Alden Mills

Inc. 500 CEO, Entrepreneur, Best-Selling Author & Navy SEAL

Alden Mills

Inc. 500 CEO, Entrepreneur, Best-Selling Author & Navy SEAL

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Biography

Alden Mills is on a mission to help 100 million people Be Unstoppable. With more than 40 years of experience failing and succeeding in a vast array of different environments from sports, military, and business to nonprofits and community action groups, he learned success is driven by one vital factor – leadership – of oneself and others.

The first person Alden learned to lead was himself. As a weak child with asthma, doctors insisted he limit physical activity and avoid sports. Instead, with the mindset instilled in him by his mother that “no one defines what you can and can’t do, but you,” he went on to become a National Collegiate Champion rower, earning Gold and Silver medals at the Olympic Festival, and a Navy SEAL who was top of his class. From a young age he amassed notebooks of invention drawings. One of those ideas became the wildly popular Perfect Pushup and today he holds over 40 patents worldwide.

As Alden achieved personal successes, he repeatedly grew into leadership positions. He became captain of his collegiate rowing team, was promoted three times to Navy SEAL platoon commander, and ranked #1 platoon commander each time. He turned a single invention into a global fitness powerhouse in over 70 countries with multiple products, leading Perfect Fitness to become the fastest-growing consumer product company in the country, with over $95 million in sales in just three years. He has since founded and served on multiple companies’ boards in retail hard goods, consumable products, and service-based businesses.

Along the way, Alden cultivated a methodology - Unstoppable Leadership – that develops people into congruent and authentic leaders who successfully build teams and create cultures that are unstoppable regardless of the situation, industry, or environment.

Today Alden Mills is known as one of the leading business thinkers in America and spends his time helping others learn and implement the three levels of Unstoppable Leadership. Through speaking, coaching, writing, board advisory, and teaching, Alden helps people acquire the mindset, tools, and actions required to accomplish more than they thought was possible.

Speaker Videos

ScaleUp Summit

Speaking Reel

Lennox Live 2018

On24: Mindshift

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Speech Topics

UNSTOPPABLE MINDSET: The Mentality & Tools for Achieving Your Full Potential

With over 40 years of experience overcoming challenges in business and life, Alden Mills brings a unique perspective on what it means to be unstoppable at accomplishing more than was thought possible. We all have natural obstacles in our path. When we learn to conquer those obstacles, we realize that our biggest obstacle is our mindset. The challenge is understanding how to harness the very things we can control to help us find the success we seek.

This keynote dives into the key differentiator of success stopping us from reaching and surpassing potential — an Unstoppable Mindset.

Alden weaves together riveting stories, inspiration, and practical tools to teach the Mindset Fundamentals to become unstoppable, regardless of industry, environment, or situation.

Much more than just a motivational experience, he shares a system that enables people to tackle tough challenges, use change to their advantage, and seize bold opportunities time and time again.

UNSTOPPABLE TEAMS: The Actions & Strategies for Building & Leading High-Performing Teams

As Alden Mills advanced from personal success to leading teams in sports, military, business, and nonprofits, he learned group success is determined by a leader’s ability to build and lead teams.

Whether a team is formed remotely or in-person, by mandate or inheritance, formally or organically, team leaders exist to bridge the gap between the outcomes sought and the team that can achieve them.

This keynote explores the universal leadership essentials to build high-performing Unstoppable Teams that continuously surpass what they set out to achieve. Alden demonstrates how leaders can drive greater alignment, trust, and outsized contributions.

He shares the five phases of unstoppable team development and the key actions to implement each phase. Using his C.A.R.E. Loop, he provides a roadmap to activate and effectively turn groups of individuals into Unstoppable Teams.

UNSTOPPABLE CULTURE: The Practices & Essential Components For Enduring Organizational Success

Following the initial success of Perfect Fitness, Alden Mills and his team lost their way. Laser-focused on growth and profit, the company began to falter. To get back on track and ensure ongoing success, they regrouped and established a prominent culture.

This keynote details how stakeholders in senior leadership and human resources build an Unstoppable Culture to drive lasting employee engagement, competitive advantage, and outsized growth.

Through personal stories, checklists, and live exercises, Alden shows how to close culture gaps by building intentional structure, dynamic practices, and congruent values that leaders and teams apply together—day after day, week after week.

Attendees learn the behaviors and tools that create an Unstoppable Culture by embedding the three Ps—Promise, People, and Process—a practical three-part framework to close the gap between an organization’s existing culture and activating what he calls the 10x Advantage to create an Unstoppable Culture.

