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. Jeff:Wait, are you rolling & talking tonight? Right? It evolves over time, but we need that pocket. 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. You've really tapped into it, and I think this is good news for everybody, right? Special thanks to The Dan Ryan Band for our intro song, Guidance. My hope is that those four words will have a deeper and richer meaning to everyone who reads this article. I still remember this to this day as we're talking, I can visualize it. They're just small. Antique James Kent "Old Foley" Blue/White Staffordshire Pitcher, England. Foley demonstrates a simple, systematic, yet exciting approach for how to develop the clarity, focus, commitment, and trust that are necessary to achieve ever-higher levels of performance. We all know the science behind appreciation and gratitude, how it changes the way your brain thinks, the neurons fire and all that. The inspiration our keynote speaking and consulting provides,supported by experience and a proven process, enables people to closethe performancegap and transform energy into focused action. Then we actually allow the support officers, so my maintenance officer, my doc, they get to do the same thing. John Foley -Blue Angel. But it's unsustainable because a human being only has so much capacity to do that thing. That's a good question, because I was thinking about that in a similar way, but a little bit differently. I feel grateful and a lot of pride for the men and women who are doing that. 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. I'm not sure if most people can get their heads around what that looks like. 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. So, landing jets on aircraft carrier is truly, probably the most challenging thing a pilot can do. this website. I'll just be very too transparent as I'm closing here. It causes stuckness. 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. Not that I was out of parameters that I didn't clear. John Foley:No, actually, Erik, it's just the opposite. Like me, I'm going to be thinking of you guys' faces, I'm going to be thinking about this conversation. I had done really well in all the other phases, and this is the last phase. To me, the easiest ones or relationships, whether they're personal or not. You're probably right. It's not even in your control. Because now that you're not flying, aren't there some activities you're like, I suck at this? And it's my new mantra. I was doing the Red Bull thing, how Red Bull created air races. John Foley:See, that's a big difference. But is it similar to that? Jeff:I think you're right. We were talking about everyone else on my team is a musician in some way, shape, or form. He's working with us now. John Foley:But yeah, so that's for sure. There's a lot of emotion in there. We have a debrief. 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 come down, I get waved off. It's not happening. - John Foley, Blue Angels. 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. That gives me way more joy than the actual climbing or the flying. 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. True to his word, Foley applied to the military academies but was initially rejected for having too much protein in his urine. I break it down to four things, glad in this statement, first off means, that's to be grateful, to be appreciative. Scared to me means I'm aware, I'm present. Both of you have been my heroes too. Oh, it would be kind of cool to do that. By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to the use of cookies. John Foley:Sometimes that bar is raised by weather. They have more to win. So, thank you very, very much for spending some of your time. His passion and. Well, so, how do you teach that though? I actually think most of my flying was emotional. There are few examples where this is more dramatically demonstrated than with the Blue Angels. By closing this banner, scrolling this page, clicking a link, or continuing to browse this site, you agree to this use. Now, to answer that gut feeling JB that you asked about. That map, that way forward is what we call no barriers. John Foley:Once you learn how to do it, it's easy. They're not going to be the Blue Angel necessarily, right? For me, it's this purpose larger than self. It allows you to sort of get You're a flow guy, right? This goes quick. they have even more significance to me today. I get it. There's twofold here, so I'm just You came off of a career that every day was filled with very precise, intense things. 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. These are two of the best programs and that's why they're in the finals. You know what I mean? Yeah. What I think the key is, is can you call that up on demand? There's a lot of crowds trying to get in there, the parking. And that's great. Then just this year, Georgia brought me in. Visit our updated, Distributor/Logistics Provider of the Year, Food Automation & Manufacturing (FA&M) Conference & Expo. 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. and cookie policy to learn more about the cookies we use and how we use your Because my mind is starting to take over my body. At a recent sales kick-off, I had the pleasure to listen to John Foley (call sign Gucci) who was a Naval Aviator, Blue Angel pilot and Stanford Business School graduate. If you enjoy this podcast, we encourage you to subscribe to it, share it, and give us a review. March 18 to 19: Naval Air Station Point Mugu, California. John Foley:But what's interesting is that if you expand that time out, because in between each maneuver, we have communication. Didrik Johnck:Didrik Johnck here, producer of the No Barriers Podcast. And then I just kept trying to improve on. Erik Weihenmayer:I could sense my breath. It's something that defines who you are and your impact in the world. Well, they go slow. I land the jet after that and now you-. I'm actually seeing things in frames. They continually have a process that wins. Learn from people who have done it, and there's a combination of process and mindset. Copyright 2023. What if I knew this back when I was on the team? Because there's a lot of pressure out there not to make a mistake. 