Biography

Known as “The Wingman,” Lt Col Waldo Waldman, MBA, CSP, CPAE is a highly decorated combat fighter pilot with 65 missions in Iraq and Serbia. A business consultant and executive coach, he helps organizations build collaborative cultures of trust, courage and commitment in highly competitive, rapidly changing business environments.

In addition to his time in the military, Waldo has real world corporate sales and management experience and is an expert on change management, peak performance, and resilience – having broken through a lifelong fear of heights and overcoming claustrophobia as a fighter pilot.

A key message in his inspirational “Never Fly Solo” signature keynote is that you can’t reach your highest potential alone. You need wingmen – trusted partners – to help you win when adversity strikes. His compelling stories and techniques on overcoming obstacles, performing under pressure, earning trust, and servant-based leadership are extremely relevant to diverse organizations who seek to create a “One Team, One Mission” performance-focused culture of trust and collaboration.

We Survive Solo but Win Together.” Waldo

Waldo is the author of the New York Times and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Never Fly Solo and an inductee into the Professional Speakers Hall of Fame, a prestigious award that has been bestowed on less than 190 speakers worldwide. A graduate of the U.S Air Force Academy, he also holds an MBA with a focus on Organizational Behavior and is the founder of The Wingman Foundation whose mission is to build funds and awareness for veterans in need.

He’s been featured on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, Inc. Magazine, and The Harvard Business Review, and his global clients include American Express, Hewlett Packard, Verizon, GE, The Denver Broncos, New York Life, ExxonMobil, Merck, Johnson & Johnson and dozens of national associations.

Read More

Videos

Request Availability

Speech TopicsExpand each topic to learn more

Never Fly Solo: The Power of Partnership to Reach New Heights in Business

Flying solo? You might think so. But take a good look around... you have support staff. You have managers. You have suppliers and distributors. And you have colleagues, family members and significant others.

By placing your trust in those around you—you can overcome obstacles, adapt to change, and achieve success during adverse times. By placing your trust in your Wingmen and by being a Wingman to others, there is no mission you can’t complete.
Through captivating stories, business lessons, and high energy video, Waldo will take your team on an unforgettable journey of high performance and excellence in extremely competitive and demanding environments.

Be inspired to take to the skies knowing that you have Wingmen to help you face challenges and change with confidence while maximizing your potential in all aspects of life.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Promote Open Communication, Integrity, and Trust
- Develop a Collaborative Culture of Accountability and Mutual Support
- Leverage Preparation to Execute with Confidence
- Transform Relationships into Revenue
- Convert Fear into Action
- Lead with Courage, Conviction, and Compassion

Testimonials

Exciting, Challenging, Emotional, Entertaining and Thought-Provoking. The experience has given us our battle cry – ‘One Team, One Goal’!
– Jonathan O'Neill, Managing Director, Hilton Grand Vacations
Waldo’s knowledge of the company and ability to place our current challenges into context, showed how much time, research, and planning he put into his performance. His infectious attitude carried over to the audience and was undoubtedly the highlight of this year’s conference.
– Curt Redden, Global Director of Talent Development, UPS Capital
Your presentation resulted in a record breaking week of prospecting. You invested in the process and dedicated yourself to learning our business.
– Randy Bartlein, Regional Sales, Aflac
Waldo delivered! His preparation and care in understanding our business challenges made his message extremely relevant. He’s an outstanding storyteller, funny and authentic.
– Linda Hodo, VP of Corp Development, Zurich
Inspirational and packed full of relevant business take-aways. His content was heartfelt and the audience never drifted.
– Jeff Duckworth, Exec VP of Sales, John Hancock
Having been in this business for 20 years and witnessed dozens of great speakers, I have never seen a speaker that was more genuinely effective than you were.
– Larry Harvey, National Sales Director, OsteoMed
Your leadership approach combined the panache of a fighter pilot and the wisdom of a sage. You were engaging without being flippant, motivating without being ‘over the top,’ and highly prepared without being canned.
– Craig Atkinson, Director of Career Development, Walsh Construction Co.
From our first contact through the high energy engagement and then finally with your follow up by way of helpful advice and e-mail tips, you are a true professional. You really embraced our focus on teamwork and trust at a critical time for our business.
– Hal Hitch, VP of Product & Marketing, CIT Group
Our decision to hire Waldo was the best choice we could have made. Waldo was the perfect climax to our conference and his program was better than I could have even imagined.
– Frank Marcus, Sales, E&J Gallo Winery
Your Wingman message had such a profound impact on the team that we scrapped the rest of the day’s agenda and built on your critical theme of team building and trusting your wingmen.
– David Wilkins, VP of Contracts, Raytheon

Booksby Lt. Col. Waldo Waldman

Never Fly Solo

Blog Posts

Mental Health Awareness: The Mark of a Modern Workplace

🌎✨ As we recognize World Mental Health Day, we're shining a spotlight on critical mental...

Read More

What’s Holding You Back from Managing Your Energy Effectively?

Have you ever wanted to get more energy in your day-to-day activities? https://youtu.be/hltabhE0QRM Have you...

Read More

Use Improv as a Mindfulness Practice and Improve your Well-Being

🌟 Mental Fitness Through Improv & Mindfulness 🌟 https://youtu.be/xuAhzUGZ438 Mental fitness is not just about...

Read More

Innovative Event Strategies to Inspire Your Attendees with Courtney Mesmer

https://youtu.be/1erTgGFdyW8 Watch this week’s podcast episode here: YouTube • Spotify • Apple Podcasts • Amazon...

Read More

Valuable Life Lessons from Parenting & Overcoming Failures

Learn valuable life lessons from overcoming failure and parenting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJTIi-nhq60&list=PLXTlGHk63lLgbS8LN-PENXDzwMdqWAnOm "Life’s greatest lessons come from...

Read More

Pink October: Breast Cancer Awareness and the Power of Healing Our Emotional Histories

Pink October: Understanding the Connection Between Emotional Health and Breast Cancer This newsletter is brought...

Read More

Related Speakers

Reviews & Ratings

Here's how toHit the mark with the perfect speaker!

1. Schedule a call

We’ll connect so we understand your needs to curate a selection of great speakers.

2. Book your speaker

We’ll manage all the details so you will be confident with your choice.

3. Wow your audience

Inform & educate your participants to ideas that transform their work & personal life.

Schedule a Call

Blog Posts

 

Mental Health Awareness: The Mark of a Modern Workplace

🌎✨ As we recognize World Mental Health Day, we're shining a spotlight on critical mental...

Read More

What’s Holding You Back from Managing Your Energy Effectively?

Have you ever wanted to get more energy in your day-to-day activities? https://youtu.be/hltabhE0QRM Have you...

Read More

Use Improv as a Mindfulness Practice and Improve your Well-Being

🌟 Mental Fitness Through Improv & Mindfulness 🌟 https://youtu.be/xuAhzUGZ438 Mental fitness is not just about...

Read More

Innovative Event Strategies to Inspire Your Attendees with Courtney Mesmer

https://youtu.be/1erTgGFdyW8 Watch this week’s podcast episode here: YouTube • Spotify • Apple Podcasts • Amazon...

Read More

Valuable Life Lessons from Parenting & Overcoming Failures

Learn valuable life lessons from overcoming failure and parenting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJTIi-nhq60&list=PLXTlGHk63lLgbS8LN-PENXDzwMdqWAnOm "Life’s greatest lessons come from...

Read More

Pink October: Breast Cancer Awareness and the Power of Healing Our Emotional Histories

Pink October: Understanding the Connection Between Emotional Health and Breast Cancer This newsletter is brought...

Read More