Soar Like a Top Gun: How An Elite Pilot Inspires Excellence with John Foley

As lead solo pilot for the legendary Blue Angels flight team, John “Gucci” Foley mastered the art of flying at an elite level — flying among the top 0.01% of US military pilots and earning recognition as a “Top Ten Carrier Pilot” six times. He brings that same elite energy to his keynote presentations and coaching major organizations on exceptional performance and gratitude. John has helped Fortune 500 companies like Google, Microsoft, BMW, and Coca-Cola apply the same high-trust, high-performance principles of flight mastery to inspire leadership, master teamwork, and embrace change with innovation. As a visionary leader, John joins Off the Rak for a conversation on what it takes to soar beyond excellence.

About the Guest

John Foley is a former lead solo pilot of the Blue Angels, a Sloan Fellow at the Stanford School of Business, and an expert in the “how” of High-Performance teams. As a Blue Angel, John consistently performed in an extreme, high-stakes environment, flying at speeds of more than 500 miles per hour and in formations as close as 18 inches apart. To survive in those circumstances, he relied on a culture of high trust and leadership that turned inherently unforgiving flight into extraordinary experiences.

In John's post-Naval experiences as an entrepreneur, a venture capitalist, and a business consultant, he employs the intense realities of his aviation career as a metaphor to motivate teams to reach for their highest potential and sustain excellence under dynamic change.

For over a decade, John has shared his exciting, rare journey with audiences around the world, becoming one of the most in-demand leadership and performance experts. John has worked with some of the world's top organizations, such as Microsoft, Hitachi, Intel, Cisco, Mercedes-Benz, Chevron, Marriott, Hilton, Penske Racing, the LA Kings, the Mayo Clinic, Merrill Lynch, Mass Mutual, Bank of America, GE, P&G, Gillette, and Google.

John graduated from the US Naval Academy with a degree in mechanical engineering. As a defensive back for the Midshipmen, he played in two bowl games and helped Navy to one of the best four-year records at that time. As a pilot, John was a ''Top Ten Carrier Pilot'' six times before becoming a Marine instructor pilot and a Blue Angel. He holds master's degrees in business management from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, in international policy studies from Stanford University, and in strategic studies from the Naval War College. In 2016, John was awarded an honorary PhD from UNAM in Mexico.

In 2011, John founded the Glad To Be Here Foundation. Through the foundation, John donates 10% of all his speaking fees to charity. To date, the foundation has raised over 1 million dollars for over 100 charities around the globe.

Links in this Episode

Follow and connect with John online:

• Website: https://johnfoleyinc.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnguccifoley/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnguccifoley/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JohnGucciFoley

Learn more about Off the Rak and watch past episodes at waltrakowich.com/offtherak

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