Five Principles for Success from Navy SEAL Kevin Lacz

By Jason Keil | October 7, 2025

 

In the wake of the 9/11 attacks, Kevin Lacz answered the call to serve with unwavering resolve. He joined the Navy, conquered the grueling BUD/S training, and went on to complete two combat tours with the elite SEAL Team THREE. His valor in combat earned him a Bronze Star with a combat “V” and multiple Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals.

After hanging up his uniform in 2010, Lacz didn’t slow down. He earned a Master of Medical Science from Wake Forest University and co-founded a cutting-edge functional medicine practice.

Then Hollywood came calling, and Lacz served as a technical advisor and portrayed himself in the blockbuster film American Sniper. He later penned the best-selling memoir The Last Punisher, offering a raw, gripping account of life as a Navy SEAL. Driven by a passion to give back, he co-founded Hunting for Healing, a nonprofit that reconnects disabled veterans and their spouses with nature through transformative outdoor experiences.

Lacz was the keynote speaker at this year’s NAIOP I.CON Cold Storage in Phoenix, where he shared his five principles for success.

Get Outside Your Comfort Zone

It’s a phrase we’ve all heard before, but Lacz broke down what it meant for him as a Navy SEAL. Not only did it mean leaving the protective network of his hometown in Connecticut, but it also meant going through a week of grueling training that has only a 15% success rate. He soon realized that he wasn’t competing with his fellow trainees. Rather, he was challenging himself to become a better person.

He then related this principle to real estate, explaining that as the market changes, you must have confidence in yourself to persevere.

“We see the ups and downs, but you learn things about yourself that make you stronger, make you better, and give you the confidence in which to succeed when others don’t,” said Lacz.