Mauricio Umansky has spent his career navigating multi-million dollar real estate deals and high-stakes negotiations— but did any of it prepare him for the demands of a reality competition modeled after actual military selection processes…in the Malaysian jungle?
In this exclusive Q&A, The Agency’s Founder & CEO opens up about his time on “Special Forces,” which he reveals was the toughest challenge of his life. Find out what it taught him about leadership, what it revealed about his own resilience, and what it meant to watch his daughter, Alexia, rise to the challenge right beside him.
Watch it all play out when “Special Forces” premieres Thursday, September 24th at 9 PM EST & PST on Fox (streaming live on YouTube TV, and the next day on Hulu and Disney+).
In real estate, being able to read people and stay calm under pressure is essential. Did those instincts kick in out there?
Absolutely. But this was pressure on an entirely different level. It was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done, physically and mentally. What I learned very quickly was that you couldn’t let your mind get too far ahead of you. You had to stay calm, focus on what was directly in front of you and get through the next challenge.
That actually translates very closely to business. As a CEO, there are always going to be difficult moments, decisions, and things outside of your control. You can’t panic. You assess the situation, make the best decision you can and keep moving forward. This experience reinforced for me just how powerful mindset is.
As members of The Umansky Team, you and Alexia deal with challenges together for a living. Did your work dynamic show up in this competition? Or your family dynamic?
Definitely both. Alexia and I know each other extremely well, so there was an instinctive understanding of when the other person needed encouragement and when they needed space to push through something themselves.
But what was really special for me was getting to experience Alexia outside of our normal father-daughter and work relationship. I got to see her resilience and strength in an entirely different environment. There were moments when I wanted to protect her as her dad, but I also had to let her compete and find that strength within herself. I was incredibly proud of her.
You and Alexia are in tune with each other’s strengths in real estate. Which of those strengths came into play in this competition?
Resilience, communication and being able to perform under pressure. In real estate, you can prepare as much as you want, but something unexpected will always happen. You have to adapt quickly without losing focus.
That was true every single day on Special Forces. You never really knew what was coming next, so you couldn’t waste energy worrying about it. You had to trust yourself, trust the people around you and deal with the challenge in front of you.
“The biggest thing I learned is that your mind gives up before your body does. Whether you’re competing on Special Forces or leading a company through a difficult moment, resilience is deciding you’re going to keep moving forward.”
Mauricio UMansky
Did this competition reveal new strengths that might translate to your work life?
It reminded me that we’re all capable of a lot more than we think we are. Your mind will sometimes tell you that you’re done before your body actually is. Learning to push beyond that voice was incredibly powerful.
As a CEO and entrepreneur, resilience has always been important to me, but this gave me a completely different understanding of it. Building a company comes with highs and lows. There are moments when things are incredibly difficult, and you have to keep believing in what you’re building and keep moving forward. That’s mind over matter in a different form.
Now that you’ve done something this challenging, will it change how you handle stress at work?
Perspective. After going through something like this, you realize how much energy we sometimes give to problems before we’ve even tried to solve them.
I think I’ll be even more disciplined about staying present: don’t panic, don’t overthink what’s coming next, assess what’s in front of you and solve that problem. Then move on to the next one. That’s something I learned out there that applies directly to leadership and business.
Coming out of this, do you feel differently about yourself—as a competitor, as a leader or just as a person?
I definitely learned something about myself. I’m extremely competitive (that wasn’t a surprise), but I learned that my mental strength is probably one of my greatest assets.
There were moments when everything in you was telling you to stop, and you had to make a decision: am I actually done, or is my mind just telling me I’m done? Pushing through those moments gave me a new level of confidence and perspective.
And as a leader, it reminded me that resilience isn’t about never struggling. It’s about how you respond when things get hard.
“Leadership and this experience have something in common. You can’t always control what’s coming at you. You can control how you respond. Stay calm, adapt, solve what’s in front of you and keep moving.”
Mauricio umansky
What’s one word to describe your “competition personality”?
Relentless. I’m competitive, but for me it was less about beating someone else and more about refusing to quit on myself. I wanted to know how far I could push myself mentally and physically.
What did you enjoy most about your time on the show?
Doing it with Alexia. The experience itself was incredibly difficult, but getting to share something that intense with my daughter is something I’ll never forget.
We know each other as father and daughter and as colleagues, but this stripped everything else away. We were just two people being tested and trying to get through it together. Seeing what she was capable of made me incredibly proud.
What are you most excited for audiences to see?
I think people are going to see a side of both of us they haven’t seen before. There’s nowhere to hide in an environment like this. You’re exhausted, uncomfortable and being pushed beyond what you thought your limits were. I’m excited for people to see that journey: the resilience, the vulnerability, the competitive side and hopefully the strength it takes to keep going when your mind is telling you to stop.
What’s one word to describe Alexia’s “competition personality”? And do you think she’d agree?
Determined. Once she commits to something, she is incredibly focused. I already knew that about her from working together, but seeing it under these circumstances was completely different. She kept digging deeper. I think she’d agree with “determined,” although she might have another word for herself.
See Mauricio and Alexia Umansky compete on “Special Forces,” premiering September 24th at 9 PM EST and PST on Fox (streaming live on YouTube TV, and the next day on Hulu and Disney+).
