S5:E54🎙️ LIVE with MAJ Rickia McGee, US Army

Hi, I'm John Maxwell. When the top companies in the world are looking for trainers, speakers, and coaches, there's one name that stands above the rest, and that's Maxwell Leadership. Our certified team members have gotten proven results for companies all over the globe, and our reputation, I'm proud to say, is second to none. Some of our members have risen to the top of their profession, including the one you're going to meet today. I proudly introduce you to my friend, Bob Fabien Zinga.

Welcome to the Leadership and Success Podcast with your host, Coach BZ, where we help you lead with purpose and succeed with impact. If you're ready to grow into the kind of leader others want to follow, this podcast is for you. If you're determined to elevate your success and leave a lasting legacy, this podcast is for you. As my mentor, Dr. John C. Maxwell, reminds us, everything rises and falls on leadership. Our goal is simple, to inspire you, challenge you, and equip you with insights that can transform the trajectory of your leadership journey. Welcome aboard to to another episode of the Leadership and Success Podcast with Coach BZ.

Okay, let me try this again.

Uh, welcome everyone to a special edition of the Leadership and Success Podcast. This is Coach BZ. I am really, uh, Overjoyed, we have a great guest waiting for us right now in the green room.

Before I bring her in, let's start with our daily moment of gratitude.

So every time we meet here on the Leadership Circles podcast, we really like to take just a moment to be grateful. And part of the reason why we do this is because You cannot be suicidal, right, and depressed and be grateful at the very same time. As you guys know, in the military, it's about 21, 22 service members and veterans who commit suicide every single day. So if you would maybe close your eyes, take a deep breath, put yourself in your happy place, and think about one thing you are grateful for right now. And I think today I am really grateful that we do stand on The Shoulders of Giants.

As you know, on this podcast, we are continuing to celebrate Black History Month.

So I am calling it Black History Year because 28 days is not long enough to really speak about the greatness, all of the things that African Americans have done to build this country and make America what it is today.

Right.

And again, I highly recommend this book, African American First: Famous, Little Known, and Unsung Triumphs of Blacks in America. And I am so, so grateful for it.

So let us know where where you are joining us from.

It looks like we have Daniel Young here from Metland, Florida. Thank you.

And also let us know what you are grateful for.

And of course, if you got a question for my guest, go ahead and type it in the comments. So I'm gonna use my AI twin to do the introduction of my guest, and the next person you are going to see is going to be Major Ricky McGee.

So here we go.

I'm gonna let my AI twin take over.

Hello everyone and welcome to another episode of the Leadership and Success Podcast with Coach BZ, where we bring you inspiring conversations with leaders who are making a difference in their communities, professions, and around the world. Today, I'm honored to welcome a remarkable leader who truly embodies what I like to call the scholar warrior mindset. Joining us is Major Rickia McGee, Doctor of Physical Therapy, United States Army National Guard officer, and passionate advocate for leadership, mentorship, and lifelong learning. Major McGee currently serves at the National Guard Bureau, where she supports operational planning and logistics readiness for the Army National Guard. Over the course of her military career, she has led soldiers in multiple leadership roles, including serving as company commander of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 927th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, where she was responsible for leading soldiers and managing millions of dollars in equipment while maintaining mission readiness during challenging operations. Beyond her operational leadership, Major McGee represents the next generation of multidimensional leaders. She holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Florida, is pursuing a Doctor of Physical Therapy at the University of Southern California, and has also earned cybersecurity certifications including CompTIA Security+ and CISA+. Demonstrating a commitment to lifelong learning and national service. She is deeply passionate about mentorship, representation, and developing the next generation of leaders, believing that leadership is not only about mission success but about lifting others as we climb. Today, we're going to explore her journey, the lessons she has learned in uniform and beyond, and what it truly means to lead with resilience, purpose, and service. So please join me in welcoming Major Rikkiya McGee to the Leadership and Success Podcast with with Coach BZ. Rikkiya, welcome to the show.

Thank you so much.

All right, uh, Major Maggie, are you there?

Yes, can you hear me?

I, I can hear you, but I can't see you.

Okay, let's see here. I think it's because of The background. Let me take that background off.

Yes, one thing that happens when you do a live show.

It's supposed to—

and it looks like you already have a whole bunch of fans who are listening to us live right now.

Yes, looks like it's supposed to. It has a background on there, but I don't have a background selected, so I don't know why that's going.

Let's see if you click on the, uh, setting.

Yes.

And under video, do you see your camera video input?

Yes. Okay, let's see here.

Here we go.

Can you see me now?

Yeah.

Great. Perfect.

All right, so perfect. Like I was saying, ladies and gentlemen, please help me welcome the one and only Major McGee. Oh, thank you.

Thank you for the introduction. I appreciate it. Thank you so much.

Fantastic. So to get started, what is one thing you are grateful for today, Major?

Oh, that's easy. One thing I'm grateful for today and every day, honestly, is just my health. I am an avid sports fan. I love to run. I love to be outside. I love to be active. So to have the ability to be able to, um, use my body for fitness and to accomplish goals, like, I am just super, super, super grateful for my health. So I have to say that.

That is really, really wonderful. Like I was saying, there's already a whole lot of, uh, activities there from YouTube and, uh, uh, LinkedIn.

I think you know all of these people, and I think one of them said, uh, they are your cousin or something.

But any Anyway, we, we, this is gonna be a fun show. What, what is something about you that, uh, most people may not know?

One thing about me that most people may not know and some people may not believe is I am actually shy.

I don't really like— yes, I don't like a lot of attention.

And when I'm around people, especially people that I'm comfortable with, I have no problem with, you know, being silly. I have no problem with being an extrovert and boisterous, but I'm truly a shy person, honestly.

Wow.

Okay. That is very difficult to believe.

I know.

You really have accomplished so much in so many industries. I guess to get started, why did you join the US Army?

What inspired you to serve?

So honestly, when I first joined the Army, I had no clue. What I was doing. I had no reference in my family outside of— on my father's side, I have an aunt that served like way, like way before I was even maybe like a child. And so outside of her, I had no reference for serving the military. So I'm in college and I run into the issue of needing to pay for school. And I thought, you know, I'm a first-generation college student, I I don't know much about the financial aid process. I don't know how to get scholarships or grants. And I see a sign on one, like on one of the walls, I believe, in one of the common areas on our university's campus. And it said, join ROTC. And I was like, okay, I've heard of ROTC.

I'm sure I could go do that.

I mean, they march around.

It seems pretty straightforward.

Let me go join ROTC, not equating that with the actual military, like the actual Army. So I go and I pretty much say, hey, where do I sign up? You guys are giving college money, correct?

Like, how do I—

how do I get on board?

And they pretty much put me through the wringer and gave me a physical fitness test. They saw that I could pass the physical fitness test without any preparation.

And they were like, yep, we want you.

Now people may not know, you were actually a champion when you were in high school, weren't you?

Basketball. That's pretty amazing.

Oh my goodness. Uh, so yes, that is a picture from my high school basketball team where I played, uh, all—

well, 3 years there and 1 year at another school. But yeah, so I essentially happenstance upon the ROTC program and literally The rest is history.

Yeah, that is quite, quite amazing.

