Chris Voss

And the guy says, yeah, I traveled all over the world with the secret service. And I was like, wow. Like where I grew up, crossing the state line into Illinois was a big deal. Yeah. Just cornfields and cows, I'm guessing. Cornfields and cows and small towns. So the thought of traveling all over the world as a job in law enforcement appealed to me.

At the time, the Secret Service was not hiring, the FBI was. I had no idea the difference between the FBI or the CIA or the Secret Service or the FDA. You know, federal alphabet. So I applied for the Secret Service, not hiring, the Bureau is. I apply and it happened to have a hiring push on. And I get in and it was amazing.

At the time, the Secret Service was not hiring, the FBI was. I had no idea the difference between the FBI or the CIA or the Secret Service or the FDA. You know, federal alphabet. So I applied for the Secret Service, not hiring, the Bureau is. I apply and it happened to have a hiring push on. And I get in and it was amazing.

At the time, the Secret Service was not hiring, the FBI was. I had no idea the difference between the FBI or the CIA or the Secret Service or the FDA. You know, federal alphabet. So I applied for the Secret Service, not hiring, the Bureau is. I apply and it happened to have a hiring push on. And I get in and it was amazing.

Now the degree is what got me in. What was your degree in? At Iowa State University, at the time they called it industrial administration. It is now the business school. It was a business degree. Okay. And I get in, the minimums to get into the Bureau are a four-year college degree, three years of life experience, bare minimums. An advanced degree, you can get in with two years.

Now the degree is what got me in. What was your degree in? At Iowa State University, at the time they called it industrial administration. It is now the business school. It was a business degree. Okay. And I get in, the minimums to get into the Bureau are a four-year college degree, three years of life experience, bare minimums. An advanced degree, you can get in with two years.

Now the degree is what got me in. What was your degree in? At Iowa State University, at the time they called it industrial administration. It is now the business school. It was a business degree. Okay. And I get in, the minimums to get into the Bureau are a four-year college degree, three years of life experience, bare minimums. An advanced degree, you can get in with two years.

Some degrees, they'll take you right away, but it's a bad idea. You need the seasoning of the real world. to get into the bureau. In three years is actually a short period of time.

Some degrees, they'll take you right away, but it's a bad idea. You need the seasoning of the real world. to get into the bureau. In three years is actually a short period of time.

Some degrees, they'll take you right away, but it's a bad idea. You need the seasoning of the real world. to get into the bureau. In three years is actually a short period of time.

That would be the case, right? But I get in. I was second youngest person in my class to graduate. The youngest guy, the only guy younger than me, ended up being my partner in New York City. And we had a long run together that worked really well. But so I get into the Bureau, originally wanted to be on a SWAT team.

That would be the case, right? But I get in. I was second youngest person in my class to graduate. The youngest guy, the only guy younger than me, ended up being my partner in New York City. And we had a long run together that worked really well. But so I get into the Bureau, originally wanted to be on a SWAT team.

That would be the case, right? But I get in. I was second youngest person in my class to graduate. The youngest guy, the only guy younger than me, ended up being my partner in New York City. And we had a long run together that worked really well. But so I get into the Bureau, originally wanted to be on a SWAT team.

When I left the police department, I was two weeks away from being transferred to the SWAT team. And so got on the SWAT team, FBI Pittsburgh, first office. Went on a couple of SWAT operations. Got transferred to New York City, decided to try out for the FBI's hostage rescue team, which is the FBI's version of the Navy SEALs, and there are a lot of former SEALs and former Delta guys on that team.

When I left the police department, I was two weeks away from being transferred to the SWAT team. And so got on the SWAT team, FBI Pittsburgh, first office. Went on a couple of SWAT operations. Got transferred to New York City, decided to try out for the FBI's hostage rescue team, which is the FBI's version of the Navy SEALs, and there are a lot of former SEALs and former Delta guys on that team.

When I left the police department, I was two weeks away from being transferred to the SWAT team. And so got on the SWAT team, FBI Pittsburgh, first office. Went on a couple of SWAT operations. Got transferred to New York City, decided to try out for the FBI's hostage rescue team, which is the FBI's version of the Navy SEALs, and there are a lot of former SEALs and former Delta guys on that team.

And so we had hostage negotiators. I had no idea what they did. Like, I was clueless. But it looked easy. Didn't involve your knee bending too much. Yeah, you know, they talk to bad guys. I talk all the time. I should be able to do that. I originally applied for the negotiation team in New York, got rejected.

And so we had hostage negotiators. I had no idea what they did. Like, I was clueless. But it looked easy. Didn't involve your knee bending too much. Yeah, you know, they talk to bad guys. I talk all the time. I should be able to do that. I originally applied for the negotiation team in New York, got rejected.

And so we had hostage negotiators. I had no idea what they did. Like, I was clueless. But it looked easy. Didn't involve your knee bending too much. Yeah, you know, they talk to bad guys. I talk all the time. I should be able to do that. I originally applied for the negotiation team in New York, got rejected.

And the key to me, both getting in the bureau and on the negotiation team, was asking the right person and then doing what they said. So I asked the woman who was in charge of the negotiation team in New York after she flat out made it clear to me, I was eminently unqualified. I didn't have other than wanting to do it, nothing. And I said, well, what is it that I could do?