EP.67 Harnessing Headwinds With a Mach 2 Mindset with Nicole Malachowski, F-15E Fighter Pilot (Colonel Ret.), The President’s Commission on White House Fellowships, Keynote Speaker

About NICOLE MALACHOWSKI:

Nicole’s Profile: linkedin.com/in/realmalachowski

Websites:

• linktr.ee/realmalachowski (Company)
• damelionetwork.com (Other)

NICOLE'S BIO:

A 2019 National Women's Hall of Fame inductee and recent Presidential appointee, Colonel 

Nicole M. E. Malachowski (USAF, Ret.) has over 21 years of experience as an officer, leader, and fighter pilot in the United States Air Force. Upon her commission into the military, she was competitively selected to fly combat aircraft and embarked on an adventure among the first group of women to fly modern fighter jets. Nicole served as a mission ready fighter pilot in three operational F-15E squadrons and accumulated over 2,300 flight hours, including 188 hours in combat. She has had the honor of commanding a fighter squadron, flying as a USAF Thunderbird pilot, serving as a White House Fellow and as an advisor to the First Lady of the United States. Nicole has forged a successful path through immense cultural changes in the military as well as significant adversity in her personal life. Following her medical retirement from the Air Force due to the severe impacts of late-stage Tick Borne Illness, Nicole reinvented herself as a highly successful entrepreneur, professional speaker, and leadership consultant. She’s been happily married to her husband Paul, an Air Force veteran, for over 22 years. When not hurriedly chasing their thirteen-year-old twins around, she finds immense meaning in traveling and advocating for those impacted by Tick Borne Illnesses. (©️2024 Nicole Malachowski & Associates, LLC-All Rights Reserved).

SHOW INTRO:
Welcome to the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast.

These dynamic dialogues based on our acronym DATA - design, architecture, technology, and the arts crosses over disciplines but maintains a common thread of people who are passionate about the world we live in and human’s influence on it, the ways we craft the built environment to maximize human experience, increasing our understanding of human behavior and searching for the New Possible.    

The NXTLVL Experience Design podcast is presented by VMSD Magazine part of the Smartwork Media family of brands.

VMSD brings us, in the brand experience world, the International Retail Design Conference. The IRDC is one of the best retail design conferences that there is bringing together the world of retailers, brands and experience place makers every year for two days of engaging conversations and pushing the discourse forward on what makes retailing relevant.

You will find the archive of the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast on VMSD.com.

Thanks also goes to Shop Association the only global retail trade association dedicated to elevating the in-store experience. 

SHOP Association represents companies and affiliates from 25 countries and brings value to their members through research, networking, education, events and awards. Check then out on SHOPAssociation.org

In this episode I talk with Nicole Malachowski a retired Colonel of the United States Air Force, an F-15E fighter pilot, who commanded a fighter squadron, flew as a USAF Thunderbird pilot, serves as a White House Fellow and as was an advisor to the First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama.

First though, a few thoughts…

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It seems that I talk a lot about speed…

Its’ sort of a fascination…

…the pace of change and what it likely means for emerging markets, changing guest expectations, how we address new needs, how we transition through moments of uncertainty and ambiguity and how leaders shift their orientation from current, or past paradigms, that are no longer relevant or adaptable to the fast-paced world we are now living and working in 

…and turn their attention to growing companies and workforces into flexible structures that are deeply embedded with the idea of change as a given -  something not to be feared but seen as an emergent space of possibility.

And I gotta tell you, this change thing isn't easy. 

It takes a persistence of thought and a modicum of courage to keep on looking into the void, unable to predict the distant future and maybe rely on shorter term gains in the near future. 

Yeah, it's not easy. 

Especially when you've spent most of your life believing that there was a path that you were supposed to follow. Something that was laid out and that you could rely on as being consistent. And predictable.

But it seems as though life keeps having its way of throwing a monkey wrench in that ideal and reminding me that very little is in our control.

And there is that old, I believe Hebrew, saying that “man made plans and God just laughed.”

Now I'm not sure who's exactly laughing at whom here but one fact remains… that uncertainty is a certainty. I think based on the speed at which our technology and societies are changing that uncertainty will be the name of the game for the future.

Of course, there are some inherent challenges in taking that position in leadership because generally speaking, no one wants a leader who seems to be uncertain about where to go next. 

My hunch is though, that leaders who are able to say that they're not exactly sure where things will lead might likely be not only more realistic about possible future outcomes but more endearing to an emerging cohort of customers or employees.

This may seem to go totally counter to the idea that we like our structures and the paradigms that we build our emotional and business selves around…

…but it seems to me that we’re increasingly in need of strategic positions that plan for things being upended.

It's almost like having a ‘continuous contingency plan’ in place - if this then that and then if this then that and so on and so on.

Recently I took on a role advising a group of students who were given the design challenge in a competition to build the hotel of the future... For opening sometime in 2050.

It seemed to me that I was having trouble predicting the next five years rather than the next 25 years and I mused out loud that I don't know how they could predict anything that was that far ahead. 

