Purpose can be forged in the most unexpected crucibles. From growing up as a homeschooled "Grady baby" in Atlanta's South Cobb area to serving as an Army infantry officer deployed to Afghanistan with Special Forces, Zack Knight's path took him through the grind of blue-collar work, the discipline of law enforcement, the chaos of combat, and the depths of his own personal rock bottom, before finding healing and a renewed sense of mission.
In this episode of the Tango Tango podcast, host Lloyd Knight sits down with Army veteran, entrepreneur, author, and ATLVets founder Zack Knight. Despite sharing a last name, the two are quick to clarify they're not related, though they've become close brothers in the veteran community. Zack reflects on his Atlanta upbringing, his years with the Smyrna Police Department, his decision to join active duty at 28, and his deployment to Afghanistan in 2019 where his unit lost six soldiers.
They discuss the physical and mental toll of combat and Zack’s spiral into survivor’s guilt and a near-fatal crisis. From that low point, a friend’s simple challenge sparked a transformational self-discovery. Zack also shares the unconventional healing practices that helped him rebuild, from Emory's outpatient therapy program and daily gratitude rituals to teaching himself piano with a partially numb hand. Today, he channels those hard-won lessons into ATLVets, a nonprofit now operating in 12 states, focused on giving veterans the continuity, community, and "now what" they need to thrive in post-service life.
Jump into the conversation:
(00:00) Intro
(02:31) Growing up in Atlanta as a "Grady baby"
(04:00) Homeschooling and learning self-reliance
(05:45) Almost joining the Air Force at 18
(07:48) Starting a business while on active duty
(10:49) Why Zack joined the Army at 28
(11:21) Scoring in the 97th percentile on the ASVAB
(13:01) Deploying to Afghanistan in 2019
(14:08) Losing six soldiers in combat
(15:46) Physical injuries discovered after service
(18:25) Suicide attempt and the darkest chapter
(21:59) "You don't even love yourself"
(25:30) Survivor's guilt and finding the right therapist
(27:36) Learning piano with a partially numb hand
(33:20) Founding ATLVets to serve veterans
(48:15) Zack's closing advice for veterans
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Tango Tango is proudly sponsored by Supply Chain Now. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com
