From NASA Engineer to Blue Origin Astronaut and CEO

Summary

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Earn Your Leisure Podcast: "From NASA Engineer to Blue Origin Astronaut and CEO"

Date: July 28, 2026
Hosts: Rashad Bilal & Troy Millings
Guest: Blue Origin Astronaut & CEO

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Episode Overview

This episode features a trailblazing guest who shares her remarkable journey from working as a NASA engineer to becoming a Blue Origin astronaut and successful CEO. The conversation weaves through her transition from employee to entrepreneur, leadership philosophies, and the personal and societal significance of venturing into space. The hosts dive into her upcoming suborbital flight with Blue Origin, her preparation process, and the greater purpose behind inspiring underrepresented communities to reach for the stars.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Shifting from Employee to Entrepreneur and CEO

(02:09-04:00)

• Embracing the Unknown:

  • The guest highlights the contrast between seeking to be respected for expertise as an employee and seeking growth through vulnerability as an entrepreneur:

  "When I was an employee...all I wanted to do was be respected for the things that I know. And as an entrepreneur, all I want to do is go out and speak to people and tell them that I don't know...so that I can be made better by the things that they know." (Guest Astronaut, 02:15)

• Leadership Style Evolution:

  • She shares an emotional realization about what it means to lead as a woman and a CEO, emphasizing authenticity and making space for her team:

  "I was crowding out the sun because I was trying to always lead and be strong...when I said to the team...hey, I want to make space for you to bring your gifts, that's really when I started to see exponential growth." (Guest Astronaut, 03:10)

• The 80/20 Hiring Principle:

  • The guest shares her practical approach to team-building:

  "You hire somebody 80% for the things on their resume that you know they can do, and the 20% that they could bring to the table that you haven't discovered yet. And you cultivate that person, and they will take you to places that...you never knew that you would go." (Guest Astronaut, 03:48)

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2. The Blue Origin Space Flight—Motivation & Process

(04:00-05:47)

• Flight Details:

  • The guest is set to fly on Blue Origin's New Shepard for a suborbital journey, experiencing roughly 10 minutes of microgravity within a flight of less than an hour.

  "I'm going to be flying to space on the New Shepard vehicle with Blue Origin...the round trip is roughly...less than an hour. And it's about 10 minutes of microgravity." (Guest Astronaut, 04:17, 04:27)

• Personal Impact & Perspective:

  • She reflects candidly on her unlikely journey to space and the realization of dreams once thought out of reach:

  "I will be the first to tell you that I never thought that I was going to be leaving Earth's atmosphere. I don't even like turbulence on commercial flights. And so for me, this is a try it before you buy it situation..." (Guest Astronaut, 04:49)

  "Once I started working at NASA...I never thought I could be them. And this is what I like about life and karma...right when you think that you can't be something, life will show you that you can." (Guest Astronaut, 05:01)

• Future Aspirations:

  • She shares that if this mission goes well, she plans to apply to be a NASA astronaut and pursue her childhood ambitions.

  "If I like it, which I'm probably going to love it, I'm going to turn around, I'm going to apply to be a NASA astronaut." (Guest Astronaut, 05:44)

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3. Training, Outreach, & Relatability

(05:47-07:06)

• Preparation for Spaceflight:

  • Training consists of both mandatory and elective experiences:
    • Blue Origin’s training program in Van Horn, Texas
    • Microgravity flight
    • Fighter jet flight
    • High-altitude skydive

  "I'm participating in a microgravity flight...looking to fly on a fighter flight with the jets...and do a high altitude skydive." (Guest Astronaut, 06:16)

• Community Engagement:

  • She emphasizes integrating her mission with education and representation, aiming to inspire and partner with HBCUs and schools:

  "For me, this is about bringing it home...I'm reaching out to organizations, HBCUs and high schools so that I can either fly a patch for a school or do experiments...I really want the outcome...to be...something that made me believe or inspired someone to believe that they could reach for the stars..." (Guest Astronaut, 06:38)

