Michelle "Mace" Curran

We are constantly under pressure to hire the right people, create a cohesive team, and perform at a high level… to do more with less. However, success hinges on each team member’s ability to find courage, be bold, and expand their comfort zone.

In her signature keynote, MACE takes her audience on a surprisingly relatable journey through her career as a Fighter Pilot, culminating in her role as the Lead Solo Pilot for the Air Force Thunderbirds. She helps her audience recognize that even those that may seem unflappable have overcome the same doubts and obstacles, suddenly making success seem within reach. Flying Through Fear is a unique intersection of elite performance and relatability that leaves audiences inspired and with a clear focus on how to take action in their own lives. 

Attendees Will:

• Reassess their comfort zone
• Learn to use vulnerability as a superpower to accelerate toward goals 
• Realize the normalcy of self-doubt and identify how to combat it
• Recognize how to step into their boldness and let go of fears

We’re living and working in a time of constant pressure—tight timelines, rapid change, and a relentless need to perform. In environments like these, fear shows up for everyone. Not always as panic, but as hesitation and second-guessing that quietly stalls momentum.

In this keynote, MACE takes audiences inside some of the most intense moments of her career as a Fighter Pilot and Thunderbird to reveal a powerful truth: organizations win or lose in the space between fear and action. Through unforgettable storytelling and practical tools, she shows teams how to respond instead of react—and move forward with clarity and decisive action when it matters most.

Attendees Will:

• Differentiate imagined fear from real fear—and understand how each shapes decision-making
• Learn how to respond instead of react under pressure
• Gain simple, practical tools to stay composed and think clearly in high-stakes moments
• Build habits that strengthen trust, intuition, and execution

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 nametags as a badge of honor. 

The tradition of callsigns is based on humility, in celebrating the obstacles overcome to earn that name 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, combat veteran Michelle Curran, callsign Mace, draws from her experiences as an F-16 fighter pilot and Lead Solo Pilot for the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds. She takes participants into the world of a fighter squadron, where admitting errors and using them as learning opportunities is the norm. 

Participants will:

• Reflect on lessons from a previous mistake/failure 
• Find silver linings in things that didn’t go as planned 
• Identify how to reframe their view of failure 
• Be empowered to face future mistakes with a new perspective and growth mindset
• Have fun and walk away with their own callsign

No matter how confident and independent we appear to be, we all face pressure to fit in, be liked, and meet the expectations of others. This pressure often leads to us becoming our own harshest critic and stands in the way of our success. 

Despite this tendency, our inner critic can be reframed to be our biggest cheerleader. 

We can make this change by diving into the inner workings of our self-critic. Shedding light on it takes away its power and gives us much-needed perspective. 

In this workshop, combat veteran Michelle Curran, callsign Mace, draws from her experiences as an F-16 fighter pilot and Lead Solo Pilot for the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds. Despite Mace’s success, she struggled with the same inner critic that we all do. Over time, Mace was able to harness this inner voice and use it to propel her toward success. She now uses these techniques to inspire attendees and help them generate positive change in their inner voice.  

Participants will:

• Identify key attributes of their inner voice that have prevented them from taking action
• Understand their inner critic does not necessarily align with the truth
• Develop a new perspective on how to control the power their inner critic wields 
• Have a plan to tackle at least one of their goals by a deadline
• Form accountability tools with the support of a wingman