Michelle ”Mace” Curran on Inspiring Others
02/22/23 • 75 min
Michelle Curran has led an impressive career as a Fighter Pilot during her 13 years in the United States Air Force. From 2019-2021, she flew as the only female pilot for the Air Force Thunderbirds and performed for millions across the country and internationally. Before joining the Thunderbirds, Michelle was a combat-proven fighter pilot completing missions across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. She has a passion for pushing her limits, inspiring others, and changing lives.
As the Lead Solo for the Thunderbirds, Michelle realized the flying was cool, but the best part was inspiring others to overcome their fears and pursue their dreams. Since transitioning out of the military, she has founded her company, Upside Down Dreams, and is committed to empowering men and women of all ages to overcome obstacles and the fear of failure. She has inspired thousands through her passion for breaking barriers and setting the example of what can be accomplished through handwork.
Michelle had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“A big part of what I got to do in that job was inspire people” (6:55).
“Most of my career I didn’t think I was a good enough pilot to fly in that position” (9:30).
“The pandemic acted as a catalyst for me to really reflect on what I wanted” (12:25).
“I miss the really unique perspective you get on the world from a cockpit” (15:15).
“It’s accepted that mistakes are going to happen. You learn from them. You grow from them. It creates the psychological safety where you build that trust” (25:00).
“What you though was a big mistake, to the visual naked eye... you couldn’t tell” (25:40).
“Chair flying is our version of visualization... It’s the only way to get to the level of proficiency that you need” (26:30).
“You want to put in all the preparation you can so you get as close to perfect as possible. You’re striving for perfect. That’s your target. But we would always say we never have a perfect flight” (30:35).
“The whole mission is to recruit, retain, and inspire” (38:20).
“I always enjoyed being creative, and there’s not always a ton of space in the military for creativity” (40:30).
“Having gender diversity on the team 100% was making the Thunderbirds better able to do their overall mission” (42:05).
“There’s some risk that comes to sticking out” (43:20).
“My identity as a young pilot was totally wrapped up in my achievements” (48:20).
“There’s a lot more to a person than just what they accomplish” (49:05).
“My biggest fear was failure for the longest time” (49:15).
“Society really condemns quitters” (58:00).
“Something you thought would be the ultimate outcome might not take shape like you imagined” (58:30).
“Quitting that opened up space for all of these other amazing things that ended up being much more fulfilling and much more of a better fit that would have never been options had I not quit” (59:50).
Additionally, you can check out Michelle’s website here. I’d also encourage you to connect with her on Instagram and LinkedIn. Lastly, you can pre-order Michelle’s children’s book, Upside Down Dreams, here.
Thank you so much to Michelle for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Michelle Curran has led an impressive career as a Fighter Pilot during her 13 years in the United States Air Force. From 2019-2021, she flew as the only female pilot for the Air Force Thunderbirds and performed for millions across the country and internationally. Before joining the Thunderbirds, Michelle was a combat-proven fighter pilot completing missions across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. She has a passion for pushing her limits, inspiring others, and changing lives.
As the Lead Solo for the Thunderbirds, Michelle realized the flying was cool, but the best part was inspiring others to overcome their fears and pursue their dreams. Since transitioning out of the military, she has founded her company, Upside Down Dreams, and is committed to empowering men and women of all ages to overcome obstacles and the fear of failure. She has inspired thousands through her passion for breaking barriers and setting the example of what can be accomplished through handwork.
Michelle had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“A big part of what I got to do in that job was inspire people” (6:55).
“Most of my career I didn’t think I was a good enough pilot to fly in that position” (9:30).
“The pandemic acted as a catalyst for me to really reflect on what I wanted” (12:25).
“I miss the really unique perspective you get on the world from a cockpit” (15:15).
“It’s accepted that mistakes are going to happen. You learn from them. You grow from them. It creates the psychological safety where you build that trust” (25:00).
“What you though was a big mistake, to the visual naked eye... you couldn’t tell” (25:40).
