The Leaders of Aviation

If anyone is equipped to be a coach and mentor, it’s Atom Miller.  He’s had a number of curveballs in life that forced him to pivot and dig deep.  Over a course of 5 years Atom went through a divorce, lost his brother, and lost his ex-wife. During this time Atom was a chef, opening his own restaurant, and competing for another. He did marketing and design on the side, but on a very small scale.  In 2013, Atom’s son was shot 12 times and would spend years in the hospital. This forced Atom to stop everything he was doing and start his own business out of necessity. For the next 4 years, Atom would struggle with his faith, grow his faith, and learn a lot about himself.  Atom would go from wanting to take his own life in 2013 to starting a legitimate business in 2017.  He had to take his mentality from ‘if it’s gonna be, it’s up to me’, to giving his troubles to the Lord. Atom took small, deliberate steps and rose above his circumstances.  It’s why he’s able to talk to others about mental toughness and clarity. Now he enjoys helping others through his program, Your Kingdom Coach. What You’ll Learn: The story behind the name 69 Card Co. -& it’s not what you think! Why Atom’s son was shot 12 times and how he survived. Who paid the $1.6million hospital bill and why. The key to winning in Google organically. Favorite Quote: “It was out of necessity, my business journey and how it began.” -Atom Miller

Mike Howard has been in sales since 6th grade; being an entrepreneur was in his blood.  In his adult years he helped to grow other people’s companies before he decided to grow his own.  Mike was inspired to start a cleaning company to be able to hire friends and family and pay them a decent wage.  He says he’s always been passionate about creating opportunities for others. Down the road, Mike was introduced to the world of chartering private jets.  Just like his other jobs, Mike got into this industry because of who he knows.  Making connections is key to growing as an entrepreneur.  Mike knew nothing about aviation before this opportunity, but he knew people that did, and that was enough.  Now his business, JetSetter, is thriving. What You’ll Learn: How Mike started his entrepreneurial journey in 6th grade. How Mike got into the jet chartering business. Why accounting for your company is so important. Why Mike has no desire to become a pilot. Favorite Quote: “It’s always been a passion of mine to create opportunities for other people.” -Mike Howard

Gabe Muller is the a entrepreneur, connector, owner of Muller Consulting Services, a private pilot, and founder of Smokehouse Pilots.  His story is a great mix of business and aviation. Graduating with an accounting degree, Gabe went to work at a small financial planning firm. While there he would spend his lunches at the airfield watching planes land and take off.  He enjoyed listening to the pilots talk to air traffic control, but still wondered what exactly went on in the cockpit. So, Gabe signed up for flight lessons and got his private pilots license. Moving to the DC area, Gabe got a job at a different firm and really got into leadership development.  After a year long leadership development training, Gabe realized he really liked building the firm side of things.  He decided it was time to branch out on his own as Muller Consulting Services.  He’s also since founded Smokehouse Pilot, a social pilots club for others that share a passion for aviation. What You’ll Learn: What business lessons Gabe has learned from aviation. What entrepreneurial skills are needed to be a COO. How to be intentional with who you serve and why. The importance of branding awareness. Favorite Quote: “Aviation plus community breeds opportunity.” -Gabe Muller

Growing up, Vance Hilderman dreamed of being in the Naval Academy. He passed all his tests with flying colors, but had less than perfect vision.  Because of this, he was told he could only be a navigator. Vance denied the offer and followed his dream of going into aviation elsewhere.  Today Vance serves as the CEO and CTO of AFuzion, the world’s largest aviation and safety-critical services companies. Pursuing degrees in both Computer Engineering and Business, Vance had already had 4 failed businesses before he got it right.  His 5th attempt grew into the world’s largest outsourced aviation avionics software development and certification company. He says the failed attempts taught him one valuable lesson: start with more money. He’s since started a few more successful businesses. What You’ll Learn: How the TCAS system works and why it’s so important.How the eVTOL technology works.Why having a mentor is so important.Why Vance’s first 4 companies failed. Favorite Quote: “Boeing sells more aircraft in a month than Hollywood does movies in a year.” -Vance Hilderman

