Clients, Testimonial, and Partners of Strategic Leadership Consultants, LLC

"Patrick Houlahan's keynote at Southeast Industrial Equipment's kick-off meeting was nothing short of inspiring.  Drawing from his experience as a TOPGUN flyer, Patrick delivered a compelling speech on the essence of excelling in one's role. His insights resonated seamlessly with our diverse audience, encompassing everyone from executives and senior management to frontline sales personnel.

Patrick's ability to connect with individuals at all levels made the session not only engaging but also universally impactful. His motivational message left an indelible mark on our team, setting an energizing tone for the upcoming endeavors. I would highly recommend Patrick for any of your events no matter the audience."

“Patrick, Thanks again! Here are a few short comments about the program....

-Extremely exciting and informative
-You gained instant credibility with your background and ability to tailor your message to our sales reps by speaking our "company" language.
- Easy to see that you took the time to get to know how our organization works. 
- Well organized, entertaining, great content. Strategies that our work force can use. You delivered a clear and precise message.”

“If anyone considering Patrick for a speaker asks for feedback on him, I cannot begin to tell you how many of our associates, including our President and CEO, have said he is by far the best we’ve ever had.  Everyone could relate to him and his message.  It was a phenomenal presentation and he an engaging speaker.  We all thought he was phenomenal!”

Patrick, I appreciate the outreach and want to convey nothing but positivity about your message and the overall event.  You crushed it, and the Partners, both verbally to me and through the surveys, have echoed my sentiments.  I’m looking forward to having you in each Market.

“Patrick really delivered for us.  Excellent energy!  He arrived at our conference prepared with industry specific language and scenarios directly applicable to our audience.  Not only do he motivate, he presented new concepts and reinforce core principles of management in a high impact way.”

“We were holding an annual kick-off meeting for our Team Members and needed a speaker that would deliver a strong message along with motivation.  We found the right speaker when we chose Patrick Houlahan.

From the beginning, Patrick was engaged and wanted to learn about our business and the audience for the meeting.  After a few discussions on the phone and I am sure several hours of prep work on his end, he killed it.  He hit the mark and then some because he could speak to our business and the audience was extremely engaged and wanting to learn more.  We were so impressed with Patrick, that we will be working with him in the future.”

“I wanted to thank you for the presentation and information given to our key brokers, internal team, and the way you related to our industry.  You did a great job making it meaningful to them while providing some needed "entertainment" in your discussion.  We are always looking for ways to kick off a successful symposium and your execution was superb and right on point.

Thanks again and best of luck in the future.”

"This is to recommend Patrick Houlahan strongly for excellence in structuring information, presenting, and adaptability. Mr. Houlahan is a distinguished retired USMC officer and aviator who has transitioned to management consulting. After several planning meetings, he spoke to my MBA students at the University of San Diego. He listened carefully, and prepared intensely, with frequent consults to assure that his message fit the audience. He even adapted in real time between presentations based on feedback from an earlier group.

Mr. Houlahan’s talk was engaging and informative. He drew the audience in with personal anecdotes and business lessons-learned, solicited questions, and gave responsive answers. Highly recommended in all the areas where I have experience."

"On behalf of the San Francisco Region, I would like to thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to attend our Field Supervisor / Supervisory Examiner Meeting. Your presentation on the FDIC’s Core Values was informative, insightful and well received by the audience.

Thank you for contributing to the success of our Field Supervisor / Supervisory Examiner Meeting."

"It was a pleasure to have Patrick speak at our user conference. He provided solid advice on leadership by weaving in examples from popular culture, business, and his military background. We received great feedback from the audience, which was a blend of technical and business folks, from analysts to CEOs. Patrick was able to relate his experiences approachably and in a way that didn’t alienate anyone.

We really appreciated that he didn’t just speak and disappear; he stuck around and chatted with the attendees, sharing some pretty fascinating stories from his fighter pilot days!"

"Patrick Houlahan recently spoke at a University of Pittsburgh's Business and Operations Leadership Retreat. His talk was very valuable, providing actionable tips in an engaging delivery that attendees appreciated. Furthermore, Patrick tailored his presentation to our organization, personalizing his approach. In addition to a solid presentation, Patrick remained through the end of the retreat to speak one-on-one with team members. This act demonstrated his full commitment to the event and allowed for additional beneficial dialogue.

In a previous marketing and communications role, I partnered with Patrick on a series of road show presentations that inspired attendees across the country. I recommend Patrick to any organization looking for a professional, compelling and results-driven presenter for their next conference or meeting."

