We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ann Butler. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ann below.

Hi Ann, thanks for joining us today. What do you think it takes to be successful?

Success in a profession can be very different than success in family life. But one can, indeed, have success in both – and if it works, life will certainly be extraordinary. Success takes perseverance, tenacity, and patience. It takes sacrifice and, of course, the support of people around you. My career as a CIA officer required a very unique set of skills. Because the job -recruiting and handling spies and collecting intelligence to protect our country’s national security – is full of challenges and sometimes danger, it takes a certain kind of person to be successful in the job. One needs to be able to pivot when necessary, be ready for the unexpected. It requires being aware of – and interested in – world events. It requires being able to discuss, with substance, different topics in order to determine if a source has access to information of interest. One has to be able to show empathy for the source. Success in this kind of job requires confidence to make decisions quickly and creativity in order to solve problems that seemingly have no solution.

Success in family life means having a spouse and children who support and love one another, who can laugh and joke and cry with each other. It means being grateful for little things – like family dinners when everyone is having fun and sharing stories or exploring new cities and countries together or sitting back watching the children create a performance all sharing the spotlight. It means taking advantage of enjoying simple things together.

1. At one point in my career, I was in Bosnia for four months as part of a UN mission tasked to keep peace in the war torn country. It was the site of a crisis that the world had watched in horror where one part of the population encircled Sarajevo and laid siege to the city indiscriminately shooting at anything that moved. My two small children were back in the US. I was far from home, communication with family was complicated and infrequent and my surroundings were cold and depressing. Nonetheless, I soon realized that my spouse had everything under control at home and I began to understand my contribution to the NATO mission. I felt success in my work supporting the Bosnian people reach peace in their country and I felt great success in knowing my family was safe back home and supporting one another.
2. My job required us to move every few years. My children didn’t know why they had to change homes and schools each time, say goodbye to friends and have to make new ones. And in every city or country, my spouse eventually had to quit his job then search for a new one in the next place we landed. At the same time, though, I was successful in my job, in very large part due to the support of my spouse and the willingness of my family to realize I was doing something important, something greater than all of us.

Ann, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I have always been drawn to travel and adventure. After graduating from the University of Notre Dame and spending several years studying overseas, I began a 27-year-long career with the CIA as an undercover Operations Officer. My mission was simple: recruit spies, collect intelligence, and help protect the United States. While working in this fast-paced and dangerous role, I moved every few years to a different city, country, or continent with my husband and five children.

I was able to find a profession that allowed me to not only live overseas but, at the same time, have an exciting, challenging, constantly changing career, do important work AND serve my country. Upon retiring, I decided to write my memoir – initially as a gift for my children. I quickly realized, though, that my story strikes a chord with all kinds of different people – with women who want to be reassured they can “do it all” and with people who want to read a story that humanizes the life of a CIA officer. My memoir speaks to the ups and downs, the joys and challenges, the fears and frustrations of working a demanding 24/7 job while being a mom of a big family.
Many mothers shuttle their kids to dance lessons and sports practice, coordinate playdates, read bedtime stories and struggle to get dinner on the table after a long day at the office. Very few do all this while secretly meeting with spies, carrying a purse retrofitted to conceal a Glock, and tasked with protecting the security of the United States. For several decades, this was my life.
I am grateful for the opportunities I’ve had. I urge readers to challenge themselves – to realize that though it may take some sacrifices, it will all be worth it. I urge everyone to be grateful for whatever is in front of you; take care of people around you and finally, encourage your children that there are no limits to what they can do in life.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I was eight months pregnant with my daughter when I had a meeting with an agent hundreds of kilometers away from home in a different country. I met this agent every two months and was getting really good information from him. I used a different identity. All logistics—from the moment I left my home to the moment I arrived at the meeting site and then returned home again—had to be perfectly planned and executed. I did this often. I knew what I had to do.

In this case, though, the long train ride portion of the trip was difficult. I was uncomfortable, tired, hungry, and, with every minute that passed, worried I might go into labor. Memories rushed into my head. I recalled my water breaking as I hurried through the airport to meet my CIA colleague years before. I remembered another time being panicked as my contractions became stronger while I tried to let my daughter finish her playdate at the pool. Now, I wondered if I was risking my baby’s health by being so immersed in a job I had to finish. I wasn’t near a hospital, I wasn’t near a doctor, I wasn’t near my husband, and I wasn’t using my real name. I asked myself how long I could keep this up, this life of being everything—a wife, mother, and spy all at once.

I was worried about the meeting. What if, when I finally did arrive, the street was blocked, closed, or somehow inaccessible? What if my agent wasn’t at the location as planned? What if my documents didn’t withstand scrutiny? What if I got hurt? What if I went into labor—with a name that wasn’t really mine? What if I couldn’t meet my agent because I was giving birth instead?

So much to think about. So much to plan for. So much to do. In the end I confronted the challenges and made it all work. I knew I would be ok.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I retired after 27 years as an undercover CIA officer. During my career, I moved with my spouse and children every 2-3 years to a new city or country. With the exception of my oldest, my other children only learned where I really worked when I retired. My children never complained about their lives – rather they embraced the changes, the excitement and the people they met along the way.

After retiring, I wanted to write down my thoughts about our life. I wanted my children to know more about why we lived the life we lived.

Years ago, after my mother died at the age of only 55, my father wrote a memoir of his life with my mom. He wrote it for me and my three brothers. It was wonderful. His gift was the impetus for my wanting to leave a legacy for my children. For them and their future generations.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.annebutler.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annelizabethbutler/?igsh=OGJ5NjUyOGdvZGlm
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annelizabethbutler
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ann-e-butler/