Forged with Pasha & Mick

Mick Hunt, Pasha Palanker
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Some moments break you. The right ones forge you. Every week, Pasha Palanker and Mick Hunt go inside the moments that shape who we become. Pasha and Mick have spent years on stages across the country, and the thing audiences always come back to isn't the wins. It's the moments. The promise made at ten years old. The turnaround that worked on paper and cost everything culturally. The scar you're most proud of. So they built a show around it.

Episodes

  1. 5d ago

    The Weight of Leadership with David Tohn

    Leadership gets real when other families are counting on your decisions. Retired Army colonel and BTS CEO David Tohn joins Pasha Palanker for a candid conversation about earning trust, owning mistakes, and staying in the fight when a company’s future is on the line. David traces an ROTC scholarship that became 24 years of Army service, the demands that service placed on his family, and the lessons he carried from Somalia and Haiti. He explains how bringing assumptions from one mission into the next led to an intelligence failure—and why standing before his brigade staff and taking responsibility strengthened his credibility. Then he revisits the crisis that hit BTS early in his time as CEO. David shares how his partnership with Dan, a willingness to ask for help, and a phone call seeking five engineers helped keep the company alive. He and Pasha explore the responsibility leaders carry for employees and their families, the trust it takes to let experts do their jobs, and why the people who care about you want the chance to help. What This Episode Will Forge In You  Own the mistake. David explains why acknowledging a failed assessment protected his team’s    ability to keep doing its job. See the families behind the decisions. Hear how David weighs responsibility for employees and the people depending on them. Build a partnership that can withstand pressure. He describes the complementary roles he and Dan played during BTS’s fight for survival.Invest in relationships before the crisis. A call for five engineers shows how trust can matter when time is running out.Give experts room to work. David reflects on the value of guidance, resources, and support without taking over someone else’s job.Ask for help. David and Pasha examine the self-image and vulnerability that can make reaching out so difficult.Quotes That Hit Like A Hammer “I had to preserve my future ability to do my job by owning the failure of my past ability of doing my job.”  David Tohn “I'm not gonna stop because I haven't achieved the outcome that we said we were gonna achieve.” David Tohn “I didn't go through it alone.” David Tohn “BTS would not exist today if Greg had not called at that hour of that day.” David Tohn Chapters 00:00  Forged intro 00:12  Pasha welcomes David Tohn 03:36  The trust built through service 05:31  An ROTC scholarship becomes a military career 11:01  The cost of service at home 13:34  Building a unit from scratch 16:00  Somalia and a complaint that reached the United Nations 23:08  Returning to a changed mission in Somalia 28:14  Haiti and the danger of fighting the last battle 30:33  Owning a mistake and preserving credibility 35:17  The responsibility of a CEO 40:03  Stubbornness and keeping the objective in sight 41:53  BTS faces a fight for survival 44:49  Asking for help and the call for five engineers 48:38  Letting trusted people help you 51:36  Trusting expertise instead of relying on rank 54:11  Giving people room to do their jobs 56:58  What Pasha takes from the conversation 59:32  Forged outro Questions This Episode Will Answer How did an ROTC scholarship turn into 24 years of Army service?What did the demands of service cost David and his family? What went wrong when his team carried assumptions from Somalia into Haiti? Why did owning that failure strengthen his credibility with his brigade? How does he think about responsibility for employees and their families? What helped David and Dan keep BTS going during its early crisis? How did one phone call change the outlook for five engineers and the company? Why can asking for help be so hard—and what do trusted people want from us?What did David learn about letting capable people do their jobs?Connect with David Tohn LinkedIn | BTS company website Connect with Pasha Palanker Website | Instagram | LinkedIn                 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  2. Oct 28

