Emma Przybyslawski was so good at her job she began to receive hate mail from the ISIS terrorist organization. She has now started a company that aims to make our Special Forces even more efficient and lethal.
Emma had a hiccup in her Air Force career. She took time off from the Air Force Academy because she wasn’t sure if that is the path she wanted to follow. Quickly realizing her mistake, she returned to the Academy and was selected as Cadet Squadron Commander of the Year.
As an Air Force Intelligence Officer, she says she “stumbled” into working with Special Forces while serving at the 12th Air Force Headquarters. Eventually, most of her career was spent being attached to Special Forces from various branches. Often being the “token” Air Force member and only woman on the team was not an issue, as the team recognized she was extremely competent and that was all that mattered. She says a bigger adjustment was sometimes the institutional differences among the branches.
Emma was awarded a Bronze Star by SEAL Team 7. The citation credited her with 1,634 enemy kills. When word spread among the locals of a tall brunette that was responsible for the targeting, threatening letters from ISIS began to arrive at her base. Emma says she was never really concerned.
Emma co-founded Strike Solutions in 2022. Strike solutions produces software and hardware that increases efficiency and reduces costs for end users like Special Forces operations. The inspiration came from her lived experience in the field, when she says the best tools were often in short supply.
We talk about the challenges of being a “boot strap” entrepreneur working in a field where technology changes can be rapid and very dynamic. One of the lessons she learned from special operations and transferred to her business is the importance of building an environment where every team member’s input is heard and respected.
TAKEAWAY: “Show up and exercise excellence every single day. Just be better!”