There's a lot of opportunity here. Do you sort of put a flavor of that pocket into your personal practice as well as the way you teach it? Never will because of the nuances in it. That's not good. I'm not good enough. To me, those can be fear based, they can hold you back, as compared to just saying, I'm going to try this, I'm going to be smart about it, but I'm going to try it. What happened after that? GLAD TO BE HERE T-Shirt Black. I want a learning loop. And behind many of those awe-inspiring stunts and scenes was John Foley, Blue Angels pilot, entrepreneur, real estate investor, public speaker, and all-around inspiring human being. I know you do and facilitate, you do personally, but also facilitate a lot of breathwork and meditation with clients, and you do it yourself. I'm coming down for the shoot for my first night landing, and it goes okay. Scared to me means I'm aware, I'm present. In 1997 he started working at Citysearch, an online city guide later bought by Ticketmaster. That's exciting to me. I had the privilege this week to hear John Foley, former lead solo pilot for the Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron, as one of the keynote speakers at a technology conference I was attending. Second night landing, I miss all the wires, it's called the bolter. 0 bids. Maybe we as humans sort of divide those. As a Blue Angel, John consistently performed in an extreme, high-stakes environment, flying at speeds of more than 500 miles per hour in formations as close as 18 inches apart. The inspiration our keynote speaking and consulting provides,supported by experience and a proven process, enables people to closethe performancegap and transform energy into focused action. . John Foley:See, that's a big difference. And now my mind, I'm out of that heightened state of awareness, and I actually drop down a state, check out the three dimensional world, and then I can pull myself back in. She joins hundreds of other women who have served with the Blue Angels . We can only do so much with ourselves. Maybe he didn't understand he was out of parameter, right? BLUe aNGeLS John Foley "G lad to Be Here." those four words meant something very special to me when I was a Blue angel. If I'm dead, I'm dead. Then you start landing jets on aircraft carriers. When you're riding your motorcycle or when you're dropping in on a steep cliff, that's the pocket. The National Naval Aviation Museum is open Monday through Sunday from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. to current Department of Defense (DoD) ID cardholders. I started to emotionally well up a little bit. In what was once thought to be an impossibility, the Blue Angels made history in 1992 by becoming the first United States flight team to fly over the skies of Moscow, Russia. Yeah, me too. Each year the team typically selects three tactical (fighter or fighter/attack) jet pilots, two support officers and one Marine. This is built around tactical or strategic CenterPoints. Foley demonstrates a simple, systematic, yet exciting approach for how to develop the clarity, focus, commitment, and trust that are necessary to achieve ever-higher levels of performance. I constantly want to learn, and I don't want to beat myself up in the learning. I want to know first off, are they even aware? PENSACOLA, Fla. - The U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels, released their 2023 air show schedule at the International Council of Air Shows convention, Dec. 7, 2021. It snaps me out of that downward spiral. I have the skills to do this. Jeff:Let's back up just again. There's a lot of good in that person, in this situation. Erik Weihenmayer:John, you guys were talking about these parameters, but how big of a can you make? Because you can't do the middle part without the pre and the post, right? You get better and you move on and you share that information with somebody else. The Blue Angels is a flight demonstration squadron of the United States Navy. And then the work goes in and you start to realize that yo won't know unless you go, you won't know unless you tried. I actually suck at it. I think that's it in a nutshell, right there. I know there's difficulty and I'm aware of it. Every organization depends upon the performance of their people and their teams. You can actually smell the smoke oil in the air. He retired from active duty after 27 years of distinguished service and joined Check-6, a global leader in optimized performance and safety solutions serving the most demanding industries, where he directed business development and corporate strategy for the North American Division. They shut me down. I'm going to actually have a voice command and I'll actually move. Now, for me, personally, so when I left the team, it was not a big deal. I never met him, but he was a huge mentor. For my life, very quickly, is on the teams, on the Blue Angels, you go into that assignment knowing exactly how long you're going to be there. I'm actually seeing things in frames. You're probably right. I hated it, it sucked. As a Blue Angel, John consistently performed in an extreme, high-stakes environment, flying at speeds of more than 500 miles per hour in formations as close as 18 inches apart. Like, glad to be here. I think, at the end of the day, it's all about other people. Jeff:Yeah, but it's also more than just fun. The first four jets fly in a diamond formation. That's a start. 