2. From Navy SEAL to Entrepreneur: The Transformative Journey with Curt Cronin

The Business of Doing Business with Dwayne Kerrigan

In this episode of "The Business of Doing Business," host Dwayne Kerrigan welcomes Curt Cronin, a former Navy SEAL turned business consultant. Curt shares his unique journey and experiences transitioning from the military to entrepreneurship. He discusses the challenges he faced along the way and offers insights on how business can be just as intense as being a Navy SEAL.

Throughout the interview, Curt emphasizes the importance of cultivating a positive and powerful mindset. He believes that this mindset brings awareness, helps overcome suffering, and provides the courage to face challenges. Being present in the moment is a key aspect of his approach, as he believes it eliminates pain and allows individuals to live life on their own terms. Curt is passionate about shifting human consciousness and assisting others in becoming more conscious and alive.

Drawing from his own journey, Curt also acknowledges that personal growth and self-discovery are continuous processes. He shares his ongoing experiences of identifying and letting go of attachments that hinder progress. Tune in to this episode to gain valuable insights and inspiration from Curt's unique perspective and experiences in both the military and entrepreneurial worlds.

Curt Cronin is a Husband, Father, Entrepreneur, and Teammate

Commander, U.S. Navy SEALs (ret.)

Co-founder and Managing Partner, Broadway Strategic Return Fund

Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer, TBD Studios

Founder and CEO, Aiki Partners

His mission: Operate at the intersection of vision and execution to leverage the power of experience to awaken, story to expand, and technology to enhance life as we know it. His passion is to inspire, heal and connect humanity in an open-source, anti-fragile, and scalable future of our own design.

Curt’s experiences in the Navy SEALs, living and working in an environment where milliseconds made the difference between life and death, ingrained his belief that the guiding force for life is a purpose-driven and mission-aligned team in full surrender to each other. He is a lifelong student of transformation as both an art and a science and brings this alchemy to every person, project, and team that he touches.

During his 20-year career in the Navy SEALs, Curt served in 18 countries spanning over 13 deployments. During this time, his mission was to unite agencies at all levels of the U.S. Government and foreign partners, including

The Department of Defense, The Department of State, and The President of the United States, to achieve collective objectives that would have been individually impossible.

As an entrepreneur, Curt has leveraged the combination of creativity, seamless execution, and risk mitigation he used to execute against unparalleled odds in combat to shape his perspective in the business world. He has raised over $100M in capital, partnered with teams to optimize their efficiency saving over $1B in OPEX, and coached over 100 executives and professional athletes to peak effectiveness.

Curt is the co-founder and managing partner for the Broadway Strategic Return Fund, the world’s first professionally managed, data-driven fund focused on the performing arts industry. The Fund provides a diversified investment portfolio across theatrical productions and their respective ancillary opportunities and in its 7 years of operation the fund has amassed $110.4M in AUM and 23% CAGR. Our productions have won 40 Tony Awards, 30 Drama Desk Awards, and 18 Olivier Awards. He is also the co-founder and chief operating officer for TBD Studios, an innovative live-capture film studio created to expand Broadway beyond the stage into new audiences around the globe.

As the founder and CEO of Aiki Partners, he has served as consigliere to numerous organizations, ranging from Fortune 500 companies including Disney, Hewlett Packard, and Verizon to Professional Sports Teams such as the Miami Dolphins to niche startups on how to catalyze an exponential culture of execution and innovation. He currently serves on the Board of ARTech, a technology and media holding company designed to bring technological innovation to the arts; and the Argonauts, a global community that unites, inspires, and empowers diverse leaders to embrace difference and act with integrity and courage, developing themselves and their organizations.

Curt received his MBA at combined programs from the London School of Economics, New York University’s Stern School of Business, and the HEC School of Management in Paris. Curt graduated fifth in his class from the United States Naval Academy and has been awarded two Bronze Star medals for combat valor and three Distinguished Meritorious Service Medals. He and his wife Julia are the excited and humble parents of Connor, Rachel, Abigail, Olivia, and Ellie.

Timestamps

[00:00:00] Welcome

[00:02:06] Transitioning into new domains.

[00:05:10] Immersion for rapid learning.

[00:08:55] Overvaluing others, undervaluing ourselves.

[00:10:31] Life's unexpected blessings.

[00:14:21] Infinite resources and creating triangles.

[00:17:09] Full surrender.

[00:21:00] The power of diverse perspectives.

[00:24:27] Living from your purpose.

[00:27:00] 9-11 and military transitions.

[00:30:11] Crisis forced operational change.

[00:34:08] Don't let perfect get in the way of progress.

[00:39:01] Cultural differences in communication.

[00:41:34] Bringing clear, coherent energy.

[00:46:09] Reflection through my son's eyes.

[00:49:06] Three major marriages in life.

[00:52:08] Being present in the moment.

[00:55:03] Going through a crisis.

[01:01:16] Embracing flaws and vulnerabilities.

[01:03:02] Resisting others, accepting ourselves.

[01:08:05] Linear thinking and perspective.

[01:11:18] Collaboration and critical decision-making.

[01:14:46] The true sense of community.

[01:19:13] Building communities and learning.

[01:22:36] Learning from failure.

[01:25:56] Failing forward.

[01:28:33] Broadway's transformation through Hamilton.

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Disclaimer The views, information, or opinions expressed by guests during The Business of Doing Business are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of Dwayne Kerrigan and his affiliates. Dwayne Kerrigan or The Business of Doing Business is not responsible for and does not verify the accuracy of any of the information contained in the podcast series. The primary purpose of this podcast is to educate and inform. Listeners are advised to consult with a qualified professional or specialist before making any decisions based on the content of this podcast.