Episode 9: CIA Officer Michele Rigby Assad: Undercover, Underestimated & Unafraid
Former CIA intelligence officer Michele Rigby Assad spent nearly a decade serving undercover, much of it in some of the most challenging parts of the Middle East. In this episode, she takes us beyond the Hollywood version of the CIA and into the real world of espionage, human intelligence, dangerous overseas assignments, and life as a woman in intelligence.
Michele shares how she unexpectedly became a CIA officer, what it was really like working undercover, and how being underestimated as a woman became one of her greatest advantages.
She also tells an incredible story about a dangerous encounter overseas when her CIA training kicked in and she realized she had to “get off the X”—immediately.
But this conversation isn’t only about espionage.
We talk about reading body language, building trust with difficult sources, navigating cultures very different from our own, working alongside her husband, and what happens when you decide to walk away from a government career that has defined nearly your entire adult life.
Michele opens up about leaving the CIA before traditional retirement eligibility after years of demanding overseas assignments—and the fear of starting over when you can’t simply put much of what you’ve done on a résumé. Her message now: sometimes you have to get off the X of your own life.
In this episode:
• How Michele Rigby Assad became a CIA intelligence officer
• What Hollywood gets wrong about the CIA
• The reality of undercover intelligence work
• Serving in dangerous locations in the Middle East
• Working alongside her husband in the CIA
• Reading body language and recognizing deception
• Building trust and rapport with intelligence sources
• Being underestimated as a woman—and using it as an advantage
• The terrifying moment her CIA training kicked in
• Why cultural knowledge matters in intelligence work
• Knowing when it’s time to leave government service
• Starting over when your government career doesn’t translate onto a traditional résumé
• Why Michele believes we sometimes need to “get off the X”
Learn more about Michele, her books, speaking, coaching, and work at MicheleRigbyAssad.com.
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FEDChicks: Three retired federal agents. Three voices. Zero agency talking points.
This podcast is for entertainment and informational purposes only. The views and opinions expressed here are our own and do not represent any agency or the federal government. Nothing we share should be considered financial, career, or retirement advice.
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