When Women Fly: Recent Episodes
Sylvia Winter
When Women Fly is a weekly interview podcast where we speak with women who fly, literally and metaphorically. These are creative women who elevate the assumptions of traditions and who are fueled by physical and mental challenges. They fly, run, surf, ski, climb or otherwise soar, with a passion for life that is infectious. Join these conversations about aspirations, pivots, vulnerability, reinvention, resilience and what it takes to rise above setbacks, injury, loss and defeat. Your host, Sylvia Winter, a pilot, designer, mom and podcaster, brings her enthusiasm for adventure, fresh air and vistas, to you, wherever you are. We celebrate the spirit, courage and strength that connects us. We believe that bringing the space to dream into people's lives by our telling real stories of women who capture and harness the unimaginable, clears the sky and is an affirmation to us all. Be bold. Be brave. Fly.
This compilation episode is for mothers, daughters, sisters, friends, and women everywhere who are challenged by work, life, and everything in between. It’s for women pushing to make a difference amid pressure and self-doubt and for those who need support along the way. It’s for anyone who has felt vulnerable but still found the courage to push forward. It is for you.
In this special episode, we are featuring four inspiring guests who talk about creating resilience in a high-pressure world, the need to pause and focus on mental health, and how to find happiness and balance amid life’s most difficult challenges.
Dr. Edy Greenblatt, a Harvard-trained educator, transformational coach, entrepreneur, and aerial artist, talks about the myth of work-life balance and how to handle the things that restore and deplete us.
Shaesta Waiz, the first female certified civilian pilot from Afghanistan and the youngest woman to fly solo around the world in 2017, on the need to pause, regroup, and reset after big accomplishments instead of rushing to the next big thing, as well as eliminating the stigma around mental health in aviation.
Mandy Hickson, motivational speaker, entrepreneur, and former royal Air Force Pilot of the fast-jet Tornado, discusses her #1 tool for dealing with high-pressure situations and the importance of acting how we want to feel.
Nikki Stone, the first American inverted aeriel skier to win gold at the Olympics, talks about the false sense of security that accomplishments bring and how true happiness must be found in all you do – even in moments of failure.
This episode challenges the bounds of what’s expected from us and shines a light on what we all bring to the table. I hope it helps you find balance, reflect, and take inventory of the strength you carry every day, no matter the circumstances.
Topics Include:
- Different ways to cultivate inner strength
- Identifying and managing what restores and depletes you
- The need to pause and process your past before focusing on a new goal
- The taboo around mental health in aviation
- Real tools for handling high-pressure situations
- How to shift your feelings through actions
- Finding happiness in what you do, regardless of the challenges
- And more…
Resources Mentioned:Episode 29: Dr. Edy Greenblatt
Episode 58: Shaesta Waiz
Episode 91: Mandy Hickson
Episode 02: Nikki Stone
Restore Yourself, by Dr. Edy Greenblatt https://www.amazon.com/Restore-Yourself-Antidote-Professional-Exhaustion/dp/0981929915
When Turtles Fly,by Nikki Stone: https://www.amazon.com/When-Turtles-Fly-Secrets-Successful/dp/1600376754
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Website: https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
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Our culture repeatedly tells us that the goal is to be the best, and to be the best you need talent or perseverance... but this message could be misleading. What if success isn't found in being the best but in becoming the best? What if becoming the best led to talent, perseverance, and hope instead of the other way around?
In this short solo episode, Sylvia flips the script by discussing how becoming the best is truly where our story, growth, and success lie. She joins us to talk about pushing through rejection, doing the work, living the ups and downs, and learning from the messes to become the most talented version of our true selves.
In this episode, Sylvia talks about:
- Noticing how seasonal changes affect work, goals, and adventures
- The importance of facing rejection with perseverance
- The power of persistence
- How luck and relationships play a part in being the best
- Becoming talented and persistent through hard work, grit, failure, and reflection
- And more…
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Email: hello@whenwomenfly.com
Website: https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Socials: @whenwomenfly
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Welcome to Episode 100 of When Women Fly! To celebrate we go back to where it all began, Episode 1 with skydiver, life coach and writer - the amazing Melanie Curtis. True success—the kind you can sustain over time—demands a different relationship with ambition and action. Mel takes a deep dive into serving a higher purpose and how that gives meaning to life, a healthier, more sustainable model rooted in elevating the human condition. We reflect on the last 2 years, current lives and future goals. Melanie Curtis has jumped out of an airplane over 12,000 times, written three books, and co-founded the all-women Highlight Pro Skydiving Team. She’s also a vulnerable person who gets nervous in front of a new crowd, has experienced extreme heartbreak, and struggled for a long time to find a sense of belonging within her home community.
Melanie is a sought-after life coach, podcast host, speaker, author, professional skydiver, and entrepreneur. She is a champion for growth, healing, and inclusion and currently serves as the Executive Director of the Women’s Skydiving Network nonprofit.
In this episode, Sylvia and Melanie talk about:
- How uncontrollable situations teach you agility, compassion, and resilience
- Using skydiving to elevate women, amplify ideas, and inspire others
- Showing up to new places and listening to different viewpoints
- How to decide if something is worth your time and effort
- Learning how to spot and listen to your intuition
- The importance of identifying and eliminating limiting beliefs
- Melanie's book How to Fly: Life Lessons from a Professional Skydiver
- Embracing the unexpected
- Leaving your zone of confidence to grow
- Melanie’s struggle to feel at home in her community and how she overcame it
Melanie Curtis is a sought-after consultant, coach, speaker, author, and entrepreneur with over 12,000 skydives under her belt. She is also the co-host of the Trust the Journey podcast, Executive Director of the Women’s Skydiving Network nonprofit, and co-founder of the Highlight Pro Skydiving Team.
As a leader in skydiving and professional development, Melanie has set world records and been mentioned in Forbes, Thrive Global, and CBS Sunday Morning. She has also authored three books: One Positive Thought Can Change Everything, With Our Whole Broken Hearts, and How to Fly.
Resources Mentioned:How to Fly, by Melanie Curtis: https://www.amazon.com/How-Fly-Lessons-Professional-Skydiver/dp/B097RZ9C93
Mark Brand LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-brand-92916867/?originalSubdomain=ca
Eat, Pray, Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert: https://www.amazon.com/Eat-Pray-Love-Elizabeth-Gilbert-audiobook/dp/B000FDFY9O
Connect with Melanie:
Website: www.melaniecurtis.com
Instagram: @melaniecurtis11
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melanie-curtis-74ab3540/
Trust the Journey podcast: : https://trustthejourney.today/
Stay Connected:
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Email: hello@whenwomenfly.com
Website: https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Socials: @whenwomenfly
This is an episode for all women everywhere. If you are finding motherhood hard, this episode is for you. If you are finding it hard to mother yourself, this episode is for you. If you aren't sure motherhood is right for you, this episode is for you too.
In this special compilation, we are featuring five rockstar guests who tell their stories of becoming moms.
Sonya Looney, professional mountain biker and entrepreneur, talks about shifting her perspective and finding out what's really important in life.
Kikkan Randall, Olympic Gold Medalist in nordic skiing and cancer survivor, on how having a child made her more in love with her sport, changed her body, and allowed her to come back stronger than ever.
Kimmy Fasani, pro snowboarder, entrepreneur, and cancer survivor, on the myths of motherhood and the realities of balancing work and family life.
Belinda Baggs, environmental surf activist and ambassador for Patagonia, discusses sharing her passion with her son and what it was like to go from never wanting kids to becoming a mom.
And Marissa Colclasure, first Officer Pilot, skydiver, and Wingwalker, talks about the power of doing something that sets your heart on fire while the kids are watching.
This is an episode about self-discovery and self-actualization. I hope this compilation raises questions and provides support for you, wherever you are on your journey.
Topics Include:
- Finding clarity on the important things in life
- Questioning the value of "achievements"
- Deciding to have kids or not
- Deciding when to have kids
- How pregnancy affects our bodies
- Myths of motherhood
- The realities of balancing work and family life
- Sharing your passions with your kids
- And other topics...
Resources Mentioned:
Episode 87: Sonya Looney
Episode 22: Kikkan Randall
Episode 55: Kimmy Fasani
Episode 8: Belinda Baggs
Episode 36: Marissa Colclasure
Stay Connected:
Drop Us A Message on PodInbox: https://podinbox.com/whenwomenfly
Email: hello@whenwomenfly.com
Website: https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
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Archetypes. Fleeing. Freedom. Flight. And the roles we play. How do we break out of the limiting versions? And why has it always been important for women to express authentic and uncut versions of themselves.
Let's take a deeper look at women who fly, modern feminism, and how adventurous women are stitched into a narrative about freedom and control ranging widely through myth, religion, and iconography - this story of 'sky-going females'.
In this episode, Sylvia talks to Serinity Young PhD about her astonishing study into women and flight chronicled in the 2018 book, Women Who Fly: Goddesses, Witches, Mystics, and other Airborne Females. To take the concept of airborne women and unfolds a deep and thought-provoking investigation into the recurrent motif of women free from earthly constraints and empowered with the ability of flight, Serinity speaks to a timeless human aspiration to be unbound, free, and powerful.
From Sanskrit myths and apsaras to the Wonder Woman comics, from Dante's guide in Paradise (the winged Beatrice) and Freud's interpretation of dreams of flying, to the winged goddess of victory in Greece, Serinity masterfully weaves together a global history of women in flight. She talks about the symbolism of fleeing - by flying - the constraints of patriarchy.
They discuss legends, myths, rituals, sacred narratives, and artistic productions all while shining a light on how airborne women have been both influenced and understood by society and religious traditions and much more.
Topics Include:- The archetype of flying women
- The depiction of ariel women in captivity starting in the dark ages
- Witches, shamans, mystics, goddesses
- Exceptionism and why it holds women back
- Wonder Woman, duality and the conundrum of love
- Amelia Earhart, more than a mystery
- Female power and sexuality
- And other topics...
Serinity Young Ph.D. is a Research Associate at the Department of Anthropology at the American Museum of Natural History. She is a professor of Classical Middle Eastern and Asian Language and Cultures at Queens College in New York. Young is the author of several books including Women Who Fly: Goddesses, Witches, Mystics, and other Airborne Females where she examines the motif of the flying woman as it appears in a wide variety of cultures and historical periods, in legends, myths, rituals, sacred narratives, and artistic productions.
Resources Mentioned:
Women Who Fly: Goddesses, Witches, Mystics, and other Airborne Females, by Serinity Young Ph.D.
The Secret History of Wonder Woman, by Jill Lepore
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Email: hello@whenwomenfly.com
Website: https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Socials: @whenwomenfly
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Shannon Huffman Polson is continuously challenging herself to move out of her comfort zone, whether it’s by flying attack helicopters, climbing the tallest mountain in North America, or speaking in front of hundreds of people. This time, it’s by moving with her family from Washington state to a village nobody’s ever heard of in the mountains of France. And no, she does not speak French… yet, anyway.
As one of the first women to fly Apache helicopters in the male-dominated U.S. Army, Shannon is a person who continuously chooses courage over comfort. Some of her accomplishments include leading two flight platoons, climbing Mount Denali, writing five award-winning books, and founding The Grit Institute.
In this episode, we dive into Shannon’s story of adventure and risk, including the challenges she faces and the successes that come along with them. She shares the struggles of moving abroad with young children, the tensions of integrating into a new culture, and how we can find a sense of belonging in an unfamiliar place.
Sylvia and Shannon dig into what they wish they knew before moving abroad, why they did it, and what they’ve learned from their journeys so far. They also discuss the immense benefits of leaving your comfort zone, living on your own terms, and pursuing a fulfilling life.
Topics Include:- How to find your sense of belonging
- Overcoming loneliness to find confidence and inspiration
- The difficulties of moving abroad with children
- How shared challenges can bring us together
- The ups and downs of learning a new language
- Recognizing loss
- The importance of stories for identity
- And other topics…
Shannon Huffman Polson is a helicopter pilot, author, scuba diver, mountain climber, keynote speaker, consultant, wife, mother, and much more. Known for being one of the first women to fly the Apache attack helicopter in the Army, she has made a way where there were none time and time again. Her most recent book, The Grit Factor, describes what a woman needs to succeed in a male-dominated world.
After a decade in the armed forces, Shannon graduated from Dartmouth with her MBA. She has since worked as a keynote speaker, lecturer, and consultant for companies like Microsoft and the Guidant Corporation. Her latest adventure includes moving with her husband and two children from Washington state to the mountains of France on her quest to live the richest life possible.
Resources Mentioned:
The Grit Factor: Courage, Resilience, and Leadership in the Most Male-Dominated Organization in the World, by Shannon Huffman Polson: https://www.amazon.com/Grit-Factor-Resilience-Male-Dominated-Organization/dp/1633697266
The Grit Institute: https://shannonpolson.com/about/the-grit-institute/
^^Code for 15% off Shannon's Going for Grit Course: whenwomenfly
Connect With Shannon:
https://linktr.ee/shannonhpolson
Family Blog: https://painauchocolate.substack.com/
Newsletter: https://facingthewind.substack.com/
LinkedIn and Instagram @ shannonhpolson
Stay Connected:
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Website: https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
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In this episode, Sylvia talks with pilot, visionary, and strategist Ivy McIver, the Director of the SR Product Line at Cirrus Aircraft.
Ivy talks about parachutes in airplanes, where planes can go and how they can change your life, why training is so critical, the importance of collaboration in the design process, and bringing outrageous innovations to market.
They also dig into the psychology of endurance multi-sports and how lessons learned from extreme physical challenges can be applied in other areas of life.
Topics Include:
- Laser focus in pursuit of a dream as a child and Top Gun
- Adapting to circumstances and the tyranny of minimum height requirements
- General aviation and the adventure that profits
- Moving job titles from computer programmer, to salesperson, to innovator and influencer
- Working in a male-dominated industry
- Extreme endurance sports such as completing 10-day races
- Lessons learned from team adventure races
- Overcoming the fear of failure
- Risk tolerance in relationships
- And other topics...
Resources Mentioned:
http://www.cirrusaircraft.com/
Stay Connected:
Drop Us A Message on PodInbox: https://podinbox.com/whenwomenfly
Email: hello@whenwomenfly.com
Website: https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Socials: @whenwomenfly
Signup for AIR BORN, our monthly newsletter!A letter from Sylvia will show up in your inbox, with links to her latest conversations and insights.
After discovering her passion at an early age, Jan was determined to put her heart, mind, and soul into riding. She knew that riding was her calling and had no doubts that she would become one of the best in the sport.
Everything came into question, however, after a riding accident left Jan unable to speak. Jan was quick to reject the doctors who told her she would never ride again, and she hasn't stopped persevering since.
In this conversation, Sylvia and Jan discuss what it takes to continue to pursue your dreams, even after setbacks. They discuss how to be strong-minded, using different perspectives to discover our blind spots, the importance of having people in our corner, and much more.
Topics Include:
- Jan’s early riding career
- Our relationship to fear
- How self-awareness leads to better choices
- Jan’s road to recovery
- Diversity of cognitive learning
- Shared decision-making
- How to persevere in the face of adversity
- Mentorship
- Why you shouldn’t be afraid to make mistakes
- And more…
Jan Byyny is a top-ranked international rider. Her career highlights include representing the U.S. at the Pan American Championships, where she won team gold and individual bronze. Jan also has numerous top ten placings at Rolex Kentucky, Foxhall, Jersey Fresh, Bromont and Morven Park CCIs, and won the 2013 USEF National 3-star Championship at Fair Hill. In addition, she has competed at Burghley, Badminton and Blenheim in England and Pau in France.
Jan owns and manages Surefire Farm, a lesson, sales, and training business in Purcellville, Virginia. Her focus is selecting, training, and competing event horses. Jan is also active in the United States Eventing Association as an advisor to the Young Riders and Juniors Committee, is a Level IV ICP instructor, serves on the United States Equestrian Federation’s Eventing Sport Committee as an Elected Athlete and in 2017 was named a USEF Eventing Selector.
Connect with Jan:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/janbyyny
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janbyyny/
Website: http://www.surefireeventing.com/
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What happens when you have two very big but different dreams vying for your focus? Do you choose one? Or do you risk pursuing both and stretching yourself thin?
Meet Kimmy Fasani — Snowboarder. Voice for female athletes. Mother. Mountain Baker. Author. Director of Storytelling @andmother_org. And so much more.
Kimmy Fasani has been a pioneer in women’s snowboarding since she became the first female snowboarder to land a double backflip in the park and the powder in 2011. In this episode, Sylvia and Kimmy discuss balancing family life with a busy career. Kimmy shares how she discovered the truth about happiness after having her first child, living life without limits, and how women can show up as their authentic selves in all areas of life.
This is a conversation about the ongoing journey of finding our way through incredible highs and the inevitable lows in our career and personal lives. Kimmy is a trailblazer and voice for women walking that tightrope between career and family. We get a candid unfiltered version of what the journey is like connecting with both the desire to have a family and the desire to get deep into adventures. This conversation allows us to not only look at progression and motherhood in a new way but also offers powerful insights into mindset and fear.
Topics Include:
- Balancing motherhood and a career
- Pressure and managing it as a professional athlete
- Finding connection in the physical world
- Experiencing loss and processing it
- Asking for help as a woman
- Owning your authenticity and being transparent
- Mentoring the younger generation of pro athletes
- Mindfulness and the importance of presence in the context of fear
- And other topics...
Kimmy Fasani is a legend in the world of snowboarding, and an incredible athlete both on and off the slopes. In 2016, Kimmy earned the women’s Rider of the Year and Video Part of the Year honors. Her cookbook, The Mountain Baker, launched in 2020. Kimmy’s resume also includes a strong social media following and a stack of published photos. She is a vocal ambassador for Boarding For Breast Cancer, Protect Our Winters, LIV Bicycles, and Luluemon. Kimmy and her husband, Chris Benchetler- a professional skier married in 2011, are also Co-Owners in Dessert’D Organic Bake Shop, an organic/all-natural bakery with a storefront in Mammoth Lakes, CA. They are also co-owners of Juneshine Hard Kombucha and Marea Coffee.
Resources Mentioned:
Website: http://kimmyfasani.com/
Instagram: @KimmyFasani
&Mother: https://andmother.org/
Cookbook: The Mountain Baker – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B085RDDM9Y/
Dessert’D Organic Bake Shop – https://www.dessertd.com/
Juneshine Hard Kombucha – https://juneshine.com/
Marea Coffee – https://mareacoffee.com/
The Five Love Languages – https://www.5lovelanguages.com/
Beautiful Flaws: Kimmy Fasani’s Breast Cancer Journey | Burton: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOGbdq-af08
Want to connect? Visit us online and signup for the monthly WWF newsletter!Website – https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest – @whenwomenfly
Email – hello@whenwomenfly.com
In this solo episode, Sylvia shares what prompted her to move her family and three kids across the ocean to Switzerland. She digs into the challenges they've faced, her house rules for change, and three strategies she's developed for a happier, healthier, and more grounded approach to change.
Sylvia also responds to listener questions about her past, her current career ambitions, flying in Europe, and much more.
Topics Include:
- How COVID helped Sylvia reprioritize
- Moving across the ocean to Switzerland
- Sylvia's 3 house rules for change
- How travel clarifies the essentials in life
- Morning self-care
- The magical power of decluttering
- Sylvia's new professional adventures
- Sylvia's current reading list
- And other topics...
Resources Mentioned:
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, by Marie Kondo: https://www.amazon.com/Life-Changing-Magic-Tidying-Decluttering-Organizing/dp/1607747308
How to Change, by Katy Milkman: https://www.amazon.com/How-Change-Science-Getting-Where-ebook/dp/B08KPFPSNS/
Atomic Habits, by James Clear: https://www.amazon.com/Atomic-Habits-Proven-Build-Break-ebook/dp/B07D23CFGR
Think Again, by Adam Grant: https://www.amazon.com/Think-Again-Power-Knowing-What-ebook/dp/B08H177WQP
The Next Great Migration, by Sonia Shah: https://www.amazon.com/Next-Great-Migration-Beauty-Terror-ebook/dp/B081NHNJ6T
Stay Connected:
Drop Us A Message on PodInbox: https://podinbox.com/whenwomenfly
Email: hello@whenwomenfly.com
Website: https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Socials: @whenwomenfly
Signup for AIR BORN, our monthly newsletter!A letter from Sylvia will show up in your inbox, with links to her latest conversations and insights.
Shaesta Waiz is an American pilot, the first female certified civilian pilot born in Afghanistan and the youngest woman to fly solo around the world in a single-engine aircraft (new records being set every year). This is a fascinating and unfolding story about rising from adversity and discovering what is possible.
Flying is closely linked to freedom and opportunity. If you could circumnavigate the globe in an aircraft with one message, what would it be?
Shaesta has a burning desire to help others like her – underserved as a youth - to work hard, never give up and follow their dreams. As an Earthrounder (a unique and rare breed of pilot, setting themselves apart from the more conventional modes of air travel, possessing one unifying achievement: piloting a light aircraft around the entire world), Shaesta's story is layered with grit and determination alongside a deep desire to serve.
This is a conversation about overcoming obstacles, creating opportunities, embracing a dual identity, pursuing a big dream, and resetting in a new chapter of life.
Hear about Shaesta’s journey, her grace and commitment to serve, and how she uses her platform to inspire and encourage young women around the world to seek education in STEM and pursue their passions.
Shaesta started Dreams Soar to share her story with girls and young women around the world, to let them know it is possible to achieve their dreams, regardless of the challenges and traditions they may face.