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4. Access, Funding, and Sponsorship

(07:06-08:48)

• How She Was Chosen:

  • Her invitation to fly came through a serendipitous connection with Nancy Conrad, wife of Apollo astronaut Pete Conrad:

  "I got a call out the blue from this lady named Nancy Conrad...I met Nancy...when I had a badge and was excited to be [at NASA]...Fast forward, right over a decade, she’s calling me and she's like...I think you'd be a really, really good fit." (Guest Astronaut, 07:23)

• Sponsorship Over Self-Funding:

  • She discusses the astronomical cost of private spaceflight and her vision to make space more accessible, relying on brand partners and collective support:

  "Even if I had it, I don't know if I'd want to spend it...I went out to sponsors and I said...are you going to back me on this flight? And they have. We're going to challenge the way that people look at going to space." (Guest Astronaut, 08:13)

• Community & Proverb:

  • She invokes an African proverb to express her philosophy on collaboration:

  "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." (Guest Astronaut, 08:11)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Leadership Vulnerability:

  "My strength in this situation is knowing that there's so much that I don't know." (Guest Astronaut, 02:15)

• On Making Space for Others:

  "I was crowding out the sun because I was trying to always lead and be strong...when I said to the team...I want to make space for you to bring your gifts, that's really when I started to see exponential growth." (Guest Astronaut, 03:10)

• On Facing Fears:

  "I will be the first to tell you that I never thought that I was going to be leaving Earth's atmosphere. I don't even like turbulence on commercial flights." (Guest Astronaut, 04:49)

• On Opportunity & Representation:

  "There are so many people in my family are like, what is NASA doing for me?...I really want the outcome...to be...inspired someone to believe that they could reach for the stars and realize that it was only the beginning." (Guest Astronaut, 06:40)

• On Collaboration:

  "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." (Guest Astronaut, 08:11)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 02:09 | Transition from employee to entrepreneur and her leadership philosophy
• 04:00 | Details of the Blue Origin flight and motivation
• 05:47 | Spaceflight preparation, training, and outreach efforts
• 07:23 | How she was selected for the mission and approach to sponsorship

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Summary Takeaways

This episode explores the intersections of personal growth, representation in STEM, and visionary leadership. The guest’s evolution from NASA engineer to pioneering CEO and astronaut serves as both a roadmap and an inspiration, emphasizing vulnerability, collaboration, and the pursuit of dreams previously unimaginable. As she prepares for her inaugural space journey, her commitment to opening doors for others—especially in underserved communities—stands out as a defining theme and a powerful call to action for listeners.

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Transcript

[Guest Astronaut]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Podcast Host]

Guaranteed Human Earners what's up? Look, when you think about discovering small brands, what store pops in your mind? Well, it should be Walmart. Seriously, Walmart has thousands of small brands and they're all in one place. Just go online or in store, discover and shop. It could not be easier. Every one of these brands has a real story and real people behind it. They're true American success stories and you can find them all at Walmart. Discover thousands of small [e-mail] today. Earners what's up? Look, building wealth isn't just about making money. It's about knowing where your money is working for you. That's why we partner with Empower. Empower is all about helping you invest well so you can go out and live a little. Their free Empower Personal Dashboard gives you a complete view of your financial life in one place. Track your net worth, monitor your budget, analyze your investments, set retirement goals and more. You've worked hard for your money, now make sure it's working hard for you. Download the Empower Personal dashboard or visit empower.com not an empower client, paid or sponsored. When traveling for events or festivals throughout the country, every dollar matters. We compare flights prices, hotel rates and restaurant options. So why wouldn't we compare rides? Personally, I always check Lyft before booking a ride. Prices can change throughout the day depending on traffic, weather, and what's happening in the city. If you're headed to a concert, out to dinner, or catching up with your friends on a Friday night, taking a few seconds to check Lyft could leave you with more money to enjoy the experience, save money. Check Lyft. I love my phone, but not my carrier. What do I do?

[T-Mobile Advertiser]

Well, there are 250 reasons to join T Mobile.

