Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lawrence Phillips. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Lawrence, appreciate you joining us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

My parents allowed me to take risks, and I loved that about them. As a boy, they allowed me to ride my bicycle places and get lost. They believed that if I got lost, I would find my way home. After I was diagnosed with T1 diabetes, they allowed me to backpack for a month in New Mexico. That happened two weeks after the diagnosis.

It showed they believed in me and understood when I got in trouble (not if I got in trouble, but when); I could get myself out of trouble. That is a lifelong lesson that no one can take away.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I have a singular mission, which can be summarized in one word: service. In college, I was introduced to service leadership, which immediately resonated with me. I sensed the importance of leading by through service.

At its root, leadership is always about service. In its worst form, poor leaders serve themselves and no one else. At its best, leaders serve those they work with, their clients, and the community. As I have learned more, I have tried as much as possible to make myself a servant first and, in that way, the best leader possible.

Looking back on my life, I understand why I entered public service. I heard Bobby Kennedy speak in Kokomo, Indiana as a young man. I was 11, and his impact on me was profound. He challenged the crowd that day to consider public service as a career. By the time I was 14, I had made that commitment.

In 1969, as I contemplated my life, I was sure God had called me to public service. At seventeen, when I developed type 1 diabetes, I realized my life would be limited to my city and state. I still felt I could do important things for my community.

My professional life revolved around my work as a person who oversaw large public works projects, consulted on economic development projects, and later was a city controller who bargained with police and firefighters unions and other public service unions.

Later, I had the opportunity to work with school systems, managing their money and health insurance, bargaining with teachers, transportation, physical building management, and construction.

Being a public servant is all I ever wanted to do. I was happy in my life, thrilled at what I was doing, and ready to serve out my career. That belief did not end suddenly. Instead, it was a grind to the end. At first, I felt terrible; then, I could not do the job. By the time I was in my early 50s, I could not work and was so upset.

But that is where I found my second call. Today, I work with the FDA, the Department of Defense, and pharmaceutical companies to help them understand what life with arthritis and diabetes is like.

In 2023, I decided to study to be a lay minister. While I will never be a working pastor, I am thrilled to have found new ways to serve.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

I have been married to my wife, Sheryl, for 47 years. We met in high school, and I hit the jackpot when, one year later, she called me for a date. It was 48 years ago; we have been married for 47 years. We face the world together. I was devastated when I had to stop working, and she encouraged me to keep going. I could have given up. But Sheryl said we will make it. We had no idea how, but she was confident in me. That meant the world.

Sheryl is among the most intelligent and toughest humans I have ever met. She embraces the many things I try (eventually), and her cautious nature likely saves me from disaster. Still, she fiercely advocates for us, and nothing is better. I am blessed.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Resilience can be measured in many ways. I measure it by the years I have lived with Type 1 diabetes. In 2024, I celebrated my 50th year with type 1 diabetes. It would have been easy to blame setbacks on diabetes. Instead, I used diabetes to fuel my life. I carried it perhaps more as a chip on my shoulder. I would not be denied from accomplishing the many things I was interested in.

I had so many terrific things happen to me as a result of chronic illness. Therefore, I have decided to share my experience as a commissioned minister with Carmel Christian Church in Carmel, Indiana. I want to help people understand that chronic illness can be a limitation, but for most of us, only if we allow it. I tell people it is a choice. We can, for instance, alter our course, as I did when I was first diagnosed with diabetes, but even that new path can be just as satisfying.

I am grateful for what God has blessed me with. I am looking forward and thrilled for all I see on the horizon.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.RADiabetes.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lawrphil/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rick.phillips.92754
• Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/rick-phillips-1b64b72
• Twitter: @LawrPhil