Topics Include:
- Growing up as an Afghan refugee in the US
- Gender roles and what she saw possible as a young girl
- What sparked a love of flying
- Why and how she planned her trip around the world
- Highs, lows, endurance and lice
- Challenges and doubts, trusting intuition
- Mental health and aviation
- Working towards a goal
- Importance of STEM education and access for women
- And other topics...
Shaesta Waiz was born in Afghanistan at a refugee camp during the Soviet-Afghan War in 1987. Her family came to the United States and grew up in California. Although it wasn't until graduating high school that Sheasta dreamed of an aviation career, she accomplished a great deal in short order. She is a graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and the first certified civilian female pilot from Afghanistan. She earned a record for being youngest woman to fly solo around the world in a single-engine aircraft. Shaesta is the founder of Dreams Soar, a woman’s ambassador program where young women interested in an education in aviation and engineering are mentored and supported.
Resources Mentioned:Chicago Tribune Article: https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1987-07-05-8702190664-story.html
Dreams Soar: http://dreamssoar.org/
Shaesta’s Podcast, “Aviate”: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/aviate-with-shaesta/id1577977608
Stay Connected:
Drop Us A Message on PodInbox: https://podinbox.com/whenwomenfly
Email: hello@whenwomenfly.com
Website: https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Socials: @whenwomenfly
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Mandy’s hope of becoming a fast jet pilot in the Royal Air Force was once an impossible dream. When Mandy first became interested in flying, women were not permitted to fly in the military.
But the tides turned for Mandy when the rules were finally changed to allow women to fly on the front lines. Her dream was now within reach, but the challenges had only just begun.
Mandy’s story is one that is already having an impact on future generations. In this episode, you will hear Sylvia and Mandy talk about the early influences that led to her career in aviation, building mental resilience, deciphering between when to be a leader and when to be a team player, training versus being in combat, transitioning to motherhood, and so much more.
Topics Include:
- Handling loss and setbacks
- Framing cognitive diversity as a strength
- Incremental learning
- Overcoming imposter syndrome
- Followership skills
- How compartmentalizing can benefit high-achievers
- Building a sense of camaraderie
- Mandy’s experience with training for the Royal Air Force
- Finding purpose through giving back
- And other topics...
Mandy Hickson is a former Royal Air Force pilot. She was the only female pilot on her Front Line Tornado Squadron, flying multi-million dollar fast jets. Mandy has also operated in hostile environments, including patrolling the ‘No Fly’ zone over Iraq.
Mandy has been the keynote speaker at hundreds of events and is an inspiration to women in the UK and beyond. As a trained Human Factors facilitator with the Civil Aviation Authority, Mandy uses her in-depth knowledge of aviation, calculated risk-taking, and decision-making under pressure to deliver tactical lessons from the cockpit to the boardroom.
Books Mentioned:
An Officer, Not A Gentleman, by Mandy Hickson
The Grit Factor, by Shannon Huffman Polson
Black Box Thinking, by Matthew Syed
Connect with Mandy:
Mandy’s Website
Instagram: @mandyhicksonspeaker
Twitter: @MandyHickson
Facebook
Youtube
Stay Connected:
Drop us a message on PodInbox: https://podinbox.com/whenwomenfly
Email: hello@whenwomenfly.com
Website: https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Socials: @whenwomenfly
Signup for AIR BORN, our monthly newsletter!A letter from Sylvia will show up in your inbox, with links to her latest conversations and insights.
When Nikki Stone injured her back in 1996, the pain was so excruciating that she couldn't stand for more than 15 minutes at a time. Bedridden by her spine injury, Nikki was advised by 10 different doctors to give up on her dreams of Olympic gold as it was unlikely she would ever ski again.
Two years later at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, Nikki would go on to become the first American to win a gold medal as an inverted aerial skier, solidifying her future as a US National Ski Hall of Famer. Nikki's story is one of determination, grit, and a never give up attitude. Today, she encourages others to realize their passions, triumph over obstacles, and take risks to reach extraordinary goals.
In this episode, Sylvia and Nikki discuss the turtle metaphor for doing hard things, what she called the Turtle Effect. They discuss what it was like to take big risks during the Olympic games, the importance of dreaming big when setting goals, why accomplishment does translate to happiness, and much more.
Topics Include:
- Early dreams of winning an Olympic gold medal
- Working with fear as an athlete
- Grandma's quote, "The brave do not live forever, but the cautious do not live at all."
- Trying new things to stoke old passions
- Connecting to childhood dreams
- Using questions to steer your life
- Becoming a mother
- The truth about happiness
- And other topics...
Nicole 'Nikki' Stone is a former American Olympic skier. She competed in the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, and is best known for being the first American to win a gold medal as an inverted aerial skier. In her career, Nikki has won 35 World Cup medals, 11 World Cup titles, 4 national titles, 2 year-long Aerial World Cup titles, and a World Championship title. She also became the first pure aerialist ever, male or female, to become the year-long Overall Freestyle World Cup Champion. Nikki was inducted into the National Ski Hall of Fame in 2003.
Nikki now travels the world as an inspirational speaker sharing her secrets to success. Nikki was honored with the title of International Professional Speaker of the Year by the American Speakers Bureau Corporation. She encourages and inspires her audiences to find their "Turtle Effect" by realizing their passions, triumphing over obstacles, and taking risks to reach extraordinary goals that may initially seem unattainable.
Resources Mentioned:https://www.nikkistone.com/
When Turtles Fly by Nikki Stone: https://www.amazon.com/When-Turtles-Fly-Secrets-Successful/dp/1600376754
Stay Connected:
Drop Us A Message on PodInbox: https://podinbox.com/whenwomenfly
Email: hello@whenwomenfly.com
Website: https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Socials: @whenwomenfly
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Join Sylvia in her first ask me anything episode of Season 3 as she responds to audience questions about her life, flying, and the metaphor of flight.
In this episode, Sylvia shares what it was like growing up in the Midwest. She shares how the seed was planted early in her life to eventually live in a French-speaking country, what it was like traveling abroad with her husband and three kids, how becoming a mother changed her approach to flying, and more.
Topics Include:
- The early life of Sylvia Winter
- Walking through the world with flight as a metaphor
- Trusting your gut
- Sylvia's history as a runner
- Confronting fears
- Risk tolerance as a mother
- The experience of flow, and its relation to flight
- And other topics...
Resources Mentioned:
Drop Us A Message on PodInbox: https://podinbox.com/whenwomenfly
http://elizakerr.com
Don't Trust Your Gut: https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Trust-Your-Gut-Really/dp/0062880918
Stay Connected:
Drop Us A Message on PodInbox: https://podinbox.com/whenwomenfly
Email: hello@whenwomenfly.com
Website: https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Socials: @whenwomenfly
Signup for AIR BORN, our monthly newsletter!A letter from Sylvia will show up in your inbox, with links to her latest conversations and insights.
My guest this week is Eliza Kerr from Yosemite, California. Eliza has been leading people on adventures in the outdoors for more than 30 years in Tibet, Nepal, Alaska, Colorado, and Yosemite. She is a leading light, climber, surfer, yogi, guide, mom, and just an awesome soul. Her story is about a connection with the outdoors in both body and mind.
Eliza is also the co-founder of balanced rock–originally wild women workshops–whose mission is to inspire health and wellbeing through deep connection to nature and spirit through workshops, trips, and community programs. She is a certified Ayurvedic specialist and practices Ayurvedic medicine in Yosemite.
In this episode, Sylvia and Eliza discuss Eliza's transition from the midwest to Yosemite, how her studies in Nepal influenced her life journey, risk versus reward in adventure sports, recovering from severe injuries, building a tribe of strong women, and much more.
Topics Include:
- Facing fear as a climber
- Connecting with our authentic selves
- Processing the death of loved ones
- The birth of Balanced Rock
- Moonstone Retreat Center
- Living a life of kindness and gratitude
- Detaching from the digital world
- And other topics...
Eliza Kerr has been living in Yosemite since graduating Phi Beta Kappa from UC Berkeley in Conservation and Resource Studies in 1993. She has been leading people on adventures in the outdoors since 1989, working for NatureBridge (formerly Yosemite Institute), Outward Bound in Colorado and Alaska, Where There Be Dragons in Tibet, and Wild Women Workshops in Alaska and Yosemite. Eliza co-founded Balanced Rock in 2007 and since then has served as an instructor. She has served as both President and Vice President of the Board of Directors.
Eliza first discovered yoga in 1991 while living and studying in Nepal and India. Since then, she has been a passionate practitioner, studying a variety of styles including Iyengar, Bikkurim, and Ashtanga with Pattabhi Jois and her primary teacher, Richard Freeman. Eliza has been teaching a blend of these styles in Yosemite since 1995 with an emphasis on breath, flow, and joy. She was certified as a Clinical Ayurvedic Specialist from the California College of Ayurveda in 2000 and also holds Ayurvedic certificates from the American Institute of Vedic Studies, Rishikesh College of Ayurveda, the Kripalu School of Ayurveda, and the Ayurvedic Institute. She is currently practicing Ayurvedic medicine in Yosemite.
Resources Mentioned:
http://balancedrock.org
http://elizakerr.com
Stay Connected:Signup for AIR BORN, our monthly newsletter!A letter from Sylvia will show up in your inbox, with links to her latest conversations and insights.
Email: hello@whenwomenfly.com
Website: https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Socials: @whenwomenfly
Sonya Looney is a professional mountain biker and racing cyclist who has competed in over 20 countries and has over 25 career wins including a World Championship, UCI Wins, and USA National Championships.
With such an impressive resumé, you may be surprised to hear Sonya say that achievements don't lead to happiness, and that the validation she sought as a professional athlete pales in comparison to the community she's found and the relationships she's formed – particularly as a mother.
Sonya is still out competing and winning races, but her mission has shifted from achievement to helping people be better every day – no matter the medium.
In this episode, Sylvia and Sonya discuss her journey to becoming a professional mountain biker, wellness in the context of high-intensity pursuits, seeking validation from the right sources, having the courage to pursue your dreams, and so much more.
Topics Include:
- Balancing motherhood and professional goals
- Focusing on identity rather than outcomes
- Calculating risk as a young mom
- Personal growth and behavior change
- Working with negative thoughts
- Breaking undesirable habit loops
- Prioritizing consistency over perfection
- And other topics…
Sonya Looney is a professional mountain biker and racing cyclist who has raced in over 20 countries and has over 25 career wins and course records in 11 countries including World Championship, UCI Wins and USA National Championships. As one of the largest social influencers in mountain biking in America, Looney is a brand ambassador for 10 brands.
Sonya is also a health and performance coach and travels as a keynote motivational speaker where she talks about success and failure, overcoming fear, and the power of choice. Sonya is also the founder of a lifestyle brand, Moxy & Grit, and hosts the podcast The Sonya Looney Show.
Resources Mentioned:
The Sonya Looney Show podcast: https://www.sonyalooney.com/podcasts/
TEDx Talk: By Bike - Defining Success at 17,769 Feet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYiflJvxTac&t=1s
The Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin: https://gretchenrubin.com/books/the-four-tendencies/intro/
The Craving Mind by Dr. Judson Brewer: https://www.amazon.com/Craving-Mind-Cigarettes-Smartphones-Hooked/dp/0300223242
Unwinding Anxiety by Dr. Judson Brewer: https://www.amazon.com/Unwinding-Anxiety-Science-Shows-Cycles/dp/0593330447/
Connect with Sonya:
Sonya’s Website: https://www.sonyalooney.com/
Sign up for Sonya’s Newsletter: https://www.sonyalooney.com/#subscribe
Instagram: @sonyalooney
Stay Connected:Signup for AIR BORN, our monthly newsletter!A letter from Sylvia will show up in your inbox, with links to her latest conversations and insights.
Email: hello@whenwomenfly.com
Website: https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Socials: @whenwomenfly
Today's episode features Shannon Switzer Swanson, a National Geographic Explorer, marine social ecologist, and surfer who explores the intersection of storytelling, research, art, and science.
As part of Season III, we are revisiting some of our favorite episodes that grapple with big life themes, break down the components of change, and dive into strategies that are relevant and applicable to you today.
In this episode, Sylvia and Shannon discuss modern-day "exploration" and the role of women and the BIPOC community in redefining it. Shannon is not discouraged or dissuaded by the complexities in her conservation work. She continues to ask difficult questions such as: “Can coastal communities manage their resources in ways that both sustain prosperous livelihoods and a healthy environment.” What is the win-win formula?
Fun fact: Shannon is the granddaughter of one of the pioneering women pilots of the mid-1900s.
Topics Include:
- Photography, storytelling, and research
- How our perception of time affects choices around sustainability
- What it means to be a modern-day explorer
- Female role models
- Extensive field research in Central Sulawesi
- Building trust and participatory research methods
- National Geographic programs and getting your start
- Maintaining relationships while traveling
- Balancing work and family life
- Advice for women adventurers
- And other topics...
Resources Mentioned:
Femininities in the Field: Tourism and Transdisciplinary Research: https://www.amazon.com/Femininities-Field-Tourism-Transdisciplinary-Research/dp/1845416503
An interactive website for folks interested in knowing where aquarium fish come from and how to keep an aquarium that doesn’t harm the world’s reefs, check it out at https://reeftoaquarium.com/
Connect with Shannon:
Instagram: @ShannonSwitzerSwanson
Twitter: @S3Oceans
Facebook: @S3Oceans
LinkedIn: @shannonswitzerswanson
Interview with Shannon
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Amelia Rose’s parents wanted her to have an aspirational name — one that she could live up to. So, with her dad’s surname, she was given the name Amelia Rose Earhart.
Growing up, her name often prompted questions. Is she related to the Amelia Earhart? Will she become a pilot? Finally, after a genealogy test and a newfound inspiration for flight, Amelia Rose thought she was able to answer YES to both of these questions.
Years later, however, the news broke. In a “gotcha” moment of journalism, Amelia’s coworker at a news station uncovered that she had no relation to the American Hero, Amelia Earhart.
The news couldn’t have come at a worse time. Amelia Rose was preparing for an around-the-world flight and was now being called a fraud, a liar, and a fake. The embarrassment of it all had her questioning if she should proceed or quit on the dream she had worked so hard for.
In this conversation between two female pilots, Sylvia and Amelia discuss what it means to embody a role model, setting boundaries, Amelia’s around-the-world flight, how to overcome challenges in personal and professional settings, and so much more.
Topics Include:
- Amelia’s experience with news and anchoring
- Women in aviation
- How to develop a skill stack
- Focusing on what you can control
- Giving back in aviation
- The Fly with Amelia Foundation
- Struggling with fear and doubt
- The power of partnership in pursuit of your goals
- Imposter Syndrome
- Overcoming the fear of rejection
- And other topics…
Amelia Rose Earhart is the youngest woman to fly around the world in a single-engine aircraft. In 2014, Amelia flew a Pilatus PC12-NG 28,000 miles, crossing the equator six times, through fourteen countries to complete a circumnavigation of the globe.
Amelia has been a passionate aviatrix since her first flight lesson at the age of twenty-one, a seeker of all things adventurous and is an accomplished public speaker, spending the last 8 years working as a television news anchor, covering breaking news, traffic and weather in Denver and Los Angeles. Amelia was given the Amelia Earhart Pioneering Achievement Award in 2013 and in 2014 was named by the Jaycees as one of the “Top Ten Young Americans”.
Resources Mentioned:- Amelia’s Website: http://www.ameliaroseearhart.com/
- Amelia’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ameliaroseearhart
- The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer: https://www.amazon.com//dp/1572245379
Today's episode features dance ethnologist, flying trapeze artist, and executive coach Dr. Edy Greenblatt.
As part of Season III, we are revisiting some of our favorite episodes that grapple with big life themes, break down the components of change, and dive into strategies that are relevant and applicable to you today.
Sylvia and Edy discuss what people get wrong about work-life balance and burnout. Edy shares with listeners what flying trapeze and dance can teach us about business and relationships, what we can do to avoid burnout, why we need to work with our fear rather than against it, and much more.
Topics Include:
- Defining resilience
- Work as enrichment to life vs. work as depleting
- The myth of work-life balance
- Why we need to reframe fear
- How the flying trapeze changes everything
- Identifying the activities that deplete and restore us
- Investing in meaningful relationships
- And other topics...
Dr. Edy Greenblatt, Ph.D., PCC is a transformational coach-educator, resilience pioneer, integration visionary, and entrepreneur. As Founder and President of Execu-Care Coaching & Consulting, Inc. she creates radically innovative interdisciplinary, multi-method interventions that help leaders, teams, and organizations learn, grow, laugh, and energize while they rise to meet demanding performance goals. Her blended solutions can include interactive classroom sessions, aerial arts and flying trapeze, embodied and peer coaching, world dance, WATSU, coach supervision, ethnographic analyses, interactive online support, and offsite resilience retreats.
Resources Mentioned:
Flying Trapeze Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLaUz9dh0HU
Book – Restore Yourself by Edy Greenblatt
Book – The Female Advantage: Women's Ways of Leadership by Sally Helgelson
Book – Women Don't Ask by Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever
Multi-Media Series – Fusion: How World-Class Innovators Create the Unexpected by CJ Meadows
Connect with Edy:
LinkedIn – @dredygreenblatt
Email – edygreenblatt@gmal.com
Website – https://edygreenblatt.com/
Stay Connected:Signup for AIR BORN, our monthly newsletter!A letter from Sylvia will show up in your inbox, with links to her latest conversations and insights.
Email: hello@whenwomenfly.com
Website: https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Socials: @whenwomenfly
Amy Spowart is the president and CEO of the National Aviation Hall of Fame (NAHF), where she has worked for over 20 years. Amy grew up in a rural town in Pennsylvania with dreams of traveling the world. At age 21, she took her first flight, but it was years later when she started working as the Special Projects Officer and Historian for the NAHF that she fell in love with aviation.
Amy believes that learning about historical figures encourages the leaders of tomorrow to pursue their passions today. Through the NAHF, Amy shares stories of astronauts and aviators to inspire children and adults alike.
While leading the NAHF, Amy has raised capital, created new programs, grown awareness, and more. Recently the NAHF partnered with PBS for “Discovering Flight,” a curriculum that teaches elementary-age students about aviation and aerospace through STEAM concepts. Amy is passionate about celebrating aerospace and aviation heritage and helping the next generation learn about opportunities in aerospace and aviation.
In this episode, Sylvia and Amy talk about Amy’s path to becoming the President and CEO of NAHF, the NAHF’s collaboration with PBS and the curriculum rollout, and the 2022 NAHF’s inductees.
Topics Include:
- Stories about pioneers of flight like Bessie Coleman, Eileen Collins, Joe Engles, Jacqueline Cochran, and more.
- Amy’s role as CEO of NAHF
- Why we all need heroes, children especially
- Why history matters for today
- How to develop future careers in aviation and aerospace
- How to support women in aviation
- The future of aviation
- Challenges overcoming work/life balance
- How sacrifice is necessary for the pursuit of greatness
- Accomplishments of 2022 inductees Willa Brown, Margaret Hamilton, Geraldine Mark
- And other topics…
Amy Spowart is the President and CEO of the National Aviation Hall of Fame (NAHF), where she currently directs the production of Discovering Flight: Learning with the National Aviation Hall of Fame in collaboration with PBS. Amy is a member of the Women in Aviation Advisory Board (WIAAB), she is a 2019 Collier Selection Committee member, and is on the board of directors for the Academic Decathlon of Ohio. Amy graduated Summa Cum Laude from Wright State University with a double major in History and Classical and Ancient Studies.
Resources Mentioned:National Aviation Hall of Fame: https://www.nationalaviation.org/
NAHF 2022 Inductees: https://www.nationalaviation.org/the-national-aviation-hall-of-fame-reveals-theclass-of-2022/
How to Nominate for NAHF: https://www.nationalaviation.org/nominations/
Women in Aviation International: https://www.wai.org/
Final Flight, Final Fight by Erin Miller: https://www.amazon.com/Final-Flight-Fight-Grandmother-Arlington/dp/1733560602
National Aviation Hall of Fame:https://www.facebook.com/National.Aviation.Hall.of.Fame
https://twitter.com/NAHF
https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-aviation-hall-of-fame
https://www.instagram.com/nationalaviation/
How can we break through our perceived limitations and pursue our ambitions and dreams?
As part of Season III, we are revisiting some of our favorite episodes that grapple with big life themes, break down the components of change, and dive into strategies that are relevant and applicable to you today.
In today's episode, we are featuring Jessica Cox.
Being born without arms has not deterred Jessica Cox from being an ambitious dream chaser. In this episode, Sylvia is joined by Jessica to discuss the remarkable life she's created for herself as a pilot, martial artist, athlete, and keynote speaker. Jessica shares with listeners how we can dig deep and cultivate the resiliency needed to overcome life's greatest challenges.
"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent" – Eleanor Roosevelt
Topics Include:
- Leaning into fear
- Adventures in scuba diving and surfing
- The problem with objectifying people with disabilities as brave or inspirational
- Limb differences and rejecting prosthetic arms
- The power of faith, family and prayer
- How the practice of gratitude can reshape your mindset
- The ACCEPT acronym
- and much more...
Jessica Cox earned a Guinness World Record medal for being the first armless pilot in aviation history. She has been featured on programs like Ellen, Oprah Winfrey Network, and the BBC. As a motivational speaker, Jessica teaches how to courageously tackle new challenges with creativity and unrelenting drive.
