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Michelle Curran      

Air Force Thunderbird Fighter Pilot & Combat Veteran; Founder of Upside Down Dreams

Michelle "MACE" Curran is a former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot and an inspiring keynote speaker, known for breaking barriers and empowering others through her remarkable military career and personal journey. Curran gained national recognition as the only female pilot on the elite U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds demonstration team, where she flew as Thunderbird #5 in the demanding "lead solo" position. Her call sign, "MACE," symbolizes her strength, resilience, and determination, traits that have marked her career both in and out of the cockpit.

Curran’s path to the Thunderbirds began with her early passion for aviation and service. After graduating from the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota, she joined the Air Force, where she completed rigorous pilot training and went on to fly F-16 fighter jets. Over her decade-long career, she accumulated over 1,500 flight hours, including 163 combat hours during deployments to Afghanistan in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel.

As a Thunderbird, Curran captivated audiences worldwide, performing high-speed maneuvers and representing the excellence of the U.S. Air Force at airshows and events. Her role as the only woman on the team served as an inspiration to young women and girls, demonstrating that there are no limits to what they can achieve. After retiring from the Air Force in 2021, Curran transitioned to public speaking, sharing her experiences of overcoming adversity, leadership, and performance under pressure.

Speech Topics


Flying Through Fear: How Vulnerability Fuels Success

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?

Going To War With Your Inner Critic

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.

Everyone Has A Callsign

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.

Tailored Engagement Opportunities with MACE

MACE strives to provide value through a wide range of engagement options, including but not limited to webinars, informative fireside chats, panel appearances, and meet and greets. This category is perfect for those seeking a customized and flexible experience to meet their specific needs and interests. MACE’s engaging style and inspiring messages are sure to leave a lasting impact on attendees, regardless of the format chosen. Drawing on her wealth of experience in high-performance aviation and personal transformation, MACE offers a unique perspective in each engagement, making it a valuable learning experience for all involved.Across all engagement types, MACE is commitment to helping individuals and teams overcome obstacles and achieve success.

Books


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