For the first time ever, Let's Talk EVM reaches orbit. Join us for an extraordinary conversation with NASA astronaut Mike Fincke, whose remarkable career shows how the principles at the heart of Earned Value Management can help people deliver complex projects, understand reality, and prepare humans to explore space. This episode marks an exciting milestone for the podcast. Amber and Barbara sit down with astronaut Mike Fincke, who has served as a commander, pilot, and mission specialist. He has spent more than 549 days in space, completed nine spacewalks, flown aboard the Space Shuttle, Soyuz, and SpaceX Crew Dragon, and helped build the International Space Station. But what surprised us most was discovering that before becoming an astronaut, Mike was an Air Force acquisition officer who learned Earned Value Management early in his career and carried its principles with him through decades of flight testing, spacecraft development, and human spaceflight. In this extraordinary conversation, Mike reveals why situational awareness is a common thread between performing a spacewalk at 17,500 miles per hour and managing billion-dollar programs. Whether floating outside the International Space Station with limited oxygen or leading a complex acquisition effort, success depends on seeing reality clearly, understanding what matters most, and making informed decisions before small problems become catastrophic. His analogy connecting an EVA, the technical term for a spacewalk, with EVM is one of the most powerful explanations of Earned Value Management we have ever heard. The discussion goes far beyond spaceflight. Mike shares how great leaders create environments where people can tell the truth without fear, why “clarity is kindness” became a guiding principle for his crews, and how high-performing teams build trust, communicate openly, and maintain shared situational awareness under immense pressure. From spacecraft cockpits to executive dashboards, and from mission control to project control, this episode explores the timeless principles connecting leadership, culture, data, and decision-making. Whether you are an EVM practitioner, project manager, engineer, leader, or simply someone fascinated by space exploration, this is a conversation you will not want to miss. It is a rare opportunity to hear a NASA astronaut explain why the same principles that keep astronauts alive in orbit can also help organizations navigate complexity here on Earth. It is a masterclass in leadership, truth, and situational awareness from someone who has lived it. https://www.nasa.gov/people/edward-michael-mike-fincke/