Resources Mentioned:
Book – Disarm Your Limits by Jessica Cox
Book – Fearless Filipinas
Movie – Right FootedConnect With Jessica Cox:
Website – jessicacox.com
Nonprofit – rightfootedfoundation.com
LinkedIn @rightfooted
Twitter @jess_feet
Facebook @CMSofficial
YouTube @rightfootedwoman
Stay Connected:Signup for AIR BORN, our monthly newsletter!A letter from Sylvia will show up in your inbox, with links to her latest conversations and insights.
Email: hello@whenwomenfly.com
Website: https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Socials: @whenwomenfly
In this short companion episode, Dawn Cook joins us to go deeper on the topics of mindset, motherhood, and slowing down to speed up. Dawn shares the essentials of what she calls the aviatrix mindset, and how asking for help empowers us to be the strongest, boldest versions of ourselves.
Topics Include:
- The Aviatrix Mindset
- Creating a plan of action for your dreams
- Commitment and clarity in an uncertain world
- Slowing down to speed up
- Time management
- Asking for help
- Motherhood and parenting
- Sponsoring 10,000 discovery flights for young girls
- And other topics…
Resources Mentioned:The Aviatrix Mindset by Dawn Cook: https://www.amazon.com/Aviatrix-Mindset-Stalling-Soaring-Aspect/dp/B09G9LQXZ2
Website: https://www.dawnwcook.com/about-me
FAST: https://fastpilots.org/
FAST on Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/groups/fastpilots.org/
Email Dawn: empowered@aviatrixindset.com
Stay Connected:Signup for AIR BORN, our monthly newsletter!A letter from Sylvia will show up in your inbox, with links to her latest conversations and insights.
Email: hello@whenwomenfly.com
Website: https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Socials: @whenwomenfly
As part of Season III, we are revisiting some of our favorite episodes that grapple with big life themes, break down the components of change, and dive into strategies that are relevant and applicable to you today.
Today's episode features Sarah Halas, a flight instructor and mountain guide from Truckee, California. Sarah shares her story of finding flying amongst other pursuits that would bring her deeper into the mountains. Challenging assumptions and defying gender roles from the beginning,
Sarah has built her life around a love for exploring and physically pushing limits of endurance, alongside a passion for travel, language, and culture. Join us as we dive deep into the issues and practicalities around valuing transience, crafting a life rid of preconceived notions of womanhood, trusting yourself to color outside the lines, and so much more.
Topics Include:- Early adventures abroad
- The lasting influence of international travel
- Becoming a mountain guide
- The challenges of aviation school
- A life-changing trip to Antarctica
- Discovering a passion for pilot training
- Intuitive flying
- Self-care
- Designing a values-based lifestyle
- Truckee Flight Training
- And other topics...
Sarah Halas has been a professional pilot for over a decade. Hailing from Truckee, California, Sarah is the owner of Truckee Flight Training where she offers a full range of flight lessons from private pilot training to mountain flying courses and instrument training.
Resources Mentioned:
Website: www.truckeeflighttraining.com
IG: @sarahhalas @truckeeflighttraining
Stay Connected:Signup for AIR BORN, our monthly newsletter!A letter from Sylvia will show up in your inbox, with links to her latest conversations and insights.
Email: hello@whenwomenfly.com
Website: https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Socials: @whenwomenfly
Today we continue an exploration of the ways in which we "fly". The facts of our experiences of flight are different. But so many of the emotions we experience along our journeys are remarkably similar.
Meet Linda Leary. Entrepreneur. Outdoorswoman. Angler.
She learned to fly fish as a child in Maine with her father, an avid fly fisherman. But, Linda noticed she was always having to wear baggy men’s fishing clothing that didn’t make her feel comfortable or confident.
This is when her idea of FisheWear was born, a women’s fly fishing apparel company that makes functional, unique clothing that female fishers can feel confident and comfortable in. FisheWear makes clothing and accessories including leggings, belts, hats, and more, that have been designed through collaboration with artists. Since its inception in 2015, FisheWear has gone on to collaborate with companies like Orvis, XTRATUF, and more.
In this episode, Sylvia and Linda talk about the beginnings of FisheWear, comparisons between fly fishing and flying, how fly fishing can be transformative, the importance of networks when starting a company, and inclusion in the fly fishing industry.
Topics Include:
- Linda’s history with fly fishing
- Getting out of your comfort zone and learning something new
- The importance of letting go of perfection while still exercising precision
- Experience of Alaskan lodges and fishing expeditions
- Future vision of FisheWear
- How nature is crucial for energy and inspiration
- Advice for entrepreneurs
- Starting a new career later in life
- Special places in Alaska
- The transformative nature of focus and patience
- And other topics…
Linda Leary is the founder of FisheWear, a woman’s fly fishing apparel company based in Alaska. FisheWear collaborates with artists to make unique, comfortable women’s fishing clothing and gear. FisheWear has collaborations with Orvis, XTRATUF, and others. Linda also owns Women’s Fly Fishing, a company that offers fly fishing classes and trips for women and couples. Before FisheWear, Linda worked as a partner and later president of Carlile Transportations Systems, a trucking and logistics company based in Alaska.
Resources Mentioned:FisheWear: https://fishewear.com/
Listeners: "SoFly15” at checkout for 15% off
Women’s Fly Fishing: https://womensflyfishing.com/
Cokie: A Life Well Lived by Steven V. Roberts: https://www.amazon.com/Cokie-Lived-Steven-V-Roberts/dp/0062851470/
How I Built This by Guy Raz: https://www.amazon.com/How-Built-This-Unexpected-Entrepreneurs/dp/0358216761/
Transitions by William Bridges: https://www.amazon.com/Transitions-Making-Sense-Lifes-Changes/dp/0738285404/
* No affiliate links. These are purely books mentioned or recommended in the conversation. No kickbacks received.
Stay Connected:Signup for AIR BORN, our monthly newsletter!A letter from Sylvia will show up in your inbox, with links to her latest conversations and insights.
Email: hello@whenwomenfly.com
Website: https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Socials: @whenwomenfly
As part of Season III, we are revisiting some of our favorite episodes that grapple with big life themes, break down the components of change, and dive into strategies that are relevant and applicable to you today.
Today's episode features Nathania Stambouli, Founder of Yogi Flight School and a devotee of transformation. Nathania is in the business of changing lives as a yoga instructor, retreat leader, and small business coach. In this episode, Sylvia and Nathania debunk misconceptions about yoga and who yoga is for. They discuss why everything you’re looking for in life is on the otherside of fear, and how finding the courage to follow your heart and pursue your dreams is the key to unlocking your best life.
Topics Include:- How the early death of Nathania’s mother influenced her life’s trajectory.
- Why Nathania quit a 10-year career in marketing to pursue teaching yoga.
- What we learn when having the courage to do hard things.
- The tricky business of balance.
- Crafting a vision for your life, and keeping it in sight.
- Why Nathania focuses on handstands and inversions, and other topics...
Nathania Stambouli is the founder of Yogi Flight School, a transformational yoga program that teaches how to do hard things through the medium of yoga. With a focus on arm balances and inversions, Yogi Flight School helps us confront our perceived limitations by pushing us out of our comfort zone in a safe and supporting environment. Nathania is also the co-founder of SoulTribe Adventures which hosts yoga and fitness adventure retreats around the globe.
Resources Mentioned:
Yogi Flight School – https://www.yogiflightschool.com/
SoulTribe Adventures – https://www.soultribeadventures.com/
Radical Honesty by Tara Brach – https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Honesty-Transform-Telling-Truth/dp/B00EAH6UH6/
Mastery of Love – https://www.amazon.com/The-Mastery-of-Love-don-Miguel-Ruiz-audio/dp/B0007RWWQG/
Stay Connected:Signup for AIR BORN, our monthly newsletter!A letter from Sylvia will show up in your inbox, with links to her latest conversations and insights.
Email: hello@whenwomenfly.com
Website: https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Socials: @whenwomenfly
In this short solo episode, Sylvia connects with listeners on the topic of perceived limitations. With a little investigation, we often find these limitations are nothing more than a figment of our imagination. But how can we see this for ourselves?
What role does yoga practice play? Why do we need to overcome mental blocks?
This episode 077 is a partial revisit to Episode 061 The Imaginary Tether that Holds Us Back.
Stay Connected:Signup for AIR BORN, our monthly newsletter!A letter from Sylvia will show up in your inbox, with links to her latest conversations and insights.
Email: hello@whenwomenfly.com
Website: https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Socials: @whenwomenfly
Dawn Cook was introduced to the world of flight by her mother, a flight attendant. Dawn loved flying and wanted to follow in her mother’s footsteps. But, when Dawn told her mother she wanted to become a flight attendant, her response was, “No. Be a pilot.”
And that's just what Dawn did.
Dawn's path to becoming a pilot was not easy. As a double minority starting her career in the era of 9/11, Dawn had to battle the odds and fight for what she believed in every step of the way.
Dawn knew that strength is forged in the fires of adversity, and she overcame the many obstacles thrown her way to accomplish her dream of becoming a pilot. Dawn’s story is one of grit, determination, and a love of flight.
In this episode, Sylvia and Dawn discuss Dawn’s career journey, the role mentorship plays in the lives of women, starting F.A.S.T. (Female Aviators Sticking Together), overcoming adversity in the aviation industry, writing her book Aviatrix Mindset, and all she’s learned along the way.
Topics Include:
- How Dawn fell in love with flying
- The power of "yes, and"
- How her mentor helped her gain confidence in the skies
- How coaching changed Dawn's life
- The power of choice to change our lives
- What her children are teaching her about life and acceptance
- How women have pushed the aviation industry
- Two things Dawn would do differently if starting over
- Believing in yourself
- And other topics…
Dawn Cook is a certified pilot with over 20 years of flying experience. She is also a certified life coach, a motivational speaker, an entrepreneur, and the author of The Aviatrix Mindset: Stop Stalling And Start Soaring In Every Aspect Of Life.
Dawn is the co-founder and President of the non-profit FAST (Female Aviators Sticking Together). FAST has a mentorship program for women seeking a career in aviation and offered over $100,000 in aviation scholarships in 2021.
Dawn graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University with a degree in Aeronautical Science and a minor in Psychology. She resides in Georgia with her husband and two daughters.
Resources Mentioned:The Aviatrix Mindset by Dawn Cook: https://www.amazon.com/Aviatrix-Mindset-Stalling-Soaring-Aspect/dp/B09G9LQXZ2
Website: https://www.dawnwcook.com/about-me
FAST: https://fastpilots.org/
FAST on Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/groups/fastpilots.org/
Email Dawn: empowered@aviatrixindset.com
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins: https://www.amazon.com/American-Dirt-Novel-Jeanine-Cummins/dp/1250209765
Stay Connected:Signup for AIR BORN, our monthly newsletter!A letter from Sylvia will show up in your inbox, with links to her latest conversations and insights.
Email: hello@whenwomenfly.com
Website: https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Socials: @whenwomenfl
In this companion episode, Sylvia and Tenille Hoogland discuss training essentials for female athletes. They discuss how unrealistic expectations of female bodies hurt our health and performance, and what we can do to train smarter.
Topics Include:
- Misconceptions around women's health
- Peri menopause and beyond
- Avoiding injuries as an athlete
- Body image stereotypes of female athletes
- Unique training challenges women face
- Tapping into cycles to improve performance
- Proper recovery cycles
- Avoiding burnout
- And other topics...
Tenille Hoogland is Founder and Head Coach of Elements Sports Coaching, where she applies evidence-based science - including the emerging field of female physiology as applied to sport - into performance-altering individualized programs and experiences. With 20+ years of experience and education in psychology, sport nutrition, exercise physiology, sport administration, race management, active travel guiding and triathlon and bike racing at the professional and local level, Tenille works with athletes to discover personal goals in sport, understand athletes' unique physiology, fitness strengths and weaknesses, and nutrition gaps.
Before coaching full-time, Tenille led Age Group Team Canada to International Triathlon Union World Championship events, organized IRONMAN events, and was a senior planner for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Federal Secretariat. She competed as an elite, professional, and sponsored triathlete from 2007-2013 earning titles in both short distance (ITU Pan-American Cup Champion) and long-distance triathlon (2 x 70.3 IRONMAN Champion).
She earned her Master of Public Administration at Queen’s University, a Master's Certificate in Project Management at Royal Roads University, and a BA in Psychology at Western University.
Resources Mentioned:
Element Sports Coaching: https://www.elementsportscoaching.com/
Athletes Thriving in Perimenopause and Beyond: https://www.facebook.com/groups/athletesthriving/about/
Stay Connected:Signup for AIR BORN, our monthly newsletter!A letter from Sylvia will show up in your inbox, with links to her latest conversations and insights.
Email: hello@whenwomenfly.com
Website: https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Socials: @whenwomenfl
Tenille Hoogland has always been an athlete. Her journey started as a young girl with dreams of being a synchronized swimmer in the Olympics. After years of intense training, Tenille hit bottom and left the world of competitive swimming altogether.
Despite early setbacks, the drive to compete stayed alive for Tenille. She would later lead Age Group Team Canada to International Triathlon Union World Championship events and become a professional triathlete, earning titles in short-distance and long-distance triathlons.
Through all of these experiences and her own struggles with body image and health, Tenille recognized there is a lack of educational programs and resources for female athletes.
Today, Tenille is challenging the narrative around what a female athlete can and should be. Her mission is to empower female athletes to fulfill their athletic goals through individualized coaching, mindset, nutrition, training, and recovery.
In this episode, Sylvia and Tenille talk about Tenille’s background in sports, the importance of relationships and community, advice for women experiencing setbacks, and much more.
Topics Include:
- Tennille’s career as a synchronized swimmer
- Becoming a professional triathlete
- How Tenille measured success as an athlete
- Lessons learned as a competitive triathlete
- Tenille’s relationship with her body over time
- Tenille’s fertility journey
- The power of surrender
- Body image
- The Resilient Athlete Project
- And other topics…
Tenille Hoogland is Founder and Head Coach of Elements Sports Coaching, where she applies evidence-based science - including the emerging field of female physiology as applied to sport - into performance-altering individualized programs and experiences. With 20+ years of experience and education in psychology, sport nutrition, exercise physiology, sport administration, race management, active travel guiding and triathlon and bike racing at the professional and local level, Tenille works with athletes to discover personal goals in sport, understand athletes' unique physiology, fitness strengths and weaknesses, and nutrition gaps.
Before coaching full-time, Tenille led Age Group Team Canada to International Triathlon Union World Championship events, organized IRONMAN events, and was a senior planner for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Federal Secretariat. She competed as an elite, professional, and sponsored triathlete from 2007-2013 earning titles in both short distance (ITU Pan-American Cup Champion) and long-distance triathlon (2 x 70.3 IRONMAN Champion).
She earned her Master of Public Administration at Queen’s University, a Master's Certificate in Project Management at Royal Roads University, and a BA in Psychology at Western University.
Resources Mentioned:
Element Sports Coaching: https://www.elementsportscoaching.com/
Athletes Thriving in Perimenopause and Beyond: https://www.facebook.com/groups/athletesthriving/about/
Books by Brené Brown: https://brenebrown.com/books-audio/
The Practice of Groundedness by Brad Stulberg: https://www.amazon.com/Practice-Groundedness-Transformative-Feeds-Not-Crushes-Your/dp/0593329899
Stay Connected:Signup for AIR BORN, our monthly newsletter!A letter from Sylvia will show up in your inbox, with links to her latest conversations and insights.
Email: hello@whenwomenfly.com
Website: https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Socials: @whenwomenfly
As part of our Season III relaunch this month, we are revisiting a few of our favorite episodes that grapple with big life themes, break down the components of change, and dive into strategies that are relevant and applicable to you today.
When Michelle Snow was young, there was no professional basketball league for women in the United States. Despite no clear path to success, and despite her doubters, Michelle dreamed that she would one day realize her dream of making a career as a professional basketball player. And did she ever!
On November 30, 2000, Michelle’s fate of making it to a professional league was sealed when she became the first woman to dunk in a nationally televised basketball game. She hasn’t slowed down for a moment since.
In today’s episode, Sylvia and Michelle discuss what it takes to pursue your dreams, with practical advice on where to start. They discuss Michelle’s transition from athletics into business, how being raised in a trailer park shaped Michelle’s approach to work, how social norms impact the performance of female athletes, and much more.
Topics Include:- The importance of family and a moral compass
- Michelle’s mother and the huge impact she had
- Making a plan, breaking it down into a tangible “how”
- Obsessive action
- Sharing your success
- Prioritizing giving back and mentorship
- Why “be realistic” is bad advice
- Entrepreneurship and highly successful role models like Michael Jordan
- Why we need to dream even bigger
- Affirmations and manifesting practice and morning routine
- And other topics...
Michelle Snow is an ex-professional basketball player with the WNBA and international teams. She is currently a speaker, entrepreneur & business coach. While at the University of Tennessee, Michelle played for Pat Summitt, whose 1,098 career wins are the most in NCAA basketball history. Michelle was drafted 10th overall in the 1st round of the 2002 WNBA Draft. She was nominated to both the 2005 and 2006 all-star teams. In the midst of her twelve-year career as a professional athlete, Michelle founded several companies in different industries successfully leveraging proven certification trainings and workshops. Her training materials are customizable to each person’s unique situation to quickly maximize their full potential.
Resources Mentioned:
WEBSITE – https://www.michellesnow360.com/
IG: @Michellesnow2
PODCAST – Across the Pond, a Premier League Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/across-the-pond-a-premier-league-podcast/id730239274)
Books Mentioned:
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie: https://www.amazon.com/How-Win-Friends-Influence-People/dp/B0006IU7JK/
The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel: https://www.amazon.com/Psychology-Money-Timeless-Lessons-Happiness/dp/B08D9WJ9G8/
Start With Why by Simon Sinek: https://www.amazon.com/Start-Why-Leaders-Inspire-Everyone/dp/1591842808/
Stay Connected:Signup for AIR BORN, our monthly newsletter!A letter from Sylvia will show up in your inbox, with links to her latest conversations and insights.
Email: hello@whenwomenfly.com
Website: https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Socials: @whenwomenfly
How do you show up in an uncertain world? Show up for yourself. This episode about preparation, presence, and presentation. As our lives are unpredictable, we see over and over how showing up moves us closer to our dreams and breaks the girdle of paralysis.
This week, Sylvia talks to Vanessa Blakeley, a certified pilot by 17 and one who was enthralled by flying from an early age. However, during her junior year of college, a family tragedy changed the trajectory of her life and career, and Vanessa diverted. Don't worry, this is not a sob story. We go deep navigating discipline, exploration, courage, and discomfort. The importance of personal values in adhering to your goals. Motherhood. And why your reaction to setbacks defines you.
Roughly a decade later, Vanessa rekindled her love for flying while teaching English in Spain. At that moment she decided to commit herself to a life in aviation. Her decision has taken her on the journey of a lifetime!
In this episode, Vanessa and Sylvia discuss following your passion, trusting the process, pivoting, inclusivity in aviation, flying cars, the importance of preparation, motherhood, and much more.
Topics Include:
- Seizing the moment
- Rekindling childhood dreams
- Why showing up is half the battle
- Flying cars and flight testing at Terrafugia
- AI and robotics in aviation
- Inclusivity in aviation
- Motherhood
- Female leadership
- Grit, perseverance, and the art of the pivot
- And other topics…
Vanessa Blakeley is the Director of Operations at Ascent AeroSystems and Advisor of Operations and Sustainability at Transcend Air Corporation. Vanessa was a finalist for Women and Drone’s 2021 Women to Watch Global Awards.
In 2013, Vanessa co-founded Pure Hearts Boston, a foundation that benefits pediatric cardiology research at Boston Children's Hospital. Vanessa volunteers as a UPOP Industry Advisor at MIT. She also has donated time to a number of sustainability initiatives around Boston and the world.
Vanessa soloed a Cessna 152 at age 16 and became a certified pilot by age 17. She received her B.A. of American History and a Masters’ Degree in Executive Leadership and Administration from Boston College.
Resources Mentioned:Drop the Ball by Tiffany Dufu: http://tiffanydufu.com/drop-the-ball
Terrafugia: https://terrafugia.com/
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh: https://www.eaa.org/airventure
TRANSCEND AIR: https://transcend.aero/index.php
Ascent AeroSystems: https://ascentaerosystems.com/
Connect with Vanessa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessablakeley/
Stay Connected:Signup for AIR BORN, our monthly newsletter!A letter from Sylvia will show up in your inbox, with links to her latest conversations and insights.
Website: https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest: @whenwomenfly
Write to us at: hello@whenwomenfly.com
In this companion episode, we explore the topic of growth – specifically, the growth mindset.
Growth can be scary, and yet, it is so necessary for us to achieve our dreams!
The growth mindset concept seems to be everywhere these days, from the boardroom to the classroom and beyond.
In this episode, we discuss how cultivating a growth mindset allows us to embrace difficulties and challenges, and how our brains learn through effort and persistence.
We also dig into "15 Ways to Become a Better Person", an article published in Inc. Magazine by John Rampton.
Thanks for tuning in. Enjoy the episode!
Resources Mentioned:
"15 Ways to Become a Better Person" by John Rampton: https://www.inc.com/john-rampton/15-ways-to-become-a-better-person.html
Stay Connected:Signup for AIR BORN, our monthly newsletter!A letter from Sylvia will show up in your inbox, with links to her latest conversations and insights.
Website – https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest – @whenwomenfly
Write to us at – hello@whenwomenfly.com
As part of our Season III relaunch this week, we are revisiting a few of our favorite episodes that grapple with big life themes, break down the components of change, and dive into strategies that are relevant and applicable to you today.