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? data. This website requires certain cookies to work and uses other cookies to 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. I have been training. As a thought leader on high performance, John created the "Glad To Be Here" Mindset Methodology and the Diamond Performance Framework. To survive in those circumstances he relied on a culture of high trust, leadership and teamwork. If I'm complacent, that's what I got to worry about. This is the highest level of the Blue Angels. John Foley:Yeah. I think that's a rare combination. What we can do is focus. 18 seconds, it takes nine seconds for the hit to happen, and then we have a clear for nine seconds. So, you're trying to keep your airplane within a three inch circle on the other airplane. That's exciting to me. Because think about when you're teaching someone to climb. Okay. Then the other thing that occurs to me is, as I've taken the deeper dive on the Gucci platform, is this other little side note that I wouldn't have guessed. joined the Blue Angels in 1990, served as the narrator, the. The Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron today announced their schedule for the 2005 show season. High performance teams, how to turn them into business results. Erik Weihenmayer:I've had a few perfect runs, but a lot of them are just reacting and responding to chaos. Instead of talking about the psychological stuff behind it, I said, here's what I was thinking, here's how we used it, and here's how we can turn it into success for you. John Foley:Yeah. It doesn't have to be this intense stuff that the three of us are doing. Thank you, Gucci, man. 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. By visiting 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. That's the first part of the question. And just take a breath. Foley eventually got swept up in the dot-com boom, which had spread to Los Angeles from San Francisco. It's not straight and leveled. I've been told, I've heard this lots of times that the human brain cannot multitask. Now you can go straight precision, straight clinical once you're in that moment. I think, at the end of the day, it's all about other people. 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. It doesn't John Foley:Erik, I got to a question for you. What we're talking about, I don't think you can learn from a book. Objective, come at each other at a thousand miles per hour closer. She joins hundreds of other women who have served with the Blue Angels . 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. I keep wanting to back up just a little bit, but I've just got to understand this. That's where I had to make the big leap. Now, it's also, that's the power of being naive too, is that I had no idea what it was going to take. Full stick deflection, roll, ready, hit it, roll. 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. John Foley:Then you reverse engineer why it worked, and then put it in a way that other people can access it. Because I said the same thing. 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? When that canopy came down, I'd be curious to see what you guys use, and you felt the canopy lock. Even if Alabama is a better, let's say team, proven by the earlier performance, the chances of repeating that are so hard at this level. He's one of the Top 10 most sought-after keynote speakers and trainers on leadership, performance, teamwork and trust. John Foley:I think the first part of focus is you got to block out the distractions. Foley has served as an adviser to Fortune 500 corporations, professional athletic teams, venture capital companies, professional associations and educational organizations and successfully connects the high intensity of the Blue Angles with your organization. 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. 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? He says, "You know those orders to the midway? How do you increase that sense of focus? I've recreated my whole career two decades ago. I'm in the jet, my opposing solo's coming at me at a thousand miles per hour closure. 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? There's limiting beliefs and there's liberating beliefs. Then after that, and I would say that's more the touchy feely part. Blue Angels' John "Gucci" Foley. Even like right now, as we're talking, am I thinking about, well, when is this over? Jeff:Okay. $ 21.95. That's the way you find that flow. I think that Georgia has the advantage. You don't start flying 36 inches, 18 inches from another jet. In one way, it's kind of nice. During the 1950s in a small German town, high school Professor Immanuel Rath falls in-love with a young cabaret entertainer, with dramatic consequences. What was that like for you? John Foley Inc. and The Glad To Be Here Foundation asked where $10,000 could help others in a direct and imminent way during the pandemic. I have all this. But I would say first off, Erik, we were making tons of mistakes flying. I'm not going to be distracted by the fight I got with my spouse earlier this morning or about the kids that are waiting there. You bring the best athletes you can, but it's not about an individual. What it really meant at that moment was I'm really appreciative to be part of a team like this. Vintage Pair of Old Foley James Kent White Plate with Red Floral and Bird Pattern 10 Inch Plates. 