Michelle “Mace” Curran

Former Air Force fighter pilot and Thunderbirds Lead Solo Michelle “MACE” Curran shows audiences how to overcome fear and take decisive action under pressure.

Author Change Management Corporate Culture Culture Creation Inspiration Keynote Speaker Leadership Motivation Overcoming Adversity Virtual Speaker

Michelle “Mace” Curran Booking & Availability

Speaking fees, availability and booking details for corporate events, keynotes and private appearances.

How do I book Michelle “Mace” Curran for a corporate event?

Use the Check Availability form above to send your proposed event date, location, audience size, event format and program goals. The Mollie Plotkin Group will follow up with availability and next steps.

What is Michelle “Mace” Curran’s speaking fee?

Michelle “Mace” Curran’s current speaking fee depends on the date, location, event format and scope of the appearance. Contact the Mollie Plotkin Group for current pricing.

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Who is Michelle “Mace” Curran’s booking agent?

Contact the Mollie Plotkin Group to inquire about booking Michelle “Mace” Curran.

What types of events can Michelle “Mace” Curran be booked for?

Corporate events, conferences, leadership meetings, keynote speeches, workshops, fireside chats, private events and virtual programs may be available depending on the engagement.

Michelle “Mace” Curran Keynote Topics & Programs

Michelle “Mace” Curran speaks on change management, corporate culture, culture creation, inspiration, leadership and motivation through keynote presentations and related programs. Additional themes are also available.

Michelle Curran, callsign Mace, brings audiences inside the pressure, fear, discipline, and teamwork of life as an F-16 fighter pilot and Lead Solo Pilot for the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds. Her programs help teams build courage, act with clarity under pressure, reframe failure, and move forward when self-doubt gets in the way.

Common keynote themes include: courage, fear, pressure, comfort zones, decisive action, failure, trust, resilience, accountability, and growth mindset.

Flying Through Fear: Creating a Culture of Courage

Build courage, expand comfort zones, and take bold action under pressure.

In this signature keynote, MACE shares stories from her career as a Fighter Pilot and Lead Solo Pilot for the Air Force Thunderbirds. She helps audiences see that even high performers face doubt, fear, and obstacles, and that courage is built through action.

  • Reassess comfort zones and identify where growth is possible
  • Use vulnerability as a strength to move toward goals
  • Recognize self-doubt and take steps to combat it

Ideal for teams and leaders who need to perform at a high level while doing more with less.

The Space Between: Winning the Moment Between Fear and Action

Learn to respond with clarity when pressure, hesitation, and second-guessing threaten momentum.

MACE takes audiences inside intense moments from her career as a Fighter Pilot and Thunderbird to show how organizations win or lose in the space between fear and action. Through storytelling and practical tools, she helps teams respond instead of react when the stakes are high.

  • Differentiate imagined fear from real fear
  • Stay composed and think clearly in high-stakes moments
  • Build habits that strengthen trust, intuition, and execution

Ideal for organizations navigating tight timelines, rapid change, and high-pressure decision-making.

Everyone Has a Callsign

Reframe failure into a source of humility, learning, and stronger team culture.

In this workshop, Michelle Curran draws from the fighter pilot tradition of callsigns, where mistakes become part of a pilot’s story and a badge of honor. Participants explore how to view failure more productively, own missteps, and turn setbacks into growth.

  • Reflect on lessons from a previous mistake or failure
  • Identify how to reframe failure with a growth mindset
  • Build a safer culture around learning, honesty, and improvement

Ideal for teams that want to strengthen trust, accountability, and learning from mistakes.

Closing Takeaway

Michelle Curran helps audiences understand that courage, clarity, and resilience are built in the moments when pressure, fear, and self-doubt show up. Her programs give teams practical ways to move forward with confidence, trust, and decisive action.

Michelle “Mace” Curran Biography & Credentials

Michelle “MACE” Curran is a highly sought-after international speaker known for her dynamic storytelling and expertise in overcoming fear and self-doubt. A former fighter pilot, she spent 13 years in the U.S. Air Force and made history as only the second woman to fly as the Lead Solo Pilot for the Air Force Thunderbirds, performing for hundreds of millions worldwide.

Mace has inspired teams at Microsoft, Boeing, John Deere, SpaceX, Purina, and PwC, helping them move from hesitation to decisive action. Her insights have been featured on The Kelly Clarkson Show, CBS Mornings, Glamour, and other major media outlets.

