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Flying Through Chaos: How to Stay Mission-Ready in High-Stress Environments

Meet the Speakers

Carey Lohrenz

CEO & Board Director | WSJ Bestselling Author

Carolyn Ford

Vice President Marketing
More About The Speakers

Episode Summary:

In this episode of Tech Transforms, Carey Lohrenz shares powerful lessons from her experience as the first female F-14 Tomcat pilot and author of Span of Control. Rather than focusing on aviation war stories, the conversation dives into how high performers navigate overwhelm, uncertainty, and pressure by narrowing their focus to what they can actually control. Drawing on both combat aviation and personal hardship, Carey reframes stress as a necessary component of performance—and offers practical strategies to manage it effectively.

The discussion explores how elite performers build resilience through training, prioritization, and teamwork—from cockpit checklists to the “meatball, lineup, angle of attack” mindset used in high-stakes landings. Carey also highlights the importance of shared load, trust, and even small moments of celebration in sustaining high-performing teams.

Show Notes:

Meet the Speaker

Carey Lohrenz

CEO & Board Director | WSJ Bestselling Author, Carey Lohrenz

Meet the Speaker

Carolyn Ford

Vice President Marketing , Owl Cyber Defense

Carolyn brings over two decades of experience as a marketing leader in global high-tech firms, with 15 years focused on public sector marketing. Carolyn entered the cybersecurity space in 2009 with Raytheon Cyber Products, where she held multiple roles and communicated the vision of secure information sharing and insider threat strategies to government agencies. Carolyn is the creator and host of the successful podcasts “To the Point Cybersecurity” and “Tech Transforms,” that engage with thought leaders in industry and government to discuss critical issues. “