    Survivor’s Pride with Michael Schlitz

    What does it take to carry the memory of your brothers forward while learning how to live again? Army veteran Michael Schlitz joins his friend Pasha Palanker for a deeply personal conversation about service, loss, and the people who stayed beside him through recovery. Michael traces his path from a restless teenager to Ranger School, the instructor role that sharpened his standards, and the deployment that changed his life. He recounts the 2007 attack in Iraq that killed three men in his vehicle and left him with severe burns and the loss of both hands. He also shares how honoring those men helped him find the words survivor’s pride. The conversation goes beyond the injury: facing his reflection, accepting help from family and fellow veterans, feeding himself again, and learning to adapt for the rest of his life. Michael and Pasha speak candidly about isolation, friendship, and why someone else’s wounds never make your own pain less real. This is a conversation about the hard work of recovery and the strength of showing up for one another. What This Episode Will Forge In You Honor the people behind the loss. Michael explains how survivor’s pride helps him remember the men he served alongside.Stay close when someone is struggling. His mother, brother, and fellow veterans formed the support network he credits with saving his life.Recognize the weight of a first win. Feeding himself again became a meaningful step toward independence.Respect recovery as ongoing work. New tools, daily tasks, and changing technology continue to demand adaptation.Make room for another person’s pain. Michael explains why comparing injuries can miss what someone is actually living through.Keep friendship in the fight against isolation. Pasha and Michael reflect on the value of connection and accepting support.Quotes That Hit Like A Hammer “Like I'm proud I got to serve with them.” -Michael Schlitz “I was never really left alone.” -Michael Schlitz “You only know what you know.” -Michael Schlitz “I'll be learning something new or how to adapt something the rest of my life.” -Michael Schlitz “I'm always gonna be adapting.”- Michael Schlitz Chapters 00:00  Opening and Forged intro 00:19  Pasha welcomes his friend Michael Schlitz 01:52  A childhood of moving and the decision to enlist 05:09  Setting his sights on Ranger School 08:21  Illness and the road back to training 12:40  September 11 and the responsibility of instructing 16:31  Choosing deployment and learning from leaders 21:54  The attack in Iraq that changed his life 27:11  Remembering the men who did not come home 28:09  From survivor’s guilt to survivor’s pride 31:32  Hospital memories and waking after four months 34:18  Facing his reflection 36:10  The support network that stayed beside him 38:53  Using his voice to advocate for others 42:13  Why comparing injuries misses the point 45:49  Feeding himself again and reclaiming independence 46:28  Adapting for a lifetime 50:14  Friendship and showing up for each other 52:22  One win and a support network 54:35  Forged outro Questions This Episode Will Answer Why did Michael choose the Army, and what pushed him toward Ranger School?How did illness interrupt his training, and what did returning require of him?What did he learn about responsibility as a Ranger instructor?How did speaking to Gold Star families help him describe survivor’s pride?What made facing his reflection such a difficult part of recovery?Who stayed beside him during his hospitalization, and why did that support matter?Why was feeding himself again such a significant milestone?What does lifelong recovery look like in Michael’s everyday life?Why does he resist comparing one veteran’s injuries with another’s?Connect with Michael SchlitzLinkedIn | Official bio at Robert Irvine Foundation Connect with Pasha PalankerWebsite | Instagram | LinkedIn   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  3. Oct 21

    Seven Marathons, One Mission with QuHarrison Terry

    Before QuHarrison Terry could take on seven marathons on seven continents in seven days, he had to learn the difference between surviving and building. Known as QT, he grew up a curious kid in Milwaukee, started his first business at 13 selling curriculum after a summer camp fell short, and pushed through the hustler years into real entrepreneurship, building ventures in marketing and digital art and later leading growth at Mark Cuban Companies. Along the way, a blunt critique from an investor forced him to rethink how he shows up as a leader. Now, with limited running experience, he is training for the Great World Race to raise money and awareness for homeless veterans. In this conversation with Pasha Palanker, QT gets candid about discipline, humility, finding the right team, training your self-talk, and taking the next step when you cannot see the whole road.  Forging Moments: 0:00 - Welcome to Forged and Meeting QT 2:08 - Curiosity in Milwaukee and Where to Put Your Energy 8:32 - A Summer Camp Complaint Becomes a Business at 13 14:14 - Finding Joy and Learning to Say No 18:07 - From Hustler to Entrepreneur 33:28 - Tech Insights and Building a Voice on LinkedIn 37:51 - The Team Lesson QT Would Take Back in Time 40:07 - Building a Digital Art Business and Learning Patience 43:21 - The Investor Critique That Changed His Leadership 50:41 - Reinvention and Deciding What Comes Next 54:58 - Seven Marathons and a Mission for Veterans 56:16 - Making the Improbable Possible Through Preparation 1:01:05 - Training Your Self-Talk 1:04:56 - A Hard Training Run and Lessons in Preparation 1:11:05 - Do Not Panic and Find an Ounce of Passion 1:14:04 - Reach the Next Corner and Keep Your Faith 1:16:26 - Gratitude and Closing the Conversation   What This Episode Will Forge In You: •       Turn a Complaint Into a Contribution: At 13, QT took a summer camp he knew could be better and turned it into his first business, backed by a teacher and his father who believed in him. •       Make Critique Useful: A blunt investor conversation forced QT to examine his focus as a leader. His lesson: listening only counts when you answer it with visible change. •       Give the Miles a Mission: Seven marathons on seven continents is built on expert guidance, daily consistency, and trained self-talk, and every mile is pointed at raising money and awareness for homeless veterans.   Quotes That Hit Like A Hammer: “The hustler stage teaches you how to survive.” “You need to be able to live in critique.”  “You’re not always gonna be able to see around that corner, but you gotta make it to that corner.”   Questions This Episode Answers: •       How did QuHarrison Terry start a business at 13? •       What is the difference between a hustler and an entrepreneur? •       How do you turn harsh investor feedback into real change as a leader? •       What does it mean to “live in critique”? •       Why is building the right team essential to lasting business success? •       How do you train for seven marathons on seven continents in seven days? •       What can a bad training run teach you about fueling and preparation? •       How do you train your self-talk to keep going when it gets hard? •       How can an endurance challenge raise awareness for homeless veterans? •       How do you take the next step when you cannot see the whole path?   Connect & Discover QT: Website: quharrison.com LinkedIn: QuHarrison Terry X: @QuHarrison Follow His Training Miles: qt.live/miles   FOLLOW FORGED: Pasha Palanker Website: pashapalanker.com Instagram: @pashapalanker   Mick Hunt Website: MickHuntOfficial.com Instagram: @mickunplugged LinkedIn: @mickhunt   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  4. Oct 7

