John Foley:That's basically what he was saying. That was the basketball team, not the football team, but it's still the athletic department. What happened after that? John is a former lead solo pilot of the Blue Angels, where he consistently performed in an extreme, high-stakes environment, flying an F-18 at speeds of more than 500 miles per hour and in formations as close as 18 inches apart. Now, to answer that gut feeling JB that you asked about. Just what we're doing right here. Are you there in Denver right now, by the way? And can I share that knowledge now? 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? They're going to be off. I was actually told this that we have 65 frames a second. Do you get the same, is that the same for you in front of a big audience? That's where I had to make the big leap. The team, composed of six Navy and one Marine Corps demonstration pilot, fly Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornets . I know it'll happen. I feel like when I'm in the middle of a code, I pull my heart away. 192 Listens. You didn't get it for all you know. We're constantly in a state of mentoring each other and we're in a constant state of basically up and out. I don't know the business side. We've acquired all these things, and now we want to give it to you, and to you, and to you to be a better version of yourself. It was an emotional click that said, I'm going to do that now. 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. 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. No one has to teach you how to visualize. The Blue Angels must be closely aligned in thought and action in order to accomplish their mission. If I'm dead, I'm dead. B, that it's out of parameters, so you get to decide as an organization what's in parameters and what's out. Maybe when you're learning, it's afoot. So, you have to have the ability to slow it down, and I slow it down in my mind. And it's my new mantra. 01:18:45. If they're aware, usually it's usually like, they're just not aware. JB, you're exactly right. Either you step up to that challenge, okay? I break it down to four things, glad in this statement, first off means, that's to be grateful, to be appreciative. Think about it in your own life. 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. You know what I mean? Every morning, I wake up, I've trained my brain to wake up happy. The Blue Angels is a flight demonstration squadron of the United States Navy. Yeah. They get to talk about what they thought, and then anything that they need to do that's a safety, a safety's out of parameters, hopefully you don't have a lot of those. I get better at focusing my mind, knowing that I'm not perfect. So, you can decide if you're going to step up or not. That's not good. I'm in the jet, my opposing solo's coming at me at a thousand miles per hour closure. I'll just be very too transparent as I'm closing here. If we back up to your adolescence and you started your training, and someone would've told you you're going to be a Blue Angel when you were like 20-years-old, you would've been obviously happy, but would that have been believable or were you just, in your mind, fast tracking and you knew exactly where you were going and how you were going to get there? John Foley:Oh, music, just what we're talking about. There's a moment that crystallized for you like that? You finally get to the air show, and you can feel it. I've spoken to all three, both teams and the officials. There's fear out there. I believe, in all our jobs, we got to paint the picture of what the extreme looks like first. Learning, and I was helping him in any way, shape I could, but that exposure, I probably got 10 years of knowledge in six months based on having that. Absolutely. It's not a long diatribe, right? In one way, it's kind of nice. Jeff:See, that's the PhD level of what we're talking about right there. I've never given a public speech in that regard before. And then I just kept trying to improve on. John Foley:Thumper and I, two opposing solos. They said, generally, here's what I thought about the evolution. 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 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. But what's surprising to me is you say the first thing on your debrief is you come at each other with something you feel. Even if it's the transcendent meditative place, but that's the pocket, right? All right. So, we have the rotation that's planned. 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. When people are deeply engaged in their work and feel valued, they are more productive and effective, leading to a positive impact on the bottom-line. First thing I want to acknowledge is, if I have a fear-based belief, what's that causing me, it's usually stuckness. Jeff:Let's back up just again. I get energy through my fingertips, but I don't get paralyzed by fear by speaking. John Foley:Well, now here's the challenge I have. I'm not waiting to see if the boss's airplane moves or not. 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 got goosebumps because yeah, it's no longer about me. Keep going. You know what I mean? 