The Professionals Playbook

Latest Episodes:

A day in the life of an Editor and Writer--Alex Hollings Apr 10, 2019

Show notes

Alex Hollings writes on a breadth of subjects. His writing can be found on a number of websites; most notably FighterSweep.com, where Hollings serves as editor, TheNEWSREP.com, where Hollings serves as a Senior Staff Writer, and Popular Mechanics. He can also be heard regularly on SOFREP Radio and on All Marine Radio.
In this episode we talk about (in order):

How he starts an article
What his process is for developing an idea
How he structures his writing
What the timeline is for a major magazine article
What happens to the article once he submits it
How social media has changed the landscape
How journalists have changed
Does not paying for news cause bias due to clickbait articles
Advice for new people in the industry
Common mistakes by new writers
Upcoming projects

Check out all the interviews at https://www.professionalsplaybook.com/listen
Instagram/ Facebook-- @justinfighterpilot

Launching into space and commanding the International Space Station--NASA astronaut Terry Virts Apr 02, 2019

Show notes

Terry Virts is a U.S. Air Force test / fighter pilot and a NASA veteran of two spaceflights – a two-week mission onboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour in 2010 and a 200-day flight to the Space Station in 2015. He is a leader, speaker, and author who is currently working on multiple projects, including a new book and television series.

His seven months in space included piloting the Space Shuttle, commanding the International Space Station, three spacewalks, and performing scientific experiments, all while working closely with multiple international partners. Virts flew with and led Russian Space Agency cosmonauts during some of the most tense relations with Russia since the Cold War.

While in space he took more than 319,000 photos – the most of any space mission. These images are an integral component of the IMAX film A Beautiful Planet, which Virts helped film and appears in.

In this episode we talk about (in order):

What it's like to take the elevator up to the space shuttle
His launch day routines
Launching into space
Re-entering the earth in both the space shuttle and Soyuz
How the space shuttle glides compared to an F-16
Commanding the ISS
Leadership
What he looks for in future astronauts
His vision of space exploration in the next decade
What an astronaut debrief is like
Projects he's working on right now

Make sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode! Check out all the interviews at https://www.professionalsplaybook.com
Instagram-- @justinfighterpilot
Facebook--@justinfighterpilot

CIA Officer and author of "Breaking Cover, My Secret Life in the CIA"--Michele Rigby Assad Mar 19, 2019

Show notes

Michele Rigby Assad is a former undercover officer in the National Clandestine Service of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. Trained as a counterterrorism specialist, Michele served her country for ten years, working in Iraq and other secret Middle Eastern locations. Upon retirement from active service, Michele and her husband (also a former agent) began leading teams to aid refugees, including a rescue mission to Iraq that was featured on ABC's 20/20. Michele holds a master's degree in Contemporary Arab Studies from Georgetown University. Today she serves as an international management consultant, splitting her time between the Middle East, Florida, and Washington, D.C.
In this episode we talk about (in order):

Building rapport with members of Al-Qaeda
Mental toughness
Emotional Intelligence
Living in combat zones for nearly a decade
What she does to de-stress
What traits new CIA officers should have
What to do during an attack
Who she was allowed to tell that she worked in the CIA
What inspired her book
What projects she's working on now

Make sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode
I've also started a monthly newsletter where I send out a few useful or insightful things that have helped me over the last month. You can sign up by clicking here or going to:
https://www.professionalsplaybook.com/newsletter
Instagram-- @justinfighterpilot
LinkedIn-- Justin Lee
Facebook--@justinfighterpilot
This episode was edited by Trevor Cabler
If you got value from this episode, please give the show a review by tapping here and scrolling to the bottom where it says: "Write a Review." Thanks for the support 👊

"The Fighter Pilot Podcast" host and TOP GUN Instructor--Vincent "Jell-O" Aiello Mar 05, 2019

