Scared to me means I'm aware, I'm present. I know why it works and that allows you to do the how. My big change came from leaving the Navy. I get it. It's moving away from you. To me, that's a feeling statement. Erik Weihenmayer:That's part, back to the gratitude thing, because you were grateful to be there and growing with this person. During a typical performance, there are six jets in the air. It was an emotional click that said, I'm going to do that now. John Foley:Thumper and I, two opposing solos. John Foley:I mean, that's what saying. I keep wanting to back up just a little bit, but I've just got to understand this. I think, when I joined the team, and at the end of your comments, everybody said, "Glad to be here." 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. Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing, This website requires certain cookies to work and uses other cookies to help you have the best experience. So, you have to do well in your landing grades. I was doing it before them. You've really tapped into it, and I think this is good news for everybody, right? 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. 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 took me 18 years, and I did. I think you just hit on it. His passion and. The Blue Angels announced six new team members overall. 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. No Barriers is a registered 501(c)3 Non-Profit Guidestar Platinum Rating 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? So, here's the Gucci feel. And then I execute on that, Gucci's clear, Thumper's clear, and then guess what happens? Jeff:You can say I'm grateful for coffee, and then you immediately go like start the coffee maker. It's like, oh my God, this person's mad at me. "Blue Angels are Navy fighter pilots. 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. 18 seconds, it takes nine seconds for the hit to happen, and then we have a clear for nine seconds. The Blue Angels Foundation's mission is to support wounded veterans and provide a path of transition back to the . So, the idea of calling somebody out is not the first stage. John Foley:Just brought tears to my eyes. . He flew A-4 Skyhawks. John Foley:Well, guys, I want to say the honor's mine, and the thanks are for you. 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. 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. For nearly 20 years, I was a commander in the US Navy and became Lead Solo Pilot for the Blue Angels. 0:00. Tax ID Number: 06-1693441. John Foley:Once you learn how to do it, it's easy. I think you've had to have lived something at the nuance level to really be able to teach it at the highest levels. In one way, it's kind of nice. Erik Weihenmayer:And does that lead sometimes to reaching out to a friend or something like that, somebody who you know is hurting or struggling or just needs you? Join Erik and Jeff for this high energy chat with John Foley. I was expecting it. March 18 to 19: Naval Air Station Point Mugu, California. Does the gratitude negate that or overtake that in some way? John Foley:Well, I was the second one. I'm okay with being scared. You bring the best athletes you can, but it's not about an individual. 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. As long as I'm staying within those parameters, and then I'm in parameters, I'm moving around, but you just can't tell. Do you sort of put a flavor of that pocket into your personal practice as well as the way you teach it? 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. Because I'd love to swap some stories with you. John Foley:Erik, just like you, my dad was the biggest mentor in my life. Do we have the right setup? We're talking to each other. Never will because of the nuances in it. I have to come up on the radio, and I got to say six is clear. A total of 16 officers voluntarily serve with the Blue Angels. We started with this, what I call general safe. Ending Tuesday at 3:15PM PST 1d 19h. I'm grateful to be healthy. No, here's the challenge I have. There's limiting beliefs and there's liberating beliefs. John Foley:Yeah. John Foley:Yeah. I think we're getting to the essence again, of what we do and why we do it. Those are much more take the who out of it, be very of what happened, where were the decision points? Jeff:You're welcome for all that work I've done with you. I said, I don't need to be an airline pilot. By visiting this website, certain cookies have already been set, which you may delete and block. We're doing a mile every nine seconds. Coming out of the new Top Gun; Maverick movie and I'm emotionally moved. I really do. 