Sarah Cortez knew she wanted to be a pilot from the age of three, watching out the window of her dad's plane. It took her almost 40 years to act on it. In this episode, Sarah, a longtime sales professional, keynote speaker, and student pilot, joins Steph Lokelani to talk about what it took to finally start flying: clearing her schedule, ignoring the excuses, and pushing through nearly 200 two-week training cycles to earn her private pilot's license.

Sarah shares the story of her dad's skepticism, a helicopter-pilot father with 1,500 skydiving jumps of his own, and how being told she didn't have the focus became the moment she stopped calling flying a "pipe dream." She and Steph swap adventure stories, from flying into the Grand Canyon at dusk to heli-snowboarding in Whistler, and dig into Sarah's work as fundraising chair for Women in Aviation Gem State Chapter, including the upcoming Girls in Aviation Day, on September 19, 2026.

About Sarah Cortez: Meet Sarah Cortez, the "GOALden Girl," a National award-winning sales professional and pilot with a remarkable journey. Moving an incredible 34 times before 5th grade, she developed adaptability and resilience at a young age. With over 25 years of sales and management experience, Sarah's expertise shines through her training company, established in 2018. As a sought-after speaker and trainer, Sarah captivates audiences across the United States at national conferences, sales kick-offs, and company retreats. Her ability to inspire and motivate stems from her relentless tenacity in accomplishing her own GOALS. Beyond her sales career, Sarah's journey of becoming a pilot after the age of 40 exemplifies the power of self-belief, action, and surrounding oneself with remarkable HUMANs. The "GOALDEN GIRL" has formulated a winning approach to help others achieve greatness in their lives. She loves nothing more than helping others accomplish their BIG GOALS.

Key Takeaways: - Action beats readiness. Sarah didn't wait to feel ready, she cleared her schedule and started studying six months after deciding to pursue her pilot's license, despite three kids, a full-time job, and a side business. - A "pipe dream" becomes real the day you stop calling it one. Her dad's doubt, and his honest explanation that she "didn't have the focus," became the turning point that made her commit. - Progress is a cycle, not a straight line. Sarah calls her approach "the art of achievement": take action, reflect, adjust, and take action again. However many cycles it takes. - Representation matters early. Through Girls in Aviation Day, Sarah has watched what happens when young girls see women in flight suits, cockpits, and maintenance bays: "if they can see it, they can be it." - A childhood of constant motion built resilience. Moving 34 times before fifth grade for her father's power line construction work taught Sarah to connect with people quickly and keep those connections going. - Signs can show up anywhere, even a coffee cup. While questioning whether to keep pushing toward her pilot's license, a Starbucks cup reading "stay the course" convinced Sarah she was on the right path. - Sarah's answer to Steph's closing question: at her core, she's a fun-loving, people-loving person who feels most herself in the air, on the snow, and grounded in her faith.

Chapters: 0:00 – Cold open: meeting Sarah and her aviation dream 0:39 – Knowing she wanted to fly since age three 1:03 – Encouraging others to take action on their dreams 1:46 – Turning 40 and deciding "if I'm going to do this, I better start" 2:36 – Behind the yoke for the first time on her own 3:16 – Flight school: instrument rating and commercial training underway 6:59 – What Women in Aviation Gem State Chapter does 9:01 – 100,000 female pilots and counting 12:00 – Her dad's "when horses fly" reaction to her pilot dream 14:26 – Keynote speaking and sales training 15:01 – Girls in Aviation Day: growing from 150 to 250 attendees 17:16 – "If they can see it, they can be it" 18:11 – What flying feels like: total presence, total release 19:55 – A yoga parallel: losing yourself in the moment 20:36 – Flying into the Grand Canyon at dusk 24:03 – Flying into the backcountry: Indian Creek and smoke-filled skies 26:45 – What company would you fly for? 30:00 – Her kids' very different dreams: skiing, ranching, baseball 33:37 – Her dad's helicopter career and 1,500 skydiving jumps 34:39 – Heli-snowboarding in Whistler, BC 39:52 – Favorite Idaho flight: a solo cross-country to Coeur d'Alene 41:24 – Landing a Kodiak backcountry plane at Flying B 42:51 – Would she buy back her dad's old plane? 44:19 – A childhood of 34 moves before fifth grade 50:11 – Flying a Black Hawk during the "boss lift" 53:52 – A shoutout to Women in Aviation founder Sarina 1:02:23 – Closing question 1:03:53 – Outro

Steph Lokelani reunites with Angela Ocheltree, the oldest friend she's had on the podcast to date, for a warm, funny catch-up that doubles as a time capsule. The two met as seventh graders at Lakota Junior High in Federal Way, Washington, in the early '90s through drama club, and they trace the throughline from those teenage years to now.

