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AVIATE with Shaesta: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Shaesta Waiz
AVIATE with Shaesta brings some of the most interesting female aviators together- trailblazers, record-setters, mothers, adventurers, entrepreneurs- to have honest conversations about what it means to be a woman in aviation. Join Shaesta Waiz, the Youngest Woman to Fly Solo Around the World, as she goes around the world (via a podcast) and connects with the industry to have honest conversations about being a woman in aviation. AVIATE, which stands for Acknowledge, Vocalize, Inclusion, Act, Travel, and Evolve, are the themes guiding each conversation.AVIATE With Shaesta is sponsored by Atlantic Aviation.
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- 3 days ago25 min
The Aviation Career You Build and the Life Alongside It with Jo Damato
What does it take to sustain a career in aviation as life and responsibilities evolve? In this episode of AVIATE, Shaesta Waiz sits down with Jo Damato of the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) for an honest conversation about career growth, caregiving, leadership, and the importance of community. Jo shares her experience caring for her parents while managing a demanding career and raising two children. It's a raw and deeply personal part of the conversation that brings an important perspective to the aviation workforce discussion. Together, Shaesta and Jo explore what it means to redefine your space, how personal experiences can shape the way we lead, and why supporting aviation professionals through different stages of life matters just as much as attracting new talent into the industry. In this episode: Balancing professional responsibilities with family and caregiving Redefining your space and reassessing priorities How caregiving can shape leadership and empathy The importance of asking for help and building a support community Creating an aviation industry where people can grow and thrive throughout their careers About AVIATE Hosted by Shaesta Waiz, AVIATE brings you conversations with the people shaping aviation's future, sharing the experiences, perspectives, and lessons behind their journeys. AVIATE is proudly sponsored by Atlantic Aviation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- 3 weeks ago21 min
Kelly Carrillo on Cabin Safety, Entrepreneurship, and Building PROLOCKD
What does it really take to work as a corporate flight attendant? In this episode of AVIATE, I sit down with Kelly Carrillo, who has spent the past nine years working in business aviation and is now taking her experience in some exciting new directions. We talk about the side of corporate aviation passengers rarely see, from preparing different aircraft for flight to the importance of cabin safety and hands-on emergency training. Kelly also shares how the challenges she experienced as an independent contractor led her to create PROLOCKD, a new platform designed to make it easier for aviation professionals and flight departments to connect. And in 2027, she'll take on another role as president of the Northern California Business Aviation Association. I really enjoyed hearing how Kelly's career has evolved, from taking her first flying lessons to becoming a flight attendant, entrepreneur, and industry leader. It's a conversation about finding your place in aviation, recognizing opportunities to make things better, and helping others along the way. Learn more about PROLOCKD: https://prolockd.com AVIATE with Shaesta is made possible through the continued support of Atlantic Aviation. 01:24 Meet Kelly Carrillo 02:20 From Flying Lessons to Corporate Aviation 05:04 Cabin Safety and Emergency Preparedness 07:57 Bringing a Flight Attendant's Perspective to Leadership 11:12 Building Community in Business Aviation 13:40 The Future of Cabin Crew Training 16:20 Introducing PROLOCKD 18:30 How PROLOCKD Works 20:06 Turning Experience into Innovation 22:31 What Kelly Is Building Toward Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- Oct 7, 202623 min
What AI Means for Aviation’s Workforce with Paula Sacks
AI is changing how we work, but what does that mean for the people behind aviation? Shaesta Waiz sits down with Paula Sacks, Chief Human Resources Officer at Atlantic Aviation, to explore how AI could reshape the aviation workforce and why human judgment, mentorship, trust and leadership may become even more valuable as technology advances. Paula shares where she sees opportunities for AI, from reducing time-intensive work to supporting frontline operations, while making the case for protecting something technology cannot replicate: the wisdom and judgment that come from experience. They also discuss attracting and retaining women in aviation, the small leadership moments that shape careers, and why Paula believes building better leaders is essential to building the workforce aviation needs next. What happens when AI gives us more capacity? The opportunity may be to spend more time doing the work only humans can do. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- Sep 30, 202620 min
Making Room for More: Rethinking What an Aviation Career Can Look Like with Marlis D’Souza
What happens when you love aviation, but it isn’t your only passion? Marlis D’Souza built a career as an aerospace engineer and genuinely loved the work. But she was also an artist. In this episode of AVIATE, Shaesta Waiz sits down with Marlis to talk about stepping away from the expected career path, building a life around more than one passion, and discovering that engineering and art weren’t as separate as they seemed. Marlis shares the realities of building a creative business, what her engineering background brings to her art, and why four years spent building something of her own shouldn’t be viewed as a “career gap.” The conversation also explores a bigger question for aviation: Can we create careers that give talented people room to evolve without asking them to fit into one professional identity? In this episode:• Going against the traditional engineering career path• Building a sustainable life around a passion• How engineering influences Marlis’s art• Why unconventional career paths can build valuable skills• Making room for more than one passion• What Marlis is building toward Explore Marlis’s artwork:ArtsyByM — artsybym.com About AVIATE with Shaesta:AVIATE features conversations with women shaping what comes next in aviation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- Sep 22, 202624 min