Show notes

Jell-O has been the most requested guest since this podcast started. Today he was kind enough to be interviewed and lived up to the hype.
Jell-O spent nearly 25 years in service flying mainly the F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet but also the F-16 Fighting Falcon during an adversary tour. He accrued over 3,800 flight hours and 705 carrier landings, having served as a TOPGUN instructor and air wing operations officer. Jell-O left the Navy in 2017 and now flies for a major airline. He also started the "Fighter Pilot Podcast" which explores the fascinating world of air combat.
Jell-O is a great speaker with lots of stories. He has the wisdom of an experienced fighter pilot and is able to communicate it in an easy going way--a trait he shares with the first guest I interviewed, Matt "Freq" Casey. In this episode we talk about his advice to a new fighter pilot, what it feels like to land on a carrier at night, his favorite aircraft to fly, his views on leadership, and more.
Make sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode
I've also started a monthly newsletter where I send out a few useful or insightful things that have helped me over the last month. You can sign up by clicking here or going to:
https://www.professionalsplaybook.com/newsletter
Instagram-- @justinfighterpilot
LinkedIn-- Justin Lee
Facebook--@justinfighterpilot
If you got value from this episode, please give the show a review by tapping here and scrolling to the bottom where it says: "Write a Review." Thanks for the support 👊

Fighter Pilot, ER Doctor, and Firefighter: the most interesting man in the world (part II)--Jason Patten Feb 19, 2019

Show notes

Minute 47:00 of this episode has a story that nearly brought a tear to my eye. Having been deployed to combat, I've seen the incredible team effort to save lives that he talks about. It's truly awe inspiring to see the military men and women, most under 30 years old, come together and sacrifice so that others may live. I am confident that as long as I live, I will never see a focused team effort like I did in the mountains of Afghanistan. It's unfortunate that war seems to be the catalyst for this cohesiveness, but for those who had the experience, it's a memory that won't be forgotten.
Dr. Patten may be the newest person to hold the title "Most Interesting Man in the World." He was an F-16 fighter pilot in the Air National Guard for 10 years before going to medical school and becoming an emergency room doctor. He has also remained a fire fighter for the Millbrook Fire Department since 2001.
In this episode he talks about time management skills, goal setting, overcoming high pressure situations, and staying passionate. He also shares several amazing stories along the way.
Make sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode! Check out all the interviews at https://www.professionalsplaybook.com
Instagram-- @justinfighterpilot
Facebook--@justinfighterpilot

Race Car Champion and youngest to finish the 24 hours of Le Mans --Gunnar Jeannette Feb 12, 2019

Show notes

Gunnar Jeanette is a professional race car driver. At the age of 18 he became the youngest ever driver to finish the 24 hours of Le Mans. He has since raced there an additional seven times. He also competed in the American Le Mans Series, the Rolex Sports Car Series, and the World Endurance Championship—winning the 2005 Gran Am Cup team championship, the 2011 ALMS LMPC Driver Championship, and the 2013 ELMS GTE Team Championship. He currently races in the IMSA Weathertech Championship.

In addition to being a professional race car driver, Gunnar is an avid skydiver, having logged thousands of skydives and hundreds of base jumps. Gunnar has participated in several world record skydives and has been featured on MTV, People Magazine, and USA Today and more.

I this conversation he talks about racing on the world stage at 18, his physical and mental training, and what makes a great driver. He describes the unique requirement of endurance racing and how he “rests” on the straightaways traveling over 200 mph. He also talks to commercial off the shelf simulator he uses at home to prepare for race day.

Check out all the interviews at https://www.professionalsplaybook.com
Instagram/ Facebook-- @justinfighterpilot

Similarities between the S.W.A.T. team and fighter pilots--Mike Doyle Feb 05, 2019

Show notes

Mike Doyle is an active Special Weapons and Tactics team member, known as S.W.A.T. He also hosts a podcast called Tactical Tangents that delves into decision making, critical thinking, problem solving, leadership, and teamwork.

The mission of the S.W.A.T. team is to provide the police department with the capability to resolve high-risk situations. Examples of their missions include hostage situations, barricaded suspects, high-risk search warrants and raids, VIP protection details, and counter-sniper.

S.W.A.T specialties include snipers, explosive breaching, chemical and less-lethal munitions, armored personal carrier operations, tactical medics, tactical robot operations, and entry specialists.

Mike also works as a K9 handler, tactical medic and as a police firearms instructor. In this podcast he goes into the S.W.A.T mentality, who thrives during the training, and what is like entering a barricaded building. He also gives shooting tips for beginner and intermediate shooters.

