Unlocking Opportunities: Decoding the Power of Courage and Community

Imagine sitting in the audience of your industry's “Super Bowl” event as an attendee. Now imagine turning to a friend and announcing, “I’m coming back next year to play.”

Sounds bold, right?

Keep reading to see how I harnessed courage to act and relied on a community to help me stretch myself to achieve a bold goal.

Boldness is a Habit. So is Doubt.

I wasn’t always bold.

If you’ve followed me for a while, you know that I overcame opportunity limiting self-doubt to earn my place as an Air Force fighter pilot and the Lead Solo position with the Thunderbirds.

I haven’t always been willing to put myself out there and ask for what I want, but I’ve come to realize that the best things happen when you prioritize action over perfection.

Teaching myself how to replace feelings of doubt with opportunity, opened doors for me.

Using this mindset today continues to open doors.

I am a fighter pilot and a professional speaker. I share stories about my aviation experiences to help to inspire others to boldly pursue their impossible dreams.

Keep reading. I have a secret to share.

The Super Bowl of aviation is the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.

Each year, pilots and aviation enthusiasts converge at a single airfield in Wisconsin to celebrate all things aviation at Oshkosh.

Over 650,000 people attend the event. More than 10,000 aircraft are flown into the event. People stay in 13,000 campsites and local hotels.

This was my second year attending the mother of all airshows. Last year, I attended the event with the Air Force Recruiting team. Proudly wearing my uniform, and sharing stories of my own journey, I helped to inspire the next generation of aviators. It was an honor to do this, but as I got the first Oshkosh experience under my belt, I was already thinking of how I wanted to shape next year’s visit.

My Bold Story: Harnessing Courage and Community

In 2022, I sat in the Oshkosh audience for the WomenVenture keynote and watched Eileen Collins, former NASA astronaut and Space Shuttle Commander, address the crowd.

At that time, I was a new keynote speaker with only a handful of events to my name.

As Eileen concluded her presentation, I whispered to a friend sitting next to me, “I want to give the keynote for this event next year.”

I didn’t know at that point how to make that happen, but through the aviation community I found myself being introduced to the very person who schedules the speaker for that event!

It was very clearly an opportunity where I could have stayed quiet or told her what I do for a living now and that I would love to speak at her event in the future. I chose to be bold and go with the second option. It paid off.

This year, I had the opportunity to inspire future aviators, but in a much different form.

• Over 1000 people attended my keynote talk at WomenVenture.
• Lines of people came to 3 book signings of “Upside Down Dreams.”
• I was honored to join the Women in Combat Panel with some absolute legends in military aviation.
• Former Thunderbird Commander, Richard Spad McSpadden and I co-hosted a panel discussion about our time with the team.

How to Be Bold Without Coming Across Pushy

It isn’t lost on me that the boldness to take any risk can be viewed by some as being pushy. Especially, when we are learning how to throttle boldness with humbleness.

Being bold isn't about overpowering others; it's about confidently expressing your thoughts while maintaining respect and consideration for those around you.

By employing active listening, thoughtful timing, suggestive language, acknowledgment, and openness to feedback, you can strike the right balance and make a positive impact without coming across as pushy.

• Choose the Right Timing:?Timing is crucial when expressing bold ideas. Wait for appropriate moments to share your thoughts, especially in group settings. Avoid interrupting or steamrolling over others. Look for pauses in the conversation or opportunities when your input aligns with the topic being discussed.
• Frame Your Ideas as Suggestions: Present your bold ideas as suggestions rather than mandates. Use phrases like "I'd like to propose," "Have you considered," or "What if we explored," which convey a willingness to collaborate and invite discussion rather than imposing your viewpoint.
• Acknowledge Others' Contributions:?When sharing your bold ideas, recognize and build upon the contributions of others. This demonstrates respect for their input and shows that you're considering a collective effort. Highlighting their perspectives makes it clear that you're not trying to dominate the conversation.
• Be Open to Feedback:?Being bold also means being receptive to others' reactions and feedback. If someone expresses concerns or reservations, listen empathetically and consider their perspective. Engage in a constructive dialogue, showing that you're open to refining your ideas based on input from others.

Over the 5 days I was at AirVenture, I spoke to multiple future clients, introduced myself to a well-known aircraft manufacturer and a tier one watch company who I would like to work with, and asked for a ride in an aircraft I’ve always wanted to fly in.

The results?

• Date holds for 4 speaking events.
• Follow up meetings with the aircraft and the watch company.
• A backseat ride in a MiG-29.

Opportunities like this don’t fall into your lap. I share these not to brag about how successful the week was, but to give you concrete examples of what is possible when you find the courage to put yourself out there and go after what you want… even when you don’t feel ready.

The Oshkosh community is unique to the aviation world. It is attended by legends and enthusiasts alike. I ran into so many old friends and made many new ones. But what really stuck out to me was how many amazing opportunities present themselves if you have the courage to ask for what you want.

It’s very easy to let those moments where you have the chance to seize an opportunity pass you by because you don’t quite feel ready, to let those little whispers of doubt cause you to hesitate right at the key moment. Let this be your newsflash that you will either never feel ready or if you feel fully ready you probably aren’t playing big enough in the things you are going after.

I also can’t discount the power of the community that was willing to support me in making these things happen. There are likely a lot more people eager to help you succeed than you think. You might be surprised who will show up for you if you let your aspirations be known.

Find your community and the courage to be bold and ask for what you want.