensive ones? Right. 152 00:07:57,920 --> 00:08:01,760 Like can they really pull it off? Well, the early reviews are looking good. 153 00:08:01,760 --> 00:08:03,920 And this is key. They're really good. 154 00:08:03,920 --> 00:08:08,640 Even magazines that are all about mobility devices, like new mobility, 155 00:08:08,640 --> 00:08:12,080 you know, they got their hands on these chairs early and they were impressed. 156 00:08:12,080 --> 00:08:13,680 Well, that's awesome. What did they say about them? 157 00:08:13,680 --> 00:08:17,320 They loved the build quality, said it was a really smooth ride. 158 00:08:17,320 --> 00:08:20,760 And the chairs just like worked well overall. 159 00:08:20,760 --> 00:08:24,840 They even said the basic model, the thousand dollar one was just as good, 160 00:08:24,840 --> 00:08:28,280 if not better than a lot of the more expensive wheelchairs you see out there. 161 00:08:28,280 --> 00:08:31,520 Wow. That's high praise coming from a magazine like that. 162 00:08:31,520 --> 00:08:35,560 Obviously it's still early days, right? We need to see how they hold up over time, 163 00:08:35,920 --> 00:08:38,960 but it's definitely got people excited for good reason. 164 00:08:38,960 --> 00:08:42,400 Not a wheelchair is changing things. They're doing something new, 165 00:08:42,400 --> 00:08:45,240 doing it their own way. And that's a good thing. Totally agree. 166 00:08:45,240 --> 00:08:47,880 At the end of the day, this isn't just about wheelchairs, you know, 167 00:08:47,880 --> 00:08:52,440 it's about making sure everyone has access to what they need to live their lives. 168 00:08:52,440 --> 00:08:55,840 It's about having choices and hopefully making things more affordable. 169 00:08:55,840 --> 00:08:58,800 It's about time someone shook things up. I couldn't agree more. Okay. 170 00:08:58,800 --> 00:09:00,280 So we've covered a lot, 171 00:09:00,280 --> 00:09:04,720 but there's one more thing about not a wheelchair that we need to unpack. 172 00:09:05,560 --> 00:09:09,360 How is this all going to affect the wheelchair industry as a whole? 173 00:09:09,360 --> 00:09:13,400 It's like they've come in and like shaken the whole industry up, 174 00:09:13,400 --> 00:09:17,520 thrown a grenade into the mix or something. For years, it's been the same old story. 175 00:09:17,520 --> 00:09:22,480 A few big companies running the show and they haven't exactly been like racing to 176 00:09:22,480 --> 00:09:25,600 make things more affordable. It's like they haven't had to, 177 00:09:25,600 --> 00:09:28,120 no one's really challenged them before so they could get away with it, 178 00:09:28,120 --> 00:09:31,120 which is rough because it means people who need wheelchairs, 179 00:09:31,160 --> 00:09:35,560 they're stuck with like limited choices and high prices. Exactly. 180 00:09:35,560 --> 00:09:38,160 And that's why what not a wheelchair is doing is such a big deal. 181 00:09:38,160 --> 00:09:40,360 They're not just making a new wheelchair. 182 00:09:40,360 --> 00:09:43,280 They're trying to change the whole way the industry works, 183 00:09:43,280 --> 00:09:46,800 going straight to the customer, being upfront about their prices, 184 00:09:46,800 --> 00:09:50,680 letting people customize their chairs. It's a whole different way of thinking. 185 00:09:50,680 --> 00:09:53,160 It's like they're calling out the big companies, 186 00:09:53,160 --> 00:09:55,400 showing them that things can be done differently. 187 00:09:55,400 --> 00:09:57,920 Little competition never hurt anybody. 188 00:09:58,720 --> 00:10:01,120 And honestly, it might be what these companies needed. 189 00:10:01,120 --> 00:10:04,880 It could force them to actually try to make better products, 190 00:10:04,880 --> 00:10:08,600 offer better services, and actually listen to what people want. 191 00:10:08,600 --> 00:10:10,280 It's about time, right? I mean, 192 00:10:10,280 --> 00:10:13,200 people who rely on wheelchairs deserve to have options. 193 00:10:13,200 --> 00:10:15,600 They deserve to have control over their own mobility. 194 00:10:15,600 --> 00:10:19,520 A hundred percent. And it goes beyond just wheelchairs. You know, 195 00:10:19,520 --> 00:10:23,080 this whole thing is sparking a bigger conversation about accessibility in 196 00:10:23,080 --> 00:10:27,320 general, about making things affordable for everyone and about not being afraid 197 00:10:27,320 --> 00:10:29,680 to challenge the way things have always been done. 198 00:10:29,680 --> 00:10:34,280 It really makes you think if a company that started on YouTube can come in and 199 00:10:34,280 --> 00:10:38,240 disrupt the wheelchair market like this, what else is possible? 200 00:10:38,240 --> 00:10:41,040 What other industries could use a shakeup? 201 00:10:41,040 --> 00:10:45,320 What other products or services could be made more accessible and affordable? 202 00:10:45,320 --> 00:10:47,680 If someone just came in with a fresh perspective, 203 00:10:47,680 --> 00:10:50,520 it's definitely something to think about. Now, don't get me wrong, 204 00:10:50,520 --> 00:10:53,080 not a wheelchair. They still have a long way to go. 205 00:10:53,080 --> 00:10:54,880 This is just the beginning for them. 206 00:10:55,360 --> 00:10:57,680 It'll be interesting to see where they go from here, you know, 207 00:10:57,680 --> 00:10:59,160 how they deal with the challenges, 208 00:10:59,160 --> 00:11:02,560 how they grow and change and what kind of impact they ultimately have. 209 00:11:02,560 --> 00:11:05,720 Yeah. I'm really curious to see what happens next, but one thing's for sure. 210 00:11:05,720 --> 00:11:08,920 They've got everyone's attention. This isn't just about a thousand dollar 211 00:11:08,920 --> 00:11:11,920 wheelchair anymore. It's about changing the game completely. 212 00:11:11,920 --> 00:11:15,960 It just goes to show you sometimes the best ideas come from the most unexpected 213 00:11:15,960 --> 00:11:20,600 places and sometimes it takes someone who's not afraid to break the 214 00:11:20,600 --> 00:11:22,860 rules to make a real difference. 215 00:11:23,280 --> 00:11:26,680 Couldn't have said it better myself. So as we wrap things up here, 216 00:11:26,680 --> 00:11:29,720 we'll leave you with this. What's something in your own life, 217 00:11:29,720 --> 00:11:32,920 your community, or even the world that could use a little shaking up? 218 00:11:32,920 --> 00:11:37,360 What needs a fresh perspective, a new way of doing things. Think about it. 219 00:11:37,360 --> 00:11:40,400 And until next time, thanks for joining us for this deep dive.