Breaking the Glass Ceiling: How Adva Amir Became One of the Few Female Airline Captains | E108

Summary

Episode Summary: Breaking the Glass Ceiling: How Adva Amir Became One of the Few Female Airline Captains | E108

Podcast: Leap Academy with Ilana Golan
Host: Ilana Golan
Guest: Adva Amir
Release Date: May 27, 2025

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1. Introduction

In Episode 108 of Leap Academy with Ilana Golan, host Ilana Golan welcomes Adva Amir, a trailblazing airline pilot with Hawaiian Air. Highlighting the fact that only 6% of airline pilots are women, Ilana sets the stage for an inspiring conversation about Adva's journey to becoming one of the few female airline captains.

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2. Early Life and Inspiration

Adva's passion for aviation ignited at the tender age of eight during her first flight to the United States. She recounts a memorable moment when she persistently waved at the pilots from the jet bridge until the captain invited her into the cockpit. This experience solidified her fascination with flying.

Adva Amir [02:40]: “From the jet bridge, I was waving for the pilots and they didn't notice me. I kept waving until the captain finally saw me and he invited me to the cockpit.”

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3. Setbacks and Coping

Adva aspired to become a military pilot in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), a path known for its rigorous selection and training. However, she faced a significant setback when she was not selected. This early failure was a profound blow, challenging her self-perception as an overachiever.

Adva Amir [05:03]: “It was a big failure for me. They don't want me. But I think everything worked out the way it should and made me go and achieve my dream in a different way.”

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4. Military Service and Skills Gained

Despite the setback, Adva continued her service in the IDF as a civil coordination officer, where she managed a department of 16 soldiers. This role was instrumental in teaching her the importance of putting people first and developing leadership skills.

Adva Amir [06:55]: “I learned to put the people first because eventually they are the one that will make my department fulfilled and better.”

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5. Pursuing the Dream Again

Determined to fulfill her dream of flying, Adva made the bold decision to pursue pilot training in the United States. Overcoming doubts and societal expectations, she moved to the US to attend flight school, a move that required immense courage and resilience.

Adva Amir [08:52]: “I think it's possible, it's possible.”

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6. Challenges Moving to the US

Adva faced numerous challenges upon relocating, including language barriers and cultural adjustments. Navigating daily tasks in a new language and adapting to American aviation terminology were significant hurdles she overcame with determination.

Adva Amir [11:32]: “I had a lot of struggles, but I think I also love challenges, and I learned that I grow from them.”

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7. Building Flight Hours and Overcoming Doubts

As a flight instructor, Adva needed to accumulate approximately 1,500 flight hours to qualify for airline positions. The demanding nature of this phase tested her perseverance, especially amidst the uncertainty brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Adva Amir [14:56]: “I decided I'm believing no matter what people tell me. I'm putting everything in the background and I'm just continuing.”

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8. Transition to Airlines and Captaincy

After fulfilling the flight hours requirement, Adva secured a position with a regional airline. Her training was abruptly halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, leading her to return to Israel temporarily. Upon resuming her career post-pandemic, Adva advanced from first officer to captain—a rare achievement for women in aviation.

Adva Amir [21:42]: “Less than 2% actually become captain.”

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9. Adva's Viral LinkedIn Post

Adva shared her journey through a heartfelt LinkedIn post, detailing the challenges and triumphs of her path to captaincy. The post resonated widely, garnering millions of views and inspiring countless individuals to pursue their dreams despite obstacles.

Adva Amir [24:06]: “If you have a dream, you can go and do that. There will be challenges, but it's possible.”

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10. Joining Hawaiian Airlines and Lifestyle Changes

Choosing to join Hawaiian Airlines marked a significant shift in Adva's career, involving long-haul flights across the Pacific. This transition brought new challenges, including managing jet lag and adapting to the lifestyle changes that come with long-distance flights.

Adva Amir [28:10]: “I started working for them, and everything happened at the same time, and it was amazing.”

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11. Learning to Surf and Competing

Embracing life in Hawaii, Adva took up surfing—a new passion that parallels her aviation career in terms of discipline and overcoming fears. She shares her experiences of learning to surf, facing initial fears, and preparing to compete in the Maccabia Games.

Adva Amir [35:34]: “I learned that when I put myself outside of my comfort zone, this is where I grow.”

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12. Lessons and Advice

Throughout the conversation, Adva emphasizes the importance of pursuing one's passions, even in the face of doubt and societal expectations. She advises listeners to start their journeys despite uncertainties and to ignore naysayers who may not understand their capabilities.

Adva Amir [40:34]: “Start whatever that is. If you're not 100% sure this is what you want to do, but you have a dream, just start your journey.”

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13. Closing Remarks

Adva and Ilana reminisce about their initial meeting years ago, bringing a personal and heartfelt closure to the episode. Adva expresses gratitude for Ilana's early encouragement, highlighting the full-circle nature of her journey.

Adva Amir [48:29]: “I'm so happy you invited me here. Really, I'm grateful. Thank you so much.”

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Key Takeaways

• Resilience in the Face of Setbacks: Adva's journey underscores the importance of perseverance after initial failures.

• Leadership and People Management: Her experience in the IDF equipped her with essential leadership skills that have been pivotal in her aviation career.

• Breaking Gender Barriers: Adva's achievement as one of the few female captains highlights the ongoing challenges and gradual progress in gender representation within aviation.