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. They are one of the largest one percenter motorcycle clubs in the United Kingdom. And that kind of stuff. I hated it, it sucked. Well, I got to go here because it's just a thought that's on my mind. TheGlad To Be Heremindset helps answer these critical questions. Okay? I'm in my jet training, it's called A-7 Corsairs. We actually can only focus on one thing at one time, but because it's like a movie, you have different frames, we're seeing things in frames. Erik Weihenmayer:My hands sweat, my hand shake. The Blue Angels Motorcycle Club are a one percenter motorcycle club founded in Glasgow, Scotland in 1963.. I mean, that would be the obvious sort of reach on that. They leave the event not only transformed, but also with a set of concrete tools to immediately begin a high performance climb. LINKS TO JOHN FOLEYS SOCIAL MEDIA AND WEBSITE:Website: https://www.johnfoleyinc.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JohnGucciFoleyInstagram: @johnguccifoleyTwitter: @johnguccifoleyINTERVIEW TIMESTAMPS0:00 Intro1:14 How \"Gucci\" Got His Callsign3:05 Upbringing5:22 Attending the Naval Academy6:48 Jet Training in Beeville, TX8:09 Flying the A7 Corsair12:21 Operational Deployments 13:45 Joining the Blue Angels21:35 Opposing Solo22:20 Lead Solo23:38 New Maneuvers26:35 1992 European Tour32:20 Historic Moscow Visit 47:11 Blue Angel Reunions49:28 Blue Angels Foundation51:30 Glad to Be Here The Blue Angels, I'm going to talk to you about debrief, how we did it on the Blues, it's slightly different than how I did it on my fighter squadrons or how they do it in Top Gun. It can mean so many different things depending on who you ask and what day of the week it is. 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. It's not happening. If you enjoy this podcast, we encourage you to subscribe to it, share it, and give us a review. So, landing jets on aircraft carrier is truly, probably the most challenging thing a pilot can do. joined the Blue Angels in 1990, served as the narrator, the. He shares how to center a team around shared goals, strengthen relationships, and create unity that leads to consistent and effective results. Our audience, our community is going to be so impacted by everything you've said, and your life's work, as it's been encompassed in this conversation today. 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. They just run by so quickly that I'm seeing a continuum. Because there's a lot of pressure out there not to make a mistake. I really do. High Performance Climb But you're exactly right, that's exactly the zone I'm in when I'm in a maneuver. 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. Erik Weihenmayer:How do you handle that, John? It was really awesome. The momentous visit served as a way to ease tensions between the once Cold War rivals. But I would say first off, Erik, we were making tons of mistakes flying. Jeff:Yeah. You're you're in that focused state. John Foley:I just said, holy cow, I can do this because it's a value to others. It's at an angle. Because now that you're not flying, aren't there some activities you're like, I suck at this? Jeff:All right. Maybe it's a deliverable on work. If you do not agree to the use of cookies, you should not navigate Show notes can be found at nobarrierspodcast.com. 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. Local officials had. At first, you're like, I wouldn't say you black out, but everything goes by so fast. To answer your question, is I definitely believe we can't multitask. He demonstrates how learning to focus prepares individuals for action and increases successful outcomes. Visit our privacy No, here's the challenge I have. Erik Weihenmayer:I've had a few perfect runs, but a lot of them are just reacting and responding to chaos. I think Erik also, and I, have had many, many conversations because we practice as well, but I wish I would've had that skillset back when things were really, really hectic, whether it was climbing or life or anything else, but I didn't really know it. Erik Weihenmayer:John, backing up, one thing I kind of missed in my thought process talking to you was, you were on that track to be a Blue Angel, and you talked about your dad who was an officer. See, that's more important to me because I want to know if they're aware. So, you must have those clear mentors, direct mentors, but also maybe some accidental mentors. There's a lot of good in that person, in this situation. That was always my dream as a little boy. Right? I know why it works and that allows you to do the how. Motivational Speaker, Business Speakers, Keynote Speakers. 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 was so inspired from his . Block out your own mind. There's limiting beliefs and there's liberating beliefs. You're just to land the jet, and then, it's a definitely step by step approach and lots of hours go into it. Copyright 2023. John Foley:Absolutely. By closing this banner, scrolling this page, clicking a link, or continuing to browse this site, you agree to this use. As a thought leader on high performance, John created the "Glad To Be Here" Mindset Methodology and the Diamond Performance Framework. [1] Formed in 1946, the unit is the second oldest formal aerobatic team in the world, after the French Patrouille de France formed in 1931. 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. My hope is that those four words will have a deeper and richer meaning to everyone who reads this article. And you just go, okay, I'm in the zone. March 25 to 26: Barksdale Air Force Base . Like instead of things going by so quick and your awareness is pretty small, your awareness increases and time slows down so that you're aware of more capacity at one moment. Can you actually call your own mind on demand to be in that state, and for how long can you hold it? 