Coming out of the new Top Gun; Maverick movie and I'm emotionally moved. Part of it is because I haven't put the work in. Fearless Success: Beyond High Performance. John Foley:What I realized with all science that's out there on gratitude and appreciation is just how powerful that mindset is for performance, how you can actually increase performance with this mindset. 605 SOUTH COLLEGE AVENUE, SUITE 101, FORT COLLINS, CO 80524. There's a lot of crowds trying to get in there, the parking. More like this. So, I like to put a nuance in there, Erik, and that's about being scared. So, you must have those clear mentors, direct mentors, but also maybe some accidental mentors. I don't think I ever said to my colleague, I love you, on the Blue Angels, but they knew it. They can't do it forever. If I'm dead, I'm dead. John Foley:I mean, that's what saying. I get it. I think the first thing, Erik, that I've learned over time is I like to say there's two beliefs. In that unexplored terrain between those dark places we find ourselves in summit, exists a map. You kayaked the Grand Canyon, you needed perfection. You can't do it forever. 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. Happy 2022 listeners. Now, it's also, that's the power of being naive too, is that I had no idea what it was going to take. 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. This is the highest level of the Blue Angels. Is that what I think the states that we got into, no one taught me how to visualize. That's exciting to me. 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? That person asked me if I would mind saying some words on stage. So, I can visually show people what we're talking about, and they get to see it. We were talking about everyone else on my team is a musician in some way, shape, or form. Some days you're just glad to be alive, but rarely, it meant that. John Foley:No, I love it. Thank you for that. I know they are by two points. 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. That's even worse. But is it similar to that? Now, you can do it however you want. Let's bring it out. John Foley:But you get a chance to voice that. Visit our updated, Distributor/Logistics Provider of the Year, Food Automation & Manufacturing (FA&M) Conference & Expo. And that's great. These are great athletes, right? And time actually did slow down. Add to Playlist. I'm excited about it. I just said, I bet you, I could be decent, but do I have the natural skills to be a musician? I said, I don't need to be an airline pilot. Fearless Success - John Foley - Blue Angels | Audio Length: 01:18:45 Because I've never put the work in. 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. Blue Angels 2023 air show schedule. Jeff:All right. Keep going. Copyright 2023. Jeff:Okay, so let's back up a little bit. So, yes, I think that's the glad to be here. I've recreated my whole career two decades ago. This boat is moving up and down. Then I went out and I tried it. What's hard is to be aware of the situation. John Foley:But yeah, so that's for sure. I didn't realize what I realize now, how powerful that really was. Yeah, they're two points favorites, but here, this is the cross section of everything we've really talked about, which is you can line up the best pilots in the world. We call it a brief room, but really, it's mental preparation before we go flying. 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:I think the first part of focus is you got to block out the distractions. There must be a lot of things like that, that you've really tried to take with you from being a Blue Angel. I mean, athletes don't know that. National Naval Aviation Museum | Official Website But the point is that I used the canopy coming down. If they're aware, usually it's usually like, they're just not aware. That's nobarrierspodcast.com. 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. Yeah, I got you. John Foley:I'm just going to reinforce that in my body. 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. Then I realized I had the wrong order. To survive in those circumstances he relied on a culture of high trust, leadership and teamwork. To survive in those circumstances he relied on a culture of high trust, leadership and teamwork. 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. It snaps me out of that downward spiral. In his dynamic presentations, Foley addresses the essential elements of exceptional team performance and makes them relevant, simple, and immediately actionable. Keep going JB. The momentous visit served as a way to ease tensions between the once Cold War rivals. This is what it was, everybody, we ran around the table, and it started with the boss. How did he get there? You know what I mean? 18 seconds, it takes nine seconds for the hit to happen, and then we have a clear for nine seconds. In Good Condition. John Foley:Yeah. John Foley:To me, a liberating belief is where that opportunity. I'm constantly riding motorcycles. John Foley:It's a double edged sword. 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. And then reverse engineer, what are you thinking about? $ 21.95. He shows how to create buy-in and commitment for a teams vision and goals, leading to clarity that drives execution decisions. The Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron today announced their schedule for the 2005 show season. 