Her kids found out she was a CIA agent the night before her retirement party.

For 27 years, Ann E. Butler recruited spies, ran covert operations across four continents, and made it home for dinner — all while raising five children who thought mom was just a diplomat.

What You'll Learn:

1. How she went into labor during a clandestine meeting (and still made the handoff)
2. The art of the "bump" — engineering a chance encounter to recruit an asset
3. Why a pregnant mom of five is the perfect undercover cover
4. How to build trust fast enough that someone will commit treason for you
5. The moment her daughter discovered the truth (a mosaic gave it away)
6. What 9/11 was like from inside a European CIA station

Power Quote: "Take advantage of opportunities that come your way. Persevere, even though it's not always easy. And be grateful for those opportunities — because they can turn into extraordinary moments." — Ann E. Butler

Timestamps:

🕵️‍♀️ 0:00 - Introduction 📖 3:30 - Why she wrote the book after 27 years of silence

🤰 8:45 - Going into labor during a clandestine meeting

🚂 15:20 - Almost nine months pregnant on an overnight train in alias

🎯 24:00 - The "bump" — how CIA officers engineer chance encounters

🤝 32:15 - Building trust: how to get someone to commit treason

🏫 40:30 - CIA training: the farm, fake prisons, and pressure tests

💥 48:00 - September 11th from inside a European CIA station

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 55:20 - How her kids finally found out (the night before retirement)

🎬 62:00 - The Americans TV show: how accurate is it?

🏃‍♀️ 68:30 - Running a marathon in Paris (after meeting an asset first)

💡 74:00 - One lesson: Take advantage of opportunities and be grateful

Featured Book: "Wife. Mother. Spy. An Extraordinary Life Filled With Ordinary Days" by Ann E. Butler

Connect with Ann E. Butler:

1. Website: AnnEButler.com

No interview this week.

Just reflecting on an incredible year and looking ahead to what's next.

What's Inside:

1. Spotify stats: almost 100% audience growth and 30% follower increase
2. The #1 most downloaded episode of the year (hint: AJ Brown made it happen)
3. Epic guests: Guy Kawasaki, Roger Gracie, Jon Gordon, Dave Berke, Martin Dugard & more
4. The hardest episode I've ever recorded — saying goodbye to my dad
5. What's coming in 2026: CIA spies, Marine combat vets, and BJJ legends

Highlights from 2024:

1. Jim Murphy (Inner Excellence) — most downloaded episode of the year
2. Roger Gracie — 10x World Champion, changed how I train and teach
3. Jon Gordon & Kathryn Gordon — leadership and relationship grit
4. Guy Kawasaki — Wiser Guy, always delivers
5. Dave Berke & Jamie Cochran — Echelon Front leadership
6. Martin Dugard — Taking Midway, WWII stories
7. The episode about my dad — RIP Fran Ciccarone

Coming in 2026:

1. Ann E. Butler — CIA agent for 20+ years, her kids didn't know until her retirement party
2. Rob Jones — US Marine, Echelon Front instructor, author of "Put Your Legs On"
3. Chris Burns — Black belt under Rickson Gracie, BJJ Instagram legend

The Lesson: You're here, then one day you're not. Let's rock out each and every day. Be present. Be focused. Give your best. Learn from those who came before and share with those who come after.

Subscribe and follow for more in 2026.

#BuiltNotBorn #Podcast #YearInReview #2024Wrapped #Leadership #NewYear #2026 #Grateful #JoeCiccarone

© Joe Ciccarone - Built Not Born Podcast. All Rights Reserved.

A teacher told him he'd be "dead or in jail." He became an Executive Director of Player Development at the University of Nebraska, earned three degrees from Penn State, and is now building the next generation of champions.