And there are so many people proud of you listening right now live on LinkedIn or YouTube, which is pretty amazing.

Oh, actually, Daniel has our first question from the audience.

He says, it's an honor in the army. You are taught that infrastructure isn't just gear, it's the trust between the ranks. Love seeing a leader who understands that the safe haven is for soldiers. Actually, that's just a comment.

All right.

So when, when you joined the Army, was there maybe a moment that would define your leadership going forward?

A moment that would define my leadership going forward. So when I joined, I, like I said, I was in ROTC for approximately like 3 and a half, almost 4 years. And so The ROTC experience in itself is a unique one, and it shaped how I viewed the Army. But I believe, like, going into my first unit, I went into a Forward Support Company in the military, which is a version of a logistics unit or logistics element. I'm sorry. And we were attached to an infantry unit. And, you know, I had heard about the infantry guys. They were the rough and tough, the boots on the ground, the first one in, last one out. And so I think what defined that moment was getting there and watching. I actually was watching a young officer at the time, a captain who seemed so much higher in rank than me at that time, lead the company and just standing up there with such confidence. And I remember being a lieutenant shaking in my boots in front of my platoon. And I'm just like, you know, like, like there was this moment of just imposter syndrome that sunk in, like, into me. And I don't know if my platoon sergeant platoon sergeant was able to catch on to that. But after we got out of that formation, my platoon sergeant at the time came to me and literally just said, ma'am, I know that it's a lot, but I got you.

Yes.

Like, literally never, never meeting me prior to that, that drill weekend, but came up to me, noticed like this young officer feeling like super lost.

Yeah.

But said, ma'am, I got you. If you trust me, I got you. If you lean on your NCOs, we got you. And I thought that was just, that was amazing because you don't know me at all. But we, we have a common purpose here, and that's to lead the soldiers and to do what we can do as leaders. And that really helped me, like, wow, saying like, okay, wow, I don't need to know everything right now.

That's really amazing because you went from that to serving as a company commander, which is a huge, huge responsibility, responsible for soldiers and millions of dollars worth of equipment. I think sometimes people lean the industry, they don't really understand the responsibility we have as young officers in the military. But what leadership lesson did command teach you that every leader should know, you think?

Um, so I would say, uh, wow, company command is a very interesting time frame and you learn a ton of lessons in a very short, short, short time. But what I'd say that command taught me is that leadership is a privilege and it's a great responsibility. You are genuinely in charge of America's sons and daughters, and when they show up, they are looking to you to be able to take them where, um, where, like, pretty much they need to go. And so as a company commander, um, and even as a person, one thing I do, like, kind of swear by is that, you know, influence— the, the concept of influence and impact And I believe that impact is more important than influence, but it's your influence that basically shapes what your impact is going to be long term. So I feel that if you use your, your influence properly, the impact that you're going to have— astronomical.

Wow. Now, now you are in the U.S. Army National Guard.

I guess it kind of plays a very unique role supporting both national defense, especially after 9/11. During the Global War on Terror, you guys pretty much played, you know, at the strategic level of our national defense. But then you also play into domestic missions like disaster relief and things like that. So what leadership qualities are most important when leading soldiers during crisis operations, you think?

Uh, so I would say in crisis situations, um, what I think is most important in those situations is being able to like clearly communicate, like, one, what the mission is, what needs to be done, um, and understanding your environment, understanding the resources that you're working with or the lack thereof, understanding the people to the left and the right, with, uh, to the left and the right of you. But most of all, being compassionate, like, in those, in those situations, because we get put in situations specifically, like, for the state of Florida, which is where I'm from, and most of my disaster relief has been attached to the Florida National Guard in hurricane season. And so you see people in their most vulnerable, like, states, whether that be your soldiers or the people that you're helping in the community. And so your soldiers have families at home who possibly are suffering from the hurricane, but yet they're here, they're here with you, they're, they're here to follow behind you. And so for me, you have to take a step back and say, okay, I know what needs to get done, but I also have I take care of my soldiers. They have families who possibly are in these, um, precarious predicaments, and I have to keep their mind trained on the mission, but also know that I'm here to support them as well. So I think that's, that's one of the biggest things for me.

Wow, that is quite powerful. Now that you are a Major 04, what advice would you give to the, uh, 01 and 02? So I guess second and first lieutenant who just got started, kind of like you said, right?

When you first started yourself, you had kind of had that imposter And I know it's a very awesome responsibility your country really puts on your shoulder, but what, what would you advise a brand new second lieutenant when they are just getting started in the Army or the National Guard?

So I would say if I was speaking to a young, like a young lieutenant and even like a junior captain, just saying like, you don't have to come in to and immediately know everything. One, you don't have to know everything.

That is not your job.

If you actually realize how your leadership sees you, they almost expect you not to know everything. And so we have this desire, or I know I did at, at, at the company command level, to come in and show what I know right off the bat. I used to hear a phrase, volunteer often and early. And, and sometimes the cart gets before the horse and you're volunteering and you're putting yourself in situations where you might not be the most knowledgeable. So sometimes it's okay to step back, be a sponge, lean on those senior NCOs, lean on those other officers to kind of teach you the things that you, you don't know and, and draw from their experiences. Like a lot of these NCOs have been in well before you even had a career as a young officer. And so a lot of times just leaning on them and just realizing, hey, I'm not here to be, you know, the top dog immediately. I'm here to learn and I'm here to also put forth, you know, what, what I, what I know is my best skill set. So number one, you don't have to know everything. It's okay if you don't know everything, but as long as you know where to go to get that information, I think that's half of the battle.

That is so powerful.

Yeah, because it's true that the best leaders are really the best followers too, right? And it is okay to learn and to say, I don't know.

Absolutely.

Leading with humility. Earlier you said leading with compassion. I think that's really to me kind of like the essence of leadership. Now, when I advertise this podcast, I think one of the lines I use is, the scholar warrior.

And the reason why I say that is your career span logistics, right, in the Army, public health, cybersecurity, technology, of course sports. And now you are about to become a doctor of physical therapy.

That's just amazing.

Yes.

So what motivated you to pursue such a multidisciplinary path?

The actual, just direct answer is because I felt like I could. I, my, my mother used to tell me all the time, and now she laughs at that phrase. She used to say to me all the time, you can't do everything, you have to pick something.

Yes.

But I never believed that. I, I'm like, if I'm interested enough in it, if I'm passionate about it, if I can go learn about it, I'm going to put it in my toolbox. And so I grew up loving technology. I still to this day love technology. I loved computers. I love all of the new gadgets. I loved learning how things work. And so, um, the technology piece and the, like, the cybersecurity, and that all came more recent because I just realized, especially with COVID just how cybersecurity and the technology world in general has just been revolutionizing, revolutionizing over the last few years. And so I took a liking to it. I started pursuing some certificates on the side, and that's how I went through that lane. But then public health—

public health was my master's because I knew I wanted to be in the health field in some way.

But then I realized, hmm, this is not enough. I need to be able to do more. I need to get more hands-on. What else do I like to do?

I love sports.