This is the story of an athletic prodigy. It’s also the story of how setbacks become catalysts for change, how determination fuels a dream, and how a drive for adventure can evolve. And it is a story of risk-taking, mountain life, and personal reflection that characterize what it takes to ski and fly in the backcountry.
For pro-skier Caite Zeliff, the derailing of her career as a ski racer was an opportunity to reconnect with herself and become the athlete she was always meant to be. At 12, Caite Zeliff started a ski racing career that brought her all over the world. She ascended, she earned a scholarship to a boarding school, she won titles, she received an invitation to the US Ski Team – and she also was rejected, blew out her knee, and burned out – all by age 20.
When the U.S. Ski Team invitation didn’t come, and she blew out her knee while racing for the University of New Hampshire, she left college and headed westward in search of big mountains and powder. It was in Jackson Hole, WY, where Caite found her true calling – freeskiing.
This risk-taking mentality has built her a career as a professional freeskier. Beyond winning Jackson Hole’s Kings and Queens of Corbet’s twice, Caite has starred in films like Warren Miller’s Timeless (2019) and Teton Gravity Research's Make Believe (2020), and Stoke the Fire (2021).
Topics Include:- Caite’s journey from ski racer to professional freeskier
- Viewing “failure” as an opportunity
- Wrestling with an inner obsession for achievement
- Shifting focus from the outcome to the process
- Processing childhood
- Taking risks and stepping out of comfort zones
- Finding your voice as a female in a male-dominated industry
- The transformational power of women supporting women
- Learning to fly and a shifted mindset
- And other topics...
Resources Mentioned:
Caite’s Website: https://www.caitezeliff.com
Caite’s IG: @caitezeliff
Timeless, Warren Miller (2019): https://warrenmiller.com/film-archive/timeless-2019
Make Believe, Teton Gravity Research (2020): https://www.tetongravity.com/films/make-believe
Stoke the Fire, Teton Gravity Research (2021): https://www.tetongravity.com/films/stoke-the-fire
Powder Magazine: https://www.powder.com/stories/pro-deal-caite-zeliff/
Freeskier Magazine: https://freeskier.com/stories/jackson-royalty
Stay Connected:Signup for AIR BORN, our monthly newsletter!A letter from Sylvia will show up in your inbox, with links to her latest conversations and insights.
Website: https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest: @whenwomenfly
Write to us at: hello@whenwomenfly.com
Merryl Tengesdal is one of aviation's most fascinating women. With accomplished careers in both the Navy and the Air Force, Merryl’s perhaps most notable achievement is being the only African American woman to fly the United States Air Force's U-2 aircraft, a spy plane used for specialized high-altitude reconnaissance missions. Flying the U-2 requires grit, confidence, and extreme focus, all qualities that have earned Merryl the privilege of sharing the spy plane’s nickname, The Dragon Lady.
Besides her decades of experience in flight, what sets Merryl apart is her inquisitive, passionate nature and belief in her own capabilities. As a leader, mother, author, philanthropist, and more, Merryl inspires people from all walks of life to believe in themselves and chase their dreams.
In this episode, Merryl and Sylvia discuss how experiences serve as preparation for future situations, what it was like growing up in the Bronx as a girl in the ‘70s, the experience of flying solo at 70,000 ft altitude in the U-2, the importance of solitude and self-reflection, and lessons Merryl learned along the way about flight, parenthood, and self-worth.
Topics Include:
- How “Star Trek” and Captain Kirk inspired a young Merryl’s desire to explore the unknown
- Merryl’s experience as a pilot in the Navy and Air Force
- What it was like learning to fly in the military
- The history of the U-2 aircraft
- Intricacies and challenges of piloting the U-2 aircraft
- How Merryl is planning on getting to outer space
- Gaining perspective about life while flying
- Myths and stereotypes of being a working mother
- The intensity and process of writing her autobiography, Shatter the Sky
- Merryl’s experience on the competitive reality show, “Tough as Nails”
- And other topics…
Merryl Tengesdal is a military veteran and former Director of Inspections who served for The Air Force Inspector General from October 2015 through August 2017. Merryl served in the Iraq War and the War in Afghanistan as a US Air Force Colonel. She has over 23 years of both Air Force and Navy flying aviation experience. She retired from the military in 2017. Merryl is the first and only African American woman to fly the US Air Force U-2 Aircraft. Beyond her extensive experience as a pilot, Merryl is an author, motivational speaker, leadership consultant, NASM & AFAA Certified Personal Trainer, and reality show contestant.
Connect with Merryl:
Instagram: @dragonlady788
Website: https://merryltengesdal.com/
Resources Mentioned:
Legacy Flight Academy: https://www.legacyflightacademy.org/
Mission 22: https://mission22.com/
Sierra College: https://www.sierracollege.edu/about-us/sierra-college-foundation/
Tough as Nails Season 2: https://www.cbs.com/shows/tough-as-nails/
Shatter the Sky by Merryl Tengesdal: https://www.amazon.com/Shatter-Sky-stratosphere-self-worth-discipline/dp/1737907313
Stay Connected
Signup for AIR BORN, our monthly newsletter! A letter from Sylvia will show up in your inbox, with links to her latest conversations and insights. Be bold, be brave, and fly.
Website – https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest – @whenwomenfly
Write to us at – hello@whenwomenfly.com
In this companion episode, we explore the life of Bessie Coleman – the first black woman in the world to earn a pilot's license.
Bessie's story is one of grit and determination. Being barred from flight school in the US because of her race and gender, Bessie made her way to France to learn to fly.
During her training, she witnessed a fellow student crash and lose their life, but even this would not deter her.
Listen in to learn about the life of Bessie Coleman, and be sure to check out our recent episode with Carole Hopson who recently published a novel based on Bessie's life.
Resources Mentioned:
A Pair of Wings by Carole Hopson: https://www.amazon.com/Pair-Wings-Inspired-Pioneer-Aviatrix/dp/1735511161/
As part of our Season III relaunch this week, we are revisitng a few of our favorite episodes that grapple with big life themes, break down the components of change, and dive into strategies that are relevant and applicable to you today.
In this episode, Sylvia is joined by Linda Lindquist-Bishop a World Champion Sailor. She is a tireless competitor, thinker, strategist, and advocate for women in sport. This conversation is real talk about courage, positioning women of today to break glass ceilings, sailing, the value of clearly defined roles, choosing love over fear, and why racing sailboats is the perfect leadership development laboratory.
Linda has a wildly popular TED talk "A Mountain of Courage: Inspiring Change" and has been sought out by companies and sports associations for her skills in strategy and leadership, as well as her insight into change and integrating new systems for gender parity in sports.
When we stand on the shoulders 'giants', Linda is holding us up. Enjoy this conversation again or for the very first time as we take off with our new season of When Women Fly.
Topics Include- Innate versus learned leadership skills
- Why the best leaders focus on asking good questions
- The importance of clearly defined roles in sport and in business
- The value of diversity in leadership positions
- What it means to strive for excellence and live an extraordinary life
- Taking on life's second mountain
- The connection between voracious learning, acquiring expertise, and success
- Being present with fear
- Choosing love over fear
- Dynamic variables in sailing, flying, freedom and life
- The necessity of morning rituals
- Freedom and flight
- And other topics...
Linda Lindquist-Bishop is a world champion athlete, strategist, and president of Courageous Thinking Inc. In 1995, Linda made history as a member of America3, the first all-women's team to compete in the America’s Cup–the Super Bowl of sailing. Linda was awarded Glamour Magazine’s ‘Women of the Year’ in 1995 with America3, and was honored by Lifetime Television in 1997 as one of the ‘Top 100 Women of the Century.’
Linda thrives in high-risk, stretch-goal team environments. Combining her athletic and business expertise, she knows that the only path to continuous improvement is when teams engage in consistent process to achieve strategic clarity, break through conflict and create alignment. It takes courage and trust, but the payoff is worth it – winning.
Resources Mentioned:
Courageous Thinking Inc. – http://www.cgthink.com/
Rising Tide Leadership Institue – http://www.4risingtide.org/
TEDx Talk " A Mountain Of Courage- Inspiring Change" – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCtCYDQipM0
Books Mentioned:
The Archer by Paulo Coelho
The Four Spiritual Laws of Prosperity by Edwene Gaines
Team of Teams by Stanley McChrystal, Tantum Collins. David Silverman, and Chris Fussell
The Clarity Field Guide by Benj Miller, and Chris White
Michelle “Mace” Curran is known for her impressive thirteen-year career as a fighter pilot flying F-16s. She went on to serve three years as the only female pilot for Air Force's elite demonstration squadron, the Thunderbirds, where she was only the second woman to fly as the Lead Solo in the Thunderbird demonstration since the team’s creation in 1953.
It may seem like Michelle always was self-assured and confident, but throughout her journey, Michelle faced feelings of self-doubt, imposter syndrome, and lack of confidence. Her story is one of grit, perseverance, and determination.
She recently realized the true gift flight gave her—the ability to help and inspire others to chase their dreams. She now speaks at organizations around the nation to share the lessons she’s learned about overcoming obstacles and gaining self-confidence.
In this episode, Sylvia and Michelle talk about Michelle's path to becoming a fighter pilot, the experience of being a Thunderbird during the pandemic, the flyover at the Superbowl, the power of change to enable dreams, the birth of "Upside Down Dreams", and why she views empathy as her superpower.
Topics Include:
- Navigating college and joining ROTC
- Experience learning to fly and the challenges of initial flight screening
- Confidence and imposter syndrome
- What can you learn from the opportunity to change
- Advice for people experiencing setbacks
- Physical stresses of being an F16 pilot
- Relationships and dating as a pilot
- Importance of debriefing and how this transfers to other areas of life
- Michelle’s transition into public speaking
- Upside Down Dreams
- Empathy as a superpower
- And other topics…
Michelle “Mace” Curran led an impressive career as a Fighter Pilot during her 13 years in the United States Air Force. From 2019-2021, she flew as the only female pilot for the Air Force Thunderbirds and performed for millions across the country and internationally. Michelle was only the second woman to fly as the Lead Solo in the Thunderbird demonstration since the team’s creation in 1953.
In 2022, Michelle left active duty to found Upside Down Dreams, where she travels the country speaking to organizations on lessons of grit, perseverance, determination, and teamwork. She’s made appearances on media such as The Kelly Clarkson Show, Glamor, and CBS Evening News, among others.
Resources Mentioned:Nowhere for Very Long by Briana Madia: https://www.amazon.com/Nowhere-Very-Long-Unexpected-Unconventional/dp/0063047985
Michelle’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mace_curran/
Michelle’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-curran5/
Michelle’s Website: https://macecurran.com/
Stay Connected
Signup for AIR BORN, our monthly newsletter! A letter from Sylvia will show up in your inbox, with links to her latest conversations and insights. Be bold, be brave, and fly.
Website – https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest – @whenwomenfly
Write to us at – hello@whenwomenfly.com
As a child, Carole Hopson spent hours lying on the grass in her grandparents’ backyard watching the planes arrive at Philadelphia International Airport. However, it took decades for Carole to pursue her dream of becoming a pilot. Today, Carole flies a Boeing 737 for United Airlines as a First Officer. Black women make up less than one percent of all certified pilots, and Carole is one of them.
Carole’s story is one of inspiration, bravery, chasing dreams, and taking risks. Before becoming a pilot, Carole spent decades working in various corporate careers from journalist to an executive-level employee in human resources. Carole stepped away from her corporate career to pursue her dream of flying, and it has taken her to places she couldn’t have imagined.
In this episode, Sylvia and Carole talk about Carole’s journey from corporate careers to commercial pilot, Carole shares the inspiration behind her book A Pair of Wings, Carole talks about her non-profit The Jet Black Foundation, and she discusses the importance of representation in aviation.
Topics Include:
- The history of Bessie Coleman’s life
- The process behind writing A Pair of Wings- How Carole’s and Bessie Coleman’s stories parallel each other
- Career timeline and getting her commercial pilot’s license later in life
- What it’s like to be a female African American commercial pilot
- Experience gaining confidence as a minority operating a regional jet
- Relationship with the public as a minority pilot
- Family planning and motherhood
- Carole’s philanthropy, Jet Black Foundation, and the 100 pairs of wings initiative
- And other topics…
Carole Hopson flies a Boeing 737 for United Airlines as First Officer. Carole is also the author of the historical fiction novel A Pair of Wings (2021). Before her career as a pilot, Carole was a journalist, writing for publications such as the Philadelphia Inquirer, The Philadelphia Tribune, and the Bergen Record. In 2021, Carole founded The Jet Black Foundation, a non-profit with the mission to help diversify the aviation industry. The Jet Black Foundation is currently working on the 100 Pairs of Wings project, with the goal to increase the representation of women of color in the aviation industry.
Resources Mentioned:
A Pair of Wings by Carole Hopson: https://www.amazon.com/Pair-Wings-Inspired-Pioneer-Aviatrix/dp/173551117X
The Jet Black Foundation: https://www.jetblackfoundation.org/
Carole Hopson on Oprah’s Daily: https://www.oprahdaily.com/life/a37762199/pilot-career-change/
Sisters in Arms by Kaia Alderson: https://www.amazon.com/Sisters-Arms-Novel-Kaia-Alderson/dp/0062964585
Ladysitting by Lorene Cary: https://www.amazon.com/Ladysitting-Year-Nana-End-Century/dp/0393635880
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead: https://www.amazon.com/Nickel-Boys-Novel-Colson-Whitehead/dp/0385537077
Connect with Carole:
carolehopson.com
Connect with us online at:Website: https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Social Media: @whenwomenfly
Email: hello@whenwomenfly.com
Every woman harbors the spirit of flight. We talk about it, one story at a time. Our guests include superstar athletes, world champions, aviators, and women who chart their own courses. Join us each week and connect with women who dare to pursue their dreams and fly.
In 2011, award-winning executive creative director Libby DeLana challenged herself to walk every day for 30 days. It has now been ten years since Libby took on this challenge, and she hasn't missed a day! Libby has walked 25,000+ miles, which equates to walking around the circumference of the earth and then some.
These daily walks have transformed Libby’s life. She has been able to slow down and reconnect with herself and the world around her. She has discovered how walking allows her to process thoughts, improve creativity, and more.
Libby has recently discovered another way to slow down and gain perspective – learning to fly!
In today’s episode, Sylvia and Libby discuss how to shift to higher consciousness in simple and accessible ways, overcoming limitations, the power of slowing down, cold plunging, and much more.
Topics Include:
- All female colleges
- What design has taught Libby about life
- The power of the next step
- Seeing the world at "foot speed"
- Writing her book Do / Walk
- Cold plunging and Wim Hof
- Learning to fly
- Young women and flight
- And other topics...
Libby Park DeLana is an award-winning executive creative director, designer/art director, author, and walker. Libby has spent 30+ years in the ad world, during which time her work has been celebrated and featured in CannesLions, The One Show Awards, D&AD, Graphis, Fast Company, and Communication Arts.
Libby is the former director of design at MullenLowe Group and is the Co-Founder of Mechanica. She is also on the Board of Directors for several purpose-driven organizations including, BlinkNow and The Jeanne Gieger Crisis Center, and is an advisor at It’s August.
In 2021, Libby published her first book, Do Walk: Navigate Earth, Mind, and Body. Step by Step. She is an advocate for female leadership, an aspiring pilot, an avid fly fisherwoman, and a mother.
Follow Libby:
Instagram: @parkhere and @thismorningwalk
Twitter: @parkhere
Website: www.thismorningwalk.com
January 2022 Retreat
Cold Plunge on Cape Cod with Libby
https://autocamp.com/mindful-reset-weekend-at-autocamp-cape-cod/
Resources Mentioned:
Do Walk by Libby DeLana: https://www.thismorningwalk.com/buy-do-walk
The Wim Hof Method: https://www.wimhofmethod.com/
West With the Night, by Beryl Markham: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780865477636
Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail: by Cheryl Strayed https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wild-cheryl-strayed/1110776475
The Do Lectures Organization: https://thedolectures.com/
The Overstory by Richard Powers: http://www.richardpowers.net/the-overstory/
Dr. Suzanne Simard’s Finding the Mother Tree Project
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
Want to connect? Visit us online and signup for the monthly WWF newsletter!Website – https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Pinterest – @whenwomenfly
Email – hello@whenwomenfly.com
In this end-of-the-year bonus episode, Sylvia shares why she took her first break in publishing new episodes this December. She discusses what listeners can expect in 2022, the difficulty of balancing child-rearing with aging parents, and more.
Want to connect? Visit us online and signup for the monthly WWF newsletter!Website – https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Pinterest – @whenwomenfly
Email – hello@whenwomenfly.com
In this short solo episode, host Sylvia Winter connects with listeners on the topic of perceived limitations. With a little investigation, we often find these limitations are nothing more than a figment of our imagination. But how can we see this for ourselves?
Sylvia also discusses the healing power of Yoga and invites you to join her and Nathania Stambouli for a FREE five-day Yoga workshop. The workshop will run December 27th-31st. Grab the details by clicking the link below.
Resources Mentioned:
Episode 050 with Nathania Stambouli
HANDSTANDS ON THE FLY !
Link below for the free arm balance and inversion training plus access to Yogi Flight School with Nathania Stambouli - "the ultimate wake up call". Excavate the amazing, radiant self already inside of you. Seek. Accept. Fly. Yoga is a practice of personal and social transformation. Come fly with us!
-
Free arm balance & inversion training Dec 27-31, 2021
https://www.yogiflightschool.com/a/33446/z8cBczDF -
Enroll in Yogi Flight School for LIFETIME Access
https://www.yogiflightschool.com/a/2147489224/z8cBczDF
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Email – hello@whenwomenfly.com
In today’s short episode, Sylvia discusses balancing productivity and wellness. She discusses the story of the golden goose, pacing yourself on life’s journey, and the transformative power of story.
Stay tuned for our lineup of new guest episodes, coming soon! In the meantime, take a moment to revisit your old favorites and to catch up on missed episodes. Enjoy the holiday season, and don’t forget to make time for yourself.
Previous Episodes Mentioned:
004 Eliza Kerr: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1423273/6149164
010 Leigh Coates: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1423273/6927674
041 Kikkan Randall: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1423273/8939543
052 Michelle Snow: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1423273/9295231
057 Caite Zeliff: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1423273/9494083
058 Shaesta Waiz: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1423273/9540184
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Email – hello@whenwomenfly.com
Where is your growth edge? What action can you take today to push yourself outside of your comfort zone?
Sylvia takes questions from When Women Fly listeners in this first installment of the Ask Me Anything series. She explores finding your growth edge, stepping outside our comfort zone, and how committing to a practice that challenges us can push us towards growth.
Topics Include:
- Insights gleaned from Sylvia’s conversation with Nathania Stambouli
- How Sylvia finds guests for the podcast.
- Sylvia’s experience learning to fly.
- What the metaphor of flight means to Sylvia.
- The connection between running and flight.
- Sylvia’s favorite things about the podcast.
- And other topics…
Resources Mentioned:
Episode 50 With Nathania Stambouli: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/050-why-everyone-is-doing-handstands-and-you-can-too/id1538039673?i=1000536123539
Want to connect? Visit us online and signup for the monthly WWF newsletter!Website – https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest – @whenwomenfly
Email – hello@whenwomenfly.com
Shaesta Waiz is an American pilot, the first female certified civilian pilot born in Afghanistan and the youngest woman to fly solo around the world in a single-engine aircraft. This is a fascinating and unfolding story about rising from adversity and discovering what is possible.
Flying is closely linked to freedom and opportunity. If you could circumnavigate the globe in an aircraft with one message, what would it be?
Shaesta has a burning desire to help others like her – underserved as a youth - to work hard, never give up and follow their dreams. As an Earthrounder (a unique and rare breed of pilot, setting themselves apart from the more conventional modes of air travel, possessing one unifying achievement: piloting a light aircraft around the entire world), Shaesta's story is layered with grit and determination alongside a deep desire to serve.
This is a conversation about overcoming obstacles, creating opportunities, embracing a dual identity, pursuing a big dream, and resetting in a new chapter of life.
Hear about Shaesta’s journey, her grace and commitment to serve, and how she uses her platform to inspire and encourage young women around the world to seek education in STEM and pursue their passions.
Shaesta started Dreams Soar to share her story with girls and young women around the world, to let them know it is possible to achieve their dreams, regardless of the challenges and traditions they may face.
Topics Include:
- Growing up as an Afghan refugee in the US
- Gender roles and what she saw possible as a young girl
- What sparked a love of flying
- Why and how she planned her trip around the world
- Highs, lows, endurance and lice
- Challenges and doubts, trusting intuition
- Mental health and aviation
- Working towards a goal
- Importance of STEM education and access for women
- And other topics...
Shaesta Waiz was born in Afghanistan at a refugee camp during the Soviet-Afghan War in 1987. Her family came to the United States and grew up in California. Although it wasn't until graduating high school that Sheasta dreamed of an aviation career, she accomplished a great deal in short order. She is a graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and the first certified civilian female pilot from Afghanistan. She earned a record for being youngest woman to fly solo around the world in a single-engine aircraft. Shaesta is the founder of Dreams Soar, a woman’s ambassador program where young women interested in an education in aviation and engineering are mentored and supported.
Resources Mentioned:Chicago Tribune Article: https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1987-07-05-8702190664-story.html
Dreams Soar: http://dreamssoar.org/
Shaesta’s Podcast, “Aviate”: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/aviate-with-shaesta/id1577977608
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Email – hello@whenwomenfly.com
This is the story of an athletic prodigy. It’s also the story of how setbacks become catalysts for change, how determination fuels a dream, and how a drive for adventure can evolve. And it is a story of risk-taking, mountain life, and personal reflection that characterize what it takes to ski and fly in the backcountry.