[Co-Host]

Like what? What?

[T-Mobile Advertiser]

You can keep your phone and your number and T Mobile helps pay it off. Up to $800 per line.

[Guest Astronaut]

So I wouldn't have to buy a new phone?

[T-Mobile Advertiser]

Yep. Plus your plan price stays the same for 5 years on experience plans.

[Co-Host]

Nice.

[T-Mobile Advertiser]

Find your reason@t mobile.com

[Podcast Host]

via virtual prepaid guard card. Typically takes 15 days after rebate, submission price, guarantee on talk text and 5G data exclusions like taxes and fees apply.

[Co-Host]

So how is it for you to be a go from being an employee to be an entrepreneur?

[Guest Astronaut]

You know, I feel like my strength in this situation is knowing that there's so much that I don't know. Like when I was an employee, when I go to work every day, all I wanted to do was be respected. For the things that I know. And as a entrepreneur, all I want to do is go out and speak to people and tell them that I don't know. Right. So that I can be made better by the things that they know. That is my goal. Just be able to listen and support and have people improve the things that I create.

[Podcast Host]

That's not on a personal level as an entrepreneur, but you're also the CEO.

[Guest Astronaut]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

And so there's people that are relying on you for their leadership. So walking into that role, how's the dynamics been for you?

[Guest Astronaut]

I shifted when he asked me that question because the question really strikes at home because I spent so many years as a woman professional, just wanting to be seen as being good enough. And when I let go of that, I realized that my strength is being authentic and being empathetic. And when I took a step back, I was crowding out the sun because I was trying to always lead and be strong and all this other stuff. And so when I said to the team, for both businesses, hey, I want to make space for you to bring your gifts, that's really when I started to see exponential growth. So I have this concept of 80, 20. You hire somebody 80% for the things on their resume that you know that they can. That they can do, and the 20% that they could bring to the table that you haven't discovered yet. And you cultivate that person, and they will take you to places that you never. You never knew that you would go.

[Co-Host]

So let's talk about going to space. So what is the program that you're going out of space? How did you get involved in that? And are you just going up, coming back down? Is there observation that you're going to be doing when you're up? Like, what's happening with that situation?

[Guest Astronaut]

So I'm going to be flying to space on the New Shepard vehicle with blue origin. We will be coming up and we will be coming back down. And I'm excited about that.

[Co-Host]

How long will you be out of space?

[Guest Astronaut]

The total trip, so the round trip is roughly, I don't know, less than an hour. And it's about 10 minutes of microgravity.

[Co-Host]

10 minutes out of space?

[Guest Astronaut]

Yes.

[Co-Host]

So 25, like, 20 minutes coming up. 10 minutes out of space and 20 minutes come back down?

[Guest Astronaut]

I think so. And I think we got to fix our hair before we can get out. So there's some time there.

[Co-Host]

Sure.

[Guest Astronaut]

Well, look, so I will be the first to tell you that I never thought that I was going to be leaving the Earth's Atmosphere. I don't even like turbulence on commercial flights. And so for me, this is a try it before you buy it situation where I get to try space in a controlled scenario. Once I started working at NASA and meeting amazing astronauts, I never thought that I could be them. And this is what I like about life and karma in the world is like, right when you think that you can't be something, life will show you that you can. And I said to myself many years ago, one of these years, I'm going to apply to be a NASA astronaut. I'm going to go to the International Space Station, and somehow I managed not to do it for year after year after year and all of a sudden have the opportunity to be a Blue Origin astronaut. And my goal is to complete this. And if I like it, which I'm probably going to love it, I'm going to turn around, I'm going to apply to be a NASA astronaut.

[Podcast Host]

What's the preparation like for this? I remember maybe it was last year they had Michael Strahan, and he was going through it. He had to take some time off from Good Morning America. What do you have to do? What are they putting you through to get you prepared for this moment?