I love helping and healing people. And I seen first like firsthand how physical therapy improved the life, the life and conditions of my own family members. And just me being an athlete and being somewhat in that realm, having physical therapy myself, I was like, I can do this. Like, what's—

I'm like, where do I have to get?

Where do I have to go?

What do I have to do? And I just literally applied.

I applied one random cycle and I actually had in my mind like I was like, uh, it's okay if I don't get in this the first time around. I'll just wait until the next cycle and I'll just keep applying.

I got in on the first cycle.

Wow.

I got in on the first cycle, my first application process, and I was like, okay, we're doing it.

Like, and so that's how I literally jump into things.

I go headfirst.

If I believe I can do it, I'm going to pursue it. And I have no real rhyme or reason.

It's just, that's amazing. What, what happened right here? It's very special moment.

Oh yes, this is my actual white coat ceremony. So this is the day that we took our oath as physical therapy students. And it was a very special moment for me because being like in the midst of like almost like what, 100 total other students with my parents there. And it just, it was just like a moment where it's just like, am I really here? Somebody pinch me.

Me, the girl from a small town in Florida, me, the girl who's a first-generation college student, like, am I really here?

Like, this is crazy. So that's, that's kind of how I felt.

I was just—

it was a surreal moment for me.

Tiffany says you always set a goal and achieved it, and you are so inspiring to watch. And that is so true.

That's why it's really such a great, great honor and privilege to be speaking to you today, because I think Many times, especially for people of color and women, it's very difficult for you to have dreams, right?

To try to be somebody when you've never seen somebody who looks like you, who's ever been at that level. So many times, all of the achievement, you know, things that you are doing right now, it's really not for you, but it's for a lot of the women who are gonna be walking behind you, right?

And that is so, so important. So I guess another question I wanna ask is, Many professionals, they feel a lot of pressure to specialize in only one field.

How has combining multiple disciplines strengthened your leadership and decision-making, you think?

So I feel that like each study, each field that I've studied in or pursued some type of higher education in, it's helped me, um, just by way of being versatile. One thing I pride myself on is my versatility, my able— my ability to move around in different rooms, be able to have different conversations with people, be able to relate to people on different levels, not just about the military, but about what's going on in the world, what's going on in the technology field. And so for me, I feel like one, I use those a lot of times as conversation starters. Sometimes I run into people and I don't really necessarily know what I have in common with them. We get to talking about our backgrounds, our careers, and I'm like, oh yeah, I've done that.

I've done that. Oh, I'm pursuing this.

I'm doing this. That's amazing.

So it, it, it, I think it, it just helps me one, just it helps me to have a broader spectrum of knowledge that I can draw from. I have a saying that I say, um, like a lot to my friends. I'm like, I might not know a lot, but I know a lot about a little bit.

So, wow.

That's powerful.

My little pockets of, hey, I know about this, I know about this, and I can be able to expand on that knowledge and relate to others in different fields. That's how it's helped me. It's really helped me just be able to acquire connections and broaden my network from people of all different walks of life outside of the military.

So, so that is really powerful. For example, all of your tech achievement, which you are certified, uh, CISA, which is, uh, and SecurityX, no, CISA+ and Security+. That is a lot of industry certification.

And there are people who actually, like in the information warfare field, like I am, they are required to have those certs and it's very difficult for them to do.

And here you are, you're doing physical therapy, you are doing logistics, you are doing all of it. What would you tell to somebody who's struggling right now? It's like they have to become Security+ certified or the Navy might kick them out of their IT rate or something.

What would you tell them to keep on going and to find a way to maybe pass those exams?

Because they are not easy.

So people often use the phrase like, remember your why. And as cliché and as generic as it may sound, when even myself, when I, when I'm studying late at night and I've been at work all day and I come home and I spend 4 or 5 or 6 hours outside of the workplace studying for a certification, studying for an exam that I have coming up, or 3 exams that I have in the same week. And sometimes I'm like, I think I say to myself, like, what is— why are you— like, why are you putting yourself through this?

And then you are crazy. My goodness. Wow.

I hear that all the time, honestly.

And it's like, I, I say to myself, why are you doing this? But it's something very similar to what you stated in the beginning. I truly stand on the shoulders of giants. My, my background, the family that I come from, my, my ancestors, those who have come before me, the opportunities that I am presented today, they could only imagine or dream of. So I think to myself, how dare you have these resources before you, literally sometimes at your fingertips. You can go on YouTube. I learned a lot of things on YouTube for cybersecurity, a lot of things.

A lot of free classes on YouTube.

And I say, how dare you, like, not take advantage of it? So for me, it's circle back to your why. When the nights get hard, when you're tired, you're exhausted and you feel like, yes, I can't go anymore. Go one more. Just go on.

Wow.

One more hour. Go one more minute.

And that's powerful.

You push yourself. You just continue to push yourself.

So I think one phrase you said, I am, I am assuming Still I Rise by Maya Angelou is one of your favorite poems, is it?

Yes.

Because something you said, it really breaks me every time I hear it.

She says, leaving behind nights of terror and fear, I rise. In a daybreak that's wondrously clear, I rise. And then she says, bringing the gift that my ancestors gave. When I read this, my heart just breaks. I have to stop. I want to cry. I am the dream and the hope of the slave. I wise, I wise, I wise.

Wow. If that's not inspirational, I don't know what inspiration is. Wow.

So does your work then in physical therapy and human performance, do you think it contributes to improving soldiers' readiness and resilience as well as a major in the Army?

Oh, absolutely. If anything, I think it made me— so we in the military, in the Army specifically, we have a like a special assignment that you can have, or it's a special identifier that you can have attached to you, which is called a Master Fitness Trainer. I am a certified Master Fitness Trainer for the military.

Awesome.

And when I first went to Master Fitness Training, I did not have— I wasn't in school for physical therapy as of yet. And when you get there, you learn all about exercise, you learn about the holistic, like, value of all these things— sleep readiness, physical readiness, uh, nutritional readiness. And so when I, when I started to actually get into physical therapy school and learning these things on the most intensive level, I can genuinely program. Like, I have soldiers who, and when I was a company commander, they were struggling with their physical fitness. I could go in, make a plan now, and I have people email me, hey, can you make me a plan?

Yes, I'm trying to get ready for the PT test. I need to, I need to pass next PT test.

Um, I, I, I've been able to do those things, but also just not give them a workout plan, but also give them things such as like, hey, this is, this is how you better your sleep hygiene. This is what you can do to eat better. By no means am I a nutritionist, but just the general concepts of taking care of your, your body, uh, taking care of your— like, like people say, your body's like, it's a— you're supposed to be a well-oiled machine and you have to treat it as such. And so my, my knowledge now from the physical therapy has revolutionized that because I really feel like I can— there's so many things I know now about how the body works, when it breaks, what can you do. And I am— I'm always trying to talk to soldiers about that. I'm always inviting those conversations. So I think it's helped a ton, a ton. It has helped a lot.

That is really, really awesome. And, uh, we have, uh, Millie saying, yes, so proud of you. And, uh, thank you. Kia, I guess, from Rikiya.

Kia is Black history.

Thank you.

You are walking in your purpose.

Keep shining. That is so right.

