About - Second Wind - Finish Strong, Inc.

About Second Wind - Finish Strong, Inc.

SWFS, led by Pete Folch, is dedicated to training and inspiring people to be strong finishers in their journeys.

VISION

Training and inspiring people to be strong finishers in their journeys.

MISSION

To “redefine the possible” for success with people, teams, and organizations.

ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH

Professional speaking and training focused on personal, professional and leadership development.

Owner & Principal

Meet Pete Folch

Pete Folch is a professional speaker and trainer dedicated to teaching, coaching, and inspiring people as well as teams, to achieve peak performance and significance in their lives. Pete has a passion to help people discover renewed energy and re-discover their true potential …and ultimately finish strong in their “race of life.”

Pete is one of the original members of the founding class of Ziglar Legacy Certified Trainers. As a professional contract trainer, Pete has conducted workshops all over the U.S. Pete is a co-author of 2 books: “Ziglar Legacy: 1st Class All The Way” & “Living Beyond Purpose.” Pete’s coaching messages of inspiration can be heard weekly on The Shepherd Radio Network (AM/FM) stations in Central Florida.

Married 35+ years, Pete and his beautiful wife have two outstanding adult children, a son-in-law and a new grand-daughter. During his 30+ year restaurant career, his greatest accomplishment: Revitalizing team energy and transforming the culture for 55,000+ employees in over 400 Olive Garden restaurants in the U.S. & Canada. Pete is also a Darden Restaurants “Brilliance Award” recipient (the highest Darden honor). Pete has worked on recent Change Management and Organizational Transformation projects with AdventHealth and UES. Pete lives in Orlando.

You've got a second wind in you! finish strong!

Fun Fact: Pete has ran and completed 30+ marathons and 10 ultra-marathon distances up to 100 kilometers! His best Endurance Race Finish was in 2022 at the Picnic Island Ultra 10-Hour Endurance Event – 3rd place Overall Male (Jupiter, FL). As of 2024, Pete has trained 50+ people to run their first half-marathon or full marathon! 100% of the folks Pete has trained complete their distances. Pete knows what it takes to FINISH STRONG.

Passion for Helping People

'Extraordinary’ is the phrase that comes to mind when I think about Pete. I am honored to know him at a personal level. He is a great Friend, Coach and a fantastic Mentor. I have also had the privilege to attend one of his Goal Setting and Achievement workshops via his Zig Ziglar program and run with him on his Run/Walk group at Discovery Church East Orlando. The experience had helped be a better professional and individual. I particularly admire the way Pete encourage others to be the best version on themselves. He is a great communicator and coordinator.

We hired Pete Folch to do a customer service/phone skills training for our employees. Pete came in to the training very well prepared as he researched/learned about our practice before hand and he brought in many insights in how to provide excellent customer service to our patients. The training was interactive and the employees enjoyed learning new techniques and ways to handle phone calls. I would highly recommend Pete for your customer service/phone skills training at any company.

As the Executive Director at the GACHP, I had the privilege of working with Pete Folch as a keynote and break out speaker for us at four different conferences in 3 different states. His passion for service, encouragement, excellence and motivation are second to none! His is a gifted communicator who can reach various audiences of various sizes, from a smaller intimate break out class to our large audience keynote address. Truly, if you need an opening speaker to kick off your event with a powerful, exciting or challenging word message or a closing keynote address speaker who can motivate and encourage your group to go back to work stronger and more hopeful and excited, then there is none better that we have found to do that than Pete!

Pete has my highest recommendation. He customized specific training for our unique business with actionable and applicable takeaways. The training was conducted virtually to our domestic and international locations and was collaborative for our entire team.

Pete is a dynamic and motivational leader who has been engaging people for over 26 years. Every organization is fueled by People, Passion and Purpose. Pete has an inherent ability to define and connect his audience to these three tenets to achieve well rooted success. At FoodFirst Global Restaurants, Pete developed and led our “Passion for Service” training platform which successfully provided a solid foundation for our re-branding efforts. I highly recommend Pete to anyone in search of a progressive, engaging and transformational leader to provide that “ Inspirational Spark”.

Pete is an outstanding trainer and an even better man. He possesses tremendous integrity in every facet of his life. Pete comes prepared, he's energetic, and his training is purpose driven. Pete can easily captivate a room with his message and does a great job keeping his audience engaged. We received nothing but glowing feedback from our operators once our conference was finished, I highly recommend Pete and I'm happy to answer any questions regarding his work.

Integrity

It all starts with integrity. In building trust, we resolve to always do the right thing, to be honest and forthright, and follow-through on all of our commitments.

SERVICE

Being of service is our pleasure. We treat people as special and appreciated by giving of ourselves, doing more than expected, anticipating needs, and making a difference.

EXCELLENCE

Every program developed, every presentation given, every service provided will uphold the highest standards. We are also dedicated to continuous improvement.

Words of Life

We believe in promoting and presenting words that are encouraging, positive, that build up, and edify individuals and teams. Words can be powerful and alter the course of someone’s life.

RELATIONSHIPS

We desire to always be developing and building strong relationships with everyone we serve, support and build a friendship with.

PERSEVERANCE

Big goals, significant achievements and worthy life pursuits require perseverance! We know there is life-changing power when a person has the courage and resolve to embrace a challenging situation, stay with it and do the right thing.

PASSION

What we do is done with “heart and soul.” The best training experiences and service can happen with genuine sincere enthusiasm delivered from a heart full of joy and a spirit that cares about the learner!

Redefining the Possible for Your Team

Pete has tangibly helped hospitality and service organizations achieve record-setting business results. With excellence, he has trained and coached professionals in food service, health care, real estate, technology, education, coaching/consulting, church ministry, contractors,
fitness/wellness, law enforcement, government and the military.