D.J. Eagle Bear Vanas is a husband, father, internationally-acclaimed motivational storyteller and a leadership and personal development expert. He is also the author of the celebrated book The Tiny Warrior: A Path to Personal Discovery & Achievement which is printed is six countries. His latest book, Spirit on the Run, is his first novel.
D.J. is a tribally-enrolled member of the Odawa Nation and a former military officer. He shows organizations how to practically apply the power of the warrior spirit to perform at their best, stay resilient and thrive in tough, changing environments. For twenty years, he's delivered his dynamic programs in 49 states and overseas to over 7,000 audiences including Walt Disney, NASA, Intel and hundreds of tribal governments, communities and schools. He's also been invited to the White House to speak – twice.
He holds a B.S. from the U.S. Air Force Academy and an M.S. from University of Southern California and has served on the Board of Directors on the National Board of Certified Counselors. After serving ten years as an Air Force officer, he is now the president of his own company, Native Discovery Inc. D.J.'s mission is to "build the warriors of tomorrow...today".
Quick Stats
Hobbies: reading, drawing, working out, martial arts, hiking, gardening, cooking
Favorite music: old school hip-hop, Motown and 70's-90's R&B
Favorite TV shows: The Office, Vikings, Top Chef
Favorite books: The Lakota Way, 1491, Lord of the Flies, Game of Thrones
Favorite authors: Bill Bryson, Joseph Marshall III, Bernard Cornwell, Barbara Kingsolver
Favorite movies: Avatar, Gladiator, October Sky, Shawshank Redemption, Saving Private Ryan, Raiders of the Lost Ark
Favorite places: New York City, Venice, London, Bruges, Australia, Taipei, Traverse City, Rome, El Yunque Rain Forest, Turks & Caicos Islands and Alaska
Weird facts:
- Can do a perfect impersonation of a goat
- Learned to fly airplanes before learning to drive a car
- Saw a meteor enter atmosphere and break up under a full moon
- Had a great conversation with Bill Gates Sr.
- Have jumped out of an airplane five times