The strange thing is, that it's not actually that far ahead.

It is very much in front of us - right now - if you consider that we'll be moving towards that time much more quickly it than we'll have ever moved before.

And so, with the group of students, I suggested that maybe what we needed was to consider that we engage in scenario mapping - planning a strategic platform within which many potential options could play out. 

In this exercise it seemed to me that what we needed to do was to be able to provide for all sorts of contingency plans while at the same time having a structure to allow for various outcomes to emerge based on a host of changing circumstances.

There are a couple of ideas here that I frequently find myself thinking about:

One would be…

…that if ‘you know where you're going, you've already gone’ as the saying goes and the delta between now and then is simply about production. There is a certain comfort in the knowing… I know where we are going.. the end point is predetermined, it is predictable and I feel reassured in knowing the end game.

In this case, I think that the joy of discovery that you have when taking the ‘road less traveled’ is diminished, or disappears, and the work becomes transactional and geared towards efficiently getting to the outputs. 

Discovery falls away in preference for getting it done. 

I think that way about design as well… that it is often more process than product. 

It is during the making of something where a lot of the magic happens.

My hope is that in those moments we have the collision of memories, emotions, ideas, the challenges of solving programmatic requirements, meeting the needs of end users, etc., etc. Design is a journey where all these things come together in a process where discovery leads us to a place of awe and reverence for the creative act so that we stand back from the things we have made in bewilderment that we are even able to do these things.

There should be a moment where you stand back from the thing that you created and revel in how it was that you even got there.

The second thing that also occurs to me about navigating into the unknown is that, at a brain level, we may have a certain level of being ill-at-ease about the unknown, we actually love the idea of novelty. 

I know I've talked about this before but, these moments of novelty and discovery where experience doesn't align with our expectations - or the predetermined schemas for how things should be - that we have in our in our brains are where, in a sense, our brains wake up and pay attention.

We have predicted something to be a certain way and it doesn't happen and so things emerge from unconscious awareness into our consciousness – into a front row center level of awareness…

… the new experience releases dopamine and other neurochemicals that make these experiences both desirable as well as potentially being full of trepidation. 

This is a neurobiological imperative that has been embedded in our neurophysiology for millions of years. 

Seeing and being able to determine the novel in our environments was a crucial factor to our very survival.

In a way, this makes me think about how we might try to operate in a fast paced, changing world where every day becomes a continuous flow of fluidly changing experiences. 

How do we adapt to not having long periods of times of consolidating and understanding experiences when we're quickly on to the next thing?

It seems to me like that would be a heavy burden on the brain and our emotions …living in the ‘new now’ might be exhausting. 

And so, we face periods of Headwinds - moments where the proverbial weather shifts and we might feel that we are unprepared having left our umbrella at home. 

Or other times when we might be carrying the umbrella, and the winds shift direction and blow it backwards making it entirely unusable. 

It's in those moments where we are confronted with whether we have planned well and are able to fight, or flow, with the wind in these moments of adversity.

In those moments we need to be able to turn to teammates, close allies people who have got your back, who know you so well that they know what your next move will be either because they've simply been with you for so long or you were all following the same playbook … and running in the same direction…

Sometimes these moments are like being in a crucible where significant change is going to happen and, often with the support of allies, family members, good friends, mentors… we come out the other side changed 

…we don't just bounce back to what it was, but we bounce beyond into a new way of being where we're transformed beyond our expectations.

In that process of transformation there is a need for trust… trust in the process, and trust in the people who you are surrounded by - that they will be able to nurture you through these moments of significant change. 

Seems to me that part of a leader’s role is to know themselves, and to lead the team through these moments of unpredictability knowing that on the other side – if they commit the to work of transformation (that is not easy) and you have the courage of your convictions, that you'll end up being better for it.

When I think about positive leadership, it's not about giving false hope or making promises that you can't keep…

… because in many cases we simply can't predict the outcomes of things as well as we believe we could.

It's about mastering your self-awareness – tuning into how you are feeling in the moment - mastering your self-control and being really good at balancing both of these things because losing one or the other can result in losing your team's confidence. 

And at the same time, to be authentic and transparent in your communication and naturally vulnerable so that your team sees you as human and that maybe you don't have all of the answers. But together you will find the ones where your leadership vision is not 20-20.

And this is where this episode’s guest comes into the discussion. 

Colonel Nicole Malachowski – now retired from the US Air Force, is a former F-15E fighter pilot who knows how to manage speed.

Nicole has flown at twice the speed of sound and as I understand it, traveling at that velocity requires not just extraordinary skill but also “staying ahead of the jet” as she says and working multiple contingency plans when things don't go as expected.

… and as far as I can tell from our conversation, things very rarely go as expected. Especially one someone has their sights trained on your multimillion dollar aircraft and wants to shoot you out of the air.

In Nicole’s mind, your speed and decision making should vary based on your context but that in the end “speed is always something that gives you options.”