Who Gets to Decide? Rethinking Aviation Policy with Samantha Sliney
What happens when a policy that looks reasonable on paper doesn’t work in real life? In this episode of AVIATE with Shaesta, I sit down with Samantha Sliney, an attorney, Air Force veteran, current Air National Guard officer, author, and policy advocate, to talk about how lived experience can become a catalyst for meaningful change. Samantha’s advocacy began with a problem she experienced herself: traveling for military duty while breastfeeding and discovering there was no policy to reimburse the cost of shipping breast milk home. What started as one frustrating experience eventually connected her with other women facing similar barriers and led to broader policy work. We talk about how to recognize when an individual challenge points to a larger systemic issue, why data alone rarely tells the whole story, and what Samantha learned from efforts to rethink policies around flying while pregnant. She also explains the shift from a “no, because” approach to a “yes, but” framework, one that acknowledges risk while giving women greater agency in decisions about their careers. Today, Samantha is continuing that work through White Lace & Combat Boots, her platform for advocacy and storytelling. She is also the co-author of All the Things Our Mommy Can Do and author of All the Things Our Daddy Can Do, children's books that challenge traditional assumptions about careers, caregiving, and gender roles. Learn more about Samantha, her advocacy, and her books:https://www.whitelaceandcombatboots.com/ 02:14 Meet Samantha 02:41 The experience that started Samantha’s policy advocacy04:37 Why support matters for women building careers and families06:07 When does a personal problem become a policy problem?08:39 What happens when you’re the first woman facing a barrier?09:21 Rethinking flying while pregnant: From “no, because” to “yes, but”12:28 Giving women agency over career and risk decisions13:11 Where military aviation policy stands today15:51 Building White Lace and Combat Boots18:08 What Samantha is building toward20:00 Why policy and culture are connected21:00 Changing culture through children’s books22:24 Where to find Samantha’s books Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- Sep 15, 202624 min
Building What Aviation Needs Next with Lisa DeFrees
Building What’s Next with Lisa DeFrees What does it take to build a career in aviation that can evolve alongside the industry? In this episode of the AVIATE with Shaesta podcast, Shaesta Waiz, the 8th woman to fly solo around the world, sits down with Lisa DeFrees, an aviation sales, marketing, and media leader whose career has spanned three decades of transformation across the general aviation industry. Lisa shares why curiosity, relationships, trust, and even a little naivety have helped her navigate change, from the evolution of aviation media from print to digital to her own transition into aviation infrastructure. She also discusses what makes customers say yes, why real-world expertise still matters in an increasingly technology-driven world, and why being willing to ask questions can be one of the most valuable skills in your career. The conversation also looks ahead at the growth of general aviation, rising aircraft ownership costs, the demand for aircraft hangars and airport infrastructure, and what it will take to support the next generation of aircraft, pilots, owners, and aviation businesses. Now working to expand aviation infrastructure across the United States, Lisa is helping address an often overlooked question: As aviation grows, are we building the infrastructure needed to sustain it? Building What’s Next is a conversation about career reinvention, aviation leadership, sales and marketing, women in aviation, general aviation growth, aircraft ownership, and the people building what the aviation industry will need next. 00:00 Introduction 02:02 Meet Lisa DeFrees 02:25 Curiosity, Naivety & Navigating Change 04:19 What Actually Makes Someone Say Yes? 07:15 Turning a Great Idea Into a Sale 09:19 The Power of Relationships & Partnerships 10:08 From Print to Digital: How Aviation Media Changed 11:30 Why Real-World Expertise Still Matters 13:31 The Risks of Relying on AI & Search 14:13 What’s Next for Aviation? 15:30 Innovation, Technology & New Opportunities 17:33 Reinventing Your Career in Aviation 18:11 Building the Infrastructure Aviation Needs 20:37 Can Infrastructure Keep Up With Aviation’s Growth? 21:18 Closing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- Apr 30, 202637 min
Aviation Pro Sarah Kalmeta Reveals Why Pivoting Is Power
