BLUe aNGeLS John Foley "G lad to Be Here." those four words meant something very special to me when I was a Blue angel. I said, I don't need to be an airline pilot. To survive in those circumstances he relied on a culture of high trust, leadership and teamwork. The Blue Angels have the unique ability to highlight the importance of naval aviation while honoring its historical significance. John is a former lead solo pilot of the Blue Angels, a Sloan Fellow at Stanford School of Business, a top rated Keynote Speaker to over 1500 organizations worldwide, 'Gratitude Guru', bestselling author and expert in the "how" of high performance teams. John Foley:I'm just going to reinforce that in my body. To be present with you guys right now. Then you start all over again because you've just raised the game. Block out your own mind. All Rights Reserved BNP Media. I climb out of the jet. Maybe it's a deliverable on work. Generally, how did I feel? We've become good friends. They said, generally, here's what I thought about the evolution. Jeff:That's three times in a row, three misses on the same John Foley:Yeah. It took me 18 years, and I did. I want a learning loop. See, that's why this is what's Great. I know they are by two points. 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. Jeff:Yeah, but it's also more than just fun. 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. If I'm complacent, that's what I got to worry about. Let's see what you got. And not only being with you, but having a chance to connect with your dad at a heart level, that was very powerful. But the point is that-. Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing, This website requires certain cookies to work and uses other cookies to help you have the best experience. Employee Commitment You're a student pilot, man. They can't do it forever. It's not straight and leveled. But it was a dream that I remember in my heart. Erik Weihenmayer:I got my accelerated free fall license as a civilian to skydive. The Refrigerated Foods Association (RFA) is excited to announce the keynote speaker for their 41st Annual Conference & Exhibition in February, 2022: John Foley. Jeff:Like what? Foley eventually got swept up in the dot-com boom, which had spread to Los Angeles from San Francisco. The best climbers in the world, back when Erik and I climbed Everest, not necessarily could climb Everest. Heck, there's a ton of fear out there in our lives all the time. There's a lot of opportunity here. John Foley:But what's interesting is that if you expand that time out, because in between each maneuver, we have communication. We brief every Monday mornings on the week and stuff. I initially tried to do drums, and I was just talking about this, and that is, I wonder why. What was that like for you? He did a couple tours in Vietnam. 0:00. There must be a lot of things like that, that you've really tried to take with you from being a Blue Angel. Because I'm not trying to teach people to be a Blue Angel pilot. $19.50. Are you there in Denver right now, by the way? And then I just kept trying to improve on. I'm not waiting to see if the boss's airplane moves or not. 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. I got goosebumps because yeah, it's no longer about me. $ 30.00. The Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron today announced their schedule for the 2005 show season. He also explains a process that he believes is the primary key to continuous improvement and exceptional growth. All Rights Reserved. It's perhaps like you have to have this veneer that exists to keep you in that pocket. Vintage Old Foley James Kent Cake slice , Pale blue rose details in gold filigree, Made in England #2007185. Nick Saban brought me in to speak to Alabama a few years ago, and we won the championship that year, so stand by. I liked it. data. It's not happening. To me, that's operating from a fear based mentality, as compared to, wait a minute. And then you're going to be the best of the best. We're doing a mile every nine seconds. The Blue Angels Foundation's mission is to support wounded veterans and provide a path of transition back to the . I keep wanting to back up just a little bit, but I've just got to understand this. You are an amazing human being with more importantly, a servant based heart. You've really tapped into it, and I think this is good news for everybody, right? 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. I get energy through my fingertips, but I don't get paralyzed by fear by speaking. 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? I don't know. Maybe we as humans sort of divide those. Because we've already each other on the G of go. John Foley, a former naval aviator with the Blue Angels was on with Chaz and AJ to talk about the coordinated flyover of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut with the Thunderbirds. In this insightful program, he emphasizes the development of trust and respect among team members as essential to execution, and demonstrates proven ways for teams to achieve deep levels of trust. With Curd Jrgens, May Britt, Theodore Bikel, John Banner. Not that I was out of parameters that I didn't clear. You're not having debriefs where you say like, "Okay, let's talk about our feelings and sing kumbaya.". In this brand new interview, Gucci candidly dives into his navy experience and opens the discussion with his upbringing as a German born army brat and the influence his father had on him to pursue a military career. My name is Erik Weihenmayer. (Navy) The Navy's Blue Angels will conduct their final flight in the legacy F/A-18 Hornet . Then, what can I find that I can appreciate at that moment? You're reacting based on your training. Full stick deflection, roll, ready, hit it, roll. And there's three tools. John Foley:No, I love it. It causes stuckness. A framework that teaches you step-by-step how to break through your own challenges and live a driven, purposeful life. I'm with you a hundred percent. $3.00 shipping. 