    Brendan Huff on Selection, Failure, and Refusing to Quit

    DESCRIPTION Brendan Huff gave assessment and selection everything he had and still came home without being selected. Then came another test: walking back into his unit, facing his teammates, and doing the job while carrying that disappointment. In this episode of Forged with Pasha and Mick, Brendan joins Pasha to talk through the moments that tested his sense of worth as a soldier, teammate, husband, and father. He recalls the sergeant major who backed him after non-selection, a later Special Forces Assessment and Selection experience with a broken foot, and the decision to put his family's financial stability ahead of the qualification course, even after earning selection. Brendan connects those experiences to cofounding Anomaly Six, working through business uncertainty one problem at a time, and taking ownership when things go wrong. He also gives a brief account of the medical ordeal that led to the loss of his left leg below the knee. The conversation comes back to trust, accountability, and the people who helped him through. For Brendan, giving back means making sure others in his community have support, too. WHAT THIS EPISODE WILL FORGE IN YOU: - Adaptability built through military life. Frequent moves in a military family taught Brendan how to make friends, adjust, and start again; working through college strengthened his work ethic. - Returning to the unit after a non-selection. Brendan describes facing the same teammates, continuing to do the job, and rebuilding his confidence with support from leaders who knew him. - A hard call after earning selection. He recounts a later selection experience with a broken foot, then choosing family stability over attending the qualification course during the 2008 financial crisis. - Carrying lessons from service into business. At Anomaly Six, a trusted network helped open the door to an early pilot, while cash pressure required difficult conversations and daily problem solving. - Owning your part in a setback. Brendan explains why honest self-assessment matters and how blame can turn disappointment into lasting negativity. - Keeping your support network close. Mentors, teammates, friends, and family helped Brendan through setbacks and shaped his commitment to give back after service. QUOTES THAT HIT LIKE A HAMMER: “And loyalty means a lot to me. And trust means a lot.” — Brendan Huff “It's not always about my personal needs at that point.” — Brendan Huff “You will get through it. Slow it down.” — Brendan Huff “And you have to take ownership in your portion of why you failed, regardless.” — Brendan Huff “I try to give back as much as I can because I've had great, great mentors and leaders as well.” — Brendan Huff CHAPTERS: 00:00  Cold open and the refusal to quit 00:40  Meet Brendan Huff 02:00  Military childhood and the roots of resilience 04:56  An unexpected route into the Army 07:49  Deployments and the path to special operations 13:05  Taking a shot at selection 16:13  The weight of coming home without selection 18:35  Returning to the unit and rebuilding trust 25:13  Perspective and taking the next small step 27:06  Another chance at selection 29:33  A failed fitness test and a same day retest 31:57  A broken foot and the long walk 34:24  Selected and choosing family stability 36:14  Founding Anomaly Six 39:24  Using failure to face business uncertainty 41:42  Taking ownership when things go wrong 43:18  A brief look at a life changing medical ordeal 46:49  Giving back and leaning on your community QUESTIONS THIS EPISODE WILL ANSWER: - How do you face your teammates and keep doing the job after a non-selection? - What did a sergeant major do that helped Brendan rebuild after that setback? - How do you weigh a hard-earned military opportunity against your family's financial stability? - Which lessons from selection helped Brendan handle cash pressure and uncertainty as a business owner? - How do you own your part in a failure without letting blame and resentment take over? - Why do mentors, teammates, friends, and family still matter after service? Connect & Discover Brendan Huff: LinkedIn: @brendanhuff Website: anomalysix.com   FOLLOW FORGED: Pasha Palanker Website: pashapalanker.com Instagram: @pashapalanker   Mick Hunt Website: MickHuntOfficial.com Instagram: @mickunplugged LinkedIn: @mickhunt   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  5. Sep 30

