>>> WELCOME BACK. THIS MORNING, WE’RE INTRODUCING
YOU TO AN ARMY VETERAN WHO IS
TURNING GRIT INTO A LIFESTYLE.
>> SHE WAS ONE OF THE FIRST
WOMEN TO FLY AN APACHE
HELICOPTER.
HELICOPTER. >> NOW, SHE’S TAKING THE LESSONS
SHE LEARNED IN THE MILITARY TO
BUILD A COMMUNITY OF FEMALE
LEADERS.
LEADERS. >> WOMEN ARE SO ACTIVE AND SO
ACCOMPLISHED, I THINK IN SO MANY
NONTRADITIONAL WAYS IN ALASKA.
>> Reporter: AS A CHILD GROWING
UP IN ANCHORAGE, ALASKA, SHANNON
PULLSON LEARNED TO FOLLOW HER
DREAMS.
DREAMS. AT AGE 17, PULLSON TOOK HER
ALASKAN GRIT AND TRAVELED ACROSS
THE COUNTRY TO ATTEND COLLEGE AT
DUKE UNIVERSITY, IN NORTH
CAROLINA, WHERE SHE JOINED THE
ROTC.
ROTC. >> I ENDED UP GOING ACTIVE DUTY.
I WAS IN THE FIRST GROUP OF
WOMEN WHO FLIED THE APACHE IN
THE U.S. OREMARMY.
THERE WAS SOMETHING EXCITING AT
THE TIME TO DO SOMETHING THAT
WAS NEW AND HAD JUST OPENED UP.
I FEEL FORTUNATE FOR THE
OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE FLOWN
MISSIONS THAT FELT LIKE THEY
WERE MAKING A DIFFERENCE.
>> Reporter: PULLSON WENT ON TO
SERVE IN BOSNIA, AFTER THE
BOSNIA WAR.
BOSNIA WAR. >> WE HAD OUR 30 MILLIMETER
LOADED IN THE APACHES READY IF
WE NEEDED TO USE THEM.
>> Reporter: AFTER BEING
PROMOTED TO ARMY CAPTAIN,
PULLSON WAS DEPLOYED TO SOUTH
KOREA IN THE LATE ’90s.
>> IF WE VIOLATED THE NO-FLY
LINE, WE WOULD BE SHOT DOWN.
WE KNEW THE RAMIFICATION OF THAT
KIND OF ERROR.
I THINK THE MILITARY TAUGHT ME A
LOT OF TAKING CARE OF PEOPLE.
IT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON
YOU CAN LEARN FROM THE MILITARY.
>> Reporter: AFTER EIGHT YEARS,
PULLSON RETURNED TO CIVILIAN
LIFE, STARTED A FAMILY, EARNED
AN MBA AND WORKED IN THE
CORPORATE WORLD, INCLUDING A
MANAGEMENT JOB AT MICROSOFT.
EIGHT YEARS LATER, PULLSON
STARTED THE GRIT PROJECT.
>> MY EXPERIENCE WAS UNIQUE
COMING INTO THIS FIELD AS ONE OF
THE FIST WOMEN TORST WOMEN TO DO
WANTED TO DRAW STORIES FROM
OTHER WOMEN, AS WELL.
>> Reporter: IT WAS HER PASSION
OF INSPIRING WOMEN’S STORIES
THAT LED PULLSON TO START THE
GRIT INSTITUTE.
GRIT INSTITUTE. >> YOU HAVE TO BE WILLING TO
PUSH THROUGH THINGS AND NOT LET
PEOPLE DEFINE YOUR
OPPORTUNITIES.
OPPORTUNITIES. YOU DON’T QUIT.
YOU DON’T GIVE UP.
>> PLEASE WELCOME SHANNON
PULLSON.
PULLSON. TAKE ME BACK TO THAT INITIAL
DECISION, ONE OF THE FIRST WOMEN
TO OBVIOUSLY FLY AN APACHE
HELICOPTER.
HELICOPTER. WHY DID YOU WANT TO DO IT?
DID YOU ENCOUNTER RESISTANCE?
PUSHBACK?
PUSHBACK? >> I WAS PART OF THE ROTC
PROGRAM IN DUKE UNIVERSITY.
I WAS IN THE NATIONAL GUARD AT
THE TIME.
THE TIME. WE HAD APACHES AND BLACKHAWKS IN
THE NATIONAL GUARD.
I WAS GIVEN MY ASSIGNMENT AND I
WAS TOLD I COULDN’T FLY AN
APACHE HELICOPTER.
APACHE HELICOPTER. IT WAS THE EARLY ’90s AND WE
WEREN’T ALLOWED TO FLY THE
APACHES.
APACHES. >> AS WOMEN.
