Commanding a floating city of 5,000 sailors, intercepting Houthi missiles in the Red Sea, and stripping rank from sailors who cross the line with Captain Chris “Chowdah” Hill, commanding officer of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier. How do you stop a fighter jet in 2-seconds? And what are “midrats”?
About What It’s Like to Be…
In each episode of What It’s Like to Be…, bestselling author Dan Heath speaks with someone about what it’s like to walk in their (work) shoes. Behavioral Scientist serves as a distribution partner with episodes released every other week. Learn more about the podcast’s mission of “slow curiosity” here, and head here to get Dan’s reflections on how the mission is going after a year of conversations.
The “Aircraft Carrier Commander” episode of What It’s Like To Be… featured Chris Hill. It was produced and edited by Matt Purdy. Copyright © 2025 by Dan Heath. All rights reserved.