Mike flew the most elite missions on earth for the 160th SOAR. He commanded one of the most selective units in the military. He was told he wasn’t smart enough. Now he runs a Chick-fil-A. Mike Athanasakis is proof that grit beats labels.

In this episode of Not Special, Mike opens up about:

* Growing up in Bridgeport, CT as the son of a Greek immigrant

* Being diagnosed with Tourette syndrome as a child

* Getting in trouble and getting mentored

* Becoming an Apache pilot

* Passing selection for the elite 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Night Stalkers)

* Commanding a battalion in the world’s premier special operations aviation unit

* Surviving combat crashes in Afghanistan

* Battling internal pressure, guilt, and burnout

* And making the leap to become a Chick-fil-A Owner-Operator

* What Chick-fil-A is really like

This is a story about identity. About imposter syndrome at the highest levels. About leadership under life-or-death pressure. And about redefining what success really looks like.