The Professionals Playbook

My guest today is Drue Kataoka who has built the top art studio in Silicon Valley, and did it entirely outside the gallery system. Her studio serves top art collectors in 4 continents and over 30 countries. Her art was used for the first zero gravity art exhibit in space at the International Space Station. She was also selected as a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader & Cultural Leader. 

In our conversation we talk about how art can be a catalyst for creativity in other professions, how creativity is like a muscle that you have to train, and the future of art in virtual and augmented reality. Below are the show notes and associated time stamps: 

• How art fosters creativity (minute 03:20)
• Art vs. science (08:45)
• Art vs. technology (15:00)
• Building a business around art (21:45)
• The commission model (25:30)
• Her art (28:30)
• First art exhibit in space (32:00)
• Virtual reality art (40:00)
• Grit in art (47:30)
• Influence of Japan (55:30)
• Her principles (1:01:30)

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LinkedIn-- Justin 'Hasard' Lee
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This episode was edited by Trevor Cabler

You can review the show by tapping here and scrolling to the bottom where it says: "Write a Review." Thanks for the support 👊

My guest today is George Whitesides, who is the CEO and President of Virgin Galactic, the spaceflight company founded by Sir Richard Branson. With Scaled Composites, the company has developed the WhiteKnightTwo and SpaceShipTwo vehicles, based on the X Prize-winning SpaceShipOne. In his role, he is responsible for guiding all aspects of the company to commercial operation at Spaceport America.

Prior to Virgin Galactic, he served as Chief of Staff for NASA. Upon departure from the agency he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, the highest award the agency confers. He is also a fellow of the UK’s Royal Aeronautical Society.

In our conversation we talk about the strengths and weaknesses of NASA, how space exploration is like aviation 100 years ago, and what the future of Virgin Galactic looks like. Below are the show notes and associated time stamps: 

• Background (minute 02:40)
• Strengths and weaknesses of NASA (06:45)
• Working with Richard Branson (10:45)
• Leadership (15:00)
• How they're getting to space (19:00)
• Training (24:00)
• How space will change our culture (25:00)
• Lots of technical questions... (27:00)
• Next 5-10 years for VG (37:15)
• Aviation 100 years ago (39:15)
• SpaceX and Blue Origin (43:30)

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This episode was edited by Trevor Cabler

If you'd like to help out, you can review the show by tapping here and scrolling to the bottom where it says: "Write a Review." Thanks for the support 👊

My guest today is Jason Ramos, a firefighter currently in his 30th season. He spent over half that time as an air-delivered firefighter. Known as Smokejumpers, these professionals are highly trained and specialized firefighters who can parachute or rappel into a forest fire. They work independently in some of the most difficult terrain imaginable. Jason has over 270 jumps into fires and has also written the leading book on the profession titled "Smokejumper." 

In our conversation we talk about what it's like to be in one of these infernos, the traits required of a smokejumper, and dive into some of the tactics and equipment used to put out forest fires. Below are the show notes with the associated time stamps:

• Being in a forest fire (minute 03:00)
• History of smoke jumping (09:00)
• Selection process (12:30)
• First fire he jumped into (23:30)
• How to kill a fire (28:00)
• Mission planning (34:30)
• Gear (44:30)
• Biggest lessons to pass on (49:00)
• Projects working on now (54:00)

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I've also started a monthly newsletter where I send out a few useful or insightful things that have helped me over the last month. You can sign up by clicking here.

LinkedIn-- @justinfighterpilot
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Facebook--@justinfighterpilot

This episode was edited by Trevor Cabler

If you'd like to help out, you can review the show by tapping here and scrolling to the bottom where it says: "Write a Review." Thanks for the support 👊

Thanks for the support. It's been 1 year since I started the podcast. Today I'm answering your questions. Below are the top questions along with the timestamps.

