152. Soaring into Success with Norman Kent (skydiving cinematographer) 🪂
Episode description
“In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” — Edward J. Stieglitz
We're making history together today!
This episode is part of a successful world record attempt where 100 skydivers, each over 60 years old, jumped out of an airplane and created a formation on the way down. Check out the video version of this episode to see the clip that has raised the bar for what a podcast intro can do — and how age should never stop you from experiencing what you want.
Norman Kent embarked on his first jungle expedition at 14 years old where he developed a strong desire to capture the beauty he saw and share it with the world. At 19 years old, Norman made his first skydive – a moment that would change his life forever.
Since that time, Norman has worked on blockbuster films like Cliffhanger, Kingsman: The Secret Service, and Godzilla. He’s also made his own skydiving films, consulted to special forces units, and helped facilitate record-breaking feats all over the world – as well jumping into ceremonies of both the summer and winter Olympic Games.
As a skydiving pioneer, Norman has more than 30,000 jumps to his name, including the first expedition to ever jump onto the North Pole, a joint exercise with the US and Russian military. In the skydiving community, Norman has earned the respect as the world’s best skydiving cinematographer.
In this episode:
- What drives Norman’s continued love of adventure
- How to summon courage during your most fearful moments
- Some of the most fascinating moments from his acclaimed career (including the mindset that makes Tom Cruise perform at such a high level), and
- What Norman’s time at the coalface of death has taught him about life.
Let’s WIN THE DAY with Norman Kent!
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🎬 HD video version: https://youtu.be/rbuL2ZfOE54
📖 Blog version: https://jameswhitt.com/soaring-into-success-with-norman-kent
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Show links:
⚡ Norman Kent website
🎤 Norman Kent professional services and samples
📸 Norman Kent non-skydiving work
📝 Norman Kent Facebook
📸 Norman Kent Instagram
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Timemarkers:
0:40 We have a world record!
1:59 Who is Norman Kent
3:36 Interview starts
5:55 Norman’s helmet ‘Marcela’
11:51 How to stay calm when your parachute fails
16:31 How to deal with fear and anxiety
18:02 Norman’s relationship with Deana (his wife who passed)
24:29 How to be present while being a perfectionist
27:49 How do photographers feel about filters on social media
31:08 The two biggest moments in Norman’s life
40:01 Why fear stops people from taking action
43:22 The reward is worth the risk
46:20 Using visualization to prepare for a big performance
48:04 How to master skydiving as quickly possible – and lessons from actor Tom Cruise
51:32 Embrace fear rather than resist it (how to eliminate panic)
55:12 The most dangerous moments from Norman’s career
1:01:35 Watching his wife Deana take her last breath
1:05:10 Norman’s favorite images from his photography career
1:07:43 Affirmation
1:09:33 Rocket Round
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Onward and upward always...
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PS — In case you missed it: Happiness at Home with Michael Perry: Ep 146