500 mph with former Blue Angels pilot John Foley 00:00 01:06:31 about the episode Happy 2022 everyone. Maybe when you're learning, it's afoot. For nearly 20 years, I was a commander in the US Navy and became Lead Solo Pilot for the Blue Angels. Erik Weihenmayer:Yeah. I'm telling you, it's probably like climbing whatever the roughest pitch you went up. Now I'm getting more scared, and the brain's talking to you, right? I mean, you got this jet, it's coming in about 145 miles per hour. It absolutely changes the neurons, the neuroplasticity in your brain, and you'll start to have more happy thoughts and you'll perform better. John Foley:Now, if I get outside of those parameters, let's say I move three feet and I don't clear the formation, but when you move that far off, you have to get out of the way because you're not stable. So, you're trying to keep your airplane within a three inch circle on the other airplane. To survive in those circumstances he relied on a culture of high trust, leadership and teamwork. I'm with you a hundred percent. Let's see what you got. At a recent sales kick-off, I had the pleasure to listen to John Foley (call sign Gucci) who was a Naval Aviator, Blue Angel pilot and Stanford Business School graduate. It didn't mean I didn't get sidetracked into, hey, I want to play professional football or something like that. See, that's more important to me because I want to know if they're aware. I think about the aging process a lot now, because I'm all aging, but you don't think about that when you're in your 20s and 30s. Jeff:Yeah. Can I get back into body? See, that's why this is what's Great. John Foley:When I start to hear the G of the go, I'm starting to push back on my stick. It made my dad's year, not his day. It exists. I mean, it's just not meant to be. You bring the best athletes you can, but it's not about an individual. I just said, I bet you, I could be decent, but do I have the natural skills to be a musician? 2016 Glad To Be Here. This fosters gratitude and new perspectives to recognize opportunities versus simply focusing on challenges. . That stuff completely leaves your mind and you're right into the task. Objective, come at each other at a thousand miles per hour closer. To me, limiting beliefs are fear based. It was during his tour with VMFAT-101 that Foley submitted an application and pursued a position with the Blue Angels that was almost derailed when he accidentally deployed live ordinance from his aircraft on a training exercise. This is really the ethos of what we're talking about. Most of my flying was the joy of pushing yourself to absolute limits and connecting back to why you're doing that. Jeff:Like what? So, here's the Gucci feel. He called me up, and we were actually using some of the video I'm in. He's working with us now. You give, then you learn, and you grow. Whether it's meditation, whether it's learning to take your game to a whole new level. All Rights Reserved BNP Media. It builds confidence, and your teammates go, okay. There's twofold here, so I'm just You came off of a career that every day was filled with very precise, intense things. I was supposed to deploy on the midway, which was a four deployed carrier. One of the things I do as a hobbyist is that I play a guitar. John Foley:I remember it was something just clicked. There's fear out there. They believe you become part of this team. I don't mind that. John Foley is a former lead solo pilot of the Blue Angels, Sloan Fellow at Stanford's Graduate School of Business, entrepreneur, venture capitalist, leadership expert, speaker and Gratitude Guru. Sorry. I could read up on it. It was really awesome. Because I'm not trying to teach people to be a Blue Angel pilot. Usually not. I remember, I had to think that night had to do some self-reflection and not get overwhelmed, and just realize, you know what? I mean, just take the complexity of what some people would think would be hard, which is landing an airplane, which I don't think so. It's important to know, it's easy to kill yourself. John Foley:If I'm operating from fear, and there's sometimes, it's important to know, like it's easy to kill yourself. That you were appreciative of or that you enjoyed. It's hard to even remember exactly what happened, but in kayaking over 10 or 12 years, now and then, I would feel time slow down, and I could actually focus on my heartbeat. That's what's really interesting about, really the military as a whole, but definitely the Blue Angels, is we just keep raising the bar. I used a trigger. You're upside down, you're rolling. Then we go into a very scripted, watch the tape, talk about little things. We actually do what we call a general safe. That's why this podcast is so important. So, I like to put a nuance in there, Erik, and that's about being scared. Happy 2022 listeners. Erik Weihenmayer:How do you elevate people's belief levels? That's the beautiful part is why we can give back now to so many people. He's one of the Top 10 most sought-after keynote speakers and trainers on leadership, performance, teamwork and trust. They believe in process. Then, what can I find that I can appreciate at that moment? What does it look like in this environment? You're not doing this. Business people, we don't necessarily know. Like, oh man, you got to get your act together. I feel grateful and a lot of pride for the men and women who are doing that. But then, here's what I've noticed, JB, try this for me, try this tomorrow morning, then go back 24 hours and think about something that happened yesterday, or in this case, that happened today, because you're doing this tomorrow. Upon returning from the Persian Gulf, Foley transferred to Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 101 (VMFAT-101) based in El Toro, California, where he served as an F/A-18 Hornet flight instructor pilot and landing signal officer. And not only being with you, but having a chance to connect with your dad at a heart level, that was very powerful. Half the pilots are new every year. Or, you know what? 605 SOUTH COLLEGE AVENUE, SUITE 101, FORT COLLINS, CO 80524. And just take a breath. Erik Weihenmayer:Yeah. By visiting As if it happened yesterday, Foley fondly reflects on a flight he gave to his Russian counterpart that rendered his new comrade unconscious during a demonstration of high performance capabilities of the F/A-18 Hornet. The significance of these events were not lost on the Blue Angels Lead Solo Pilot, John Gucci Foley, who joins this episode of Blue Angel Phantoms to share insights and behind the scenes stories from that now famous 92 European tour, as well as his naval career that spanned 17 years and saw him ascend to the rank of Commander. It was during this same time period that Foley attended a Blue Angels air show and proclaimed to his father that one day he too would be a military aviator. Erik Weihenmayer:Over time, you talk about focus, right? I'm not a pilot anymore. I could find out, okay, these are how I prepare and all this, but all it takes me is one