Nic McKinley is a former military special operator and ex-CIA operative who founded and led two multimillion-dollar tech companies. A pioneer in building technical solutions to protect society from predators, Nic is passionate about solving society's most pressing issues through cost-effective technical solutions.

Nic grew up in Montana but left to join US military special operations as a US Air Force Pararescueman. After more than a decade in Pararescue, Nic worked in private intelligence start-ups before being recruited into a specialized unit at the Central Intelligence Agency that provided unique capabilities and expertise in response to the critical operational needs of the Intelligence Community.

With 30 combat deployments under his belt in both Special Operations and the CIA, Nic experienced the power of technology during the Global War on Terror and set out to use his skills and training with that experience to combat modern slavery.

In 2014, Nic founded DeliverFund, the only donor-funded solution to human trafficking that delivers proprietary data and technology to law enforcement, allowing them to take down human traffickers effectively. Along with DeliverFund, Nic founded a venture capital-backed software company and has a technology leadership consulting practice.

Despite being dubbed "The Real Jack Ryan" by VICE Media, Nic's most important role is as a husband and father leading his family in a life of service and adventure in Montana. When he is not in his office, Nic can be found on a lake, on the ski slopes, camping, climbing vertical rock or ice in the mountains, with his nose in a book learning something new, or spending downtime with his extraordinary wife.

Deliverfund: https://deliverfund.org/

Today's Sponsors:

Montana Knife Company:

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Shopify:

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Our Final Full Auto Friday for 2025! I'd like to say I went out with a bang, but instead I just tried to be consistent.

Thank you to everyone who submitted questions in 2025, I hope that my answers have helped someone out there. Don't forget, I'm an idiot, and my answers are only representative of my own experiences. See you all out there in 2026.

Today's questions:

-How do you deal with being hurt by those you love?

-How do you hold someone accountable without them being personally offended

-Are the SEAL Teams racist?

-Closing thoughts on 2025

Enjoy!

Today's Sponsors:

Brunt:

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Pique:

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Born and raised in the mountains of rural northwest Georgia, Chadd grew up obsessed with becoming a SEAL, but when the Navy discovered a rare but asymptomatic cyst on his heart, he was disqualified from entering BUD/s. Chadd refused to give up, ultimately tracking down a surgeon willing to perform a procedure deemed too risky by every cardiologist he previously petitioned.

Cyst successfully removed, Chadd went on to realize his SEAL dream, serving over the next decade as a Team Leader on multiple deployments to conflict zones across the world. He became a SEAL instructor. A Master Training Specialist. Chadd even served a stint as President Obama's bodyguard. Along the way, he battled PTSD and traumatic brain injury.

Now retired from the military, Chadd has found new life as an elite ultramarathoner — a spiritual quest for self-knowledge and mind-body mastery that has compelled him to tackle some of the world's most insane endurance slogs like The Revenant — a 118-mile footrace across south New Zealand with over 52,000 feet of elevation gain that not one person has ever successfully completed.

The 3 of 7 Project: https://www.3of7project.com/

Today's Sponsors:

Black Rifle Coffee:

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David:

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