A Real Perspective on Moving, Belonging, and Expat Parenting with Shannon Polson of the Grit Institute
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. We talk a lot about grit, what it is, how it is built and what its soft underbelly looks like.
We get under surface and talk about Shannon’s childhood in Alaska, the challenges and opportunities behind her military career, the tragic loss of her father and stepmother in the Arctic, parenting during COVID, books and much more.
About Shannon
Shannon Huffman Polson is a helicopter pilot, author, scuba diver, mountain climber, keynote speaker, consultant, wife, mother, and much more. Known for being one of the first women to fly the Apache attack helicopter in the Army, she has made a way where there were none time and time again. Her most recent book, The Grit Factor, describes what a woman needs to succeed in a male-dominated world.
After a decade in the armed forces, Shannon graduated from Dartmouth with her MBA. She has since worked as a keynote speaker, lecturer, and consultant for companies like Microsoft and the Guidant Corporation. Her latest adventure includes moving with her husband and two children from Washington state to the mountains of France on her quest to live the richest life possible.
Topics Include
Resetting and refocusing; understanding what you truly want out of life
Growing up in Alaska
Mountain summits, literal and metaphorical
Resilience in the face of adversity
Grit: dogged determination in the face of adverse circumstances
Grit as a character trait that can be developed
Learning to fly helicopters
Tuning out the noise; focusing on your core mission
The grit triad: Commit, Learn, Launch
Post-traumatic growth and grounded optimism
Women in male-dominated industries
Raising gritty kids
Advice: not to listen to the naysayers
Resources Mentioned
Books Mentioned
North of Hope: A Daughter's Arctic Journey,* 2013
*No affiliate links. These are purely books mentioned or recommended in the conversation. No kickbacks received.
Connect with Shannon
Instagram: @aborderlife
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