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. He shows how a culture of thankfulness engages employees on an intellectual and emotional level to create deeper commitment and raise levels of performance. This fosters gratitude and new perspectives to recognize opportunities versus simply focusing on challenges. You surprised me in so many different ways, but I wouldn't imagine that glad to be here, other than just the realization like, holy, man, I lived through some things. What's wrong? $ 30.00. Is that part of the process of being focused? I'm not waiting to see if the boss's airplane moves or not. Ranges are presented as a guideline only. Erik, I've been following so many stages, and JB, I know both of us. Actually, the glad to be here is a proactive way to not only snap you out of that downward spiral. This is really the ethos of what we're talking about. There are few examples where this is more dramatically demonstrated than with the Blue Angels. They just run by so quickly that I'm seeing a continuum. Then the debrief, what you're specifically asking about, which I think is really critical, is we go through stages, right? Jeff:Well, I guess the question I would have is, it's kind of twofold. You're like that. 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. During a typical performance, there are six jets in the air. So, the idea of calling somebody out is not the first stage. You didn't get it for all you know. I could sense the space between my heartbeats. I want to do stuff that I've never done before, and I didn't know how to do it. You get better and you move on and you share that information with somebody else. Now, do I get it perfect? At first, you're like, I wouldn't say you black out, but everything goes by so fast. 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. 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. We learned how to do this without anybody ever teaching it to us. John Foley:Erik, just like you, my dad was the biggest mentor in my life. To me, limiting beliefs are fear based. John Foley:Because you got some off Georgia defensive lineman who got their butt handed to them. The cool part is, what you were just talking about, JB, is I think by going through that discipline way of learning and then being successful at it and not being successful, learning from your failures and then going back in, it's all resiliency. Here's what's interesting. 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. Fearless Success: Beyond High Performance. All right. The first four jets fly in a diamond formation. I don't have those all the time. I know Erik, you don't always see this, okay. His exciting and unusual life journey knows how to inspire and inspire audiences to take action themselves and rethink what they think is possible. The other new members include an events coordinator, a C-130J Super Hercules pilot, an aviation maintenance officer and a flight surgeon . Get the best deals on Staffordshire Old Foley when you shop the largest online selection at eBay.com. John consistently performed in an extreme, high-stakes environment, flying at speeds of more than 500 miles per Most of my flying was the joy of pushing yourself to absolute limits and connecting back to why you're doing that. Guess what? Then you start all over again because you've just raised the game. Right? You're in the zone. 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 Blue Angels travel at speeds between 120 mph and 700 mph. Every nine seconds, so you know when it's fast, when telephone poles go by so quick, it's like you're in a car going a hundred miles an hour looking down at the white dotted line, you've ever done that? Here's the difference. But the point is that-. Well, look at See the sleeve there, glad to be here. Part of it is because I haven't put the work in. He has been a venture capitalist and technology investor for nearly 40 years, co-founding Technology Crossover Ventures and serving as General Partner since June 1995. I mean, that would be the obvious sort of reach on that. 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. We believe that transcendent potential for performance lives withineveryindividual and organization. And it's different. So, I got to go straight Georgia. Generally, how did I feel? Here's what's interesting. Then you actually back out, you stabilize and you come back in. John Foley:Yeah, you got it. So, I like to put a nuance in there, Erik, and that's about being scared. He flew A-4 Skyhawks. That's why this podcast is so important. Gone. To me, that's operating from a fear based mentality, as compared to, wait a minute. If I'm dead, I'm dead. I mean, it's just not meant to be. They're going to be off. So, we have the rotation that's planned. Absolutely. I feel like when I'm in the middle of a code, I pull my heart away. The idea is you got to work way up to it. In the briefing room, you're going through their procedures, very scripted. He shows how to create buy-in and commitment for a teams vision and goals, leading to clarity that drives execution decisions. You're on to a really interesting point. Scared to me means I'm aware, I'm present. Nobody would know that you screwed up.". Erik Weihenmayer:Yeah. You're reacting based on your training. Sorry. Jeff:My cousin wouldn't want to fight you for that one. And we have a framework that we teach about 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. And behind many of those awe-inspiring stunts and scenes was John Foley, Blue Angels pilot, entrepreneur, real estate investor, public speaker, and all-around inspiring human being. The famed Blue Angels regularly take to the skies for maneuvers that