# Air Force to FBI to a Dating Podcast: John Petrozelli on Prepping Before You Leap

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-scenic-route-with-victoria-steward-7782802/air-force-to-fbi-to-a-dating-podcast-john-petrozelli-on-prepping-before-you-leap
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-scenic-route-with-victoria-steward-7782802/air-force-to-fbi-to-a-dating-podcast-john-petrozelli-on-prepping-before-you-leap.md
Podcast: [The Scenic Route with Victoria Steward](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-scenic-route-with-victoria-steward-7782802)
Published: 2026-07-01T10:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/6eb7679e8dcb25bcc082271d29861c51601ea668d2309a25d0dc686f739eb1cc/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiI4M2FkZjk5MS1kNzMzLTRmNTYtYWUzMC05YTBiMWZmOGFiY2EiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiI5NTE3MTRjMC03YjRkLTQ2NzUtYmQzNi1iM2JkMjc4Zjg1NDYiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2OTlmNjIyYzM1MDAxYzBlOWJlNGFlNGIiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNmEyZjA5NTUwOWU3OTNlMmU2NjVjYjJhL3ZpY3Rvcmlhcy1zdHVkaW8tUGhZZDAtY29tcG9zZXItMjAyNi02LTE0X18yMi00LTM3Lm1wMyJ9.mp3
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Duration seconds: 2695

## Resource

John Petrozelli has built his whole life around one rule: before you make a big move, prep the ground, study the risks, then leap. He learned it as an Air Force intelligence officer, sharpened it across seventeen years and five different roles in the FBI, and carried it into a career in cybersecurity. So what happens when a man who plans everything tells you about the one time he leapt without a plan? That is the heart of this conversation. John walked away from the military fast, on anger and instinct, and spent the next year and a half treading water before he found his footing again. If you have ever wondered what it actually costs to jump before you are ready, his answer is worth sitting with. But this is not a heavy episode. It is also the story of how John got curious instead of bitter: how he used those same intelligence skills to rebuild his life after divorce, why he finally stopped forcing the search and met the right person when he was not looking, and how all of it turned into Done With Dating, his free, podcast-driven dating platform where listeners can actually apply to date the guests. CHAPTERS 00:00 Welcome to The Scenic Route 01:28 Dreaming of Becoming an Air Force Pilot 02:31 Switching From Engineering to Intelligence Work 04:27 What “Intelligence Preparation of the Battle Space” Means 07:08 Becoming an Air Force Intelligence Officer in 1998 08:07 What South Korea Taught Him About the Gray Area of Life 09:06 Combat Mission Planning for Special Operations 10:59 From the FBI to Director of Cybersecurity: Five Career Pivots 13:08 How Cyber Warfare Actually Works Today 17:25 Rebuilding His Dating Life After Divorce, and Hitting Burnout 21:23 Meeting the Right Person by Not Looking for Her 23:24 Building the Done With Dating Podcast: Three Pillars 26:50 Ho…

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## Transcript

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