• Inspiring Others: Through her viral post and personal story, Adva has motivated many to chase their dreams despite societal constraints.

• Balancing Passion and Career: Her pursuit of surfing alongside her aviation career demonstrates the value of balancing professional aspirations with personal passions.

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Notable Quotes

• Adva Amir [02:40]: “From the jet bridge, I was waving for the pilots and they didn't notice me. I kept waving until the captain finally saw me and he invited me to the cockpit.”

• Adva Amir [05:03]: “It was a big failure for me. They don't want me. But I think everything worked out the way it should and made me go and achieve my dream in a different way.”

• Adva Amir [24:06]: “If you have a dream, you can go and do that. There will be challenges, but it's possible.”

• Adva Amir [40:34]: “Start whatever that is. If you're not 100% sure this is what you want to do, but you have a dream, just start your journey.”

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This episode serves as a powerful testament to overcoming adversity, breaking glass ceilings, and the relentless pursuit of one's passions. Adva Amir's story is not only inspiring but also offers concrete lessons for anyone aiming to leap into bigger things and craft the life they desire.

Transcript

[Ilana Golan]

Wow. This show is going to be incredible. So buckle up and I'm sure you're going to enjoy it. But before we get started, I want to ask you for a favor. See, it's really, really important for me to help millions of people elevate their career. Fast track to leadership land, dream roles, jump to entrepreneurship, or create portfolio careers. And this podcast is all about enabling this for millions of people to see a map of what it actually takes for big leaders to reach success. So subscribe and download so you never miss it. Plus, it really, really helps me continue to bring amazing guests. Okay, so let's dive in.

[Adva Amir]

Flight 527, ready for departure. If you have a dream, you can go and do that. There will be challenges, but it's possible.

[Ilana Golan]

To most people, the sky's the limit, but for Adva Amir, the sky is home. Did you know that only 6% of airline pilots are women? And Adva is an airline pilot. You'll find her on Hawaiian Air these days.

[Adva Amir]

I wanted to a military pilot, but it didn't work out for me. It was a big setback. The first time that I actually saw you in person, you heard about my journey and like me wanting to be a pilot. And you encouraged me and gave me, you know, a lot of blessing and motivation with your big smile. But there were a lot of people who told me, you're female. You're too young for that. There's no chance you're going to be a pilot if you weren't a pilot in the military. So I finished training, I became a first officer, and then I got upgraded to a captain. If there is something you believe in it or you're passionate about, go and try for it.

[Ilana Golan]

To most people, the sky is the limit, but for Adva Amir, the sky is home. Did you know that only 6% of airline pilots are women? And Adva is an airline pilot, and you'll find her on Hawaiian Air these days. And I started following Adva. This is actually really fun from an insanely viral post that she had on LinkedIn. And this is actually the true magic personal brand. So I'm so excited to have Adva on the show. I actually begged her to come and tell her story. Adva, thank you for being here.

[Adva Amir]

Good morning, good afternoon. I don't know where are we?

[Ilana Golan]

So you're in Hawaii and we'll talk about it, but take us back in time. You grew up in Israel. What first sparked the love for flights? Why flights? That's so random.

[Adva Amir]

My light sparked somewhere around age 8. I was flying for the first time with my family to the US and then I was a very stubborn kid and very curious kid. And from the jet bridge I was waving for the pilots and they didn't notice me. And I kept waving, kept waving, kept waving until the captain finally saw me and he invited me to the cockpit. So I went there with my brother and all of a sudden this little kid seeing all these buttons and lights, I was just amazed. I was asking the pilot so many questions and I think at some point they were afraid the flight will be delayed because of me. But they were so kind and so pat and they answered all my questions. There is one thing I remember specifically, they told me, welcome to the most beautiful office in the world. And they were right. So this is how it started. Later on I wanted to become a military pilot. All the air shows and everything, it really made my life even bigger. But it didn't work out for me.

[Ilana Golan]

So becoming a pilot in the Israeli Defense Force is probably one of the most rigorous training tests possible. Most, most, most people like, I don't know the percentages, but most people obviously don't make it. But I think that setback for somebody 18 year old can actually really hurt. So how did you go through the training and how did you cope with the setback?

[Adva Amir]

It was a big setback. I almost couldn't resist. I appeal and appeal and I really wanted to do it and I was like, no way, I'm not going to be a pilot in the military, there's no way. But when I'm looking at it from today and I did something completely different in the military, I'm happy, I'm happy that the things worked the way they did at the time. It was really, really hard for 18 years old at Vaatu first time it was like a big failure for me. They don't want me. But I think everything worked out the way it should and made me go and achieve my dream in a different way.

[Ilana Golan]

There's a little bit of, to some extent, the best of the best will go there. Otherwise you would not even get the minimum to even get the gate open. Right. So what's interesting is that you take the most successful individuals that always to some extent were successful in everything they've done until then. And that is kind of the first blow they get. And that's a really, really hard one. I mean, I think my first big defeats were kind of in the military, right. And these are big slaps in the face that sometimes take you some time to recover. Oh my God. Like what just happened? Did they just kill my dream? What is going on? So take me just for a second. Do you remember how you felt and how do you recover from that? Because again, it's hard for overachievers.

[Adva Amir]

You are clearly an overachiever and exactly as you said. As also the thought that they're taking the best of the best and all of a sudden you feel like, oh, so I'm not the best of the best. This was really hard to recover from. And I think it took me a long time. But as I started my position in the military, everything went away. And I said, okay, this is my journey now. I choose this, I enjoy this. I loved what I was doing in the military and I wouldn't replace it with anything else.