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. Now I love my dad. John Foley:I think that's important in anything we're learning. BLUe aNGeLS John Foley "G lad to Be Here." those four words meant something very special to me when I was a Blue angel. That was always my dream as a little boy. Then you climb into the, we call it a water wagon, but you climb into the vehicle that's going to take you out to the jet. And then you're going to be the best of the best. To survive in those circumstances he relied on a culture of high trust, leadership and teamwork. But that's exactly right, Erik. Right. To date, TCV has raised more than $15 billion in capital and emerged as a leading provider of growth capital to technology companies. All of a sudden, the light bulb went off. Then you start landing jets on aircraft carriers. You know what I mean? The Blue Angels have the unique ability to highlight the importance of naval aviation while honoring its historical significance. Oh, it's simple for me. I actually think most of my flying was emotional. I take a break. Not just my head. 301, taxi you over to the six pack, shut it down. . Because they probably know it anyhow. John Foley:Now, having said that, I still get out and do it. 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. That's what it meant while I was a Blue Angel. The bottom line is I knew how it worked, I knew how to do it, but I didn't know why it worked now. 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. . I never met him, but he was a huge mentor. 01:18:45. Maybe it's a deliverable on work. Copyright 2023 Collaborative Agency Group, John Foley | Performance and Leadership Keynote Speaker - Collaborative Agency Group, John Foley | Performance Beyond Blue Angels Keynote - Collaborative Agency Group, JOHN FOLEY| Teamwork Speaker - Collaborative Agency Group. All Rights Reserved BNP Media. Nick Saban brought me in to speak to Alabama a few years ago, and we won the championship that year, so stand by. They don't know when their last game's going to be. Be sure to subscribe so you dont miss a single episode of this free, educational and uplifting podcast. John Foley:I know how to do that. Block out your own mind. You can actually smell the smoke oil in the air. We proudly represent the heritage, agility, flexibility, and. I don't know the business side. Well, I got to go here because it's just a thought that's on my mind. Research shows that teams and individuals that embrace a positive mindset as a core belief improve communication, inspire commitment and buy-in to group objectives. this website. When you were going through that process, John's like 12 years old and he's committed, I'm going to be a pilot, and all Now you're going to be the best pilot, you're going to be this best pilot. Then I realized I had the wrong order. You know it, every kid does it better than us. His charismatic and enthusiastic presentations stimulate audiences emotionally and intellectually with a whole new perspective on their ability to excel. For me, I do it with video. JB, you're exactly right. John Foley draws upon his experience as Lead Solo of the Blue Angels . Let's see what you got. Maybe he didn't understand he was out of parameter, right? John Foley:No, actually, Erik, it's just the opposite. Here's the difference. John Foley:Once you finish this, you actually are going to deploy. John Foley:Yeah. He says, "You know those orders to the midway? And I'm going to say, wow, that was a really awesome conversation. It starts with the "Glad to Be Here" mind-set, which underpins the Diamond Performance Framework. I think that's, what's going to happen with Georgia tonight, and I think you and I are going to be prognosticators, extraordinaire here in few weeks when this thing airs, because Georgia's going to suck them, get them dogs going. Jeff:Yeah. I had trained my own replacement, Thumper, and he was better than I ever was. When you're riding your motorcycle or when you're dropping in on a steep cliff, that's the pocket. The first four jets fly in a diamond formation. You don't start flying 36 inches, 18 inches from another jet. Lt. Amanda Lee has made history as the first woman to serve as a demonstration pilot in the Blue Angels. The Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron today announced their schedule for the 2005 show season. I'll just be very too transparent as I'm closing here. They just run by so quickly that I'm seeing a continuum. So, I went heli-skiing yesterday. 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. I want to go into the entrepreneurial world. Jeff:Okay. I think about you guys, when you decided, I want to climb, something clicked in my heart. 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. Here's what's interesting. All right. Gone. I'm with you a hundred percent. I'm not doing it as a career. Every morning, I wake up, I've trained my brain to wake up happy. I think that's what's unique about the Blue Angels and why it's such a great metaphor for a company and a high performance team is we do this every year with new people. Join Erik & Jeff for this high energy chat with John Foley. That was the basketball team, not the football team, but it's still the athletic department. Some days you're just glad to be alive, but rarely, it meant that. One of them was my commanding officer on the carrier air group commander, called a carrier group commander, a CAG. In Good Condition. Special thanks to The Dan Ryan Band for our intro song, Guidance. But you put in like 200 hours, not 10,000 hours. Vintage Pair of Old Foley James Kent White Plate with Red Floral and Bird Pattern 10 Inch Plates. I'm going to guess ask, were you doing breathwork and meditation when you were with the Blue Angels or is this-. 