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. When I snap my fingers, 65 frames hit your eyeballs. John Foley shares how management can stimulate performance by creating a culture that values expression of gratitude and appreciationfor opportunities, co-workers, and clients. That was a big leap. This fosters gratitude and new perspectives to recognize opportunities versus simply focusing on challenges. I'll be honest with you, JB. Guess what? They shut me down. I had trained my own replacement, Thumper, and he was better than I ever was. I remember being at that air show that day. I'm scared all the time. So, they've proven that. What's wrong? 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. John Foley:But yeah, so that's for sure. They say like, "I put in six years, but it was the best six years of my life in certain ways." But I do remember that distinct moment. Glad To Be Hereoffers apurpose greater than self, which galvanizes people and focuses individuals and teams on WHY they do what they do. #gladtobehere stickers (50/pk) $ 17.99. John Foley:But what's interesting is that if you expand that time out, because in between each maneuver, we have communication. Because think about when you're teaching someone to climb. Because they probably know it anyhow. It starts with giving. But is it similar to that? And it was a light bulb moment, Erik. His exciting and unusual life journey knows how to inspire and inspire audiences to take action themselves and rethink what they think is possible. I'm grateful to be healthy. I think those of us who've been deep in that pocket before, it just becomes this thing that we kind of have to feel it. I'm with you a hundred percent. Play Audio. That's even worse. No kidding, 300%. John Foley:Once you finish this, you actually are going to deploy. 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. 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. Then the referee crew, I had spoken to the referee crew beforehand, and they got selected as the best individual. One of them was my commanding officer on the carrier air group commander, called a carrier group commander, a CAG. 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. It's just so hard and so intense. Jeff:All right. Well, absolutely. 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. 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. I had a team briefing this morning. The reboot is basically first awareness. Erik Weihenmayer:Yeah. I think that's when you know you're in the zone, but here's the other thing, the minute you start realizing that, you're now losing focus, right? 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. And then reverse engineer, what are you thinking about? As I contemplate the trajectory of, say my climbing career, my speaking career, the things that I do with my family and everything, I contemplated a whole lot more because all those marbles in the jar, there's just fewer of them. Erik Weihenmayer:I could sense my breath. Didrik Johnck:Didrik Johnck here, producer of the No Barriers Podcast. It went well today. The Blue Angels have the unique ability to highlight the importance of naval aviation while honoring its historical significance. That stuff completely leaves your mind and you're right into the task. But the point is that-. To be present with you guys right now. I think they're going to come out hungry as shit. So, you're trying to keep your airplane within a three inch circle on the other airplane. 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. That's just a one sentence. Gone. You have to be focused, but if your heart isn't in it, if you're not doing it for what I call a purpose larger than self, then it's not the same. That's nobarrierspodcast.com. ", - John Foley, Former Lead Solo Pilot, Blue Angels. But it's unsustainable because a human being only has so much capacity to do that thing. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. John Foley:All of a sudden, telephone poles are going by quickly. I fortunately went to Stanford business school and I learned some of the What does it need to grow and build a big business? The Blue Angel: Directed by Edward Dmytryk. By visiting So, I can visually show people what we're talking about, and they get to see it. Peloton founder John Foley stepped down from his CEO role on Feb. 8 following a tumultuous period for the connected fitness company. 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. I actually suck at it. Generally, how did I feel? John Foley:Yeah. Special thanks to The Dan Ryan Band for our intro song, Guidance. You know what the biggest one, Erik? Well, so, how do you teach that though? John Foley:To me, a liberating belief is where that opportunity. Now everybody and their dead grandma can. block. I think what we're talking about is you have to reinvent yourself at some right point. You're flying six inches apart from each other. This boat is moving up and down. You get better and you move on and you share that information with somebody else. Sorry. What does it look like in this environment? Thank you for that. 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. I'm thinking about you hanging on to a lift, right? I got you. I go down there. It's not just physical, right? 