Also, I’m giving away the F-35 patch I’ve been flying with.

You can win it by 1. Writing a review on iTunes, 2. subscribing to the show, and 3. sharing your favorite episode as a post on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. Email me some proof at justin@professionalsplaybook.com or DM me @justinfighterpilot on facebook or instagram.

If you’ve already written a review, thank you—it really means a lot—convince a friend to subscribe and share your favorite episode and that will be good enough.
Check out all the interviews at https://www.professionalsplaybook.com
Instagram/ Facebook-- @justinfighterpilot

Red-Cell Navy SEAL, BUD/S Instructor--Ron Montgomery Jan 29, 2019

Show notes

Ron “Monty” Montgomery served as a US Navy SEAL for nearly 26 years. He served 16 years as an enlisted man before accepting a commission as a SEAL Warrant Officer.

After completing Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training (BUD/S) at the age of 18 he went on to SEAL Team Two where he was also a member of the East Coast Navy Parachute Team.

After his time in SEAL Team Two, Monty went back to BUD/S as an instructor, overseeing thousands of SEAL candidates.

Monty served in nearly all of the East coast SEAL teams throughout his career, though much of what he’s done remains classified. He spent a tour in the elite Navy SEAL Anti-Terrorism Team as well as as the Naval Security Coordination Team, known as REDCELL.

REDCELL’s mission was to demonstrate vulnerabilities of military bases and would regularly use false IDs, jump fences, barricade buildings, take hostages, kidnap high ranking officers, plant bombs near Air Force One, and sneak into nuclear submarines.

In this wide ranging conversation Monty goes into what it takes to survive BUD/S, what makes a great SEAL, what it feels like to jump out of a cargo jet flying at 30,000 feet and more.

Check out all the interviews at https://www.professionalsplaybook.com
Instagram/ Facebook-- @justinfighterpilot

Fighter Pilot, Delta Pilot, Ranger Grad, Harvard Grad: The real life most interesting man in the world- Stephen 'Boards' Kaminski Jan 22, 2019

Show notes

'Boards' Kaminski is the real life most interesting man in the world. He is a F-16 Fighter Pilot in the Air National Guard and flies for Delta Airlines. He is a graduate of Harvard's Kennedy School, Army Ranger School, and was the youngest graduate of the prestigious Air Force Weapons School. He's hiked Mt. Kilimanjaro, runs marathons and more.
In this conversation we talk about his mental mindset for accomplishing a large multi-year goal. We discuss Harvard, Ranger school, as well as packing tips from his experience as an airline pilot. We also talk about how much control an airline pilot has in making up for a delay at the gate.
Make sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode
I've also started a monthly newsletter where I send out a few useful or insightful things that have helped me over the last month. You can sign up by clicking here or going to:
https://www.professionalsplaybook.com/newsletter
Instagram-- @justinfighterpilot
LinkedIn-- Justin Lee
Facebook--@justinfighterpilot
This episode was edited by Trevor Cabler
If you got value from this episode, please give the show a review by tapping here and scrolling to the bottom where it says: "Write a Review." Thanks for the support 👊

How to call in Airstrikes with elite 6'5 240 lb Machine 'Nasty' Staggs Jan 14, 2019

Show notes

Nasty Staggs is the premiere Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) for the US Air Force. His awards include--9th Air Force Tactical Journeyman of the Year, Jacob Fraser JTAC of the year, Fighter Wing Lance Sijan Award, and the David Gray WIC instructor of the Year Award.
Nasty’s an expert in calling in airstrikes. Whether he’s traveling with a conventional force or attached to a special ops team, Nasty is responsible for putting ordnance on the enemy.

He has deployed to combat 7 times and is now an Air Force Weapons Instructor (WIC) at Nellis AFB. His job is to teach the most advanced students and develop new close air support tactics for the Air Force.

At 6'5, 240 pounds Nasty is in peak physical condition—a requirement for his specialized career.

In the interview, Nasty goes into what makes a good JTAC. He talks about his diet, fitness routine, and stress management techniques. He shares the time a Taliban grenade landed next to him as well as his experience operating in the Afghan mountains at 15,000 feet.

Check out all the interviews at https://www.professionalsplaybook.com
Instagram/ Facebook-- @justinfighterpilot

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