Now, uh, we did have our first question from the internet. Okay, Daniel Young says, Major, uh, in the context of Season 5, Episode 54—

I guess this is the episode now— how do you maintain the operational integrity of your team's morale when the external furnace of a mission gets high?

How do you keep the human firewall from burning out under pressure? So when things get tough, how do you keep your team on mission?

Oh, that's— that is a good question. So I believe one is finding ways, and sometimes it has to be creative depending on the operational environment, Finding ways to take a knee. And sometimes taking a knee doesn't necessarily mean you can go and lie down, you can go and rest. Sometimes it's pulling soldiers to the side, giving them that motivational talk, giving them that motivational time, or letting that soldier— if you see a soldier struggling, you see a group of soldiers struggling, giving them the freedom to say, hey, you need to take a walk, go take a walk. You need to go take 15 minutes or 20 minutes to yourself. I'll find somebody to rotate in and you go do your thing. It's being able to one, recognize when the— like, you have to pay attention to see when a soldier is getting to that point that they need to take a step back. And so it's your job as a leader to manage your people. So a part of managing your people is also knowing when to take a knee, to make adjustments, to change out personnel, um, and even for you to step in and show them like, hey, I also— I too am having a hard time, but guess what?

I'm right here.

I'm right here with you. I'm not going to ask anything of you that I won't do. I'm not going to expect anything from you that I don't expect from myself. So I think, uh, what's important is just being able to, in, in a way, read the room and know when, hey, let— we, we need a timeout here. We need a timeout here.

So that is really, really powerful.

Now, you do make success look very easy, but I'm sure you've been challenged at times, right? Because leadership does involve navigating adversity from time to time. So if you are willing to, what has been one of the most challenging moments in your career and what did it teach you about resilience?

Oh my goodness. I have stories for days. So I'll say one, One thing that kind of stands out to me is I remember being— this is more so when I was a young lieutenant. I remember being in a unit and I was having a real struggle with finding my voice when it came to expressing just my thought process and my plans for the mission to my leadership. And I had some— it was some struggles with leadership there, and we weren't necessarily on the same page. And so, It was one of those things where I tried to— I had to figure out how can I communicate what I feel is best, not only for my soldiers, but for the mission. When this, this person outranks me, this person's say-so is like the final. So like, like the final say-so. Like, what do I do in this situation? And so I kind of toiled with that and knowing when to speak up and knowing when to like trust that what I felt. Sometimes leaders have blind spots, and that's something I try to remind myself too. Sometimes you have a blind spot and you're not able to really see the full picture. And so back in that particular unit, I really struggled with that. And honestly, I'm a person of faith and I rely heavily on my faith. So a lot of praying, a lot of just trusting that God was going to give me the strength that I needed. To do what I needed to do. And being able to go back to that where my, my first, uh, my platoon sergeant told me, hey, if you need me, lean on me, I got you, I'm gonna back you up. When you have a good, strong, solid NCO that's gonna stand behind you and say, I'm with her, I, I trust her, um, and then when you have soldiers who show you that they're gonna follow you because of how you've led in the past, that really that really gave me confidence to go and say, hey sir, and obviously approach the leadership in the right way and say, hey sir, I'm confident in this. I know that if we do it this way, it's going to work out well.

I may not have been the person who's been here the longest, but I do feel I'm confident in what I know.

And so I struggled with that, but having the proper people behind me, um, and like I said, having God just strengthen me in those moments, it really helped me kind of overcome that, that obstacle.

Obstacles.

So that is really powerful because, uh, you often emphasize perseverance and faith in your leadership philosophy. I believe your favorite verse is Jeremiah 29:11, right? For I know the plan I have for you, declares the Lord, plan to prosper you and not harm you, plan to give you hope and a future.

Yes.

How have those principles guided you during difficult season of leadership?

Uh, knowing that the Lord said specifically in that verse, because I have— I know the plans I have for you. They're already laid out, they're already paved. What you're going through now is the process. You can't necessarily see the end, you just— you can see the path, but you can't really see that he's already worked it out at the end. And for me, it's just knowing that, you know, the path is going to get hard sometimes, the path is going to get rugged Sometimes it's going to get so noisy that you're not going to know what to focus on, and everything might not go as planned along the way. But in the end, the result is going to be what he's promised you, because you know what he's promised you. You know what he has for you. You know that it's something that's good and a hope for the future. So just trusting that.

Wow.

So for me, in the days where I'm like, it looks bad now, it feels bad now, it feels uncomfortable. But I know I trust you enough to know that what you have for me at the end, I may not be able to see it all right now, but I know it's going to work out in my favor. So, wow.

All right, we've got more comments. Uh, we have, uh, Millie says, yes, so proud of you.

And, uh, Rachel says, Kia is one, uh, and I've never met anyone who can hold so much at one time and shows fully for everyone in her life. Such an inspiration to us all.

Wow, you are a certified buddy, they say, and reading the room is key. That is so powerful.

No, it is one thing for you to tell the world who you are, but it's really so much powerful when you have so many other people who confirm that yes, indeed, that is who you are, and that's the impact you're having on their life. To me, that's real leadership.

Now, many leaders today, they do struggle with burnout and with stress.

You did mention that earlier.

What practices help you stay mentally and physically strong as a leader?

For me, it's fitness. It's physical fitness. It's working out. It's taking that time to pour back into my own body, to pour back into my own self. And as of late, I have become like— like, I don't know, I've joined the running club. I'm one of those people who are going to start doing marathons for fun.

I just did my first marathon.

I just did my first marathon.

I'm sorry, I just did my first race, a 5K, a few weeks ago. And I remember just feeling like, this, this is not bad. I can do this. This makes me feel good.

And so for me, fitness, working out, getting in the gym, moving my body, that's how I pour back into myself, as well as my faith, attending church. Watching sermons, reading my Bible, those things pour back into me. Like that, that, that helps to refill my cup, like taking care of my spiritual body and my physical body.

Wow.

Very, very inspirational.

Thank you so much for sharing that. Now, I also know that you are quite passionate about mentorship and representation, especially in leadership spaces. Now, I think we're seeing more and more women now in position of leadership, but I think not Not enough, but it's getting a little bit better. So why is mentorship so important to you, especially in the military and the professional world today?

Yeah, that's a good question. I really believe that no one succeeds alone. Like, it's impossible. We are not— we are not meant to do life alone. And I know for a fact that mentorship accelerates growth. I know that prior to, like, when I was a junior lieutenant, I didn't really know how to reach out for a mentor. I didn't know the importance of a mentor. I didn't know how I could utilize a mentor to help with my career. But as I become— as I became a captain and I started having people actually ask to be my mentor, or I just kind of told them, hey, you're going to be a mentor for me because I like the way you lead, I realized how much when you have someone who's been where you want to go, or they're in a position that you eventually want to get in, you essentially have a cheat code. You have a book that you could reference. And like I said, growing up as a first-generation college student, I didn't have a reference. Now I have references in the military to look to who can help me see what the path could look like for me and even give me those lessons learned. Okay, I did this. Don't do that.

That's not going to get you far, or do this.