>> WHEN THE COMBAT EXCLUSION
CLAUSE WAS LIFTED, THAT WAS THE
MOST INCREDIBLE AIRFRAME AND
MISSION AND AMAZING OPPORTUNITY.
IT WAS SOMETHING I KNEW BECAUSE
WE HAD THE FIRST "DESERT STORM"
WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE, THERE WAS
A GOOD LIKELIHOOD YOU WILL GET
DEPLOYED IN THE MILITARY.
IF I WAS DEPLOYED, I WANTED A
CHANCE TO SHOOT BACK.
>> YOU HAD ONE OFFICER, MALE
OFFICER, TELL YOU, YOU WOULD
NEVER FLY AN APACHE.
THEN WHAT?
THEN WHAT? >> WHEN I WAS IN THE NATIONAL
GUARD, I DRILLED WITH THE
NATIONAL GUARD FOR THE LAST TWO
YEARS IN COLLEGE.
WHEN I WENT TO RECEIVE MY
ASSIGNMENT, THE AVIATION
OFFICER, STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE
OF THE CONVERSATION, LEANED BACK
IN HIS CHAIR AND LOOKED DOWN HIS
NOSE AT ME AND SAID, YOU
REALIZE, CADET, YOU WILL NEVER
FLY AN ATTACK AIRCRAFT.
>> THAT GIVES YOU MORE DRIVE
RIGHT THERE.
RIGHT THERE. >> IT DOES, RIGHT?
IT DOES.
IT DOES. IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT
SOMEBODY HAD SAID SOMETHING WITH
SUCH VERY SPECIFIC, CLEAR
INTENT.
INTENT. AND I WENT BACK TO THE ROTC
DETACHMENT AND ASKED FOR
TRANSFER TO ACTIVE DUTY.
AND THE COMBAT EXCLUSION CLAUSE
WAS LIFTED.
WAS LIFTED. I’VE NEVER SEEN HIM SINCE.
>> IF YOU’RE WATCHING RIGHT NOW,
PAL --
PAL -- >> IN YOUR FACE.
>> THAT’S RIGHT.
>> YOUR STORY IS SO
INSPIRATIONAL.
INSPIRATIONAL. THERE’S A LOT OF WOMEN WHO ARE
TRAIL BLAZERS IN THEIR FIELD OR
DOING SOMETHING THAT IS
TYPICALLY A MALE-DOMINATED
FIELD.
FIELD. THAT’S WHAT THE GRIT PROJECT IS
DOING, RIGHT?
DOING, RIGHT? IT GATHERS THE PEOPLE TO TELL
THEIR STORIES.
THEIR STORIES. >> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. ESPECIALLY WOMEN IN
MALE-DOMINATED FIELDS, WE DON’T
TELL OUR STORIES AS MUCH.
WE FEEL ALMOST LIKE WE SHOULDN’T
TELL THEM.
TELL THEM. THE PARTY LINE IS THERE’S NO
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A MAN AND
WOMAN.
WOMAN. THE EXPERIENCE IS DIFFERENT.
THE PERFORMANCE MAY BE MORE
EXCEPTIONAL.
EXCEPTIONAL. BUT THE REALITY OF THE
EXPERIENCE IS DIFFERENT.
AND IT OCCURRED TO ME, HAVING NO
FEMALE ROLE MODELS IN THE
MILITARY, THAT WAS SOMETHING I
WAS MISSING AND I WOULD LOVE TO
BE ABLE TO FIND THAT COLLECTIVE
WISDOM AND BRING THAT TO PEOPLE
WHO ARE MAKING -- NOT JUST
WOMEN, BUT WOMEN AND MEN -- IN
THE LEADERSHIP CHALLENGES TODAY.
>> THE ONE THING THAT IS SO
IMPORTANT FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
TODAY, IS EMBRACING FAILURE.
FAILURE IS IMPORTANT.
>> I WANTED TO SAY AND I THOUGHT
OF THIS EARLY ON, WHEN YOU’RE
FLYING AN AIRCRAFT, A HELICOPTER
AND AIRPLANE, YOU TAKE OFF AND
LAND WITH THE NOSE INTO THE
WIND.
WIND. I LOOK AT THAT AS FACING
FAILURE, FEAR, ANY OF THE
CHALLENGES WE MIGHT FACE, YOU
HAVE TO TURN TOWARDS IT AND FLY
DIRECTLY THROUGH IT.
IF YOU DO IT THE RIGHT WAY, THE
RESISTANCE HELPS YOU RISE.
>> THAT’S GOOD.
>> RESISTANCE WILL HELP YOU
RISE.
RISE. >> YES.
>> YES. SHANNON POLSON, THANK YOU.
>> MAYBE NOT THAT MUCH.
>> SHANNON’S BOOK, BASED ON THE
GRIT PROJECT, IS DUE OUT LATER