[Ilana Golan]

Do you want to share what that is?

[Adva Amir]

So I was a civil coordination officer in the idf. I was working a lot, coordinating activities between the Palestinian Authority and the idf.

[Ilana Golan]

The interesting thing about military is that I think we get responsibility at age 20 that I barely had at age 40. And I still talk about it. Right. So what do you think are like 2, 3 main points or one significant one that are just like, oh, my God, this helped me.

[Adva Amir]

I think the first thing is that I learned to put the people first. I wasn't like this in the beginning, you know, as you were in the military too. And I've sustained sector that sometimes it can be really busy. You have a lot of things to do. And overachievers, we want to achieve everything and be good at everything, and sometimes we forget the people. And I had a big department of 16 soldiers, and I now know that I need to put the people first because eventually they are the one that will make my department fulfilled and better. Yeah, exactly.

[Ilana Golan]

And at that point you're managing literally 16 people and you're what, 19, 20. Yeah, right. Isn't that amazing? Like, it's just crazy to think about it.

[Adva Amir]

It's crazy.

[Ilana Golan]

So you still finished the military. What made you still decide to pursue flying? Because to some extent that could also be a wound that you don't want to open again.

[Adva Amir]

I think my personality, that I was always a rebel. Help me go and pursue this dream again. It took me a long time. I already applied for university and I was supposed to start studying at a university. And then it was really 50, 50 till I sat down with myself. And it was a long time. Two months I was writing the benefits and the discounts and cons. Yeah, pros and cons, like really doing this list that it wasn't like I'M going to do the flight school in my home country. I had to move to the US to do that. So it was a big, big decision. And I remember coming to my parents and tell them one day, they were just sitting in the living room and I was like, hey, I think I want to become a pilot.

[Ilana Golan]

Oh, I want to be on a fly on the wall on that discussion.

[Adva Amir]

And I got this look. I remember my dad saying, okay, go and check it. You know, like it was very abnormal for a 21 years old girl to go and say, I want to be a pilot in my home country. Normally people just become pilots after the military, of course, in civil way. But they really accepted it calmly and relaxed, which made me relax. And I was like, okay, it's possible, it's possible.

[Ilana Golan]

So people didn't try to say, are you crazy, Adva? Just go study something that, you know, works. There's no stats around women making it as pilots. Really, it's so abnormal. Just go the regular route. Why do you need to be crazy? Were there like naysayers or no, basically people just accept it.

[Adva Amir]

Oh, so many naysayers. So many. I got a lot, a lot of comments when I just started, I got so many of them that I didn't want to say I'm going to become a pilot. I almost kept it as a secret. Like one day I just disappeared from Israel. I went to the U.S. my friends were wondering, where did I go? And I said at the beginning, I remember I was so scared. I was just saying, I'm going to study aviation. You know, that could be a lot of things.

[Ilana Golan]

It's very vague. I love that. I love that it is an open wound to some extent. I mean, it hasn't been many years. It's probably not completely scarred up. I'm sure there's a little bit of anxiety. What if I fail again? Is that still in your head?

[Adva Amir]

That was still in my head. I think this was part of the reason that I didn't say anything, because I like to first show the results and then talk about it. It's not the opposite for me. And I think for a lot of people too, especially women, we want to prove ourselves first before we talk about that. But there were a lot of people who told me, how are you going to do that? You're female, you're too young for that. There's no chance you're going to be a pilot if you weren't a pilot in the military. It's a long way. So all the fear again, also from my Military time, it rose up to the surface, and I was like, maybe I'm not going to be good enough again. But this time it worked out.

[Ilana Golan]

Ilana, so take us there. You're coming to the US you have this plan. Talk to me about the first early days, because it's also acclimatizing to a new country, new language, new everything that's not simple. Adva like that is very gutsy.

[Adva Amir]

It wasn't simple at all, especially the language. Of course, I learned English during school. But when you come to the US and everyone is speaking English, you all of a sudden, I remember I was in a supermarket just buying groceries, and then they asked me if I want the receipt. This is not a normal question where I come from. So I was like, excuse me. And they're like, do you want the receipt? Like, three times, just to understand if I want the receipt. And then there is this English part, the mentality part, the new country part. And there's also the aviation English, which is very different English. So I had a lot of struggles, but I think I also love challenges, and I learned that I grow from them. So I took all of the things that happened to me as a challenge. But it was tough, I think, especially the English part. Now everything is in English. My studies are in English, and everyone talking to me in English, and I need to do tests in English.

[Ilana Golan]

You actually need to make friends in English. Like, that's not easy. Did you have this moment where you're like, you know what? Forget it. Let me just go back to Israel. Let me just go back to study. What on earth am I doing?

[Adva Amir]

I think this moment came later. I was a flight instructor, and in order to work for the airlines, you need to build about 1500 hours, which is a lot. So you finish your studies with 250 hours, and then you need to build a lot of hours. And being a flight instructor, when you're trying to get as many hours as possible, you're kind of in a race for that. It was difficult. I remember I came back home for a visit during my school, and all of a sudden I felt everything. And it was very, very difficult to as a flight instructor and being like, sometimes seven, eight hours in the air. It was very taking a lot of your energy. And I was like, there's no way I can do so many hours. There's no way I'm going to survive this. But this was like almost a point. I was in Israel and I didn't want to go back.

