Welcome to the Pinkleton Pull-Aside Podcast. On this podcast, let’s step aside from our busy lives to have fun, fascinating life giving conversation with inspiring authors, pastors, sports personalities and other influencers, leaders and followers. Sit back, grab some coffee, or head down the road and let’s get the good and the gold from today’s guest. Our host is Jeff Pinkleton, Executive Director of the Gathering of the Miami Valley, where their mission is to connect men to men, and men to God. You can reach Jeff at GatheringMV.org or find him on Facebook at The Gathering of the Miami Valley.

Michele Rigby Assad’s career began in Washington, D.C. working for an international relief and development agency in its government relations department. Michele joined the CIA in January 2002 and spent a decade serving as an undercover intelligence officer in the Directorate of Operations. Specializing in counterterrorism, counterintelligence and lie detection, Michele spent the majority of her career in the Middle East. She had five overseas tours, to include Iraq and other secret locations.

Since leaving the CIA, Michele and her husband Joseph have run an international consulting firm that provides support to Western and not-native companies working in the Arabian Gulf, the wider Middle East, and several countries in Asia and Europe (SITE Advisors). She is also a keynote speaker, trainer, and author.

Her bestselling book Breaking Cover: My Secret Life in the CIA and What it Taught Me About What’s Worth Fighting For, was published in February 2018 (Tyndale Momentum). Her second book Get Off the X: CIA Secrets for Conquering Obstacles and Achieving Your Life’s Mission was released January 2025 (Dexterity). Michele holds a master’s degree in Contemporary Arab Studies from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and a political science degree from Palm Beach Atlantic University. She and her husband, Joseph, live in Central Florida.