My guest is one of the most interesting people I know. Steve Sloat was twice appointed Deputy US Marshal by President Ronald Reagan (and once by Jimmy Carter). He’s also been a champion race car driver, gone undercover in a high-profile case and authored three fiction thrillers.
I wanted to get Steve on the podcast while reading his second book, The Children Whispered, last year—I featured the “page-turner” on ManOverseas.com in March 2019. But decided I wanted to interview him in person (I was out of the country most of last year).
In this episode, we discuss his primary responsibility as a sky marshall. I ask about the biggest scare he’s ever had in the air. He talks about which flights are likely to have air marshals on them, where they sit on the plane and what a civilian should do if they see a disturbance.
We also get into relationships, his writing process and US politics. When we stopped recording, Steve said, “You ask some really good questions.” I hope listeners agree.
His Career as Deputy US Marshal:
- Knowing where to shoot and where not to shoot on a plane
- Qualifications needed to be a Sky Marshal
- Asian flight attendants vs. American flight attendants
- Why male Asians easily pass for women
- “Sully” landing a plane in the Hudson River
- Reclining your seat on an airplane
- Safety of commercial airlines nowadays
- Predicting fugitive behavior
- The reason why two people are required in cockpit
- The safest part of an airplane (where Steve chooses to sit)
- Where Sky Marshal used to sit on aircraft back in the day, a totally different program of todays Air Marshal
Becoming a Writer:
- Tips for how to become a better writer
- Traveling to Europe to gather information for his next book
- Number of hours he spends wiring every day
- Creating 17 outlines for books
- Difficulty of finding an agent as a new author
- Lead an interesting life to write interesting stories
- Paying for Facebook ads to promote your book
- Being your own “marketing machine”
- Making your book into a screenplay
- Developing relationships later in life
US Politics (at 46:30)
- Steve’s favorite president
- Illegal aliens / “undocumented” persons
- 2016 US Presidential Election
- Projection in politics
- “Trump Derangement Syndrome” (TDS)
- Needing “safe spaces”
- Prosperity & redistribution
- Poverty vs. relative poverty
- Helping people who cannot work
- The benevolence of Americans
- The role of United States Government
- Comparing countries’ healthcare systems
- The Fake News phenomenon
- On being a “climate denier”
- Avoiding truth because it hurts
- Recognizing confirmation bias
- “Equality” as one’s highest value
- Whether Steve supports legalization of marijuana
Other topics we discuss:
- Kobe Bryant’s helicopter crash
- Whether getting married later in life is desirable
- Value of companionship / finding a good woman (Steve & I both scored BIG here)
- People mysteriously dying who were associated with Scientology
- Steve hired to do undercover investigation of someone affiliated with Scientology
Questions asked:
- What is the primary responsibility of an Air Marshall?
- When you are boarding a plane, do you know who is carrying [a weapon] and who is not?
- Do you have to wear a coat to conceal your weapon?
- Did anyone suspect that you were an Air Marshal?
- Do you check in on the flight like anyone else so that you won’t blow your cover?
- Do they [Air Marshals] still sit in the same place where you used to sit?
- What percentage of flights do you think have Sky Marshals on them?
- Are they [Sky Marshals] on both domestic and international flights?
- Can you collect Sky Miles being a Sky Marshal?
- What is your take on all the crap we have to go through for security at the airport?
- Is there a country we should emulate [for airport security purposes]?
- If the plane is going down, will the captain let the people in the back know?
- Because of your background in Law Enforcement, did 9/11 impact you really hard?
- Did you keep a journal of your life or document things to be able to write books?
- Do you mimic your favorite authors?
- What’s your favorite part of writing?
- What are your favorite things to invest in?
Fun Quick Questions
- If someone dropped a million dollars in your lap tomorrow, what would you do with it?
- Have you always been a Conservative?
- Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity?
- Mark Levin or Michael Berry?
- Have you met Michael Berry?
- Did you meet Ronald Reagan?
- Does Donald Trump win in a landslide in 2020?
Listen here:
Connect with Steve:
- On his website: https://www.stevesloat.com/
- On Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/
steve.sloat - On Twitter: https://twitter.com/SloatSteve
- Buy his books: https://www.stevesloat.com/books
Books mentioned:
- The Children Whispered by Steve Sloat
- A Day To Die by Steve Sloat
- The Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holiday
- Stillness Is the Key by Ryan Holiday
- The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday
- Perennial Seller: The Art of Making and Marketing Work that Lasts by Ryan Holiday