[Ilana Golan]

What age are you at that point?

[Adva Amir]

This was around 23.

[Ilana Golan]

So you're still really young when you see probably your friends having fun and doing the normal life thing.

[Adva Amir]

Yeah. The normal university or traveling the world. And the one thing that I felt also that there is no promises. Even if I get to 1500 hours, there's no promises someone will get me to the airlines to make my dream come true. So it was really hard to keep believing in the idea of maybe. And at that time, all the negative comments affected me. Now I know better, but it really added.

[Ilana Golan]

It's hard. It's hard at any age. But how do you then get up and do it again? First of all, take me to that moment when you're really down and you need to pack your bags and go back to the US and do this again and just work on the hope. Because I think that hope is really, really hard to sustain itself.

[Adva Amir]

Really, really hard. And I think what helped me at that time, sometimes your supportive environment, this is what you need. You need a good word from someone close to you or a little encouragement, and this is all you need. And this is what I got from my family at the time, which was exactly what I needed to go back and continue my journey.

[Ilana Golan]

So you're continuing with these atrocious hours. What happens then?

[Adva Amir]

I think I did a mindset shift. I went back to the beginning when my vision was so clear to me. I went back to that. And sometimes it's like a roller coaster, especially in this kind of a journey. And sometimes you're up, sometimes you're down, sometimes you don't believe. And I think at this moment, I decided I'm believing no matter what people tells me. I'm putting everything in the background and I'm just continuing. And I put myself on autopilot. I was taking the most out of it. I started to actually enjoy. And I think also when you're a new flight instructor, it's really hard. There's a lot of things, new things, like everything you start for the first time. It's hard. And you're not always, you know the best of it in the beginning and you have so much to learn. And I think me as wanting to be the best at everything I do was difficult. But once you pass this barrier, I think things open up. I started to enjoy. I was better initially.

[Ilana Golan]

When you start, do you feel fear of landing or fear of the basic things that should eventually become normal? Where did fear catch you?

[Adva Amir]

I think my fear caught me at different momentums than other people in aviation. And I know because I was speaking to my Friends and a lot of people are afraid of their first solo and how they'll do. And I think I was confident in my solo. I know I'm going to land it, I know I'm going to do well. The fear was always, you know, the first step is like you need to do landings and then the next step is like, you know, flying an approach and then you have to do a maneuvers. And every time before this step started, I was like, am I going to do well? Am I going to do well? I wasn't sure. Like every time I had a doubt in myself if I'm going to do well. But once I was released to my solo, I knew I'm going to do well. So when you leave me by myself.

[Ilana Golan]

When no one is watching, you know you're going to crush it. So. So that's amazing. So you're finishing these mega lots of hours, so take me there. Sorry, I broke from that because you reminded me something about fear. But what helped you get the first role in a real company or how is the path? I don't even know what the path is in the commercial and I think all the listeners have no clue how on earth. Eventually you end up in the cockpit. So walk us there.

[Adva Amir]

After 1500 hours, this is what you need to get in the airlines in the US I got accepted to my first airline. It's a regional airline. This is normally will be your first company and they do flights in the US mostly on a smaller airplane. It's not a small airplane, but it's a smaller. It's between 50 and 70 people on a jet. And then I started my training which is a three months training. It's including a lot of knowledge, aeronautical knowledge and simulator. A lot of simulator training to train all scenarios and to learn the airplane. And then one week before the end of training Covid hits and then they send all of us back home. And now the big uncertainty. I finally made it, I'm already there and all of a sudden they change all my plans. And I was in a big cloud of uncertainty. I went back to Israel. I didn't know when they'll call me, if they'll call me. And it was a really tough time, but I needed to stay optimistic.

[Ilana Golan]

That could jolt you in a big way. Well, I think Covid jolt everybody in a big way because there was so much unknown and I think you were in the industry that was probably hit one of the hardest, right? Like the travel industry. So take me there at this point. Are you in SkyWest? Am I piecing it together or not. Okay, so what happens? You're going back to Israel. There's a ton of unknown what's happening.

[Adva Amir]

So I went back. It took me some months to understand. I was hoping maybe one, two months, three months, I'll be back. And then after time passes, I understood that I need to do something. So I started to do marketing for small businesses. I opened my business, we started doing that, and I was doing that for a whole year till they call us back.

[Ilana Golan]

Okay, so you're hustling. That's amazing.

[Adva Amir]

Yeah, I had to. And I didn't want to just sit at home because then you don't know. There are a lot of thoughts. And I wanted to do something. And I found the one thing everybody needed at the time. Everyone were moving to online platforms. And I had this experience from before, so it really helped me to help other people to find their audience online.

[Ilana Golan]

Now at some point you also climb up in SkyWest. So what happens there? Or was it before COVID you do become a captain? And I mean, it's like pretty incredible even there. So what happened there?

[Adva Amir]

So after about one year, I went back. They call us back. I was so happy to go back and fly. I had to finish training too, but we had to start everything from zero again. So I finished training, I become a first officer. So when you just starting at the airline, you become a first officer. And then after you get enough hours, normally it's a thousand, but it depends between company and company, you become a captain. So I was working at a first officer for about two years, and then I got upgraded to a captain.

[Ilana Golan]

How many women captains exist? Like, it's probably like minimal. Minimal, Minimal advance, right?

