Former F16 Fighter Jet Pilot, Decorated Member of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, Best-Selling Author
Michelle Curran held an impressive career as a Fighter Pilot during her 13 years in the United States Air Force. Her last three years of service, she was the only female pilot for the Air Force Thunderbirds, which has led her to be an in-demand international speaker. Michelle speaks to audiences about pushing limits, inspiring others, and finding your inner “callsign.”
Michelle "MACE" Curran Sizzle Reel
Michelle "MACE" Curran Speaker Reel
Michelle "MACE" Curran | Former USA Thunderbird
Female Thunderbird pilot wants to inspire others
In a world where we’re expected to excel at hiring, team-building, and high-performance, success often comes down to our ability to take bold actions and step outside our comfort zones, and gaining a new perspective is sometimes what we need to make that happen.Even the most seemingly unshakeable individuals have faced doubts and obstacles, and seeing that they’ve overcome them can be the catalyst for change that an audience needs.
MACE’s transformation from struggling with fear of failure to flying inverted only inches from other aircraft at 500 mph will inspire audiences to get comfortable being uncomfortable. Drawing on over a decade in high-performance aviation, MACE teaches audiences what they are capable of when they let go of fear, lean into vulnerability, and make bold choices despite facing self-doubt and imposter syndrome.Are you ready to take flight and overcome your fears?
We all feel the pressure to conform, gain approval, and meet expectations, regardless of our confidence and independence. This pressure can make us self-critical and hinder our success.However, our inner critic can be transformed into our biggest advocate by understanding its workings and gaining a fresh perspective, thereby reducing its power. In this workshop, MACE uses her valuable perspective on channeling her inner voice to work for her in a high performance environment to help you do the same. Participants will develop a better understanding of their inner critic and learn how to use it to tackle future goals.
Fighter pilot callsigns tend to sound at least kind of cool. However, they don’t get to choose them. They are given based on a mistake that was made as a young pilot. From that point on, they are worn on their name tags as a badge of honor. This tradition is based on humility, in celebrating the obstacles overcome, and to shape a productive view of failure. They help create a culture where mistakes are viewed as opportunities to learn and improve and where people feel safe to fess up when they misstep. In this workshop, MACE takes participants into the world of a fighter squadron, where admitting errors and using them as learning opportunities is the norm. Participants will develop a new perspective on past failures that they can use to grow from future ones, culminating in earning their own callsign.
Michelle Curran led an impressive career as a Fighter Pilot during her 13 years in the United States Air Force, the last three years as the only female pilot for the Air Force Thunderbirds. She performed for millions across the country and internationally and has been featured on several well-known media platforms, including The Kelly Clarkson Show, CBS Evening News, and Glamour.
Before joining the Thunderbirds, Michelle was a combat-proven fighter pilot completing missions across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. She has a passion for pushing her limits, inspiring others, and changing lives. This eventually led her to leave the Air Force and found her company, Upside Down Dreams. Since then, Michelle has become a best-selling author and an in-demand international speaker known for her relatability and authenticity despite her impressive background.
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