Today, we highlight Shannon Huffman Polson in the seventh installment of our Summer Series. Having gleaned insights from serving in one of the most male-dominated organizations in the world, Shannon has become a thought leader on the subject of grit. Shannon teaches how to cultivate grit and resilience through introspection and knowledge of self.Shannon was one of the first women to fly an Apache helicopter for the US Army, and has since gone on to become an author and keynote speaker.In this episode, Sylvia and Shannon talk a lot about grit, what it is, how it is built and what the soft underbelly looks like. How do we face challenges and with enough determination, get to the other side. This is a conversation about reflection and self awareness as the means to understand our personal values and writing with self-study as a tool for engaging the complex emotions and stories that steer our lives. Grab the pen of fate to rewrite your story, your mindset and your future!Topics Include:

• Growing up in Alaska
• Defining "grit"
• The Grit Triad– Commit, Learn, Launch
• How we can develop grit like a muscle
• Raising gritty kids
• Why grit is not a sustainable operating mode and mindset
• The evolving literature on grit and resilience
• Discovering and aligning with our core values
• Shannon’s course on grit and the Grit Institue
• And other topics...

Shannon Huffman Polson studied English Literature and art history at Duke University. She became one of the first women to fly Apache helicopters, serving on three continents and leading two flight platoons and a line company. During school and flying, she pursued skydiving, scuba diving, big-mountain climbing and long-course triathlons. Polson earned her MBA at the Tuck School at Dartmouth, and then later earned a MFA in Writing in Seattle Pacific University.  More recently, Shannon founded The Grit Institute where she coaches people on developing grit in careers and workplaces. She lives with her family in rural Washington state where they experienced the hardship of a wildfire in July 2021 which spared her home and garden but scorched the surrounding beloved land.Connect with Shannon:Website – https://www.shannonpolson.com/North of Hope by Shannon Huffman PolsonThe Grit Factor by Shannon Huffman PolsonEmail hello@whenwomenfly.com for GOING FOR GRIT Discount CodeAdditional Resources:Angela Duckworth’s work on grit–https://angeladuckworth.com/https://characterlab.org/Book - Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance  Carol Dweck’s work on growth mindsethttps://www.mindsetworks.com/Want to connect? Visit us online and signup for the monthly WWF newsletter!Website – https://www.whenwomenfly.com/Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest – @whenwomenflyEmail – hello@whenwomenfly.com