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. Anyway, got talked into doing recitals, and it is so funny because I get so freaking nervous in front of a group of 50 parents, and I'm surrounded by like sixth graders. Ready, hit it. In 1997 he started working at Citysearch, an online city guide later bought by Ticketmaster. Thanks so much and have a great day. That was always my dream as a little boy. I'm grateful to be healthy. I think that's so critical. Print page 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. John Foley:Sometimes that bar is raised by weather. Don't you wish you would've had that back when you were doing all these crazy maneuvers. Honestly, JB. 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. Join Erik and Jeff for this high energy chat with John Foley. What separates the best of the best and makes for elite teams? 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? She joins hundreds of other women who have served with the Blue Angels . You've ascended to this high level, the highest level. Erik Weihenmayer:Yeah. I get energy through my fingertips, but I don't get paralyzed by fear by speaking. John Foley:Right. If you acknowledge that empathy, that compassion, and then actually take the action to reach out to them, amen. They leave the event not only transformed, but also with a set of concrete tools to immediately begin a high performance climb. 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. He demonstrates how learning to focus prepares individuals for action and increases successful outcomes. So, you have to have the ability to slow it down, and I slow it down in my mind. Oh, it would be kind of cool to do that. 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? I'm okay to move within that three inch circle. Every morning, I wake up, I've trained my brain to wake up happy. John has performed these death-defying stunts for . And just take a breath. By visiting this website, certain cookies have already been set, which you may delete and block. I'm in my jet training, it's called A-7 Corsairs. Captain Steve Foley, a native of Dolton, Illinois, enlisted in the Navy in 1983 and rose to the enlisted rank of Senior Chief Petty Officer. To survive in those circumstances he relied on a culture of high trust, leadership and teamwork. That's where you go, okay, what is it going to take to get to where I want to go? Didrik Johnck:Didrik Johnck here, producer of the No Barriers Podcast. There has to have been a time during that process that you got completely shit on, or you were like, oh, well Or somebody said, "Forget it, Foley. 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 John Foley-Glad to Be Here - YouTube That's what it meant while I was a Blue Angel. You have to move on in some way at some point. Erik Weihenmayer:Or you get internal with yourself and you start making mistakes or something, like how pitchers in pro baseball get in a slump or something. John Foley:All of a sudden, telephone poles are going by quickly. What if I knew this back when I was on the team? No kidding, 300%. It's like, oh, that would be cool, but geez, that's a pipe dream. Because I'm not trying to teach people to be a Blue Angel pilot. Let's make it real. Erik Weihenmayer:I just imagine that the heart piece might almost get in the way. John Foley:Okay. 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. John "Gucci" Foley, a U.S. Navy aviator and Blue Angels pilot, John "unpacks" the special mindset and practical framework for achieving High Performance and sustaining a true Culture of Excellence. Every organization depends upon the performance of their people and their teams. I had trained my own replacement, Thumper, and he was better than I ever was. John Foley:That's basically what he was saying. Because I said the same thing. 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. The Navy's really good about debriefs, and the LSO, landing signal officer, walked in that day and he goes, it was very clear, he goes, Gucci, Gucci's my call sign. It's how you feel. I go down there. John Foley:I think that's important in anything we're learning. I think what we're talking about is you have to reinvent yourself at some right point. That you were appreciative of or that you enjoyed. Because that's where I'm going to make a mistake, right? This website requires certain cookies to work and uses other cookies to Usually not. John Foley:Thumper and I, two opposing solos. Erik Weihenmayer:I got my accelerated free fall license as a civilian to skydive. This is really the ethos of what we're talking about. By visiting this website, certain cookies have already been set, which you may delete and block. As a thought leader on high performance, John created the "Glad To Be Here" Mindset Methodology and the Diamond Performance Framework. John Foley:If I'm operating from fear, and there's sometimes, it's important to know, like it's easy to kill yourself. 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. They're just small. Lt. Amanda Lee has made history as the first woman to serve as a demonstration pilot in the Blue Angels. I've been told, I've heard this lots of times that the human brain cannot multitask. I'm not sure if most people can get their heads around what that looks like. If I were to move that far and did not clear the formation, that's a safety. I was actually told this that we have 65 frames a second. Then he looked at me very clearly and he said, "I'm going to give you one more chance. And it's my new mantra. And thanks to all of you for listening. They're not going to be the Blue Angel necessarily, right? You get to hear the boss going through the cadence of the maneuvers, where he'll say, up we go and, and you can hear why is that G, go? There's a lot of good in that person, in this situation. 