"Patrick recently spoke at our 2020 Sales Kickoff Meeting in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. Patrick's energy, clarity and passion was amazing; he really customized his messaging to our industry and goals, commanding the audience for the entire 45 minutes we asked him to speak. He effortlessly related his career experience as a Marine fighter pilot to the audience, sprinkling in some laugh-out-loud humor.

However, the real value of having Patrick as a speaker was his ability to get the attendees to think differently about how they organize and accomplish their everyday missions at work, using real-life military teamwork and leadership scenarios. Our attendees left the presentation energized to enact his top five leadership principles, debriefing methods, and SMART goal strategies.

Inspired by his keynote and the materials he gave us, we've made it a company-wide practice to debrief on all projects and have seen a tremendous positive impact in our culture and productivity level. If you're looking for a speaker who is not only entertaining in the moment but also sincerely inspires action and improvement for your team, look no further than Patrick."

“Let’s be honest, sales teams do not debrief enough and if they do they are not delivered in a way that adds value. What better way to learn how to debrief that provides immediate improvement to your sales process than from our military experts?

The AA-ISP Atlanta chapter had the pleasure of Patrick Houlahan presenting on why and how to conduct debriefs the right way. Using a combination of his military background as a fighter pilot and several years of experience with leading businesses, Patrick provided a practical process to conducting debriefs that pulls the right intelligence to help teams improve. His approach makes debriefs not only valuable but even desirable. He finished with providing empirical evidence to the positive results that occur after following his proven debrief process.

I highly recommend Patrick for training your teams on how to use debriefing to immediately improve your performance.”

"Educate. Motivate. Celebrate was the motto of our IT Happy Hour. Patrick gave a remarkable and outstanding keynote speech covering servant leadership and the importance of a debrief. The combination of his experience, enthusiasm and engagement in a virtual setting made our session memorable."

"I was very impressed. We had Patrick speak at our annual retreat. He was very motivating and took the time to understand our business. He customized his presentation, so it made a greater impact to our attendees."

"In Spring of 2022, we planned and executed our very first industry summit.  Most of the speakers were industry-specific, but we wanted to broaden the knowledge and motivation of our attendees.  Leadership was a topic that came about early in the planning process.  After researching online, we came across Patrick Houlahan’s profile pretty quickly.  His experience in the military and current successful consulting made him an easy choice. 

Patrick communicated with our team in the weeks prior to the event to better understand our goals, and to make sure he could customize his presentation to better fit our audience.   We both shared an equal goal – to make our summit attendees better leaders.  Patrick pulled from his past experiences in TOPGUN to craft an energetic, sophisticated, and engaging presentation that certainly left our audience in a much better mindset. 

Post-summit, he practiced what he preached – debriefing. Always looking to improve, Patrick made sure to reach out and offer a friendly, but more importantly honest, discussion about how the event went. 

Thought-provoking.  Engaging.  Knowledgeable.  These are the first three words that come to mind when I think of Patrick Houlahan.  We couldn’t be happier with our decision to work together.  Patrick certainly had a major part in making our first summit a grand success."

"We invited Patrick to come and speak to our top field managers at their annual conference. This group has heard many motivational speakers before….. However, Patrick delivered an experience that was beyond a presentation. He engaged the audience and gave them tangible ideas and systems to take back to their teams.

Patrick was professional and great to work with. He practices what he preaches! I would highly rec. him to other event planners looking to bring a speaker that is not only motivational but will help create real results post meeting."

"I just wanted to say I enjoyed meeting you at the TMA conference and especially enjoyed the speech you gave to our group.  Your message about Top Gun disciplines resonated since those lessons apply to the business world as well. 

In the lending world in particular, the debriefing part of your presentation was a reminder of how important it is to continually reevaluate procedures to optimize best practices.  Your presentation was no doubt captivating and I thoroughly enjoyed listening about your Top Gun experiences, lessons, and dedication required. 

Our country is a safer place for individuals like you and it is an honor to have met you.  Thank you for your service!!"

"On behalf of our team at Madison Gas and Electric, I would like to express our sincere gratitude for your inspiring keynote speech at the OUUG energy conference. Your insights on "Teachers Teaching Teachers" and your experiences as a former Top Gun pilot working for a strategic leadership consultant were truly eye-opening and motivating.

Your message of sharing knowledge and agility with other utilities around the world resonated deeply with our team. We are energized by the idea of not only serving our customers but also helping other utilities to apply sustainable actions to their rates and services. Your speech has lit a fire under us to pursue this goal with even greater passion and commitment.

Once again, thank you for your powerful and thought-provoking keynote speech. We look forward to continuing to learn from your expertise and experience in the years to come."

