I'm Shivani Gupta, and welcome to the Ask Shivani podcast. I believe that one of the best presents that you can give yourself is time to be able to sit down and ask yourself some questions. I believe that the quality of the question that you ask yourself will determine the quality of your life.

Shivani Gupta

Hello everybody, and welcome to the AskShivani podcast. I am so excited to have a lovely human who I had an opportunity to meet at an EO Ignite conference earlier this year. And his name is Mat Bowtell. Let me tell you a little bit about him. And obviously, we'll get him to tell us a lot more about some of his background and his journey, and why and what is he up to at the moment. He's the founder and CEO of free 3d hands, which is an Australian charity who designs 3d print hands, and its assistive devices, the hands are provided for free. This is the part about Mat's story that really touched me when I met him. Because there's lots of organizations that are doing things, but they're actually provided to each of the recipients for free to children and adults, all around the world. And they even pay for the postage. Now, Mat freely shares his designs under an open-source license so that others can make and repair their own devices and to encourage further innovation. Mat's goal is to significantly bring down the cost of assistive technology to help those currently that cannot afford it, Mat, it is so nice to meet you again, this time on a podcast and welcome.

Mat Bowtell

Thank you very much. It's a real honor to be a part of this. So, thank you,

Shivani Gupta 

Oh, you’re welcome. Now Mat, there's been so many ups and downs, and I got to hear parts of your story. Tell us a little bit about some of your, I guess your journey when it comes to personal as well as business. And the major turns, you know, sometimes they're really positive. And sometimes they are horrible things have happened, but then they still those transformative moments. So, tell us a bit about that.

Mat Bowtell

So, I suppose this whole journey for me started back in 2014. And at the time, I was working at Toyota as a senior engineer. And I really, really, I love the job, I had so many opportunities, and it was something that I probably saw myself doing for the rest of my career. But as you all know, sometimes we get spanners thrown in the mix. And, and as it turns out, the automotive industry came to a close in 2017. And we were all called into a room and told that we'd have three years to go and but the company would support us over those three years, to be able to transition out of the automotive industry to do something else. So, what might have sounded as if all doom and gloom was really an opportunity for me to be able to reassess who I am, as a person, and really what I was born to do.

So those three years for me were a real reflection period. And it was almost like I was able to connect all of the dots from throughout my life of things that I really, really enjoyed. And I felt passionate about. And, and it even took me back to the whole going back to actually understanding what passion is, you know, people just follow your passion and be right, but it really was a journey. And, and it was a it was a difficult phase really, I suppose an uncomfortable phase going through that whole decision process. And I think the most uncomfortable thing is when you always have that fear of money, and you know, and you know how you're going to put food on the table and those sorts of things, which can sometimes stop you from having that clarity of thought of what it is that you truly were born to do. And but I just decided to take one step in towards helping people who are in need of assistive technology and using utilizing my engineering skills and, and the experience that I had during my university days of testing and trialing a $1 million by an economy over in Japan and just trying to find a way to get the cost of that down to the point that they could be provided for free. And, and I remember the first hand that I made for a young boy up in in Newcastle. I 3d printed an open-source design that I just downloaded from the internet of it, there was a hand that we paint an Iron Man hand, and young Eli was able to, you know be born without fingers was able to then pick up his toys and things. But I suppose is a challenge was that time that I walked out the gate and started making more and more of these hands and thinking how on earth do I continue doing this? It's something that I really, really wanted to do, but it's probably the worst business model on the planet, giving your product away for free but yeah, there were those that just that desire to do so and I've managed to find a way to do it.

Shivani Gupta 

That's incredible Mat, you know, I can so get that journey up to there. But then there's that piece that says we don't charge, even for postage, like we send everything in there. And I know that when you're doing that, and you continue to do that, and the more people that find out about you, it's difficult to keep up with it. All right, the demand the volume and the staff and the, I guess, the back of the vaccines and the back office to be able to drive that. So, when challenges come your way, and I know you're a good engineer, and, you know, engineers have got a problem, you know, problem solving. And so, do you have, do you have like a process? When stuff comes your way? Do you have a methodology? Do you have a belief system? So, you know, even in your business, now, there'd be a whole heap of challenges every day? I mean, we've been speaking about stuff coming down to COVID, just before we hopped on this call, and so how, how do you go about it? Is it a mindset? Is it a process? What do you do to overcome small or large challenges in your life?