• What career would I have gone in if flying didn't work out (min 00:30)
• How to do well in pilot training (02:30)
• Failures in my life (09:30)
• How to prep before college (11:00)
• Bad habits in flight training (12:30)
• Advice for check rides (min 14:00) 
• Why I started the podcast (15:30)
• How to debrief (18:00)
• F-35 vs F-16 aircraft (23:45) and (51:30)
• How to become a pilot (27:45)
• Getting selected for fighters (33:00)
• Fighter pilot culture (37:30) and (49:45)
• Enlisted (39:00)
• Top Gun (40:30)
• Medical DQ (41:45)
• Tips for general aviation pilots (43:45)
• My future career (48:00)
• Favorite military experience (52:00)
• Succeeding at USAFA (54:00)
• Physical and mental training (55:30)

Make sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode

I've also started a monthly newsletter where I send out a few useful or insightful things that have helped me over the last month. You can sign up by clicking here or going to:
https://www.professionalsplaybook.com/newsletter

Instagram-- @justinfighterpilot
LinkedIn-- Justin Lee
Facebook--@justinfighterpilot

If you got value from this episode, please give the show a review by tapping here and scrolling to the bottom where it says: "Write a Review." Thanks for the support 👊

My guest today is former US Naval Fighter Pilot, Charlie Plumb. After graduating from the Naval Academy, he completed flight training and reported to Miramar Air Station in San Diego where he flew the first adversarial flights in the development of “TOP GUN.” He then deployed to Vietnam and flew 74 successful combat missions and made over 100 carrier landings.

On his 75th mission, just five days before the end of his tour, he was shot down over Hanoi, taken prisoner, tortured, and spent the next 2,103 days in an 8-by-8 foot cell as a Prisoner Of War. 

Following his repatriation, he continued his flying career, retiring from the Navy after 28 years of service.

In our conversation, we talk about what it was like flying the top jet of the era, the missions he flew over Vietnam, and how he kept hope throughout his nearly 6 years as a POW. Below are the show notes with associated time stamps:

• His passion for flying  (min. 02:30)
• His first jet out of pilot training (03:30)
• Probability of Kill (PK) missiles (06:00)
• Showing up to Vietnam (07:30)
• First mission (09:30)
• Jumped by 3 enemy fighters (12:30)
• Surface to Air Missiles (19:45)
• Being shot down (26:00)
• Hanoi Hilton (32:30)
• Time in Captivity (34:00)
• Keeping hope (39:40)
• Torture (44:00)
• Keeping mentally and physically fit (45:30)
• Coming home (48:30)
• Inspiring others (54:30)

Make sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode

I've also started a monthly newsletter where I send out a few useful or insightful things that have helped me over the last month. You can sign up by clicking here or going to:
https://www.professionalsplaybook.com/newsletter

Instagram-- @justinfighterpilot
LinkedIn-- Justin Lee
Facebook--@justinfighterpilot

This episode was edited by Trevor Cabler

If you got value from this episode, please give the show a review by tapping here and scrolling to the bottom where it says: "Write a Review." Thanks for the support 👊

My guest today is Dr. Daniel Kraft, a Stanford and Harvard trained physician-scientist, inventor, entrepreneur, and innovator. He has over 25 years of experience in clinical practice, biomedical research and healthcare innovation. He is founder and chair of Exponential Medicine, a program that explores convergent, rapidly developing technologies and their potential in biomedicine and healthcare. 

He has multiple scientific publications and medical patents and is often called to speak to the future of health, medicine, and technology and has given 5 TED and TEDMED Talks.

Daniel recently founded IntelliMedicine, focused on personalized, data driven, precision medicine.

He is an avid pilot and has served in the Air National Guard as a flight surgeon with squadrons flying the F-15 & F-16. His research on aerospace medicine has been published with NASA. He is also an Adviser to the XPRIZE Foundation. 

In our conversation, we talk about the challenges of turning an idea into reality, the similarities between medicine and aviation, and how to live a longer healthier life. Below are the show notes.