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. This fosters gratitude and new perspectives to recognize opportunities versus simply focusing on challenges. 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. And just take a breath. 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. His message and personal stories, delivered with his trademark enthusiasm and charisma, emphasizes principles of trust, alignment, clarity and commitment, positioning individuals and teams to achieve and sustain higher levels of excellence than they ever dreamed possible. Anyhow, the bottom line is, to answer your question, JB, is I've been doing decent. I think, at the end of the day, it's all about other people. Okay? It was really awesome. Can you tell yourself, okay, I've got something very challenging to do. What we're talking about, I don't think you can learn from a book. You're not doing this. If I were to move that far and did not clear the formation, that's a safety. Motivational Speaker, Business Speakers, Keynote Speakers. Fearless Success: Beyond High Performance. I mean, it's just not meant to be. At some point, you've got to snap out of that and snap into pure focus. They're not going to be the Blue Angel necessarily, right? Not, you were off by one degree or 0.1 degree. John Foley:But what hits me is, oh, okay, well, do I have the right personnel behind it? That's just a one sentence. The momentous visit served as a way to ease tensions between the once Cold War rivals. I didn't realize what I realize now, how powerful that really was. It's hard enough, as you know, to win a championship, it's even harder to repeat. Go join the Air Force. First thing I want to acknowledge is, if I have a fear-based belief, what's that causing me, it's usually stuckness. What does it look like in this environment? 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. Now you have breakthrough performance. Then, what can I find that I can appreciate at that moment? 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. And I love it. Absolutely. 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. What I've learned is, it's like two sides of the same coin, operational excellence, process, briefs, debriefs, preparation, focus, trust, and then you add in this glad to be here mindset. John Foley:Absolutely. I think what we're talking about is you have to reinvent yourself at some right point. Erik Weihenmayer:It's easy to talk about the successes, but what doesn't get talked about enough is the struggle. It's taken on a whole new ethos since then. We all know the science behind appreciation and gratitude, how it changes the way your brain thinks, the neurons fire and all that. John Foley:And you learn from them. If I put the work in and the effort in, I could achieve that. There's a lot of crowds trying to get in there, the parking. Jeff:What's the Gucci over under tonight? I remember, I had to think that night had to do some self-reflection and not get overwhelmed, and just realize, you know what? But I would say first off, Erik, we were making tons of mistakes flying. Generally, how did I feel? 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. That person asked me if I would mind saying some words on stage. It's not happening. John Foley:At some point, you become a Blue Angel, and we take our pilots from the instructor ranks. This boat is moving up and down. I also ran into, in the speaking world, it was so funny, Erik, I went to an event and they were talking about this power of visualization. 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. It's really about overcoming the mental side of the equation. It's what Shakespeare was talking about when he says, to be or not to be. Foley eventually got swept up in the dot-com boom, which had spread to Los Angeles from San Francisco. I think the challenge tonight is that Georgia got their asses handed to them by Alabama, right? Because that's where I'm going to make a mistake, right? They're just small. I go Mo, what did you see? You don't want to take more than a minute. We brief every Monday mornings on the week and stuff. He shares how to center a team around shared goals, strengthen relationships, and create unity that leads to consistent and effective results. It doesn't John Foley:Erik, I got to a question for you. Jeff:That's sweet of you to talk about me like that, bro. Jeff:Like what? It didn't mean I didn't get sidetracked into, hey, I want to play professional football or something like that. I don't need that anymore. This is really the ethos of what we're talking about. I had an entrepreneurial company, and the first one blew up. But we're only moving, hopefully between three and six inches, not feet. Is that what I think the states that we got into, no one taught me how to visualize. Erik Weihenmayer:Jeff, Imma slap you on the back. To be present with you guys right now. And then what happens? Jeff:The difference though is 10,000 hours. 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. 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:Yeah, you got it. 