Mike Sarraille Speaker Biography
Former US Navy SEAL; Founder and CEO of Talent War Group and ATTA, Building Mental Strength and Wellness; Co-Author of the Best-Selling Book The Talent War; Men’s Journal Lead Columnist; Podcast Host for the Self-Improvement Focused ‘Everyday Warrior’ Series
A retired U.S. Navy SEAL officer who earned his MBA from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas, Mike Saraille is a successful entrepreneur, sought-after public speaker, and a well-respected thought leader and subject matter expert on leadership and human performance. In 2020, Mike became a best-selling author with the release of The Talent War: How Special Operations and Great Organizations Win on Talent. This definitive guide helps business leaders develop world-class talent by tapping into the assessment and selection process used by U.S. Special Operations.
LESSONS LEARNED ON THE BATTLEFIELD
After 20 years of service as a Recon Marine, Scout-Sniper, and U.S. Navy SEAL officer, which included ten combat deployments, Mike turned his attention to using the lessons he’d learned on the battlefield to help businesses develop strong leaders. As the founder and CEO of Talent War Group, an elite consulting and executive search firm specializing in world-class leadership development and attracting top talent, he leads a team that drives positive change and helps organizations reach their full potential. A firm believer in balance, Mike also founded ATTA, a lifestyle and apparel brand that uses community to help people achieve their individual goals, pursue progress, and focus on physical, mental, and spiritual fitness. In this vein, Mike is an established keynote speaker; he addresses businesses worldwide on leadership, teamwork, entrepreneurship, and more.
In 2021, Men’s Journal recognized the grassroots momentum building behind Mike and approached him about a podcast and column based on his Everyday Warrior concept. The Everyday Warrior series inspires greatness, promotes balance, and offers a practical approach to living a more fulfilling, purpose-driven life. Past guests include rockstar Sammy Haggar, actor Terry Crews, and the highest performers in the military, professional sports, and business.
THE ROAD FROM SERVICE TO SERVING
Following high school, Mike enlisted in the Marine Corps and was selected to participate in the highly competitive Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program. After earning his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Texas A&M University, he received his commission in the Navy and went through Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL Training (BUD/s). While serving on SEAL Team THREE, Mike led primary combat operations during the Battle of Ramadi in 2006 and the Battle of Sadr City in 2008.
From 2008-2009, Mike served as the SEAL Junior Officer Training Course director at BUD/s. As the head of leadership development, he coached, mentored, and prepared new SEAL officers to lead combat operations. Then in 2009, Mike was assigned to the Naval Special Warfare Development Group, part of the elite Joint Special Operations Command, in support of global counter-terrorism operations.
After retiring, Mike became an ambassador for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. This nonprofit honors our fallen special operations soldiers and Medal of Honor recipients by providing their children with college educations. In addition, they offer financial support to severely wounded special operations personnel.
Mike continues to contribute to SOWF through Legacy Expeditions, an Adventure Capitalist Firm founded by him and Andy Stumpf, retired Navy SEAL. Legacy Expeditions brings world record setting attempts and expeditions to life, all while upholding the memories and legacies of fallen U.S. and Allied Troops lost during the Global War on Terrorism. Run by retired Tier One Operators and Special Operations Soldiers, Legacy Expeditions plans and coordinates exclusive extreme adventures and expeditions designed to push participants to their mental and physical limits to promote personal growth.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Mike is an established keynote speaker who works with small businesses and Fortune 500 companies on the principles of leadership, teamwork, entrepreneurship and living a life of balance and purpose. He’s the founder and CEO of Talent War Group, a successful management consulting and executive search firm, and ATTA, a lifestyle and apparel brand focused on community and born out of his Everyday Warrior concept. Whether speaking at a conference, leading his team, or helping others achieve success, Mike taps into the lessons and skills he developed in the military.
During his 20-year career, he served as a Recon Marine, Scout-Sniper, and retired a U.S. Navy SEAL Officer. Much of his career was in the Special Operations community, including the elite Joint Special Operations Command. Along with careers in the military and business, Mike co-authored the best-selling book, The Talent War: How Special Operations and Great Organizations Win on Talent and enjoys a partnership with Men’s Journal as columnist and host of The Everyday Warrior series and podcast.
Mike Sarraille Speaking Topics
The Legacy of Leadership: Strategies for Cultivating Winning Cultures and High-Performing Teams
In this compelling keynote address, Mike Sarraille draws upon his extensive leadership experience, shaped by elite mentors and honed through combat in special operations and building companies, to illuminate the essence of transformational leadership and the power of building winning cultures and high-performing teams.