For pro-skier Caite Zeliff, the derailing of her career as a ski racer was an opportunity to reconnect with herself and become the athlete she was always meant to be. At 12, Caite Zeliff has started a ski racing career that brought her all over the world. She ascended, she earned a scholarship to a boarding school, she won titles, she received an invitation to the US Ski Team – and she also was rejected, blew out her knee, and burned out – all by age 20.
When the U.S. Ski Team invitation didn’t come, and she blew out her knee while racing for the University of New Hampshire, she left college and headed westward in search of big mountains and powder. It was in Jackson Hole, WY, where Caite found her true calling – freeskiing.
Paragliding. Thanks to COVID and an idea inspired by a soaring raven, Caite decided to learn to paraglide. She continually pushes herself to the edge of her comfort zone. Paragliding is a wild sport, one that challenges Caite in all kinds of ways. It requires slowing down and a constant awareness of the situation. Caite is constantly looking for challenge and currently obsessed with understanding how to strengthen the relationship with the wing, moving air and gravity.
This risk-taking mentality has built her a career as a professional freeskier. Beyond winning Jackson Hole’s Kings and Queens of Corbet’s twice, Caite has starred in films like Warren Miller’s Timeless (2019) and Teton Gravity Research's Make Believe (2020), and Stoke the Fire (2021).
Topics Include:
- Caite’s journey from ski racer to professional freeskier
- Viewing “failure” as an opportunity
- Wrestling with an inner obsession for achievement
- Shifting focus from the outcome to the process
- Processing childhood
- Taking risks and stepping out of comfort zones
- Finding your voice as a female in a male-dominated industry
- The transformational power of women supporting women
- Learning to fly and a shifted mindset
- And other topics...
Caite Zeliff grew up skiing in North Conway, New Hampshire. She now lives in Jackson Hole where her career as a professional freeskier began.
Resources Mentioned:
Caite’s Website: https://www.caitezeliff.com
Caite’s IG: @caitezeliff
Timeless, Warren Miller (2019): https://warrenmiller.com/film-archive/timeless-2019
Make Believe, Teton Gravity Research (2020): https://www.tetongravity.com/films/make-believe
Stoke the Fire, Teton Gravity Research (2021): https://www.tetongravity.com/films/stoke-the-fire
Powder Magazine: https://www.powder.com/stories/pro-deal-caite-zeliff/
Freeskier Magazine: https://freeskier.com/stories/jackson-royalty
Want to connect? Visit us online and signup for our weekly newsletter!Website – https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
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Email – hello@whenwomenfly.com
A heartfelt and honest conversation with Ashleigh Thompson - a Red Lake Ojibwe tribal member, avid trail runner, rock climber, snowboarder, scholar and archaeologist - about aligning values and advocating. Ashleigh shares her stories about the problematic myths of the land and Indigenous people, intergenerational trauma, and systemic mindsets connected with the term “public land”. We dive into how the current discourse on land can directly work against creating inclusive and respectful spaces.
This conversation is about connecting with the past to understand identity, how a connection to the outdoors has deep therapeutic benefits, how running and flying can feel identical, why reckoning with our past and understanding the impact of intergenerational trauma is critical, what role challenging fear has in climbing, and the benefits of awareness and courage that go way beyond the rock wall.
Understanding contemporary Indigenous identity and the value of Indigenous sacred sites is fundamental to developing a holistic respect for Indigenous culture. Ashleigh is passionate about shifting a narrative about what respect for Indigenous people looks like and opening a conversation that is more complex than just the protection of a physical space with cultural significance.
As a Native woman, Ashleigh’s commitment to bringing justice for people and the environment is woven into her being. Stay curious, friends, and I hope this gives you reason and resources to acknowledge and honor the land in new and deeper ways.
Topics Include:
- Intergenerational trauma
- The connection between exercise and emotional health
- Building self-confidence through rock climbing
- Indigenous archaeology
- Traditional foodways
- Being a respectful visitor to indigenous lands
- Acknowledging indigenous environmental movements
- Offensive and racist attitudes
- Storytelling and connection
- And other topics...
Ashleigh Thompson is a Ph.D. candidate in anthropology at the University of Arizona where she studies traditional foodways and food sovereignty. She is a member of the Red Lake Ojibwe Nation. As an avid runner and rock climber, she is passionate about being a respectful visitor and acknowledging indigenous environmental movements while enjoying the land and sport.
Resources Mentioned:
Instagram: @ashanishinaabe
Twitter: @ashanishinaabe
LinkedIn: Ashleigh Thompson
A Guide to Indigenous Land Acknowledgment: https://nativegov.org/news/a-guide-to-indigenous-land-acknowledgment/
Book: In My Own Moccasins: A Memoir of Resilience by Helen Knott (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZS2NGP4/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1)
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Email – hello@whenwomenfly.com
What happens when you have two very big but different dreams vying for your focus? Do you choose one? Or do you risk pursuing both and in doing so commit to a bigger conversation?
This was the dilemma faced by today’s guest—a woman who knows a thing or two about what it takes to face the odds, execute physical comebacks and establish herself as a legend in the world of snowboarding.
Meet Kimmy Fasani — Snowboarder. Voice for female athletes. Mother. Mountain Baker. Author. Director of Storytelling @andmother_org. And so much more.
Kimmy Fasani has been a pioneer in women’s snowboarding since she became the first female snowboarder to land a double backflip in the park and the powder in 2011. In this episode, Sylvia and Kimmy discuss balancing family life with a busy career. Kimmy shares how she discovered the truth about happiness after having her first child, living life without limits, and how women can show up as their authentic selves in all areas of life.
This is a conversation about the ongoing journey of finding our way through incredible highs and the inevitable lows in career and personal lives. Kimmy is a trailblazer and voice for women walking that tightrope between career and family. We get a candid unfiltered version of what the journey is like connecting with both the desire to have a family and the desire to get deep into adventures. This conversation allows us to not only look at progression and motherhood in a new way but also offers powerful insights into mindset and fear.
Topics Include:
- Balancing motherhood and a career
- Pressure and managing it as a professional athlete
- Finding connection in the physical world
- Experiencing loss and processing it
- Asking for help as a woman
- Owning your authenticity and being transparent
- Mentoring the younger generation of pro athletes
- Mindfulness and the importance of presence in the context of fear
- And other topics...
Kimmy Fasani is a legend in the world of snowboarding, and an incredible athlete both on and off the slopes. In 2016, Kimmy earned the women’s Rider of the Year and Video Part of the Year honors. Her cookbook, The Mountain Baker, launched in 2020. Kimmy’s resume also includes a strong social media following and a stack of published photos. She is a vocal ambassador for Boarding For Breast Cancer, Protect Our Winters, LIV Bicycles, and luluemon. Kimmy and her husband, Chris Benchetler- a professional skier married in 2011, are also Co-Owners in Dessert’D Organic Bake Shop, an organic/all natural bakery with a storefront in Mammoth Lakes, CA. They are also co-owners in Juneshine Hard Kombucha, and Marea Coffee.
Resources Mentioned:
Website: http://kimmyfasani.com/
Instagram: @KimmyFasani
&Mother: https://andmother.org/
Cookbook: The Mountain Baker – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B085RDDM9Y/
Dessert’D Organic Bake Shop – https://www.dessertd.com/
Juneshine Hard Kombucha – https://juneshine.com/
Marea Coffee – https://mareacoffee.com/
The Five Love Languages – https://www.5lovelanguages.com/
Want to connect? Visit us online and signup for the monthly WWF newsletter!Website – https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest – @whenwomenfly
Email – hello@whenwomenfly.com
Mandy Hoffman seems to do it all. Balancing being a flight attendant, business owner, and mother of two children may seem like an impossible task. Her secret? Put your oxygen mask on first!
In this episode, Sylvia and Mandy discuss finding the courage to stand up for what you believe in and pursue your dreams. They discuss the complicated balance of wellness, how Mandy’s online fitness program Strong Flight is helping people meet their fitness goals, body positivity and body shaming, why fitness needs to end its obsession with skinny, and much more.
Topics Include:
- Making career pivots after becoming a mother
- Turning a dream into a business
- Risk mitigation in aviation, and how we can use it in our lives
- How contingency planning can nurture resilience
- How to perform an emergency landing in your life
- Living a life of service
- Catalyzing change for others
- Goal setting
- How to use the “Five Whys” exercise to form a new habi.
- Mindfulness and the power of intention setting
- Navigating social media as a business owner
- And other topics ...
Mandy Hoffman is the owner of Strong Flight, an online home fitness service without sacrifice. Her passion is celebrating movement with people, whether through exercise classes or one-on-one personal training. She is also a part-time flight attendant and manages to balance these two occupations with the busy job of being a mother. Through her work in fitness and aviation, Mandy discovered that many of aviation's unique approaches to repetitive actions and system management could be applied and interwoven into other areas of life. She holds a degree in exercise science from Salem State University.
Resources Mentioned:
Instagram: @mandystrongflight
TikTok: @mandystrongflight
Website: https://www.strongflight.com/
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Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest – @whenwomenfly
Email – hello@whenwomenfly.com
In this episode, we talk to Olga Custodio about finding success in a male-dominated profession, balancing family and professional life when pursuing career goals, why accessibility is the key to mentorship, and much more.
Retired Lieutenant Colonel Olga Custodio didn’t give up on her dream of serving her country when she was repeatedly blocked from enlisting in the military. Ten years after her first attempted she was finally accepted into the US Air Force, becoming the first Latina to complete graining in the U.S. Air Force as a military pilot. She also became the first Hispanic female pilot at American Airlines flying domestic and international routes retiring as a Captain after 20 years with American Airlines. She reflects on instructing and flying the supersonic T-38.
While breaking barriers and overcoming challenges as a woman in a male-dominated profession throughout her career, Olga has gained valuable insights that she shares in this conversation and to her wider audiences. Olga is a consummate mentor. A mentor for mentors. She is a generous and supportive advocate for girls, inspiring and empowering students - especially those from underserved communities and middle-schoolers - to pursue careers in STEM generally and aviation / aerospace specifically.
Topics Include:
- Being born into a military family in San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Growing up abroad
- The influence of Olga’s mother and grandmother
- Voicing your dreams and ambitions
- Flying and training supersonic jet in the military
- Becoming the first female T-38 flight instructor at Laughlin Air Force Base.
- Inspiring and empowering women and young girls
- Women in STEM
- Olga’s love for Hispanic arts and cultural heritage
- Ballet Folklorico Borikèn, trans. The Puerto Rican Folk Ballet
- The “where there is a will, there is power” mantra
- And other topics…
Olga Custodio is a former United States Air Force officer who became the first female Hispanic U.S. military pilot. Upon retiring from the military, she became the first female Hispanic commercial airline captain of American Airlines. Olga is a Trustee of the Order of Daedalians Foundation, a Board Member and Treasurer for the Women in Aviation Alamo City Chapter, and a Board Member for the Dee Howard Foundation. Custodio also serves as vice president of the Hispanic Association of Aviation and Aerospace Professionals (HAAAP). These organizations inspire young students in the San Antonio and surrounding areas to seek civilian and military aviation careers.
Resources Mentioned:
http://www.purflygirl.com/
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Email – hello@whenwomenfly.com
When Michelle Snow was young, there was no professional basketball league for women in the United States. Despite no clear path to success, and despite her doubters, Michelle dreamed that she would one day realize her dream of making a career as a professional basketball player. And did she ever!
On November 30, 2000, Michelle’s fate of making it to a professional league was sealed when she became the first woman to dunk in a nationally televised basketball game. She hasn’t slowed down for a moment since.
In today’s episode, Sylvia and Michelle discuss what it takes to pursue your dreams, with practical advice on where to start. They discuss Michelle’s transition from athletics into business, how being raised in a trailer park shaped Michelle’s approach to work, how social norms impact the performance of female athletes, and much more.
Topics Include:
- The importance of family and a moral compass
- Michelle’s mother and the huge impact she had
- Making a plan, breaking it down into a tangible “how”
- Obsessive action
- Sharing your success
- Prioritizing giving back and mentorship
- Why “be realistic” is bad advice
- Why we need to dream even bigger
- Affirmations and manifesting practice and morning routine
- And other topics...
Michelle Snow is an ex- professional basketball player with the WNBA and international teams. She is currently an speaker, entrepreneur & business coach. While at the University of Tennessee, Michelle played for Pat Summitt, whose 1,098 career wins are the most in NCAA basketball history. On November 30, 2000, Michelle became just the third woman in NCAA college basketball history to dunk during a game. Michelle was drafted 10th overall in the 1st round of the 2002 WNBA Draft. She was nominated to both the 2005 and 2006 all-star teams. In the midst of her twelve-year career as a professional athlete, Michelle founded several companies in different industries successfully leveraging proven certification trainings and workshops. Her training materials are customizable to each person’s unique situation to quickly maximize their full potential.
Resources Mentioned:
WEBSITE – https://www.michellesnow360.com/
IG: @Michellesnow2
PODCAST – Across the Pond, a Premier League Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/across-the-pond-a-premier-league-podcast/id730239274)
Books Mentioned:
How to Win Friends and Influence People
The Psychology of Money
Start With Why
Want to connect? Visit us online and signup for the monthly WWF newsletter!Website – https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest – @whenwomenfly
Email – hello@whenwomenfly.com
Amberly Brown is no stranger to flying her body thousands of feet above the ground. A skydiver, surfer, photographer, and native Alaskan, Amberly has spent her life finding the edge and pushing limits.
In today's episode, Amberly speaks to the fragility of life and the resilience required to take on risks. She shares what she's learned from multiple near-death experiences, personal loss, taking action and chasing her dreams, and so much more.
A big thanks to Amberly for sharing her story with us, and for continuing to show up and do the work!
Topics Include:
- Early life in Alaska
- Growing up in a mixed-race family
- Addiction
- Working through trauma and abuse
- Getting into skydiving, surfing, and jiu-jitsu
- Setting ambitious goals
- Recovering from the loss of her fiance
- Breaking skydiving world records
- Trusting what's on the other side of fear
- And other topics...
Resources Mentioned:
IG @amberlyairborne
FB @amberlyairborne
Boundaries by Henry Cloud and John Townsand
Atomic Habits by James Clear
Amberly Brown is a skydiver, surfer, photographer, and native Alaskan who holds five world records in skydiving. She's a skydiving instructor and videographer, and holds a Vinyasa yoga instructor certification. She is also a Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. Amberly embodies what it means to fly, literally and metaphorically, and is continuing to find new ways to fly in her life.
Want to connect? Visit us online and signup for the monthly WWF newsletter!Website – https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest – @whenwomenfly
Email – hello@whenwomenfly.com
What happens when we find the courage to follow our heart, pursue a dream, and fly? Nathania Stambouli may just have the answer for us.
Our first episode of Season II features Nathania Stambouli, Founder of Yogi Flight School and a devotee of transformation. Nathania is in the business of changing lives as a yoga instructor, retreat leader, and small business coach. In this episode, Sylvia and Nathania debunk misconceptions about yoga and who yoga is for. They discuss why everything you’re looking for in life is on the otherside of fear, and how finding the courage to follow your heart and pursue your dreams is the key to unlocking your best life.
Topics Include:
- How the early death of Nathania’s mother influenced her life’s trajectory.
- Why Nathania quit a 10-year career in marketing to pursue teaching yoga.
- What we learn when having the courage to do hard things.
- The tricky business of balance.
- Crafting a vision for your life, and keeping it in sight.
- Why Nathania focuses on handstands and inversions, and other topics...
Nathania Stambouli is the founder of Yogi Flight School, a transformational yoga program that teaches how to do hard things through the medium of yoga. With a focus on arm balances and inversions, Yogi Flight School helps us confront our perceived limitations by pushing us out of our comfort zone in a safe and supporting environment. Nathania is also the cofounder of SoulTribe Adventures which hosts yoga and fitness adventure retreats around the globe.
Resources Mentioned:
Handstands on the Fly Challenge - email hello@whenwomenfly for more information or just stick around for the updates!
Yogi Flight School – https://www.yogiflightschool.com/
SoulTribe Adventures – https://www.soultribeadventures.com/
Radical Honesty by Tara Brach – https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Honesty-Transform-Telling-Truth/dp/B00EAH6UH6/
Mastery of Love – https://www.amazon.com/The-Mastery-of-Love-don-Miguel-Ruiz-audio/dp/B0007RWWQG/
Want to connect? Visit us online and signup for the monthly WWF newsletter!Website – https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest – @whenwomenfly
Email – hello@whenwomenfly.com
Welcome to Season II of the When Women Fly podcast! As we transition from summer to fall and celebrate the autumn equinox, we acknowledge the persistence of transformation and change. Equal dark and equal light, the time when everything starts to shift and we let go.
Through all the ruptures of the past year and more we have been given so much to learn and callings to live differently. But how to do that and how to begin?
We have a rockstar lineup of shows in store for you. In this season, we’ll continue to explore the metaphor of flight with an emphasis on aligning with our deepest values, embracing challenge, letting go of old stories, and finding the courage to go all-in on our dreams.
Why do planes or a flock of geese take off into the wind? Because taking off into the wind provides additional lift, helping to rise more quickly and stay aloft.
We believe that when we share our stories, own our fears and dismantle our perceived limitations – the possibilities are boundless.
Thank you for joining us on this journey! Be sure to reach out with guest or topic suggestions for the show. We love feedback. Be bold, be brave, and fly.
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Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest – @whenwomenfly
Email – hello@whenwomenfly.com
Sylvia connects with listeners to close out Season I of the When Women Fly podcast, and to introduce Season II launching Tuesday, September 21st.
In our nearly 50 episodes and 10,000 downloads, this project has continued to iterate and take on new meaning. A special thanks to each one of our guests, our listeners, and everyone who has shown up to make this project possible.
Join us for Season II as we continue to share the stories of women who are shining examples of what’s possible When Women Fly, literally and metaphorically. Believe in the transformative power of change. Be bold, be brave, and fly! See you in Season II.
Want to connect? Visit us online and signup for the monthly WWF newsletter!Website – https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest – @whenwomenfly
Email – hello@whenwomenfly.com
Today, we highlight Sasha Gollish in the ninth installment of our Summer Series. Sasha is a professional runner, engineer, speaker, and educator. She was named female athlete of the year in 2015 and has given talks on subjects ranging from engineering to resilience.
In this episode, Sylvia and Sasha discuss engineering performance as an athlete, adventure outdoors, mindset, courage, fear and measuring success. Sasha shares her passion for making fast turns on the track and on the slopes, what the metaphor of flight means to her, the power of setting intentions, and much more.
Topics Include:
- Balancing being a scientist and an athlete
- Performance training and engineering
- The rejuvenating power of the outdoors
- Antifragile and resilient systems
- Collaborating with Oiselle
- Investigating our spiritual nature
- The connection between risk and kindness
- And other topics…
Sasha Gollish is a Canadian competitive runner and professional engineer. She won a gold medal in the half-marathon at the 2013 Maccabiah Games, a bronze medal in the 1500 m at the 2015 Pan American Games, and gold medals at the 2017 Maccabiah Games in the 800m, 1,500m, and 5,000m events. She works as a civil engineer and teaches at University of Toronto. She is also a competitive cyclist, duathlete, triathlete, and ultimate frisbee player.
Sasha is an elite athlete with sponsor Oiselle. She uses #AlwaysPlay as a good reminder to enjoy the moment, to put a smile on your face even when things are challenging, and to savour the adventure.
Resources Mentioned:
https://www.sashagollish.com/
https://www.oiselle.com/
Listen to our full episode with Sasha here
Want to connect? Visit us online and signup for the monthly WWF newsletter!Website – https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest – @whenwomenfly
Email – hello@whenwomenfly.com
Today, we highlight Belinda Baggs in the eighth installment of our Summer Series. As a world-renowned Australian longboard surfer, mother, and surf ambassador for Patagonia, Belinda leverages her platform to fight for climate justice.
In this episode, Belinda and Sylvia discuss the immediacy of the climate crisis. Belinda shares how her nonprofit Save Our Coast is working to inform, inspire, and empower local communities to care for the coastal ecosystem. Belinda provides listeners with insight into how we can play our part in the battle against climate change.
Topics Include:
- Longboard surfing and flying like a pelican
- Climate activism
- Motherhood
- Surfing as an art form and a lifestyle
- Harnessing feminine energy as a surfer
- Toxic wetsuits and better ecological alternatives
- How having a child influences Belinda as an athlete
- And other topics...
Aussie native Belinda Baggs is a surfer known for her elegant, technical longboard style. Formerly third in the world at the Women’s World Longboard Championship, the Patagonia ambassador and mother-of-one retired from competing after finding it at odds with her enjoyment and connection with the water.
You can follow Belinda on social media (get ready for some stunning surf and ocean shots) via www.instagram.com/belindabaggs
She is also in surf films “Sprout”, “Dear and Yonder” and “Come Hell or High Water”. Belinda (or Bindy, as she’s often referred to) gained notoriety in the early aughts for her fancy footwork and her ability to make just about anything she did on a log look inimitably elegant. But as of late, the stylish Australian has been using her platform as a pro surfer and an ambassador for Patagonia to create more than just beautiful surf clips. Belinda has been busy raising awareness about environmental issues through the nonprofit Surfers For Climate.
