The Monday Media Diet with Marc Polymeropoulos
On Damascus, baseball, and comfort zones
Mark Polymeropoulos is a friend of WITI and former CIA case officer. He now is a regular contributor for MSNBC and wrote a book with some hard earned learnings, Clarity in Crisis. He regularly speaks on leadership from local police departments all the way up to tech companies like Google and Meta. If you want to go a lot deeper on his story (and the TBI that ended his career), its worth watching this episode. Have a good week.
Tell us about yourself. I served 26 years for the CIA and retired in 2019. The role of a CIA case officer, at the tip of the spear, was so much of my identify. I thought I was a bad ass, and perhaps that was true! But wow, was I wrong to be so self absorbed and focused on my job, because I have found so much more happiness in retirement. I wrote a book on leadership, “Clarity in Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the CIA.” I did a book tour. I write a weekly column for a newspaper and I’m on cable news as an intelligence and security analyst. I work with a big city police department on leadership training. I consult with Hollywood on movie scripts. I raise money for veterans. There is so much more to life in my second career. And, I’m not getting shot at or followed around, which I suppose is a plus! The lesson here: challenge yourself. Get out of your comfort zone. I’m 53, and I often have impostor syndrome-what am I doing in front of a million people on TV? This is good. Make the uncomfortable, comfortable. Finally and most importantly-my family is everything to me. My kids are out of the house, grown up, so my wife and I are empty nesters. It’s too quiet. I miss them being around.
Describe your media diet. Twitter. I sadly obsess over it. I’m a Twitter addict. Here’s my routine: In the morning, I watch Morning Joe starting at 6am. I’m actually on the show once a week as a MSNBC contributor, so I love the show and the hosts. Joe and Mika have been wonderful to me, and the talk on baseball is always right up my alley. Then, it’s Twitter, a quick read of headlines in the Washington Post, NY Times, Wall Street Journal, CNN, and then Fox. The Economist is always fantastic.
What’s the last great book you read? “Damascus Station.” One of the best fiction books on espionage from a new superstar in the genre, David McCloskey, an old colleague from CIA. Holy cow, is it real. It captured the relationship that a CIA officer has with their sources. I joked with him, did you write this about me? I can’t wait for his next book on Russia.
What are you reading now? Victor in Trouble by Alex Finley. A satire about the CIA, Russian influence, and overall it’s particularly funny if you worked in my old shop. The CIA is called CYA-you know where that is going. Great fun. If you can’t make fun of the things that you do in life, you are taking yourself too seriously.
What’s your reading strategy when you pick up a print copy of your favorite publication? What a great question. I think about where I will read it. I get excited for this. Over coffee? Outside on the deck? On a trip, sitting in a plane? I love reading, and I love having something tangible to hold. I love print copies, and I love the thought of sitting down and diving in to what I’m reading.
Who should everyone be reading that they’re not? “Puck.” A newsletter that dissects the unique intersection between politics, the media, and the entertainment world. One of the founders is a friend.
What is the best non-famous app you love on your phone? Soundcloud. Helps me sleep. Seriously. I need background noise. I suffered from a TBI, during my government service, and so I have tinnitus. The app helps me sleep. Essential.
Plane or train? Plane. I love planes. There was always the romance of travel by air. I spent thousands of hours on planes in my career at CIA, often going to unique places. I became an expert on finagling business class wherever I went. I’m a business class snob. Also, my dad taught aerospace engineering. He helped design an engine part for the Harrier jet. I also love drones. You can guess why perhaps, where I worked.
What is one place everyone should visit? Arlington National Cemetery. I have friends buried there. It is sacred ground. I go every year. It’s a sobering reminder of those that made the ultimate sacrifice.
Tell us the story of a rabbit hole you fell deep into. Drinking to relieve my chronic pain. I’m not proud of this. And I never believed I had a problem. But when you suffer from headaches (the TBI from my old job), it’s very easy at night to have a scotch. Or three. This is flat out not healthy. I never got drunk. But I used alcohol as a crutch. My wife really helped turn me around. I drink kombucha now. And I love it. (MP)
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Thanks for reading,
Noah (NRB) & Colin (CJN) & Marc (MP)
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