EXPERT ON:
◉ Motivation & Mindset
◉ Overcoming Adversity
◉ Leadership Development
◉ Inspirational Life Story
◉ Legacy & Calling
EXPERIENCE:
◉ From blue-collar beginnings to national security leadership, Nicholas Lawless brings real-world authority forged through military service, DHS leadership, and White House operations at the highest levels of government.
◉ A proven security and business strategist, he transformed a private security firm into a multi-million-dollar enterprise and founded Phobos Security, advising executives on leadership, risk, and resilience in high-stakes environments.
◉ Author of Lawless Leadership: Hardwired from Hardship, Nicholas delivers raw, tactical frameworks that teach leaders how to turn adversity into authority and lead decisively when consequences are real.
Nicholas Lawless is a speaker whose presence and message are as real and uncompromising as the environments that forged him. His path was not one of privilege, but of relentless grit. Starting as a blue-collar carpenter at age 13, he learned the value of hard work and discipline long before he entered the military.
At 22, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, beginning a career in service and security that would take him to the highest levels of the U.S. government. As a Senior Inspector with the Department of Homeland Security and an operator within the White House, he was entrusted with the safety of the nation’s most critical assets, holding numerous security clearances and undergoing multiple FBI background investigations.
Transitioning to the private sector, Nicholas acquired a California-based security firm and transformed it into a multi-million-dollar enterprise, later founding Phobos Security to provide elite executive protection and risk advisory services. His unique perspective, bridging federal operations with private sector demands, has made him a sought-after voice on security and leadership, with features in USA Today and the International Law Review and speaking engagements for organizations like the German-American Business Chamber.
In January 2026, he released his much-anticipated book, Lawless Leadership: Hardwired from Hardship, a raw, unfiltered manual for building authority through adversity. When Nicholas Lawless speaks, he delivers more than a keynote; he provides an operational briefing on reality, leaving audiences with the tools to lead when the stakes are real.
Official Speaking Topics
• Lawless Leadership: Authority Forged in Chaos
How to build unshakable leadership through adversity, rejection, and high-stakes failure. This is not theory; it is a tactical framework for leading when consequences are real.
• The Security Mindset: Threat Awareness for Executives & Entrepreneurs
A briefing on the convergence of physical, digital, and geopolitical threats. Nicholas provides actionable intelligence for protecting your business, your family, and your future in an increasingly unstable world.
• Hardwired from Hardship: The Resilience Protocol
An intense, personal talk on weaponizing past trauma and failure. Nicholas shares his framework for transforming pain into the discipline, focus, and raw energy required to dominate in any field.