They swap stories about the theater kids they used to be (Godspell, Macbeth, and one unforgettable paper-mache head), an eerie coincidence involving Angela's adopted mother's birth family and the small Idaho town her parents happened to retire to, and the different roads that led them both into second acts later in life; Angela went back to college at 32 and lived in the dorms, while Steph built a filmmaking career after finishing her degree online through Full Sail University.

Angela, now a sixth grade teacher working toward becoming a school librarian, talks candidly about budget cuts gutting librarian jobs in her district, what she's seeing as phones reshape her classroom, and how drama and choir saved her as a shy, insecure teenager. Both women open up about divorce, starting over, and raising kids the second time around.

About Angela Ocheltree: Angela Ocheltree is an educator and aspiring storyteller based in the Pacific Northwest. With a decade of experience as a middle school teacher and theater co-director, she recently completed her library endorsement to transition into her dream role as a school librarian. Beyond the classroom, Angela is a creative who dabbles in many things; lately it is watercolor and writing. She also loves going to the theater, spending time with her family and friends, and traveling. As a mom of three, she balances her professional life with family adventures, sharing her love for everything from the stage to exploring the PNW. Angela is passionate about education, reading, and bringing curiosity to everyday life.

Key Takeaways: - Reconnecting with an old friend can feel like time never passed. Steph and Angela met at Lakota Junior High in the early '90s through drama club and can still finish each other's stories decades later. - It's never too late to change paths. Angela went back to college at 32, living in the dorms her first year, after years as a pharmacy technician, and became a certified teacher in her mid-30s. - School libraries are quietly disappearing. Angela's district cut librarian positions from every middle and high school, leaving books checked in and out by non-certified staff while she finishes her own library degree. - Being in drama and choir can be life-saving for a shy kid. Angela calls theater the place she "got to be me," crediting teachers - including the choir director who recruited her - with shaping who she became. - Both women treat divorce as a turning point, not a failure. Each describes a first marriage that ended for the right reasons and a second chapter that fits who they've grown into. - Smartphones are reshaping childhood fast. Angela shares what she sees in her sixth grade classroom, from phone pouches to shrinking attention spans, and why she's in no rush to give her kids a phone. - Titles like "mom" and "teacher" don't erase who you are underneath them. Angela's answer to the closing question: at her core, she's someone who chases joy, creativity, and new experiences.

Chapters: 0:00 – Cold open 0:11 – Welcome + meet Angela Ocheltree 0:42 – Sixth grade teacher, future school librarian 0:55 – How they met: Lakota Junior High, Federal Way 2:11 – What got her into drama club 3:02 – The coincidence of her parents landing in Emmett, Idaho 3:35 – Her adopted mom's birth family is from Emmett too 4:37 – "Felony Way": Federal Way's reputation today 5:39 – Wild Waves closing after 50 seasons 11:36 – Starting college at 32, living in the dorms 12:44 – Full Sail, HP, and Steph's own degree 14:46 – Co-directing school plays today 16:59 – Godspell: her favorite show, then and now 23:21 – Wanting to become a school librarian 23:38 – Budget cuts gutting school librarian jobs 30:20 – Teaching the five major world religions in 6th grade 38:49 – Josh: the friend who got her into choir 42:20 – Marriage, infidelity, and starting over 44:16 – Remarried and raising three kids 53:45 – How middle school has changed since the 90s 55:34 – Girls on the Mat: yoga, breathwork, facilitator training 57:34 – Smartphones and shrinking attention spans 59:07 – Phone pouches at school 1:01:49 – Disconnecting on a whitewater rafting trip 1:09:24 – Felony Way revisited and the empty mall 1:12:13 – First jobs: Izzy's Pizza and "pizza surprise" 1:20:09 – Closing question 1:26:20 – Full circle: daughters in theater, back on the stage 1:27:57 – How drama saved her life 1:32:37 – Outro