[Adva Amir]

It's very, very, very low. Very low. I think less than 2% actually become captain. And you know, during my time in the airline, I only got to fly with two other women in the cockpit. So you can understand the statistic is not really for us.

[Ilana Golan]

Right? But how cool is that? Like, you come in and you see two women in the cockpit, like, letting.

[Adva Amir]

Go all the gossips that went in the cockpit this day. No, I'm joking.

[Ilana Golan]

That's amazing. Okay, so you climb up there. Do you get remarks? Like, I'm sure there's all sorts of remarks. People are excited, people are scared, people are wondering. People think that you're the stewardess. What remarks do you experience at that point? Because this is still new.

[Adva Amir]

And I got a lot of remarks also as a first officer. I think they just were extended when I became a captain, but the flight Attendant thing used to happen a lot. I would come to the gate, to the gate agent, and sometimes when we commute back and forth from work, if the flight is full, we have the benefits of taking the jump seat, which is the seat in the cockpit. And I would go and I would ask for the jump seat and they would tell me, oh, you can't. And I'm like, why I can't? And they say, because it's only for pilots. I was like, but I'm a pilot. So this would happen so many times just based on my look and the assumption that I must be the flight attendant. And it happens so many times. Like, really, I cannot even tell you, but I take it in a humor way. And it's not like insulting me or hurting me because I know it's an awareness kind of thing. Because there's so little women in aviation.

[Ilana Golan]

We didn't break the barrier yet. Like, just not part of the template. Now you are part of the breaking the barrier, adva, and that's why it's so amazing. And at what point did you write that really, really inspiring post that I think got, I don't know, many tens of thousands of whatever and millions of views probably. When did you write that and why?

[Adva Amir]

This was after we got back from COVID After my first flight at the airline, I decided to write the post. It was about my journey.

[Ilana Golan]

And.

[Adva Amir]

And as we talked about all the negative comments, it was important for me to show to people that it doesn't matter what people say. They can tell you everything, but eventually you are the only one who knows, like, what you are capable of. So sometimes we take these comments so seriously from people we don't even know, that don't even know us and what we're capable of.

[Ilana Golan]

Can I read it for a second?

[Adva Amir]

Of course.

[Ilana Golan]

It had a really beautiful picture of you in the cockpit. And it basically said, people told me I'm too young. People told me it's not for women. People told me I'd never be a pilot. People told me I'm too gentle to fly an airplane. People told me I'll never make it to the airline, et cetera. And to me, it's one of those really, really inspiring posts that basically, here it is. Even though I got all these no's and all the feedback that I can't do it and I did it anyway. So to me, that's part of why I think it drew so much and so many people into starting to see adva. It was really incredible.

[Adva Amir]

I got a lot of comments from people after I shared this post about things they wanted to do and they had a dream to do, but they didn't do it. And all of a sudden when I showed my way and my journey, I remember I had one guy who told me he has a high pay like high tech job and he wants to volunteer in Africa and this pass made him go and do that. And he's been volunteering in Africa and opening his own nonprofit there. And this is just one story among a lot of them. I got a lot of messages from flight attendants who want to become a pilot and this pos pushed them to do that. And when I wrote the post, I just wanted to share my journey. I had no idea it will have such an impact and will get like 3 million views and so many people will see that. And I think when you do something really from your heart, this is what happened.

[Ilana Golan]

That's incredible. Like for me, that was just such a interesting one. Did you know that you're working on anything personal, brand related at that point or was it just more spontaneous, I want to share my journey or were you more intentional about it?

[Adva Amir]

I was really just wanted to share my journey. I wasn't working on anything. I was just beginning my flight journey at a new company and I told you I had so many struggles during the way and so many comments and I had this breakdown and then I had the breakthrough and then I had Covid and every time you're trying to hold your face above the water and you feel like drowning sometimes and then it happened, you see the light. And I remember my first flight, I was pulling into the gate and it was all kind of mirrors reflecting. So I couldn't really see myself. But I see, wow, I'm flying this big jet and I just wanted more people to go and show them that this is possible experience. Like if you have a dream, you can go and do that. There will be challenges, there will be a lot of barriers, there will be a lot of breakdowns, but it's possible. So this was my goal.

[Ilana Golan]

If you're feeling stuck, underpaid or unappreciated, or you're simply ready to take your career in life to the next level, I have the perfect solution for you. We have a program that helps you fast track and leap your reputation and career. Become the best version of yourself. Get the dream role you deserve, move up to leadership, jump to entrepreneurship, or even build a portfolio career. This program helps hundreds a year and it will help you gain the income, influence and impact that will transform the second part of your life. Watch our free training [e-mail] free training. The link is in the show notes. Now back to the show. At some point you decide to move to Hawaiian Airlines. Why?

[Adva Amir]

Hawaiian Airlines is an amazing company and Hawaii has some of the best waves.

[Ilana Golan]

In the world, which we'll talk about very soon. Speaking of crazy, but it was also like the first time that you did really, really long flights, Am I right?

[Adva Amir]

Correct. When I moved to Hawaii and started working for the airline here, I'm now flying the Airbus 330 which is the long haul flight. So a lot of flights from the islands to the west coast and we fly to Japan on Australia, South Korea as well. So yeah, I do a lot of long flights right now.

[Ilana Golan]

Was that an adjustment in terms of now it's different. You need to sleep, rest, whatever. Like there's all sorts of things. Like it all changes. By the way, you have a great podcast. For those who didn't hear it, Advai has this really fun podcast where she actually shares little myth about what we think about flying and what it actually is. I love it and you do such a great job there. But share a little bit. What was like the switch for you, the jet lag.

