Joining me live in the studio today is Andrew Bustamante, a former CIA intelligence officer, author, award-winning speaker and decorated US Air Force combat veteran whose career is the stuff of boyhood dreams and one that sparks intrigue and an endless list of questions.
Many of you, I’m sure, have often wondered what it really takes to be a spy, an elite individual operating in the shadows, assuming various identities and stealing foreign secrets. How on Earth do you find yourself in that position? Moreover, what does it take to be selected in the first place?
All of that and more will be answered. I always say, I’m incredibly lucky to do what I do. I talk to some of the most fascinating people on the planet, who offer incredible insight to worlds that are often stranger than fiction and so far removed from what most of us would consider “normal”.
Andrew Bustamante spent a huge part of his career working for the Central Intelligence Agency, but prior to receiving a phone call from an unlisted number and someone pertaining to represent a federal recruit from national security, Andrew was a member of the US Air Force. In fact, he became the youngest US Air Force Officer in history to command 200 nuclear Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles from an underground bunker with the highest possible military security clearance.
He spent five years in the Air Force and is highly decorated for his service but he was only too aware he needed a new challenge. Andrew had big dreams and the energy to back it up and as he planned his next move – voluntary humanitarian work in war torn Africa – he received an invite that would change his life forever.
Summoned to the CIA Headquarters in Langley, Andrew thought he was on the receiving end of an elaborate prank. Following a lengthy process, multiple rounds of interviews and draining psychological evaluations, Andrew was recruited into the world’s premier foreign intelligence agency, tasked with protecting US National security.
For the next seven years Andrew traversed the globe, infiltrating hostile environments, chasing bad guys, living in the shadows, stealing foreign secrets, while mastering the art of disguise and the nuances of human behaviour. It’s a remarkable story, and it is from people like Andrew that we can really learn a lot about the human psyche.
Andrew understands the world and the people who inhabit every nook and cranny. He’s spent time in all manner of places, masquerading, blending, convincing, and disappearing. And, that knowledge can be incredibly powerful.
“It struck me that using the same skills that the CIA had trained me to understand and to master, those were the key to everyday life.”
Of course everyday life is incredibly tough right now, and as the world rotates in a perpetual state of doom and gloom, we turn to our leaders for reassurance, and nobody understands their mindset with quite the same degree of certainty as Andrew.
He has been forthright from the start in his assessment of the Russia Ukraine situation. He believes the consequences of defeat for Putin, be it economic, power oriented, a loss of lives or simply influence, are something that he cannot under any circumstances allow to happen.
The bigger picture of course is China, who are watching, waiting, and gauging the West’s response. That response has been underwhelming and will heavily influence future behaviour towards Taiwan. Andrew understands geopolitics in a way very few can. And I can’t wait to pick his brain and delve deeper into what the world might look like in the next few years.
Today after 20 years of leading human and technical intelligence operations for corporate and government clients, Andrew has founded EverydaySpy.com, a thriving first of its kind online platform designed to teach elite spy skills to everyday people.
Andrew believes that everyone is capable of becoming the hero of their own story and by mastering the unique set of skills that Andrew was taught in the CIA you can achieve the life you’ve always dreamed of.
“[The CIA] can train anybody because they’ve always taken everyday people out of everyday lives and turned them into elite operators. When you recognise the fact that everyday people, all have the capacity to become elite, there’s something liberating about that, there’s something powerful about that.”
There are so many topics I can’t wait to get into with Andrew, and I know this is going to be an amazing conversation, so be sure to tune in and spread the message far and wide.
Trailer
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- The World Cup in Qatar
- The Ukraine War is a good thing for the US
- Russia doesn’t have all the resources that it needs
- A country gets the government it deserves
- This is a western war against Russia through Ukraine
- The west is trying to crush Russia
- Will Russia use nuclear weapons?
- Russia is winning the war
- Putin wants you to underestimate him
- China’s 2025 goal
- Why China needs to grab Taiwan
- By 2032 the US will not be the economic superpower
- What the world will look like in 2075
- Who really is in control of you
- The dark side of being a spy
- The fundamental flaws of Americans
- Every human has three lives
- How to get into someone’s secret life
- Is sexpionage real?
- I don’t miss being in the CIA
- Jeffrey Epstein was an intelligence target
- There’s no digital privacy
- How to go completely off the grid
- The CIAs training ground
- Applying emotional intelligence in business