minute listening to you, or Erik, and I realize, these guys have done it. John Foley:Sorry for that little blurb, but that's-. I'm grateful to be in this moment. I think what you're describing, because I felt that so many times too, is the result of the focus. I was so inspired from his . You have to be What's crazy is though I practiced and practiced and practiced and know these songs, it's just, when I get in front of the group, it's when everything sort of falls apart, I forget what I'm supposed to do. How do you increase that sense of focus? I actually think most of my flying was emotional. I've been doing this for about six months now, learn, grow, give. Or you're going to quit, or you're going to move on to something else. John Foley:I'm going to do that. Because think about when you're teaching someone to climb. Or is it different? You finally get to the air show, and you can feel it. Fearless Success: Beyond High Performance. Not that I'm telling you, you're not good enough. John Foley:But what's interesting is that if you expand that time out, because in between each maneuver, we have communication. You've ascended to this high level, the highest level. You are not going in the midway." Not one to quit, he attended University of Colorado for his freshman year of college before successfully transferring to the United States Naval Academy where he graduated in 1982. In fact, by the way, the College Football Championship's tonight. It was during these deployments that Foley received the Top Nugget Award for first-tour pilots in Carrier Air Wing Eleven, and was also recognized as one of the Top 10 of all air wing pilots. Be sure to subscribe so you dont miss a single episode of this free, educational and uplifting podcast. But that's exactly right, Erik. His message and personal stories, delivered with his trademark enthusiasm and charisma, emphasizes principles of trust, alignment, clarity and commitment, positioning individuals and teams to achieve and sustain higher levels of excellence than they ever dreamed possible. Nick Saban brought me in to speak to Alabama a few years ago, and we won the championship that year, so stand by. John Foley:I think that's important in anything we're learning. What is your preparation? I was going to say a normal pilot, and then I realized there's no such thing as normal carrier pilots. Foley has served as an adviser to Fortune 500 corporations, professional athletic teams, venture capital companies, professional associations and educational organizations and successfully connects the high intensity of the Blue Angles with your organization. Go join the Air Force. Maybe it's a deliverable on work. John. It's not happening. Today, Foley is a high performance keynote speaker that helps both corporations and individuals reach their full capabilities through lesions he learned while flying with the Blue Angels. I think what we're talking about is you have to reinvent yourself at some right point. John Foley:You'll be flying jets off aircraft carriers, but it is your time to go. They're going to be off. I mean, there are people who can teach breathing and meditation effectively, that have been doing it for years and years. I could do that. We're doing a mile every nine seconds. Yeah, and let me tell you the story, is my dad was an army officer and he took me to an air show when I was 12-years-old. I didn't realize what I realize now, how powerful that really was. Erik Weihenmayer:I lose my sort of my micro coordination. . The very first thing we did was we said, and I was off here, or I was out of parameters on the loop, break cross. Lt. Amanda Lee has made history as the first woman to serve as a demonstration pilot in the Blue Angels. I mean, clearly, you know what I want to do, I want to sit around a campfire with you and sip on just a little snifter of some good bourbon sometime. I just want to do something that's personal. All of a sudden, as the complexity goes up, so do your skills. While I had known about the Blue Angels, I hadn't ever heard of John Foley. We learned how to do this without anybody ever teaching it to us. Jeff:Number one question would be, were you the one who said it's time to step away from the teams, or did they say, we need some new blood in here? Our first conversation of this new year is with a former Navy jet pilot, an 18 year journey that began after a visit to an air show as a young boy, piqued when he was selected to join the Elite Blue Angels Squadron. When you call them out, because you did all that front load work of, I really care about you, you're my colleague and I love you, how do you do that effectively when you call someone you out and say, "You screwed up," but without doing it in a threatening way? Foley eventually got swept up in the dot-com boom, which had spread to Los Angeles from San Francisco. That's just something I don't want to do. Erik Weihenmayer:That's part, back to the gratitude thing, because you were grateful to be there and growing with this person. John Foley:No, actually, Erik, it's just the opposite. We know that you've got a lot of choices about how you can spend your time, and we appreciate you spending it with us. I'm scared all the time. John consistently performed in an extreme, high-stakes environment, flying at speeds of more than 500 miles per Let's take that even to the next step for somebody who's perhaps not a climber or an aspiring pilot or an athlete, or in any way, but is someone who gets up, puts their pants on, brushes their teeth, and goes, and knuckles down at work for a 10 hour shift. He also explains a process that he believes is the primary key to continuous improvement and exceptional growth. This boat is moving up and down. Gone. Even the, if you've ever seen a briefing of the Blue Angels, the boss's tone of his voice is exactly what we're going to experience together. During a typical performance, there are six jets in the air. I got goosebumps because yeah, it's no longer about me. Then the other thing you got a chance to do, and this is very unique with the Blue Angels, is you got to admit your own mistakes first. Where is it? He received his commission as an Officer in 1997. I'll give you an example. I was expecting it.