The Professionals Playbook (Hasard Lee)
Explore every episode of The Professionals Playbook
| Pub. Date | Title | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 02 Apr 2019 | Launching into space and commanding the International Space Station--NASA astronaut Terry Virts | 00:50:07 | |
Terry Virts is a U.S. Air Force test / fighter pilot and a NASA veteran of two spaceflights – a two-week mission onboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour in 2010 and a 200-day flight to the Space Station in 2015. He is a leader, speaker, and author who is currently working on multiple projects, including a new book and television series. His seven months in space included piloting the Space Shuttle, commanding the International Space Station, three spacewalks, and performing scientific experiments, all while working closely with multiple international partners. Virts flew with and led Russian Space Agency cosmonauts during some of the most tense relations with Russia since the Cold War. While in space he took more than 319,000 photos – the most of any space mission. These images are an integral component of the IMAX film A Beautiful Planet, which Virts helped film and appears in. In this episode we talk about (in order):
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| 10 Apr 2019 | A day in the life of an Editor and Writer--Alex Hollings | 00:43:20 | |
Alex Hollings writes on a breadth of subjects. His writing can be found on a number of websites; most notably FighterSweep.com, where Hollings serves as editor, TheNEWSREP.com, where Hollings serves as a Senior Staff Writer, and Popular Mechanics. He can also be heard regularly on SOFREP Radio and on All Marine Radio.
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| 16 Apr 2019 | 3-time NFL Super Bowl Champion and Fighter pilot--Chad Hennings | 00:51:34 | |
Chad Hennings is is a three time NFL Super Bowl Champion with the Dallas Cowboys, a former A-10 fighter pilot, an author, a speaker and an entrepreneur.
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| 30 Apr 2019 | The first woman to solo across Antarctica: polar explorer Felicity Aston | 00:59:42 | |
Felicity Aston is a British Polar Explorer living in Reykjavik, Iceland. In 2012 she became the first person in the world to ski alone across Antarctica. The journey of 1744 km (1080 miles) took her 59 days and gave her a place in the book of Guinness World Records. Felicity regularly speaks to audiences around the world about her expedition experiences as well as polar science, Antarctica and meteorology. She has written three books which have now been translated into several languages.
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| 07 May 2019 | Host of the "Airline Pilot Guy" podcast and one of the most senior airline pilots flying--Captain Jeff | 00:58:14 | |
Jeff Nielsen, also known as “Capt. Jeff” is the host of the very successful "Airline Pilot Guy" Podcast. After seven years in the U.S. Air Force as a C-141B and T-37 Instructor Pilot, he was hired by a very large, international “legacy” airline (we refer to it as “Acme Air”). His 30 year airline career has included flight time in the B-727 (all seats), L-1011 (First Officer), and the “Mad Dog” MD-88/90 (Captain).
Make sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode! Check out all the interviews at https://www.professionalsplaybook.com | |||
| 28 May 2019 | USAF Thunderbird #1: The Air Force's top ambassador and warrior on life, loss, combat and more--John "Brick" Caldwell | 01:02:41 | |
Lt. Col. John "Brick" Caldwell is the Commander and Leader of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds. I had never met Brick before this interview, but several pilots I've flown with have a tremendous amount of respect for him. After our conversation, I do as well. He is an accomplished warrior with deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. He has over 660 combat flight hours, a Distinguished Flying Cross, and is a graduate of the USAF weapons school. He served for several years in the Air Force's Test and Evaluation Squadron, overseeing the latest fighter aircraft technology. He now leads the 130-person Thunderbird organization and flies the number 1 jet.
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| 27 May 2019 | Memorial Day Speech on combat, service, sacrifice, and remembering the fallen | 00:14:08 | |
This is not a typical episode, but I felt it was worth sharing. It's a speech I gave for Memorial Day. The audio quality isn't great, but it's meaningful to me. If I can use this podcast and platform to help keep the memory of the fallen alive, then it will have all been worth it. Though I didn’t quite understand it at the time, I do now. These young people traded in their lives and dreams so that we can live ours. Honoring their memory and sacrifice, along with their family’s sacrifice, is a small way we can begin to repay our tremendous debt to them. | |||
| 11 Jun 2019 | The CIA agent behind the movie 'Fair Game' starring Naomi Watts and Sean Penn--Valerie Plame | 00:42:25 | |
Valerie Plame is one of America's most famous CIA officers. Her life was the subject of the 2010 movie Fair Game staring Naomi Watts and Sean Penn. During her time in the CIA she served several tours as a NOC, which stands for non-official cover. NOC's are the most covert of the Agency's operatives, working with no connection to the U.S. government and without diplomatic immunity. While much of the work she did still remains classified, Valerie spent time in the CIA's nuclear counter-proliferation division preventing rouge nations from acquiring weapons of mass destruction. I had a good time talking with Valerie. I was impressed with how open and candid she was about her time in the CIA. I think a lot of her insights are applicable to more normal jobs, especially about how she overcame a gender bias and her tips on networking. In the episode we talk about her time at the CIA's training center, known as "The Farm," what being a NOC was like, leadership tips, the types of people who thrive in the CIA, and more. Below are the show notes with the topics we discussed along with the times.