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. What I think the key is, is can you call that up on demand? JB, you're exactly right. I wasn't even thinking about this, but I was kind of flirting with this idea of, being in the military, being a blue angel, I could imagine that your heart gets left behind because you have to be perfect. So, I can visually show people what we're talking about, and they get to see it. That person asked me if I would mind saying some words on stage. If they're aware, usually it's usually like, they're just not aware. How do you sprinkle some Blue Angel pixie dust on top of the way that you present that pocket that we're all trying to find? If I'm dead, I'm dead. We're constantly in a state of training. Whoever's the leader got to speak first. Erik Weihenmayer:And what's an example of a fear-based belief that maybe you have had that you had to struggle with or work through? Where is it? What happened after that? John Foley:Once you learn how to do it, it's easy. Then you get in the cockpit and you see we're moving like crazy. So, you must have those clear mentors, direct mentors, but also maybe some accidental mentors. Nov 3, 2020. Maybe it's a financial challenge, maybe it's a personal challenge, an emotional challenge, and you can feel yourself get tight, right? No Barriers is a registered 501(c)3 Non-Profit Guidestar Platinum Rating I had a team briefing this morning. But that's exactly right, Erik. That's a fact. It's what Shakespeare was talking about when he says, to be or not to be. It's been a struggle to live what I call a no barriers life, to define it, to push the parameters of what it means. 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. Most of my flying was the joy of pushing yourself to absolute limits and connecting back to why you're doing that. She joins hundreds of other women who have served with the Blue Angels . So, here's the Gucci feel. I have all this. The foundation of elite performance is the . Both maneuvers are now featured in the demonstration that Blue Angels perform today. 109K views 5 months ago Blue Angels Podcast 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. John Foley:JB, more from, I'd say, a psychiatrist standpoint or psychological standpoint. If you've ever been at an air show, it's visceral, right? And the second question is, once you left the teams, how did you find that, just aargh, that thing that just made you You clinch up, that kind of stuff? That's what I was feeling. It evolves over time, but we need that pocket. Then you start dog fighting. I want to know first off, are they even aware? What's wrong? For me, the glad to be here has really been the essence of what I've been learning about and trying to teach for the rest of my life here. 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. Your brain and your hands aren't that dialed in yet. At first, you're like, I wouldn't say you black out, but everything goes by so fast. Jeff:Well, I guess the question I would have is, it's kind of twofold. Well, I got to go here because it's just a thought that's on my mind. Antique James Kent "Old Foley" Blue/White Staffordshire Pitcher, England. I've heard about you, I've seen some of your stuff, and you surprise me the entire time because of so many different facets of you and who you are. What's hard is to be aware of the situation. We have a debrief. These are great athletes, right? Yeah, me too. They continually have a process that wins. 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. Jeff:All right. John Foley:No, 100%. 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.'. Then the referee crew, I had spoken to the referee crew beforehand, and they got selected as the best individual. John Foley:I think the first part of focus is you got to block out the distractions. Jeff:Okay, so let's back up a little bit. It was really awesome. Now, to answer that gut feeling JB that you asked about. Jeff:My cousin wouldn't want to fight you for that one. Through their interdependence as a team, members are also challenged and stimulated to achieve higher levels of individual performance. Absolutely. You know it, every kid does it better than us. I want to go into the entrepreneurial world. It comes with practice and it comes with the awareness. What's the pluses? It's the mental side and the emotional side, probably is, you'll have to tell me, but in flying and with the blues, I like to say you needed to connect the heart and the head because it wasn't enough to be just in your head. 