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. It evolves over time, but we need that pocket. Jeff:Okay. I actually think most of my flying was emotional. It's not just physical, right? 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. John Foley:No, actually, Erik, it's just the opposite. What's hard is to be aware of the situation. John Foley:But what's interesting is that if you expand that time out, because in between each maneuver, we have communication. 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. 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. Blue Angels - Wikipedia If I'm complacent, that's what I got to worry about. Does the gratitude negate that or overtake that in some way? Maybe he didn't understand he was out of parameter, right? John Foley:Well, I was the second one. I was supposed to deploy on the midway, which was a four deployed carrier. 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. But you add in bad weather on a ship. Jeff:I know. Right. Why am I doing something, and why does it matter? Sometimes I'm a little bit ahead, sometimes a little bit behind, but I'm talking inches instead of feet. 192 Listens. You're you're in that focused state. 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. Vintage James Kent LTD | Old Foley . 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. Well, absolutely. I mean, you got the energy of the crowd, the noise of the jets going overhead. Here are the suggestions we received and where we donated (click through to view) . 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. Well, then I want to ask you a little bit more about that debrief because that's something that I'm You guys have a persona and it's tough. There's a lot of opportunity here. So, let's do it. Now everybody and their dead grandma can. I do that every morning and only it takes a couple minutes. By a trigger, I mean a positive trigger that told myself, okay, that's done. 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. Because there's a lot of pressure out there not to make a mistake. It goes, woo. There's limiting beliefs and there's liberating beliefs. 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. Just what you asked is, how do you actually elevate that belief level? $ 30.00. It was an emotional click that said, I'm going to do that now. You get better and you move on and you share that information with somebody else. I've been doing this for about six months now, learn, grow, give. I have all this. It exists. Show notes can be found at nobarrierspodcast.com. Now I love my dad. John Foley:I remember it was something just clicked. I'm not. You know it, every kid does it better than us. John Foley:Because you got some off Georgia defensive lineman who got their butt handed to them. They don't know when their last game's going to be. Not that I'm telling you, you're not good enough. If you do not agree to the use of cookies, you should not navigate I'm going to be proactive. I mean, when you're flying 18 inches from a 22 ton jet at 500 miles per hour, you got to be focused. You have to be amazing. I feel grateful and a lot of pride for the men and women who are doing that. We learned how to do this without anybody ever teaching it to us. Then just this year, Georgia brought me in. Yeah, because that would be, it's like, what if you go around and do the general feel, and a guy's like, God doesn't own it? 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. They're going to be off. You are not going in the midway." You finally get in the airplane and that's totally different. 0 bids. Or is it different? A total of 16 officers voluntarily serve with the Blue Angels. I think the question JB asked is, do you choose that or does the market, or the job choose it for you? There's also a link to shoot me an email with any suggestions for the show, or any ideas you've got at all. It's important to know, it's easy to kill yourself. 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. Like, glad to be here. Disappointed with the assignment at the time, Foley now reflects that the three years he spent flying the A-7 were critical in his development as a Navy pilot. I'm starting to get what you and Erik are talking about. Now, for me, personally, so when I left the team, it was not a big deal. It wasn't the physical side. It builds confidence, and your teammates go, okay. Jeff:Let's back up just again. 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. Subscribe 3K views 2 years ago John Foley is a top leadership keynote speaker and former lead solo pilot of the Blue Angels that delivers keynote experiences to inspire leadership, improve. The Blue Angel: Directed by Edward Dmytryk. I don't need that anymore. 