Resourced Mentioned:
https://www.saveourcoast.org.au
https://www.patagonia.com
https://www.instagram.com/belindabaggs/
@surfersforclimate
patagoniaaus
August 14th Seismic Survey Vessel Protest - https://www.instagram.com/p/CSlU6EcL9c6/
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Email – hello@whenwomenfly.com
Today, we highlight Shannon Huffman Polson in the seventh installment of our Summer Series. Having gleaned insights from serving in one of the most male-dominated organizations in the world, Shannon has become a thought leader on the subject of grit. Shannon teaches how to cultivate grit and resilience through introspection and knowledge of self.
Shannon was one of the first women to fly an Apache helicopter for the US Army, and has since gone on to become an author and keynote speaker.
In this episode, Sylvia and Shannon talk a lot about grit, what it is, how it is built and what the soft underbelly looks like. How do we face challenges and with enough determination, get to the other side. This is a conversation about reflection and self awareness as the means to understand our personal values and writing with self-study as a tool for engaging the complex emotions and stories that steer our lives. Grab the pen of fate to rewrite your story, your mindset and your future!
Topics Include:
- Growing up in Alaska
- Defining "grit"
- The Grit Triad– Commit, Learn, Launch
- How we can develop grit like a muscle
- Raising gritty kids
- Why grit is not a sustainable operating mode and mindset
- The evolving literature on grit and resilience
- Discovering and aligning with our core values
- Shannon’s course on grit and the Grit Institue
- And other topics...
Shannon Huffman Polson studied English Literature and art history at Duke University. She became one of the first women to fly Apache helicopters, serving on three continents and leading two flight platoons and a line company. During school and flying, she pursued skydiving, scuba diving, big-mountain climbing and long-course triathlons. Polson earned her MBA at the Tuck School at Dartmouth, and then later earned a MFA in Writing in Seattle Pacific University. More recently, Shannon founded The Grit Institute where she coaches people on developing grit in careers and workplaces. She lives with her family in rural Washington state where they experienced the hardship of a wildfire in July 2021 which spared her home and garden but scorched the surrounding beloved land.
Connect with Shannon:
Website – https://www.shannonpolson.com/
North of Hope by Shannon Huffman Polson
The Grit Factor by Shannon Huffman Polson
Email hello@whenwomenfly.com for GOING FOR GRIT Discount Code
Additional Resources:
Angela Duckworth’s work on grit–
https://angeladuckworth.com/
https://characterlab.org/
Book - Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance
Carol Dweck’s work on growth mindset
https://www.mindsetworks.com/
Want to connect? Visit us online and signup for the monthly WWF newsletter!Website – https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest – @whenwomenfly
Email – hello@whenwomenfly.com
Today, we highlight Judy Kasiama in the sixth installment of our Summer Series. Judy is the founder of Colour the Trails, a Vancouver-based outdoor community that advocates for inclusive representation in outdoor spaces. Judy works with brand partners, businesses, and organizations to break barriers and create accessibility by subsidizing outdoor adventures and creating diverse content.
Sylvia and Judy discuss intersectionality and the complexity of identity, rethinking the old profit/nonprofit framework for businesses, the origin story of Colour the Trails, the danger of performative allyship, and much more.
Topics Include:
- Judy's early years in Democratic Republic of Congo
- Growing up abroad and moving from country to country
- Accessibility in the outdoors
- Limitations of nonprofits and alternative business structures
- Performative allyship and how to avoid it
- Building authentic relationships with BIPOC communities
- The benefits of physical challenges and adventures
- The power of persistence
- And other topics...
Judith Kasiama is a change maker, entrepreneur, athlete, and outdoor enthusiast. She is committed to engaging underrepresented communities in outdoor recreation and adventure. She believes nature is our healer; our call to our inner child; our adventurous side. And that the outdoors is a place where we can grow, expand, learn, connect, and experience the beauty of this land. “Everyone deserves the opportunity to experience the great outdoors.” Judy has a Bachelor of Applied Science degree from Trinity Western University with an emphasis on International Relations and History. She also attended Gordon College studying international relations and affairs. She is also a Fellow with the Royal Canadian Geographic Society. Judy and Colour the Trails have worked with the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival, they started The “Like Me - Outdoor Edition Film Festival” – a film series that focuses on stories of communities that have been intentionally and historically excluded from outdoor storytelling, and On has included Judy (aka Juju) in the environmental ones-to-watch list.
Resources Mentioned:
https://colourthetrails.com/
IG: @colourthetrails, @jujumil
colourthetrails
Listen to our full episode with Judy: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1423273/7592419
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Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest – @whenwomenfly
Email – hello@whenwomenfly.com
Today, we highlight Melanie Curtis in the fifth installment of our Summer Series. Melanie is an a coach, speaker, author, entrepreneur and professional skydiver. She has jumped out of an airplane over 11,000 times and competed at the highest levels in the sport of skydiving, with numerous team world records. Melanie is a fierce champion for growth and inclusion. All of this has led Melanie to a powerful position of positive influence in her expanded career as a life coach, speaker and author.
Sylvia and Melanie discuss the life-changing power of confronting our mortality, fear, love and mindset. They touch on Melanie's decision to leave her banking job in pursuit of her passions, reinvention, courageous self-expression, healing, leaning into discomfort, staying oriented to growth, and much more.
Topics Include:
- Melanie’s first skydiving adventure
- Love and hilarity
- Dismantling false assumptions and pursuing dreams
- Experiencing burnout
- Creating space to reground and re-emerge
- Balance, trust and lifelong passions
- Growth, kindness, and inclusion
- Using your platform for change
- And other topics...
Link to Episode 001
Connect With Melanie:Email – mel@melaniecurtis.com
IG – @melaniecurtis11
FB – @melanie.curtis.37
Podcast – http://trustthejourney.today/
Website – http://melaniecurtis.com/
Resources Mentioned:Highlight Pro Skydiving Team – http://www.highlightskydiving.com/
Women's Skydiving Network – http://www.womensskydivingnetwork.org/
Our Full Episode With Melanie – https://www.buzzsprout.com/1423273/6172174
Want to connect? Visit us online and signup for the monthly WWF newsletter!Website – https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest – @whenwomenfly
Email – hello@whenwomenfly.com
Melanie Curtis is a life coach, speaker, author, professional skydiver, passionate entrepreneur, influencer and activist. As a leader and known voice in both skydiving and personal development, Melanie has been featured in Forbes, Fast Company, Thrive Global, on CBS Sunday Morning, Masters of Scale, and more. With over 11,000 jumps and 25 years in the sport and industry, Melanie is the Executive Director of the Women’s Skydiving Network nonprofit and co-founder of Highlight Pro Skydiving Team, an all-female demonstration jump team whose mission is to inspire women and girls to live bold brave lives of their own design, elevate gender equality and motivate action to expand equity and inclusion in all forms.
Melanie co-creates the podcast, Trustthejourney.today and has authored three books: One Positive Thought Can Change Everything, With Our Whole Broken Hearts and her most recent and significant published work, How to Fly: Life Lessons from a Professional Skydiver. The How to Fly Audible book just dropped and is available now.
Today, we highlight Refilwe Ledwaba in the fourth episode of our Summer Series. Refilwe is a social entrepreneur, pilot, and educator. She is Founder of the Girls Fly Programme in Africa, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering young women to pursue careers in STEAM fields and to foster innovation in their communities.
Sylvia and Refilwe talk about the messiness of change and complexity of transformation both personal and cultural. Refilwe speaks to growing up in apartheid South Africa, the digital divide in rural areas, the reality of being an only, oversized overalls, the emotional roller coaster that comes with public praise, failure and scrutiny, the spirit of Ubuntu, how interdependence informs her mission, the power of role models, and much more.
Topics Include:
- The art of the pivot in a mission-driven organization
- Accessibility and the digital divide that hinders disadvantaged communities
- The invitation to personal transformation that COVID offers us
- Failure and expectations
- Introspection and self-discovery
- Getting clear on the"why" that drives your actions
- Calibrating definitions of success to align with your deeper purpose
- Staying true to your mission during tumultuous times
- The art of resiliency
- And other topics...
Refilwe Ledwaba is a helicopter and fixed-wing pilot, a flight instructor, an advocate for women's rights and a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation goalkeeper who made history by becoming the first black female pilot to fly for the police service in South Africa. She teaches young pilots in training how to operate aircraft. She also runs the Girls Fly Programme in Africa (GFPA), a foundation with a focus on introducing elementary and high school students to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Ledwaba grew up in Limpopo, a province in the northeast of South Africa. Her mother, a teacher, raised seven children alone. She says her upbringing influenced her chosen path.
Guest Links:https://www.gfpafoundation.org/
https://www.areye.africa/
Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn: @gfpafoundation, @areyestories
gfpafoundation #areyestories
Resources Mentioned:
Our full episode with Refilwe: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1423273/7342762
TED - The Danger of a Single Story: https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story
Instagram: @refilwe_led
Facebook: Refilwe Ledwaba
Linkedin: Refilwe ledwaba
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Website – https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest – @whenwomenfly
Email – hello@whenwomenfly.com
Today we highlight Kikkan Randall in the third episode of our Summer Series. Kikkan is an American Olympic champion cross-country skier, mother, breast cancer survivor, and so much more. Here we highlight the athletic mindset, stigmas around mental health in our culture, and what it takes to pursue excellence in any field.
She speaks to motivation, grit, excellence, patience, and the importance of a healthy mindset. An advocate for active lifestyles and active parenting it is especially fun to talk about the flipside of accomplishments and titles and dive into her insights into vulnerability, slowing down, consistency, and team building.
Topics Include:
- The psychological edge that accompanies world-class athletes
- Competing in the 2002 Olympics at age nineteen
- Becoming a mother between Olympics
- Winning the Gold Medal at the 2018 Olympics
- Beating breast cancer
- Balancing passions and careers
- And other topics...
Kikkan Randall 5X Olympian, gold medalist PyeongChang 2018, “Get-Activist”, and Mom Athlete. Kikkan is an American, Olympic champion cross-country skier. She has won 17 U.S. National titles, taken home 17 U.S. Championships, made 16 podiums in the Stage World Cup. She was the first American female cross-country skier to take a top ten finish in World Cup competition, to win a World Cup race and to win a World Cup discipline title. In addition, she finished the New York City Marathon clocking 2:55:12, just one year after her final round of chemotherapy for stage 2 breast cancer. As an active lifestyle proponent, she is also an Ambassador for Fast and Female, an empowerment workshop program for young girls. And, fun fact, she began skiing to stay in shape for cross-country running.
Resources Mentioned:
www.kikkan.com
IG: @kikkanimal
Fast and Female
ACTIV Against Cancer
US Cross Country Skiing
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Website – https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
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Email – hello@whenwomenfly.com
In today's episode, we celebrate pioneering women by revisiting Patty Wagstaff and cheering for Wally Funk. The original recording with Patty took place in the Fall of 2020 and pushed out as Episode 5 - a long form interview well worth a revisit. Today we have compiled a highlight episode that speaks to Patty’s work, wit and passion for flying alongside some of the less known aspects of what motivates her and how she focuses. Never a dull moment, always a next move, and nearing 70, Patty will impress, endear and inspire you. You can watch her air show performance at AirVenture Oshkosh 2021.
This week would not be complete without a shout out for Wally Funk. Regardless of when you are listening to this, marking this moment on the When Women Fly podcast is like staking territory and claiming space in our current culture for the phenomena of when women fly. Wally Funk symbolizes women rising into what is deserved and earned. Also, the integration of allies and shifting systems dismantle barriers-to-entry and give seats at the table, literally give seats on the rocket ship, and give a platform for women to be seen and heard.
Topics Include:
- Blue Origin and Wally Funk's spaceflight with Jeff Bezos
- How to join Patty for a ride in her show plane
- Winning U.S. National Aerobatic Championship and defending the title
- Motivation to be a "first woman" champion
- The mindset of an elite performer and neurodiversity
- Finding focus and being attentive while ADD
- Stigma around learning and thinking differences
- Committing to excellence and persistence
- And other topics...
To Patty Wagstaff the sky represents beauty, freedom and challenge. A six-time member of the US Aerobatic Team, she is the first woman to win the title of US National Aerobatic champion and one of the few people to win it three times. Patty continues to fly airshows worldwide, and when not flying, she leads an active lifestyle and enjoys working out, riding horses, hanging out with her dogs and her parrot, Buddha, or at the beach. She loves good restaurants, music, reading, and cooking too!
Her latest venture is producing a series of educational and instructional videos on aerobatics with Sporty's Pilot Shop in Clermont, Ohio, with its first two releases “Introduction to Aerobatics” and “Basic Aerobatics” newly released.
Patty Wagstaff Airshows, Inc. and Patty Wagstaff Aviation Safety LLC are based in St. Augustine, Florida.
Resources Mentioned:
https://pattywagstaff.com
Fly With Patty – https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=15&v=raJ17MKOwaI&feature=emb_logo
Wally Funk – https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/19/science/wally-funk-jeff-bezos.html
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Website – https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
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Email – hello@whenwomenfly.com
Flying into the wind is a tried-and-true way to get off the ground more quickly. But, there are times when taking off is just not a good idea: the crosswinds are too strong for you or the aircraft’s limitation, the runway too short, the visibility too poor, the load to heavy, or the density altitude too high. And these are times we calculate the risks and ultimately decide it could be better, wiser to stay grounded and watch the weather pass. I feel like we have spent 16 months watching the weather pass, calclating and recalculating risk.
And then, the weather passes, the winds are calm, the day clears – and have you forgotten how to fly?
In this episode, Sylvia introduces the Summer Series and the shorter summer format. We break from the usual interview format to check-in. As always, you will hear story, reflection and practical advice about flying, the sense of flight and what it means to defy the laws of the familiar, persistent and somewhat limiting laws of gravity.
Highlights include:
- Introduction to the Summer Series format
- Taking off into the wind
- The pros and cons of being grounded
- "Meh"
- Seasonal changes and adjusting patterns
- A passage from "On Extended Wings" by Diane Ackerman
- And a few more gems...
Sylvia Winter is the Host and Creator of the When Women Fly podcast and community. To find out more about the the podcast visit the website or find us on social media.
Review and share this or any episode that resonates with you. Believe in the transformative power of story, just share an episode and you will have amplified a story that just might spark a pivotal moment for someone
Give us some feedback, help spread the word and grow what you have come to listen to here – a celebration of women and the spirit of flight.
Let’s keep learning together. Be bold. Be brave. And FLY!
Book Mentioned: On Extended Wings by Diane Ackerman
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Website – https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
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Email – hello@whenwomenfly.com
I dare you to not be inspired by what Dr. Cecilia Rodriguez Aragon has done with her life. In today’s episode Cecilia shares her story of moving through fear, learning to fly and dismantling the perceived limitations that gripped her imagination. For little girls and women aspiring to achieve great things, it’s the story of overcoming incredible barriers and achieving your dreams. And for the rest, it’s a reminder of the consequences of unexamined implicit bias, privilege, bullying, and negativity.
The slow therapy of discipline, repetition, and consistency alongside the ability to literally turn the perspective of the world upside down in aerobatics – marks when she really started to soar.
An uplifting conversation, we draw on references to her recent memoir Flying Free: My Victory over Fear to Become the First Latina Pilot on the US Aerobatic Team that tells the exhilarating story of how she broke free from her own fears to become a champion pilot.
We dive into how she went from timid, fearful daughter of immigrants to daredevil airshow pilot while raising children and asking hard questions of the data science industry.
Cecilia’s multiple talents include champion aerobatic pilot, many times author, fluency in 4 four languages and professor in human centered data science. Her innovative research, and a stint at NASA designing software for Mars missions, led President Obama to call her “one of the top scientists and engineers in the country.”
Topics Include:
- The impact of childhood teachers and role models
- Intersectionality ( American - Chilean - Filipino )
- Growing up first-generation American
- Bullying and intergenerational trauma
- Examining “selfish”
- Speaking your truth
- Earning a place on the US Aerobatic Team
- Competing in France and patriotism
- Innovative mentoring using online networks
- The influence of teacher expectations in determining our success
- The field of Human-Centered Data Science
- And other topics...
Dr. Cecilia Aargon is the director of the Human-Centered Data Science Lab at the University of Washington. Her research focuses on enabling humans to explore and gain insight from vast data sets. She has over 200 publications in data science, human-computer interaction, visual analytics, computer science, and astrophysics. Following a passion for flying unusual attitudes, she won a bronze medal at the 1993 U.S. National Aerobatic Championships and the 1994 World Aerobatic Championships. She has over 70 trophies in regional aerobatic competitions at the Unlimited level and was California State Unlimited Aerobatic Champion in 1990.
Resources Mentioned:
Connect With Cecilia – https://linktr.ee/CeciliaAragon
Book – Flying Free by Cecilia Aragon (https://www.amazon.com/Flying-Free-Victory-Become-Aerobatic/dp/1665088087)
https://CeciliaAragonAuthor.com/
https://www.instagram.com/CeciliaRAragon/
https://twitter.com/CeciliaRAragon
https://www.facebook.com/CeciliaAragonAuthor/
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Website – https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
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Email – hello@whenwomenfly.com
Books, writing and the Literary Aviatrix. Today’s guest, Liz Booker, a consummate leader, shares what drives her dedication to amplifying the voices of women in aviation and her ingenuity. With just a GED, she worked herself up the ranks from a non-rate enlistee in the US Coast Guard to lieutenant commander, and eventually attended Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.
She knows a thing or two about navigating adversity, flying under pressure, leading the way for women in the male-dominated fields, rising in the ranks (from barnacle scraper to senior military representative), transforming a personal passion into a community project, and books, books, and more books about women and flying.
Sylvia and Liz talk about what happened in 2020 that made community building so needed and relevant and the importance of a positive mindset. Liz shares the need behind amplifying the voices of women in aviation any how she promotes books, authors, and discussions via the Aviatrix Book Review website and Facebook Group Aviatrix Book Club.
Topics Include:
- Women, visibility and access
- Leveraging social media to build community
- Collecting 500 + book titles on women in aviation
- The power of vulnerability
- Leadership and how to be an effective leader
- Balancing career and family planning as a working mom
- Planning as a critical organizational structure
- Building virtual social communities
- Mentorship
- Kiteboarding, seaplanes, and the Paris Airshow
- And much more...
Liz Booker is now a full-time writer working on her first novel and living in Florida with her family and dogs. She spent 28-years as a US Coast Guard helicopter pilot and cycled up to various positions such as national security expert, human resources manager, counter-narcotics and trafficking mission operator and foreign diplomat. She is experienced in networking and mentoring women and underrepresented professionals to help them achieve their goals. She holds a Masters in Public Administration from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and a Masters of Fine Arts in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts.
Resources Mentioned:
Connect with Liz Booker – https://linktr.ee/literaryaviatrix
Instagram - @literaryaviatrix
Aviatrix Book Review Podcast – https://www.buzzsprout.com/1568443
On-Ramps and Off-Ramps by Sylvia Ann Hewlett – https://www.amazon.com/Off-Ramps-Ramps-Keeping-Talented-Success/dp/1422101029
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Website – https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest – @whenwomenfly
Email – hello@whenwomenfly.com
How can we break away from the traditional confines of motherhood and integrate our passions with our family life? What can flying teach us and our kids about navigating the twists and turns of this wild life?
Marissa Colclasure helps to redefine what we think of as the “typical” mom. A single mother of three, Marissa has found a way to integrate her love for flight and adventure with her work and family responsibilities.
In this episode, Sylvia and Marissa discuss how pursuing our passions can influence our loved ones, the light we become for the world when we lean into what sets our heart on fire, navigating the inevitable turbulence in life and in the air, and much more.
Topics Include:
- The early impact of losing her father, the pilot, in a plane accident
- Skydiving, flying trapeze, silks, and wing walking
- The motherhood / adventure balance and risk mitigation
- What flying can teach us about everyday life
- STEM / STEAM projects and how we get hands-on with kids
- Building a Pietenpol plane as a family
- Accessibility and access for women in aviation
- Becoming a high-conflict divorce coach and why
- And other topics...
Marissa Colclasure has over 18 years of experience as a flight instructor. Captivated by the romance of flight, her belief is that flying is an art and pilots are the poets destined to write their own stories. When not flying barefoot in a tailwheel, she’s adventuring with her three kids, flying trapeze, hiking, and traveling.
Resources Mentioned:
IG – @barefoot_flying_mom
Book – Becoming Better Grownups: Rediscovering What Matters and Remembering How to Fly
West Coast Aerobatics teaching in a Super Decathalon, Cessna 170 and soon online a Stearman
https://flywca.com/
Those going through a high conflict divorce and where to find coaches. https://www.onemomsbattle.com/
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Website – https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
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Email – hello@whenwomenfly.com
Let's take a deeper look at women who fly, modern feminism, and how adventurous women are stitched into a narrative about freedom and control ranging widely through myth, religion, and iconography - this story of 'sky-going females'.
In this episode, Sylvia talks to Serinity Young PhD about her astonishing study into women and flight chronicled in the 2018 book, Women Who Fly: Goddesses, Witches, Mystics, and other Airborne Females. To take the concept of airborne women and unfolds a deep and thought provoking investigation into the recurrent motif of women free from earthly constraints and empowered with the ability of flight, Serinity speaks to a timeless human aspiration to be unbound, free, and powerful.
From Sanskrit myths and apsaras to the Wonder Woman comics, from Dante's guide in Paradise (the winged Beatrice) and Freud's interpretation of dreams of flying, to the winged goddess of victory in Greece, Serinity masterfully weaves together a global history of women in flight. She talks about the symbolism of fleeing - by flying - the constraints of patriarchy.