• Career evolution (min. 02:45)
• Aviation vs medicine (min. 06:00)
• Medical simulators (min. 08:30)
• Stanford pager story (min. 12:00)
• How flying is transformational (min. 14:00)
• Yelp for doctors (min. 17:00)
• Turning an idea into a reality (min. 17:45)
• How he learns (min. 24:00)
• How to perform at a high level (min. 24:45)
• How to increase longevity (min. 29:00)
• Things to help kids develop better (min. 35:45)
• Future of medicine (min. 40:00)
• Flying conversation (min. 50:00)
• Social media info (min. 53:00)

Make sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode

I've also started a monthly newsletter where I send out a few useful or insightful things that have helped me over the last month. You can sign up by clicking here or going to:
https://www.professionalsplaybook.com/newsletter

Instagram-- @justinfighterpilot
LinkedIn-- Justin Lee
Facebook--@justinfighterpilot

This episode was edited by Trevor Cabler

If you got value from this episode, please give the show a review by tapping here and scrolling to the bottom where it says: "Write a Review." Thanks for the support 👊

My guest today is Major General (Ret.) Brett Williams. He is a command pilot with over 3,700 hours and 100 combat missions in the F-15C Eagle. He was also the Commander for the Air Force's largest combat wing. In his final active duty assignment, General Williams was the Director of Operations for U.S. Cyber Command where he was responsible for planning and executing both defensive and offensive cyberspace operations. He is a leading authority on cyber security and is now the COO of IronNet, a company that leverages AI and machine learning to protect nations and companies against advanced threats. 

In our conversation, General Williams talks about leading an 8-ship of Eagles on day 1 of Desert Storm, his leadership philosophy, and the top things to protect yourself from a cyber attack. His discussion on leadership is one of the best I've heard.

• Top lessons learned as a fighter pilot (min. 03:00)
• Flying on Day 1 of Desert Storm (min. 11:00)
• Leadership philosophy (min. 17:30)
• Habits/ routines for performing at a high level (min. 34:00)
• Moving to Cyber Command (min. 39:00)
• Current landscape of cyber (min. 48:00)
• Social media aspect of cyber (min. 34:00)
• IronNet (55:00)
• Projects working on (56:30)
• Social media info (58:45)

Make sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode

I've also started a monthly newsletter where I send out a few useful or insightful things that have helped me over the last month. You can sign up by clicking here or going to:
https://www.professionalsplaybook.com/newsletter

Instagram-- @justinfighterpilot
LinkedIn-- Justin Lee
Facebook--@justinfighterpilot

This episode was edited by Trevor Cabler

If you got value from this episode, please give the show a review by tapping here and scrolling to the bottom where it says: "Write a Review." Thanks for the support 👊

My guest today is Dr. Meenakshi Wadhwa, a world-class planetary scientist and currently the Director of the School of Earth and Space Exploration at ASU. She is a cosmic CSI detective investigating the origins of our solar system, primarily through meteorites. 

She has been involved in a number of NASA planetary science missions, including Co-Investigator on the Genesis mission and as Collaborator on the Mars Science Laboratory mission.

She was also a member of the Planetary Protection Subcommittee (PPS) and was Chair of the NASA Curation and Analysis Planning Team for Extra-terrestrial Materials. Here's a brief highlight from our conversation today.

Meenakshi is a great teacher, especially with a complex subject like the origin of our universe. I also had a chance to interview her husband, former NASA astronaut Scott Parazynski, so make sure to listen to that episode after this one.  In our conversation, Meenakshi and I talk about how meteorites hold the secret to the formation of our solar system, whether she thinks we'll discover life outside of the earth, and some of the obstacles she's had to overcome in her career. Below are the show notes with associated timestamps:

• Meteorites (min. 03:00)
• Story from expedition (min. 07:00)
• How earth formed (min. 11:00)
• How we date the solar system (min. 14:30) 
• Upcoming missions (min. 22:00)
• Robots vs. people from a science perspective (min. 24:30)
• Exoplanets (min. 29:00)
• Where passion came from (min. 32:30)
• Obstacles she's overcome (min. 38:00)
• Traits she looks for in students (min. 39:40)
• How she met Astronaut Scott Parazynski (min. 44:30)
• Projects she's working on (min. 48:45)

Make sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode

I've also started a monthly newsletter where I send out a few useful or insightful things that have helped me over the last month. You can sign up by clicking here or going to:
https://www.professionalsplaybook.com/newsletter

Instagram-- @justinfighterpilot
LinkedIn-- Justin Lee
Facebook--@justinfighterpilot