    Purpose, Profit, and the Glass Balls You Can’t Drop with Waco Hoover

    Waco Hoover walked into Manhattan on August 16, 2001, fresh out of the Marine Corps, with a dorm room six blocks from the World Trade Center and a promise to his grandmother that he would finish school. Weeks later the towers fell, and the urge to go back in was huge. He kept the promise instead, and that choice set him on a path of building things. A former infantry Marine and combat water survival instructor from a multi-generational military family, Waco went on to earn three exits as a founder and invest in more than a dozen companies. Today he is the founder of IMPCT Group, an agency helping organizations align purpose and profit, and a founder and partner of MCON, the military conference celebrating service member and veteran culture. His big goal: unlock one billion dollars of economic opportunity for service members, veterans, and military families by 2035. In this conversation with Pasha and Mick, Waco breaks down why luck is really a choice to go find your mentors, how he protects the glass balls of family life while building businesses, and why his forging moment was not one explosion but a lifetime of showing up.  What This Episode Will Forge In You: •       Luck Is a Choice, Not a Circumstance: The right mentor rarely lands in your lap. Waco challenges you to stop waiting and go find one through industry associations, conferences, and programs like American Corporate Partners, because the right relationship can change the trajectory of a career. •       Protect the Glass Balls: Everyone is juggling. Some things can drop and bounce back, and some shatter. Know which is which, guard your family time like a meeting you cannot move, and treat your time as the most precious thing you own. •       Purpose and Profit Belong Together: Mission should not live in a single department. When you apply the same rigor to the causes you care about that you apply to your P&L, it drives real results for your business and the community you serve.   Quotes That Hit Like A Hammer: “The word luck is something that you have to reframe. It’s not luck. It’s taking a risk, taking the time and effort and attention to go out and find that mentor.”  “There’s glass balls and there’s plastic balls. You can’t drop the glass balls, but the plastic ones, you don’t like to do it, but it’s okay.”  “Every single person who wore the uniform raised their hand to volunteer on behalf of something much greater than themselves.” Questions This Episode Answers: •       How do you find a mentor if you don’t have one at work? •       What was it like leaving the Marine Corps and moving to New York City right before 9/11? •       How can veterans become entrepreneurs without industry experience? •       How do you know when it’s time to pivot a business? •       How do entrepreneurs balance building a business with being a present parent? •       What does glass balls vs. plastic balls mean for work-life balance? •       How can companies align purpose and profit without it feeling fake? •       Is philanthropy a good way to build business relationships? •       What are MCON and IMPCT Group? •       Can a forging moment happen over a lifetime instead of one single event?   Connect & Discover Waco: LinkedIn: Waco Hoover IMPCT Group: impctgroup.com MCON: mcon.live  Organizations Mentioned: American Corporate Partners: acp-usa.org Robert Irvine Foundation: robertirvinefoundation.org   FOLLOW FORGED: Pasha Palanker Website: pashapalanker.com Instagram: @pashapalanker   Mick Hunt Website: MickHuntOfficial.com Instagram: @mickunplugged LinkedIn: @mickhunt   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Purpose, Profit, and the Glass Balls You Can’t Drop with Waco Hoover