Sarah Kalmeta built her career around one core truth: a pivot is not a failure. It is feedback. In this conversation, Sarah explains how her own aviation career forced her to confront burnout, health issues, identity shifts, and the pressure to keep performing even when life was clearly asking for change. Her early work in private aviation gave her constant exposure to change, pressure, and high-stakes decision-making, but over time she realized that the pace of the industry was taking a toll on her nervous system, her health, and her sense of alignment. Sarah shares how moving to Asia opened her eyes to a different side of aviation and helped her see that there were other ways to build a career in the industry. But even after reaching the milestones she thought she wanted, the salary, the wedding, the apartment, and the title, she found herself miserable and disconnected. That realization forced her to ask harder questions about what success really meant, what she was trying to prove, and why she had been trying so hard to fit into boxes that were never built for her. The conversation also goes deep into the link between pivoting and mental health in aviation. Sarah explains the real signals that it may be time to pivot: losing joy in work that once energized you, withdrawing from people, procrastinating, making more mistakes, feeling overwhelmed, or realizing your body is no longer recovering. She also makes a clear case for why the aviation industry needs to treat mental health, women’s health, rest, recovery, and human performance with the same seriousness it gives to aircraft performance. Later in the episode, Sarah talks about what it means to pivot at different stages of life, why small one-degree shifts matter, and how women can approach change without making themselves the problem. She also challenges aviation leaders to build healthier systems that support people instead of pushing them into survival mode. Her message is simple: the future of aviation depends on people who can adapt, speak honestly, protect their health, and stop seeing change as failure. Chapters: Pivoting Is Not Failure Sarah Joins The Podcast Her First Aviation Pivot The Moment Everything Changed Shame And Starting Over Real Signs It’s Time To Pivot Mental Health In Aviation Pivoting At Every Age Identity And Mental Health Aviation Must Change SPONSOR Atlantic Aviation | atlanticaviation.com WORK WITH SHAESTA For bookings and inquiries, visit: https://shaestawaiz.com/book MORE ABOUT SARAH KALMETA LinkedIn: Sarah Kalmeta Website: https://www.sarahkalmeta.com/ Instagram: @sarahthepivoter MORE ABOUT SHAESTA WAIZ Website: shaestawaiz.com Instagram: @shaesta.waiz LinkedIn: Shaesta Waiz YouTube: www.youtube.com/@aviateplatform TikTok: @shaestawaiz Threads: @shaesta.waiz Production, Distribution, and Marketing By Massif & Kroo Website: MassifKroo.com For inquiries/sponsoring: email hello@MassifKroo.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- Apr 17, 202615 min
Tasha Funes: What Private Aviation Flight Attendants Really Do
Tasha Funes built her aviation career across commercial, charter, government, and private aviation, and in this conversation she explains how each chapter taught her something different about the job. Commercial aviation gave her structure. Charter sharpened her professionalism. Private aviation brought those skills together and showed her what full-spectrum service, safety, and adaptability really look like. She also pushes back on one of the biggest misconceptions about flight attendants: the idea that the job is only about service, when in reality the work starts days before a trip and includes preparation, coordination, safety, and constant problem-solving. That behind-the-scenes work becomes even more intense in private aviation. Tasha explains that private flight attendants are not just there to serve passengers. They are stocking the aircraft, handling catering, cleaning, shopping for client needs, protecting confidentiality, and reading the room for high-net-worth travelers who expect excellence without having to ask for it. Her point is clear: to do this well, you need emotional intelligence, flexibility, attention to detail, and the ability to think on your feet when the day changes fast. That experience is what led her to found Exclusive In-Flight. After more than 20 years in aviation, Tasha saw that there was no real roadmap for people trying to break into private aviation, only scattered information online that often left people confused, discouraged, and wasting money. So she built a business focused on mentorship, resume development, hands-on training, and career placement support. Later in the episode, she explains how aspiring flight attendants can get started, why commercial experience can be a strong first step, what skills matter most, and why women in aviation should trust themselves, stay flexible, and stop waiting for permission to build their own path. CHAPTERS The job is more than service Meet Tasha Funes Lessons from each aviation lane The biggest misconception Discretion and emotional intelligence Commercial vs private aviation Why she built Exclusive In-Flight Mentorship and training services Skills that make you stand out Trust yourself and go for it SPONSORAtlantic Aviation | atlanticaviation.com WORK WITH SHAESTAFor bookings and inquiries, visit: https://shaestawaiz.com/book MORE ABOUT TASHA FUNESBusiness: Exclusive In-Flight MORE ABOUT SHAESTA WAIZWebsite: shaestawaiz.comInstagram: @shaesta.waizLinkedIn: Shaesta WaizYouTube: www.youtube.com/@aviateplatformTikTok: @shaestawaizThreads: @shaesta.waiz Production, Distribution, and Marketing By Massif & KrooWebsite: MassifKroo.comFor inquiries/sponsoring: email hello@MassifKroo.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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About AVIATE with Shaesta
AVIATE with Shaesta brings some of the most interesting female aviators together- trailblazers, record-setters, mothers, adventurers, entrepreneurs- to have honest conversations about what it means to be a woman in aviation. Join Shaesta Waiz, the Youngest Woman to Fly Solo Around the World, as she goes around the world (via a podcast) and connects with the industry to have honest conversations about being a woman in aviation. AVIATE, which stands for Acknowledge, Vocalize, Inclusion, Act, Travel, and Evolve, are the themes guiding each conversation.AVIATE With Shaesta is sponsored by Atlantic Aviation.
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