317: A Fighter Pilot Shares how to Flip Your Fears—The Tiny Moves that Build Big Confidence with Michelle "Mace" Curran

In today’s episode of Workday Playdate, Erin sits down with Michelle “Mace” Curran—a combat veteran, former fighter pilot, author, and only the second woman ever to fly Lead Solo for the Thunderbirds—to unpack how humor, perspective, and playfulness can transform the way we work and live. From high-stakes cockpit lessons to everyday team dynamics, Michelle shares why the stakes are usually not as high as we think, how finding humor in our mistakes turns them into fuel instead of fear, and why seeking silver linings is a leadership superpower. Together, Erin and Michelle explore the joy of incorporating playfulness into work, the underrated brilliance of cohesive personal branding, and yes—Michelle’s unapologetic love for true crime podcasts. If you’ve ever taken yourself way too seriously at work, wished you could see challenges through a lighter lens, or wanted to bring more authenticity and courage into your leadership, this episode flips your perspective. Inside This Episode: High Stakes, Big Perspective: What flying fighter jets teaches you about pressure, perception, and courage. Humor as a Power Tool: How laughing at mistakes transforms them into memorable, growth-filled stories. Silver Linings 101: Why reframing setbacks builds resilience and joy. Playfulness at Work: How small moments of levity can boost morale, creativity, and productivity. True Crime & Branding: What Michelle’s personal passions teach us about cohesive, authentic personal branding. The Flipside in Action: How to invert your perspective and turn fear into your superpower. Who This Episode Is For: Leaders craving lightness, resilience, and more human connection. Professionals looking to integrate play, humor, and authenticity into their workday. Anyone eager to learn from a world-class pilot about courage, perspective, and storytelling. Listeners seeking practical tools for reframing fear and finding joy at work. You’ve outlined your slides, practiced your intro, and told yourself this time you won’t wing it—but when it’s go time, your nerves still take the mic. Enter The 3-Step Presentation Guide : your go-to roadmap for crafting, practicing, and delivering a talk that lands. With this simple system, you’ll calm your nerves, sharpen your message, and step on stage (or into that conference room) with real confidence. Download it now and turn “I hope this goes well” into “I nailed that.” No, You Hang Up First (Let’s Keep Connecting) Did today’s episode resonate with you? Leave us a review sharing your favorite insight and we’ll send you a free signed copy of I See You! A Leader’s Guide to Energizing Your Team through Radical Empathy. Have another question that we can answer? Leave us a Speakpipe audio clip and we’ll answer it in an upcoming episode. Don’t want to miss another episode? If you’re a Spotify listener, find our show here and click “Follow.” If you’re an Apple Podcast listener, click here and make sure to hit “+Follow.” Want access to a bunch of free resources for your work life? This is your personal jackpot that gives you access to the frameworks that help us thrive both personally and professionally. Whether you’re trying to improve your daily routine, flesh out an idea that you’ve had for quite some time, or want to add more play into your day - these resources have got your back. Want 2 emails a week from us? One with a quick tip you can implement right away to enhance your personal and/or professional lives & one of our famous F.A.I.L. Fourward Friday newsletters? Subscribe here . Connect with Michelle "Mace" Curran Michelle's website Michelle’s LinkedIn Michelle’s Instagram Connect with Erin Diehl x improve it! Erin’s website Erin’s Instagram Erin’s TikTok Erin’s LinkedIn improve it!’s website improve it!’s Instagram See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .