AFN Fireside Chat: Rewriting the Rules on Burnout & Resilience
With Subject Matter Experts
Kellie Mix, Executive Coach, Project Manager, Certified Burnout Expert, Sixth Wing
John Previtera, Executive Coach, Facilitator, Certified Burnout Expert, AFN
Matt Sitter, CEO, AFN
Burnout is everywhere. It’s the buzzword of the moment, a trending topic on every platform. But for Kellie Mix and John Previtera, it’s not a trend. It’s personal.
Join us for an unfiltered fireside chat with two experts who are redefining what it means to build resilience and challenging the surface-level strategies so often recycled in corporate conversations.
Kellie Mix is a resilience coach, Marine Corps officer, and former elite athlete who learned the hard way that grit isn’t always the answer. She helps high-performing women, military spouses, and athletes create space to hear their voices again and chart a new course forward.
John Previtera is a 100% disabled Navy SEAL veteran who spent 28 years in high-stakes service and now brings hard-earned wisdom to leaders and teams. John’s burnout story isn’t from a TED Talk—it’s from the battlefield, the boardroom, and the quiet moments in between.
Together, they’re launching a new kind of conversation. One rooted in truth, lived experience, and practical tools that make a difference.
In this conversation, we’ll explore:
• Why the standard burnout advice isn’t working—and what to do instead
• The moments that changed Kellie and John’s lives—and the work they’ve dedicated themselves to since
• Who they serve and why their stories resonate so profoundly with high achievers
• How your organization can benefit from real burnout and resilience work—not performative check-the-box efforts
If you’re tired of surface-level solutions and looking for something real, this is your invitation.
Kellie Mix
Executive Coach, Project Manager, Certified Burnout Expert, Sixth Wing
Kellie Mix is an executive coach specializing in leadership for individual and organizational well-being. Her experiences in the military, athletic domain, and corporate America contribute to her skills in developing, leading and managing teams through periods of acute and gradual change.
After retiring from the sport of swimming and graduating from the US Naval Academy, Kellie served as a Logistics Officer in the U.S. Marine Corps . While serving on active duty, she traveled the Southeast Asia-Pacific conducting theater security cooperation exercises and managed the Marine Corps' Physical Fitness Programs at the Marine Corps' Training and Education Command.
Throughout her military career, Kellie continued her athletic pursuits and competed on the All-Marine Triathlon team and the U.S. Armed Forces Swim Team, representing the United States of America at the World Military Games.
After separating from active duty, Kellie worked as a change management consultant at Deloitte. While at Deloitte, she helped organizations identify their current state, desired future state, and determine the gaps in between.
Kellie's coaching approach combines her leadership lessons from athletics, military service, and consulting to bring a unique perspective to her Sixth Wing clients. Kellie completed post-graduate education in executive coaching from George Mason's Center for Advanced Well-Being.
Kellie lives in Virginia Beach with her husband, son, and dog, Josey Blue.
John Previtera
Executive Coach, Facilitator, Certified Burnout Expert, AFN
John holds a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Leadership & Development and when he is not helping leaders and companies thrive, his passion is breeding and training Labrador Retrievers to be service dogs for wounded warriors with PTSD and children with autism. He lives in the woods of southern Oregon with his Wife and son and enjoys spending time on the Rogue River.
John is a Navy SEAL veteran with over 28 years on active duty at various SEAL Teams and Naval Special Warfare commands. While on active-duty John deployed to Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, the Philippines, among other short and long term deployments to various other locations in support of U.S. Foreign Policy.
Following his time in the SEAL Teams, John was recruited by the McChrystal Group, a small elite leadership consulting firm founded by General Stanley McChrystal. The McChrystal Group took the lessons learned by the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) and created a leadership methodology consistent with how elite special operations forces lead and execute on today’s technologically enhanced and everchanging modern battlefield. During this time, John was fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with various companies across numerous industries while learning the important areas of overlap between his diverse military skills and the skills necessary to succeed and thrive in the business environment.
John is an articulate, dynamic, and engaging public speaker with a natural story telling ability. His authentic delivery of content, insights, and perspective allows him to build trust with business leaders that leads to impactful discussions and insightful alternatives to how leadership techniques and teamwork can be accomplished in today’s dynamic, globally connected, and technologically advanced business ecosystem.
Matt Sitter
Matt Sitter is a passionate believer in the power of networks to innovate and realize new opportunities. His career has focused on helping leaders grow, succeed, and to mobilize their teams, organizations, and networks.
Matt’s work has spanned a broad array of industries including Healthcare, Technology, Real Estate Investment, Consumer Products, and Finance (amongst others). He has worked with multiple Fortune 500 executive teams, Private Equity firms, startups, and everything in between.
In addition to his role at AFN, Matt is currently a partner at the Advisory Services firm, Advantary. His experience includes leadership roles at The McChrystal Group, CrossLead, Inc., and MedLever. He has led multiple functions including Product Management, Marketing, Reimbursement, and Product Development.
Matt is a certified Executive Coach, completed his undergraduate studies at Brown University and received his MBA from Dartmouth College’s Tuck School of Business. He is a proud father and husband.
CEO, AFN