Mat Bowtell

That's a that's a really great question. You know, I think it all comes down to just that core belief that drives everything we do, I think, everything needs to start with why. And, and a lot of your listeners probably know, Simon Sinek, and his five why's and, and always starting with why and, and for me, it really is that the World Health Organization, estimate that in the world, there are over a billion people in need of some form of assistive technology, with 90% of those people not able to access or afford them. So, it's a really, really massive problem. And it's predominantly due to the high cost of technology that makes it inaccessible to all of these people. And, you know, real is everyday our walking to our new design center that we've, we've just opened at the start of this year, you know, we've got faces of people from all around the world, just lots and lots of smiles, you know, wearing the devices that we've made and designed, and, you know, that really drives everything that we do. So, it sort of makes those little problems, less significant. And we just learned to deal with them with that big picture always in focus about how do we, how do we help these people in the masses, and that's why we share a lot about designs open source to almost try and take ourselves out of the picture. You know, rather than thinking from a traditional perspective, I suppose, of how do we capitalize the market? How do we ensure that others don't embellish on our success, it's about sharing that success and almost making ourselves redundant again, that's, I suppose the ultimate goal is that once I'm long gone, after many years, that people will continue to be able to access assistive technology. So, you know, COVID comes and goes and, you know, during COVID, we, you know, we had to diversify, you know, we all of a sudden, the events that we'd be attending and sharing our journey all stopped, and which was a lot a large part of our charity revenue comes from public speaking events, which the speaking fee goes to the charity to pay for all of the wages of all of our staff, but you know, all that came to a grinding halt. So, we just thought, what else can we do? How can we still achieve that same why and, and get ourselves through the pandemic, and we started making PPE, we made face shields and supplied our local health system, the entire west coast region with face shields and set them free of charge to anyone around Australia, who needed them, because a lot of the PPE was going to public hospitals, but you know, private nursing homes, and pizza shops, and beauticians and you know, those people weren't having access to the face shields at the start of the pandemic. But that really followed that same principle that we just wanted to make assistive technology, something that's going to help people freely available to those who truly needed it.

Shivani Gupta

And that's amazing, Mat, I love the way you said that. You know, it's always the wall of faces keeps you going and that links into your bigger why's. So that just helps you find the solutions like whatever challenges come your way that's that why that says, hey, we've got to find a solution because this is where we do it for. That's beautiful. And so, when you look at this journey that you're in now from 2014, we're now in 2022. When you look you know the next sort of eight years outside Is that five years out whatever timeframe in the future? What are some of your future aspirations? And I'd love to hear obviously, about free 3d hands, but also your personal aspirations. So, tell us a little bit about what your aspirations are, you know, looking forward over the next few years?

Mat Bowtell

Well, first and foremost, I want to be a good dad, for my children, I've got a daughter, she's going to be born next month. And I've got two other kids as well. But I suppose to be a good role model to my own children is my number one aspiration. But in terms of the charity, I'd really like to become a global innovation hub of open-source devices, you know, to attract people that are super creative, that people that are also like minded that can, can really just let that you know, effortlessly, you know, just come and join our team and help us to design and create and innovate and empower others around the world, we've started to really connect with, with groups around the world that are now making our devices. So, one of our handlers owns and I actually have one here, pulled out kinetic CAD. And this, this hand could be made for about $8 in material. And it's for people born without fingers. And it allows them to pick up small objects and to be able to hold the handlebars on a bicycle, for example. But we released this design in 2020. And we released it along with a 100-page manual, and assembly manual, to enable other people to be able to manufacture them as well to replicate what we do. So, a large part of what we do is, is to try and enable other people to be able to manufacture our design devices, inform them, you know, what all the print settings on the 3d printers, you know, where they can get the materials, you know, how to scale the device to the correct size, and really to share that with others. And that's something that I really want to accelerate over the coming years is more and more of this very detail. sharing of knowledge, I suppose you could call it, you know, to really, yeah, help those other people that are in need.