They discuss legends, myths, rituals, sacred narratives, and artistic productions all while shining a light on how airborne women have been both influenced and been understood by society and religious traditions and much more.
Topics Include:
- The archetype of flying women
- The depiction of ariel women in captivity starting in the dark ages
- Witches, shamans, mystics, goddesses
- “Exceptional women”
- Wonder Woman, duality and the conundrum of love
- Untold stories, 'herstories', and Cornelia Fort
- Amelia Earhart, more than a mystery
- Female power and sexuality.
- And other topics...
Serinity Young Ph.D. is a Research Associate at the Department of Anthropology at the American Museum of Natural History. She is a professor of Classical Middle Eastern and Asian Language and Cultures at Queens College in New York. Young is the author of several books including Women Who Fly: Goddesses, Witches, Mystics, and other Airborne Females where she examines the motif of the flying woman as it appears in a wide variety of cultures and historical periods, in legends, myths, rituals, sacred narratives, and artistic productions.
Resources Mentioned:
Book – Women Who Fly: Goddesses, Witches, Mystics, and other Airborne Females by Serinity Young Ph.D.
Book – The Secret History of Wonder Woman by Jill Lepore
...
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Website – https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
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Email – hello@whenwomenfly.com
How can we stay true to ourselves when the neat boxes society organizes us in are stifling? What are dreams and passions if not our guide and confidant? What are the costs and the rewards of a passion-driven life?
In today's episode, Sylvia talks to Sarah Halas, flight instructor and mountain guide from Truckee, California. Sarah shares her story of finding flying amongst other pursuits that would bring her deeper into mountains. Challenging assumptions and defying gender roles from the beginning, Sarah has built her life around a love for exploring and physically pushing limits of endurance, alongside a passion for travel, language, and culture. Join us as we dive deep into the issues and practicalities around valuing transience, crafting a life rid of preconceived notions of womanhood, trusting yourself to color outside the lines, and so much more.
Topics Include:
- Early adventures abroad
- The lasting influence of international travel
- Becoming a mountain guide
- The challenges of aviation school
- A life-changing trip to Antarctica
- Discovering a passion for pilot training
- Intuitive flying
- Self-care
- Designing a values-based lifestyle
- Truckee Flight Training
- And other topics...
Sarah Halas has been a professional pilot for over a decade. Hailing from Truckee, California, Sarah is the owner of Truckee Flight Training where she offers a full range of flight lessons from private pilot training to mountain flying courses and instrument training.
Website: Www.truckeeflighttraining.com
IG: @sarahhalas @truckeeflighttraining
...
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Website – https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest – @whenwomenfly
Email – hello@whenwomenfly.com
What institutional barriers are (still!) holding back world-class female athletes, and what can we do about it?
In this episode, Sylvia is joined by Tara Geraghty-Moats, the Nordic combined women’s World Cup champion in 2021, the first season females were granted a World Cup. The sport, which pairs up ski jumping with a pursuit-start skate ski race, was an original men's event in the first 1924 Winter Olympic program. However, as an Olympic sport, Nordic combined remains the only sport, today, that women cannot compete in and are blocked from participating in despite their exceptional physical accomplishments. Sylvia and Tara discuss the challenges and successes faced in her career as a female athlete and an advocate for gender equality.
As we look at ways in which women fly and impediments fixated on denying women opportunities to elevate themselves, this story of gender inequity is dismal but Tara is spirited, optimistic and always ready to pivot, ski, race, and fly on skis - so watch out!
Topics Include:
- Growing up in Vermont on skis
- Environmentalism and sustainable living
- The gender pay gap for elite-level athletes
- Concentration and balance during high-pressure performances
- The institutional barriers blocking the nordic combined women in the Winter Olympics
- Access and visibility for female athletes
- Advocacy for marginalized groups
- And other topics....
Tara Geraghty-Moats, who won the inaugural FIS Nordic Combined World Cup in Ramsau, Austria and took home the Overall Crystal Globe for the season in 2021. Geraghty-Moats grew up in West Fairlee, Vermont and has been competing on the Ski Jumping World Cup circuit since 2014.
The most successful female Nordic Combined athlete of the last few years, USA’s Tara Geraghty-Moats, has decided to put her career in Nordic Combined on hold in favour of studying and returning to biathlon.
She is a passionate gender equality advocate and will soar, regardless the obstacles.
Resources Mentioned:
Tara's IG – @tarageraghtymoats
Book – WOLFPACK by Abby Wambach
–
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Website – https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
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Email – hello@whenwomenfly.com
How can we break through our perceived limitations and pursue our ambitions and dreams? How do we manage the assumptions that others project onto us?
Being born without arms has not deterred Jessica Cox from being an ambitious dream chaser. In this episode, Sylvia is joined by Jessica to discuss the remarkable life she's created for herself as a pilot, martial artist, athlete, and keynote speaker. Jessica shares with listeners how we can dig deep and cultivate the resiliency needed to overcome life's greatest challenges.
"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent" – Eleanor Roosevelt
Topics Include:
- Leaning into fear
- Adventures in scuba diving and surfing
- The problem with objectifying people with disabilities as brave or inspirational
- Limb differences and rejecting prosthetic arms
- The power of faith, family and prayer
- How the practice of gratitude can reshape your mindset
- The ACCEPT acronym
- and much more...
Jessica Cox earned a Guinness World Record medal for being the first armless pilot in aviation history. She has been featured on programs like Ellen, Oprah Winfrey Network, and the BBC. As a motivational speaker, Jessica teaches how to courageously tackle new challenges with creativity and unrelenting drive.
–
Resources Mentioned:
Book – Disarm Your Limits by Jessica Cox
Book – Fearless Filipinas
Movie – Right FootedConnect With Jessica Cox:
Website – jessicacox.com
Nonprofit – rightfootedfoundation.com
LinkedIn @rightfooted
Twitter @jess_feet
Facebook @CMSofficial
YouTube @rightfootedwoman
Want to connect? Visit us online and signup for the monthly WWF newsletter!
Website – https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest – @whenwomenfly
Email – hello@whenwomenfly.com
How can we take action and make a difference in our communities? What would it look like to live in integrity with our deepest spiritual beliefs?
In this episode, Sylvia is joined by Ashaba Faridah to discuss interweaving our personal and spiritual lives, finding ways to give back and be of service, what flying can teach us about life, and much more.
Ashaba Faridah grew up on the outskirts of Kampala city, Uganda. She is one of a small handful of female pilots in Uganda and is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Bambino Life Foundation, an organization that focuses on promoting girl child education & empowerment. Ashaba was selected to be 1 of 9 women innovators to represent the UN women’s “Impossible to Ignore” campaign in 2019. Recently, she was listed among the most influential women in Africa by The Africa Diversity and Inclusion Center.
Topics Include:
- Being raised as the firstborn of a single parent
- Working as a woman in STEM
- The resiliency and tenacity of women
- Taking ownership of life
- The qualities of an effective leader
- Living from a place of integrity and authenticity
- Merging spirituality into intention
- And other topics...
...
Resource Mentioned:
Ashaba's TEDx Talk – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T40lTRSageEBambino Life Foundation – http://www.bambinolife.org/
Connect With Ashaba:
You can make a donation to the Bambino Life Foundation by sending money to ashabafaridah57@gmail.com on PayPal. Every donation helps! You can connect with Ashaba on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @bambinolifefoundation or @AshabaFaridah. Want to connect? Visit us online and signup for the monthly WWF newsletter!
Website – https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest – @whenwomenfly
Email – hello@whenwomenfly.com
What will it take to raise more women into leadership positions? How can men and women show up as allies to create meaningful and lasting change?
In this episode, Sylvia is joined by Linda Lindquist-Bishop to discuss how we can set up the women of today to be successful in leadership positions, what it means to choose love over fear in our relationships and in our lives, why racing sailboats is the best leadership development strategy, and much more.
Topics Include
- Innate versus learned leadership skills
- Why the best leaders focus on asking good questions
- The importance of clearly defined roles in sport and in business
- The value of diversity in leadership positions
- What it means to strive for excellence and live an extraordinary life
- Taking on life's second mountain
- The connection between voracious learning, acquiring expertise, and success
- Being present with fear
- Dynamic variables in sailing, flying, freedom and life
- The necessity of morning rituals
- Freedom and flight
- And other topics...
Linda Lindquist-Bishop is a world champion athlete, strategist, and president of Courageous Thinking Inc. In 1995, Linda made history as a member of America3, the first all-women's team to compete in the America’s Cup–the Super Bowl of sailing. Linda was awarded Glamour Magazine’s ‘Women of the Year’ in 1995 with America3, and was honored by Lifetime Television in 1997 as one of the ‘Top 100 Women of the Century.’
...
Resources Mentioned
Courageous Thinking Inc. – http://www.cgthink.com/
Rising Tide Leadership Institue – http://www.4risingtide.org/
Linda Lindquist-Bishop's TEDx Talk – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCtCYDQipM0
Books Mentioned
The Archer by Paulo Coelho
The Four Spiritual Laws of Prosperity by Edwene Gaines
Team of Teams by Stanley McChrystal, Tantum Collins. David Silverman, and Chris Fussell
The Clarity Field Guide by Benj Miller, and Chris White
My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers
The Daughters of Yalta by Catherine Grace Katz
Want to connect? Visit us online and signup for the monthly WWF newsletter!
Website: https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest: @whenwomenfly
Email: hello@whenwomenfly.com
Sylvia is joined by dance ethnologist, flying trapeze artist and executive coach Dr. Edy Greenblatt, Ph.D., to discuss what people get wrong about work-life balance and burnout. Edy shares with listeners what flying trapeze and dance can teach us about business and relationships, what we can do to avoid burnout, why we should learn to work with our fear rather than against, and much more.
Topics include:
- Defining resilience
- Work as enrichment to life vs. work as depleting
- The myth of work-life balance
- Why we need to reframe fear
- How the flying trapeze changes everything
- Identifying the activities that deplete and restore us
- Investing in meaningful relationships
- And other topics...
Dr. Edy Greenblatt, Ph.D., PCC is a transformational coach-educator, resilience pioneer, integration visionary, and entrepreneur. As Founder and President of Execu-Care Coaching & Consulting, Inc. she creates radically innovative interdisciplinary, multi-method interventions that help leaders, teams, and organizations learn, grow, laugh, and energize while they rise to meet demanding performance goals. Her blended solutions can include interactive classroom sessions, aerial arts and flying trapeze, embodied and peer coaching, world dance, WATSU, coach supervision, ethnographic analyses, interactive online support, and offsite resilience retreats.
...
Resources mentioned:
Flying Trapeze Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLaUz9dh0HU
Book – Restore Yourself by Edy Greenblatt
Book – The Female Advantage: Women's Ways of Leadership by Sally Helgelson
Book – Women Don't Ask by Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever
Multi-Media Series – Fusion: How World-Class Innovators Create the Unexpected by CJ Meadows
Connect with Edy:
LinkedIn – @dredygreenblatt
Email – edygreenblatt@gmal.com
Website – https://edygreenblatt.com/
Want to connect with us? Visit us online!
Website: https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
IG: @whenwomenfly
FB: @whenwomenfly
Twitter: @whenwomenfly
Pinterest: @whenwomenfly
In this episode of When Women Fly you'll meet first-generation Alaskan and distinctively awesome person, Jamie Klaes, Director of Aviation for Alaska EXCEL, a nonprofit that provides resources and skills for rural youth across Alaska. She also flies Medevac missions to rural villages in remote areas and is a backcountry flight instructor in remote Alaska – on floats and skis. She was a dog sledding guide, Former Mayor of Bettles and spent summers as tour pilot around Denali, the largest mountain in the world from base to top.
This is a conversation about the cultural divide between rural and urban life, what she's learned about generational trauma by living and working with indigenous Native Alaskans, the thrill and challenge of speed riding, and much more.
Topics Include:
- Growing up in Bettles, Alaska at Latitude 66, above the arctic circle
- Ins and outs of a tiny rural fly-in only village in Alaska
- Drawing strength from the loss of loved ones
- Evolving identities through phases of life
- Seasonal work and international travel
- Yoga and flying
- Indigenous Native Alaskan resourcefulness
- Alaska EXCEL
- Cultural and generational trauma
- Speed riding - a 3-D skiing experience
- The value of the 10,000' perspective when aloft
- And other topics...
Resources Mentioned:
Jamie's Website – http://www.jamieklaes.com/
Alaska EXCEL – https://alaskaexcel.org/
Book – Stealing Fire by Steven Kotler, Jamie Wheal
Book – The Raven's Gift by Don Rearden
Want to connect with us? Visit us online!
Website: https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
IG: @whenwomenfly
FB: @whenwomenfly
Twitter: @whenwomenfly
Pinterest: @whenwomenfly
This week, to celebrate Earth Day, Sylvia is joined by Shannon Switzer Swanson, a National Geographic Explorer, marine social ecologist, and surfer to probe the intersection of storytelling, research, art and science. They talk about modern-day "Exploration"and the role of women and the BIPOC community in redefining it. Shannon is not discouraged or dissuaded by the complexities in her work with conservation and she continues to ask difficult questions, such as: “Can coastal communities manage their resources in ways that both sustain prosperous livelihoods and a healthy environment.” What is the win-win formula?
Fun fact: Shannon is grand daughter to one of the pioneering women pilots of the mid-1900s.
Topics Include:
- Photography, storytelling, and research
- How our perception of time affects choices around sustainability
- What it means to be a modern-day explorer
- Female role models
- Extensive field research in Central Sulawesi
- Building trust and participatory research methods
- National Geographic programs and getting your start
- Maintaining relationships while traveling
- Balancing work and family life
- Advice for women adventurers
- And other topics...
Resources Mentioned:
An interactive website for folks interested in knowing where aquarium fish come from and how to keep an aquarium that doesn’t harm the world’s reefs, check it out at https://reeftoaquarium.com/.
Book: Femininities in the Field: Tourism and Transdisciplinary Research
Connect with Shannon:
Instagram: @ShannonSwitzerSwanson
Twitter: @S3Oceans
Facebook: @S3Oceans
LinkedIn: @shannonswitzerswanson
Interview with Shannon
Want to connect with us? Visit us online!
Website: https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
IG: @whenwomenfly
FB: @whenwomenfly
Twitter: @whenwomenfly
Pinterest: @whenwomenfly
In this episode, Sylvia is joined by Melissa Burns, a professional aerobatic pilot, display skydiver, B.A.S.E. Jumper and mom. As a pilot and athlete, she was the youngest female member of the United States Unlimited Aerobatic Team in history and competed for 10 years. Melissa was named the Fastest Woman in the World at the World Champion Wingsuit Jumping Race in Norway and has numerous Skydiving World Records. She is Assistant Professor of Aeronautical Science at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, migrates between Alaska and Florida and takes on her role as mom as passionately as any of her pursuits.
In this conversation, they touch on the power of female role models, finding clarity in life and work, motherhood, taking risks as an extreme sports athlete, and much more.
Be sure to check out the podcast website, Melissa’s website and our posts on social to see her stunt work and incredible shots of her flying, living, playing and pushing the edge of women in extreme sports.
Topics Include:
- Early influences from Melissa's aviatrix grandmother
- Aerobatics and skydiving
- Making the US Unlimited Aerobatic Team at 22 years old
- Assessing risks in extreme sports
- The cost of living on a show circuit and burn out
- Being a role model for young women
- Leveraging your platform to inspire others
- Transitioning into motherhood, choices and professional life
- World travel and gratitude
- Neurodiversity and education
- Setting goals, moving forward, enjoying the journey
- And other topics...
Resources Mentioned:
Website: https://www.sportsgal.com/
Website: https://www.flyingadventurestm.com/
YouTube Video: World First: Melissa Andrzejewski, Sketchy Andy Lewis, & Jimmy Fitzpatrick take the Desert!
Books Mentioned:
Book: Resonant Leadership by Richard E. Boyatzis and Annie McKee
Book: Alone on the Wall by Alex Honnold
Book: The Push by Tommy Caldwell
Book: ROAR by Stacy Sims and Selene Yeager
Want to connect with us? Visit us online!
Website: https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
IG: @whenwomenfly
FB: @whenwomenfly
Twitter: @whenwomenfly
Pinterest: @whenwomenfly
In this episode, Sylvia is joined by Canadian Sasha Gollish, professional runner, performance engineer, speaker and educator. They discuss lessons on and off the track, balancing work and play, diversifying your sport, making choices not sacrifices, navigating academia as an educator, deconstructing personal narratives, daily doses of nature and adventure, and much more.
Sasha also loves to ski and is passionate about making fast turns on the track and on the slopes. She shares what the metaphor of flight means personally and its reference on her tattoo. Sasha is a flying member of the Haute Volée Oiselle running team and teaches at the University of Toronto.
Topics Include:
- Finding space to discover your passions
- Balancing being a scientist and an athlete
- Performance training and lessons from the track
- Connecting with the outdoors
- The stories we tell ourselves about ourselves
- Connecting to our bodies
- Antifragility and resiliency systems in engineering
- Facing the fear of death
- Collaborating with Oiselle
- Investigating our spiritual nature
- The connection between risk and kindness
- And other topics...
Resources Mentioned:
https://www.sashagollish.com/
https://www.oiselle.com/
Want to connect with us? Visit us online!
Website: https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
IG: @whenwomenfly
Sylvia is joined by Lindsay Bourgoine, the Vice President of Programs and Operations for Protect Our Winters, POW, a community of athletes, scientists, creatives, and business leaders advancing non-partisan policies that protect our world today and for future generations. Have you ever wondered how your passion for the outdoors can help save it? They discuss how individuals influence collective change, the impact of leveraging athletes' authority on the environment, the opportunities within diverse perspectives with a common goal, the complexities of policy and activism, steps toward change and much more.
Topics Include:
- Growing up in Maine, the White Mountains, and the Appalachian Mountain Club
- Navigating transitions in life, planning and pivoting
- Studying law and policy
- Connecting with Protect Our Winters
- Why climate is the apex issue of our times
- How professional athletes can leverage influence to fight climate change
- The "Outdoor State" and how it can influence policy
- How 2020 taught us about collective action and collective impact
- Challenging assumptions people make about us
- The power of unusual allies and voices
- Making policy cool and accessible
- Fighting apathy
- And other topics...
Resources Mentioned:
Website: http://www.protectourwinters.org
IG: @protectourwinters
Books Mentioned:
A Mind Spread Out by Alicia Elliott
This Radical Land: A Natural History of American Dissent by Daegan Miller
Want to connect with us? Visit us online!
Website: https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
IG: @whenwomenfly
Pinterest, FB, Twitter, YouTube: whenwomenfly
In today's episode, Sylvia is joined by Melissa Lowe to talk about being a pioneer in the sport of skydiving. She shares openly how she has integrated entrepreneurship, skydiving, yoga and family with her history, personal struggles, lessons on what has worked and a unique perspective on role models, mentors and confronting angst and fear. They talk about comradery and loss in a tight-knit community, and much more. Melissa holds 23 skydiving world records and is a licensed pilot, yoga instructor, author, and mom.
The Sugar Alpha Chronicles are a series of books based on the life of the late skydiving pioneer and Melissa’s father, Roger Nelson's life as a drug smuggler, iconic figure in the sport of skydiving, family man, and eventually a convicted felon. He wrote these books while serving his 5 year prison sentence and smuggled them out of prison where after his death, Melissa was able to finish the project and get them published. A decade’s worth of research and finding out truths of her past as a drug smuggler's daughter this series brought the memoirs into fruition.
Topics Include:
- Growing up in a skydiving community drop zone
- Being a drug smuggler's daughter
- Breaking away from family mold
- Getting sober and resetting identity
- Influences from learning and practicing yoga
- Stability and instability as a young adult
- The experience of flying with your body
- Processing loss
- Wingsuit flying, Freestyle, Freefly and competition
- Highlight Pro Skydiving - the all-female demonstration jump team
- Mission and media
- World records, attempts and other successes
- Entrepreneurship and leadership
- And other topics...
Resources Mentioned:
https://melissa-lowe.com/about/
Melissa's Books:
Sugar Alpha: The Life and Times of Señor Huevos Grandes and
Charlie Bravo: Descent into Darkness and Danger
Originally written by Roger, the series were not published until years after his death when Melissa picked up the dusty manuscript and turned them into books. Melissa had to fill in some gaps through interviews of people involved in Roger’s life to finish up this true story of Roger’s adventures.
Book mentioned:
Eat Wheat: A Scientific and Clinically-Proven Approach to Safely Bringing Wheat and Dairy Back Into Your Diet by John Douillard
Want to connect with us? Visit us online!
Website: https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
IG: @whenwomenfly
In this episode, Sylvia talks with Kikkan Randall, a trailblazer in women's sport. They talk about the athlete frame of mind and how it shows up in countless ways from training, team building and competing to fighting cancer, balance and life pivots. Challenges seem to embolden Kikkan. She is candid as she reflects on her journey in sport, life and leadership. She inspires us all to step out of our comfort zone and show up for our dreams, take small actions that serve large goals, give to earnest causes, live life to its fullest and have fun along the way! Enjoy this conversation...
Topics Include:
- Being an Alaskan kid with an active family
- Kikkan's early affinity for sports
- Collaboration and competition in a team culture
- Drawing up a plan for big goals, step-by-step
- Recovering from setbacks and low points
- The performance plateau before a breakthrough
- Becoming a mother between Olympics
- Winning an Olympic Gold Medal
- Breast cancer
- Why sharing stories of vulnerability are important
- Running a 2:55 New York Marathon
- Leadership and activism with Fast and Female and AKTIV against cancer
- New directions after a successful athletic career
- And much more....
