Raised on a farm in the plains of North Dakota, John Whalen was determined there had to be a better life somewhere. For much of his youth, he lived without electricity and indoor plumbing. He despised farming. When he saw there was no change to broaden his education in the state, he sought other means. Thus began his journey From The Plains...To Planes...And Other Plain Talk.


As an adolescent, John Whalen realized that he may be gay. His upbringing would not permit such a thing, and he was determined as he matured that those feelings would disappear. Leaving for the west coast, he worked for two trucking companies and finished college. He enjoyed the business but became bored with life in Portland. He decided to travel to Alaska.

In Alaska, he found opportunities he could not have imagined. Starting with a small auditing firm, the opportunities grew and ultimately he found himself the president and CEO of one of the nation's largest worldwide airfreight forwarding companies.


The path to success was not easy, and Whalen faced many struggles including his sexual orientation, a disruptive divorce, and diabetes. Determined to come out a winner, he made decisions in his life that eventually brought him success and happiness.