Today the Leaders of Aviation podcast and the Cancelled For Maintenance podcast are joining forces for the first ever collaboration. As maintenance technicians, Six and MBP share that they had great conversations everyday at work and thought they should be recording some of them. That was the birth of Cancelled For Maintenance. As avid Leaders Of Aviation listeners, we all know Jeff’s story as a pilot and owner of Lively Aviation.  The three men discuss their careers in aviation; the good, the bad, and the ugly. What You’ll Learn: How regulations drive maintenance tasks. How much paperwork goes into aviation maintenance. The levels of aviation maintenance in the military. How helicopter and airplane maintenance differ.

She goes by many names; Cooper The Pilot or Gear Girl.  She also wears many hats, from musician to founder of non-profit, Hangar 22. Today she shares her story of becoming a pilot.  Orphaned in Korea at the age of 3, Cooper was told she would most likely never be adopted.  At age 4 she found herself among a group of 10 children that would be going to the US.  That would be Cooper's first ever time in an airplane.  She says everything about it, down to the sparkling of the ocean below, inspired a passion for flying. She grew up being told that being a pilot was not a dream for a girl.  It wasn’t until after she got married and had 2 kids that Cooper decided it was time to do something for her.  Taking a discovery flight on Saturday, she began looking into flight schools Monday, and was training by Friday.  Finishing in just 6 weeks, Cooper has hit the ground running. She’s passionate about getting more women into aviation. Check out her Instagram @cooperthepilot to learn about scholarships she offers. What You’ll Learn: What an accelerated pilot's license program looks like. How Cooper earned the nickname Gear Girl. What percentage of pilots are women. Why Cooper started Fly With A New Friend Friday. Favorite Quote: “The first time I flew over the ocean… it was that sense of freedom.” -Cooper The Pilot

Today’s guest, Laura Humphries, is a certified commercial pilot and known as the Flying Princess. Even though growing up, her grandfather worked for Air Jamaica, Laura says she had no interest in aviation.  It wasn’t until after she went to college for economics and was working at a car dealership that Laura was inspired to pursue a career in the air.  She says one day a young, black woman came into the dealership and started raving about her career as a flight attendant.  All it took was seeing someone that looked like her in that position to convince her she could do it too. After going through the process and getting hired on at Delta, Laura spent the next two years as a flight attendant before she started asking herself what’s next?  The answer came when she showed up for a flight and saw a black, female captain.  Again she told herself she could do that too.  Laura not only pursued her commercial pilot’s license, she went on to author a book series about how seeing someone that looks like you doing big things can inspire you to do the same. What You’ll Learn: What flight attendant training entails. How frustration inspired the You Look Like Me series. How long it took to go from private to commercial. What the most memorable moment of flight training has been. Favorite Quote: “I didn’t know seeing a black female pilot would make me want to be a pilot.  It really shows how important representation is.” -Laura Humphries

Today’s guest, Chris Gray, has had the dream of flying since an early age.  He was inspired by his grandfather who decided to learn to fly in his 60’s.  He can still remember, at the age of 6 or 7, watching his grandfather and his instructor fly over the house.  He also got bit by the entrepreneurial bug early on, starting his first business at the age of 10. Earning his pilot's license in high school, Chris ended up taking a few years off from flying while he attended college.  Getting laid off from a PR firm, Chris decided he wanted to get back to flying.  After earning his certifications in the course of a summer, Chris began working at a flight school before he decided to try his hand at owning his own flight school. He shares the ups and downs and how he ended up as first officer on a learjet. What You’ll Learn: Why you shouldn’t try to accelerate your private pilot training. What inspired Chris’s business model. What the biggest hurdle is for fleet management. How it feels to fly a Lear 60 Classic. Favorite Quote: “If you’re a pilot, find a way to give back to your community.” -Chris Gray

