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About John

My name is John Doolittle. I’m a retired Navy SEAL captain, and I travel the country speaking to organizations about overcoming adversity in life. My primary message is that Anything is Possible with Resilience and Perseverance..

During my presentations, I share what I’ve learned during my military career in the SEAL Teams. I retired from the Navy, and started speaking about lessons on organizational leadership, conflict management, culture, resilience, and trust. My favorite topic is Preventing Stress and Burnout… it’s real, and it affects every single employee and student in America.

During my talks, I discuss the mindset and actions required to overcome about anything in life. Other topics I can cover for Teams:
  • Doing the Little Things Right
  • Creating a Resilient Mindset & Attitude
  • Building Trust in Your Organization
  • Developing Professional Relationships
  • Navigating Challenges, Change, and Adversity
  • My faith journey and how it has helped me professionally and personally

Meet John Doolittle

My Early Years

I grew up in Walnut Creek, California. While in school, I was a swimmer, surfer and skier. I was blessed with a family who valued getting out of our collective comfort zones. We were constantly on the move; a highlight was living in Tehran as the Iranian revolution began in late 1978… a story for another time.

School

In 1992, I graduatd from the U.S. Air Force Academy and was commissioned as an Ensign in the world’s finest Navy, not the Air Force… again, another story for another time. I earned a Master’s of Science in Defense Analysis, Special Operations Low-Intensity Conflict (SOLIC) from the Naval Postgraduate School in 2005.

My Years in the Navy:

After an inter-service transfer and cross-commissioning from the Air Force to the Navy in 1992, I transferred into the Navy and worked as a hard-hat salvage diver for three years, and eventually completed Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training as the Class Leader of Class 213.

From 1996 to 2017, I was assigned to various SEAL Teams and conducted multiple deployments throughout the European, African, Pacific, and Middle East theaters of operations. Most of my Navy career was focused on our military’s reaction to 9/11; a busy time for myself and my family.

My last duty station was at U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), where I led the Preservation of the Force and Family (POTFF) program, directly supporting the physical and psychological needs of the 73,000 personnel making up the USSOCOM enterprise.

Swimming the English Channel

While getting my Master’s degree, I completed a solo swim across the English Channel in memory of a fallen teammate & friend, Neil Roberts, the first SEAL to fall in combat after 9/11. I did this in order to raise awareness and money for the Navy SEAL Foundation

My retirement from the Navy (2017)

My Post-Military Career:

After retiring from the Navy in 2017 as a SEAL Captain, I continued my commitment to service by supporting wounded veterans and advancing human performance. I spent seven years at KAATSU (kaatsu.com), pioneering blood flow restriction techniques to aid recovery and rehabilitation for military personnel and others.

I then served as Director (or Executive Director) of the Florida Chamber Health Council (flchamberhealth.com), where I led initiatives—including the launch of the Mental Wellness Institute—to improve behavioral health and resilience for Florida’s workforce, veterans, first responders, and youth.

Today, I serve as Senior Advisor for Human Performance & Optimization at Leidos (leidos.com), applying lessons from special operations to help teams maximize potential in high-stakes environments.

Throughout these roles, I’ve traveled nationwide speaking to teams, schools, corporations, and organizations about resilience, leadership, and building trust under pressure. Now settled in St. Petersburg, Florida, with my wife, Katie, we have launched our kids into their college and post-college journeys. Our family has been blessed by adventures around the world during my military career, and I’m excited to continue delivering proven, battle-tested leadership principles to organizations and teams across the country.

Feel free to book me for speaking opportunities.

Tampa Bay Frogman Swim

Information about the Tampa Bay Frogman Swim which supports the Navy SEAL Foundation. Thank you to all who continue to participate and support this event every year!

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My name is John Doolittle. I’m a retired Navy SEAL captain, and I travel the country speaking to organizations about about overcoming adversity in life. My primary message is that Anything is Possible with Perseverance and Grit.

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