Winning the Talent War: Strategies for Hiring and Cultivating Elite Teams
In today's fiercely competitive business landscape, talent is the ultimate differentiator. Drawing insights from the acclaimed best-selling book, "The Talent War: How Special Operations and Great Companies Win on Talent," which has been hailed by many business and HR executives as the bible for attracting, hiring, developing, and retaining top talent. This speech offers a comprehensive guide to revolutionizing your approach to talent acquisition and team development. Mike, drawing from his extensive experience, distills the principles used by the US Special Operations community into actionable strategies tailored for the corporate realm.
The Everyday Warrior Mindset: A Practical Approach to Living a High-Performing Life with Purpose and Impact
Embark on a transformative journey guided by the principles of The Everyday Warrior, as outlined in the best-selling book by Mike Sarraille, which was #84 on the best-seller list, and the impetus behind Men's Journal's largest initiative - The Men's Journal Everyday Warrior Nation. This keynote offers a practical, no-hack approach to cultivating a fulfilling, purpose-driven life, empowering attendees to become the best versions of themselves and make a positive impact on their families, communities, and organizations.
Making the Seemingly Impossible……Possible: Lessons from the World-Record Setting Triple 7 Expedition - Lesson Learned Regarding The Overwhelming Power of High-Performing Teams
Join Mike Sarraille on an exhilarating journey through the planning, execution, and triumph of the Triple 7 Expedition, a daring feat that defied all odds and set four world records. Through captivating storytelling and firsthand accounts, Mike shares the challenges, triumphs, and invaluable lessons learned from leading a team of special operations soldiers on an unprecedented adventure to skydive into all seven continents in just seven days.
Resilience: Overcoming Your Toughest Enemy
Whether you’re fighting in a war or amid an early-stage start-up, we all have a common enemy – ourselves. During his military and business career, Mike learned there is no greater enemy than ourselves. Overcoming the doubts in our minds or continual setbacks is the key to resilience and fortitude. There will always be external factors, like a client’s hesitation or an encroaching deadline, but your reaction determines the outcome. Mike will show your team how to harness their individual willpower to champion any adversity, learn, and come back stronger than ever.
Mike Sarraille Books
The Talent War: How Special Operations and Great Organizations Win on Talent
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The Everyday Warrior: A No-Hack, Practical Approach to Life
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Mike Sarraille Speaker Testimonials
The Gettysburg Staff Ride with Mike and his team left an indelible impression. It highlighted the depth of leadership abs sacrifice at those hallowed grounds; showed what Union and freedom cost; and reminded us that internecine conflict can be as vicious and destructive as war between nations. But more to the point, the Walk served as a reminder of Faulkner’s adage, “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” As we walked from station to station and made decisions — hypothetical ones — with the same information available to battlefield leaders, we realized that those leaders in the summer of 1863 were fallible, sometimes heroic, often wrong. In short, just like us. The immediacy of the place reached across the long chasm of history; and the presence of the leadership instructors — guiding, Illuminating, empathizing with a hard-earned authenticity — drove the lessons home in a way that a self-guided walk never could. A required experience for anyone who wants to better understand our history, and the connection of that history to contemporary leadership.
- Michael Pereira, Chief Executive Officer | HPC Specialty Pharmacy
We have worked with Mike in both a classroom setting with many employees and a one on one setting with key managers and I can honestly say it was some of the best leadership and management training me or my employees have received. I have never had so many employees come up and thank me for providing training as I did when Mike came. He gave us all tools on how to properly deal with people and situations in the best way by taking the emotions out of it and making the best decision for all the stakeholders involved. The training and motivation he provided was invaluable and we will continue to use him into the future!
- Wade Hoak, Vice President | Family PowerSports
Mike Sarraille visited my team of medical device leaders for our first meeting since I took over the organization in early December. The team was struggling and the morale was down among the group as a result of past practices. I asked Mike to supplement my efforts and to come in and speak about the importance of people, acquiring top talent, coaching and developing that talent, retaining talent, and creating a winning culture. Mike’s experience as a military officer, Recon Marine and Scout Sniper, and Navy SEAL allows him to eloquently portray the importance of a team and the characteristics of strong, effective leaders. The room was engaged for the 90 minutes Mike was presenting as his real-life stories merged into business examples cultivating the theme around talent. Ever since reading the “Talent War” I have been preaching to my team to hire for character and not skill. We implemented the concepts Mike and Talent War Group created during the recruitment and interview process and the product we have been getting out of that has been fantastic. As we continue to practice the principles of the “Talent War” that Mike and George preach, I am confident our attrition rate will drop and, more importantly, our culture will shift to the positive. We will continue to engage the Talent War Group in our organization and will have them become consultants for our sales leaders and business HR professionals moving forward.
- Rob DiTota, Divisional Vice President | Abbott