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| 10 May 2023 | The Art of Clear Thinking: A Stealth Fighter Pilot's Timeless Rules For Making Tough Decisions | 00:26:26 | |
Buy Book here: https://www.hasardlee.com/copy-of-book-2 | |||
| 25 Jun 2019 | CEO and Co-Founder of Veo Robotics on superhuman robots and manufacturing--Patrick Sobalvarro | 00:55:14 | |
Patrick Sobalvarro is the Co-Founder and CEO of Veo Robotics, a company that creates the brains for superhuman industrial robots. Patrick has more than twenty-five years of experience in computer vision, robotics, and industrial automation. Prior to founding Veo Robotics, he was the first Entrepreneur in Residence at Siemens Venture Capital. Patrick was also President of Rethink Robotics, creators of collaborative manufacturing robots, and founded and led the computer vision startup IntelliVid to its acquisition by Tyco International. Originally trained as a computer scientist, Patrick holds a Ph.D., M.S., and B.S. in Computer Science from MIT. I was impressed with how Patrick was able to explain the nuances of what he does to someone outside the industry like myself. He is humble and knowledgeable which makes him a great teacher. In this episode we talk about how robots are similar to the plow-horse from the early 20th century, how Tesla automated their factory too much leading to disastrous results, computer vision, A.I., what he looks for in new-hires, and his No-Jerks policy.
Make sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode! Check out all the interviews at https://www.professionalsplaybook.com | |||
| 09 Jul 2019 | Reno Air Race Champion on Optimizing Human and Machine Performance--Andy Findlay | 00:55:29 | |
My guest today is Andy Findlay, the 2018 Reno Air Race Champion. The race, officially known as the National Air Race Championships, is a multi-day event that takes place every September. It is billed as "the worlds fastest motor sport." The highly modified aircraft often reach speeds in excess of 400 mph, often just feet from each other. Andy has raced competitively for most of his life--downhill skiing, snowmobiles, motorcycles, and now airplanes. He has flow over 20 different types of aircraft and has a background in engine development. He was the 2013 "rookie of the year" and is now the reigning sport-class champion. Two things stood out to me about Andy--his engineering expertise and his passion for understanding the mental side of peak performance. His engineering background is evident as he discusses how he gains an incremental advantage with each modification to the plane. It was also fascinating to hear how he trains mentally to perform his best on race day. In this episode we talk about, in order:
Make sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode! Check out all the interviews at https://www.professionalsplaybook.com | |||
| 23 Jul 2019 | Brig. General on Human Performance, Fostering Innovation, and Leadership Lessons--Pete Palmer | 00:52:22 | |
My guest today is Brig. General (retired) Pete Palmer. He served for 32 years in the Army in various infantry assignments, both stateside and abroad. His joint and coalition experience include four tours in NATO as well as Kosovo and Iraq. During the latter part of his career Pete was assigned to serve as the Director of Accelerated Capabilities Development, where he helped champion the Army’s push into improving the relationship between the soldier and technology. He most recently served as the Director of General Dynamics's EDGE innovation Network, which develops and nurtures emerging technology. Pete has served as somewhat of a mentor to me. He is truly world-class in connecting people with an idea or team so that they will succeed. He has also worked with nearly every major government organization that is researching human performance. In our conversation we talk about mapping the human mind, the top ways to increase a soldiers performance, being able to "smell" the battlefield, leadership lessons learned, and more.
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| 06 Aug 2019 | The Co-Founder of Siri and Change.org on working with Steve Jobs, Time Management Techniques, and Keys to Success--Adam Cheyer | 01:03:16 | |
My guest today is a genius that is changing the paradigm of the world we live in. I don't use those words lightly. He is the Co-Founder of Siri, the digital assistant that's in every Apple device. He is a founding member of Change.org, a community of over 200 million members who fight for what's right by shining a spotlight on important issues around the world. He is also a founding member of Sentient, the worlds most well funded artificial intelligence company. He is currently working as the Co-Founder of Viv Labs, developing Bixby, Samsung's digital assistant. He has authored more than 60 peer-reviewed publications, and holds 26 patents. Talking with Adam was an incredible experience. He is one of the few people who has changed the world in a measurable way. His story about Steve Jobs calling him up and offering to buy his company is amazing. He talks about how he managed his time while starting 3 companies simultaneously, how to develop a mental model to predict the future, and his current digital assistant, which the rest of us won't have access to for several years. If you listen to one part, listen to the last 10 minutes, where he talks about the key to his success--verbally stated goals. Below are the topics we discussed along with timestamps:
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| 20 Aug 2019 | Lessons from a top Red Bull Air Racing and decorated fighter pilot--Matt Hall | 01:00:55 | |
My guest today is Matt Hall, Australia's top aviator. He has logged over 6,000 hours in various aircraft, including the F-18 Hornet and the F-15 Strike Eagle. He is a decorated Wing Commander in the Australian Air Force, a Fighter Combat Instructor (Australia's version of Top Gun), and in 1997 was named Australia’s Fighter Pilot of the Year. Matt has also competed on the international level in aerobatics, winning the Australian Advanced Aerobatic Championship and finished first in Freestyle and second overall in the Unlimited category. For the last 10 years, Matt has been flying at the pinnacle of aviation racing--The Red Bull Air Race series. He is one of the top pilots, coming in second overall a record three times. With the final Red Bull race ever coming up, Matt is in second place with a chance to win the championship. What struck me most about Matt was his system's approach to winning. He has merged the training he did in the Air Force with an Olympic athlete's mindset. Every aspect of his life has been optimized so that on race day he can fly as fast as possible. In our conversation we talk about what it's like to pull 12G's, the time his wing hit the ocean during a race, his sports psychology training, and more. Below are the show notes with the associated timestamps:
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| 03 Sep 2019 | CEO and Co-Founder of ForeFlight on building the worlds best aviation software--Tyson Weihs | 00:53:04 | |
My guest today is Tyson Weihs, the Co-Founder and CEO of ForeFlight--by far the best aviation software ever produced. Tyson and his company Foreflight has nearly singlehandedly dragged the entire aviation industry into the future. Before Foreflight aviation software was slow, cumbersome, and obsolete as soon as you bought it. It was similar to the dashboard GPS devices you stuck to your car window. Foreflight has done to aviation software what Google Maps did to the TomTom. It works seamlessly, it's updated all the time, and every few months there's a new feature you can use. In our conversation, we talk about what it takes to build a great team, how to harness innovation, how he manages his time, and more. Below are the full show notes with associated time stamps:
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| 17 Sep 2019 | The FBI's Lead International Kidnapping Negotiator on How to Get a Raise and More--Chris Voss | 00:48:55 | |
My guest today is Chris Voss who served as the lead international kidnapping negotiator for the FBI. During his career, he worked on over 150 international hostage cases. During his 24 year tenure, he was trained in the art of negotiation by not only the FBI but Scotland Yard and Harvard Law School. He is also a recipient of the Attorney General’s Award for Excellence and the FBI Agents Association Award for Distinguished and Exemplary Service. Chris is a master negotiator who has since written one of the top books in the field titled "Never Split the Difference." He also works as an adjunct professor at USC's Marshall School of Business and Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business. In our conversation we talk about what it's like to be on the phone with a terrorist, the traits required of a hostage negotiator, how everyone can become better at negotiating, and more. Below are all the topics with associated timestamps:
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| 01 Oct 2019 | The Head of Bloomberg Beta with $150M Under Management on Team Chemistry and the Future of Work--Roy Bahat | 00:49:57 | |
My guest today is Roy Bahat who is the head of Bloomberg Beta, an investment firm with over 150 million dollars under management. He invests in the future of work with a focus on machine intelligence and automation. Fast Company magazine named Roy one of the Most Creative People in Business. Before heading up Bloomberg Beta, Roy served as the president of IGN Entertainment, the leading Video Games' media company. There he was known for unorthodox but very effective hiring strategy. Roy is also on the faculty at U.C. Berkeley, where he teaches about media at the Haas School of Business. He's a graduate of Harvard and was also a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University. I had a great time chatting with Roy today. He is the leading expert on the future of work. In our conversation we talk about how he choses a startup team, the principals he uses to run Bloomberg Beta, the future of media, and more. Below are all the show notes with associated timestamps:
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| 15 Oct 2019 | Legendary Baseball Pitcher Who Was Born Without a Right Hand--Jim Abbott | 00:52:19 | |
My guest today is Jim Abbott, a pitcher who played for 10 seasons in the Major Leagues. Despite being born with only one hand, he won the James Sullivan Award as the nation's best amateur athlete and then went on to win a gold medal in the Summer Olympics. He is one of only 8 players in the last 40 years to skip the minor leagues and make his debut in the Majors. His successful career is highlighted by a no-hitter he thew as a member of the New York Yankees. Jim is a trailblazer who inspired me going up. In our conversation he talks about the electric feeling of taking a no-hitter into the 9th inning, his mental training, how he de-briefed his outings, and more. Note: the audio has some issues the first 10 minutes, but smoothes out after. Below are the show notes with associated timestamps:
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| 29 Oct 2019 | 5x Shuttle Astronaut and John Glenn's Doctor: on Space, Climbing Mt. Everest, and Learning Well--Scott Parazynski | 00:56:07 | |
My guest today is Scott Parazynski, who has traveled 23 million miles over 5 missions to space, including 7 spacewalks. He was inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2016 and is the only person to both fly into space and summit Mount Everest. Dr. Parazynski served as Senator John Glenn’s personal physician during his historic return to space in 1998, and is the recipient of many awards, including five NASA Space Flight Medals, two NASA Distinguished Service Medals, two NASA Exceptional Service Medals, the Aviation Week Laureate Award, and the Antarctica Service Medal. He is now a tech start-up CEO and inventor, venturing into some of the world’s most extreme environments in the name of exploration and innovation. His company, Fluidity Technology is redefining how we control vehicles, including drones, using technology he used in space. In our conversation, we talk about what the violent journey to space is like, his historic mission to repair the Space Station's solar panels, and his techniques for learning a new subject. Make sure to subscribe so you catch next month's episode with Dr. Meenakshi Wadhwa, a world-class planetary scientist who is married to Scott. We dive into the world of space as well as talk about how she and Scott met, which I'm confident is the most unique way that two human beings have run into each other. Below are the show notes with associated timestamps:
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| 12 Nov 2019 | Director of Earth and Space Exploration on Life outside of Earth, Overcoming a Gender Bias, and Meteorites--Dr. Meenakshi Wadhwa | 00:53:49 | |
My guest today is Dr. Meenakshi Wadhwa, a world-class planetary scientist and currently the Director of the School of Earth and Space Exploration at ASU. She is a cosmic CSI detective investigating the origins of our solar system, primarily through meteorites. She has been involved in a number of NASA planetary science missions, including Co-Investigator on the Genesis mission and as Collaborator on the Mars Science Laboratory mission. She was also a member of the Planetary Protection Subcommittee (PPS) and was Chair of the NASA Curation and Analysis Planning Team for Extra-terrestrial Materials. Here's a brief highlight from our conversation today.
