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.

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