The war outside ended, but the firefight between your ears rages on.
What if pain is the fastest way to freedom?
Nathan Mechikoff served nine years in the Army and National Guard as a Signal Corps IT specialist. Today he runs Forge Forward Coaching, turning chronic stress and transition struggles into unshakable purpose for veterans and high performers.
He woke up mid air certain it was the end
The panic attack that almost cost him his badge
Breathing through 3 a.m. flashbacks instead of drowning them
Turning cliff edge terror into a business plan
Teaching vets to anchor purpose when the uniform is gone
The daily ritual that silences the inner critic
⏱ Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
02:05 The mission that went sideways
08:40 Coming home to an unsettling silence
14:12 First panic attack in aisle seven
20:55 Choosing breathwork over the bottle
27:30 Forge Forward begins in a garage
35:18 Building a civilian tribe
42:10 Coaching framework: PAUSE - PLAN - PUSH
50:45 Using adversity loops for growth
58:20 Advice for vets stuck in idle
1:05:00 Final charge: own your story
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanmechikoff/
Subscribe to the newsletter: https://strategicveteran.com/newsletter
My name is Adam Peters, and I’m here to unf*ck the transition.