[Adva Amir]

You know, before regional airlines, normally you fly in the morning, you come back at night, and you do a couple of flights during the day. Here, if you do one long leg, you stay the night somewhere with a big difference in time zone, then you have to come back. So some people think pilots can deal better with a jet lag. We don't, no. But the big switch I think is starting to enjoy the pilot life. Like really, because till now I was in a kind of a race since I started still day one to get as many hours as you need to get to the first airline, which is the regional, and then in a race to get to the major airline where I fly right now. So it was in a race all the time. And sometimes I forgot to enjoy the journey. And this is also something I'm telling people, like, enjoy the journey and all part of it. Because right now it's not a secret that also I love my lifestyle, I love my life, I love flying this big jet and my company. But sometimes you do miss the small aircraft where you could actually fly. It's not a secret that our airplanes 90, 95% of the time we fly on autopilot. We do have a lot of tasks to do during and we are in control of the airplane eventually. But you do miss hand flying and you miss all those little stuff and maybe missing a little bit of flight instructing, just a little bit. It's important to enjoy every step of the way. So I think the big thing right now is really enjoying my lifestyle finally.

[Ilana Golan]

And for those listeners who don't know the flight space very well, it's true. In the big planes, a lot of it is automated right now. Right.

[Adva Amir]

98 to 95% of the flight is normally on autopilot. We have a lot of tasks during. We have to monitor traffic and weather and fuel and systems and reporting points and working as a crew. If something comes up from the cabin or from the cockpit, we have a lot of monitoring to do. And it's not just we're sitting there like most people think, but a lot of the flights right now are mostly automated.

[Ilana Golan]

So let's talk about your life. Was there, like, a decision to go to Hawaii? Did it need a decision or was it just like, oh, my God, yes, that's what I wanted.

[Adva Amir]

Anyway, I came here on vacation when I just was kind of my first time. I was surfing. I was surfing in Waikiki Beach.

[Ilana Golan]

When did you start surfing?

[Adva Amir]

I really started surfing, like, one and a half years ago. Almost two years.

[Ilana Golan]

Wow. So still new? Like, very new thing?

[Adva Amir]

Super new. Super new. And I enjoy every part of. Teach me a lot of things about myself, which is insane. You know, you also have to deal with a lot of fears, and I think surfing is really a mental game more than it's the physical game. So I came to Hawaii for vacation, and about two weeks, I was loving it, and I just decided to stay.

[Ilana Golan]

Oh, my God. Okay, that is crazy. So you decided to stay and then you found the role in Hawaiian?

[Adva Amir]

Basically, yeah. I knew I wanted to work for them, but it's kind of all. Everything happened at the same time, and it was amazing.

[Ilana Golan]

So. But let's go back to surfing, because I think that's just such a great point.

[Adva Amir]

You see how my smile now?

[Ilana Golan]

I know. I got it. It is so interesting because I think I do see so many similarities between. And even in the podcast, between perseverance in sports and perseverance in anything else, because again, you need to fall down. You need to pick yourself back up. We see it every single time. It's just amazing. So walk me through learning to surf for the first time, because that gets really hairy. And then what keeps you getting back up?

[Adva Amir]

When I started surfing, I loved it so much that I went out, like, every day that I could. And then I heard the comments of people telling me now you're too old, right? Because now I'm 31, I'm not 21. When I was 21, I started flying. I was too young. But now the learning sport at 31 is too old. You're too old, you're never going to get it. You cannot improve at that age. You have to be really dedicated for that. And I finally found something that I'm so passionate about. And all these comments right now, they didn't do anything for me because I knew better now because I already experienced all these comments before. And when I'm passionate about something, I don't care about anything else, I'm just going with it. And I just got aboard and just started going out again and again and again and again and again. And one day I was in the water and there was another Israeli guy over there and we got connected. He became my coach and everything just happened fluently and naturally. And I moved to smaller boards and I started surfing bigger waves. And every step of the way I was so scared. Even today when I go in the water, I'm like, I have this fear of the big waves, of not being good, of falling in front of other people, which is supposed to be fun, but you know, when you have to tell yourself and talk to yourself and you know, But I love that because.

[Ilana Golan]

It'S true for entrepreneurship, it's true for pilots, it's true for anything you do. The challenges are inevitable, right? The suffering to it, or, you know, what you make out of it is a choice. But the challenges will be there. And you not only learn this really, really quick, but you're also competing, right, in the Maccabia Games, which is insane. But take me to some of these falls. Does it ever catch you? And like, I don't want to do this. Like, I'm cold, I'm miserable, like I'm breathing too much water. Like, does it ever, like, first of.

[Adva Amir]

All, Ilana, I'm a spoiled surfer. So this is why I surf in a while, only in warm water.

[Ilana Golan]

Ah, okay, well, but it's big waves, scary waves. So I don't know if I buy it, but okay.

[Adva Amir]

What I realized this year, because last year I was surfing during the winter, and the winter is where we get here, the bigger waves and suddenly pushing myself to bigger and bigger waves. And I remember, like some sessions I would be out there, I would be so, so, so scared. I don't even want to catch one wave. I would just be there, scared. Fast forward to this winter. All of a sudden you go to the same spots and you have the same waves and you're not as fear as you were. So I learned the fuel level also can change, but it's a matter of pushing yourself, and even if not catching any wave, being out there, sometimes you just have to be. And from being at a spot, you'll grow.

