Ripple Effect

Helping Corporate Leaders Prevent Bad Moments From turning Into Bad Days

Introducing Michael O’Brien:

Michael O’Brien is the former VP and head of sales at Eisai Pharmaceuticals. Michael left Eisai some years back, and is currently the Chief Calm Officer, Executive Coach, and Leadership Expert.

With a background in pharmaceutical leadership and executive roles, Michael brings experience and resilience to empower individuals and businesses. As the founder of Peloton Executive Coaching, he helps leaders and teams achieve better results and strengthen their cultures. Through his transformative journey and experience, Michael understands the importance of personal growth and mindfulness. He is committed to inspiring individuals to reach their full potential and creating a positive impact in the corporate world.

Connect with Michael at www.michaelobrienshift.com to unlock your success.

Michal has also written a book “Shift”, the name of the book is a play on a life changing event Michael experienced while riding his bicycle. The book is fantastic and it shows that the secret to becoming our best starts with shifting our mindset

Vector Health’s VP of Compliance and Associate Partner Ned Mumtaz and Michael O’ Brien met at Eisai in 2010. In the recent past, Michael and Ned ran a set of webinars together.

Business Leadership Coaching

Whether you’ve had experience or not with Executive or Leadership Coaching, I’m sure the coaches, mentors, and teachers in your life have had an incredible impact on your life. I’m not here to convince you that Coaching is valuable.

Rise to Ripple

It was a perfect desert morning. The sun rose over the Sandia Mountains, and the fresh air woke me up. I thought I created an ideal little cycling loop, but I was hit head-on by an S.U.V. traveling around 40 miles per hour on my fourth lap. To this day, I vividly remember the sound of me slamming into his front grill and flying into the windshield. 

Speaking & Interviews

Michael’s unique mixture of “in the trenches” executive leadership experience, resilient Last Bad Day story, and signature Pause Breathe Reflect™ method can help any audience shift their perspective and see what is possible. 

Business Leadership Coaching


Whether you’ve had experience or not with Executive or Leadership Coaching, I’m sure the coaches, mentors, and teachers in your life have had an incredible impact on your life.

I’m not here to convince you that Coaching is valuable. If you are here, you already know the R.O.I. of having a confidential advisor.

So, instead of talking about why Coaching is essential -especially today, let me share how we accelerate your success.

First, I customize your game plan from a foundation built through discovery, strategy, accountability, and our proven Pause Breathe Reflect™ approach to support your continued success- I like to say that you master how to prevent bad moments from turning into bad days.

Here’s the thing, life, and business have always had their fair share of uncertainty. Still, today’s disruption has made conditions even more unstable, making it essential to have someone who has delivered during dynamic global economic conditions and knows a thing or two about thriving after a bad day.

Rise to Ripple


It was a perfect desert morning. The sun rose over the Sandia Mountains, and the fresh air woke me up. I thought I created an ideal little cycling loop, but I was hit head-on by an S.U.V. traveling around 40 miles per hour on my fourth lap. To this day, I vividly remember the sound of me slamming into his front grill and flying into the windshield.

When I regained consciousness, I asked the E.M.T.s the question that only a fellow cyclist can appreciate, “How’s my bike?” It was my pitiful attempt to cut the tension with some humor. It’s what I did back in the day. I was uncomfortable with the unwanted. And that moment was beyond uncomfortable and without a doubt, unwanted.

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They told me my bike was fine. Yeah, it wasn’t.

They told me to breathe, but I was having trouble staying calm.

I couldn’t believe what was happening. I had a meeting to get to and my wife and two daughters to support. This was not in the script.

But it was. I later discovered that reality wins 100% of its arguments.

I didn’t think I was going to make it. So, I tried to bargain with whoever would listen. I promised to stop chasing happiness if I survived, but it was all I knew. I was so scared.

My doctors aren’t sure how I survived. They told my wife had I been ten years older or not healthy, I would have died before they could help me.

When I came out of the I.C.U., they predicted that I would have a lifetime of limitations and most likely never ride again. When they shared this with me, I went dark. I didn’t have to worry about chasing happiness because I couldn’t see anything to be happy about.

That SUV broke more than my body; it shattered my identity. 

But over time, I discovered that all the events in life are neutral until they are labeled. We have the power to give meaning to our moments and how we see them will influence where we go in life.

In essence, where our focus goes, our energy flows. With this knowledge, I decided to label July 11, 2001, My Last Bad Day. Now, this label doesn’t come with rainbows or unicorns. It’s a statement of gratitude and having perspective. I know that if I have my wife, daughters, and a strong peloton of others when I go to sleep each night, then I can’t call the whole day a bad one. Sure, I’ve had challenging moments since, but I don’t want to give them more fuel than they deserve.

I made a commitment to handle my challenging moments with grace and never label a full day as a bad one because I have people I love and who love me.

I eventually left the hospital, got out of my wheelchair and back on my feet, but I still had more surgeries in front of me to get back on the bike.

My journey, like yours, has peaks and valleys. But every step, or should I say pedal stroke, has made me stronger. I live by Thich Nhat Hahn’s quote: No Mud, No Lotus. As you might have gathered by now, I’ve had to pedal through plenty of mud. I like to think I make an awesome sauce lotus – as do you.

To celebrate my journey and the ripple love, kindness, and gratitude to those who have supported me, I’ll be riding across America with my wife, Lynn, and our dogs, Jester, and Hope. I’m pedaling and they are rockin’ the RV. We will leave Astoria, Oregon and travel through ten states, and arrive forty-five days and 4,200-ish miles later (if I don’t get lost) in Yorktown, VA.

I’m calling it Rise 2 Ripple Challenge.

  • Rise represents resilience

  • 2 represents connection and a bridge to a better tomorrow

  • Ripple is all about our energy because we are all energy

  • Challenge, well, that’s easy – this is going to be a challenge.

Speaking & Interviews


Michael’s unique mixture of “in the trenches” executive leadership experience, resilient Last Bad Day story, and signature Pause Breathe Reflect™ method can help any audience shift their perspective and see what is possible.  

As a corporate coach, he elevates successful leaders by helping them prevent bad moments from turning into bad days.

Michael has shared his story with TEDx, ABC and companies like Pfizer, Genentech, the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association, Brother International, Novartis, J & J and many others. In addition, he’s written two best-selling books, Shift: Creating Better Tomorrows and My Last Bad Day Shift.

HELPING OTHERS PAUSE BREATHE REFLECT

Before launching his coaching career, Michael experienced a life-altering event that shattered his worldview. On July 11th, 2001, he was struck head-on by a speeding S.U.V. while out on a training bike ride. He considers his Last Bad Day one of his best days because it forced him to Pause Breathe Reflect™on what it means to be a human being rather than a human doer. 

Since then, Michael is on a quest to help others PAUSE BREATHE REFLECT™ so they can deal with change, become more resilient, and prevent their bad moments from turning into a bad day or longer. 

Michael is a vocal male champion for women’s leadership and empowerment causes. He’s the first male president of a chapter of the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association and currently serves on their Global Board of Directors. 

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