That's the crowd part. Erik Weihenmayer:I could sense my breath. When that canopy came down, I'd be curious to see what you guys use, and you felt the canopy lock. Well, they go slow. So, you're trying to keep your airplane within a three inch circle on the other airplane. Based on his Blue Angels experience, John truly understands the how of high performing teams and he readily applies his knowledge to his keynotes and his consulting practice. But it was a dream that I remember in my heart. I'm just so excited because you and I got to meet up and Vail at a retreat, and we had some coffee, and you were so nice to talk to my dad who was a Marine. I liked it. I'm okay to move within that three inch circle. It starts with giving. John Foley:No, actually, Erik, it's just the opposite. As a thought leader on high performance, John created the "Glad To Be Here" Mindset Methodology and the Diamond Performance Framework. There are few examples where this is more dramatically demonstrated than with the Blue Angels. What we're talking about, I don't think you can learn from a book. they have even more significance to me today. By visiting this website, certain cookies have already been set, which you may delete and block. It's hard enough, as you know, to win a championship, it's even harder to repeat. That's the beautiful part is why we can give back now to so many people. My big change came from leaving the Navy. And then you're going to be the best of the best. You're not good enough.". We're talking to each other. During 1992 season, the Blue Angels traveled to Europe for the first time since 1973 to perform 16 air shows in 8 different countries including Russia, Bulgaria, Romania, England, Spain, Italy, Finland and Sweden. And we have a framework that we teach about that. What I am trying to teach is show you, is how to be a better team member, how to focus better, how to be prepared, how to be more open and honest in your debriefs, how to lay it on the table so that your teammates can grow and you can grow. First, is just being aware, is am I operating from fear? It's taken on a whole new ethos since then. 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. You can't do it forever. High performance teams, how to turn them into business results. Go join the Air Force. I'm so glad there's such a similarity here, and that's why I've been looking forward to talking with you is we've never flown a perfect air show. 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'm not good enough. Or am I just present with you right now going, hey, this is the best, this is the best thing I can do is to be present. As a Blue Angel, Foley 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. John Foley:Oh, music, just what we're talking about. I want to know first off, are they even aware? You have to be amazing. 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. I was supposed to deploy on the midway, which was a four deployed carrier. Aboard the USS Enterprise (CVN-65) Foley and VA-22 deployed to the Western Pacific, Mediterranean and Indian Ocean in 1986 and later to the Persian Gulf in 1988. It took me 18 years, and I did. Do you sort of put a flavor of that pocket into your personal practice as well as the way you teach it? Maybe it's a financial challenge, maybe it's a personal challenge, an emotional challenge, and you can feel yourself get tight, right? Some days you're just glad to be alive, but rarely, it meant that. Just what you asked is, how do you actually elevate that belief level? 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. I take a break. John Foley -Blue Angel. 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. Part of it is because I haven't put the work in. They're gone. I have all this. Erik Weihenmayer:How do you elevate people's belief levels? And I love it. I'm so glad that we could share, and that you guys, your community, your audience is so powerful, and they've got stories that are way more powerful than ours when it comes to overcoming adversity and making a difference, and that's what I want to acknowledge, is that everybody has a great story. Like, glad to be here. You have this interesting mindset around focus and how it's really Is it hard to multitask, or we think we're multitasking but we're really not, we're really focused on one thing at a time? Erik Weihenmayer:How do you handle that, John? Nobody would know that you screwed up.". That person asked me if I would mind saying some words on stage. You're a pocket flow guy. 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. Second night landing, I miss all the wires, it's called the bolter. Otherwise, it's over.". Erik Weihenmayer:Sure. John Foley:The human brain will do that naturally. I actually think most of my flying was emotional. John Foley:If I'm operating from fear, and there's sometimes, it's important to know, like it's easy to kill yourself. I mean, it's just not meant to be. The point is, I want to know just your general feeling. That's, I feel for me, has been the most luckiest part of my life that I've been able to somehow connect with great people who have helped me on the fast track. I'm not doing it as a career. I was going to say a normal pilot, and then I realized there's no such thing as normal carrier pilots. You're in the zone. If you do not agree to the use of cookies, you should not navigate That's nobarrierspodcast.com. He received his commission as an Officer in 1997. No one has to teach you how to visualize. . I had done really well in all the other phases, and this is the last phase. Fortunately, I have a lot of video of me in the briefing rooms and the debriefing rooms and actual flying. Jeff:I think you're right. Success is a funny word. John Foley:Yeah. 