Michelle “MACE” Curran is available to be booked for corporate and private events. Contact the Mollie Plotkin Group today to inquire about Michelle “MACE” Curran’s fees.

Want to book Michelle “MACE” Curran for an event?

Contact the Mollie Plotkin Group at (215) 995-0905 to book Michelle “MACE” Curran for corporate or private events, keynote speeches, workshops, fireside chats, motivational speaking, or virtual appearances. Our agency will work directly with your organization and our keynote speakers to create an unforgettable event.

The Mollie Plotkin Group is the leading keynote speakers agency and entertainment bureau bringing excitement to audiences, clients, and employees. We represent subject-matter experts in every possible field. So whether we’re your partner in creating a memorable meeting or your meeting planner’s secret weapon in securing the perfect keynote speaker, we’re in this with you.

From Fighter Pilot to Global Speaker

Michelle “MACE” Curran spent 13 years serving in the U.S. Air Force as a fighter pilot. She made history as only the second woman to serve as the Lead Solo Pilot for the Air Force Thunderbirds, where she performed precision aerial demonstrations for hundreds of millions of people around the world. Her experience operating in high pressure, high stakes environments now informs her work with organizations seeking stronger decision making and resilience.

Author and Thought Leader on Fear and Performance

Beyond the stage, Mace is an accomplished writer focused on personal growth and performance. She has authored hundreds of articles, multiple children’s books including the bestselling Upside Down Dreams, and her book The Flipside: How to Invert Your Perspective and Turn Fear Into Your Superpower debuted in the top 20 on the USA Today Bestseller list. She also reaches millions each month through her social media platforms and has been recognized as a LinkedIn Top Voice.

Featured Client Reviews for Michelle “Mace” Curran

Michelle is much more than just a motivational speaker,

although her story is extremely inspiring. She relates to and connects with the audience in an unexpected way. We left feeling uplifted, but also with clear direction on how to take action toward our goals even when fear is part of the equation. I will be thinking of her words to keep me moving the next time I let self-doubt or fear creep in.

— EVP, Fidelity National Financial

Michelle delivered an inspiring and insightful presentation

that resonated deeply with me. She spoke candidly about the challenges she has faced throughout her career and how choosing to be bold often in difficult moments shaped her path forward. Her message was not only motivational but highly relevant to the work we do every day. Michelle’s story is one you truly want to hear. Her authenticity, strength, and commitment to growth make her an exceptional speaker and a powerful example of professional resilience.

— Chief of Police, Lake Stevens

I’ve been attending conferences for 12 years and this is the first time I’ve ever cried from a speaker.

Your speech was empowering, raw, vulnerable, and admirable; this brought both happy and emotional tears multiple times. One of my biggest fears is that my daughter won’t know her voice in this crazy world, and you are someone I cannot wait to introduce her to. You are what I want my daughter to be when she grows up, and I’ve truly never said that about anyone before, much less admitted my fear of her future to myself. You are truly inspiring, and I hope our paths cross many times because your energy is beautifully captivating.

— Women’s Leadership Conference 2024

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Books by Michelle “Mace” Curran

Ideas worth taking offstage.

Discover books from Michelle “Mace” Curran and continue exploring their ideas beyond the keynote.

The Flipside: How to Invert Your Perspective and Turn Fear into Your Superpower book cover
Featured Book

The Flipside: How to Invert Your Perspective and Turn Fear into Your Superpower

Michelle Curran can fly an F-16 fighter jet upside down, but she’s afraid of spiders. And tight spaces. During high altitude chamber training, she wondered if her fellow airmen—and they were all men—could tell she was panicking under her oxygen mask. Yet she flew sorties in Afghanistan and served as Lead Solo for the Thunderbirds, performing in aerial showcases nationwide—often upside down. All this, while grappling with what was, to her, an even bigger opponent: imposter syndrome. In time, she learned how to turn fear into strength and self-doubt into confidence. Most of all, she learned how to make uncomfortable choices by flipping her perspective, like her jet, upside down.

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Michelle “Mace” Curran Videos

Former fighter pilot shares lessons learned in new book

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Silence the 5 Inner Critics DESTROYING Your Confidence | Combat Fighter Pilot Michelle Curran

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