Standing Out in Uniform | How this Female Air Force Pilot Built her Personal Brand ft.Teri Weber
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Join us for an inspiring conversation with Teri Weber, a trailblazing fourth-generation military officer and C-17 pilot in the United States Air Force. Teri shares her incredible journey as a female aviator in a male-dominated field and how she has built a personal brand in the Air Force, all while juggling the responsibilities of motherhood and authorship. Her story is a testament to the power of resilience, strength, and femininity in achieving success.
Teri's passion for storytelling and aviation comes to life in her children's book series, "Operation Aviation," which aims to captivate young readers with engaging tales of teamwork and adventure, all while offering educational insights into military missions.
Listen in as Teri reveals her branding journey, balancing military regulations with personal style, and how her role as a mother enriches her personal brand. Her partnership with BrandWell and their strategic approach to visual branding underscore the importance of creativity and community interaction. Teri’s story is a full-circle moment, demonstrating that building a successful brand doesn't require a formal business education, but rather a commitment to authenticity, adaptability, and empathy. Don't miss this empowering episode filled with practical advice and inspiration for anyone looking to make their mark in any industry.
DISCLAIMER: Major Teri Weber Boivin’s opinions do not necessarily express those of the Department of Defense or the Department of the Air Force.
Meet C-17 Pilot, Teri Weber [02:20]
Teri Weber has flown big, four-engine jets for the United States Air Force transporting troops, tanks, helicopters, disaster relief supplies, and this jet can even become a flying hospital for medevac missions. Now, her career has led her to working for Headquarters Air Force at the Pentagon. Teri is a mom to her one and three year old, and also the author of the rhyming picture book series ‘Operation Aviation’, which she describes as where Disney’s Cars meets Top Gun for kids.
Getting into the World of Aviation [05:34]
Teri is a fourth generation military member, so for her it was a natural path that led her to join the military. She went to college on an Air Force scholarship and knew that she would commission after graduation. There may have been a cursory interest in flying, but she was never obsessed with aviation. When it came time to select her speciality, what job she would do in the Air Force, there wasn’t anything else that she particularly wanted to do. So, she applied for a pilot slot and thankfully, she ended up loving it.
Only 7% of Military Pilots are Women [08:46]
There are several different branches of the military: Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Space Force, and sometimes the Coast Guard, depending on if we’re in a time of war or not. Out of all the branches, Teri really liked that the Air Force was the most modern and corporate. The stereotype of the Air Force is that they are the creature comforts of the different branches, which fit in well with Teri’s vibe.
Teri started her training on an abnormal track. She went and trained with the Navy for a lot of her flight school, where she had a great time and also met her husband! When it comes to flying, you go through multiple different aircraft, starting out generalized. As you progress in flight school, you get more nuanced with whatever your platform is going to be. Teri’s trajectory started with the T-6, her initial trainer, to the T-1, a trainer for heavy aircraft, and then eventually ended up on the C-17. This whole trajectory took about 6 to 7 years.
Balancing Strength and Femininity in the Air Force [13:07]
While the Air Force isn’t typically known for embracing femininity, Teri shares that she has had an amazing experience as a woman in the Air Force. She relates the small group of women she’s been in the military with to having their own little sparkly sorority. Teri says that inside the military there’s a lot of innate support and camaraderie and friendship with other female service members.
When at flight school, because she trained with the Navy, there was a lot of water survival training. Every day after training in the pool, Teri and the other girls would listen to Disney music in the locker room, and have fun talking and doing their hair and makeup together before going to class. When Teri got an injury, her friends were there to patch up her leg, take care of her, and find her mermaid band-aids to make her feel better.
Another story Teri shares is when she was on her first deployment that fell over her birthday. All of her girlfriends from her unit decorated her room and made her a crown of tinfoil because that was the only shiny resource they could find. That birthday, Teri walked around the desert on a base in Kuwait, in the middle of summer, sweating her butt off, wearing this big, shiny, birthday queen crown.
While Teri has had amazing girlfriends in the Air Force, she also shares that she would be remiss if she didn’t mention the support that she’s received from the guys as well. A lot of her mentors are men, and her biggest professional advocates thus far have also been men. Teri has been quite fortunate to see support and respect from men, more often than not, in her career. While this is not everyone’s experience in the military, it has been hers.