  6. Sep 23

    You Start Becoming What You Believe with Ken Harvey

    A high school coach told Ken Harvey he was a loser and would be a loser all his life. Ken had just dropped out. He was seventeen, labeled a quitter, with no grades, no money and no plan, and for a while he believed it. Then came the lowest point of his life, a moment on his knees, and two words he says he heard back: purpose and destiny. What followed reads like fiction. A junior college in Oakland he had to save up to reach, having never been on a plane. Then the University of California, Berkeley. Then the twelfth overall pick in the 1988 NFL Draft, six seasons with the Phoenix Cardinals, five in Washington, four straight Pro Bowls, 89 career sacks and a place in the Ring of Fame. But the part Ken wants to talk about is what came after, because when the uniform came off he ran again. In this conversation with Pasha and Mick, he is sixty-one, still asking what he is here for, and has stopped running away from things in order to run at them. This one is about labels, second acts, and the small moments that change somebody's life.   What This Episode Will Forge In You: You Become What You Believe: Ken is precise about how a label does its damage. People do not have to say it. You see it in how they look at you, you sit with it long enough that you start believing what you hear, and then you start becoming what you believe. His way out was not positive thinking, it was hearing that he had a purpose and a place, then humbling himself, going back, and putting a vision in front of the belief. Learn to Run Toward Things Instead of Away From Them: Ken frames his own life through Moses: the prince, then forty years of wandering, then the assignment. He ran away from school as a kid, and the same instinct made him a linebacker who ran into people for eleven seasons. When football ended he ran again, this time in broad daylight, shaking hands and shutting doors at the same time. The skill never changed. Only the direction did, and he says that is usually all a lesson is. The Small Thing You Barely Remember May Be the Thing That Lands: Ken took his dad to the 1989 Pro Bowl and quietly asked a player to go say hello to him. His father talked about it like a kid. That thirty-second favor became Ken's whole standard for how to treat people, and it is why he writes children's books for kids who have never seen themselves as the hero of one. You almost never learn which moment mattered, so the answer is to give it anyway. Quotes That Hit Like A Hammer: “You start believing what you hear and you start believing what you see around you, and then you start becoming what you believe.” “I'm taking you back and trying to teach you how to run into stuff as opposed to away from stuff.” “Sometimes lessons in life are just perspective. It can be the same thing, but it's the way you see it.” Questions This Episode Answers: Can one label from a teacher or a coach shape your entire life? What makes a smart kid drop out of high school? How do you come back from the lowest point of your life? How does a high school dropout end up at UC Berkeley and in the NFL? Why do so many athletes struggle with identity after they retire? What does it mean to run toward something instead of away from it? Is it ever too late to start something new? How much difference can one small act of kindness actually make? Why did an NFL linebacker start writing children's books? What are the three things that make somebody great at what they do?   Connect & Discover Ken: Touching Heart: touchingheart.com LinkedIn: Ken Harvey Books: owlpublishinghouse.com/books-by-ken-harvey When Chocolate Milk Moved In: Order on Amazon Come Find Me: Order on Amazon   If This Episode Hits Close to Home: Ken speaks openly about the lowest point of his life. If you are struggling, you can reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988 in the U.S., any hour of any day. 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 988lifeline.org   FOLLOW FORGED: Pasha Palanker Website: pashapalanker.com Instagram: @pashapalanker   Mick Hunt Website: MickHuntOfficial.com Instagram: @mickunplugged LinkedIn: @mickhunt   Ken talked about wanting one book to plant one seed in one kid. Forged is putting 20 copies of each of his books behind that: comment or message the show and we will get one to you. If this episode moved you, share it with someone who needs it. Let's support humans doing great things. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  7. Sep 16

    Behind the Badge, I’m the Same Person as You with Detective Torrance Jackson

    Detective Torrance Jackson is the first family member Mick Hunt has ever interviewed, in more than three hundred episodes across two shows. Twenty years in, TJ is a Special Victims Unit detective, a SWAT operator and a negotiator, following a grandfather who was the first African American police officer in Liberty. He talks with Pasha and Mick about the calls he carries home, why the profession names post-traumatic stress but never post-traumatic growth, and the small circle and simpler mornings that finally let him set some of it down. What This Episode Will Forge In You: Post-Traumatic Growth Is the Conversation Nobody Has: First responders are trained to keep emotion off the scene. TJ names what the job gives back, not just what it takes. Dedication Outlasts Confidence: He refuses the word confidence. Confidence moves. Dedication is a promise to people who are counting on you. Have the Conversation: You do not fix policing without fixing society, and that starts with talking to someone who does not look like you. Quotes That Hit Like A Hammer: “We as law enforcement, we experience that post-traumatic stress, and nobody ever focused on our post-traumatic growth.” “At the end of the day, behind that badge and uniform, I’m the same person as you.” “I stopped looking at adversity as problematic and started looking at it as how I can grow.” Questions This Episode Answers: What is post-traumatic growth, and how is it different from PTSD? Why don’t police officers and first responders talk about their mental health? How does an officer come home after a call involving a child? What’s it like to be a Black man choosing law enforcement in the South? How do you actually rebuild trust between police and a community? What legacy does a twenty-year detective want to leave behind?   Connect & Discover Torrance: Instagram: @mrofficer156   FOLLOW FORGED: Pasha Palanker Website: pashapalanker.com Instagram: @pashapalanker Mick Hunt Website: MickHuntOfficial.com Instagram: @mickunplugged LinkedIn: @mickhunt   If this episode moved you, share it with someone who needs it. Let’s support humans doing great things. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  8. Sep 9

