Mar 15, 2021
Growing up in North Texas, Zack Hughes always heard positive stories from his grandfather, a World War II veteran, about life in the military. After 9/11, the call to join the military felt strong and the right thing to do, yet, he wasn’t sure what exactly that path would look like until years later.
“I had just left grad school and didn’t know what I wanted to do,” Zack says. “I thought maybe I wanted to go into law enforcement but decided against that and pivoted to Special Forces. And it was big for me.”
Deciding to become a Green Beret, he graduated from his Special Forces qualifications course as class valedictorian before being deployed to Afghanistan. After seven years of service and the in-combat loss of a close friend, he was hit by a rock-propelled grenade, went through rehab and four surgeries, and ultimately left the army for civilian life in 2019. Today, through his involvement with Elite Meet, he’s helping other special ops veterans land leadership roles in Corporate America, and he’s also sharing his expertise as the founder of the Operations Association community.
On this episode of the Working For a Dream Podcast, Patrick and Zack talk about the biggest lessons Zack learned on the field, his transition to civilian life and how he’s helping OA members push past their comfort zone.
What You’ll Learn:
Favorite Quote:
“We still got it. Even in 2020, we still got it. I think the world needs a little bit more perspective on that sometimes.”
— Zack Hughes
How to Get Involved:
Connect with Zack:
Connect with Patrick: