Jacob is a former NFL athlete turned entrepreneur, transformational keynote speaker, best-selling author, and business coach. He is also the co-founder of Varlo, a leading brand in cycling, triathlon, and athleisure fitness apparel. Jacob has faced plenty of challenges – academic setbacks, business hurdles, personal losses, and even homelessness. But with each stumble, he found strength. He learned that failure isn’t the end; it's a stepping stone. As a three-time TEDx speaker, Jacob was also named one of the '40 Under 40' in 2015.

His insights have been featured in Forbes, Wall Street Journal, and Good Morning America. Top brands and institutions like Intel, Meta, LinkedIn, Dallas Cowboys, UPS, Stellantis, University of Notre Dame, University of Michigan, University of Wisconsin, and Central Michigan University have been captivated by his talks. Jacob's mission goes beyond motivation.

He promotes a transformative approach to life, advocating for a mental reset and a shift in perspective to discover one’s true calling. His #FailForward philosophy, shared on LinkedIn, through motivational posts, and in powerful videos, has inspired countless individuals worldwide to turn setbacks into strength.

Ready to connect? Text or call me @ 248-805-6093 or email me at jacob@failforwardbrown.com

For speaking inquiries: www.failforwardbrown.com

Jacob Brown

This should ring true both professionally and personally.

Jacob Brown 🎤

When I was 27, I applied for a position I knew I wasn’t qualified for – and I landed it.

It was my "dream job."

This position was a lead role for a very large digital agency and one that I had always wanted to work for.

I had a phone interview on a Wednesday, a face-to-face that Friday, and was made an offer that Sunday.

Yep, Sunday.

I even received my benefits package the same day.

They offered me $30k more than what I was currently making at the time, 4 weeks of PTO, and every other Friday off during summer.

Jackpot, right?

Nope!

That Monday, I received a call that the position was going to be eliminated due to lack of budget.

Thank God I hadn't already put in my 2 weeks.

I was crushed.

But I was not defeated.

Shortly after, I was offered an even better position and life went on.

Moral of the story - fail forward.

Hey, new followers and connections! 🖐

If you’re new to my page - welcome! I’m so glad you’re here, and I want to take a moment to introduce myself.

My name is Jacob Brown 🎤, but you can call me Jake! 

I’m a former NFL athlete turned keynote speaker, leadership coach, and bestselling author who is obsessed with one thing: helping humans lead from within.

Before I ever stepped on a stage, I spent 15+ years as a Creative Director, leading teams, managing pressure, coaching talent, and building culture in fast-moving environments.

Today, I work with:
 ⚡ HR leaders and people teams
 ⚡ Associations and conferences
 ⚡ Organizations in tech, healthcare, finance, auto, manufacturing, education, and many more
 ⚡ Executives and mid-level leaders navigating change, burnout, or culture drift

And I speak about:
 🗣️ Leadership alignment
 🗣️Culture transformation
 🗣️Navigating burnout and disengagement
 🗣️Turning failure into fuel
 🗣️Building teams that actually trust each other
 🗣️Leading with purpose instead of pressure

I’ve been fortunate to share this work with companies like Intel, Meta, GM, UPS, LinkedIn, and the Dallas Cowboys - along with universities, associations, and SHRM chapters across the country.

But more than any credential, here’s what matters most: I care deeply about helping people grow. Not just as professionals, but as humans.

I’m glad we connected.

I’m here to serve.

- Jake

I put together 5 leadership lessons that I wish I knew sooner as a leader.

5 Leadership Lessons I wish I knew sooner

Before you'll ever enter rooms you wish to be in, you must first enter them in your mind.

2026…we're coming for you. Here’s to building powerful rooms together next year.

Sunday evening reminder that you still have PTO left this year - so take it.

Public confidence is found in private discipline.

David F.

Power Engineering & Manufacturing Inc.

Strategic Sales Manager-North America

Power Electric

At this global leader in small electric motor and gear motor solutions for OEM manufacturing projects, I have progressed from sales manager to sales engineer to my current role.

Initially recruited by the CEO, I was tasked with running the sales department. In my earlier career, I helped build and coach the sales team on the technical side of business and customer prospecting at industry-specific tradeshows.

Here, I sold electric motors while managing 5 technical external sales professionals.

