Mauricio Umansky on Special Forces: What the Jungle Taught Him About Resilience

Lucía Torres · 2026-09-23

Mauricio Umansky has spent decades closing multi-million dollar real estate deals and negotiating high-stakes contracts. But nothing—and he means nothing—prepared him for 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 calls the toughest challenge of his life. He shares 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. "Special Forces" premieres Thursday, September 24th at 9 PM EST & PST on Fox. You can stream it live on YouTube TV, and catch it the next day on Hulu and Disney+. ### Reading People Under Real Pressure In real estate, being able to read a room and stay calm when everything's on the line 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, tough 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 really is. ### When Family and Work Collide As members of The Umansky Team, Mauricio and Alexia deal with challenges together for a living. So did their work dynamic show up in this competition? Or was it more about the 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 on their own. 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. ### The Strengths That Carried Them Through Mauricio 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 ### Mind Over Matter in Business and Beyond 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. ### What This Means for Anyone Facing a Tough Moment Mauricio's experience is a reminder that the skills we build in one arena often show up in unexpected places. Whether you're negotiating a deal, leading a team, or just trying to get through a hard week, the same principles apply: - Stay present. Don't let your mind race ahead to worst-case scenarios. - Trust your instincts. You've prepared more than you realize. - Lean on the people around you. You don't have to do it alone. - Keep moving forward. Even when it feels impossible. Sometimes the toughest challenges teach us the most about who we are—and what we're capable of becoming.