“Chair flying is our version of visualization... It’s the only way to get to the level of proficiency that you need” (26:30).
“You want to put in all the preparation you can so you get as close to perfect as possible. You’re striving for perfect. That’s your target. But we would always say we never have a perfect flight” (30:35).
“The whole mission is to recruit, retain, and inspire” (38:20).
“I always enjoyed being creative, and there’s not always a ton of space in the military for creativity” (40:30).
“Having gender diversity on the team 100% was making the Thunderbirds better able to do their overall mission” (42:05).
“There’s some risk that comes to sticking out” (43:20).
“My identity as a young pilot was totally wrapped up in my achievements” (48:20).
“There’s a lot more to a person than just what they accomplish” (49:05).
“My biggest fear was failure for the longest time” (49:15).
“Society really condemns quitters” (58:00).
“Something you thought would be the ultimate outcome might not take shape like you imagined” (58:30).
“Quitting that opened up space for all of these other amazing things that ended up being much more fulfilling and much more of a better fit that would have never been options had I not quit” (59:50).
Additionally, you can check out Michelle’s website here. I’d also encourage you to connect with her on Instagram and LinkedIn. Lastly, you can pre-order Michelle’s children’s book, Upside Down Dreams, here.
Thank you so much to Michelle for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.
Thanks for listening.
Previous Episode
Clint Hurdle on Leading with Love
Clint Hurdle has been involved with professional baseball for a long time. He played in the league for 10 years, where he played for the Kansas City Royals, the Cincinnati Reds, the New York Mets, and the St. Louis Cardinals. And yet, in this conversation, we don’t even discuss his playing career. Instead, we focus more on what life was like for him as a manager. Clint was the manager of the Colorado Rockies from 2002-2009, where he helped them go to the World Series, and then he went to the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he helped them go to 3 straight playoff appearances from 2013-2015. He was with the Pirates from 2011-2019.
In this conversation, we talk about transitions, and what it was like for him to go from the Rockies to the Pirates. We talk about what it’s like to be fired. We talk about divorce and his personal life. We talk about trials and tribulations. All along the way, it will become apparent to you that Clint loves to love. He loves to lead, and he loves to lead with love in mind. He considers himself to be a transformational leader. He builds his managerial process and philosophy around leading with relationships in mind, and it’s really at the core of his essence and his being. Clint also is humble enough to talk about some of his imperfections and some of the mistakes that he’s made along the way. You’re going to find Clint to be authentic, and genuine, to be someone you want to sit down next to and just have a conversation with. At the end of this conversation, I hope you have a better sense of who you are and how you might be able to lead with love going forward.
Clint had a number of incredible insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“There’s a time to learn and there’s a time to manage” (5:55).
“When I got to the park, that’s when it was time to learn” (6:50).
“Once the game started, I would implore my players to go play. That’s why they call it a game” (7:50).
“You prioritize before, you prepare before, and once you get to the game, it’s time for me to play. It’s time for me to step back. Watch. Observe.” (8:15).
“I was always infatuated with learning” (10:35).
“To hold onto anything purely for the sake of tradition probably isn’t the smartest move you can make” (12:10).
“Tradition can be a vision killer” (12:20).
“Once we’ve made a tactical error, more often than not we overcorrect” (14:30).
“The definition of a coach is to get the player better” (16:00).
“When you can let people know that you love them unconditionally, you don’t want anything from it, it’s not transactional, it’s transformational, there’s no telling where that relationship can go” (21:05).
“How do you earn trust? You show people that you’re there for them” (21:30).
“There’s winning, and there’s learning. You only lose when you don’t learn” (28:45).
“Play with emotion, don’t play emotionally” (30:00).
“We can’t always dictate the circumstances. We always have the opportunity to have ownership of our reactions to the circumstances” (30:20).
“There’s times when you need to be a thermometer and just report the temperature, and there’s times when you need to be a thermostat and set the climate” (32:30).
“I establish priorities and I set boundaries” (40:45).