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. You have to be amazing. I feel grateful and a lot of pride for the men and women who are doing that. and cookie policy to learn more about the cookies we use and how we use your The reboot is basically first awareness. You do, in a way, you have to, I don't know, maybe you have to suspend the gushy parts because you've done all that hard work. Erik Weihenmayer:Yeah, for sure. You're flying small prop planes. I could read up on it. Jeff:Wait, are you rolling & talking tonight? Like me, I'm going to be thinking of you guys' faces, I'm going to be thinking about this conversation. 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. First, is just being aware, is am I operating from fear? Local officials had. "Glad to be here isn't something you simply say. And that kind of stuff. You're reacting based on your training. There's a lot of good in that person, in this situation. Jeff:Yeah, or you say, I'm not good enough. 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. You're upside down, you're rolling. Well, absolutely. I had that. They said, generally, here's what I thought about the evolution. So, they've proven that. I don't have those all the time. I'm not a pilot anymore. 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. Are you there in Denver right now, by the way? The departure of Foley, who led the company since its. 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? John Foley:I think the first part of focus is you got to block out the distractions. What's the pluses? 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. Before we flew, we briefed, and after we flew, we debriefed, and that's a whole different emotional and intellectual episode than the actual physical. Jeff:Yeah, but it's also more than just fun. A practical model for living out his message that works in other organizations as well as within the Blue Angels. Antique James Kent "Old Foley" Blue/White Staffordshire Pitcher, England. Let's take that even to the next step for somebody who's perhaps not a climber or an aspiring pilot or an athlete, or in any way, but is someone who gets up, puts their pants on, brushes their teeth, and goes, and knuckles down at work for a 10 hour shift. The team, composed of six Navy and one Marine Corps demonstration pilot, fly Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornets . John Foley:But you get a chance to voice that. John Foley:All of a sudden, telephone poles are going by quickly. You got a chance to let the whole, we call it, lay it on the table, let the whole team know that A, you're number one, aware that you have made a mistake. I used a trigger. John Foley:I just said, holy cow, I can do this because it's a value to others. I was doing the Red Bull thing, how Red Bull created air races. To me, limiting beliefs are fear based. John Foley:I like to put a nuance in there, Erik, and that's about being scared. I do that every morning and only it takes a couple minutes. And not only being with you, but having a chance to connect with your dad at a heart level, that was very powerful. Then you get in the cockpit and you see we're moving like crazy. I get better at focusing my mind, knowing that I'm not perfect. March 25 to 26: Barksdale Air Force Base . 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. What lessons did he learn along the way? Most of my flying was the joy of pushing yourself to absolute limits and connecting back to why you're doing that. So, you can decide if you're going to step up or not. 14K views, 488 likes, 72 loves, 29 comments, 149 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Blue Angels Association: John Foley, #5, USN (Ret.) Erik Weihenmayer:I got my accelerated free fall license as a civilian to skydive. $ 9.99. I'm in my jet training, it's called A-7 Corsairs. I've never given a public speech in that regard before. There's also a link to shoot me an email with any suggestions for the show, or any ideas you've got at all. Like, oh man, you got to get your act together. I mean, athletes don't know that. I mean, you got the energy of the crowd, the noise of the jets going overhead. And it's my new mantra. data. 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. I flew at 500 miles per hour in formations nearly 18" | 18 comments on LinkedIn 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 not waiting to see if the boss's airplane moves or not. It's like, oh, that would be cool, but geez, that's a pipe dream. Play Audio. Not that I was out of parameters that I didn't clear. Print page We've become good friends. Guess what? How do you increase that sense of focus? I land the jet after that and now you-. I've been told, I've heard this lots of times that the human brain cannot multitask. Usually not. It can mean so many different things depending on who you ask and what day of the week it is. By closing this banner, scrolling this page, clicking a link, or continuing to browse this site, you agree to this use. Then he looked at me very clearly and he said, "I'm going to give you one more chance. What was that like for you?