060 | Toe to Toe with Catherine Deneuve
In the late spring of 1985, two colleagues and I were invited to a dinner in France. While it was all well and good to be invited to an evening event—in France, no less—it did raise a few concerns. The thing is, it wasn’t a usual dinner: it was the Paris Airshow of that year, held at a chateau. My colleagues didn’t know how to rent tuxes in Paris, I didn’t know what to wear, and I was one of two featured guests for the evening. The other was a top-tier film star and model who’s as revered in France as Joan of Arc— Catherine Deneuve.
In this episode, you’ll hear about the night I came toe to toe with the French film star, Catherine Deneuve, and you’ll learn the value of always taking the posture of the explorer. I describe how my colleagues and I became delegates to the Paris Airshow of 1985 and discuss how stereotypes create many of the problems in our world. I also underscore the importance of finding common humanity and connecting with people regardless of their background.
“See through our common humanity. Stay curious about the people around you. Find new ways to connect with them regardless of their official station—or how you fear they’d react to you.”
- Kathy Sullivan
This week on Kathy Sullivan Explores:
● Being assigned as a delegate to the Paris Airshow of 1985
● The history and ethos of the Brotherhood of the Knights of Tastevin
● A tale of two Catherines and how society pits women against each other
● An evening of wine and humor and “meeting” Catherine Deneuve
● The value of taking the posture of an explorer
● How social stereotypes create many of the problems in the world
● The importance of being curious about the people around you
Our Favorite Quotes:
● “Keep exploring and looking for common ground. When you do, you’ll always discover more than what first meets the eye.” - Kathy Sullivan
● “Happily, astronauts are great at triaging complex concerns. The calculus is simple: go with who you are and have fun with it as much as you can.” - Kathy Sullivan
Spaceship Not Required
I’m Kathy Sullivan, the only person to have walked in space and gone to the deepest point in the ocean.
I’m an explorer, and that doesn’t always have to involve going to some remote or exotic place. It simply requires a commitment to put curiosity into action.
In this podcast, you can explore, reflecting on lessons learned from life so far and from my brilliant and ever-inquisitive guests. We explore together in this very moment from right where you are… spaceship not required.
Welcome to Kathy Sullivan Explores.