    Anybody Can Get Up, But Not Everyone Stands Up with Colonel Greg Gadson

    Some people survive the worst day of their life. Colonel Greg Gadson (U.S. Army, Ret.) decided to keep living his. A West Point linebacker turned field artillery officer, Greg served this nation for more than 25 years and was commanding the 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery in Baghdad in May 2007 when an IED took both of his legs above the knee and the normal use of his right arm and hand. He took 129 pints of blood. He died on the table six times. And then he went back to work, serving another seven-plus years in uniform, leading the Army Wounded Warrior Program, and retiring as Garrison Commander of Fort Belvoir. Along the way he became the spark behind the 2007 New York Giants’ improbable Super Bowl run (two rings, and Mick still hasn’t forgiven him), starred in a major motion picture, wrote Finding Waypoints, and became one of the most respected voices in the veteran community. In this conversation with Pasha and Mick, Greg gets underneath the highlight reel: the humbling of needing help to eat, the faith that lifted hate off his heart before he even knew he was healing, and why he says he is freer now than he ever was with two legs. This one will sit with you.   What This Episode Will Forge In You: No Single Moment Defines You;  Your Decision Does: Greg is clear that there is no magic in one bad day. Adversity always carries the potential to change you, but the direction is yours to choose. Victim or conqueror, quit or keep going,  that’s a decision you own in every circumstance, and it gets easier to make when you’ve done the work and surrounded yourself with the right people. It Takes Courage to Ask for Help: Going from battalion commander to needing help eating and getting to the bathroom was the most humbling stretch of Greg’s life. His challenge to the rest of us is blunt: if you’d gladly help someone else but refuse the same help yourself, look at why. Asking is the first and most significant step, and the idea that you’ve done any of this alone was never true to begin with. Resilience Is Built Long Before You Need It: Resilience isn’t a switch you flip on the worst day,  it’s character you deposit into daily by challenging yourself and holding yourself accountable. And part of that account is acceptance. Greg credits his faith for lifting hate off his heart, because holding on to “why me” drags an invisible anchor that bleeds the very resilience you’re trying to spend. Quotes That Hit Like A Hammer: “Sometimes you’re the victim or you’re the conqueror. You quit or you keep going on. Those are all decisions that we own in every circumstance.” “It takes no courage not to ask for help. It takes courage to ask.” “Our lives are not about what we accomplish or what we achieve,  they’re about what we leave. And that is the definition of legacy.” Questions This Episode Answers: Does one moment really define who you become or is it what you decide afterward? How do you keep an injury, a loss, or a setback from becoming your identity? What’s the difference between getting up and standing up? Why is asking for help harder than giving it, and where do you find the courage? What do most people get wrong about resilience? How do you let go of “why me” without ever getting an answer? How does a wounded battalion commander end up sparking a Super Bowl run? What should service members be doing before the uniform comes off? What does legacy actually mean if it isn’t your list of accomplishments? How do you stay present when your mind keeps dragging you backward or forward?   Connect & Discover Greg: Book: Finding Waypoints: A Warrior’s Journey Toward Peace and Purpose Publisher: schaffnerpress.com/books/finding-waypoints Speaking: leadingauthorities.com/speakers/greg-gadson Speaking: apbspeakers.com/speaker/colonel-greg-gadson   Organizations Greg Stands Behind: These are the five Greg named on the episode organizations he says use every donation the right way. Robert Irvine Foundation: robertirvinefoundation.org Hope For The Warriors: hopeforthewarriors.org Gary Sinise Foundation: garysinisefoundation.org Vail Veterans Program: vailveteransprogram.org Semper Fi & America’s Fund: thefund.org   FOLLOW FORGED: Pasha Palanker Website: pashapalanker.com Instagram: @pashapalanker   Mick Hunt Website: MickHuntOfficial.com Instagram: @mickunplugged LinkedIn: @mickhunt If this episode moved you, share it with someone who needs it. And do something,  a call, an email, a shout-out, a hello. Everything doesn’t have to be a monetary investment. Let’s support humans doing great things. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  9. Sep 2

