159. The Space Between Fear & Action | Michelle “Mace” Curran

At 500 knots each, two F-16s point straight at each other with less than a second to react, one of them upside down. That's the moment Michelle "Mace" Curran walks Dwayne through in Part 2 of this conversation, and it's just the entry point into a masterclass on what she calls "the space between": the pause between feeling fear and deciding what to do with it.

In this episode:

The near head-on collision during a Thunderbirds training pass, closing at roughly 1,000 mph, missing by what she believes was inches and the split-second decision-making that got both pilots through itWhy Michelle earned her call sign "Mace" (Mach at Circle Entry) by accidentally breaking the sound barrier on her second flight in Japan, and how she turned it into a badge of honorThe physical disruptor, wiggling her toes, that a flight instructor taught her to break out of over-control and hypervigilance, and the neuroscience behind why it worksWhy the Thunderbirds' hiring process (40 applicants, 3 spots, a 12-officer interview panel) weighs personality, composure, and preparation over raw technical skillHer "bubble" routine in her third year with the Thunderbirds, strict self-care boundaries that helped her show up better in a public-facing roleWhy she sees fear as a signal, not a stop sign, and how that reframe applies as much to a hard business call as it does to flying a fighter jet

Time Stamps:

00:00 Competence Over Noise

00:33 Welcome Michelle “Mace” Curran

01:32 Imposter Syndrome Pivot

02:53 Bravery And Fear Reframed

07:20 The Space Between

12:03 Near Miss Decision Making

14:54 Physical Disruptors Tool

21:56 Fear Signals In The Body