[Ilana Golan]

And for me, like, sometimes I hear, and I'm sure the listeners will hear advice like, don't you just want to rest? You're flying when you like, and you do jet legs and then you surf and you do this. Don't you just want to, like, chill on the beach and have fun and, I don't know, some margaritas?

[Adva Amir]

I need to work on it, Elana, I need to chill. You're right. Yeah, for sure. I think this is the thing for me, like, it's hard for me to just chill and I know I need this, but it's kind of of a race that I need to tell myself, okay, today you are resting, you're staying at home or at the beach or. I think there is this part of it that, yes, I need to chill for sure. It's. And it's not easy sometimes for some people. On the other hand, I think when you're doing stuff that you're very passionate about, you always want to do that. You want to fly, you want to surf. So I'm happy that I found my passion finally. It's like some people would say it's late in life, but I was doing a lot of sports as a young kid. I was swimming, I was playing volleyball, I was playing soccer, I did a lot of things and I was swimming too. And when I found surfing, all the sparks in the air, like, you fall in love, it's what happened to me. Yeah.

[Ilana Golan]

So you end up competing in the Maccabiya. Like, how much anxiety, like, competing is a different level. How did you cope with anxiety and stuff like that?

[Adva Amir]

Yeah. So the Maccabia is in July.

[Ilana Golan]

Oh, okay.

[Adva Amir]

So it's coming. I still have two more months to be nervous about it, you know.

[Ilana Golan]

Okay, so I can be nervous on your behalf. Okay, let's go.

[Adva Amir]

There is anxiety, especially, you know, I'm a brand new surfer, two years is a brand new surfer.

[Ilana Golan]

It's the thing. It's like most people have it for so long.

[Adva Amir]

Yes, yes. And I know I'll be competing with Gears Surf 10 years, 20 years plus. And it's all of a sudden putting myself in a place where I'm not the best. When talking about experience, which is really, really difficult to put myself out there.

[Ilana Golan]

It'S really but you're still doing it, which is really.

[Adva Amir]

I'm still doing it and I'm still working on my mind that. And it's not easy but I think it's really going to be outside of my comfort zone when I'm used to excel and be good at what I do and all of a sudden I'm not. It's new. I'm still falling every session. I'm still doing stupid stuff on the board and with the waves and I'm still learning every time. But I think because I learn that when I put myself outside of my comfort zone, this is where I grow. And it's very, very uncomfortable. Very, very uncomfortable, I can tell you. But I'm doing it.

[Ilana Golan]

I love that you're doing it. I think it's just so beautiful. And I also say I'm giving you a hard time for. And we're laughing about being busy. But I do think that life is in phases and I think there's different phases in which you're going to push different elements in your life. And it just feels like this is the right phase in your phase. Like I think I was pushing like I don't know Ironmans and adventure races and other things. So I think I can totally relate and I think it's just also part of the experience that grow you and live with you and the things that you can carry with you. So I'm just excited for you. But for people who are listening and they're maybe in crossroads of what's next and how do I find my passion and I want to do more in my life but I, you know, maybe I'm afraid maybe there's. So what advice do you wish maybe somebody would have told you?

[Adva Amir]

I think what I learned is just start whatever that is. If you're not 100% sure this is what you want to do. But you have a dream, but you don't have all the resources right now. Just start, start your journey. Some things will work out, some won't. But you learn a lot on the way. And when you're starting something and trying, just like experiencing you're shaping your road and pivoting and eventually you'll find the right way. And I see your post all the time. I see you climbing some huge mountain in all kind of different spots in the world. And I think every time is a different path. You discover new things when you climb, you learn, you fall, you fail, but you continue. So I think this is the first thing that is very important that people that will take from today and the second thing that I always talk about that is don't listen to what other people have to say. You can come to someone you think that is your friend and share with them your idea and they will, oh, there's no way you're going to do that. Not because they're bad friends, but just because they didn't experience themselves or they.

[Ilana Golan]

Truly don't believe they're guarding you like they're really guarding you. Like they want you safe, like. Or yes, possibly. Right.

[Adva Amir]

Yeah, it's from the right reasons, but they have no idea what you're capable of and you're the only one who knows it. So if there is something you believe in it or you're passionate about, go and do it and try and. Okay, if you fail, you'll try it again.

[Ilana Golan]

I love that because I think there's two types of remarks like that. One is to keep you safe. And that's usually, if you really think about who you're getting that feedback from, it's usually not somebody who walk the walk. So I think always, really be careful about who you're listening to. If they walk the walk and they're saying no, okay, why are they saying no? Let's be a little more receptive. But if they've never walked the walk, it's usually coming from some kind. I'm guarding you. But I think the second type is just the haters. I had somebody on the show, John Hennessy, and he says, if you don't have haters, you're not relevant. So I was just like, oh, good, I feel better already.

[Adva Amir]

You can be loved by anyone. And if you're doing extraordinary things, there will be people that want to see that. And I think a good example I have from actually from the surfing world is that I went surfing, it was maybe like two weeks ago, and I'm going out with a friend and, you know, it's Hawaii. Everyone is talking to each other, especially if you see you're holding surfboard. And as we were going to the spot, there were three people, different people with a surfboard, going out back to their car. And, you know, we're doing this small talk of, like, how was it? How's the waves? And so first person said it was fun, fun waves. The second person said, oh, not a good day. So much wind, I couldn't catch any wave. And the third person said something like, it's fine. And we got there and we had the most amazing day. So it also depends on the experience of the person and the board, which can Be the resource of the person. It's a lot of ingredients and the background and the experience that engraved into one thing, that eventually you will decide if you're having fun or not having fun, or if the waves are good or not good.