“Perception is important” (42:50).
“How boring would it be to have ten of me on a staff?” (44:00).
“When it all becomes about the ring, it doesn’t work well for me” (45:50).
“I’m a man of addictions. I have to set boundaries” (50:00).
“Other than a dugout, an AA meeting is the most comfortable place I go” (53:05).
“Be where your feet are” (55:10).
“When you’re home, be home” (55:25).
“You’re never as good as you think you are, you’re never as bad as you think you are” (1:00:40).
Additionally, you can check out Clint’s website and sign up for his devotionals here. You can also learn more about Bat Around here. Lastly, you can search Prader-Willi syndrome if that is something you’d be interested in learning more about.
Thank you so much to Clint for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked t...
Next Episode
Lauren Fleshman on Good For a Girl
Lauren Fleshman is best known for running fast. But she’s also an entrepreneur, coach, teacher, facilitator, and a heck of a writer. She has an amazing blog which has gained a lot of traction and popularity over the years, and she’s just finished her book, Good for a Girl. That book is really at the core and the center of today’s conversation. In the middle of our conversation today, I actually introduce her bio to her because I was curious to get her perspective on it.
If you’re in the running community, you’re probably familiar with Lauren’s work. She’s one of the most decorated American distance runners of all time. She also is a brand strategy advisory for Oiselle, which is a fitness apparel company for women. She was sponsored by Nike for many years, which she talks about at length in the book. She’s also the co-founder (with her husband) of Picky Bars, which is a natural food company. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, Runner’s World, and many other places. She currently lives in Bend, Oregon and is a mother. She is someone who has multiple identities, like many of us. And yet, a lot of her life has been focused on her identity as a runner.
This is a wide-ranging conversation that gets into mental health, depression, suicidal thoughts, and more. It’s a heavy conversation, but you’ll find Lauren to be engaging, open, vulnerable, and someone that I am grateful that I got to learn with.
Lauren had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:
“The price that you have to pay to make it work for you can sometimes be a very high cost” (7:00).
“Even though I was winning in that system, it made me uncomfortable that so many people in that system were losing and experiencing harm” (7:15).
“I don’t assume that things are the way they are for any good reason” (7:30).
“Brilliant perspectives can come from outside the scientific community” (7:50).
“A lot of the contributions of women in society [are invisible]” (9:00).
“There are ways to be successful that minimize harm” (15:25).
“It’s okay to want to succeed. It’s not okay to put the blinders on and not look at the harm caused” (15:35).
“Being on the same team is how you survive” (19:10).
“I want to make something useful out of things I’ve learned that could be picked up by other people and create shifts inside them” (21:10).
“I never underestimate the power of a subtle shift in someone” (21:20).
“You write for the reader and you write for yourself” (22:20).
“Move your body no matter what, and lower the bar of what that means, when you’re having a bad time” (34:30).
“Make sure you have people who are available to you who you can be vulnerable with” (34:50).
“It’s a hard time to start being vulnerable with someone when you’re feeling super blue. Let people in” (35:10).
“Accept that {anxiety} is part of hard things” (37:10).
“Lower the stakes. It’s a game” (38:45).
“Our ignorance is so collectively great on the female athlete experience, the female body experience, that we are making young people make conclusions about their future in sport or what they’re capable of based on a very short window of their life when their body is changing, and we’re making them afraid of those changes” (43:30).
“I’m a very present-focused person” (54:15).
“I think [loyalty] is overrated” (55:55).
“Agitation is the opposite of calmness” (1:00:00).
“Mantras were a way to ground myself in running with predetermined sayings and sentences” (1:00:20).
“People call it a mid-life crisis. I call it a mid-life opportunity” (1:07:30).
“We’ve got to show our mistakes and our vulnerability in order to encourage other people to look at their own” (1:10:50).
Additionally, you can check out Lauren’s website here. You can also follow Lauren on Instagram.
Thank you so much to Lauren for coming on the podcast!
I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @
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