Available to book
Nicole Malachowski
Resilience
High Performance
Growth Mindset
Nicole Malachowski helps organizations build leadership resilience and perform under pressure. A motivational speaker, combat fighter pilot, and the first woman to fly with the USAF Thunderbirds, she also served as a White House policy advisor.
Inspirational Female
International Women's Day
Female Empowerment
Pilot
Personal Wellbeing
Professional Development
Business Consulting
Mindset
Military
Healthcare
Women in Business
Inspirational
Personal Development
Mental Health Awareness
Motivational
Veterans Day
Nicole Malachowski is a retired United States Air Force Colonel and combat fighter pilot who broke barriers as the first woman to fly with the USAF Thunderbirds, the military’s premier air demonstration squadron.
With over two decades of service, she has led elite units, advised national leadership, and championed resilience in the face of complex personal and professional challenges.
Nicole was among the first group of women to fly modern fighter jets in the US military, earning her place in operational F-15E squadrons and accumulating over 2,300 flight hours, including combat missions in Operation Deliberate Forge and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Her leadership roles included commanding the 333rd Fighter Squadron and directing multimillion-dollar flying hour programmes.
Beyond the cockpit, she served at the highest levels of government, including as a White House Fellow and later as Executive Director of the national ‘Joining Forces’ initiative, where she advised the First Lady and Dr Jill Biden on policy affecting service members and military families.
Her career took a turn following a medical retirement due to late-stage Tick-Borne Illness. Rather than retreat from public life, Nicole became a powerful advocate for patients with complex medical conditions.
She has served on the Department of Health and Human Services Tick Borne Diseases Working Group and the Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program, offering valuable insight into research and care for affected populations.
Nicole's journey is marked by persistence, service, and a commitment to challenging convention. She remains active in mentoring wounded service members and shaping policy for those navigating chronic health issues.
Her story is not only one of military excellence but also of personal transformation, making her a compelling voice on leadership, adversity, and the evolving role of women in high-performance environments.
Book Nicole to inspire your team with proven strategies that transform barriers into breakthroughs and uncertainty into opportunity.
Topics, sessions and talks
In her talk, Nicole Malachowski emphasizes that leaders must effectively navigate failure, organizational change, and uncertainty to succeed. Using aviation metaphors, she illustrates how perceived barriers, or "headwinds," can disrupt momentum but can also be transformed into opportunities with the right mindset. Attendees will learn to overcome failures, navigate change, endure discomfort, increase resilience, and support their teams, ultimately empowering them to rise above self-doubt and cultural challenges.
In her presentation, Nicole Malachowski, an elite fighter pilot and military leader, emphasizes the importance of overcoming self-doubt and embracing vulnerability for effective leadership. Using the aircraft performance envelope as a metaphor, she shares personal stories and practical tools to inspire individuals and teams to transcend limitations. Attendees will learn how to build trust, enhance teamwork, foster accountability, and unleash creativity, ultimately driving personal and professional growth.
Nicole Malachowski addresses the barriers that limit personal and professional growth, urging audiences to reject societal norms and redefine their boundaries. As a powerful trailblazer, she encourages individuals to view obstacles as opportunities for development and excellence. Attendees will learn to define their own possibilities, challenge traditions, embrace the courage to seek help, and understand the myth of work-life balance. Nicole provides actionable insights for pursuing dreams and living an unscripted life.
In her talk, Nicole Malachowski emphasizes that "no war plan survives first contact with the enemy," highlighting the importance of effective leadership amidst uncertainty. She draws parallels between military challenges and organizational hurdles, advocating for perspective, priorities, and positive leadership. Attendees will learn how to navigate unknowns, overcome obstacles, and address unique leadership challenges during crises. Nicole provides a framework to maintain focus on purpose and instill confidence, ensuring organizations can thrive even in turbulent times.
Nicole Malachowski emphasizes the critical role of speed in both aviation and business, highlighting that organizations that adapt quickly often achieve greater success. Drawing from her experience flying high-tech fighter jets, she shares key principles for maintaining efficiency amid chaos. Attendees will learn to identify factors that hinder their organization’s speed, understand the impact of a fast-paced environment on decision-making, and the importance of trust, clear roles, and effective communication in navigating challenges swiftly.
Testimonials
often considered together
Angela Bentley
Resilience
Leadership Development
High Performance
Tommy Caulfield
Growth Mindset
High Performance
Resilience
Paul McVeigh
High Performance
Effective Leadership
Team Building
frequently asked questions
Something we've not covered here?
Email nicole.malachowski@getapeptalk.com or call PepTalk on +44 20 3835 2929 (UK) or +1 737 888 5112 (US), and one of our speaker agents will contact you within hours to confirm Nicole's availability and fees. If you can, please include your budget upfront – it helps us fast-track your request. It’s also helpful to know the date, format (virtual or in-person), location, and a bit about your audience.
No. PepTalk adds no booking fee, so you pay the speaker's fee and nothing beyond it. The service, from shortlist through to contracts and event-day logistics, is included. For repeat or multi-event bookings, PepTalk can agree preferential rates with your procurement team.
Share your event date, audience, format, objectives and budget, and PepTalk sends a hand-picked shortlist within 24 hours. Each suggestion comes with a profile, a fee and a recommendation on the strongest fit. Once you choose, PepTalk handles contracts, travel and logistics through to event day.
The typical fee range is the speaker's standard in-person fee in their home market, shown in their local currency. It moves with format, location, date and session length: virtual sessions and shorter slots usually cost less, while international travel and peak dates cost more. Send your brief to PepTalk and the team will confirm the exact fee in your currency.
Not all of them, and it makes no difference to your booking. PepTalk's network of 15,000+ speakers covers talent the team works with directly alongside speakers represented by agents and agencies worldwide. PepTalk approaches the speaker, negotiates the fee and handles contracting either way.
Three to six months ahead is comfortable for most events, and 12 months is better for large conferences, peak-season dates or one specific in-demand speaker. Shorter timelines are workable, and PepTalk regularly fills last-minute and replacement bookings within days. Availability is the constraint, so get in touch as soon as you have a date.
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