Shivani Gupta 

Yeah, that's beautiful. And congratulations, you got a new baby coming. That's pretty exciting. And Mat you've had some success with people that have taken that design that you've open sourced and, you know, shared with people tell us a little bit about those successes as well.

Mat Bowtell

There's one story that I have. And I'll never forget the date, it was on the 23rd of December 2020, we received an email that was our last day before Christmas break. And we got sent an email and some photos from a hospital in Thailand that had downloaded our design, and we're making our hands for our leprosy colony. And they sent us all of these photos of the people that had gone one man in particular had been without a hand more both of his hands, he'd lost his fingers 50 years ago. And, you know, he'd sent us these photos with these, these hands that were designed and that were now being manufactured in Thailand, and picking something up for the first time in 50 years. And he sent us a translated message, saying that he was going to the shrine to show his Lord put up both of his hands. And for us that bought off our whole team to tears of joy. That, you know, we had changed this man's life in such a big way. And it was something that it was purely from just sharing that design that allowed that to happen, you know, we never would have had the opportunity to actually meet this person. But it's those sorts of stories. We've got people all around the world, our devices have been downloaded about 5000 times by other people who have the same intention as us now. And so, it's really, really great to have, I suppose the we have the so much opportunity in Australia, you know, even just to have an education, to have access to, to the ability to learn how to design go to university if we choose. And you know, to have that that privilege that that privilege that we have in Australia and be able to share that with those that don't you know, it's a really, it's a really lovely thing to be able to do, I think.

Shivani Gupta 

Yeah, that's beautiful, I'm in tears listening to your story, not just your team that helped design it. That's a beautiful, beautiful story. And you know, people have different philosophies, you know, some people love quotes, some people are gonna, we just spoke about Simon Sinek. And it doesn't need to be leadership philosophies, it might be general philosophies. And I think you just shared one around how lucky we are. And you know that that's a beautiful philosophy to say, well, how lucky we are that we can get that education that most of the world doesn't have access to, particularly third world country. So, are there leadership philosophies you live by? Are there other philosophies that you live by that really form, you know, who you are, and obviously leads into why you do what you do?

Mat Bowtell

I think, you know, there are a lot of other quotes and things and that are nice. But I think at the end of the day, is really just to live authentically, to your purpose, to be your true self and share, share your vision with others. And, and for me, as I suppose if you could call me a leader, you know, just by sharing that, that vision with others, people have come along on the journey, and join me in that. So, I really don't have a very difficult job at all, I've been able to sort of surround myself with people who are very likeminded, and also have that belief that every single person is created equal and should have the opportunities, you know, assistive technology should not be a privilege, it should be a right. And so, for me, it's really quiet an easy job. If you're doing what I'm doing, because we're our why is so clear. And we find that people just, we've been lucky that people have been able to be excited to support us and to allow us to do what we do.

Shivani Gupta 

Yeah, that's beautiful, Mat. And, um, what about you, like you give so much of yourself, obviously, you have family and you've got a new baby coming? Your team need you then you obviously get these beautiful stories from people that are asking for free 3d hands? What about for you like, what do you do for your wellness? Or your wellbeing? Or do you have rituals in place? Do you do it once a year do you do it daily, tell us a bit about what you do for your own. You know, wellbeing whether it's mental, emotional, physical, or spiritual, whatever area that you want to look at.

Mat Bowtell

That's really interesting. Because I really don't have many rituals, in the past, in previous roles. In an earlier life, I always felt like I wanted to be doing something else, and always need to be escaping on a weekend, I go down to the beach, and fly model airplanes like the lie that's just to be connected with nature. But it's really interesting. You know, since I've embarked on this journey, I really haven't needed to do that at all, I haven't felt like that I need to escapable and even personal things, I've not wanted anything for my birthday for the last four years or for Christmas. And if I did want something, it was always for work, you know, to help me to design and create. So, for me coming to work is almost like that escape. It's quite surreal to think that work can be your escape. But for me, when I'm in the lab designing, that's when I'm free. And I just I just I really love that. And but at the same time, when I get stuck on a problem. I also sometimes like to have a shift of mindset, if I'm stuck. I actually have a piano next to my desk. And I'll sit and play a little bit of classical Chopin for 10 minutes. And sometimes that's just enough to be able to, to get that clarity of thought and help with the design. So, I like to sit at the piano and play.

