Our culture repeatedly tells us that the goal is to be the best, and to be the best you need talent or perseverance... but this message could be misleading. What if success isn't found in being the best but in becoming the best? What if becoming the best led to talent, perseverance, and hope instead of the other way around?

In this first episode of 2021, Sylvia talks with Alaska native and speaker Shannon Huffman Polson about her journey as a thought leader on grit and resilience. She served as one of the first women to fly the Apache helicopter in the US Army and earned her MBA at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth before writing The Grit Factor: Courage, Resilience, and Leadership in the Most Male-Dominated Organization in the World and founding The Grit Institute where she coaches people on developing grit in careers and workplaces.

Sylvia talks with pilot, visionary and strategist Ivy McIver, the Director of the SR Product Line at Cirrus Aircraft. Ivy talks about parachutes in airplanes, where planes can go and how they can change your life, why training is so critical, the importance of collaboration in the design process and bringing outrageous innovations to market. They also dig into the psychology of endurance multi-sports and how lessons learned from extreme physical challenges can be applied in other areas of life.

This week we talk to Shaesta Waiz, the first certified civilian female pilot from Afghanistan who's global flight earned her a record the youngest woman to fly solo around the world in a single engine aircraft. Shaesta has a burning desire to help others like her – underserved as a youth - to work hard, never give up and follow their dreams. As an Earthrounder, Shaesta's story is layered with grit and determination alongside a deep desire to serve.

When Mandy first became interested in becoming a fast jet pilot in the Royal Air Force, women were not permitted to fly in the military. In this episode, you will hear Sylvia and Mandy talk about the early influences that led to her career in aviation, building mental resilience, deciphering between when to be a leader and when to be a team player, training versus being in combat, transitioning to motherhood, and so much more.

In this episode, Sylvia shares what it was like growing up in the Midwest. She shares how the seed was planted early in her life to eventually live in a French-speaking country, what it was like traveling abroad with her husband and three kids, how becoming a mother changed her approach to flying, and more.

In this conversation between two female pilots, Sylvia and Amelia Rose Earhart discuss what it means to embody a role model, setting boundaries, Amelia’s around-the-world flight, how to overcome challenges in personal and professional settings, and so much more.

Being born without arms has not deterred Jessica Cox from being an ambitious dream chaser. In this episode, Sylvia is joined by Jessica to discuss the remarkable life she's created for herself as a pilot, martial artist, athlete, and keynote speaker. Jessica shares with listeners how we can dig deep and cultivate the resiliency needed to overcome life's greatest challenges.

Dawn Cook was introduced to the world of flight by her mother, a flight attendant. Dawn's path to becoming a pilot was not easy. As a double minority starting her career in the era of 9/11, Dawn had to battle the odds and fight for what she believed in every step of the way. In this episode, Sylvia and Dawn discuss Dawn’s journey, the role of mentorship for women, starting F.A.S.T. (Female Aviators Sticking Together) and more.