This is what's gotten me where I am today. And so I feel like you can't do these things alone. You need to— if you're the smartest person in the room, that's the wrong answer. Like, that is the wrong answer. I love being around— like, I'm young, I'm a young officer, so I'm oftentimes around a lot of senior officers, especially in age and in rank. And so I— hearing their experiences they don't know that even in regular common day conversations, they're mentoring me. So I just believe that you, you need to be able to experience that as much and as often as you possibly can.

That is so powerful. Okay.

Um, we only have about 20 minutes left, so I'm gonna go ahead and, uh, get to our last segment where I try to get into your mindset and try to understand the leadership principle you follow to get as much success as you've had. And hopefully we can apply those too.

So one of the questions I'd like to ask is, what do you believe is the greatest lesson you have ever learned in life, in leadership in general?

So what I believe, and it sounds really simple, but it's a quote that I actually have on the back of— it's at my desk and I see it every day when I go in. It says, tough times don't last always, tough people do. Tough times don't last always, tough people do. And that is a continual reminder for me that there are going to be times in your life— there has been times in my life where I felt like, wow, this is really heavy. This is a lot. I don't know how much more I can take. I don't know if I can continue like this.. And then I look back on those moments now, and that's not my reality now.

That was—

it seems so long ago. It seems so in my rearview. But like they say, if you're here today, you've survived 100% of your hardest days, which means that you can do it. You can keep going, and you have it within you. And so for me, it's like the tough times didn't last always, but it made me tough. And I'm still here. So I think that's the greatest lesson I've learned in life.

That is really amazing. Now you've had success again, like we said, in multiple disciplines, right? You were pretty much a national champion in high school and then in the military. You are now a major and about to become a doctor. On top of that, you also find time to get a bunch of certifications in cybersecurity and technology. So what do you believe is the secret to your success?

Why are you so successful, you think?

Outside of God, which I think is just the overarching theme, um, I believe that I've been so successful because of my grit and my resilience. Like, my ability to be able to bite down, bear down, and even when my capacity is almost most, like, to its peak. Like I said earlier, my ability to just go one more, my ability to put the other foot in front of the other, to continue trucking, to knowing that this is temporary pain for an eternal pleasure, if you will. So I think that being, being able to just bear down in those hard times has really been a driving force for me to just keep going, keep pushing, to handle the things that I handle. Because I, I do believe that it's not for everybody to, to kind of live their lives in this way, but I've been able to do it for so long and it's been working. So I think it's just resilience, resilience, resilience. Like the will, the will has to be greater like than, than whatever you're facing.

So that is so, so powerful. Another comment, uh, yes, Doctor of Physical Therapy, so proud of you and how you show up in your many roles.

That is so powerful.

Wow.

What are you learning these days?

What am I learning these days? So this actually ties into, um, a book that I just finished probably like towards the end of last year. Um, I have like a good amount of books that I could probably recommend, but this one is kind of shaping the way I'm moving through life right now. And it's a book by Mel Robbins and it's called Let Them. I am a recovering people pleaser, and in a, in a past life, um, I hate to see the people that I love disappointed. I hate to see the people, yes, that I care about, or even the people who I respect looking at me in a way that's not like desirable. However, once reading that book, like, it kind of was freeing for me because it helped me to realize like, let them— like, let people feel what they feel. Let people mistake you for whatever they may mistake you for. Let people assume. Let people like something about you, not like something about you. Let them. That's— yes, that's their problem.

It's not yours to manage other people's emotions.

You just continue to show up the best that you can, and whatever happens outside of you and outside of your control let them. That's what I'm learning.

That is so powerful. Yeah, that is quite a philosophy that is, uh, that could literally be life-changing.

Actually, my, my wife gave me that, that book as a gift this past Christmas.

Nice.

It is, it is all green, and, and I, and I really love it.

It's really quite kind of like a different ways, right, of really looking at life and really changing your mindset.

It is quite, quite powerful.

So yes, I do encourage everybody in the audience to get a copy of this one, The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins. And I think Sayo Robbins, I believe, is Mel's daughter. But yes, she is a number one New York Times bestselling book for a very, very long long time. A life-changing tool that millions of people can't stop talking about. Wow, so powerful.

Yes.

Can I ask you, was there maybe a moment in your life where the opinion of others didn't have such a big hold on your life anymore, where you didn't feel like you had to please everybody, but you could just focus on your own goal and your own plan?

Oh, absolutely. So prior to Prior to, I relocated to the DMV area from Florida where I spent my entire career. And there was this sense of like a loyalty to the life I had there, a loyalty to my family being there, a loyalty to the organizations there that I had worked with. And I built such a rapport and reputation there that it almost had a hold on me like, oh, are people going to be upset if I decide to go off and pursue this, this, you know, this different mission? And, you know, what is it going to look like? Am I going to be forgotten back in my state? Like, are people just gonna like not remember who, at the time, Captain McGee is? And is my family gonna be upset? You know, just all these things were rushing through my mind. Like, I've never been— I never have lived this far away from my family in my life, and I've always, um, prided myself on being a family person and someone who really integrated with my family. But then I had to say to myself, like, there— this is an opportunity coming to the National Guard Bureau. It's an opportunity that not every officer gets to do in their career. And the influence that is up at this level that you get to witness, that you get to work alongside, it pales in comparison to other roles that I've experienced in my previous portion of my career. And so I literally—

before—

and it was—

it's crazy—

before I even read this book, I had gotten to a point where I'm like, you have to do what's best for you. You have to do what's best for your legacy and for what you want out of life, and you just have to go for it. And I promise you, everyone and everything will be okay. And sitting here today, everyone and everything is more than okay.

That's really powerful. Powerful.

Wow.

Yeah. And, and I like, I think, uh, one of your super fans here, they said something about, uh, you have to keep on shining.

Let me see if I can find that really quick.

But, but many, yeah, here she is.

Uh, I'm sure you know her. Uh, T says you are walking your purpose, Kia, keep shining. I think the problem for many of us is, uh, we feel like if we shine too bright, uh, we are becoming almost like an obstacle to the people around us. But the truth is you need to shine so that you can give other people permission that they might shine also. So, so, so powerful. Okay, now we again, we've talked about all of your successes and all of the great things you are doing, but I know one of my best people gave me this coin, right?

Once I say success, The other side says failure.

So success and failure being two sides of the same coin.

Can you maybe share how failure may have shaped your life?

So I believe so. And I say this like, I believe that because I always had the kind of personality to believe that like anything I say I can do, I want to do, I can do it. So I actually felt like failure was a little bit more foreign to me than I could have—

that I realized until, until the military came along. And so I hadn't succeeded at sports.

I had succeeded a lot of things previously in my life. And when I was joining the military, there were certain things that I had to pass in ROTC that I did— I was not a first-time go. I did not pass. I probably didn't pass the second time, and on a couple of occasions I didn't pass the third time. And so for me, that was a really definitive time period in my life because I wasn't as familiar with failure in that, like, to that degree. And so it helped me. One, I'm gonna say it humbled me. It did humble me, which I think that every now and again we do need to be brought back down to reality. Um, but also that failure in me accomplishing those, accomplishing those things eventually and actually succeeding, it helped me understand that sometimes failure is temporary. Sometimes failure means not now. So, and I say failure, it means not now. The door is not ready to be opened, or you're not ready or prepared for what's behind that door. And so for me, the way that shaped my outlook is is you're gonna fail at things. It's okay. You're not the first person, you're not the last person. But, uh, some people often say God's redirection is sometimes your protection. And so that's how I try to see failure. If I don't achieve something, if something doesn't go my way, um, I don't obtain something that I wanted to obtain, I see it as a redirection, a redirection from God.

