Captain Patty Bear

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Show notes

My first in-person interview—recorded in the living room of a stone house in a medieval village in Provence—with my dear friend Captain Patty Bear.

We recorded this conversation as she prepares to launch her new book, Captain Patty’s Wisdom Hacks: 20 Tools for Clarity, Direction, and Self-Leadership (launching September 9—available for preorder now).

Patty—raised Old Order Mennonite—became a USAF KC-135 pilot (Desert Shield/Desert Storm) and then spent nearly 30 years at United Airlines, retiring as a 777 captain.

In this conversation, we:

Bridge the arc from her memoir From Plain to Plane into the decades that followed—military service, airline life, parenting, coaching, and building a home in Provence.

Dive into her “wisdom hacks” like Pay Yourself First, Like It or Love It, New Day, New Jet, The Ground Doesn’t Care, Mentor Yourself, and Leaving Your Neighborhood.

Talk practical clarity: decision-making, resilience, identity after retirement, and designing a life you’ll love.

Why this matters: These aren’t fluffy affirmations—they’re compact clarity tools for making decisions, facing reality, and leading yourself with courage and calm. Short enough to read in an afternoon; deep enough to carry for a lifetime.

Launch: September 9

Buy the Book: Captain Patty’s Wisdom Hacks

Also by Patty:

From Plain to Plane (Aviatrix Book Club pick)

House of the Sun: A visionary guide for parenting in a complex world.

Blue skies and happy reading. 💙