Christina & Ryan Hillsberg and Humphrey Hawksley - The Goldster Inside Story Podcast

Goldster Inside Story gives you a story of love, spies and parenting with a rare double-act interview and a ground-breaking book for frazzled families -- License to Parent: How My Career as a Spy Helped Me Raise Resourceful, Self-Sufficient Kids. Christina and Ryan Hillsberg both spied for America’s Central Intelligence Agency before Christina turned her skills to becoming a stay-at-home-mom sharing fresh, ingenious and fascinating secrets on child-rearing, and putting an insightful and entertaining spin on some of the most challenging years of our lives.  In conversation with Humphrey Hawksley, the Hillsbergs will explain their CIA day jobs. As a covert operative, Ryan recruited spies and stole secrets around the world, collecting crucial information on terrorism, security and the many threats to our everyday lives.

Christine did similar work, often in Africa, while also writing analytical assessments for the President and senior policy makers. How exactly do those skills – torn straight from the scenes of an action-packed spy movie – transfer to the hum drum day-to-day world of good parenting. The aim, say the Hillsbergs, is to raise children who are confident, reassured and know how to stay safe. And, we will learn, James Bond, was an absolutely terrible spy.  “If  a spy has to pull out his gun or someone is chasing him, he’s done something very wrong!” And don’t even get her started on the Bond girls! 

To watch the recording of this episode then please click here