Today's show is all about business with guest Adam McChesney, part owner of Hite Digital. Halfway through a 4-year program for sports management, Adam felt himself being pulled in a different direction. Over the next 2 years he put in the work to earn 4 majors in marketing, business management, and HR.  Working for a marketing agency with a great mentor, Adam realized he didn’t want to work for someone else anymore. So he quit and tried to start a business. After 6 months of hearing ‘no’, Adam opted for a corporate job in medical device sales.  Moving his way up the ladder, Adam was still interested in working for himself.  That’s when an ad about how to build digital real estate caught his eye.  Adam was ready to take  the leap, in the middle of a pandemic, to start his own digital marketing business. Learning to systemize and put processes in place so that he could hand the work off to someone else was a game changer for Adam. They now have 19 locations. What You’ll Learn: Why and how you should invest in yourself. How to connect to your target audience. How Hite Digital has grown to 19 locations. How to leverage your data. Favorite Quote: “Really starting to finally build the business, and not just a job.” -Adam McChesney

Growing up on a grass strip on the NW side of Houston, some of Lauren Jones earliest memories were of waking up to planes zooming down the runway.  She says she really fell in love with aviation at the age of 4 when she was finally old enough to fly in the front seat.  At the age of 12 she logged her first hour on a discovery flight.  Lauren was hooked and attended an aviation camp and decided to attend Baylor’s aviation program. While attending college she kept the idea of becoming a cargo pilot in the back of her mind, but considered it a pipe dream.  Upon graduating, Lauren started working in flight instruction.  Just when she had gotten in her groove the owner of the flight school decided to retire and sell.  Needing a plan B, Lauren made a LinkedIn account and saw a job posting for the UPS Flight Path Program. She ended up landing a spot as the Quality Assurance Intern and is one her way to realizing her dream. What You’ll Learn: Why Lauren says it’s smart to learn with retractable gear. Why Lauren chose the Baylor aviation program. What the UPS Flight Path Program entails. What Lauren’s dream aircraft is. Favorite Quote: “Going into kindergarten I was shocked to learn that not everyone owned an airplane.” -Lauren Jones

Growing up, Eric Dragonetti admired planes and saw himself becoming an aerospace engineer, designing jet engines.  It wasn’t until he was touring colleges that he thought he might actually want to be a pilot instead.  After 4 years at University of North Dakota, Eric graduated as a certified flight instructor.  From there, he built his hours towards becoming an airline pilot. Eric loved flying commercial, until Covid came and shook things up.  While furloughed, Eric decided to do enough private lessons to pay the mortgage and eat Top Ramen.  When he did return to his commercial role, he realized the aviation market just wasn’t the same and no longer worked for him.  The decision was clear, it was time to start his own flight school. What You’ll Learn: What a discovery flight is and how to arrange one. How a chance meeting led Eric to attend University of North Dakota. The two biggest struggles Eric had when it came to starting a business. How top of the line avionics change the experience. Favorite Quote: “When you have a dream, you wanna go for it, you work for it.”

Luke Layman has an incredible resume that includes piloting A-10’s, and then a commercial airline, before becoming an entrepreneur and investor. For as long as Luke can remember, he knew two things:  He wanted to fly jets, and he had an entrepreneurial spirit.  Taking his first solo flight at 16, Luke utilized ROTC to begin his pilot career. From the T-6 to T-38, and finally the A-10, Luke spent 10 years as an active duty Air Force pilot before transitioning to the Reserves and joining Delta Air Lines.  Just 3 or 4 years in, Luke found he was losing too much time with his family.  He knew it was time to stoke his entrepreneurial side.  He looked into everything from buying into a franchise to starting a coaching business. Through it all, he learned some keys to success that he’s now sharing  with others. What You’ll learn: How Luke developed the confidence needed to step into his coaching role. Where the scarcity mindset comes from and how to not get stuck in it. How to not overthink business. What a ‘Pinch Hitter Course’ is. Favorite Quote: “It’s a fine line between arrogance and self-confidence.” — Luke Layman

