Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan
Confidence Classic: NEVER Let Imposter Syndrome Hold You Back with Michelle “Mace” Curran Former Fighter Pilot & Founder of Upside Down Dreams
Wed, 15 Jan 2025
In This Episode You Will Learn About: Pushing through doubt Seeing your Inner strength Embracing vulnerability Resources: Website: macecurran.com Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: Michelle “MACE” Curran Instagram & Twitter: @mace_curran Get 10% off your first Mitopure order at timeline.com/CONFIDENCE. Download the CFO’s Guide to AI and Machine Learning at NetSuite.com/MONAHAN Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/monahan Cancel unwanted subscriptions and reach your financial goals faster at RocketMoney.com/CONFIDENCE. Call my digital clone at 201-897-2553! Visit heathermonahan.com Reach out to me on Instagram & LinkedIn Sign up for my mailing list: heathermonahan.com/mailing-list/ Overcome Your Villains is Available NOW! Order here: https://overcomeyourvillains.com If you haven't yet, get my first book, Confidence Creator Show Notes: Imposter syndrome is relentless but you can keep the doubt at bay! How is this possible? With the insights of my incredible guest, Michelle “Mace” Curran, the former Lead Solo for the Air Force Thunderbirds! She understands being comfortable with fear, flying upside down in formation at mach 8 speeds! She will teach us how to find our inner strength and put imposter syndrome away FOR GOOD! Foster trust! Be vulnerable! And always make the BOLD choice!
Chapter 1: What is imposter syndrome and how can we overcome it?
I think it's a false assumption that a lot of people have that vulnerability equals weakness, equals people looking down on you, not respecting you, it hurts your credibility. But I think about the leaders that I had that I worked for throughout my career and the ones that really changed my trajectory and were the best to work for and built these amazingly cohesive teams.
We're the ones that would admit when they didn't know something, when they didn't have the answers and didn't always appear confident and unwavering. There's a time for that, especially in the military. But when you have those walls up all the time, it actually, that turns out to be a weakness.
Come on this journey with me. Each week when you join me, we are going to chase down our goals, overcome adversity and set you up for a better tomorrow. I'm ready for my closeup.
Tell me, have you been enjoying these new bonus confidence classics episodes we've been dropping on you every week? We've literally hundreds of episodes for you to listen to. So these bonuses are a great way to help you find the ones you may have already missed. I hope you love this one as much as I do. I'm so excited for you to meet my guest today, Michelle, or you can call her Mace Curran.
She has led an impressive career as a fighter pilot during her 13 years in the United States Air Force. From 2019 to 2021, she flew as the only female pilot for the Air Force Thunderbirds and performed for millions across the country and internationally. Michelle was also named the Distinguished Alumna of the Year by the University of St. Thomas in 2021.
She's been featured on several well-known media platforms, including The Kelly Clarkson Show, CBS Evening News, Glamour, and of course, today on Creating Confidence. Before joining the Thunderbirds, Michelle was a combat proven fighter pilot completing missions across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. She has a passion for pushing her limits clearly, inspiring others, and changing lives.
As the lead solo for the Thunderbirds, Michelle realized that flying was cool, but the best part was inspiring others to overcome their fears and pursue their dreams just like she did. Since transitioning out of the military, she's founded her company, Upside Down Dreams, and is committed to empowering men and women of all ages to overcome obstacles and the fear of failure.
She has inspired thousands through her passion for breaking barriers, setting the example of what can be accomplished through hard work. When she isn't speaking, she volunteers. I mean, this woman has an amazing family. She's living her best life. Michelle, thank you so much for being here with us today.
It's a pleasure to be here, Heather.
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Chapter 2: How can vulnerability strengthen leadership?
I set that as my new goal and just worked towards it relentlessly until I got there.
How were you able to hold yourself accountable in those earlier times, like making that leap into that unknown? For me, I know that's typically the hardest time when you're trying to find your footing and really don't have any credibility yet. How did you push yourself through those tough moments?
It wasn't always as smooth as it probably seemed to an outsider. There were moments when, even when I had gotten there, where... I hate to say this now because I talk to people about not doing this, but I guess that comes from my personal experience and the lessons I learned. But there was a point early on in my career where I was fully qualified as a fighter pilot.
So I'd gone through all the formal training pipelines, which... Those are so... They're very demanding, but they also show you exactly the way. You know, here's your syllabus. Here is your next test. Here is your next simulator. Here's your next checkride, your flight, whatever. This is how we rank people in the class. This is where you have to be in your class to have...
a chance to get a fighter aircraft because it's very competitive. We had two in my class of 25 students. So it's difficult, but the path to success is laid out in front of you. And you're with all these people that are your peers that are struggling with the same thing. So while I found that difficult and stressful, I also did well in that environment where it was like, here's clear cut.
This is how I compete. This is how I do well. It was more when I got to my first combat squadron where I suddenly felt in way over my head. And yes, I was with this squadron of other fighter pilots who are supposed to be my peers, my mentors, but I was the youngest. I was brand new. I just stepped into this environment and I felt very alone. And there were points then when if I hadn't
owed the Air Force a big long contract after they just spent millions of dollars to train me, I would have left. When the going got tough, like really tough and all that self-doubt crept in and I really felt like an imposter, when I was at the worst part of that, I would have left if it was an option.
But it just legitimately was not an option.
It's not an option. I mean, you're in the military, you have a service commitment that you're signed to. And I'm sure there was an option to switch career fields and stay in the military. But the idea of letting other people down after I had just, I mean, cause from an outside perspective, people were very impressed with what I was doing or like, you know, she worked so hard.
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