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. What are we going to do going forward? Jeff:You have been up on stage for countless hours and thousand, tens of thousands of people, but you're shit at guitar right now, but you're getting better. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. The way I do that is I just say, when my eyes open up, the first conscious thought that hits my head, I just go, what am I grateful for? We started with this, what I call general safe. Jeff:You got nervous, you and I have known each other for decades, you got nervous a few months ago playing in front of me. This is built around tactical or strategic CenterPoints. I'm not sure if most people can get their heads around what that looks like. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. To answer your question, is I definitely believe we can't multitask. So, you can decide if you're going to step up or not. I got this meeting after this. March 11: Naval Air Facility El Centro, California. But you're exactly right, that's exactly the zone I'm in when I'm in a maneuver. John Foley Keynote Speaker to over 1500 Organizations Worldwide, Blue Angel Lead Solo Pilot, Stanford Fellow, Bestselling Author and 'Gratitude Guru' Request Speaker Marketing Toolkit Fee Range $30,001 - $50,000 * * This specific fee falls within this range. You're not doing this. I never met him, but he was a huge mentor. I'm going to be proactive. John Foley:Oh, I like what you're saying, Jeff. This isn't working. That's even worse. That's the way you find that flow. They have a mindset, culture and processes that make high performance not only possible but predictable, repeatable, and transferable to any team that aspires to greatness. Tax ID Number: 06-1693441. 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. Well, so, how do you teach that though? That's why this podcast is so important. So, we're constantly in a state of hiring. What we're talking about, I don't think you can learn from a book. You're just to land the jet, and then, it's a definitely step by step approach and lots of hours go into it. Learn from people who have done it, and there's a combination of process and mindset. I've recreated my whole career two decades ago. Local officials had. Here's the big difference. Fortunately, I have a lot of video of me in the briefing rooms and the debriefing rooms and actual flying. I have to come up on the radio, and I got to say six is clear. 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. So, let's do it. John Foley:To me, a liberating belief is where that opportunity. The popular Blue Angels plan to be at Chattanooga's Air Show next Oct. 28-29. Motivational Speaker, Business Speakers, Keynote Speakers. Join Erik and Jeff for this high energy chat with John Foley. My hope is that those four words will have a deeper and richer meaning to everyone who reads this article. 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. The eye can't see that, but as you're learning, you're moving a lot. Jeff:All right. I just said, I bet you, I could be decent, but do I have the natural skills to be a musician? Or, you know what? That's where I had to make the big leap. That means you're not in position. Do you sort of put a flavor of that pocket into your personal practice as well as the way you teach it? So, you get to see us closing our eyes. It's taken on a whole new ethos since then. Team Oneness 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. Because my mind is starting to take over my body. I think, when I joined the team, and at the end of your comments, everybody said, "Glad to be here." Yeah. But I spent six months working for three for that individual learning the business. Okay. Like, glad to be here. 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. They believe in process. Then here's the last thing, and I'll do this for any leader is go, or anybody really, go forward in your day, and I use my calendar, but think about others, not just yourself, and think about, how can I show up in a way that helps somebody else. John Foley:But you get a chance to voice that. The idea is you got to work way up to it. 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 feel grateful and a lot of pride for the men and women who are doing that. Jeff:Yeah. John Foley was a solo pilot for the Blue Angels aerobatic formation, a Sloan Fellow at the Stanford School of Business, a Gratitude Guru, and an expert on "how to" in high performing teams. John Foley:No, it's great. 301, taxi you over to the six pack, shut it down. Yes, there's process, there's procedures. Learn more about glad to be here foundation. 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. Jeff:I know. 