The Flipside

How to Invert Your Perspective and Turn Fear into Your Superpower

De: Michelle "MACE" Curran

Narrado por: Michelle "MACE" Curran

Former Thunderbird Lead Solo Michelle "MACE" Curran provides a blueprint for converting your fear into a strength based on the hard-earned lessons she learned in the cockpit and beyond.

Michelle Curran can fly an F-16 fighter jet upside down, but she’s afraid of spiders. And tight spaces. During high altitude chamber training, she wondered if her fellow airmen—and they were all men—could tell she was panicking under her oxygen mask. Yet she flew sorties in Afghanistan and served as Lead Solo for the Thunderbirds, performing in aerial showcases nationwide—often upside down. All this, while grappling with what was, to her, an even bigger opponent: imposter syndrome. In time, she learned how to turn fear into strength and self-doubt into confidence. Most of all, she learned how to make uncomfortable choices by flipping her perspective, like her jet, upside down.

In The Flipside, Michelle “MACE” Curran addresses how fear tends to force us back into our comfort zones and onto autopilot. She shares lessons she learned from high-stakes missions and life-defining moments, helping listeners unlock their resilience to face life’s challenges with courage—and ultimately, rise above.

©2025 Michelle "MACE" Curran (P)2025 Grand Central Publishing

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Michelle Curran takes you into the cockpit and into the heart of what it means to embrace fear, overcome doubt, and live boldly. The Flipside is a powerful reminder that confidence isn’t something you’re born with—it’s built through small everyday actions.”—Heather Monahan, Top 50 Keynote Speaker, Author and Podcast Host

"Strength isn’t just physical—it comes from pushing past fear, embracing challenges, and staying disciplined. The Flipside is a powerful reminder that confidence is built through action, and anyone can develop the mindset of a champion.”—Laila Ali, 4X Boxing Champion, TV Host and Founder of Laila Ali Lifestyle

Concise, Candid and Combat Tested

This book is sharply written and refreshingly direct, avoiding the usual rambling and fluff. Grounded in real-world combat aviation experience, its insights are extremely relatable and valuable for readers at any stage of life and career. The author’s authenticity and vulnerability invite the same from the reader, making the lessons stick. Each chapter ends with a practical “Scriptside vs. Flipside” summary, contrasting conventional wisdom with fresh, actionable perspectives. It’s a powerful guide for quieting the inner critic and turning fear into fuel. Highly recommended.

2 hours in and already loving it

Heard about the book from Mover and enjoy seeing you on the Mover and Gonky Show every time, hope you are back on very soon! Got to see you perform with the Thunderbirds, absolutely loved it and loved telling my girlfriend's son that there was a bad ass chick in the cockpit. Really enjoying hearing your story, especially how you got your call sign and how you're using it as motivation as well as a careful reminder. Can't wait to listen to more of the book! Narration is phenomenal, you did great!

Amazing book

It's great to hear that I am already doing all these things! This book is an excellent reminder that a "30,000-foot view" mindset can help us overcome any obstacle, no matter our age. It's a powerful reflex that, once learned, becomes second nature.

Mach At Corner Entry!

I love Michelle’s honesty about her struggles being a USAF fighter pilot and dealing with the “imposter syndrome”. This book isn’t just fighter pilot stories, she uses her training and experience to share how to use what she learned in her fighter pilot career to help us mere mortals how to succeed in everyday life! Great book!! Go check out her YouTube videos of her time burning up the skies with the USAF Thunderbirds!

New perspective and inspiration

I started hearing the book and could not stop!! I love it, its inspiring, gives you a fresh perspective on how to view things in life. I am an aircraft mechanic by pasion (aviation found me) and it is amazing how Mace has related her aviation experience to general life. Yes, its easy for you to say "yeah but that's aviation" but if you truly look closely and analyze (flip it) you can easily make the connection to your own live experiences. I was able to identify moments like hers in my life and how unconsciously I had focused on the flip side. I will listen to this book multiple times through my life and look at my future consciously and with intention on the flip side.

Mace thank you for your service first and foremost and thank you for being an inspiration. I saw the Thunderbirds twice when they came to Puerto Rico. First time I was completely unaware that a few years later I would be dressed un navy blue with steel toe boots starting my aviation journey in school. The second time I was already in school and had the opportunity to see not 1 but 2 women, one was a mechanic to an F-15 (I fell in love with that bird when I heard her roar) and the other was the woman in charge over making sure that the Thunderbirds landed safely. I hope to have the privilege of meeting you someday! Thanks for breaking barriers, defying the odds, representing minority and NEVER GIVING UP!!!!! ❤️

Thais ✈️🔧

350 Knots of fear in the rearview mirror

This book is awesome! It’s all about overcoming your failures and doing what it takes to succeed. I love airplanes and this author flys at the speed of success. This book is all about how our challenges make up great. I loved it!

Wow! Too many awesome things to list!!

Loved Mace’s vulnerability and the way she used her learning experiences to get to the flipside of self doubt, self limiting beliefs, and to get to a place where she could take the limits off the universe! Going to put the final chapter on repeat and listen to it like meditation. No matter who you are, where you are, or what you want to accomplish, this should be part of your curriculum for the rest of your life!!