In 1987, I attended a formal Air Force dinner that ended in a hilarious moment—me wearing a baked potato on my dress. But there’s an old saying about stories: there’s your version, my version, and the truth. Ray Belz, the pilot who flung the potato in question, remembers the events of the evening differently. Yet, whatever the truth of the matter is, the big things remain inconvertible: Ray scored a direct hit, I started it—and we both love telling the story.

In this episode, I share the story of how I ended up wearing a baked potato during a formal Air Force dinner, as well as Ray’s version of the story. I also underscore the importance of not taking yourself too seriously and offer some public speaking advice from the night.

“99% of the time, even the most embarrassing moment or mistake is just that—a moment or a mistake, not a life sentence.” - Kathy Sullivan

This week on Kathy Sullivan Explores:

• What a “dining-in” means in the military and what led me to give a dinner talk in one
• Why I decided to ad-lib on my dinner talk for a formal Air Force dinner
• Floating dinner rolls and playing with your food in zero gravity
• Demonstrating how food floats in zero gravity to a formal dinner audience on Earth
• The Potato-throwing Pilot and the brand-new Couth Award
• Public speaking lessons from the night

Our Favorite Quotes:

• “If you plan to speak in public, it’s crucial to understand your audience and read the room. Be intentional about whether it’s best to match that or upend expectations.” - Kathy Sullivan
• “If you’d like to use this podcast as inspiration to start a food fight, I’d be honored. You have my blessing.” - Kathy Sullivan

Spaceship Not Required

I’m Kathy Sullivan, the only person to have walked in space and gone to the deepest point in the ocean.

I’m an explorer, and that doesn’t always have to involve going to some remote or exotic place. It simply requires a commitment to put curiosity into action.

In this podcast, you can explore, reflecting on lessons learned from life so far and from my brilliant and ever-inquisitive guests. We explore together in this very moment from right where you are--spaceship not required.

Welcome to Kathy Sullivan Explores.

Visit my website atkathysullivanexplores.com to sign up for seven astronaut tips to improving your life on earth and be the first to discover future episodes and learn about more exciting adventures ahead!

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