Testimonials

"'The only easy day was yesterday,'" so goes the motto for the Navy SEALs. It’s true. Life was easy before my team and I met Alden Mills. Ever since, the ambition to be unstoppable has been our rallying cry. Alden first impressed me with the meticulous level of precision with which he prepared to address our team. He understood our firm’s mission and values, our roles, and even our philosophies. It’s clear this wasn’t just another gig for him; he forged a deep connection and conveyed a sincere interest to transform our thinking. During the main event, Alden was captivating. He perfectly mixed all of the ingredients to craft a bespoke feast for our eyes, ears, and spirit. Filled with wit, shock, strategy, engagement, and distinct personalities from his career, Alden had us hypnotized with artfully chosen words and movements. If you want someone to make you happy, call a therapist. If you want an ex-Navy SEAL and entrepreneur to make you better, call Alden."

- Thornburg Investment Management

"Alden’s session was very well received by our attendees. They really loved his Navy SEAL stories and how he brought them to life. We’re so thankful he was able to add an extra layer to our conference!….Alden was a joy for us to work with."

- Loan Vision

"Alden was exactly the right speaker for our All-Hands meeting.The group needed an injection of energy and inspiration, and frankly needed a break from more of the typical industry talk and slide presentations. Alden couldn’t have been a better fit. What was special about his presentation was that it had all the entertaining content and stories that I expected, but he was able to customize his message to our group. Alden took the time to learn more about us, and made sure that his talk hit home with us all. The feedback I got was tremendous. The problem is, who the heck do I get to top Alden next year?"

- DocuSign

“We have hired many keynote speakers over the years. We know the drill: most fly in and fly out, delivering the same presentation on a different stage. Then, there is that rare breed—the few who truly get to know you, your company and your culture. That is Alden Mills. He is the Commander of Connection. He became part of the National Life family because of the way he showed up off stage, and the way he connected to us outside of the spotlight. Thank you, Alden, for showing us how it's done and bringing out the best in all of us."

- National Life Group

"Alden absolutely knocked it out of the park for our leadership conference. Alden went above and beyond in applying himself to learn our company and our business prior to his speaking engagement. And it showed up throughout his presentation. He incorporated Cox vision, strategy and objectives throughout his message which made the presentation extremely meaningful. Alden uses his real-life experiences from military and business and he applies energy, humor, humility, and storytelling to bring his experiences to life. Authentic, Inspiring, compelling. Alden is the perfect exclamation point to wrap up a leadership conference!"

- Cox Communications

"We hired Alden to give the opening keynote for our international sales kick-off event. There were over 500 software sales, engineers, services, and support professionals from 25 countries around the globe. His highly energizing and motivating 'Unstoppable' message resonated with everyone. By combining the story of his journey as a Navy SEAL, and then crossing over to his business successes, he delivered the perfect foundation for our event. Alden is a dynamic storyteller with powerful and relevant business takeaways. I would recommend him for any company looking to inspire, motivate, captivate and teach their company’s most important resources, the employees, on how to be unstoppable and stretch their expectations to be the best they can be!"

- Dynatrace

"Alden hit a Grand Slam for us at our annual company retreat. He listened to our desired outcomes during the pre-calls and custom-tailored a keynote with leave-behinds that are sure to make a lasting impact. I will hire him again. Alden is an All-Star!"

- Giants Enterprises (San Francisco Giants Baseball)

"Alden Mills is awesome. He really captured the message that we wanted to relay to our hotels and customers. (Change is constant, and we must embrace it and adapt.) In his storytelling, his message is truly helpful—and he makes it easy to understand and follow. We got so many great compliments from attendees. We were lucky to have him as the speaker note on our event. For sure, we will have him again."

- Marriott

"An unforgettable presentation. Alden, you read the room just right and delivered the perfect closing keynote to our people. Your remarkable ability to tell stories that made the audience feel like they were experiencing it first-hand, plus your frameworks for success, made this the best keynote I've witnessed in years. So many came up afterward to say they were changed by what just happened on stage. You helped make our conference a tremendous success and I'm grateful for it."

- Optiv Cybersecurity Solutions

"Alden hit the mark with the audience. They gave him a standing ovation. His story was well constructed and delivered."

- Insights Conference

"He nailed it for us – incorporating our company objectives and accurately gauging the tempo of the meeting to deliver an inspiring team message. The audience was riveted throughout! I received many positive comments from our attendees!"

- CEO, Groupe Beneteau Americas

"Alden’s experiences as a Navy SEAL and entrepreneur are captivating. Alden’s work is incredibly relevant for any entrepreneur who wants to grow personally and professionally. His speech keeps resonating in me as I face challenges, and it will continue to resonate in our chapter’s conversations for a long time. One of the best ever."

- Barcelona Entrepreneurs’ Organization

"Alden delivered exactly what we wanted: a powerful message blended with fascinated stories and our company’s mission to our customers and partners. He nailed it!"