This episode was edited by Trevor Cabler

If you got value from this episode, please give the show a review by tapping here and scrolling to the bottom where it says: "Write a Review." Make sure you use a unique username. Thanks for the support 👊

My guest today is Scott Parazynski, who has traveled 23 million miles over 5 missions to space, including 7 spacewalks. He was inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2016 and is the only person to both fly into space and summit Mount Everest. Dr. Parazynski served as Senator John Glenn’s personal physician during his historic return to space in 1998, and is the recipient of many awards, including five NASA Space Flight Medals, two NASA Distinguished Service Medals, two NASA Exceptional Service Medals, the Aviation Week Laureate Award, and the Antarctica Service Medal.

He is now a tech start-up CEO and inventor, venturing into some of the world’s most extreme environments in the name of exploration and innovation. His company, Fluidity Technology is redefining how we control vehicles, including drones, using technology he used in space. 

In our conversation, we talk about what the violent journey to space is like, his historic mission to repair the Space Station's solar panels, and his techniques for learning a new subject. Make sure to subscribe so you catch next month's episode with Dr. Meenakshi Wadhwa, a world-class planetary scientist who is married to Scott. We dive into the world of space as well as talk about how she and Scott met, which I'm confident is the most unique way that two human beings have run into each other. Below are the show notes with associated timestamps:

• Standing next to a fully fueled Space Shuttle (minute 3:00)
• The violent journey to space (minute 4:00)
• Being John Glenn's personal physician (minute 5:00)
• Moment he's most proud of (minute 15:00)
• Physiology in space (minute 21:00)
• Future space exploration (minute 24:00)
• Growing up in West Africa/ Middle East (minute 30:00)
• Mount Everest (minute 35:00)
• Mastering the skill of learning well (minute 39:00)
• Daily routine (minute 3:00)
• Fluidity Technologies (minute 3:00)

Make sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode

I've also started a monthly newsletter where I send out a few useful or insightful things that have helped me over the last month. You can sign up by clicking here or going to:
https://www.professionalsplaybook.com/newsletter

Instagram-- @justinfighterpilot
Facebook--@justinfighterpilot

This episode was edited by Trevor Cabler

If you got value from this episode, please give the show a review by tapping here and scrolling to the bottom where it says: "Write a Review." Make sure you use a unique username. Thanks for the support 👊

My guest today is Jim Abbott, a pitcher who played for 10 seasons in the Major Leagues. Despite being born with only one hand, he won the James Sullivan Award as the nation's best amateur athlete and then went on to win a gold medal in the Summer Olympics. He is one of only 8 players in the last 40 years to skip the minor leagues and make his debut in the Majors. His successful career is highlighted by a no-hitter he thew as a member of the New York Yankees. 

Jim is a trailblazer who inspired me going up. In our conversation he talks about the electric feeling of taking a no-hitter into the 9th inning, his mental training, how he de-briefed his outings, and more. Note: the audio has some issues the first 10 minutes, but smoothes out after. Below are the show notes with associated timestamps:

• Pitching a No-Hitter--thinking and feeling throughout (min. 03:30)
• No mold to follow--did that empower or intimidate? (min. 10:30)
• Mindset growing up (min. 15:00)
• A moment that altered the trajectory of his life (min. 19:30)
• Winning a gold medal in the 1988 Summer Olympics (min. 25:30)
• Skipping the minor leagues (min. 28:30)
• His motivation (min. 31:15)
• Techniques to perform your best (min. 32:30)
• Mental Preparation (min. 34:00)
• The baseball debrief (min. 37:00)
• Biggest lesson for the next generation (min. 47:30)

Make sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode

I've also started a monthly newsletter where I send out a few useful or insightful things that have helped me over the last month. You can sign up by clicking here or going to:
https://www.professionalsplaybook.com/newsletter

Instagram-- @justinfighterpilot
Facebook--@justinfighterpilot

This episode was edited by Trevor Cabler

If you got value from this episode, please give the show a review by tapping here and scrolling to the bottom where it says: "Write a Review." Make sure you use a unique username. Thanks for the support 👊