Clients included: Hammerhead, Middleby Marshall ($5M), Latham Pool Products: Cover Star (~$5M), Stanley Black & Decker, Access (Automatic Doors); Eastman Kodak, King Controls, Ag Leader a Key Supplier to John Deer.

Recent achievements include:

➡️ Drove $1.5M quota annually in last 3 years. Displaced competition. 
➡️ Catapulted $1.5M purchase order, Latham Pool Products––turned into $5M customer. Annually renewed contracts. 
➡️ Spearheaded revenue-generating projects, ~$2M per customer. Led designs of 19 motors for 1 machine for Eastman Kodak and executed production. Set up warehouse in trade-free zone for equipment builds.  Worked with manufacturers to ensure free-trade zone. United team with making sales calls 6,00 miles globally.
●	Stanley Black & Decker –Travelled to China to vet factories for 1 of largest electrical manufacturers; performed quality audits; executed smooth delivery to 2 locations in China. Created custom solutions. 
●	Middleby Marshall: Started with Follett (Maestro) Ice Chewblet Ice machines, 2010. Prospected other product locations. 
●	Latham Pools: Provided customer with more efficiency, different voltage, and even combined voltages with a custom wound IP67 rated gear motor.
●	Follette: Created custom wound motor that gave them more torque than competition.
●	Hammerhead – Supplied a completely custom product that they were building themselves.  

➡️ Fostered highest quality products. Mitigated service gaps with 90 or 120 days of customer inventory.

Strategic Business Development Manager

Aero-Space Fasteners and Electronics

DESCRIPTION: Retained to build relationships with customers and develop new business for distribution firm of aero-space fasteners and electronics. Prospected 3 customers daily. Grew territory from $0 to $500K. Managed 5 technical outside sales professionals.
Skills: Direct Sales · Outside Sales · Customer Retention · Sales & Marketing · Team Leadership · Negotiation · Problem Solving

Sales Executive

I am a Business Development Manager and Subject Matter Expert driven by securing lucrative sales opportunities while outperforming competitors. 

Applying a hunter mentality with an engineering mindset supported by a focus on leveraging speed and torque to the sales process by creating custom solutions and establishing collaborative partnerships.  I am always accessible to the customer.

My unique value proposition? I make inroads with large companies and hard-to-reach decision-makers, driving innovations, gauging risks, and facilitating compliance while forming long-term relationships. Moreover, I do the things my competition does not do…simple things that matter to the customer. 

Working with a global leader in small electric motor and gear motor solutions, I have fostered multimillion-dollar growth while progressing from sales manager to sales engineer to my current role.

Throughout my career, I have taken full reins of the factory and diverse teams while integrating the collaboration of multiple departments, winning customers early and retaining all.

My key strengths include extreme ownership and solutions development for accounts––everything is custom. As a subject matter expert, I understand the business so I can critically apply an engineering mind to my client’s needs. 

I place a primary focus on active relationship building, both internally and externally, which is critical to customer service excellence. My astute engineering and sales expertise helps bridge the gap from a sales standpoint to an engineering standpoint. Building personal connections and focusing on customers’ priorities while exercising persistence embodies my sales success strategy.  I take the time to understand internal and external stakeholders. 

𝗦𝗣𝗘𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟𝗧𝗬 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘
Sales Market Strategy | Account Management | Strategic Partnerships | Revenue Growth | Team Building & Coaching | Analytical Problem Solving | Risk Mitigation | Compliance

𝗛𝗢𝗪 𝗜 𝗚𝗘𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗨𝗟𝗧𝗦 

My focus is to drive consistent landmark performance:

✅ Fueled a $1.5M quota annually in the last 3 years. 

✅ Catapulted a $1.5M purchase order that turned into a $5M customer. 

✅ Spearheaded numerous revenue-generating projects with $2M per customer.

𝗟𝗘𝗧'𝗦 𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗞

I truly enjoy sharing my sales expertise with colleagues, teams, and executives to help drive growth and customized solutions. 

💡 Does the sales team in your organization need reengineering?
💡 Looking to gain a competitive edge?
💡 Want to talk through your Next Big Idea?

𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗔𝗖𝗧 𝗠𝗘: LinkedIn

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The Battle

Jacob Brown

David F.

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