[Ilana Golan]

And I think that's so beautiful, because sometimes also your mood and your state of mind will dictate everything. Right? Because it's kind of like Ford said, you know, whether you think you can, you think you can't, you're right. Whether you want to have a good time or you don't want to have a good time, either one will work. Like when I drag my kids to a hike, if they're pumped and excited, it's going to be a great hike. If they're already starting, like, oh, not again, not again. Guess what? It's going to suck. So now I only have an option, like, do I drag him anyway, or do I let it go? But it's like, I know based on the initial reaction. And I think we're the same. We decide a lot of times. Sometimes we decide one thing and it's really going to flip on its head, but in general, we kind of dictate it. Am I right?

[Adva Amir]

Absolutely. I think it's all eventually, in the state of mind, sometimes we can convince ourselves to think otherwise, sometimes we can't, and it's just part of it.

[Ilana Golan]

So for people listening to this and thinking, okay, but airline pilot, that is really, really different. What would you say to them? Why pursue either that or anything else that really go after their dream?

[Adva Amir]

Well, this is very cliche, Alana, but we live once, right? If you have a dream, I believe you should go and try for it. And with determination and the right mindset and perseverance and integrity and all of these qualities, you'll be able to achieve whatever you want and whatever you set your mind to. It might not be the thing that you started that you wanted at the beginning. It might change on the way. But it's an amazing feeling when you get to the point where you saw yourself and you vision yourself over there. It's an amazing feeling. But I think the important thing is also enjoy the journey on the way. And I had to learn it the hard way because all of us were always in a race. We want to achieve that and that and that and that and that. But I think also enjoying every step of the way and taking the most out of it is hard to do, but very.

[Ilana Golan]

It's part of the fun. It's part of enjoying life. We had Brian Keane on the show. And he basically said, what would you regret at 97 and how do you win today to get there? And I think that was also kind of an interesting one for me because it was like, there's some things that you'll definitely regret not going. And most of the time, we actually regret things that we didn't take action on a lot more than the things that we did take action and didn't work out. So that was kind of an interesting one that I thought was exactly your story. So you just say yes to the maybe all day long, and it's just so beautiful to see.

[Adva Amir]

Yeah. Just get yourself outside the comfort zone. This is where you grow, this is where you learn. It's not easy to be there, and.

[Ilana Golan]

The challenges will still be there. The scary moments will still be there. You're going to be tired, you're going to have jet lag, you're going to all the things, but you still know that you've done something extraordinary.

[Adva Amir]

Yeah. But hopefully I'll be able to surf at 97.

[Ilana Golan]

Okay, now that's a goal. This was so, so, so fun, so inspiring.

[Adva Amir]

I want to say something. I don't know if you remember, we met long time ago. Long, long time ago. Eight or ten years ago. I was volunteering for an organization and they did a hackathon in Los Angeles. And you were one of the judges.

[Ilana Golan]

Ah, I forgot that. Yes, I missed that. Oh, my God.

[Adva Amir]

And I remember this is the first I heard about you, but this was the first time that I actually saw you in person. And there were like four judges, and it was a teen hackathon. So every company and group of teens, they built a product and showed it to you guys eventually. And, like, you know, there was a big audience and it was really, really fun and amazing event, what those little teenagers can do. And I remember hearing you talking to them and giving them feedback, and I was just so intrigued and amazed by how you talk to them and how you encourage them. And after that, I really wanted to meet you because I heard you were an F16 flight instructor. So one of my friend, Anat, she introduced me to you. And I remember I was 22, maybe 23, and I was so amazed by you. And then she made the introduction and you heard about my journey and me wanting to be a pilot. And you encouraged me and gave me a lot of blessing and motivation with your big smile. And, you know, we were talking about, sometimes you need this little encouragement from someone. And especially when I was like, I'm still looking up to you. And everything you're doing. So ever since every time you're, like, motivating me and when you see my posture, like, saying all these kind words, it's amazing to see that and amazing to feel that, especially from someone like you. So I just want to say thank you. And I feel like closing a circle in a way.

[Ilana Golan]

Oh, my God, it's so beautiful. Adva, I did not piece all the pieces together. Although now in retrospect, I can see it. And now I'm like, oh, my God, yes, you did message me. Anyway, now I can see it. But seriously, I've been actually following your journey. I think it was incredibly inspiring to see you and just your grit and your tenacity and going after your dreams. And I think humans need to see more of that. So I'm just so excited that we got you on this show and that we made it happen because I was just like, advai want to get you on this show. Let's go. I was the one chasing you, so let's go.

[Adva Amir]

I'm so happy you invited me here. Really, I'm grateful. Thank you so much.

[Ilana Golan]

Continue having amazing, safe, beautiful flights with gorgeous views around Hawaii and back and forth through the region. And good luck.

[Adva Amir]

The va thank you so much. I will need that.

[Ilana Golan]

I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did. If you did, please share it with friends now. Also, if you're feeling stuck or simply want more from your own career, watch this 30 minute free [e-mail] training. That's leapacademy.com training. See you in the next episode of the Leap Academy with Ilana Golan show.