Shivani Gupta 

Yeah, that's beautiful, is that, as you said that distraction. And I think it's interesting that most people are like, you know, you need to do things for your wellness. But you know, and I'm currently going back and I'm rereading a book called Flow and I can never know how to pronounce my Mihaly's last name. It's very long name. And I'm about a third of the way through the book. And it's like, I've never read the book. I read it a few years ago. And he talks about that he says that when you are in flow, time just seems to evaporated when you are in flow. You know, rituals or processes or eating seems to evaporate because you're just so in alignment in terms of what you're doing. So, to use his words, it almost sounds like when you were speaking there and rereading this book at the moment, it sounds like you are in this beautiful flow that when you're doing that and when you get stuck you take time out, which is also I think great lesson for people listening that rather than just stay at the problem, just take some time out of them, back to it, it's really great to.

Mat Bowtell

I think you know, it's in your mind, if you're always, if you desire something, I'm not religious at all. But I do believe that there's a very powerful universe that listens and response. If you respond in a negative way, and negativity comes back towards you. And if you respond in a positive way, remember it’s positivity back. And I think I've always just been very clear and open in my vision and where we're at, or how I would like the world to be. And it's been quite remarkable to see just the love and beauty. That's, that's coming back towards us to help us on this journey. And I think it's just that mindset that allowed me to remain well, I think mental health is a big issue. At the moment, I've had times in my life where I haven't been flowing, as you say. But at the moment, it just really feels like when I've found my true purpose, that I've really been able to do that.

Shivani Gupta 

That's gorgeous. Matt, how do people follow you find you look at your work, what's the best places to find you.

Mat Bowtell

So, on social media, we're on Facebook, free 3d hands, and we put posts up from time to time, we are a small team, so we don't do the social media very well. And on Instagram, as well. And we have a website at free3dhands.org. And where people can go and apply for a device, we have an application form on so if any of the listeners know somebody who, who might like an assistive device, so it's all upper body. So, and it's not just hands, we make all kinds of things we've had requests for, for attachments to help to hold skipping rope, there was one girl and all she wanted to do was skip with her friends at school. So, we made her that and then because we share that experience, we have been hundreds of people wanting skipping rope attachments around the world. But you know, to play a violin to serve a tennis ball. Being a pianist, and myself, we've even developed a device that you can use your left hand to, to play the piano, even if you're born without a hand that plays an arpeggio, and then the left hand in the main major and minor keys. So, anything really that people would like to experience. You know, for us, it's about giving people experiences in life, and putting smiles on their faces. And even if it's a one off, we'd spend the time to design and develop that because at the end of the day, other people are likely to benefit from that as well. So, if you'd like to find out more about us, head to our website, which we're currently revamping at the moment it's not very good. And also, in our social media as well.

Shivani Gupta

That's beautiful, Mat, you are an inspiration. And I just want to say, thank you, certainly for inspiring me and a bunch of other people I know that are starting to look at your work and listen to what you have there. And look Mat hasn't asked me to do that. And very rarely do I do it on a podcast. But absolutely take a couple of minutes and check out his work. And seeing that they fund this across the world free of charge. If there's places that you can utilize Mat, and have him perhaps speak to your team or speak at a conference check that out as well. I heard him initially speak at a conference and he absolutely moved a lot of us in the room to you know really look at our own lives and what we did. So, thank you, man. I really appreciate you being on here today.

Mat Bowtell

Thank you very much for your time.

Shivani Gupta

I'm Shivani Gupta. And you've been listening to the Ask Shivani podcast where I'd like to ask some questions. Thank you so much for listening. Please follow Ask Shivani on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. And if you haven't done so, please go to the Apple podcasts and subscribe rate and review this podcast. It would mean a lot. Thank you.