From Aviation to Author [16:48]
A tale as old as time, when you want something that doesn’t exist so you create it yourself. Teri was reading to her son before bedtime one night and was wishing that there was a book about the C-17. She wanted to be able to share her professional world with her kids in an approachable and fun way that would be easy to grasp for a young child. When she would complain about this not being available to her husband, he told her to write it herself. It started as a passion project, a fun thing that was originally going to be kept in the house, but then Teri loved the process and the creative outlet that it gave her. So, she kept writing until eventually she had enough books to market it as a series. From there, she found a publisher, and the stars aligned just right.
Personal Brand as a Female Air Force Pilot [18:41]
Since women only make up about 7% of military aviators, Teri’s presence was always noticed. Not to mention that she’s almost six feet tall and has bright red hair. It’s impossible for her to blend in anywhere. Teri realized early in her career that she stood out, that people would remember her, for better or for worse. She also knew that she needed to be proactive with how she was presenting herself and to take ownership for what she would be known for. This way people wouldn’t be writing her narrative for her or on behalf of her.
The military isn’t known to embrace individuality either, but even though there are limits and regulations for women to follow, Teri found herself just being really honest and upfront about who she is. She likes makeup, the color pink, she’s bubbly and feminine, and she’s a girls girl. Teri also knew that she’s not what people think when they hear military officer or military aviator, and she’s had to come to terms with that and its associated implications. But, at the end of the day, she valued authenticity for herself and for others, so she built a personal brand to reflect that.Teri’s found that if you follow the rules and do your job, there’s enough gray area to build that personal brand in both a professional and sustainable way.
How Kids Impacted Teri’s Career and Goals [22:30]
Teri had her kids once she was on staff, so she had stopped flying operationally. By having kids, everything changed in the best possible way. Teri says that she is much more deliberate now with how she spends her time and what career choices she makes. Big decisions are now very calculated, and nothing happens by default anymore. In regards to her personal brand, Teri says that it didn’t change it, but it expanded it. With having kids, everything gets fuller, brighter, and bigger, and that happened for Teri’s brand too. Nothing was subtracted, but a fun new piece was added to it.
Now, even with the addition of being an author and a speaker, Teri shares that her personal brand is still her. It’s remained relatively consistent regardless of professional shifts, because it is her. She built a product and a career that aligns with her personal brand. Everything is very organic to her. She doesn’t have to put on a facade to go out, she loves getting to read her books. She also loves to volunteer for Girls in Aviation events, because it brings her joy to inspire the next generation of female aviators. Teri has been highlighting these areas of life that she loves and has a passion for, and now she’s able to let them take on a life of their own and build a brand and career that she loves. It’s been an organic process for her.
Teri Weber Writes [29:41]
Victoria has had a front row seat as BrandWell’s COO, Lauren, helped Teri create the website of her dreams! This website is where Barbie meets Top Gun. Teri wanted the hot pinks, olive greens, feminine fun, with a nod to military aviation. It’s a challenging mix, but mission accomplished, because this website is gorgeous!
For being in a male-dominated career, it was a fun opportunity for Teri to work with an all-female team at BrandWell! The feminine creative energy was uplifting! Teri shares that she did lean on Lauren and her creative vision, and it was helpful to have an outsider view on military aviation. Teri described Lauren as being a designer and consultant all in one.
“Operation Aviation” Children Books Series [34:21]
While these books are infused with STEM details and military facts, they are written for anyone! Teri wanted them to be general enough so that any kid who might be interested in planes would enjoy them. Each book follows a different Air Force jet through ‘a day in the life’. One of them is a fighter jet that does her exercise and works with other airplanes to complete her mission, and this underlying message showcases teamwork and friendship. The second book is about an aerial refueler, essentially a flying gas station, that is helping his friends and how good it is to share and be a helpful friend. The third book follows the C-17, which is the jet that Teri flew. In this book, there is a metaphorical deployment with the underlying message of work hard and then rest at the end. All of the books are very approachable and you’re sure to learn something with the STEM details sprinkled throughout. These books are also written in rhyme so if you have to read them over and over again, you hopefully won’t be annoyed with it. It’s an easy read aloud book and then there’s an author's note at the end which will share about the actual airplane and some fun facts about it. Lastly, most of the characters in the books are female, so there’s a subtle girl power plug in there as well.
Key Quotes
“I knew I needed to be proactive with how I was presenting myself, and to take ownership of what I was known for so people weren't writing my narrative for me and on behalf of me.”
Teri Weber
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