Honestly, that's really powerful because earlier you talked about grit and resilience. Do you Failure may have built that grit in you where you just will not give up but find a way to eventually achieve your goal.

Absolutely. I believe that grit, and I think this is kind of a transplant characteristic from my mother because my mother is a hard charger. My mother is someone who, like, she always instilled into me anytime I called her crying about something that I failed at or that I didn't do well on, she was so nonchalant about it. She was like way less affected than I was. So she would be like, okay, and you're gonna go back tomorrow and try again, and you're gonna go back tomorrow and try again, and you're gonna do it again.

And it doesn't matter how many times I cried, she called me and she said—

or we talked and she said, and that's okay, so what, you go back and try again.

And so I think after hearing that so many times, like, okay, I get it now.

It's not a big deal. You just get up, brush yourself off, and you keep going.

That's really powerful.

Are you willing to share what is one of the greatest fears you've had to overcome in life?

The one of the greatest fears I've had to overcome in life is the fear of not being good enough. So there are— the military will put you in situations where you do, like you're surrounded by people who have done things 10 times of what you've done in your career. You get around people and you look at the— you look at all of the accolades, you see the ribbons, you see the medals. And like I said earlier about imposter syndrome, you kind of start to feel like, like, wow, I don't know if this is the space I should be operating in. Do I belong here? And I think that what it's basically helped me like see, like, hey, don't— you have to block out the noise. You have to— yes, and stop focusing on the— to the left and the right of you. You're here, you're here for a reason. Like, worry— focus, focus on you, focus on your lane, run your race, and the rest is going to take care of itself.

So, wow, that is really, really powerful.

Okay, if, uh, you could choose 3 people to have dinner with, right, that could be alive dead or even fictitious characters, who would you choose and why?

Oh my gosh, I hate this question.

I am so— I have—

I literally am one of those people who I never, I never follow the rules. I always have like 10 people, but if I had to pick, okay, top 3, or at least maybe not the top 3, but the first 3 that come to mind. The first 3 that come to my mind who I would have dinner with. Mm, wow, wow, this is a good question. So one I would say for sure would be Malcolm X. I would say Malcolm X would be someone that I would sit down with. Um, another one that comes to mind, uh, is General Powell. I would definitely sit down with him. And I know for a fact that if I got the opportunity to sit down with President Obama, it would be like a no-brainer. So yeah, like just those like 3 come into my mind.

That's, that's what I got like off, off the cuff.

Oh, all right.

So you've already told us about the book, uh, Let Them Theory, which I think Everybody should read that one.

What about this book?

Why should my audience read Becoming?

Um, outside of it's Michelle Obama, it's just her story is another reminder to me, like, it doesn't matter, like, where you come from, it's about where you're going and what you're trying to achieve. Like, who, who could even fathom— and I'm pretty sure maybe she had moments in her life that— and that she speaks about in the book, like a girl from the South Side of Chicago who went to and attended the universities that she's attended to now get to the point where you are the First Lady of the first Black president of the United States, which genuinely is just in itself making history. Those type of stories for me shows me what is attainable. Like, I don't know if she ever saw it. I don't know if she truly, when she was a young girl, saw presidency. But I know that when she united with Barack and in their story in that book, yes, it became, it became very real to them. It became very real to them. So I think that if you want an inspirational story about coming from very meager and humble beginnings, and becoming who you are today or who you're trying to be in the future. That book is, that book is where it's at.

Powerful.

Now I know one of your favorite quotes by David Goggins is when he says, you are in danger of living a life so comfortable and soft that you will die without ever realizing your true potential. So why should people read this book? Can't Hurt Me.

Because One, he's intense, and he's one of those people that literally when you listen to him, you feel like you're not doing enough.

And for me, for a person who carries 10 things on any given day, he pretty much is like, yeah, so what? Like, why?

Why?

You can do that.

You're built for this. Like, you have to put yourself in uncomfortable positions to get to, to become your greatest self. And so what I think he does not— what I think he so well in this book is you, you have to literally get control of this so that you can start to affect your, your, your environment. Once you control this, there's nothing in your environment that you can't change, that you can't move. And like I said, your will has to be greater than what's in front of you. And so read that book if you want to be—

if you want to get— you're, you're reading your— it's 10 o'clock at night and you want to feel like you can go run a marathon tomorrow, read that book. Like, because nothing in this world can hurt you.

Like, you have to have the mind— this can't hurt me, my past can't hurt me, people can't hurt me, what I don't know can't hurt me. Just— it can't hurt me, it can't hurt me.

I think, uh, Love Belachelle said it— preaching. You are preaching major. That is powerful, powerful, powerful. Wow. So, uh, let me ask you this. Is there maybe a song or a book or even a movie that would be your life's theme or anthem?

So this movie is recent. Like I told you, we— when we talked earlier, I have a list, but just so I could keep it simplistic, yes, this is a more recent book, uh, or I'm sorry, not book, it's a more recent movie, um, but I believe it embodies um, in a way, kind of my life and just my career in itself. And it's The Six Triple Eight. It's the Tyler Perry movie. And if you know anything about that movie, it talks about the struggles of women in the military. And as a woman myself, as a woman of color, um, who has come from humble beginnings— a lot of those women came from beginnings where they they did not have military personnel in their family. They just wanted to join something to be of a greater purpose, or some of them felt like they had to go. And the things that they endured, even while accomplishing such an amazing feat, like at the time, they didn't know that they were making history.

Like at the time, they didn't realize what they were doing.

And I believe like that, that movie truly embodies my struggles, the things that I've had to endure. But in, in the end of it all, I'm not done yet. And I know that there's something great coming at the end of this. I don't know if I'm gonna make history. I don't know what it's gonna look like, but— but it shows me that despite what people do to you, despite how people try to put obstacles in your way, what is for you is for you. And it's not gonna stop your, it's not gonna stop your greatness. So that movie, 6888.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I think with Kerry Washington.

Yeah.

It's great, great movie.

I believe it's still available on Netflix. So inspirational.

Wow. That is, that is powerful. Powerful. Okay. Uh, well, it looks like we are already out of time. Can you gimme 5 more minutes before?

Yes, absolutely.

Absolutely.

Fantastic. Okay. All right. Uh, let me ask you this.

If you had one and only one day to live, What would you have liked your final contribution to be?

Oh, that's good. One day and one day only to live. I would say my final contribution, um, I believe that people— this is another quote— people don't like, remember necessarily what you said. They don't necessarily remember all of the things you did, but they remember how you made them feel. And so what I feel is leaving a legacy behind where people, when they think of my name, they think about the impact that was attached to my name. So it's not about, oh, she did this, she got this degree, she got this certificate. But man, I remember this one conversation I had with her, man. I remember this one time she encouraged me. Man, I remember this one time, no one knew what I was going through, but she was able to see me. And she was able to speak to me in a way that was motivating. So honestly, my contribution of a legacy of making people feel seen, making people feel heard, making people feel understood, that is what I would like to be left. By whatever means that has come through, a past interaction, a past conversation, whatever means that comes through, that's what I would want.

