Patrick Sweeney

Elite Athlete, Author, Entrepreneur, Full Time Adventurer & Cancer Survivor

Patrick Sweeney

Elite Athlete, Author, Entrepreneur, Full Time Adventurer & Cancer Survivor

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Biography

Patrick Sweeney is the son of a first generation Irish immigrant. He paid his way through college where he took up rowing. With just two years of experience, he decided to take on the world and try out for the USA Olympic team. Five years later, he finished second in the Olympic trials and won national and international championships in the process. But he could have been an Olympic Gold Medalist.

After the Olympics, Patrick attended a Top 5 business school where he would earn his MBA and go on to start one of the first cloud computing companies raising almost $30 million, winning great clients, and eventually selling the company. But the venture capitalist made most of the money.

He had skill and more than enough will. He was held prisoner by fear.

Then he almost died, and everything changed.

He bootstrapped a new company he sold for millions. He earned eight patents, published three books, started setting world records, and in 2018 won “the world’s toughest bike race”, the 3,000 mile long Race Across America. He started living the life of his dreams. He invested in dozens of start-ups from Slack to Y-Combinator and has been recognized by Presidents and rock stars for his contributions to charity and business. Once he discovered his Fear Frontier™, Patrick unlocked a level of power, performance and happiness he never thought possible. He searched out the science behind why and how, and today his mission is to share the neuroscience of success and the power of fear with as many people as possible.

Speaker Videos

Speaking Reel

Talks at Google: The Surprising Power of Fear

Fear as Fuel: eBay Presentation

Testimonials

Testimonials Part 2

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Speech Topics

Emerging Stronger & More Successful in the Post-Pandemic World

Life is not what it was just two years ago, it has changed forever in the way that our brain processes and shares information and on how others respond. Life has changed in how we hold meetings, go to (or not go to) work, and manage supply chains.

To succeed in the post-COVID-19 era, leaders need to do more than fine-tune their day-to-day operations and technology; you need to be ready and willing to rethink how you operate, and even why your company exists.

Today’s leaders need a framework that helps you to step back, take a breath, and consider a broader perspective while simultaneously helping those around you deal with continued uncertainty and even learn to enjoy the unknown. It’s the neuroscience of using fear as fuel.

The five necessary strategies in the post pandemic world are:

Foster a courageous mindset
Accelerate decision-making and data gathering
Commit to sustainability as a core value
Make purpose your North Star
Embrace Web 3.0

Web 3.0 – What It Means to Your Future

How would your life be different if you knew in 1995 what an impact the Internet would have on the world, and which applications would go the way of the fax machine and Ask Jeeves and which ones would grow from selling books to revolutionizing the way we shop?

Five time technology entrepreneur, renowned angel investor and Wall Street Journal Best Selling author Patrick Sweeney analyzes the opportunities of Web 3.0 from Layer 1 blockchain networks, to NFTs and even environmental mining to show you the fundamentals of Web 3.0 based on his interaction with over 700 global CEOs in the crypto space.

Patrick’s framework for operating within this emerging revolution will help individuals and companies navigate this fast changing, diversified and trustless technology that is truly the network for entrepreneurs and individuals.

Creating a Culture of Courage

What holds most people back from their true potential isn’t lack of skill or lack of will, it’s fear.

The human brain is designed primarily for survival. This architecture interferes with our happiness, success and fulfillment in all walks of life. In fact, at a typical industry conference or sales kick-off, attendees learn so many new and exciting strategies, ones that could dramatically change their business, yet only a fraction of attendees go back and implement those new ideas. Many leaders fear failure, or are afraid of changing the status quo and rocking the boat. Stagnant leaders live in a fearful culture where employees do things because “that’s the way it’s always been done.” In this engaging presentation Patrick explains why we get stuck in a prison of less-than-peak performance. Then he demonstrates tangible neuroscience techniques that you can use immediately to increase your power, success, and change every aspect of your life.