Power Quote:

"The world will judge you by what it sees on the outside — your title, your status, your resume. But real leadership, real strength, real success — that starts on the inside." — Coach Gus Felder

What You'll Learn:

• How a North Philly kid who dropped out of high school ended up with three Penn State degrees
• Why the inside game determines how far the outside game can go
• The power of being present (and why Coach Gus is available until 2am every night)
• How Marcus Aurelius and stoic philosophy shaped his approach to adversity
• Why he hires people who are the complete opposite of him
• The daily habits that keep him sharp: sauna, cold plunge, cigars, Legos, and journaling

Timestamps:

🏈 0:00 - Introduction & Philly connection

🔥 4:30 - From North Philly to Berwick: a whole different world

📚 12:15 - How Marcus Aurelius found a kid from Strawberry Mansion

💪 18:45 - NCAA non-qualifier: proving yourself as a student first

🧠 28:30 - The inside game vs. the outside game

🙏 38:00 - Spiritual devotion & faith in the locker room

👀 45:20 - Being present: listening to understand, not to respond

⚡ 52:40 - NIL, the transfer portal & building loyalty

🔥 62:00 - Forged in the fire: letting adversity transform you

📖 68:30 - Daily habits: sauna, cold plunge, Legos & journaling

❤️ 75:00 - One lesson: Don't let the world make you who it wants you to be

Featured Book: "The Inside Game: Mastering the Mind, Strengthening the Spirit, Leading with Purpose" by Coach Gus Felder

Connect with Coach Gus Felder:

• Book: "The Inside Game" (Amazon)
• IG: Coach Gus Felder

Subscribe for more conversations with elite performers who've overcome the odds.

#CoachGusFelder #TheInsideGame #Leadership #PennState #Nebraska #NorthPhilly #Stoicism #MarcusAurelius #Faith #BuiltNotBorn #Football #PlayerDevelopment #Podcast #JoeCiccarone

© Joe Ciccarone -...

Roger Gracie - 10x BJJ World Champion and author of "The Warrior Mindset: The Tao of a Champion" reveals how a kid who was picked last for soccer, afraid to swim, and hid from his sister became the greatest jiu-jitsu fighter of all time.

What You'll Learn:

• Why training smart beats training hard (and how Roger refined white belt techniques to dominate world championships)
• The mental game that wins fights before they start
• How chess thinking transforms your jiu-jitsu strategy
• Roger's daily meditation practice that changed everything
• The closed guard sweep from knee-up position nobody else uses
• Why "don't give up to fear" became his life philosophy

Power Quote:

"A lot of people think they're not capable of doing something. They see what someone else did and think, 'That person has something I don't.' But you're completely wrong. You have what it takes. You just need to start." — Roger Gracie

Timestamps:

🥋 0:00 - Introduction

🏆 2:30 - From scared kid to 10x World Champion

💡 8:45 - The moment the Gracie mission became his mission

🎯 15:20 - Training smart vs. training hard (skill development over sparring)

♟️ 28:40 - How chess transformed his jiu-jitsu thinking

⚔️ 38:15 - The legendary Jacaré brown belt match

🧠 48:30 - Winning the mental game before the Buchecha fight

🎬 55:00 - Watching Braveheart before every competition

🧘 62:45 - Daily meditation practice (30-60 minutes)

📚 68:20 - Alexander the Great, Buddha & warrior philosophy

🔥 75:00 - One lesson: Don't give up to fear

Featured Book: "The Warrior Mindset: The Tao of a Champion" by Roger Gracie

Connect with Roger Gracie:

• Website:RrogerGracie.com
• Academy: Roger Gracie Academy, London

Built Not Born Podcast (Episode 179)- Enri Pjetri: Rome Revealed - Gladiators, Emperors & Michelangelo's Secrets ⚔️🏛️🎨

Roman art historian and tour guide Enri Pjetri takes us through 3,000 years of history walking the streets of the Eternal City of Rome.

From the Sistine Chapel to the Colosseum, from Michelangelo to Marcus Aurelius, Enri reveals why Rome is like a lasagna - layers upon layers of Western civilization all in one city - and shares an epic 3-day itinerary for experiencing the Eternal City.

What You'll Learn:

• Why Rome is like a lasagna (layers of 3,000 years of history)

• The perfect 3-day Rome itinerary (ancient sites, Vatican, and Baroque Rome)

• What makes the Sistine Chapel and Colosseum must-see destinations

• Why the Trevi Fountain tradition is actually THREE coins, not one

• Hidden Rome: Trastevere and authentic neighborhoods tourists miss

• Emperor Antoninus Pius: The 24-year reign of total peace

Key Quote:

"Rome is the only city in the world where all the story of the past is still here in layers. You can touch it with your hands and feel the smell. From the foundation by Romulus to modern Italy - it's all here, waiting for you to discover." - Enri Pjetri

Timestamps:

🏛️ 00:00 - From Albania to Rome: Following the dream of ancient history

🏛️ 08:30 - Why Rome is like a lasagna (layers of civilization)

🏛️ 15:20 - The Palatine Hill: Walking where emperors walked

🏛️ 22:45 - Victor Emmanuel Monument: Beautiful but controversial

🏛️ 28:15 - Mussolini's road that cut the Roman Forum in half

🏛️ 35:40 - What makes the Colosseum one of the Seven Wonders

🏛️ 42:20 - Vatican City: Where Christianity became a world religion

🏛️ 48:50 - The Trevi Fountain myth: It's THREE coins, not one

🏛️ 55:30 - Emperor Antoninus Pius: 24 years of peace (161 AD)

🏛️ 62:15 - Marcus Aurelius and the tragedy of Commodus

🏛️ 68:40 - The Sistine Chapel: Why Michelangelo said no to the Pope

🏛️ 75:25 - Michelangelo's revolution: Creating space and time in painting

🏛️ 82:10 - The Last Judgment: 25 years after the ceiling

🏛️ 88:30 - Perfect 3-day Rome itinerary revealed

🏛️ 95:15 - Day 1: Ancient Rome (Colosseum, Forum, Palatine Hill)

🏛️ 101:45 - Day 2: Vatican City (Museums, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's)

🏛️ 107:20 - Day 3: Baroque Rome and hidden neighborhoods

🏛️ 113:35 - Trastevere: Where authentic Rome comes alive at night

🏛️ 119:50 - Caravaggio's free masterpieces in Roman churches

🏛️ 125:40 - The church with the ceiling illusion (Sant'Ignazio)

🏛️ 131:15 - What Rome teaches the modern world: Learn from the past

🏛️ 137:45 - Julius Caesar: The leader every emperor copied

Connect with Enri Pjetri:

• IG: Enri Pjetri

• What's App Phone #: +39 328 461 6623

• Private tours available for Vatican, Colosseum, and custom Rome experiences

• Contact for tour bookings and Rome travel advice

Subscribe for more episodes exploring history, culture, and the stories behind iconic people and destinations.

#Rome #Vatican #Colosseum #Italy #TravelItaly #ArtHistory...

Former Federal Bureau of Prisons Senior Deputy Regional Director Bryan Antonelli shares 25 years of leadership lessons from transforming America's most dangerous prisons. From Hazelton (where Whitey Bulger was murdered) to Coleman (largest prison complex in America), Bryan reveals how he used military counterinsurgency tactics to turn chaos into order and his new book "Seize, Clear, Build and Hold."

What You'll Learn:

• Why every prison reform starts with fixing the lockup first

• How to get staff buy-in when taking over a chaotic facility

• The counterinsurgency tactics that work inside maximum security prisons

• Why leadership training matters more than security technology

• How drones and cell phones are destroying prison security

• The parallel between Jiu-Jitsu training and leadership under pressure

Key Quote:

"There's always one more thing you can do to increase your odds of success. Your jail's gonna go as your lockup goes - if your lockup's a crowded, undisciplined mess, your jail's gonna be a disaster." - Bryan Antonelli

Timestamps:

🔒 00:00 - From Air Force to 25 years transforming violent prisons

🔒 12:30 - Taking over Hazelton after Whitey Bulger's murder

🔒 18:45 - Why staff culture beats security technology every time

🔒 25:20 - The shower plan that changed everything in 48 hours

🔒 32:15 - How contraband (drones, cell phones, soaked mail) fuels prison violence

🔒 39:40 - "The storm before the calm" - expect resistance before reform

🔒 46:25 - Counterinsurgency tactics: Treating gangs like insurgent groups

🔒 52:30 - Always start with the lockup - your foundation for order

🔒 58:15 - The Sony Walkman descrambler: How smart inmates really are

🔒 64:40 - Incentivizing prisoners: Honor dorms vs restrictive housing

🔒 71:20 - First week takeover plan: Observe, listen, don't rush

🔒 77:50 - Building systems that outlast the leader

🔒 83:30 - The shocking lack of defensive tactics training in corrections

🔒 90:15 - Why Jiu-Jitsu makes better leaders and decision makers

🔒 96:40 - From elite athlete to "fat slob" and back: Brian's transformation

🔒 103:25 - Training at Max's Mixed Martial Arts with the Migliarese brothers

🔒 109:30 - Leave your ego at the door or it'll get choked out

🔒 115:45 - Extreme Ownership: The leadership bible that changed everything

🔒 121:20 - Final lesson: Make time for yourself and family first

Featured Book: "Seize, Clear, Build and Hold" by Brian Antonelli

Brian Antonelli's Background:

• 25-year career with Federal Bureau of Prisons

• Senior Deputy Regional Director, Northeast Regional Office (Philadelphia)

• Transformed Hazelton (WV) after Whitey Bulger murder - 7 murders/year to ZERO

• Chief of Emergency Preparedness for entire BOP

• Coleman (FL) - Largest federal prison complex in America

• 15 prison locations nationwide

• 4 years Air Force (1993-1997)

• 28 years training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (black belt)

• 1996 Olympic Training Center - Greco-Roman wrestling

Connect with Brian Antonelli:

• LinkedIn: Brian Antonelli (13,000+ followers)

• Company: Forged By Freedom Fit (strength & nutrition coaching)

Dave Berke: "The Need to Lead" - Former Top Gun Instructor & F-35 Commander on Why Every Problem is a Leadership Problem ✈️

Former Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel Dave Berke shares his journey from Top Gun instructor to F-35 squadron commander to combat veteran fighting alongside Navy SEALs in Ramadi.

Now a leadership instructor at Echelon Front with Jocko Willink and Leif Babin, Dave reveals lessons from his new book "The Need to Lead" - the third in the Extreme Ownership series.

What You'll Learn:

• Why every problem is a leadership problem (and how that empowers you to solve it)

• The difference between extreme ownership and preemptive ownership

• Why "someone's gonna do it, it might as well be you" changes everything

• How to lead when you're leading your equals and peers

• Why good leadership must outlast the leader

• The power of being a leader who listens first

Key Quote:

"Someone's going to do it, it might as well be you. Every person needs to lead in order to succeed, no matter the environment." - Dave Berke

Timestamps:

🛩️ 00:00 - The Star Wars moment that sparked a fighter pilot dream

🛩️ 08:15 - Mom's powerful advice: "Someone's gonna do it, might as well be you"

🛩️ 15:30 - Growing up in Marine Corps town: El Toro flight path childhood

🛩️ 22:45 - First time behind the controls and the road to Top Gun

🛩️ 28:20 - Only Marine to fly both F-22 Raptor and F-35B Lightning

🛩️ 35:40 - Mom watching his first F-35B vertical landing -...

Amy P. Kelly and Julie Nee share their latest book "The Gift of Growth" - a daily growth guide proving that four minutes of intentional action beats four hours of planning.

Both corporate veterans who've worked with Jon Gordon for a decade reveal how 365 days of quotes paired with micro-actions creates sustainable transformation for busy people.

What You'll Learn:

• The formula: Idea + Action = Progress
• How to build a belief that fuels difficult days
• Why appreciating small wins transforms your inner critic
• Creating physical environments that support growth
• The power of daily micro-actions over grand plans

Key Quote:

"Almost every successful person begins with two beliefs: the future can be better than the present, and I have the power to make it so."

Timestamps:

00:00 - Guest introductions & The Gift of Growth origin story

09:15 - How the book works: Quote + micro-action daily

18:45 - The CULTIVATE framework explained

29:30 - Curating your information diet

39:20 - Building your belief garden

44:45 - The basement stories: Growth through hardship

58:15 - The logistics of self-publishing

73:50 - John Gordon's impact on their lives

82:30 - Final takeaways: Take action & build your belief garden

Featured Book: "The Gift of Growth: Plant Presents Every Day" - Available on Amazon

Connect with Amy P. Kelly & Julie Nee:

• Book: Gift of Growth
• Website: YouGrowGirl.com
• IG: @YouGrowGirlCommunity
• Website: AmyPKelly.com
• Website: :JulieNee.com

Subscribe for more episodes with proven strategies on personal growth, leadership, and sustainable success.

#AmyPKelly #JulieNee #TheGiftOfGrowth #PersonalGrowth #Leadership #YouGrowGirl #BuiltNotBorn #JoeCiccarone #JonGordon #DayOfDevlopment

© Joe Ciccarone - Built Not Born Podcast. All Rights Reserved.

Views expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views of the host.