"Patrick really hit the mark at our recent event. Our audience consisted of financial planning professionals seeking to sharpen their skills as leaders and CEOs.

Upon meeting Patrick, I felt like a co-pilot on a mission. From the reconnaissance he did to learn more about our firm’s priorities, to the layers of redundancy he included in case of unlikely technical issues, to the final “debrief” following the event, he truly demonstrated that he is a Top Gun keynote speaker. His presentation, “Communications is Key: The Art of the Debrief” perfectly integrated into the theme of the day.

We were not only impressed with his bespoke presentation and motivational delivery, but the time and effort he spent prior to and after the event to assure it was a great experience for all. I want to echo our audience feedback in saying, “the presentation was awesome.” Patrick really delivered and we look forward to having him back."

"It was a pleasure to have you as our featured speaker for the Annual Eagle Club Recognition Breakfast.  You were so easy to work with in scheduling and very accommodating to our needs.  Everyone loved your talk and was certainly encouraged to take back the TOPGUN lessons learned to their places of business. 

Your stories mixed in with strategic leadership tips was never boring and kept the audience engaged.  I will certainly be recommending you to my fellow colleagues across the country."

"Patrick captivated our audience with his lessons on leadership which translated perfectly to our business.  His delivery was entertaining and the flight video was an energetic way to open our meeting.  Our managers left with many valuable insights that could be implemented with our teams. 

The debrief cards helped capture the ideas.  I have already recommended Patrick to other groups as a keynote and would definitely consider using him again for other groups within our company."

“What a fantastic speaker. Very good leadership points provided by the trainer. Great class and great presentation. Even though he is not law enforcement, his leadership information is relevant. More cops need to hear this and follow his approach for actual debriefing.”

"We had Patrick speak at our Accelerent Breakfast.  His “TOPGUN Lessons Learned” presentation was very well received by our participants and especially his message around “Debriefing”.  Not only did Patrick deliver a great presentation but he also attended our reception the night before and he was practically the last one out the door after the event.  I would highly recommend Patrick to any group looking for a dynamic speaker."

"I recently had the opportunity to attend one of Patrick Houlahan’s presentations and would recommend his presentations for anyone looking for inspiring real-world guidance in effectively cultivating and honing their leadership skills.  He identified practical concepts for building connections and ownership within teams, whether large or small.

As a law enforcement officer with 20 years’ experience, it was refreshing to hear his perspectives on what goes into creating and being a part of a high performing team.  He was not afraid to address the elephant in the room which is the echo chamber effect that sometimes occurs in traditional law enforcement training.

I found so much value in Mr. Houlahan's presentation that I am requesting my agency host him for department-wide training in Instructor Development and Leadership."

We had the pleasure of having Patrick as our keynote speaker and trainer at our recent customer event. His presentation was not only excellent but also incredibly engaging. Patrick has a talent for connecting with his audience, and he was able to inspire engagement from a group that can be reserved and hesitant to participate. His insights were invaluable and contributed greatly to the success of our event. We are grateful for his participation and highly recommend him!”

"I loved listening to Patrick tell his story. I especially enjoyed how he used his experience to guide the talk around the benefits of the DEBRIEF. He is a great storyteller and I enjoyed hearing about his experiences at TOP Gun as a teacher and how he grew as a leader. Patrick was very engaging in a virtual setting!"

"Hi Patrick

Thanks for helping to make mhca’s 2024 Spring Conference in Milwaukee a success. You had great stories and inspiring takeaways. I love the focus and importance you emphasized on purpose, teamwork, dedication, and honesty and humility. Each principle is critical in leadership and the connected stories you told about each one was powerful.

I'm excited to create more space and lead teams in debriefing regularly at work. I think it will be a powerful tool to learn and get better together.

It was great to have you with us.  Thank you for your presentation and workshop!  Both were well received and on target." 

"Dear Mr. Houlahan, 

As Chief of Police for the Midland Police Department, I was immediately intrigued by your D-E-B-R-I-E-F model when I had the pleasure of hearing you speak at the Taser Con Conference in Las Vegas last year.  

In fact, I was so impressed by your presentation that we’ve since implemented your D-E-B-R-I-E-F model as a new monthly practice in our department, the results of which have been phenomenal!  Most notably, perhaps, is the actualization of personnel comfort around the debrief process as a whole, which has undoubtedly led to smoother and more enhanced debriefs following critical incidents than what we’ve experienced previously. 

This valuable improvement flows quite smoothly into the officer mental health initiatives we’ve ramped up in recent years as well.  When law enforcement personnel become comfortable having the tough conversations about performance, without fear of negative ramifications, the impact on their mental health is reduced significantly."