“A humble, patriotic American hero. An inspirational, experienced leader, and a truly gifted speaker. McB delivers a powerful message to his audience about perseverance, friendship, leadership, and teamwork. He details and accentuates his lessons with stories, photos, videos, and humor in a way that few other speakers can. McB’s charismatic delivery and strong messages combine to keep the audience hyper-engaged, and then connects further through deep Q and A. One of the most engaging and educational speakers I have ever had the privilege of hearing.”

BRIAN WATKINS | Clarion Partners

"McB provided an inspirational message on his perseverance through his Navy SEAL training and did a great job applying his experience to real-life scenarios. His presentation and speaking style were natural, engaging, and entertaining. The Provation sales team loved hearing from him and asked to have him join our next event!"

SUE ALLEN | Provation

“McB is a highly decorated veteran and also a skilled storyteller. He is the narrator for his own real-life tales of honor and sacrifice that will stir a range of emotions in just about any audience. However, Darren has such a humble matter-of-fact way of recounting the stories that one can’t help but immediately sense the depth of his credibility and expertise when it comes to motivating others. Darren’s tales can easily translate to any organization that would benefit from: effective goal setting, a greater sense of purpose, and heightened teamwork. The typical “corporate motivational speaker” falls flat in comparison to the insights and experiences that Darren can share.”

KARL SCHULZ | CDW LLC

“McB has a wonderful ability to pull in details from his experiences and to articulately communicate his message. From personal anecdotes to his professional achievements, McB is a crafty story teller. His message resonates with the audience; from the hardships of training to the personal sacrifices of he and his brothers. His personal narrative along with his incredible talents in photography create a lasting impression.”

MICHAEL JAMIESON | CITI Corporate and Investment Banking

“Darren has the unique ability to share his experiences and can connect with everyone in the room on a level that makes them get personally involved—he carries a powerful message.”

MATT TROKA

“His presentation hits all the right points: it has depth when focusing on his military service and fellow service members; it’s interesting when sharing details and stories about SEAL training; humorous and self-deprecating in a great way; and most of all strikes the right balance between patriotism and entertainment. McB has developed the ability to integrate his presentation to the message the organization wants the attendees to take from the event, and leave with a great experience.”

MIKE BELTZ | Excentus Corporation

“The way McB integrates his own personal experience as a Navy SEAL, as well as his unfettered access to photograph SEAL training, gives us a unique and never-before-seen look at what it takes to become a SEAL. His talent of speaking, photography, and patriotism is awe-inspiring.”

ROBIN VENTURA | Chicago White Sox Manager, MLB Ret.

“McB is a captivating and authentic speaker. His history in the Navy and the various SEAL Teams gives him ample real-life complex situations which he can use to compare to various business situations and goals. Teamwork, partnering, negotiating, mental toughness, following plans, achieving goals, regardless of the message your trying to get across, McB will be able to captivate your audience with real-life scenarios and leave them wanting more. He is the real deal, either in his dress uniform or in jeans and flip flips, his delivery is authentic and believable. Some speakers are just professional speakers with no real history of success. Darren is a real person, with real successes, and then he became a speaker.”

JONATHAN SMITH | HGST, a Western Digital Company

“I had the distinct privilege and honor to secure McB as the keynote speaker for our Folds of Honor Gala. To say he was a success is an understatement. His speech was moving, funny, sincere, and on-point to the assigned task. He single handedly raised $100,000 in less than five minutes. Truly amazing!”

KAREN HAWORTH | Folds of Honor Chicago

“It's one thing to read a book that describes Navy SEAL training, but it's another to be walked through it painful step by painful step. You want to get inspired, you want to get motivated—spend an hour with McB listening to his stories and seeing his photography and videos. No one else on the planet has a photography background and skillset like McB. His content is unique, which is what makes McB's message so special. ‎Books and stories can't recreate what McB brings to life through his narration and illustrates with his still photos and videos.”

TIMOTHY P. KISLING | Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co.

“McB’s speech was extremely captivating and helps all of us understand at the end of the day things can always be worse but NEVER, EVER QUIT.”

TODD SHORT | CDW LLC

“McB’s ability to hold the audience in utter awe as he speaks of his experience is a gift. Words that come to mind: Patriot, hero, American, and friend. Time spent listening to Darren tell his story is time well spent.”

GARY M. KAZMER, DPM

“McB delivered an amazing presentation at our 2018 National Sales Meeting. His message of perseverance through his Navy SEAL training, accompanied by his amazing photos, was truly inspirational. His “life lessons” portion of the talk really hit the mark with our sales team! As a performance-based sales organization, we are cultivating a “never quit-growth mindset” culture. McB’s message aligned beautifully with the content of our meeting. If you’re looking for a speaker to energize your team, I would highly recommend McB.”

TROY M. PETRICK | Arbor Pharmaceuticals

“McB’s ability to transform his experiences into words will have you feeling pure devastation one moment and laughing the next! Powerful and humbling.”

RAMONA MILLER | Ascension Medical Group St. John

“One of the best speakers we have ever heard, Darren "McB" Mc Burnett, retired Navy Seal. Darren is a great speaker and really put leadership into a different perspective.”

RUSSELL SEIB | NJ Pest Control

“Through his public speaking, McB paints a raw yet nuanced picture of the honor, the comradery, and the glory that is the life of a Navy SEAL, while never sugar-coating the struggle and the toll associated when one actively chooses to become a hero.”

DAN FRYSTAK | CDW LLC

“McB’s ability to weave into his presentation his career as a Navy SEAL, his knowledge and expertise with photography, and his passion for the Folds of Honor Foundation was remarkable as well as inspirational. His presentation brought credibility, intrigue, and honor and absolutely left the room in awe. Moreover, his experiences on the many Seal Teams left us all wanting to hear more, as his stories are unlike those heard anywhere else.”

PERRY AND ANNE SCHMIDT | Folds of Honor Minnesota

“I had never fully understood the level of commitment and sacrifice required of a Navy SEAL. That all changed when I met McB. He took the audience inside the world of BUD/S training. My entire perspective and level of respect for these men was instantly flipped on its head. Darren’s gift as a photographer, combined with his love of country and fellow serviceman, will change the way you view the sacrificial lives of Navy SEALs.”

CHANDLER WITHINGTON | Hazeltine National Golf Club

“McB inspires me every day. He reminds me about the importance of devotion, adversity, diversity, and perseverance. His experience as a Navy SEAL, a natural-born leader, and as an accomplished photographer and speaker motivates me (and many, many others) in new and exciting ways.”

ROCKY SICKMANN | Budweiser

“McB shared his experiences as a Navy SEAL and the principles and discipline that were critical to his success in the Armed Forces and in civilian life. His message of perseverance, sacrifice, and leadership are delivered with amazing passion and left an indelible impression on me. The audience was fully engaged and left with a renewed vigor to face the personal and professional challenges that lie ahead. His amazing skills as a photographer are also on display in his media presentation, offering the audience a unique and breathtaking look into a day in the life of a Navy SEAL. It is the perfect complement to the stories he shares.”

STEPHEN F. GRIFFIN | Eugene L Griffin & Associates