bring their jets within mere feet of each other. The Blue Angels announced six new team members overall. "Blue Angels are Navy fighter pilots. To be present with you guys right now. I think you just hit on it. And they've got a great program too. John Foley:No, it's great. It's like the Blue Angels. John Foley:You learn first off, your emergency procedures, you practice on simulators. But again, that was just academics. Join Erik and Jeff for this high energy chat with John Foley. I had trained my own replacement, Thumper, and he was better than I ever was. What's the pluses? That is what's happening to me in the jet. I don't care how bad you want it. 500 mph with former Blue Angels pilot John Foley 00:00 01:06:31 about the episode Happy 2022 everyone. The Blue Angels Motorcycle Club are a one percenter motorcycle club founded in Glasgow, Scotland in 1963.. Now I feel a lot closer to you. If I put the work in and the effort in, I could achieve that. Join Erik & Jeff for this high energy chat with John Foley. What happened after that? I think the hack now is that we're realizing you can get to that flow state through finding that practice and being centered. Erik Weihenmayer:I've been thinking a lot about integration lately as well in that way. Maybe it's a financial challenge, maybe it's a personal challenge, an emotional challenge, and you can feel yourself get tight, right? Number one, Alabama, Nick Saban, that program is probably one of the strongest programs I've ever seen. Do we have the right setup? Erik Weihenmayer:Does the glad to be here, the gratitude somehow abate or change the game on the pressure of high performing people? Nov 3, 2020. 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. He also explains a process that he believes is the primary key to continuous improvement and exceptional growth. I could find out, okay, these are how I prepare and all this, but all it takes me is one minute listening to you, or Erik, and I realize, these guys have done it. What it does is, let's take it as a personal situation. We're talking to each other. #gladtobehere stickers (50/pk) $ 17.99. I remember that. Erik Weihenmayer:It's easy to talk about the successes, but what doesn't get talked about enough is the struggle. Glad To Be Hereoffers apurpose greater than self, which galvanizes people and focuses individuals and teams on WHY they do what they do. I want to go into the entrepreneurial world. 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. You're upside down, you're rolling. John. John Foley:Oh, I like what you're saying, Jeff. See, that's more important to me because I want to know if they're aware. Think about it in your own life. We go around the table and everybody first gets a chance to say that, the general safe. Both maneuvers are now featured in the demonstration that Blue Angels perform today. And you just go, okay, I'm in the zone. 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. John Foley:No, I love it. It can mean so many different things depending on who you ask and what day of the week it is. Erik Weihenmayer:Yeah, so what Analyze me here. How did he get there, what happened after that, what lessons did he learn along the way, and what discoveries he continues to make today? . That's the beautiful part is why we can give back now to so many people. You're flying small prop planes. 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. 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. John Foley:I remember it was something just clicked. I take a break. And what discoveries does he continue to make today? Erik Weihenmayer:Yeah, for sure. Erik Weihenmayer:My hands sweat, my hand shake. They leave the event not only transformed, but also with a set of concrete tools to immediately begin a high performance climb. Jeff:Yeah, but it's also more than just fun. I didn't say that day, I hope to do that. Tax ID Number: 06-1693441. Those are the skills that we can learn. So Nick Saban and Alabama brought me in a few years ago. There's a lot of good in that person, in this situation. Erik Weihenmayer:Over time, you talk about focus, right? John Foley:Once you finish this, you actually are going to deploy. All Rights Reserved. Here are the suggestions we received and where we donated (click through to view) . Jeff:Let's back up just again. But my whole point is that I fell into what I do now, which is I went to a seminar on personal growth, and I'm always trying to improve myself. I actually suck at it. Jeff:The difference though is 10,000 hours. I get energy through my fingertips, but I don't get paralyzed by fear by speaking. That's called reactionary. John Foley:And you learn from them. That was the basketball team, not the football team, but it's still the athletic department. Maybe I don't, I don't know, but I pull my heart away and just focus clinically as to what's going on. There's fear out there. Erik Weihenmayer:I lose my sort of my micro coordination. By visiting this website, certain cookies have already been set, which you may delete and block. 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. I'm okay with being scared. I didn't realize what I realize now, how powerful that really was. 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. Erik Weihenmayer:Yeah. Because I'm not trying to teach people to be a Blue Angel pilot. Now everybody and their dead grandma can. What I love about this was you were so real, you were so honest and clear, and you gave people a lot of thoughts and process and mindsets to really bring them to new places of growth. To answer your question, from the ground, we've had spectators, they go, "Looks like you guys aren't even moving." 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. 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?