Welcome back to GovCon Unscripted! In this episode, Chelsea sits down with Michael Allison, a Marine veteran, entrepreneur, and founder of Adversity Academy, who shares his deeply personal journey of transformation, from military service to mental breakdown to rebuilding life through purpose and leadership.

Michael opens up about the moment that changed everything, his battle with identity after leaving the Marines, and how he turned trauma into the foundation of his business and mentorship philosophy.

On this episode, we discuss:

• The internal battle veterans face when the uniform comes off
• Lessons from the Marines that translate directly to entrepreneurship
• Overcoming addiction, loss, and self-destruction through purpose
• Building Adversity Academy and redefining leadership through service
• What anyone, veteran or not, can learn about resilience, focus, and fulfillment

Timestamps:

[00:00 ] - Introducing Michael Allison and his journey from Marine to entrepreneur

[04:05 ] - Early career, identity struggles, and bottling emotions

[09:30 ] - The breaking point — turning pain into purpose

[15:10 ] - Lessons from Marine Corps leadership applied to business

[20:45 ] - Building Adversity Academy and helping others through mentorship

[26:30 ] - Balancing entrepreneurship, family, and mission

[31:22 ] - Advice for veterans transitioning into civilian and business life

[35:14 ] - Closing insights: resilience, focus, and redefining success

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Links and Resources:

• Chelsea’s LinkedIn Profile

• Michael Allison’s LinkedIn Profile

• Adversity Academy Website