Anthony Hicks of Knoxville, TN on Life, Lessons & Legacy

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Anthony Hicks. Check out our conversation below.

Good morning Anthony, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What do you think is misunderstood about your business? 
Let me address both sides of my business separately here. Flying is getting more and more dependent upon automation and procedural adherence. Due to this, many people believe that pilot skills and judgement are not as important as in the past. There might be a little bit of truth in this, but in cases where the system breaks down (such as in emergency situations) a well-trained pilot who remains calm and employs good judgement can make the difference between life and death.

As for the adventure side of my business (specifically in regards to storm chasing), the general consensus is that we are all just a bunch of adrenaline junkies. While there is some truth in that we generally are adventure seekers, we nearly all are also trained storm spotters who actively report on what we see. That information is used by, and is helpful to, science in general

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Anthony (Tony) Hicks, and the business name is Deep Blue Adventure&Aviation LLC. My background includes many different experiences in aviation including Naval Aviation, airline flying, as well as corporate and instructor and mentor pilot roles. I have flown aircraft ranging from the F-14 Tomcat to a Dassault Falcon to an A1C Husky. My education is in Geo Science, which includes an MS minor in Meteorology. My business endeavors call upon this experience and education in the activities that are involved.
Deep Blue Adventure&Aviation seeks to train pilots to be at their best when they face any given challenge in the present and into the ever-changing future. Additionally, through my business, I intend to offer adventures (primarily storm chasing for now) for veterans and those with a strong desire to learn about weather and other scientific subjects in situ.

Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
Honestly, a person could probably do a PhD dissertation on this topic. Sadly, politics seems to be a major driving force in this area. This country used to thrive despite having so many diverse beliefs. Now, a wedge has (sadly successfully) been driven into society that appears to cause people to hate one another without even knowing anything about the other person.
Differences in beliefs, including politics tend to drive people apart.
I have noticed that common experiences tend to drive out bias. Playing sports and military service, for me, helped rid many biases that I might otherwise have had. Activities that involve concentration and (at times) teamwork, can help temper dislike for one another. Things such as flying and storm chasing tend to bring the group together, and people forget about petty differences, at least for a while.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
It is actually difficult to think of an endeavor that I have started in which I did not (at least at times) feel as though I wanted to give up. Many times, for me, this happens when I am taken away from my core competence to deal with the endless administrative tasks that this society (for whatever reason) has decided is more important than technical competence. One thing that I have learned is that is is better (at least for me) to hire someone to help address these issues than to continually become bogged down by them.
By the way, this thought process can help other small businesses who assist in these areas.

Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Is the public version of you the real you?
This is a very interesting question, and one that I would not have chosen to answer until very recently. I would say that, in the past, this was less so than it is now. The reason is that, in this society, we are somewhat “trained” to present somewhat of a resume-ish side of our persona (our ego, if you will). If the true person inside is, in reality, much different from the person presented publicly, then this eventually causes conflict. We all do this to some extent. I mean, who actually wants to wear a suit and a tie?
After working a lot in this area, I would say that the public version of myself is now much closer to the real me, though that is always something of a work in progress.

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What will you regret not doing? 
I think that I will (or would) regret not following through on this business because it is following my dreams and (through the business) I am attempting to “pay it forward” by helping pilots be the best that they can be and helping veterans and others who truly want to have real experiences (in an era where virtual experiences are all the rage) explore nature in its wildest forms.

Contact Info:

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems,
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Highlighter Series
What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?

Coffee? Workouts? Hitting the snooze button 14 times? Everyone has their morning ritual and we

Highlighter Series
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?

Our deepest wounds often shape us as much as our greatest joys. The pain we

Highlighter Series
Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?

Culture, economic circumstances, family traditions, local customs and more can often influence us more than