Sam Eckholm ’18 - Live, Serve, Lead
Description
A conversation with Sam Eckholm ’18 about his unique path and work to inspire the next generation of military leaders through social media and content creation.----more----
SUMMARY
In this edition of Long Blue Leadership, host Lt. Col. (Ret.) Naviere Walkewicz ’99, is talking with Sam about his journey from the three times he landed on the “footprints” on in-processing day through the challenges he faced as he learned to lead his peers, side-stepping career advice that might have left him in obscurity, his relentless perseverance pursuing his dreams, graduation in 2018, the history he’s making now and Sam’s continuing support of the Air Force Academy.
SOME OF OUR FAVORITE QUOTES
"Putting yourself in other people's shoes is big."
"If you have an end goal in mind, it's not going to be easy to get there. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it."
"What you see as a finished polished video, the behind the scenes is crazy."
"Don't lose sight of that end goal."
"Dig deep down and realize what you want. And just relentlessly go after that."
SHARE THIS EPISODE
CHAPTERS
00:00 - Putting Yourself in Other People's Shoes
21:13 - The Terrazzo Gap: Challenges and Perceptions
23:49 - Finding Passion in Clubs and Sports
27:40 - From Photography to Public Affairs
30:05 - Inspired by the F-22 Demo Team
31:00 - Pursuing a Career in Public Affairs
32:24 - Learning and Growing as a Young Lieutenant
33:22 - Challenges and Rewards of Public Affairs
34:22 - Maintaining Motivation and Finding Balance
35:44 - Leading Others and Finding Personal Outlets
38:41 - Transitioning to Entrepreneurship
41:49 - Impactful Moments and Inspiring Others
46:49 - Overcoming Challenges and Pursuing Dreams
53:31 - Supporting the Academy and Creating Impactful Content
56:19 - Final Thoughts and Message to Listeners
TAKEAWAYS
- Putting yourself in other people's shoes is important for effective leadership
- The Terrazzo Gap between intercollegiate athletes and non-athletes at the Academy is a unique challenge
- Being involved in clubs and sports at the Academy provides valuable experiences and friendships
- Passion for photography and social media can lead to a career in public affairs.
- Don't lose sight of your end goal and relentlessly pursue it.
- Advocate for yourself and trust in your own decisions.
- Creating meaningful impact requires hard work and dedication.
- Inspire others by sharing your journey and experiences.
- The Academy Blueprint program helps level the playing field for aspiring cadets.
- Expand your knowledge and learn from various sources of inspiration.
- Don't be discouraged by challenges and setbacks; they can lead to growth and success.
ABOUT SAM
Deep down, Sam Eckholm always knew the Air Force Academy was where he belonged. As the son of an Air Force pilot and Academy graduate, he was brought up on the blue and silver. After graduating high school in Dallas, Texas, he followed in his dad's footsteps, attending the U.S. Air Force Academy as a member of the class of 2018.
Following graduation, Sam was selected as a member of the F-22 Raptor Demonstration team, where he traveled the world as a Public Affairs Officer, documenting the 5th generation stealth fighter jet at air shows across the globe. After separating from active duty in 2022, Sam's passion for military service has not changed, but his ability to share that passion with an even larger audience has. His videos have accumulated over 100 million views online, with over 1 million followers across his social media platforms.
Attending the Air Force Academy is what started it all, and Sam's goal is to help others achieve their dreams of throwing their hat in the air and graduating from the Academy. The Air Force Academy Blueprint is the culmination of almost two years of pouring his heart and soul into a singular project, and he can't wait to bring it to you.
- Image and copy courtesy of Sam Eckholm
CONNECT WITH SAM
LINKEDIN | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER
LINKS WE MENTIONED
ABOUT LONG BLUE LEADERSHIP
Long Blue Leadership drops every two weeks on Tuesdays and is available on Apple Podcasts, TuneIn + Alexa, Spotify and all your favorite podcast platforms. Search @AirForceGrads on your favorite social channels for Long Blue Leadership news and updates!
TRANSCRIPT
OUR SPEAKERS:
Guest: Sam Eckholm ’18 | Host: t. Col. (Ret.) Naviere Walkewicz ’99
Sam Eckholm
Putting yourself in other people's shoes is big. It's kind of hard to remember that because you're getting information from your leader, right, your boss, they're telling you one thing, it's hard for them to see kind of two layers down how that's going to impact everyone else. So, I mean, I would always just try to put myself in other people's shoes. Okay, if I do this, what's that gonna… how's that going to make this person feel?
Naviere Walkewicz
My guest today is Sam Eckholm, USAFA class of 2018 and Air Force captain turned full-time entrepreneur and storyteller, the third in his family's Long Blue Line. Sam is the son of a 1989 graduate and the nephew of a 1993 graduate. All three hail from Cadet Squadron 28, the Blackbirds. We’ll talk with Sam about his Dallas roots to the day he stood on the footprints at the Academy. We'll ask him about how he made his way from the wing to the F-22 Raptor demonstration team, then public affairs, out of the Air Force in ’23, and now an entrepreneur, content creator and social media influencer. Sam's father and uncle were his main sources of inspiration for becoming a member of the profession of arms. And he has stayed close to the Air Force and the Academy ever since. He leads hopefuls to reach for their dreams and shares his passion for all things Air Force with the world. As we move through the conversation, we'll talk about lessons he's learned in being a leader, and what advice he would give to those aspiring to become leaders and leaders who want to be better. Sam, I'm really looking forward to this conversation. Welcome to Long Blue Leadership and thank you for being here today.
Sam Eckholm
Naviere, it's always great to see you. It's always great to be back at the best school in the world.
Naviere Walkewicz
Yes, it is. And I mean, I think what's so great about your story, Sam, and what's so unique for our listeners is they feel like they know you because you have such an incredible presence. But today, they're really going to get a chance to understand how you got here. And I think that's what's so fascinating for people.
Sam Eckholm
Yeah, that means a lot. It's always fun to sit down and kind of talk a little bit more in depth. You know, with the videos I do, I'm trying to focus on highlights and showing some action and keeping the viewer’s attention. But this is just kind of laid back.
Naviere Walkewicz
Let's talk and relive some fun, exciting , you know, stories from the Academy and beyond. Yes, this is about you now. So, you get to be the spotlight and I'm really excited to take everyone on this journey. So, let's roll it back a little bit. We'll start with a journey of Sam as a little boy, you know. I know you shared you kind of grew up in Dallas after third grade. We had a little bit of a chat, but you did some bouncing around before that. Let's hear about your childhood.
Sam Eckholm
Yeah, so my dad, an ’89 grad, like you said went off to pilot training ended up flying KC-135s. So I was actually born at McConnell Air Force Base, right, and so Wichita, Kansas. Fun fact: little full-circle moment for me, I'm gonna’ be headed out there in two
United States