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. Thank you for that. He was saying two and a half years of pilot training, all the stuff I've been through, if you can't land a jet on an aircraft carrier at night, you're no good to the Navy. It's something that defines who you are and your impact in the world. He also explains a process that he believes is the primary key to continuous improvement and exceptional growth. I just said, I bet you, I could be decent, but do I have the natural skills to be a musician? 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. But you add in bad weather on a ship. Our first conversation of the new year is with a former navy jet pilot. John Foley draws upon his experience as Lead Solo of the Blue Angels to inspire audiences and show them how to achieve substantially higher levels of performance. But I do remember that distinct moment. When you were going through that process, John's like 12 years old and he's committed, I'm going to be a pilot, and all Now you're going to be the best pilot, you're going to be this best pilot. What's the pluses? We learned how to do this without anybody ever teaching it to us. I know that I've never achieved perfection in terms of, like I'll say I'm speaking in front of a group or something, I'll get off the stage and I'll be like, oh my God, I screwed up eight times. And time actually did slow down. Then you start dog fighting. I also ran into, in the speaking world, it was so funny, Erik, I went to an event and they were talking about this power of visualization. I just don't need to do it at the level I used to. John has performed these death-defying stunts for . It wasn't the physical side. John Foley:I like to put a nuance in there, Erik, and that's about being scared. John Foley:But yeah, so that's for sure. John 'Gucci' Foley, the legendary Blue Angel's lead solo pilot, has perfected the art of inspiring and instructing organizations big and small to achieve more using the very practices he learned and mastered with the Blue Angels. They said, generally, here's what I thought about the evolution. We're going to cross within a wingspan, right? I don't know. John Foley:It makes a big difference. Some people, I think, climb mountains, let's say this is something I know, like to almost escape, but for me, I think, okay, how do you come down from the mountain and move forward in your life and take certain things with you that help you with your happiness, with your growth, with your evolution as a human being? Well, I got to go here because it's just a thought that's on my mind. John Foley:I'm just going to reinforce that in my body. Vintage James Kent LTD | Old Foley . This was after the two had a strained pre-flight brief on the tarmac that was famously documented in the film The Blue Angels: Around the World at the Speed of Sound. How do you increase that sense of focus? Bottomline is, we fly jets off aircraft carriers. I thought on about that for a while, and I went, you know what? Get the best deals on Staffordshire Old Foley when you shop the largest online selection at eBay.com. Don't you wish you would've had that back when you were doing all these crazy maneuvers. So, you can decide if you're going to step up or not. Guess what? If you acknowledge that empathy, that compassion, and then actually take the action to reach out to them, amen. You're landing on a runway that happens to be a boat. See, that's more important to me because I want to know if they're aware. To survive in those circumstances he relied on a culture of high trust, leadership and teamwork. John Foley:Oh, I like what you're saying, Jeff. Jeff:See, that's the PhD level of what we're talking about right there. That's where you go, okay, what is it going to take to get to where I want to go? I remember that. Stay up-to-date on new opportunities & community stories. You're not having debriefs where you say like, "Okay, let's talk about our feelings and sing kumbaya.". But the point is, is there's a lot more that is intangible, that sits within us, and that's exactly what you captured right there. 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. (167) 19.00. Well, absolutely. Whichever podcast platform you enjoy, were already there. GLAD TO BE HERE T-Shirt Black. I sure didn't know that I was going to fail as many times as I did, and all the obstacles that were going to come in the way, but I truly had that belief in my heart that, at least it was possible. But you're exactly right, that's exactly the zone I'm in when I'm in a maneuver. 192 Listens. I remember, I had to think that night had to do some self-reflection and not get overwhelmed, and just realize, you know what? Right? I mean, there are people who can teach breathing and meditation effectively, that have been doing it for years and years. You're flying small prop planes. Your brain and your hands aren't that dialed in yet. Jeff:Well, they are. I never met him, but he was a huge mentor. In the SEC. Can you actually call your own mind on demand to be in that state, and for how long can you hold it? 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. Coming out of the new Top Gun; Maverick movie and I'm emotionally moved. March 25 to 26: Barksdale Air Force Base . I mean, you got the energy of the crowd, the noise of the jets going overhead. I love it because I'm in front of groups all the time blah, blah, blah. Antique James Kent "Old Foley" Blue/White Staffordshire Pitcher, England. Now everybody and their dead grandma can. As we evolve as athletes and precision professionals doing heady shit, that we get to a point where we realize what is my That's the completion of the hero's journey. Then we actually allow the support officers, so my maintenance officer, my doc, they get to do the same thing. Gone. It's just so hard and so intense. John Foley:Thumper and I, two opposing solos. Thanks so much and have a great day. That was a big leap. Right. 301, taxi you over to the six pack, shut it down. The Blue Angels Foundation's mission is to support wounded veterans and provide a path of transition back to the . I'm in my jet training, it's called A-7 Corsairs. True to his word, Foley applied to the military academies but was initially rejected for having too much protein in his urine. Maybe when you're learning, it's afoot. Blue Angels' John "Gucci" Foley. data. The U.S. Navy Blue Angels will transition to the Super Hornet platform for the 2021 season. Can I get back into body? So, thank you very, very much for spending some of your time. So, the idea of calling somebody out is not the first stage. I got you. It starts with the "Glad to Be Here" mind-set, which underpins the Diamond Performance Framework. Because I'm not trying to teach people to be a Blue Angel pilot. And here is in the present moment, right? Jeff:That's sweet of you to talk about me like that, bro. Grounded by his commanding officer and his letter of recommendation revoked, Foley openly shared his lessons learned from the mishap during his interview with the Blue Angels and was selected as the Teams narrator for the 1990 air show season. 0:00. Erik Weihenmayer:I've had a few perfect runs, but a lot of them are just reacting and responding to chaos. March 18 to 19: Naval Air Station Point Mugu, California. During . I think that's, what's going to happen with Georgia tonight, and I think you and I are going to be prognosticators, extraordinaire here in few weeks when this thing airs, because Georgia's going to suck them, get them dogs going. We've become good friends. What happened after that? The popular Blue Angels plan to be at Chattanooga's Air Show next Oct. 28-29. What it does is, let's take it as a personal situation. John Foley:You learn first off, your emergency procedures, you practice on simulators. Special thanks to The Dan Ryan Band for our intro song, Guidance. I had that. 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. John Foley:To be, in my opinion, is the future state. It's like the Blue Angels. Erik Weihenmayer:John, you guys were talking about these parameters, but how big of a can you make? JB, you're exactly right. Here's what's interesting. I was expecting it. I constantly want to learn, and I don't want to beat myself up in the learning. Glad To Be Here is a mindset that enables higher performance. Did that answer your question? This fosters gratitude and new perspectives to recognize opportunities versus simply focusing on challenges. John Foley:Yeah, you got it. I know why it works and that allows you to do the how. Ranges are presented as a guideline only. John Foley:Sorry for that little blurb, but that's-. You get better and you move on and you share that information with somebody else. That's not good. Local officials had. But you put in like 200 hours, not 10,000 hours. Erik Weihenmayer:Over time, you talk about focus, right? $ 9.99. I think it's a blessing to have parents, and my mom too, in a different way, but they taught me integrity, and just trying stuff, not to be afraid to fail. It's really about overcoming the mental side of the equation. I think that Georgia has the advantage. What we can do is focus. Well, look at See the sleeve there, glad to be here. Lt. Amanda Lee has made history as the first woman to serve as a demonstration pilot in the Blue Angels. By the way, I don't know if you guys have built any yet, but we're starting to build a digital course, so I'm glad to be here in gratitude. Now you can go straight precision, straight clinical once you're in that moment. Nov 3, 2020. I come down, I get waved off. You're just to land the jet, and then, it's a definitely step by step approach and lots of hours go into it. 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. I'm going to learn this. I think we're getting to the essence again, of what we do and why we do it. Erik Weihenmayer:My hands sweat, my hand shake. There's, could be hundreds of thousands of people, you're waving to the kids. Sometimes I'm a little bit ahead, sometimes a little bit behind, but I'm talking inches instead of feet. It doesn't have to be this intense stuff that the three of us are doing. And can I share that knowledge now? What I've learned is, it's like two sides of the same coin, operational excellence, process, briefs, debriefs, preparation, focus, trust, and then you add in this glad to be here mindset. This goes quick. Then the referee crew, I had spoken to the referee crew beforehand, and they got selected as the best individual. That was always my dream as a little boy. He is the former lead solo pilot of the Blue Angels, Bestselling Author of Fearless Success, an expert in the How of High Performance teams and 'The Guru of Gratitude.'. But the point is that I used the canopy coming down. 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. It's moving away from you. I was so inspired from his . So, here's the Gucci feel. There's a lot of good in that person, in this situation. There's a moment that crystallized for you like that? If I actually got out parameters and I recognized it, and I did the right procedure, not a safety. Happy 2022 everyone. Jeff:And I guess, just like so many of us, you've evolved into the new Gucci, the different Gucci that I really think the world benefits from having you.