301, taxi you over to the six pack, shut it down. That's the training part, as compared to trying to hide something. John Foley:Okay. These fundamentals are incredibly important because that's what we all learn from, we got to have a process, but I think the difference when you're talking to somebody who's actually done it and done it at a high level. We're constantly in a state of training. That gives me way more joy than the actual climbing or the flying. You feel yourself start to constrict, and your mind starts to get into this flight or fight mode, which is what we're trained to do. Thanks so much and have a great day. I have the skills to do this. With what you just said, what I generate the most fulfillment and happiness in my life is not that I physically climb the mountains anymore or fly the jets, it's that I can share that in a way that benefits others. You can't do it forever. I feel grateful and a lot of pride for the men and women who are doing that. Stay up-to-date on new opportunities & community stories. Mentors come into our lives when we're young, especially for me, it was obviously my dad, and then people I never met, like accidental mentors, like Terry Fox, who was an amputee who lost a leg to cancer and decided he was going to run all the way across Canada, thousands of miles, and he inspired a whole nation. You're landing on a runway that happens to be a boat. Never will because of the nuances in it. The foundation of elite performance is the . One of the things I do as a hobbyist is that I play a guitar. I'm interested in how you can combine those things in that split second. John Foley:It makes a big difference. I'm okay with being scared. First, is just being aware, is am I operating from fear? He says, "You know those orders to the midway? (Navy) The Navy's Blue Angels will conduct their final flight in the legacy F/A-18 Hornet . Jeff:Well, they are. Most of my flying was the joy of pushing yourself to absolute limits and connecting back to why you're doing that. 605 SOUTH COLLEGE AVENUE, SUITE 101, FORT COLLINS, CO 80524. There's a bigger show. I do that through meditation in the mornings. I think what you're describing, because I felt that so many times too, is the result of the focus. Then you start dog fighting. It's something that defines who you are and your impact in the world. We started with this, what I call general safe. Jeff:I know. I know I need to execute on this command. Because I'm not trying to teach people to be a Blue Angel pilot. I mean, there are people who can teach breathing and meditation effectively, that have been doing it for years and years. The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement. She joins hundreds of other women who have served with the Blue Angels . And there's three tools. What was that like for you? 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. 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. We get a choice of how we want to perceive a situation. Because we've already each other on the G of go. Toms Del Coro Blue Angels at Miramar Air Show 2014 . I think I was looking at it as a bigger timeframe. 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. How has it impacted your life? My name is Erik Weihenmayer. How exactly did guest John Foley become a Blue Angel and what was his motivation? Blue Angels 2023 air show schedule. I think the challenge tonight is that Georgia got their asses handed to them by Alabama, right? John Foley:Oh, I like what you're saying, Jeff. I take a break. This is what it was, everybody, we ran around the table, and it started with the boss. Erik Weihenmayer: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. As I think about though, with the jets, and maybe this is a good metaphor with your climbing, is we don't start as a Blue Angel. We actually do what we call a general safe. Why am I doing something, and why does it matter? 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. There's a lot of crowds trying to get in there, the parking. Because my mind is starting to take over my body. The other new members include an events coordinator, a C-130J Super Hercules pilot, an aviation maintenance officer and a flight surgeon . I want to go into the entrepreneurial world. Then the environment, I think what's critical about flow states is the higher you challenge yourself, you increase the environment, and you guys have to tell me if this is true in climbing, but it isn't flying, is one of two things are going to happen. Here's what's interesting. I mean, athletes don't know that. Sometimes I'm a little bit ahead, sometimes a little bit behind, but I'm talking inches instead of feet. John Foley:Yeah. I have what I call my glad to be here wake up, and a glad to be here reboot. 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. The Teams trip to the former Soviet Union was highlighted by two air shows and a ride exchange between the Blue Angels and pilots from the Russian Knights Aerobatic Flight Team. Let's continue to help others, serve others with that. Yeah. March 18 to 19: Naval Air Station Point Mugu, California. 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. I had done really well in all the other phases, and this is the last phase. I was doing the Red Bull thing, how Red Bull created air races. I've been told, I've heard this lots of times that the human brain cannot multitask. BLUe aNGeLS John Foley "G lad to Be Here." those four words meant something very special to me when I was a Blue angel. 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 mean, when you're flying 18 inches from a 22 ton jet at 500 miles per hour, you got to be focused. 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? I think the first thing, Erik, that I've learned over time is I like to say there's two beliefs. John Foley:No, it's great. $3.00 shipping. You're just trying to do the checklist.