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| 26 Nov 2019 | Major General (Ret.) gives a Master-Class on Leadership, Talks Day 1 of Desert Storm, and Discusses Cyber Ops--Brett Williams | 00:59:59 | |
My guest today is Major General (Ret.) Brett Williams. He is a command pilot with over 3,700 hours and 100 combat missions in the F-15C Eagle. He was also the Commander for the Air Force's largest combat wing. In his final active duty assignment, General Williams was the Director of Operations for U.S. Cyber Command where he was responsible for planning and executing both defensive and offensive cyberspace operations. He is a leading authority on cyber security and is now the COO of IronNet, a company that leverages AI and machine learning to protect nations and companies against advanced threats. In our conversation, General Williams talks about leading an 8-ship of Eagles on day 1 of Desert Storm, his leadership philosophy, and the top things to protect yourself from a cyber attack. His discussion on leadership is one of the best I've heard.
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| 08 Dec 2019 | Physician-Scientist, Inventor, and Entrepreneur on Living a Healthier Life and the Future of Medicine--Dr. Daniel Kraft | 00:55:39 | |
My guest today is Dr. Daniel Kraft, a Stanford and Harvard trained physician-scientist, inventor, entrepreneur, and innovator. He has over 25 years of experience in clinical practice, biomedical research and healthcare innovation. He is founder and chair of Exponential Medicine, a program that explores convergent, rapidly developing technologies and their potential in biomedicine and healthcare. He has multiple scientific publications and medical patents and is often called to speak to the future of health, medicine, and technology and has given 5 TED and TEDMED Talks. Daniel recently founded IntelliMedicine, focused on personalized, data driven, precision medicine. He is an avid pilot and has served in the Air National Guard as a flight surgeon with squadrons flying the F-15 & F-16. His research on aerospace medicine has been published with NASA. He is also an Adviser to the XPRIZE Foundation. In our conversation, we talk about the challenges of turning an idea into reality, the similarities between medicine and aviation, and how to live a longer healthier life. Below are the show notes.
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| 23 Dec 2019 | One of the Greats: Navy F-4 Fighter Pilot, 2,103 Days as a POW, Silver Star, Bronze Star, 2 Purple Hearts--Charlie Plumb | 00:59:21 | |
My guest today is former US Naval Fighter Pilot, Charlie Plumb. After graduating from the Naval Academy, he completed flight training and reported to Miramar Air Station in San Diego where he flew the first adversarial flights in the development of “TOP GUN.” He then deployed to Vietnam and flew 74 successful combat missions and made over 100 carrier landings. On his 75th mission, just five days before the end of his tour, he was shot down over Hanoi, taken prisoner, tortured, and spent the next 2,103 days in an 8-by-8 foot cell as a Prisoner Of War. Following his repatriation, he continued his flying career, retiring from the Navy after 28 years of service. In our conversation, we talk about what it was like flying the top jet of the era, the missions he flew over Vietnam, and how he kept hope throughout his nearly 6 years as a POW. Below are the show notes with associated time stamps:
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| 21 Jan 2020 | Smokejumper and Bestselling Author on Parachuting into and Killing Forest Fires--Jason Ramos | 00:59:42 | |
My guest today is Jason Ramos, a firefighter currently in his 30th season. He spent over half that time as an air-delivered firefighter. Known as Smokejumpers, these professionals are highly trained and specialized firefighters who can parachute or rappel into a forest fire. They work independently in some of the most difficult terrain imaginable. Jason has over 270 jumps into fires and has also written the leading book on the profession titled "Smokejumper." In our conversation we talk about what it's like to be in one of these infernos, the traits required of a smokejumper, and dive into some of the tactics and equipment used to put out forest fires. Below are the show notes with the associated time stamps:
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| 04 Feb 2020 | Virgin Galactic CEO and Former NASA Chief of Staff on Space Travel in 2020--George Whitesides | 00:45:28 | |
My guest today is George Whitesides, who is the CEO and President of Virgin Galactic, the spaceflight company founded by Sir Richard Branson. With Scaled Composites, the company has developed the WhiteKnightTwo and SpaceShipTwo vehicles, based on the X Prize-winning SpaceShipOne. In his role, he is responsible for guiding all aspects of the company to commercial operation at Spaceport America. Prior to Virgin Galactic, he served as Chief of Staff for NASA. Upon departure from the agency he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, the highest award the agency confers. He is also a fellow of the UK’s Royal Aeronautical Society. In our conversation we talk about the strengths and weaknesses of NASA, how space exploration is like aviation 100 years ago, and what the future of Virgin Galactic looks like. Below are the show notes and associated time stamps:
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| 18 Feb 2020 | Top Artist and World Economic Forum Cultural Leader on using Art to Boost Creativity in Other Fields--Drue Kataoka | 01:12:43 | |
My guest today is Drue Kataoka who has built the top art studio in Silicon Valley, and did it entirely outside the gallery system. Her studio serves top art collectors in 4 continents and over 30 countries. Her art was used for the first zero gravity art exhibit in space at the International Space Station. She was also selected as a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader & Cultural Leader. In our conversation we talk about how art can be a catalyst for creativity in other professions, how creativity is like a muscle that you have to train, and the future of art in virtual and augmented reality. Below are the show notes and associated time stamps:
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| 03 Mar 2020 | Conversation with French Fighter Pilot, Author, and Speaker on Lessons Learned from Combat--"ATÉ" Chuet | 01:18:33 | |
My guest today is Pierre "ATÉ" Chuet a former French Fighter pilot who is now an author and speaker. He went through Pilot Training as an exchange officer with US Navy before flying for the French Navy. He's flown missions in Iraq and was the Rafale Airshow pilot. After a stroke took him out of the cockpit, he transitioned to speaking. In our conversation, we talk about human performance in combat, mental toughness, and the 11G pull-up that caused his stroke. Below are the show notes with time stamps:
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| 14 Mar 2020 | Coronavirus (COVID-19) Guide: Unbiased Facts from former CDC Epidemiologist and Outbreak Investigator--Dr. Joel Selanikio | 01:10:38 | |
Dr. Joel Selanikio is a physician, TED speaker, inventor, emergency responder, and former CDC epidemiologist and outbreak investigator. He was also the lead physician at the IMC Ebola Treatment Center in Sierra Leone. He is one of the few people on the planet that is a professional in public health, clinical expertise, and technology. In our conversation we talk about the Corona Virus (COVID-19) including its origins, symptoms, testing, treatment and lessons to learn from it. There is a lot of noise out there right now--this episode was recorded to be as unbiased and useful as possible. | |||
| 31 Mar 2020 | Founder of Spartan and the Death Race, 3x Bestselling Author on Grit and High Performance--Joe De Sena | 00:45:50 | |
My guest today is Joe De Sena, the Founder and CEO of Spartan, the world’s largest obstacle race and endurance brand. They have more than 250 events across 40 countries with over 1 million annual global participants. He is also the host of the Spartan Up podcast and is a New York Times Best Selling Author of three books: Spartan Up, Spartan Fit, and The Spartan Way. During our conversation we talk about how to build grit, his principals for high performance, and how he started the Spartan race.
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| 14 Apr 2020 | 315 Combat Missions, 24 Air Medals, 3 Distinguished Flying Crosses, on what makes a Great Pilot--George Nolly | 01:08:41 | |
My guest today is George Nolly, who flew 315 combat missions over Vietnam in both the O-2 as a forward air controller and the F-4 as strike pilot; earning 24 Air Medals and 3 Distinguished Flying Crosses. He was the last pilot to complete 100 missions over North Vietnam. While in the Air Force, George received the Tactical Air Command Instructor Pilot of the Year Award. After his service, George went into commercial aviation, flying for United Airlines as a Captain and Flight Instructor for 26 years. He is also the host of the Ready for Takeoff Podcast. In our conversation we talk about his lead up to Vietnam, flying an F-4 into the most heavily defended airspace in the world, and what makes a good pilot.
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| 28 Apr 2020 | "Loonshots:" Author of the #1 Book of the Year on 'The Invisible Axe'--Safi Bahcall | 01:19:44 | |
My guest today is Safi Bahcall who is the author of Loonshots, The most recommended book of the year. It came out in 2019 and has already been translated into 18 languages. It's recommended by Bill Gates, Daniel Kahneman, Daniel Pink, Malcolm Gladwell, and Tim Ferriss and was selected as the best business book of the year by Amazon, Bloomberg, Business Insider, Financial Times, Forbes, Inc., Medium, and the Washington Post. Safi is a physicist, a biotech entrepreneur, and a former public-company CEO. In 2008, he was named E&Y New England Biotechnology Entrepreneur of the Year. In 2011, he worked with President Obama’s council of science advisors on the future of national research. Safi regularly speaks with leadership teams about applying the ideas in Loonshots and has presented at leading institutions around the world. In our conversation we talk about his thoughts on the coronavirus, separating artists from soldiers in organizations, the role of incentives, and then at the end, he interviews me for a few minutes. I highly recommend his book Loonshots--The subchapter "The Invisible Axe" has, in my opinion, the single greatest page and a half of non-fiction writing, where he talks about the incentive structure of middle managers and why they are predisposed to reject innovative ideas.