Imagine finishing second in the US Olympic trials in rowing, when you could have been a gold medalist, or raising almost $30 million and creating the first cloud computing company only to have your venture capitalist make all the money when it was sold, and worst of all needing six cocktails just to get on a plane for a business trip, or not going at all. Fear locked Patrick Sweeney in a prison of constant suffering until he met with the ultimate terror – the diagnosis of a rare form of leukemia and a slim chance of survival. After beating the disease thanks to talented doctors, cutting edge mental techniques learned at the Olympic training center, and the grace of God, his whole life changed. He took flying lessons, and started another company, then another, then set world records. Now a multimillionaire, commercially rated stunt pilot – Patrick’s super power is courage and he’s used it to create the life of his dreams.

Today, his mission is to teach millions of people the superpower of courage. For his upcoming book Fear as Fuel he interviewed more than 30 neuroscientists and psychologists and learned the latest investigations on how the brain functions and the secrets of overcoming our fear-based survival instincts. Patrick translates a vast continuum of scientific research into practical tactics on how to live to your fullest potential, create super-successful businesses, fulfilling relationships and raise courageous, happy children. Using fear as fuel you’ll begin to confidently make the best decisions of your life and unleash a new level of power. His talk gives you a sneak peak of what is sure to be a best seller.

Patrick was called one of the world’s most interesting men by Inc. Magazine and holds several world records for attempting to cycle the Seven Summits. He won the 2018 Race Across America (called the world’s toughest bike race) and he is the Chairman emeritus of Young President’s Organization Sports & Entertainment Industry Network. He splits time with his wife and three children between Boston, Massachusetts, Chamonix France and seat 21D.

The Surprising Power of Fear

This is Patrick’s award -winning keynote that Google’s European Headquarters called the best of 2017. Patrick covers the surprising ability to use the brain’s autonomic reactions as power and what the newest neuroscience on fear means for peak performance. This talk will have audiences thinking of fear in a whole new light and understanding the secret to peak mental and physical performance, and sustained long-term success. This is based on Patrick’s upcoming book Fear as Fuel.

Fear, Technology & Leadership for the 21st Century

Americans fear technology more than death, according to a Chapman University annual ranking of fears. Not just cyberterrorism, personal data tracking, or the government tracking them, workers fear robots, doctors fear artificial intelligence and the President of the USA stated that airplanes have become too technically complex to fly – that you need a scientist from M.I.T. instead of a pilot. People everywhere are terrified of technology. Before you worry about the Terminator coming to your home town; first you need to take the Terror out of Technology and learn what to trust, what not to trust and what’s an opportunity and what is really a threat.

In this fascinating presentation about our fears of technology best-selling author Patrick Sweeney, known as the Fear Guru, takes you through the process of evaluating then embracing technology, making the most of innovation and courageous leadership during times of rapid change. He shows you why people in the late 1800’s thought telephones might connect users to evil spirits, how technology like anti-lock brakes and vaccinations have saved more lives than have been lost to terrorism, why some AI systems go very wrong when they make mistakes and why some of the scariest technology today is what we should be most excited about.

Sweeney’s unique background as one of the world’s foremost authorities on fear and courage compliment his perspective as a four-time technology entrepreneur & CEO, an innovator with almost a dozen patents to his name and an angel investor in over 30 technology companies including Slack, Bright Farms and Y Combinator.

Start-Up Me: Running Your Life & Career Like an Entrepreneur

Patrick goes back to his roots as an entrepreneur and angel investor and reveals the top five principles anyone can adopt to create successful companies, personal lives and careers.

Breaking the Rules in Life & Business

What if you knew which rules were holding you back and how to break them? Think of how your life would change if you had no ceiling on what you can accomplish. Patrick gives the principles that helped three of his companies dominate their field and crush the competition.

Testimonials

"Patrick is a high-energy force of nature. Always seeking to push himself and others beyond the comfort zone to achieve breakthroughs – physically, professionally and personally. His enthusiasm and confidence is infectious –people can’t help but feel inspired."

- Managing Director, Boudica Capital

"Patrick possess qualities you don't find in one single person. His ability to show us how to translate fear into fuel and drive a culture of courage at eBay is groundbreaking."

- Chief Product Officer, eBay