[Guest Astronaut]

So they have a training program in their facility in Van Horn, Texas, that's mandatory. But in addition to that, you can do a host of other things. And so I'm participating in a microgravity flight. I'm looking to fly on a fighter flight with the jets, like, real fast, like to go fast. I'm looking to do a high altitude skydive. And then in addition to that, for me, this is about bringing it home, right? There are so many people in my family are like, what is NASA doing for me? What's space doing for me? Like, why does any of this matter? And so I've been reaching out to organizations, HBCUs and high schools so that I can either fly a patch for school or do experiments. Like, I would like to partner with an HBCU and do an experiment on orbit. Right. Or fly a sensor. I really want the outcome of this to not be, oh, you know, like, that's like 10 minutes. I want it to be. This was something that made me believe or inspired someone to believe that they could reach for the stars and realize that it was only the beginning.

[Podcast Host]

Does this to take this flight. I know it's expensive. So were you chosen? Like, did you have to apply to become one of the Blue Origin astronauts? Or was there a sponsored event? Like, okay, this is the person we're putting forth as our choice.

[Guest Astronaut]

Yeah, it's really cool. I got a call out the blue from this lady named Nancy Conrad. And it just so happens that that first day when I was at NASA, when I had a badge and I was excited to be there, I met Nancy. Nancy is the wife of Pete Conrad, who's an Apollo astronaut. I remember seeing her and being like, wow. Like, one day I hope to speak with her. Fast forward right over a decade, she's calling me and she's like, look, there's this mission coming up. I think you'd be a really, really good fit. How about you apply this time? I didn't say no. I put my application forward and it happened to work out that I was in the position to join the crew. Now back to the money thing. Even if I had it, I don't know if I'd want to spend it. And the reason for that is there's a lot of support for space and for science. Right? And good old African proverb. It's like, if you want to go, you know, fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. So I went out to sponsors and I said, look, I want to know if you're going to back me on this flight. And they have. And so I'm getting ready to announce some significant brand partnerships. But we really are going to challenge the way that people look at going to space. And I'm excited to have amazing brands behind me to do it.

[Podcast Host]

Earners. What's up? Look, when you think about discovering small brands, what store pops in your mind? Well, it should be Walmart. Seriously, Walmart has thousands of small brands and they're all in one place. Just go online or in store. Store, Discover and shop. It could not be easier. Every one of these brands has a real story and real people behind it. They're true American success stories. And you can find them all at Walmart. Discover thousands of small [e-mail] today. Earners. What's up? Look, building wealth isn't just about making money. It's about knowing where your money is working for you. That's why we partner with Empower. Empower is all about helping you invest well so you can go out and live a little. Their free Empower Personal Dashboard gives you a complete view of your financial life in one place. Track your net worth, monitor your budget, analyze your investments, set retirement goals and more. You've worked hard for your money, now make sure it's working hard for you. Download the Empower Personal dashboard or visit empower.com not an empower client, Paid or sponsored when traveling for events or festivals throughout the country and every dollar matters, we compare flights prices, hotel rates and restaurant options. So why wouldn't we compare rides? Personally, I always check Lyft before booking a ride. Prices can change throughout the day depending on traffic, weather and what's happening in the city. If you're headed to a concert, out to dinner or catching up with your friends on a Friday night, taking a few seconds to check Lyft could leave you with more money to enjoy the experience. Save money. Check Lyft I love my phone but not my carrier. What do I do?

[T-Mobile Advertiser]

Well, there are 250 reasons to join T Mobile.

[Guest Astronaut]

Like what?

[T-Mobile Advertiser]

You can keep your phone and your number and T Mobile helps pay it off up to $800 per line.

[Guest Astronaut]

So I wouldn't have to buy a new phone?

[T-Mobile Advertiser]

Yep. Plus your plan price stays the same for 5 years on experience plans.

[Co-Host]

Nice.

[T-Mobile Advertiser]

Find your reason@t mobile.com

[Podcast Host]

via virtual prepaid guard card typically takes 15 days after rebate submission price guarantee on TalkText and 5G data exclusions like taxes and fees apply.

[Guest Astronaut]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.