On January 15, 2009, pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger safely landed US Airways Flight 1549 on the Hudson River in New York. The event became famously known as the Miracle on the Hudson. With 155 people on board, Sully managed to land the plane after a bird strike during takeoff from LaGuardia Airport caused both engines to lose thrust, leaving the aircraft without power. From the moment the birds hit the engines to the safe landing on the Hudson River, only four minutes had passed.

Sully is MY all-time favorite hero. I followed this story closely when it happened, read his book Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters, watched the Hollywood film based on the book—where Tom Hanks portrays him—and even attended a conference in Orange County where he spoke. My mentor, Bob, and I drove down to hear him, and he signed my copy of the book. In preparation for writing this post, I listened to the audiobook again. It’s an incredible story of an inspiring individual.

Let me start with my favorite passage from his book:

“I’ve come to realize that my journey to the Hudson River didn’t begin at LaGuardia Airport. It began decades before, in my childhood home, on Mr. Cook’s grass airfield, in the skies over North Texas, in the California home I now share with my wife, Lorrie, and our two daughters, and on all the jets I’ve flown toward the horizon. Flight 1549 wasn’t just a five-minute journey. My entire life led me safely to that river.”

I love this quote because it speaks to how each of us is shaped by our life experiences, which prepare us for our defining moments.

Maybe I won’t face moments as monumental as his, but any defining moment I’ve had in my life is not an isolated event. It’s the culmination of everything that has come before.

When I first started my career in real estate, I had a mentor named Bob. One day, we were talking about our heroes—his was Chuck Yeager—and we bonded over how our heroes were pilots who had achieved extraordinary things.

Early in my career, I found myself overwhelmed, often letting my clients’ anxieties fluster me and impact my ability to do my job effectively. Emotions run high in real estate transactions, and over the course of my now 15-year career, I’ve learned that our primary responsibility is to manage our clients’ emotions while protecting their assets. But in my early years, I struggled. If my clients freaked out about something, I freaked out too.

I remember the day Bob used our heroes as an example to teach me how to handle these situations with professionalism.

Bob explained how Sully’s preparation and deep understanding of his job and the airplane ultimately saved him and everyone on that flight. Sully had been flying since he was 16, attended the Air Force Academy, served as a fighter pilot, and spent decades as a commercial pilot and crash investigator. What allowed him to land safely on the Hudson was his ability to remain calm in the face of dire circumstances, rely on his training, following his checklists, and making calm rational decisions in split seconds.

Bob reminded me that my job requires the same approach. I’m paid to be prepared, calm, and decisive—not to let emotions cloud my judgment. And unlike Sully, my mistakes won’t cost lives. If he could safely land on a river, I could certainly get my clients through escrow.

To me, Sully’s story is the story of a true hero. In his book, he shares how he sometimes feels uncomfortable with that title. He even mentions receiving a letter from someone saying, “Being prepared doesn’t make you a hero.” I’ve had similar discussions when talking about why he’s my all-time favorite hero.

To me, though, he is a hero. He didn’t choose to face such a life-or-death situation, but when he was put into it, the decisions he made and the way he handled himself define heroism.

What I admire most about Sully is his ability to remain composed and not let his emotions take over. I strive for that same level of control in my life. I’ve always been good in emergencies, which is why when I see an accident before first responders arrive, I have always pulled over to help the scared bleeding person. I’ve even received thank-you cards from people I’ve helped. That’s also why I wanted to be a firefighter.

Now, as a mom and wife, I strive to show that same patience and composure—even when I have two screaming toddlers refusing to get in their car seats.

I hope one day I can meet Sully again to share how much his story has impacted me and how inspiring his life journey has been.