In this candid conversation, host Shaesta Waiz speaks with Captain Reyné O’Shaughnessy—veteran FedEx pilot, human-performance specialist, and author of This Is Your Captain Speaking: What You Should Know About Your Pilot’s Mental Health.
Together they unpack the realities of high-stakes aviation work for women: chronic stress that accumulates unnoticed, the double standard around mistakes, and the current retrenchment of formal DEI efforts across organizations. Reyné shares why completing the stress cycle matters as much as managing it, why foundational habits (restorative sleep, movement, nutrition, real relaxation) are a first line of defense, and how personal agency can be protective when workplaces deny reasonable needs.
She also introduces The Leading Edge Retreat (Oct 2–5, Santa Barbara)—a small-group, science-backed reset that brings together experts in sleep science, hormonal health, nervous-system regulation, and performance coaching to help high performers rebuild their baseline. This episode reframes well-being as core to leadership, not a luxury—especially for women navigating irregular schedules, persistent bias, and high expectations.
Chapter Breakdown
- 00:00 | Why mental health in aviation can’t be optional
- 04:42 | The hidden cost of chronic stress for high performers
- 07:29 | Double standards, over-functioning, and burnout
- 10:20 | DEI retrenchment and the reality of invisible bias
- 12:45 | Agency, boundaries, and building a resilience toolbox
- 15:19 | The Leading Edge Retreat: design, experts, and outcomes
- 18:00 | Community and sisterhood as performance infrastructure
- 26:11 | Closing notes and next steps
Follow Reyné O’Shaughnessy
Website: captainreyneo.com
LinkedIn: Reyné O’Shaughnessy – TEDx Speaker | Author
Follow Shaesta Waiz
Website: shaestawaiz.com
LinkedIn: Shaesta Waiz
Instagram: @shaesta.waiz
TikTok: @shaestawaiz
Shaesta Waiz on YouTube
YouTube (Aviate Platform)
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