And well, I must tell you, this is one of the loudest, uh, Leadership and Success Podcasts I've ever had. So you've made a lot of people feel that way.

They are here and, uh, they are really, uh, so grateful for, uh, you being a part of their life. And that really speaks volumes.

So let me ask you this.

If you did have a magic wand, you could solve any problem in the world.

What is the one problem you'd like to solve first thing?

Tomorrow morning?

Ooh, any problem in the world.

Wow.

Hmm.

I mean, this is maybe a little bit more of an abstract problem, but if I could erase the hate in the world.

Yes.

Like the, the, the, the hate for groups of people, the hate for different ideologies. The hate for different mindsets, I would erase it. If we could all just see each other for who we are, like in here, versus appearances, accolades, money, or any of that, I would erase— yes, I would, I would erase hate. That's what I would—

wow, powerful, powerful. Yeah, I like to say, uh, 9/11 was a pretty bad day.

It's really affected every member of my generation, part of the reason why I joined the Navy. But, uh, 9/12 was one of the most glorious days of my life. Uh, it really meant something to be an American on September 12th. Uh, it's, uh, incredible. And hopefully our country's gonna find its way back there.

Okay.

So if you had the ear of every, uh, person of color, young woman of color listening to the podcast right now across America.

For the next 60 seconds, what would you tell them to do tomorrow morning?

Every person of color, tomorrow morning, get up, throw your head up, lift your chin up, stick your chest out and strut and walk like you own the place. Walk like you know that you are who you are. You, you come from a lineage of amazing, influential, impactful people.

Yes.

Regardless.

Wow.

Who have a history that is just amazing. So tomorrow when you get up, you embody that, that confidence, you embody that knowledge. Knowing that where you come from and who you come from is all the more to be more proud of what you are, who you are, and how you are. So be proud. Walk into the room like you own it. Walk into the room like no one can tell you anything. That's, that's what I would tell them. You don't, you don't feel—

I'm a master.

You don't feel the lesser. You don't feel the least of them. Because you're not.

Wow. That is powerful. It's like we are having church on the Leadership Success Podcast today. You remind me of the great, late Dr.

Reverend Jesse Jackson. And he used to say, you know, I am somebody.

And I am somebody.

Somebody needs to know that they are.

So powerful. We are coming to the end. All good things need to come to an end sometimes. What can we do to add value back to you, Major Mackey?

Honestly, you can follow me on social networks, follow me on LinkedIn, reach out.

I—

one thing I love to do, I love talking to people. I love having intimate conversations with people, especially when it comes to professional development, professional growth. Reach out to me on LinkedIn, social media. I'm, I'm not necessarily a huge social media person., but I do use it very frequently. So if you want to just shoot me a message, you want to get to know more about my story, or, you know, any opportunities or anything like that, just please reach out, whether it be via LinkedIn, Facebook, or anything. If you type in my name, I'll come up in some shape, form, or fashion. So you're able to find some, some pictures.

So I know that it's not that hard to find me on the internet.

But yes, if you want to add value to me, just present present me opportunities with ways that I can help you, with ways that I can help you get to where you need to go or to find information that you need to find.

Well, thank you for being a light that shines in your community. Is there a question, Major, I should have asked you I didn't get a chance to ask? Anything else you wanted to share on this podcast?

Uh, I think you asked me some really, really good questions, um, and And I think that the only question I would have asked myself is, like, what would I say to women who are serving, particularly because I am a woman of color, a woman of color who is currently serving, and who may be in a space in their career where they feel like they don't know if this is what they still want to do. They don't know if what they're doing is if it's mattering, or they feel sometimes small in the space that they're in. And what I would say to that woman is like, don't let, don't let anyone, especially someone who cannot relate to your experiences, try to define who you are. Oftentimes there are situations you are placed in where there's certain viewpoints or what have you that could be misconstrued about who you are, and it can sometimes feel defeating, continue to show up, show up as your best self. Arm yourself with the knowledge that you need. Arm yourself with people, like-minded people who are going to lift you up and who are going to encourage you on a daily basis. And like I said, like I said, like a few minutes ago, like, lift your chin up, stick your chest out and strut because you do belong. So I know it gets hard. I know the days get tough. Some days are super discouraging as a woman.. And you feel the weight of feeling sometimes not enough and not important, but that's a lie. It's not the truth. And like I said earlier, just get up, put one foot in front of the other and go one more. Just go one more.

That is really powerful, especially now.

We can be frank about this. Our own Secretary of Defense doesn't believe that women belong in the military, which is completely wrong because I don't know how I would feel if I am part of the armed forces and then my own boss is telling me you don't belong here because you are not a white male Christian nationalist or whatever.

So it really takes a lot of courage.

But yes, thank you for saying what you are saying because like we said, you are somebody and you belong and you do have something to give.

So thank you. Thanks so much, Major McGee.

More comments we have, people saying they're proud of you, your growth, continue to shine.

Incredible.

Can't wait for your book to drop.

And by the way, Major McGee, you do have to write that book. People are waiting. So, uh, love you so much, sis.

Incredibly proud to see you evolve throughout the years.

Thank you.

Thank you. What an icon.

Okay, to finish, if I can get just 2 minutes, it's gonna be really quick.

Can we do a rapid fire? I will ask you a question, but you're gonna have to answer quickly.

Okay, don't take too long to think. Okay, let me do it.

Okay.

Okay. Okay.

All right.

All right. First one, uh, what is one word that defines great leadership?

One word.

Compassion.

Okay.

What is your morning routine or practice that keeps you grounded?

Pray, workout.

Okay. A book or quote that changed your life?

Can't Hurt Me.

Who inspired you most today?

I'm sorry?

Who inspires you most today?

Who inspires me most today? Oh my gosh.

Oh, so many people.

First person who comes to mind. It looks like a lot of people have mentioned your mother here. Let me see.

Yeah, you know what, I can always, I can always go with my mom. Literally, she inspires me every day.

She, she is a person who also holds a lot of weight. She carries a lot of things, um, on her plate. She is someone who has had to deal with me Uh, for the, the entirety of my life. And, you know, at times I know it could be a lot and overwhelming.

So yes, yes, wonderful.

And we— and also this is Women's History Month, so it's a great, uh, way to honor women in your life.

So what is a leadership habit you refuse to compromise on?

A leadership habit I refuse to compromise on, and this is something my dad— my dad actually talked to me about or has talked to me a lot about, and that's integrity. Integrity. I refuse, I refuse to compromise my integrity for, for anything.

And what is the question every leader should ask themselves frequently?

Uh, a question I believe that every leader should ask themselves frequently is is, am I giving the best that I can give every day? Okay, am I giving my best?

What did you want to be when you were a kid?

Um, I actually wanted to be a basketball player, a WNBA basketball player.

Okay, I guess you kind of did that, right?

Uh, when, uh, you were in high school, so close.

I got a little, a little close.

All right, what, uh, 3 adjectives describing you as as a child?

Busy. Uh, I would say active.