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| 12 May 2020 | The First Non-American F-22 Pilot on Fighter Pilot Culture and Augmented Reality--Daniel Robinson | 01:13:26 | |
My guest today is Daniel "Bond" Robinson who is Founder and CEO of Red 6--a company revolutionizing augmented reality (AR) for military training by allowing pilots to see synthetic threats in dynamic and high speed environments. In 2005 the RAF selected him as the youngest fighter pilot of his generation to attend the Weapons Instructor Course and a year later, he was selected as the first non-American fighter pilot to fly the the F-22 Raptor; a huge deal at the time. In our conversation Daniel talks to his incredible aviation journey including flying the Raptor, why he left the RAF, and the cutting edge technology his company is working with now.
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| 26 May 2020 | Master Class: The Green Beret Soldier behind the Afghan SOF Strategy talks Leadership--Scott Mann | 01:02:50 | |
*My editor sent me this after listening to the episode: He is the author of two international best-selling books: Game Changers and Straight Talk About Military Transition. He's also give 3 TED talks. In our conversation we talk about how Green Berets build rapport with local tribes, how he almost took his life after leaving the military, and how leaders can connect with their people.
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| 07 Jun 2020 | Gravity Jet Suit Inventor and Founder on Reimagining Human Flight and Overcoming the Status Quo--Richard Browning | 00:47:29 | |
*T-shirts are now available here. In our conversation we talk about the hurdles he had to overcome to build a jet suit, how to maintain resilience in the face of adversity, and how his next step is to build retractable wings into the suit. Sign up for my newsletter for a few useful and insightful things that have helped me over the last month. You can sign up here. | |||
| 06 Jul 2020 | Fighter Pilot, CEO, and Author on Helping the NY Giants Win the Super Bowl--James "Murph" Murphy | 00:56:18 | |
My guest today is James "Murph" Murphy who is the founder and Chairman of Afterburner, a leadership training firm comprised of more than 80 current and former elite military professionals. Afterburner was awarded Inc. Magazine's fastest growing company award five times and has worked with over 85% of the U.S. Fortune 50 companies. Before founding afterburner, Murph served as an F-15 pilot in the U.S. Air Force. He is also the author of six books that range in topic from leadership development to veteran career transition. | |||
| 19 Jul 2020 | Tips on Raising a Child from America's Most Read Pediatrician--Dr. Harvey Karp | 00:57:55 | |
My guest today is nationally renowned child development expert Dr. Harvey Karp. He is the most read pediatrician in America, with over a million parents having used his techniques. His 3 bestselling books on the topic have been translated into over 20 languages. He is now the founder and CEO of Happiest Baby, a smart-tech and parenting company. In our conversation we talk about why there are so many contradictions in parental advice, the most critical time in child development, and how he developed the SNOO, a robotic bassinet that has helped my family get much better sleep. Sign up for my newsletter for a few ideas and tools to help you grow--occasional patch giveaways as well. You can sign up here. | |||
| 30 Jul 2020 | Black Hawk Down: Special Tactics Officer who Saved a SEAL Team 6 member and a Ranger on Life Lessons--Dan Schilling | 01:02:53 | |
My guest today is Dan Schilling who spent more than 30 years in the military, primarily as a Combat Controller and Special Tactics Officer. His numerous combat deployments have taken him around the world and include Operation Gothic Serpent, known as Black Hawk Down, where he is credited with saving the lives of a Ranger and SEAL Team Six member while under fire. He later founded and then served as the first commander of two special operations squadrons, one of which’s name and purpose remains classified. He also holds the World Record for most BASE jumps in 24 hours (201), which he conducted to benefit children who’ve lost a parent in special operations Dan is now a full-time writer of both fiction and nonfiction. His latest book, Alone at Dawn, which captures the story of Medal of Honor Recipient John Chapman, is a NY Times Bestseller. | |||
| 07 Oct 2020 | The Connection between Aviation and Time with the Founder of Bremont--Nick English | 00:53:25 | |
Nick and his brother Giles are the founders of Bremont, one of the top aviation watch brands. I own two of their watches and they are truly engineering masterpieces. They're one of the few things you can own that doesn't turn into junk after 5 years. On my second watch I inscribed my sons name and plan to give it to him when he grows up. | |||
| 03 Dec 2020 | International Space Station Commander on the Worst Alarm you can get in Space--Terry Virts | 00:50:21 | |
