Episode 303 From Black Hawk Pilot to Bookability Queen with Elizabeth McCormick (Part 1)

John talks with Elizabeth McCormick — former U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter pilot, speaker, entrepreneur, author of Bookability Factor: 67 Tips to Get You Booked and Paid as a Keynote Speaker, and The P.I.L.O.T. Method: The 5 Essential Truths to Leading Yourself in Life!, as well as wife and mother. Listen to this episode to learn more: [00:00] - Intro [01:08] - Elizabeth's bio and backstory [02:34] - Joining the Army as a woman [05:30] - Obstacles Elizabeth faced in the military [07:32] - The Potential Zone [12:51] - Candidate School vs. Flight School [14:09] - What happens in Flight School [17:20] - Advice for "firsts" and women in male dominated fields [22:39] - Best part of being a Black Hawk helicopter pilot [24:46] - The worst part [27:15] - Transition to civilian life [31:41] - Job search & recall after 9/11 [35:34] - Working her way up in corporate [37:09] - Discovering she's underpaid [39:04] - Illegal practices at the next company & getting fired [40:25] - Rebound and mass layoff in 2009 [44:48] - How getting laid off led her to start a speaking business NOTABLE QUOTES: "If you have done your research and you know something is possible … don't take no for an answer. Show up with curiosity, find out what's really going on, and what's standing in your way." "Everywhere I went, people didn't believe it was possible. But every single step of the way, someone else didn't believe. I had to believe more than anyone else in those situations and just kept showing up like the squeaky wheel." "I just kept showing up and refusing to take no." "How you show up matters." "Stop comparing yourself to everyone else. You are leaving them behind." "It's going to feel lonely when you are thinking and elevating at a pace that other people can't relate to or keep up with. It doesn't have to be lonely, but it's going to feel lonely because you are leading on a different level." "Own it yourself. Don't give it away. Don't barter it away. Don't trade it away. Don't let other people steal your joy, your thunder, or your intellectual property." USEFUL RESOURCES: https://yourinspirationalspeaker.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/pilotspeaker/ https://www.instagram.com/pilotspeaker/ https://www.facebook.com/pilotspeaker https://x.com/pilotspeaker https://www.youtube.com/user/YourInspiringSpeaker The P.I.L.O.T. Method: The 5 Essential Truths to Leading Yourself in Life! (https://a.co/d/7YE4Nir) Bookability Factor: 67 Tips to Get You Booked and Paid as a Keynote Speaker (https://a.co/d/2hG9i01) CONNECT WITH JOHN Website - https://iamjohnhulen.com    LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhulen Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/johnhulen    Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/johnhulen    X - https://x.com/johnhulen    YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLX_NchE8lisC4NL2GciIWA    EPISODE CREDITS Intro and Outro music provided by Jeff Scheetz - https://jeffscheetz.com/