Okay, and I would say fearless.

Okay, what about as an adult?

As an adult, uh, resilient, compassionate.

One more.

And introspective. Introspective.

So if you could go back in time and give a piece of advice to your 17-year-old self. I guess you're about 16, 17 here, um, standing at the edge of this incredible career you've had.

What would you say to 17-year-old Kia?

What I would say simply is, Kia, you may have not seen what it looks like to be what you desire to be, and you may not know how you're going to get there, but just keep going.

Keep going.

Wow, that is so powerful.

Yeah, I think you are one of the most inspirational person I've had on the show. I'm so glad you are here.

So I love to end on a positive note.

What is something you are feeling optimistic about?

My future. My future. I feel even though, um, I'm in my 30s, I'm going to say that I'm in my 30s, I feel that there's so many things I have yet to accomplish that I am— that I see myself accomplishing here in the near future, and I see myself achieving. It makes me excited every day to know that I haven't even— I haven't even scratched the surface.

Wow, that is so powerful.

Okay, to end the show, um, the last question is, what is one word that represents our shared experience on this podcast today?

One word, I would say it's been— I would say it's been like unifying. It's been very unifying. Just, it feels like we've fostered a safe space here, or you already have a safe space established, but it feels like we foster a safe space and we've talked about some very vulnerable things. And then being able to have people who know me in person come in and hear, it just feels like It's all from different parts of my life.

Very unifying.

Very unifying.

Well, thank you so much, Major Rikkiya Magui. You've been our master teacher today. Really appreciate it. And keep shining, like I say. So I expect you to be a doctor next year and write your book. I'm gonna be— once you publish your book, please come back.

We're gonna talk about it. Maybe help you become a number one best-selling author too. It's just amazing what you're doing.

So keep on shining. Thank you.

Thank you so much. Thank you.

All right, everybody, that was Major Rikki McGee.

Uh, what a great, great lesson she has taught us. So like you guys know, uh, I decided, um, Black History Month this year is just not long enough, 28 days. It's also the shortest month in, in the year. You have to think about that.

But anyway, so we have a Black History Year on the, uh, podcast.

So one thing I want to share quickly, and you can read more on my LinkedIn profile. Let me share my screen here. Just think that happened on March 10th, right?

So I kind of have two vignettes for this.

One is I look back in time, uh, what happened in Black history today, uh, March 10th. So we're gonna go back to March 10th, 1865. Uh, if you can see my screen— okay, I believe you can now. Let me make it a little bit bigger.

Again, celebrating Black history because we really do stand on the shoulder of giants.

I really, really truly believe that. For example, there wouldn't be a Commander Zinga if there weren't the Golden 13 in 1943, right, in the US Navy. So the past is making it possible for me to be who I am today.

But anyway, March 10, 1865, Confederate soldiers hanged Black women in Darlington, South Carolina.

That was on March 10, 1865. And again, you can go to my post on LinkedIn and you can read more about that. What's really sad is this happened only like a month before the end of slavery in the US. But something a lot more joyful For Black History Year, I would like to celebrate Benjamin Banneker. He's actually the very first clockmaster in the US, astronomer, author of the first African-American almanac.

He was really a very, very incredible man.

He was born in 1731, and he was the first clock— he made the first clock in American colonies and became the first African-American to publish an almanac.

He really had—

an extraordinary life in the time and period where that was just not possible. He was a self-taught mathematician, astronomer, surveyor, and investor whose brilliance challenged the assumptions of his time and expanded the boundaries of science in early America.

I wonder if Major McGee is a direct descendant of Benjamin Banneker.

He was just an extraordinary man. So I am going to end the show by playing a 3-minute clip on the extraordinary life of Benjamin Banneker, who we honor today. And that's going to be the end of the show. And as we finish the show, please let us know in the comments, uh, 3 to 5 takeaways from this podcast and one thing you are going to put in practice this week.

Okay.

Thank you so much. And, uh, uh, see you tomorrow.

Benjamin Banneker can best be described as a mold breaker. He was born in 1731. In Ellicott's Mills, Maryland. As a child, he attended a Quaker school, one of the few institutes that offered integrated education, and he put what he learned into practice. At just 15, he developed an irrigation system for his family farm. When he was 21, a friend gave him a pocket watch, which he promptly took apart to figure out how it worked. But he was not simply satisfied by understanding the mechanism. He needed to make his own. So Banneker built his own clock. Clock from scratch. And it was so well engineered, and the mechanism so precise, that it struck on the hour, every hour, for the next 40 years. Banneker's clock gained him a reputation, catching the eye of a famous clockmaker, Joseph Ellicott. He helped Ellicott build a complicated clock, and in return, Ellicott loaned him scientific books and instruments for astronomical study. He taught himself everything there was to know about science in math, particularly astronomy. He began using what he learned to predict weather patterns and plan agricultural methods. He even predicted a solar eclipse in 1789, successfully contradicting many notable minds of the time. Seeing the practical applications of his work, Banneker began publishing Benjamin Banneker's Almanac in 1792, and it was a wild success. It contained information on weather patterns, farming practices, and was basically a how-to guide for agricultural life. The almanac also included political writings, such as "A Plan of a Peace Office for the United States," which caught the attention of Thomas Jefferson, and the two exchanged several letters. Banneker even implored Jefferson about the evils of slavery, advocating for abolition. When it came time for President Washington to appoint a commission to survey the site of the new capital, Washington, D.C., Jefferson made sure Banneker Banneker's name was on the shortlist. Banneker worked closely with French architect Pierre L'Enfant to plan the Capitol. But L'Enfant was notoriously difficult to work with and was known for his explosive temper. As a result, L'Enfant was dismissed from his post before planning could be completed. And in what could have been a devastating move, L'Enfant took a year's worth of the plans with him. Just when it seemed that the team would have to start from scratch, Banneker saved the day and the Capitol. In 2 days, Banneker recreated L'Enfant's designs entirely from memory. He redrew every street and stream and building, effectively saving the Capitol as we know it. Banneker died in 1806 at the ripe old age of 75. So next time you're in Washington, D.C., the next time your dad refers you to the Farmers' Almanac for all the information you could ever need, remember that we owe that and so much more to Benjamin Banneker, the first African American scientist.

Okay, um, all right, this is it for today.

Uh, thanks again for watching, and, uh, I just want to remind everybody I'm gonna be back here tomorrow morning. I will be speaking to the one and only Lieutenant Commander Ruben Green is a former naval officer, retired. And then in the afternoon, I'm going to be speaking to Sergeant Stephen, Stephen Kuhn, and he's going, going to be speaking to us. Again, he's a former sergeant, U.S. Army. So you don't want to miss it. Okay, thanks again for watching and see you tomorrow. Bye for now.

Thank you for tuning in to the Leadership and Success Podcast with your host Coach BZ. If today's episode added value to your leadership journey, be sure to subscribe, share, and join us again for more wisdom nuggets on how to lead better and achieve greater success. Remember, leadership is the most critical skill of our time. The world will always need leaders to inspire others, drive innovation, and execute meaningful strategy. So why not count yourself among the bold leaders shaping the 21st century. Until next time, stay inspired, stay committed, and keep leading with excellence.