#78: Joel "Thor" Neeb — Life after Stage IV Cancer

Please register for the MMoment, a live event by Military Mentors on Saturday, January 22, 2022 in Washington, D.C. Intentional Leader is partnering with Military Mentors to put on this event.

As a former F-15 pilot, Thor has flown over 2,500 missions. He provided escort for the President, protected our nation's borders, and was named the Top Instructor Pilot at the Air Force Flight Training Headquarters, training thousands of pilots for the United States and 25 allied countries around the world. He was the tactical leader of 300 of the most senior combat pilots in the Air Force and he oversaw the execution of a $150M/year flight program.

In 2010, Thor was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer and given about a 15% chance to live. Instead of giving up, Thor decided to give back. He started a youth outreach program in San Antonio that has grown to help more than 15,000 at-risk kids. Their efforts have been featured on every news channel for 100 miles and one national media outlet. In 2012, he was selected out of 62,000 people to receive the Air Education and Training Command National Public Service Award. Thor completed the New Zealand Ironman Triathlon in March of 2015 to commemorate the five-year anniversary of his Stage IV cancer diagnosis and to raise awareness for the rare and deadly cancer that he battled. Thor has also competed in American Ninja Warrior.

For most of 2015, Thor led a team of Afterburner consultants that was embedded in Silicon Valley with one of the top-five largest software companies in the world. While there, Thor supported the successful completion of more than 50 projects created from the CEO's key strategic objectives.

As Afterburner's CEO, Thor currently leads a team of more than 70 former fighter pilots, Navy SEALs, and other Special Forces members. For the past two decades, Afterburner has shown corporations around the world how to utilize the same techniques that created leaders and developed elite teams in the high-stakes environment of combat. Over those 20 years, the Afterburner client roster has included 85% of the Fortune 50 Companies and 11 NFL teams. They have offices in Atlanta, Australia, and Brazil.

Thor received his Bachelor's Degree at the Air Force Academy and is a summa cum laude graduate of the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas. He also sits on the board of several national organizations and is the co-founder of a military support corporation.

In this interview, we discuss:

• His battle with cancer

• The meaning of "survivor's obligation"

• How he lives his life differently after surviving cancer

• Practical ways all of us can live a more intentional life

• The concept of post-traumatic growth

• His top advice for transitioning veterans,

• His top marriage and parenting advice.

Connect with Thor on LinkedIn.

Learn more about Afterburner at Afterburner.com and by following their LinkedIn page.