I've been putting out a lot more content on my YouTube Channel: Hasard Lee His seven months in space included piloting the Space Shuttle, commanding the International Space Station, three spacewalks, and performing scientific experiments, all while working closely with multiple international partners. Virts flew with and led Russian Space Agency cosmonauts during some of the most tense relations with Russia since the Cold War. While in space he took more than 319,000 photos – the most of any space mission. These images are an integral component of the IMAX film A Beautiful Planet, which Virts helped film and appears in. | |||
| 02 May 2021 | Lockheed's Chief Test Pilot on Flying All 3 F-35 Variants and the "New Jet Smell"--Brick Wilson | 00:24:10 | |
The audio isn't fantastic because it was recorded inside the factory. You can see the interviews as well as the tour on my YouTube Channel: Hasard Lee | |||
| 02 May 2021 | The Chief F-35 Engineer and the Man Who Designed the Factory: Santi Bulnes & Don Kinard | 00:31:28 | |
The audio isn't fantastic because it was recorded inside the factory. You can see the interviews as well as the tour on my YouTube Channel: Hasard Lee | |||
| 01 Jun 2021 | How To Stay Alive: Secrets From the Foremost Special Operators--Dan Schilling | 00:39:17 | |
My guest today is Dan Schilling who spent more than 30 years in the military, primarily as a Combat Controller and Special Tactics Officer. His numerous combat deployments have taken him around the world and include Operation Gothic Serpent, known as Black Hawk Down, where he is credited with saving the lives of a Ranger and SEAL Team Six member while under fire. He later founded and then served as the first commander of two special operations squadrons, one of which’s name and purpose remains classified. He also holds the World Record for most BASE jumps in 24 hours (201), which he conducted to benefit children who’ve lost a parent in special operations Dan is now a full-time writer of both fiction and nonfiction. | |||
| 16 Jul 2021 | The Next Generation of Pilot Training Is Already Here--General Craig Wills | 00:23:52 | |
Air Force Pilot Training hasn't changed very much in the last 60 years. That's about to change! | |||
| 02 Jan 2019 | Lessons from a legendary Fighter Pilot--Matt 'Freq' Casey | 01:04:40 | |
Lt Col. Matt ‘Freq’ Casey is a legend in the Fighter Pilot community. He’s shot the most high-speed anti-radiation missiles (HARM) in combat, he’s a graduate of the prestigious Air Force Weapons School, and recently retired after a 23 year career in the Air Force. He’s flown combat missions in Operations Northern Watch, Southern Watch, and Allied Force while shooting 11 HARM missiles at enemy surface-to-air missile (SAM) sites. Freq is best described as a warrior monk. Aside from his military accomplishments, it’s his mindset that sets him apart. He likens flying to art and through creativity and discipline he is able to bring out the best pilot possible. In this wide ranging conversation, he goes into what it’s like to be shot at, the time he put an F-16 out of control, and what makes a great pilot. He also discusses his mediation routine, why he gave up drinking, and what it means to be a man. Lt Col Matt 'Freq' Casey retired in July 2018 having been known as the best damn fighter pilot to ever touch an F-16. He proudly accepts any challenges to this claim. | |||
| 02 Jan 2019 | F-16 Flight Doc and Neuroradiologist Fellow at Duke University--Dr. Clint Davidson | 01:00:26 | |
Dr. Clint Davidson served as a USAF Flight Doctor for the 80th Fighter Squadron, known as the HeadHunters. As an expert in aerospace medicine, he kept the pilots in peak mental and physical condition. He also accumulated 72 hours of flight time in the F-16. Clint is now a Neuroradiologist fellow at Duke University. In this episode, we go into how he selects his doctors, whether he'll let his kids play football, and how he excels at retaining information. He also discusses how a mentor’s advice changed the way he studies and helped him go from a “B” student in high school to receiving academic achievement honors in both medical school and residency. | |||
| 14 Jan 2019 | How to call in Airstrikes with elite 6'5 240 lb Machine 'Nasty' Staggs | 01:06:17 | |
Nasty Staggs is the premiere Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) for the US Air Force. His awards include--9th Air Force Tactical Journeyman of the Year, Jacob Fraser JTAC of the year, Fighter Wing Lance Sijan Award, and the David Gray WIC instructor of the Year Award. He has deployed to combat 7 times and is now an Air Force Weapons Instructor (WIC) at Nellis AFB. His job is to teach the most advanced students and develop new close air support tactics for the Air Force. At 6'5, 240 pounds Nasty is in peak physical condition—a requirement for his specialized career. In the interview, Nasty goes into what makes a good JTAC. He talks about his diet, fitness routine, and stress management techniques. He shares the time a Taliban grenade landed next to him as well as his experience operating in the Afghan mountains at 15,000 feet.