    From Rock Bottom to Purpose with Pasha Palanker

    In episode two of Forged, Mick Hunt turns the mic on his co-host and digs into the origin story of Pasha Palanker. A Soviet-born immigrant who chased strength through the U.S. Army and special operations, Pasha came home from combat decorated as a hero and quietly carrying wounds no one could see. This conversation goes to the places most people never talk about: the suicide bomber two feet from his vehicle, the years of neglected PTSD, the breakdown that landed him in a psychiatric ward during the isolation of 2020, and the single decision to get in his car that changed the trajectory of his life. Pasha shares how he rebuilt himself through running, journaling, vulnerability, and a hard-won belief that the most important person to show up for you is you. This is a raw, honest look at how the darkest moments can forge the strongest version of who you are meant to become. Forging Moments: 0:00 Welcome to Forged and Why Pressure Forges Character 0:37 Setting Up Pasha's Origin Story 1:54 Who Were You Before the World Knew Your Name 3:04 What Shaped Pasha Growing Up 5:25 Chasing Acceptance and the Urge to Serve 7:44 Learning What Manhood Looks Like Without a Dad 8:50 Into the Forging Moment 10:10 Face to Face With a Suicide Bomber 11:50 The Imprint Combat Left Behind 12:51 Hitting Rock Bottom 15:25 The Shift Before Driving to Walter Reed 16:10 His Kids, Flawed Logic, and Nothing to Lose 18:31 Inside the Psychiatric Ward 20:40 The Puzzle That Settled His Mind 23:10 Naming the Real Rock Bottom 25:00 From Forging to Rebuilding 25:58 The Forrest Gump Run That Became a Lifeline 27:26 The LinkedIn Post That Reached Half a Million 30:18 Why the Most Important Person Is You 33:17 Legacy, Impact, and What He Fights For 35:20 Changing the Perception of Hard Moments 38:33 The Scar He Is Most Proud Of 41:42 Closing Words and the Scotland Yomp 45:19 The Fire May Be the Forging Thing You Need   What This Episode Will Forge In You: •       Real strength is built inward, not in combat: Pasha chased toughness through the Army and special operations, but discovered that the strength he was looking for was only forged when he was forced to face himself. That inner journey is available to everyone, no uniform required. •       One small decision can change everything: Between believing his family was better off without him and choosing to drive himself to the hospital, something shifted. The lesson is that you do not have to solve everything at once, you just have to take the next small step. •       The most important person to show up for is you: Pasha credits a circle of people who stood beside him, but insists the foundation was learning to show up for himself, even through gestures as small as a daily walk. Self-belief is what makes the rest possible.   Quotes That Hit Like a Hammer: “Pressure doesn't just reveal character. It forges it.” “All the things that I was searching for in joining the army and becoming a man, that's where they were born. It was in that struggle.” “It's amazing how a small decision to get in my car changed the trajectory of my life.” “The most important person to be there for you is you.” “The scar I'm most proud of is invisible.” Questions This Episode Answers: •       Who was Pasha Palanker before he became a special operations veteran and speaker? •       What did Pasha learn about real strength that combat never taught him? •       How does years of neglected PTSD lead to a breakdown, and what are the warning signs? •       What shifted in Pasha's mind in the moment before he drove himself to get help? •       What actually happens inside a psychiatric ward, and how did a puzzle help him heal? •       How do you begin rebuilding yourself after hitting rock bottom? •       Why does Pasha say the most important person to show up for is you? •       How can the hardest moments of your life become the thing that forges your purpose? •       Why is Pasha so committed to talking openly about mental health and veteran suicide?   This episode discusses mental health, PTSD, and suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling, you can call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (dial 988) in the US for free, confidential support, available 24/7. Veterans can press 1 after dialing to reach the Veterans Crisis Line. Connect & Discover Pasha: Website:pashapalanker.com Instagram:@pashapalanker LinkedIn:Pasha Palanker   FOLLOW MICK ON: Spotify:MickUnplugged Instagram:@mickunplugged Facebook:@mickunplugged YouTube:@MickUnpluggedPodcast LinkedIn:@mickhunt Website:MickHuntOfficial.com Website:howtobeagoodleader.com Website:Leadloudseries.com Apple:MickUnplugged   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  10. Aug 26

