After her grades beat her home one college semester, Marcia Lindstrom joined the Air Force as a plan B, where she eventually met her husband, Chuck. After their service in the USAF, Marcia, Chuck, and their two sons had plans to move to a new place with jobs lined up… which fell through at the very last minute. They had already sold their house, and literally had nowhere to go. So when her sister suggested Huntsville, they decided to give it a shot. Marcia had no idea that driving by and claiming she would work at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center would lead to a beautiful career and a love of space exploration.

She spent more than a decade at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, including focusing efforts on the Saturn V Restoration and acting as the Director of Operations for Space Camp. Marcia then transitioned to NASA in several roles, but she now leads the Strategic Communications Team for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) – the most powerful rocket and the foundation for human exploration beyond Earth’s orbit.

In this interview, Marcia goes back to her childhood, sharing how her mother helped her get her first job at 11 years old. She talks about her own career and how she came to work in the positions she did along the way. She also tells listeners about her own battle with imposter syndrome and gives some helpful advice for overcoming it. Marcia’s story feels like a masterclass on growing in your career, with nuggets of wisdom sprinkled throughout her charming stories.