#183 - Ann E. Butler - "Wife. Mother. Spy." | 27-Year Undercover CIA Officer & Mom of Five on Secret Missions, Going Into Labor During Ops & Hiding It All From Her Kids 🕵️‍♀️👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 episode artwork

EPISODE · Jan 13, 2026 · 56 MIN

#183 - Ann E. Butler - "Wife. Mother. Spy." | 27-Year Undercover CIA Officer & Mom of Five on Secret Missions, Going Into Labor During Ops & Hiding It All From Her Kids 🕵️‍♀️👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

from Built Not Born

Ann E. Butler - "Wife. Mother. Spy." | 27-Year Undercover CIA Officer & Mom of Five on Secret Missions, Going Into Labor During Ops & Hiding It All From Her Kids 🕵️‍♀️👨‍👩‍👧‍👦Her kids found out she was a CIA agent the night before her retirement party.For 27 years, Ann E. Butler recruited spies, ran covert operations across four continents, and made it home for dinner — all while raising five children who thought mom was just a diplomat.What You'll Learn:How she went into labor during a clandestine meeting (and still made the handoff)The art of the "bump" — engineering a chance encounter to recruit an assetWhy a pregnant mom of five is the perfect undercover coverHow to build trust fast enough that someone will commit treason for youThe moment her daughter discovered the truth (a mosaic gave it away)What 9/11 was like from inside a European CIA stationPower Quote: "Take advantage of opportunities that come your way. Persevere, even though it's not always easy. And be grateful for those opportunities — because they can turn into extraordinary moments." — Ann E. ButlerTimestamps:🕵️‍♀️ 0:00 - Introduction 📖 3:30 - Why she wrote the book after 27 years of silence🤰 8:45 - Going into labor during a clandestine meeting🚂 15:20 - Almost nine months pregnant on an overnight train in alias🎯 24:00 - The "bump" — how CIA officers engineer chance encounters🤝 32:15 - Building trust: how to get someone to commit treason🏫 40:30 - CIA training: the farm, fake prisons, and pressure tests💥 48:00 - September 11th from inside a European CIA station👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 55:20 - How her kids finally found out (the night before retirement)🎬 62:00 - The Americans TV show: how accurate is it?🏃‍♀️ 68:30 - Running a marathon in Paris (after meeting an asset first)💡 74:00 - One lesson: Take advantage of opportunities and be gratefulFeatured Book: "Wife. Mother. Spy. An Extraordinary Life Filled With Ordinary Days" by Ann E. ButlerConnect with Ann E. Butler:Website: AnnEButler.comBook: "Wife. Mother. Spy" (Amazon)Instagram: Ann E. Butler Subscribe for more conversations with elite performers who've overcome the odds.#AnnEButler #WifeMotherSpy #CIA #Spy #Espionage #Leadership #Motherhood #BuiltNotBorn #Podcast #WomenInLeadership #Undercover #JoeCiccarone #Podcast© Joe Ciccarone - Built Not Born Podcast. All Rights Reserved. Views expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views of the host.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jan 13, 2026

Embed this episode

Ready to play

#183 - Ann E. Butler - "Wife. Mother. Spy." | 27-Year Undercover CIA Officer & Mom of Five on Secret Missions, Going Into Labor During Ops & Hiding It All From Her Kids 🕵️‍♀️👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

0:00 56:22

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Built Not Born?

This episode is 56 minutes long.

When was this Built Not Born episode published?

This episode was published on January 13, 2026.

Can I download this Built Not Born episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!