Second Acts: How Captain Carole Hopson Found Her ‘One True Thing’
Nov 12, 2024
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Carole Hopson, a United Airlines Boeing 737 captain and author of ‘A Pair of Wings,’ shares her inspiring transition from a corporate career to aviation. She reflects on overcoming challenges and emphasizes the importance of pursuing your dreams. Carole balances her roles as a pilot and a parent, showcasing how motherhood can enhance career excellence. She passionately discusses Bessie Coleman’s legacy and her ambitious goal to fund flight school for 100 Black women by 2035, encouraging others to embrace their unique paths.
Carole Hopson's journey from corporate success to becoming a Boeing 737 captain demonstrates the importance of courage and determination in pursuing one's lifelong passions.
Her novel about Bessie Coleman highlights the obstacles faced by women of color in aviation, serving as an inspiration for future generations to defy societal limitations.
Deep dives
Carol Hobson's Inspiring Career Pivot
Carol Hobson transitioned from a successful corporate career to become a United Airlines captain, illustrating the power of pursuing one's passion. Despite holding high-paying positions in HR and learning and development for major brands, she felt a persistent calling to fly. At 30, after a soul-searching conversation with her husband, she voiced her lifelong dream of becoming a pilot, marking a pivotal moment in her life. This leap into aviation required not just courage but also a planned exit strategy, taking her six years of hard work and determination to finally take flight.
Embracing the Uncomfortable
Hobson emphasizes the importance of embracing discomfort as a vital part of pursuing one's true calling. She recalls that the path to realizing her dreams was long and filled with challenges, requiring patience, planning, and resilience. Her journey underscores that fear should not deter individuals from acting on their ambitions, and challenges can lead to growth. By navigating her insecurities and uncertainties, she became a symbol of hope for those pursuing their own dreams, particularly for underrepresented groups in aviation.
Bessie Coleman: A Forgotten Pioneer
Hobson's debut novel, 'A Pair of Wings,' sheds light on Bessie Coleman, the first Black woman to earn a pilot's license in the U.S., whose story remained largely untold. Bessie faced immense obstacles, such as racial and gender discrimination, and even learned to speak French to attend flight school in France because no one would teach her in America. Her remarkable determination exemplifies the spirit required to defy societal limitations and chart one’s own course. This narrative serves not only to honor Coleman’s contributions but also to inspire future generations of aspiring pilots, particularly women of color.
Actionable Steps to Realizing Dreams
Throughout her journey, Hobson shares actionable advice for individuals seeking to turn dreams into reality, emphasizing the significance of clarity and planning. She suggests assessing one’s current situation, conducting thorough research, identifying strengths and weaknesses, and surrounding oneself with a support team. Setting concrete deadlines transforms dreams into achievable goals, as she articulated the difference between mere hopes and actionable targets. This structured approach empowers individuals to stay committed and make significant strides toward their aspirations.
Carole Hopson is a Boeing 737 captain for United Airlines and the author of ‘A Pair of Wings,’ a historical fiction novel about Bessie Coleman, the first Black woman to get her pilot license. After a successful twenty-year career working for iconic brands like the National Football League, Foot Locker and L’Oréal, Carole quit her job to pursue her lifelong dream of flying planes.
On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, Carole tells the story of how she turned that childhood dream into a second-act career. She shares wisdom on balancing your career alongside the responsibilities of being a parent, demonstrating why moms make for some of the best employees. She also discusses her novel and her next big dream: sending 100 Black women to flight school by 2035.