005 | The Weight of Service | Nathaniel Smith, Petty Officer 1st Class

Police Service • Military Deployment • Humanitarian Relief • Trauma & RecoveryIn this episode of Hold This Thought, I sit down with Nathaniel Smith to explore a life shaped by service, hardship, and rebuilding. We discuss his early career in law enforcement and the personal impact of the 2007–08 economic crisis. From there, we move into two defining chapters from his military experience: an active-duty deployment to Saudi Arabia and a humanitarian relief mission to Thailand following the 2004 Indian Ocean 9.2 magnitude earthquake and tsunami.We close by examining the long-term effects of service, working through trauma, navigating PTSD within family life, and building something meaningful in the years that followed. Today, he runs a video/photography business alongside his wife, channeling resilience into a new season of work and creativity.Nathaniel Smith is a Petty Officer First Class in the United States Navy Reserve with over 23 years of military service. He previously served in active duty and has also worked in law enforcement. His experience includes overseas deployment and participation in humanitarian relief efforts following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. Today, he and his wife operate a video/photography business, drawing on the perspective shaped through service, family, and lived experience.IG:👉 / @NathanielSmith84Chapters:00:00 – Intro04:57 – Joining the Navy16:20 – Becoming a Police Officer24:30 – Surviving The '08 Economic Crash33:40 – Deployment to Middle East47:10 – Aid in Thailand52:43 – Trauma Recovery1:00:58 – Life after the MilitarySubscribe Here: 👉 https://www.youtube.com/@HoldThisThoughtPodcast?sub_confirmation=1