The Av8life Flight Club is a community of Aviation enthusiasts that was founded by today’s guests, Jon Dale and Justin Lukasavige.  Both dreamed of being pilots growing up, but only Justin went into flight school right after high school.  Jon’s life took a different turn and he went the entrepreneurial/business route.  After 7 years working for commercial airlines, Justin decided to step away and focus his time and money on his budding family. Jon and Justin met when they started working together.  Justin encouraged Jon to pursue his dream of getting his pilot's license in his 40’s.  By the time Jon got to his test he realized he had already spent $18k, and that this was going to be an expensive hobby.  The two would go on Jon’s first licensed flight together and start to brainstorm ideas on how they could get paid for their passion.  Av8life was created in December 2021 and, with a compelling story, they’ve been well received. What You’ll Learn: How Justin transitioned from an employee to a business owner. How a business partnership is like a marriage. What gap Aviate Life is looking to fill. The one leadership principle all entrepreneurs should have. Favorite Quote: “If you’re going to start a business, you have to be able to say I’m all in.” -Justin Lukasavige

Growing up, Greg Mink was somewhat of an adrenaline junky.  He went from riding go-karts, to motorcycles, to motocross.  One night at dinner, Greg’s dad casually mentioned that he had bought a plane.  From there, Greg and his dad started working towards their private pilots license together.  Greg tested for his license as soon as he was allowed; the day after his 17th birthday.  From there he earned his instrument rating, commercial rating, and CFI before going off to college. After college, Greg started the vetting process for a pilot position in the military.  Greg found the pace at which they trained their pilots to be spectacular, as after about a year and a half he was flying the F16.  Greg describes some of his favorite missions, which included drug interdiction out of Panama, and flying with the Egyptian Air Force.  He would later transition to the Guard and then ultimately out of the military before starting his first business. Now he’s the face of Premier 1 Driver, and can be found all over YouTube. What You’ll Learn: How Greg’s tenacity landed him a highly sought after pilot spot in the military. What the path to flying an F16 looks like. How Greg’s time in the military prepared him for owning his own business. How the Blue 7 scholarship helps disabled individuals realize the dream of flying a plane. Favorite Quote: “Aviation is not really something you can do halfway.” -Greg Mink

Today’s guest, Jeff Kearns, is a corporate pilot, CFI, musician, former professional skier and a crypto expert.  Jeff knew he wanted to be a pilot from a young age, saying going to the airport was like going to the zoo for him.  He thought the quickest way to get in the air was to join the Army straight out of high school.  Jeff spent three years in the airborne infantry stationed in Alaska . Using his GI Bill to continue his education, Jeff majored in geography with an emphasis in meteorology.  Any free time he had outside of school or work, he was working on his pilot career.  Through a family friend he was able to join a charter company.  His career really took off from there and now he says he’s living the dream. What You’ll Learn: What drove Jeff to become a pilot. How geography and meteorology played into an aviation career. How the Army shaped Jeff’s core values. Why the Falcon 50 and Bravo are Jeff’s favorite planes to fly. Favorite Quote: “When it comes to things that I want, I work harder than anybody else.” -Jeff Kearns

Joining Jeff is the host of the Real Business Owners podcast and owner of Easier Accounting, Trevor Cowley.  Growing up poor, Trevor learned early on that if he wanted something, he had to figure out how to go and get it.  He would fish lost golf balls out of the bushes, polish them up, and sell them back to the golfers to make a little money.  He didn’t realize it at the time, but he was on his way to being an entrepreneur.  Trevor says he was so eager to have the title of entrepreneur that he threw money at dumb opportunities.  His first real venture into entrepreneurship was investing in a trucking company that failed. He’s had more failures than successes, but he says it’s all a numbers game.  With a few of his businesses doing well now, Trevor believes all the failures were worth it, as they taught him invaluable lessons.  He’s learned to pivot when needed and has built his confidence.  Ready to learn something new and broaden his horizons, Trevor decided to give flight school a try. His next big goal is to one day own his own aircraft. What You’ll Learn: How to sign up for the Real Business Owners mastermind class.How to overcome imposter syndrome.How Trevor’s past affected his piloting journey and why he almost dropped out of flight school.How aviation correlates with life and business. Favorite Quote: “So many people let their emotions make their decisions for them.” - Trevor Cowley