- Chief Marketing Officer, Acumatica

"Alden set the tone—then stole the show. As the feedback shows, he deserves nothing but praise for his spot-on address to our 750+ CEO's and their executive teams. Alden skillfully transformed their thinking thanks in part to his notable business and military experience. Quite simply, Alden’s an exceptional speaker, start to finish. We look forward to hosting him again."

- Chair, Fortune Magazine's ScaleUp Summit

"Alden is a winner and an energizer. He presented to a packed auditorium, and he proved to be one of the most engaging speakers I have ever seen. His message and stories were real, entertaining, and enlightening; it prompted many side conversations afterward here—including lots of discussion about how effective he was in conveying the key issues that matter the most to our audience."

- Director, Learning and Development, Boston Children’s Hospital

"Alden’s session was inspiring and encouraging. He’s a brilliant storyteller that engages people drawing from personal experiences which anyone can relate to."

- Vicencs Marti, President, Billy Mobile Companies

"Alden’s words encouraged our young farmers and ranchers to survive adversity and exceed their potential. His story and wit would be inspirational for any audience."

- Executive Director, CEO and Corporate Secretary for Kansas Farm Bureau

"We hired Alden to be our closing keynote for Lennox LIVE 18, a tour that spanned four cities for our dealers across North America. He was thoughtful, entertaining, inspirational, and the best speaker we’ve ever had. He takes the time to tailor the message to our needs and the needs of our audience. We were very fortunate to have Alden speak to our customers and leave a lasting impression that was representative of our company and our brand."

- Lennox International

"Event planners are always on the lookout for speakers who bring it all—a deep level of focus on the audience, frameworks that connect with people, and a ‘fired up!’ attitude. Alden Mills has the whole package. Whether he’s applying lessons learned from his Navy SEAL days to the business world, or sharing stories of personal transformation, Alden has an undeniable knack for moving attendees into a place where their full leadership potential is possible. During the pre-call, I learned why: Alden applies his own work to his life, every day, looking for continuous improvement as a speaker and workshop facilitator. His energy is infectious, his teachings spot-on, and his empathy for the audience endless as far as I can tell. Alden models “unstoppable” leadership. I will book him again soon."

- Marriott International

"Outstanding! Alden spoke to our leadership team at a time when inspiration and drive were imperative. His ability to transfer the discipline of being a Seal and that of the entrepreneur was AMAZING! He did an unbelievable job in preparing everyone to roll up their sleeves and charge through the remainder of the year with absolute commitment. I would highly recommend Alden to anyone who is looking to take their business to the next level!”

- State Farm

"Absolutely incredible! Alden’s ability to connect with our leaders and our business was truly inspiring and exactly what we needed.”

- Transamerica

"Authentic and engaging—one of the best speakers we’ve ever had at USAA.”

- USAA

"Words can’t fully describe the impact Alden had on our audience. He delivered exactly what we needed—a fresh, inspired call to action for high-impact personal leadership in work and in life. His stories were remarkable. His approach to leadership was practical. And his style was down-to-earth. It was inspiring to look around the room and see the focused faces in the audience. Alden was the best commencement speaker we’ve had."

- Case Western Reserve Univ. School of Medicine

"I've been in this business for 27 years and I have to say that Alden’s message was a powerful one. His keynote was customized from beginning to end by incorporating our brand messaging and tailored with a framework to help my associates and our customers face the challenges of their current business environment. Alden’s message was so powerful and resonated so well with my associates and our customers that I recommend to other companies that they need to hear it too! Alden lives his messaging: He is All In, All the Time!"

- Collain Healthcare

"Alden Mills was an incredibly inspirational and dynamic speaker sharing his unbelievable journey in becoming a Navy SEAL. He incorporated our meeting themes into his material. And he transferred his experiences into great relevant business and life lessons. Alden really connected with our team of over 1,000 sales people."

- ThermoFisher

"When I researched Alden’s bio and videos in selecting speakers, I was extremely impressed with his story and success. Having listened to him in person, he was amazing. He had our audience supercharged and fascinated with his story, the rigors of the Navy SEAL training, and his determination to succeed."

- Precision Metalforming Association

"In our five years of putting on conferences, Alden was head and shoulders above our past speakers. He’s a fantastic storyteller who tied his messaging directly back to our company and our dealers. He cares, and it shows. I’d hire again!"

- FW Webb

"Thank you, Alden, for being such a pleasure to work with. I appreciated your interest in truly learning about our organization, our members, and their work. It impressed me that you took the time to customize your speech for our group, and to connect with them in a way that communicated that you understood their businesses and their challenges. You are a warm and engaging speaker. As our members were leaving your session, the buzz was about the principles you taught, your passion in presenting them, and their applicability to our profession. Many of the members came up to tell me, ‘Excellent choice!’ It is my pleasure to recommend you as a keynote speaker."

- American Health Care Association (AHCA)

- Collain Healthcare