Sue Gordon: Humble Servant on Duke Basketball, a Meet Cute, and Early Career at CIA (pt 1)

On this very special season of Iron Butterfly Podcast, we’re going inside our first documentary feature film, titled The Power We Hold: Stories from Women Spies. This film features 10 of the most powerful women you’ve never heard of, and this season, we’ll get up close and personal with each of them. Each month, we’ll highlight a different woman, with each episode presented in two parts.

This thoughtful and deeply human episode features an intimate, wide-ranging conversation with Sue Gordon. Drawing from her more than three decades of service at the CIA and NGA, Sue shares profound insights and personal anecdotes, including a life-changing "meet-cute" moment and her passion for Duke basketball. We explore her collaboration with Sally Ride, her journey through cancer treatment, and how experiencing grief unexpectedly opened a doorway to deeper purpose and leadership. The episode beautifully illustrates how both joyful and painful life experiences shape the leaders we become.

Follow us on social media to catch us on the road this year as we travel to film festivals across the world. We might be coming to a city near you!