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. Because we've already each other on the G of go. John Foley:You'll be flying jets off aircraft carriers, but it is your time to go. All Rights Reserved. I think if you were to ask Erik and I, when we were 15 years old, do you want to ascend to the highest climbing level and climb Everest? He flew A-4 Skyhawks. AI was so excited, and I know that's probably super annoying to have to talk to people's family members because you only have a little bit amount of time and you John Foley:Actually, Erik, not to interrupt you that made my whole day. PDF John Foley Biography Let's see what you got. What I think the key is, is can you call that up on demand? He also explains a process that he believes is the primary key to continuous improvement and exceptional growth. John Foley:Oh, well, tons of them. Not that I was out of parameters that I didn't clear. John Foley:I'm going to do that. Erik Weihenmayer:Yeah. You're just trying to survive the airplane. Jeff:Well, they are. That means you're not in position. 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. What's the pluses? I think, when I joined the team, and at the end of your comments, everybody said, "Glad to be here." That's the way you find that flow. What are we going to do going forward? John Foley - Wikipedia Yeah, me too. Second night landing, I miss all the wires, it's called the bolter. I never met him, but he was a huge mentor. I'm not qualified. The Untold Story of the Blue Angels Visit to Moscow with John - YouTube But we're only moving, hopefully between three and six inches, not feet. I break it down to four things, glad in this statement, first off means, that's to be grateful, to be appreciative. Let's continue to help others, serve others with that. John Foley:Oh, music, just what we're talking about. I mean, you got this jet, it's coming in about 145 miles per hour. John Foley:Well, guys, I want to say the honor's mine, and the thanks are for you. 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. They said, generally, here's what I thought about the evolution. Erik Weihenmayer:Jeff, Imma slap you on the back. But for JB and I, the shit goes by quickly, right? I've spoken to all three, both teams and the officials. And you just go, okay, I'm in the zone. This exhilarating film showcased the almost unbelievably intense reality of being an elite pilot in the military. Whether it's meditation, whether it's learning to take your game to a whole new level. Once I did that, I went out, I did okay. I don't know. John Foley:Then you reverse engineer why it worked, and then put it in a way that other people can access it. So, you have to do well in your landing grades. But that's exactly right, Erik. 01:18:45. So, they allow you more time, and then you just start, just like you, you just keep upping the game, where now you start flying jets, then you start flying faster jets. See, that's why this is what's Great. 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. The first four jets fly in a diamond formation. That is what's happening to me in the jet. 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? But I would say first off, Erik, we were making tons of mistakes flying. Foley, the former lead solo pilot of the Navy's elite Blue Angels shares their process and mind-set for achieving the highest level of performance. 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. That was the basketball team, not the football team, but it's still the athletic department. No Barriers is a registered 501(c)3 Non-Profit Guidestar Platinum Rating 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. He called me up, and we were actually using some of the video I'm in. John Foley:Well, now here's the challenge I have. Here's what's interesting. $ 9.99. Jeff:Because by the time this airs, everybody's going to know, so let's see what the forecaster is. When I snap my fingers, 65 frames hit your eyeballs. I could sense the space between my heartbeats. 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. Jeff:That's sweet of you to talk about me like that, bro. 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. 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. The Blue Angels must be closely aligned in thought and action in order to accomplish their mission. Actually, the glad to be here is a proactive way to not only snap you out of that downward spiral. John Foley shares how management can stimulate performance by creating a culture that values expression of gratitude and appreciationfor opportunities, co-workers, and clients. If I actually got out parameters and I recognized it, and I did the right procedure, not a safety. I think about you guys, when you decided, I want to climb, something clicked in my heart. Block out your own mind. Where is it? There's, could be hundreds of thousands of people, you're waving to the kids. Maybe we as humans sort of divide those. To answer your question, from the ground, we've had spectators, they go, "Looks like you guys aren't even moving." Yes, there's process, there's procedures. With his signature Glad to be Here mantra, Foley discusses the power behind gratitude as a way of thinking, working, and living. The point is, I want to know just your general feeling. I actually suck at it. What's wrong? I don't mind that. Even like right now, as we're talking, am I thinking about, well, when is this over? Think about it in your own life. The best climbers in the world, back when Erik and I climbed Everest, not necessarily could climb Everest. Jeff:Like what? And then I just kept trying to improve on. I'm grateful to be in this moment. 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.'. I want to do stuff that I've never done before, and I didn't know how to do it. In one way, it's kind of nice. Now you can go straight precision, straight clinical once you're in that moment. And it was a light bulb moment, Erik.