Jeff is speaking with Brandon Melendez, a fellow pilot he met while training at American Flyers.  Growing up in Queens, NY, Brandon says that aviation was never in his family.  His love for flying came from video games and from a young age Brandon knew what he wanted to do.  Brandon’s grandfather was the one to tell him about an aviation high school that offered regular academics alongside aviation courses to give you a head start.  It was a perfect fit for Brandon that landed him a job at Delta the same day he picked up his diploma.  With his first aviation job as an aircraft support mechanic, Brandon knew he would someday work himself up to pilot. Brandon was so impatient to get his pilot's license before he really had the money to do so, that he did it in bits and pieces.  Looking back, he says it actually ended up taking him longer and costing him more.  Either way, now with his private pilots license, Brandon was on top of the world.  He remembers it being a time of creating memories as he did Hudson River tours for friends and frequented aviation restaurants.  Brandon went on to earn his commercial pilot’s license and become a certified flight instructor.  Having recently crossed the 1000-hour mark, Brandon has applied to regional airlines and accepted a job offer. What You’ll Learn: How an aviation high school in NY set the foundation for Brandon’s career.What it takes to earn a pilot license-both private and commercial.Why not all CFI courses are created equal.Why going to Texas was one of the best decisions Brandon ever made. Favorite Quote: “Sometimes it's hard when you're on this journey, you forget to self reflect on your accomplishments.” – Brandon Melendez

Aaron Dabney is on today to share his journey in the aviation business.  Aaron always saw aviation as blue collar, as many men in his family had been military pilots or crop dusters.  Aaron first decided he wanted to be in aviation in high school and enrolled in Texas A&M before transferring to Baylor University for college.  It was when he met his now wife that Aaron second guessed becoming a pilot and being gone a lot of the time.  He instead became an admission's counselor at Baylor and recruited a young man who had a plane he wanted to make some money off of.  This is what got the wheels turning for Aaron on the possibility of being a flight instructor.  Aaron got certified to do just that and had his first paying customer by August 2009. In the Fall of 2013, Aaron went out on his own as a flight instructor.  He says the number one thing he learned was that as a small flight school, he needed to set himself apart.  He came up with the brand of ‘teachers first, pilots second’.  He prided himself on having the experience to back up his teachings.  Another lesson was that there’s always going to be a rainy day as a business owner.  Small business is very much a two steps forward, one step back kind of dance.  Accepting that early on can save you a lot of heartache. What You’ll Learn: Basic qualifications and requirements of a master flight instructor.How and why to begin with the end in mind.Aaron’s most exciting and most scary aviation stories.How implementing systems can save you time. Favorite Quote: “Aviation is a very monkey see, monkey do business.” - Aaron Dabney

Welcome to the Leaders of Aviation podcast with your host Jeff Lively.  Jeff is a certified pilot and the owner of Lively Aviation.  Through his journey, he’s heard countless stories that he feels need to be shared with the aviation industry.  This inspired him to start the Leaders of Aviation podcast.  He hopes to give a voice to some small aviation businesses. Being born into an aviation family, Jeff has it in his blood.  He’s passionate about the industry and sharing what he knows.  Through this podcast, he’ll interview other aviation small business owners and aviation personnel to not only be inspired by the triumphs, but to learn from the setbacks.  Tune in to hear his story and a little about what's to come. What You’ll Learn: Who Jeff Lively is.What the Leaders of Aviation podcast is about.Who the Leaders of Aviation podcast is for.What types of things we’ll be asking future guests. Favorite Quote: “We want to inspire the current and next generation of aviation enthusiasts.” - Jeff Lively