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. It's moving away from you. I remember my daytime went well. Coming out of the new Top Gun; Maverick movie and I'm emotionally moved. Access to NAS Pensacola is limited to Department of Defense (DoD) ID card holders (active duty service members, retirees, and their families). Business people, we don't necessarily know. You didn't get it for all you know. John Foley:Yeah, you got it. I feel, like my kid's 16, and he's a pretty high level athlete now. There's twofold here, so I'm just You came off of a career that every day was filled with very precise, intense things. It's not even in your control. Jeff:How would you, I guess, connect with that person on the benefits of finding that pocket and that flow and then how it could affect them or impact them greatly with their whole environment that they operate in? Guess what? I don't need that anymore. What is your preparation? I've been told, I've heard this lots of times that the human brain cannot multitask. GLAD TO BE HERE T-Shirt Black. The larger clubs are Hells Angels MC, Outlaws MC and Satans Slaves MC.. Like the vast majority of one percenter motorcycle clubs, the Blue Angels Motorcycle Club predominately ride Harley Davidson motorcycles. Jeff:That's sweet of you to talk about me like that, bro. John Foley draws upon his experience as Lead Solo of the Blue Angels . Then I realized I had the wrong order. Sometimes I'm a little bit ahead, sometimes a little bit behind, but I'm talking inches instead of feet. Objective, come at each other at a thousand miles per hour closer. They know the nuance. John Foley is a former lead solo pilot of the Blue Angels, a Sloan Fellow at the Stanford School of Business, and an expert in the how of High Performance teams. However, after receiving his Wings of Gold in 1984, and in alignment with the needs of the Navy, Foley would initially be assigned to Attack Squadron 22 (VA-22) flying the A-7 Corsair II. I mean, of course, I want to continue to grow and continue to learn in areas that, like we said earlier, JB, if I can teach someone how to meditate, how to focus now, like I speak to of sports teams all the time. I don't mind that. But again, that was just academics. Like, I was thinking about the folks that work for Apple or something, and they invent the iPhone, and Steve Jobs is hard as hell on this team. By visiting And it's my new mantra. What's the minuses? We believe that transcendent potential for performance lives withineveryindividual and organization. So Nick Saban and Alabama brought me in a few years ago. Erik Weihenmayer:Yeah, for sure. I mean, it's just not meant to be. That's a good question, because I was thinking about that in a similar way, but a little bit differently. I mean, when you're flying 18 inches from a 22 ton jet at 500 miles per hour, you got to be focused. Jeff:Well, they are. I've been doing trauma for a long time. I mean, athletes don't know that. I'm appreciative to have this opportunity in my life, to do things that most people don't get a chance to do, but more importantly, to benefit others. I think, even more important, is in the briefing room, if you have ever been to one of my presentations, you see, I take people into our preparation. This fosters gratitude and new perspectives to recognize opportunities versus simply focusing on challenges. He demonstrates how learning to focus prepares individuals for action and increases successful outcomes. $ 21.95. I'm in my jet training, it's called A-7 Corsairs. They knew it. But since then, yeah, I had a lot of inadvertent mentors. 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. A total of 16 officers voluntarily serve with the Blue Angels. So, the idea of calling somebody out is not the first stage. Our first conversation of the new year is with a former navy jet pilot. 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. 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. Jeff:You're welcome for all that work I've done with you. I'm happy for him that he's got these opportunities to be able to sort of plum, just get in that pocket more than I think we would've had the opportunity to. I want to appreciate it. During the 1950s in a small German town, high school Professor Immanuel Rath falls in-love with a young cabaret entertainer, with dramatic consequences. There's a lot of good in that person, in this situation. Didrik Johnck:The production team behind this podcast includes producer, Didrik Johnck, that's me, sound design, editing, and mixing by Tyler Cottman, marketing and graphic support from Stone Ward, and web support by Jamlo. An 18 year journey that began after a visit to an airshow as a young boy peaked when he was selected to join elite Blue Angels squadron. The momentous visit served as a way to ease tensions between the once Cold War rivals. Not just my head. Erik Weihenmayer:No, I get very excited. 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. We proudly represent the heritage, agility, flexibility, and. How did he get there? John Foley:Yeah. Every organization depends upon the performance of their people and their teams. It was in Newport, Rhode Island place called Kwanzaa Point. I'm okay with being scared. John Foley:But yeah, so that's for sure. Now, do I get it perfect? Stop. I think the first thing, Erik, that I've learned over time is I like to say there's two beliefs. Yeah. I have the skills to do this. I'm going to learn this. That's not good. Special thanks to The Dan Ryan Band for our intro song, Guidance. 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. See, that's more important to me because I want to know if they're aware. Now you can go straight precision, straight clinical once you're in that moment. Foley would enjoy a three year tenure with the Blue Angels that would see him progress from the teams narrator to a position in the demonstration as a solo pilot.