    The Promise That Forged a Leader with Mick Hunt

    In the very first episode of Forged, Pasha Palanker turns the mic on his co-host and asks the question everyone wonders but rarely gets answered: who was Mick Hunt before the world knew his name? What follows is raw, unscripted, and real. Mick walks back to the moment at ten years old when he watched his mother almost give up, and the promise he made that day that would shape every decision since. From becoming the quietest, most observant kid in the room to nearly losing a team of 500 employees as a CEO who got leadership wrong, Mick lays out the two forging moments that built him. This is a conversation about responsibility, presence, emotional intelligence, and the kind of leadership that only comes from looking in the mirror and choosing to change. If you are in a hard moment right now, this one is for you. Forging Moments (Chapters): 0:00 Welcome to Forged: Why Pasha and Mick Built This 1:12 The Format and the First Episode Twist 1:40 Who Were You Before the World Knew Your Name 1:58 The Promise at Ten Years Old 3:10 Where a Kid Finds That Kind of Strength 4:13 Becoming Observant and Understanding Emotions 5:22 Taking Responsibility Before You Know How 7:08 Was It Innate or Learned 7:59 Advice for Anyone Forging Through It Today 10:40 Did You Ever Think It Would Break You 12:52 Carrying It Alone at Ten 15:48 The Habits That Started Then and Still Hold 18:11 How Pasha and Mick Met in Philadelphia 21:18 From Self to Family to Millions, On Legacy 24:08 The Scar He Is Most Proud Of 24:35 The CEO Who Almost Lost 500 People 26:17 The Resignation That Changed Everything 27:33 Three Questions in the Mirror 29:06 One Night to Become a New Leader 33:03 Why the Childhood Awareness Did Not Translate 35:30 Fixed on Paper, Worsened the Culture 36:35 Advice for Anyone in a Forging Moment Now 37:23 Why You Should Journal 38:50 Progress Over Perfection 40:24 What Forged Is Really About, And It Is About You   What This Episode Will Forge In You: •       Responsibility forges you before you know how to carry it: Mick made a promise at ten without a roadmap. The lesson is that taking ownership of a hard situation comes first, and the how reveals itself through action over time. •       Presence and emotional intelligence are built in the hard moments: Reading a room, sensing intent, and being truly present for people are skills Mick developed out of necessity as a kid. They became the superpowers he leads with today. •       Getting results is not the same as leading people: Mick turned a company around in 60 days and nearly lost his whole team doing it. Real leadership meant apologizing to 500 people and rebuilding himself around empathy, not just metrics.   Quotes That Hit Like a Hammer: “Everything for me started when I saw my mom almost give up.” “It wasn't about me, so it couldn't break me.” “I had one freaking night to come back a totally different leader that they could see, that they could feel, and that they would want to show up for every day.” “Things that fix on paper always don't fix culturally.” “Make a promise, remember the promise, deliver on the promise.” Questions This Episode Answers: •       Who was Mick Hunt before he became the voice of modern leadership? •       What promise did Mick make at ten years old, and who was it for? •       How do you take responsibility for a situation when you have no idea how to fix it? •       Can hard moments actually break you, and what makes the difference? •       What habits from childhood adversity carry into adult success? •       How does a results-driven CEO almost lose a team of 500, and how do you come back from it? •       What three questions should every leader ask themselves in the mirror? •       Why does fixing something on paper sometimes destroy the culture? •       What is the one piece of advice for anyone in a forging moment right now?   Connect & Discover Pasha: Website:pashapalanker.com Instagram:@pashapalanker LinkedIn:Pasha Palanker   FOLLOW MICK ON: Spotify:MickUnplugged Instagram:@mickunplugged Facebook:@mickunplugged YouTube:@MickUnpluggedPodcast LinkedIn:@mickhunt Website:MickHuntOfficial.com Website:howtobeagoodleader.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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About

Some moments break you. The right ones forge you. Every week, Pasha Palanker and Mick Hunt go inside the moments that shape who we become. Pasha and Mick have spent years on stages across the country, and the thing audiences always come back to isn't the wins. It's the moments. The promise made at ten years old. The turnaround that worked on paper and cost everything culturally. The scar you're most proud of. So they built a show around it.

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