When traveling at twice the speed of sound your saving grace may be having been well prepared and knowing what your contingency plans are as you face headwinds, whether that's changing weather or enemy fire.

In those moments of extreme adversity, teamwork and trust are vital to fast decision making and potentially your very survival. 

Nicole gathers all of these lessons learned from a brilliant career in the military and applies them to coaching, mentoring and giving capitivating speeches on an international stage where she shares her experiences.

Nicole Malachowski is A 2019 National Women's Hall of Fame inductee and recent Presidential appointee.

She has over 21 years of experience as an officer, leader, and fighter pilot in the United States Air Force. She put on her country’s uniform at the age of 17 and upon her commission into the military, she was competitively selected to fly combat aircraft and embarked on an adventure among the first group of women to fly modern fighter jets - fulfilling a dream she had since the age of 5.

Nicole served as a mission ready fighter pilot in three operational F-15E squadrons and accumulated over 2,300 flight hours, including 188 hours in combat. 

She has had the honor of commanding a fighter squadron, flying as the first female USAF Thunderbird pilot, serving as a White House Fellow and as an advisor to the First Lady of the United States – Michell Obama.

Nicole has forged a successful path through immense cultural changes in the military as well as significant adversity in her personal life. 

In a poignant twist of ironic fate it wasn't enemy fire that retired her from active duty in the US Air Force. Instead, it was something that sat on the head of a pin. 

In a “blink of a bite” as she says, her career at the stick of an F-15E fighter jet was shifted to struggling for her life with advanced tick-born illness, at times suffering from locked in syndrome unable to move or speak. 

Following her medical retirement from the Air Force due to the severe impacts of late-stage tick borne illness, Nicole reinvented herself as a highly successful entrepreneur, professional speaker, and leadership consultant.

Nicole Malachowski knows speed, adversity and navigating the unknown. She is a captivating and inspiring speaker who I was honored to have a conversation with.

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ABOUT DAVID KEPRON:

LinkedIn Profile: linkedin.com/in/david-kepron-9a1582b

Websites:  https://www.davidkepron.com    (personal website)

vmsd.com/taxonomy/term/8645  (Blog)

Email: david.kepron@NXTLVLexperiencedesign.com

Twitter: DavidKepron

Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidkepron/

NXTLVL Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nxtlvl_experience_design/

Bio:

David Kepron is a multifaceted creative professional with a deep curiosity to understand ‘why’, ‘what’s now’ and ‘what’s next’. He brings together his background as an architect, artist, educator, author, podcast host and builder to the making of meaningful and empathically-focused, community-centric customer connections at brand experience places around the globe. 

David is a former VP - Global Design Strategies at Marriott International. While at Marriott, his focus was on the creation of compelling customer experiences within Marriott’s “Premium Distinctive” segment which included: Westin, Renaissance, Le Meridien, Autograph Collection, Tribute Portfolio, Design Hotels and Gaylord hotels. 

In 2020 Kepron founded NXTLVL Experience Design, a strategy and design consultancy, where he combines his multidisciplinary approach to the creation of relevant brand engagements with his passion for social and cultural anthropology, neuroscience and emerging digital technologies. 

As a frequently requested international speaker at corporate events and international conferences focusing on CX, digital transformation, retail, hospitality, emerging technology, David shares his expertise on subjects ranging from consumer behaviors and trends, brain science and buying behavior, store design and visual merchandising, hotel design and strategy as well as creativity and innovation. In his talks, David shares visionary ideas on how brand strategy, brain science and emerging technologies are changing guest expectations about relationships they want to have with brands and how companies can remain relevant in a digitally enabled marketplace. 

David currently shares his experience and insight on various industry boards including: VMSD magazine’s Editorial Advisory Board, the Interactive Customer Experience Association, Sign Research Foundation’s Program Committee as well as the Center For Retail Transformation at George Mason University.

He has held teaching positions at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology (F.I.T.), the Department of Architecture & Interior Design of Drexel University in Philadelphia, the Laboratory Institute of Merchandising (L.I.M.) in New York, the International Academy of Merchandising and Design in Montreal and he served as the Director of the Visual Merchandising Department at LaSalle International Fashion School (L.I.F.S.) in Singapore.  

In 2014 Kepron published his first book titled: “Retail (r)Evolution: Why Creating Right-Brain Stores Will Shape the Future of Shopping in a Digitally Driven World” and he is currently working on his second book to be published soon. David also writes a popular blog called “Brain Food” which is published monthly on vmsd.com. 

The NXTLVL Experience Design podcast is presented by VMSD magazine and Smartwork Media. It is hosted and executive produced by David Kepron. Our original music and audio production is by Kano Sound. 

The content of this podcast is copywrite to David Kepron and NXTLVL Experience Design. Any publication or rebroadcast of the content is prohibited without the expressed written consent of David Kepron and NXTLVL Experience Design.

Make sure to tune in for more NXTLVL “Dialogues on DATA: Design Architecture Technology and the Arts” wherever you find your favorite podcasts and make sure to visit vmsd.com and look for the tab for the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast there too.