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| 22 Jan 2019 | Fighter Pilot, Delta Pilot, Ranger Grad, Harvard Grad: The real life most interesting man in the world- Stephen 'Boards' Kaminski | 01:17:05 | |
'Boards' Kaminski is the real life most interesting man in the world. He is a F-16 Fighter Pilot in the Air National Guard and flies for Delta Airlines. He is a graduate of Harvard's Kennedy School, Army Ranger School, and was the youngest graduate of the prestigious Air Force Weapons School. He's hiked Mt. Kilimanjaro, runs marathons and more. | |||
| 29 Jan 2019 | Red-Cell Navy SEAL, BUD/S Instructor--Ron Montgomery | 01:03:50 | |
Ron “Monty” Montgomery served as a US Navy SEAL for nearly 26 years. He served 16 years as an enlisted man before accepting a commission as a SEAL Warrant Officer. After completing Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training (BUD/S) at the age of 18 he went on to SEAL Team Two where he was also a member of the East Coast Navy Parachute Team. After his time in SEAL Team Two, Monty went back to BUD/S as an instructor, overseeing thousands of SEAL candidates. Monty served in nearly all of the East coast SEAL teams throughout his career, though much of what he’s done remains classified. He spent a tour in the elite Navy SEAL Anti-Terrorism Team as well as as the Naval Security Coordination Team, known as REDCELL. REDCELL’s mission was to demonstrate vulnerabilities of military bases and would regularly use false IDs, jump fences, barricade buildings, take hostages, kidnap high ranking officers, plant bombs near Air Force One, and sneak into nuclear submarines. In this wide ranging conversation Monty goes into what it takes to survive BUD/S, what makes a great SEAL, what it feels like to jump out of a cargo jet flying at 30,000 feet and more. Check out all the interviews at https://www.professionalsplaybook.com | |||
| 05 Feb 2019 | Similarities between the S.W.A.T. team and fighter pilots--Mike Doyle | 00:55:10 | |
Mike Doyle is an active Special Weapons and Tactics team member, known as S.W.A.T. He also hosts a podcast called Tactical Tangents that delves into decision making, critical thinking, problem solving, leadership, and teamwork. The mission of the S.W.A.T. team is to provide the police department with the capability to resolve high-risk situations. Examples of their missions include hostage situations, barricaded suspects, high-risk search warrants and raids, VIP protection details, and counter-sniper. S.W.A.T specialties include snipers, explosive breaching, chemical and less-lethal munitions, armored personal carrier operations, tactical medics, tactical robot operations, and entry specialists. Mike also works as a K9 handler, tactical medic and as a police firearms instructor. In this podcast he goes into the S.W.A.T mentality, who thrives during the training, and what is like entering a barricaded building. He also gives shooting tips for beginner and intermediate shooters. Also, I’m giving away the F-35 patch I’ve been flying with. You can win it by 1. Writing a review on iTunes, 2. subscribing to the show, and 3. sharing your favorite episode as a post on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. Email me some proof at justin@professionalsplaybook.com or DM me @justinfighterpilot on facebook or instagram. If you’ve already written a review, thank you—it really means a lot—convince a friend to subscribe and share your favorite episode and that will be good enough. | |||
| 12 Feb 2019 | Race Car Champion and youngest to finish the 24 hours of Le Mans --Gunnar Jeannette | 01:06:45 | |
Gunnar Jeanette is a professional race car driver. At the age of 18 he became the youngest ever driver to finish the 24 hours of Le Mans. He has since raced there an additional seven times. He also competed in the American Le Mans Series, the Rolex Sports Car Series, and the World Endurance Championship—winning the 2005 Gran Am Cup team championship, the 2011 ALMS LMPC Driver Championship, and the 2013 ELMS GTE Team Championship. He currently races in the IMSA Weathertech Championship. In addition to being a professional race car driver, Gunnar is an avid skydiver, having logged thousands of skydives and hundreds of base jumps. Gunnar has participated in several world record skydives and has been featured on MTV, People Magazine, and USA Today and more. I this conversation he talks about racing on the world stage at 18, his physical and mental training, and what makes a great driver. He describes the unique requirement of endurance racing and how he “rests” on the straightaways traveling over 200 mph. He also talks to commercial off the shelf simulator he uses at home to prepare for race day. Check out all the interviews at https://www.professionalsplaybook.com | |||
| 19 Feb 2019 | Fighter Pilot, ER Doctor, and Firefighter: the most interesting man in the world (part II)--Jason Patten | 00:53:01 | |
Minute 47:00 of this episode has a story that nearly brought a tear to my eye. Having been deployed to combat, I've seen the incredible team effort to save lives that he talks about. It's truly awe inspiring to see the military men and women, most under 30 years old, come together and sacrifice so that others may live. I am confident that as long as I live, I will never see a focused team effort like I did in the mountains of Afghanistan. It's unfortunate that war seems to be the catalyst for this cohesiveness, but for those who had the experience, it's a memory that won't be forgotten. | |||
| 05 Mar 2019 | "The Fighter Pilot Podcast" host and TOP GUN Instructor--Vincent "Jell-O" Aiello | 00:58:56 | |
Jell-O has been the most requested guest since this podcast started. Today he was kind enough to be interviewed and lived up to the hype. | |||
| 19 Mar 2019 | CIA Officer and author of "Breaking Cover, My Secret Life in the CIA"--Michele Rigby Assad | 00:44:52 | |
Michele Rigby Assad is a former undercover officer in the National Clandestine Service of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. Trained as a counterterrorism specialist, Michele served her country for ten years, working in Iraq and other secret Middle Eastern locations. Upon retirement from active service, Michele and her husband (also a former agent) began leading teams to aid refugees, including a rescue mission to Iraq that was featured on ABC's 20/20. Michele holds a master's degree in Contemporary Arab Studies from Georgetown University. Today she serves as an international management consultant, splitting her time between the Middle East, Florida, and Washington, D.C.
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