The Man with the Red Phone: Controlling Chaos at 30,000 Feet

What happens when a Type A personality is responsible for thousands of lives at 30,000 feet? You get someone like Ted, a man who literally had a red phone in his office—and not for decoration.

After a career in the Air Force, Ted spent decades inside the FAA, moving from the high-pressure seat of an air traffic controller to investigating crash sites and ultimately helping lead the team that redesigned the entire U.S. national airspace. He has made a living turning potential chaos into meticulous order.

In this conversation, we pull back the curtain on the moments that defined his career. We get into the high-stakes, goosebump-inducing stories from inside the control tower and explore how a Type A mindset can be both a superpower and a challenge in a world where there is zero room for error.

In this episode, we cover:

• The monumental task of redesigning the national airspace (and the resistance you face).
• How to manage the immense pressure and responsibility of air traffic control.
• Transitioning a lifetime of government expertise into the private consulting world.
• The Type A’s struggle with retirement and the challenge of finding purpose after a life of structure.
• One critical lesson from a career spent keeping the skies safe.

Whether you’re a fellow Type A, fascinated by high-stakes professions, or just want to hear stories you won’t get anywhere else, this episode is for you.

Follow Type A: Unhinged for more organized chaos at https://typeaunhinged.com.