Resources Mentioned:
www.kikkan.com
IG: @kikkanimal
Fast and Female
ACTIV Against Cancer
US Cross Country Skiing
In today's episode, Sylvia is joined by Meagan Davis, Air Force Chaplain, entrepreneur, aviatrix, mentor and creator of Women Rock Wings. Meagan shares her story from early influences growing in Brooklyn to being called to chaplaincy and learning to fly. They discuss the power of faith, her belief that women were born to soar, and the transformative influence of community.
During the month of March, Women's History Month, we lean into the power of community by affirming each other’s knowledge and credibility, perhaps what we collectively need most. Meagan is changing the narrative of all women by elevating the voices and using her platform to highlight an adage, "The Future of Flight is Female", an assertion to continue progressing together in all fields.
Topics Include:
- Growing up in Brooklyn and maternal role models
- The influences of being from a matriarchal family
- Finding a path to the Air Force at age 20
- Grit and perseverance–knowing you are more than enough
- Transitioning from aircraft electrician to chaplain
- Misconceptions about the military
- Positive mindset, happiness and joy in the face of adversity
- The power vulnerability has to foster connection
- Creating Women Rock Wings
- Being kind to yourself
- And much more ...
Resources Mentioned:
IG: @womenrockwings
...
Want to connect with us? Visit us online!
Website: https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
IG: @whenwomenfly
This month of March, we celebrate women's history by leaning into stories where the collective energy of women speaks to the incredible influence of sisterhoods and allies. We talk to women who are deeply involved in creating, nurturing and growing communities.
In today's episode, Sylvia is joined by Carolyn Gardner, the Volée Team Manager at Oiselle, about the community building power of running. They discuss early experiences of intimidation in running groups and how that inspired Carolyn to make a difference, the adaptations and unforeseen wins during COVID, the power of sharing women's stories, and much more.
Topics Include:
- Growing up in the Chicago
- An early fondness of sports
- The connection between sports and resilience
- Pivoting during COVID
- The Womxn Run the Vote Virtual Relay
- Creating inclusive spaces
- The power of sharing women's stories
- Learning to use your voice
- Connecting into your local community
- And other topics
Resources Mentioned:
www.oiselle.com
www.girlsontherun.org
I Was the Fastest Girl in America, Until I Joined Nike by Mary Cain
...
Want to connect with us? Visit us online!
Website: https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
IG: @whenwomenfly
In today's episode, Sylvia speaks with Alaskan glacier pilot, artist, and mother Leighan Falley. Leighan shares with listeners how growing up in the grandeur of Alaska shaped how she engages with the world, her experience as a female pilot, and how she balances her life as an artist, pilot, and mother.
Topics Include:
- Bypassing early gender assumptions
- The legend of the White Wind of Denali
- Transitioning into motherhood
- Attention for being a female pilot
- Using your platform to inspire young women
- Bush pilots vs glacier pilots
- Balancing work, family, and creative expression
- How challenge and adventure fortifies our resilience
- Finding gratitude during COVID
- Embracing the beginner's mindset
- And much more...
Resources Mentioned:
IG: @leighanfalley
What Unites Us by Dan Rather
Want to connect with us? Visit us online!
Website: https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
IG: @whenwomenfly
Anchorage-based nordic skier Rosie Brennan flew to victory in back-to-back World Cup races in December of 2020 on the World Cup cross country skiing circuit in Europe. She became the second American cross-country skier to win back-to-back World Cup races. Rosie joins us on today's episode to share her experience and to discuss making history, the Tour de Ski, the trickle-down effect of female accomplishments, diversity and inclusion in winter sports, what it takes to comeback after setbacks, and much more.
Topics Include:
- Finding a way to thrive and train during COVID
- Doing less to accomplish more
- The FIS Tour de Ski
- Winning back to back world championships
- Balancing being strong-willed and forgiving
- The trickle-down effect of women accomplishments
- Diversity and inclusion in winter sports
- Fast and Female–empowering girls through sport
- Recovering from loss
- Finding release through movement
- And other topics...
...
Resources Mentioned:
www.rosiebrennan.com
www.voiceinsports.com
Fast and Female
IG: @rossignolnordic
IG: @rosiebrennan
Want to connect with us? Visit us online!
Website: https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
IG: @whenwomenfly
This episode is an uplifting conversation with Captain-Crystal Stout, an entrepreneur, innovator, balloon pilot and Founder of the Dream Catcher Balloon Rides. Captain-Crystal has a clear and powerful passion for giving back and serving others especially individuals with physical challenges or disabilities. She has found a way to adapt her aircraft and use her love of flight to change lives.
Topics Include:
- How the Dream Catcher Project came to be.
- Adapting an aircraft for better accessibility.
- The "what's it going to take?" mentality.
- Inspirational stories of Dream Catcher participants.
- Finding your purpose, and living it every day.
- Hot air balloon competitions.
- How COVID has impacted pilots and business owners.
- Women empowering other women.
- Wingwalking school and an Airbnb "Air-Bed-and-Balloon"
- Waking up with joy in your heart.
- And much more..
...
Resource Mentioned:
IG: @balloonprogram
http://www.dreamcatcherballoon.org/
Want to connect with us? Visit us online!
Website: https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Instagram: @whenwomenfly
Sylvia is joined by diversity advocate and outdoor enthusiast, Judy Kasiama. Judy is the founder of Colour the Trails, a Vancouver based outdoor community that is aiming to change the lack of diversity and representation for Black and Indigenous People of Color. They provide opportunities for BIPoC individuals and allies to hike, ski, snowboard, snowshoe, and kayak. Judy is the magic behind the growing movement allowing people of all shades and shapes to feel welcome and capable in the outdoors. She makes connections through networks of brands, businesses, and organizations to facilitate opportunities, break barriers and create accessibility in outdoor spaces.
Topics Include:
- Early years in D.R. of Congo followed by life as a refugee ...
- Growing up living in different countries...
- The importance of nature and access...
- Intersectionality and being self-aware...
- Working with rural communities in East Africa...
- Limitations of nonprofits, and alternative business structures...
- The development of Colour the Trails...
- Performative allyship and how to avoid it...
- Building authentic relationships with BIPOC communities...
- The benefits of physical challenges and adventures...
- The power of persistence...
- Film and media, to highlight important topics and support Colour the Trails
- And other topics...
...
Resources Mentioned:
IG: @colourthetrails
@jujumil
http://www.colourthetrails.com/
colourthetrails
Want to connect with us? Visit us online!
Website: https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Instagram: @whenwomenfly
In this episode, Sylvia talks with pilot, visionary and strategist Ivy McIver, the Director of the SR Product Line at Cirrus Aircraft. Ivy talks about parachutes in airplanes, where planes can go and how they can change your life, why training is so critical, the importance of collaboration in the design process and bringing outrageous innovations to market. They also dig into the psychology of endurance multi-sports and how lessons learned from extreme physical challenges can be applied in other areas of life.
Topics Include:
- Laser focus in pursuit of a dream as a child and Top Gun
- Adapting to circumstances and the tyranny of minimum height requirements
- General aviation and the adventure that profits
- Moving job titles from computer programer, to salesperson, to innovator and influencer
- Working in a male-dominated industry
- Extreme endurance sports such as completing 10-day races
- Lessons learned from team adventure races
- Overcoming the fear of failure
- Risk tolerance in relationships
- And other topics...
...
Resources Mentioned:
http://www.cirrusaircraft.com/
Want to connect with us? Visit us online!
Website: https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Instagram: @whenwomenfly
Sylvia is joined by social entrepreneur, pilot, and educator Refilwe Ledwaba. Refilwe is the first black woman from South Africa to fly a helicopter and she is also the first black woman to fly for the South African Police Service. Most recently she founded the Girls Fly Program in Africa, a nonprofit designed to shape, empower, enable and support the next generation of changemakers and problemsolvers in the aviation and space industry.
Topics Include:
- Growing up in apartheid South Africa
- An upbringing surrounded by strong women
- The importance of seeing people that look like you in positions you aspire to
- Giving recognition to the changemakers that came before us
- The burden of being “the first”
- The danger associated with breaking glass ceilings
- Pre and post apartheid
- The spirit of ubuntu ~ "I am because we are"
- Transforming community through mindset and education
- Flying into remote villages in Africa to run workshops in STEAM and design
- Becoming an Obama Foundation Fellow and a Gates Foundation Goalkeeper
- Pivoting during COVID to serve a community with minimal internet access
- The problem of access and the digital divide
- Pausing to heal and self-reflect during quarantine
- And other topics...
...
www.gfpafoundation.org
www.areye.africa
Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Linkedin
@gfpafoundation
@areyestories
Instagram @refilwe_led
Facebook: Refilwe Ledwaba
Linkedin: Refilwe ledwaba
gfpafoundation #areyestories
Want to connect with us? Visit us online!
Website: https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Instagram: @whenwomenfly
Sylvia is joined by entrepreneur, pilot, and watchmaker Abingdon Mullin. A successful businesswoman and a mentor, Abingdon drew inspiration from her love of flying to build the lifestyle brand Abingdon Co. The founder of the Abingdon Foundation, Abingdon has channeled her influence into empowering women to pursue their dreams in STEAM (science, tech, engineering, art and math) fields and enabling ventures in entrepreneurship.
Topics Include:
- Abingdon's eclectic background and influences
- Goal setting, shooting for the moon, internal motivation
- How a free food event turned into a lifetime of flying
- The entrepreneurial spirit–building a lifestyle brand
- Lessons learned as a young entrepreneur
- Building business relationships
- Her appearances on Wild Flying Alaska, and ABC's Shark Tank
- Scaling the Abingdon Co. brand
- The Abingdon Foundation and empowering entrepreneurs
- Nurturing the spirit of adventure in other women
- And other topics...
...
Resources Mentioned:
https://theabingdonco.com
https://abingdonfoundation.org
Want to connect with us? Visit us online!
Website: https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Instagram: @whenwomenfly
In this first episode of 2021, Sylvia talks with Alaska native and speaker Shannon Huffman Polson about her journey as a thought leader on grit and resilience. She served as one of the first women to fly the Apache helicopter in the US Army and earned her MBA at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth before writing The Grit Factor: Courage, Resilience, and Leadership in the Most Male-Dominated Organization in the World and founding The Grit Institute where she coaches people on developing grit in careers and workplaces. We talk a lot about grit, what it is, how it is built and what its soft underbelly looks like.
We get under surface and talk about Shannon’s childhood in Alaska, the challenges and opportunities behind her military career, the tragic loss of her father and stepmother in the Arctic, parenting during COVID, books and much more.
Topics Include:
- Resetting and refocusing; understanding what you truly want out of life
- Growing up in Alaska
- Mountain summits, literal and metaphorical
- Resilience in the face of adversity
- Grit: dogged determination in the face of adverse circumstances
- Grit as a character trait that can be developed
- Learning to fly helicopters
- Tuning out the noise; focusing on your core mission
- The grit triad: Commit, Learn, Launch
- Post-traumatic growth and grounded optimism
- Women in male-dominated industries
- Raising gritty kids
- Advice: not to listen to the naysayers
- And other topics...
...
Shannon's work mentioned:
http://www.shannonpolson.com/
The Grit Factor: Courage, Resilience, and Leadership in the Most Male-Dominated Organization in the World, 2020
North of Hope: A Daughter's Arctic Journey, 2013
@ABorderLife
Other resources mentioned:
Angela Duckworth’s work on grit
www.angeladuckworth.com
www.characterlab.org
Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, 2016
Carol Dweck’s work on growth mindset
www.mindsetworks.com
Want to connect with us? Visit us online!
Website: https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Instagram: @whenwomenfly
In this short New Year's Eve Episode, Sylvia reflects on the complexities and challenges we've gone through collectively in 2020. Sylvia opens up about the formation of the When Women Fly podcast, shares a bit of her backstory, touches on the powerful metaphor of flight, and discusses the value of telling stories.
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Resources mentioned:
Diane Ackerman
On Extended Wings
www.dianeackerman.com
Elizabeth Lesser
Cassandra Speaks: When Women Are the Storytellers, the Human Story Changes
www.elizabethlesser.org
Brené Brown
The Gift of Imperfection
The Power of Vulnerability
Daring Greatly
Podcasts - Unlocking Us; Dare to Lead
www.brenebrown.com
TED talk by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
The Danger of the Single Story
...
Want to connect with us? Visit us online!
Website: https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Instagram: @whenwomenfly
In this episode, Sylvia talks with pilot and yogi Leigh Coates about practice, migration, flying, commitment, acceptance, and much more. Her journey is one of a trailblazer bringing dreams to reality and finding a way to pursue a core calling. We talk flying in Alaska, practicing yoga on-the-job, enduring a devastating injury, and using setbacks to comeback with more determination and moxie. We also talk about being an entrepreneur, using photography to share on IG, and the value of creating an Instagram community especially during COVID. Leigh is hard to pigeonhole - you will just have to listen yourself!
Topics Include:
- Finding consistency in yoga practice
- Being the first female Jet Suit and Jetpack pilot
- The possibility of jet pack based sports
- Learning to fly as a teenager
- Flying to bordercross snowboarding and back to flying
- The freak accident that ended her snowboarding career
- Finding gratitude, overcoming challenges
- Valdez, Southern Alaska, glaciers, peaks and wilderness
- Connection to the outdoors and remote places
- Using social media to build community
- And other topics.
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Resources mentioned:
IG: @leighyogipilot
IG: @helipilotleigh
Gravity Jetsuit: https://gravity.co
Books mentioned:
Illusions by Richard Bach
The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Don Miguel Ruiz
Want to connect with us? Visit us online!
Website: https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Instagram: @whenwomenfly
Sylvia is joined by Lexi duPont, a professional big mountain freeskier, filmmaker, and pilot from Sun Valley, Idaho. She was a Freeskiing World Tour and Red Bull Cold Rush contender, who has been featured in several films such as Warren Miller’s Wintervention and Future Retro. Shaped by Descent is a beautiful story of Lexi's 10-year obsession with the amazing terrain and unparalleled descents in the mountains of Alaska.
Topics Include:
- Growing up in Sun Valley, Idaho
- Her mom, the first women to go inverted on skis, mastering the backflip
- The crossover of skiing, flying, and activism
- Big mountain skiing in southeast Alaska
- Comradery amongst women and female firsts
- Filmmaking
- Living with the duPont legacy
- Future flying adventures in the Amazon
- Travel and sustainable living
- Morning routines
- The importance of goals
- Always striving for adventure
- And other topics
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Resources Mentioned:
Instagram: @lexidupont
Films: https://vimeo.com/lexidupont
Sponsors @eddiebauer @k2skis @pocsports
Want to connect with us? Visit us online!
Website: https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Instagram: @whenwomenfly
Sylvia is joined by Belinda Baggs, a world-renowned Australian longboard surfer, mother and surf ambassador for Patagonia. She campaigns as an athlete and climate activist using photography and film to magnify her message. Belinda, who offers a perspective on what we can do to help, is passionate and deeply tuned into this environment she considers her happiest place, the ocean.
Topics Include:
- Longboard surfing
- Climate activism
- Surfing as an art form and a lifestyle
- Harnessing feminine energy as a surfer
- Toxic wetsuits, and ecological alternatives
- Maturing in life, starting a family
- Using photography and social media as an activist
- Life lessons from surfing
- And other topics
...
Resourced Mentioned:
https://www.saveourcoast.org.au
https://www.patagonia.com
https://www.instagram.com/belindabaggs/
Want to connect with us? Visit us online!
Website: https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Instagram: @whenwomenfly
Sylvia connects with high school friend, Kim Havell, of Jackson Hole, Wyoming - a mountaineer, professional skier, and mom. Outside Magazine named Kim as a “Preeminent Female Ski Mountaineer of our Time” in 2012. She was listed by Backcountry Magazine as one of “37 Most Important Women in Backcountry”. She has a lineup of past and present sponsors including Salomon and Osprey.
Kim shares how she made her way in the mountain sport world, and her transition into parenthood.
Topics Include:
- Taking risks, forging your own trail
- Building relationships and community on the fly
- Traveling the world, and lessons learned along the way
- Losing loved ones
- Experiences and adrenaline of an alpinist
- The value of “first women” accomplishments
- Becoming a mom
- The Mom Force. Continuing to find adventure as a parent
- The power of believing in yourself
...
Resources Mentioned:
https://kimhavell.com
Want to connect with us? Visit our website @ whenwomenfly.com.
In this episode of When Women Fly, Sylvia is joined by Bethany Miller to discuss living without limits. Bethany is a social scientist, aviator, businesswoman, and self-defined flux agent.
Topics Include: - Growth vs fixed mindsets, and how they relate to resiliency
- How Bethany forged her own career path, from aviation to businesswoman to author
- Playing on the career jungle gym instead of climbing the career ladder
- The evolution of work in the post-2008 economic environment
- Understanding generation flux
- The endless journey of reinvention
- The Abingdon Foundation
- Empowering young women to pursue careers in STEAM fields
- And other topics
...
Resources Mentioned:
https://www.bethanyjjmiller.com
https://www.boundaryless.xyz
https://abingdonfoundation.org
Want to connect with us? Get in touch by visiting our website @ whenwomenfly.com
Sylvia is joined by Patty Wagstaff to discuss her journey to becoming a US National Aerobatic Champion. Patty was the first woman to achieve this title, a feat she repeated twice thereafter, and has garnered worldwide recognition for her aerobatic routines.
Topics Include:
- Growing up abroad, traveling young
- Defying expectations of traditional gender roles
- Learning to fly after an accident while working in Alaska
- Resiliency, finding a mentor
- Becoming the first woman US National Aerobatic Champion
- Methodically attacking your goals
- Why talent can be a hindrance
- Zen and the Art of Archery
- Managing ADD, leveraging ADD as a strength
- Reinvention after achievement
- Opening the Patty Wagstaff Aerobatic School
- And other topics
...
Resources Mentioned:
https://pattywagstaff.com
Want to connect with us? Get in touch by visiting our website @ whenwomenfly.com.
Sylvia connects with climber, surfer, and ayurvedic specialist Eliza Kerr. Eliza is a founding member of Balanced Rock, and Moonstone Retreat Center.
Topics Include:
- Eliza's transition from Illinois to Yosemite
- Studying in Nepal
- Teaching at the Yosemite Institute
- Facing fear as a climber
- Risk vs reward in adventure sports
- Connecting with our authentic selves
- Processing the death of loved ones
- Recovering from severe injuries
- The birth of Balanced Rock
- Creating a community of women
- Moonstone Retreat Center
- Living a life of kindness and gratitude
- Detaching from the digital world
- And other topics
Resources Mentioned:
http://balancedrock.org
http://elizakerr.com
Want to connect with us? Get in touch by visiting our website @ whenwomenfly.com
Sylvia connects with Enid Otun to discuss overcoming childhood trauma and learning to fly. Enid was the first female chief pilot in Nigeria, and hosts the podcast If Women Were Meant To Fly, The Sky Would Be Pink.
Topics Include:
- Being bold. Refusing to be a victim
- Addressing and working through past traumas
- Post-traumatic growth and resilience
- Learning how to accept praise
- Learning to accept success after years of trauma
- Taking responsibility for your life
- Doing the work required to become the person you aspire to be
- Reading Russian classics
- Being a role-model
- Finding new normals through the seasons of life
- And other topics
Resources Mentioned:
Instagram: @pinkskypodcast
Podcast: If Women Were Meant To Fly, The Sky Would Be Pink
Website: www.skyispink.co.uk
Want to connect with us? Get in touch by visiting our website @ whenwomenfly.com
Sylvia is joined by US National Ski Hall of Famer Nikki Stone. Nikki became the first American to win a gold medal in inverted aerial skiing in the 1998 Winter Olympics.
Topics include:
- Early dreams of winning an Olympic gold medal
- Working with fear as an elite athlete
- Grandma's quote, "The brave do not live forever, but the cautious do not live at all."
- Recovering from injury, being told to quit, resilience
- The turtle effect and metaphor
- Trying new things to stoke old passions
- Connecting to childhood dreams
- Focusing on questions, not answers
- Motherhood
- Being content and happy with your own accomplishments
- And other topics
Resources Mentioned:
nikkistone.com
Want to connect with us? Get in touch by visiting our website @ whenwomenfly.com
Sylvia is joined by professional skydiver, author, and podcast host Melanie Curtis. Melanie has completed over 11,000 jumps and has been a leading figure in the sport of skydiving for more than twenty years.
Topics Include:
- Melanie’s first skydiving adventure
- Facing the fear of death
- Love and hilarity being the most important things in life
- Creative self-expression as our greatest contribution
- Busting false assumptions about pursuing the professional skydiver dream
- Normalizing mental health and self-care
- Speaking with heart and integrity, detaching from outcome
- Representation of women in all walks of life
- Reinvention and resiliency after experiencing loss
- Losing and rediscovering love for a life passion
- COVID as a masterclass in detachment
- Bucket List items for a professional skydiver
- And other topics
Resources Mentioned:
melaniecurtis.com
trustthejourney.today
Want to connect with us? Get in touch by visiting our website @ whenwomenfly.com
Welcome to the When Women Fly podcast! In this introductory episode, host Sylvia Winter shares what listeners can expect in forthcoming episodes.
Want to connect with us? Visit us online!
Website: https://www.whenwomenfly.com/
Instagram: @whenwomenfly