284: From Turmoil to Purpose and Service with Ken Corigliano

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Written By Tammy Gooler Loeb

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284: From Turmoil to Purpose and Service with Ken Corigliano

Every now and then, a guest reminds me just how extraordinary the human will can be. When I sat down with Ken Corigliano, Air Force veteran, triathlete, and now an executive with Transcend, I knew we’d be talking about discipline and achievement. What I didn’t expect was the level of vulnerability and depth he brought while recounting his life story. It began with a childhood rich in warmth and community, but the foundations of his world shifted dramatically in his teenage years. Divorce, instability, and the tragic loss of his sister sent him spiraling into anger and rebellion. It’s not a path most people recover from easily.

And yet, something within Ken recognized that he didn’t want to keep living the way he was. A recruiter confronted him with a brutal truth—one he desperately needed to hear—and that honesty set him on a new trajectory. He rebuilt himself brick by brick: finishing high school against all odds, excelling as an enlisted Airman, earning accolades, deploying on critical missions, and eventually commissioning as an officer. Along the way, he discovered endurance sports, pushing himself to train for the Olympics simply because he wanted to understand what it meant to reach his full potential. Ken doesn’t choose the easy things; he chooses the hardest ones.

But life had another turn in store. Days before deploying, Ken was hit by a car while cycling and suffered a traumatic brain injury that went undiagnosed for years. He hid cognitive deficits, memory challenges, and physical symptoms while continuing to serve, trying to maintain the career he had worked so hard to build. Listening to him describe those years—navigating a war zone, raising a family, doing complex intelligence work—all while unable to read or trust his own body, left me in awe of both his resilience and his vulnerability in sharing it.

His recovery didn’t come from traditional medical paths but through a chance encounter that led him to peptide therapy, a form of regenerative medicine he had never heard of. The therapy restored cognitive function, energy, and clarity he hadn’t felt in years. It was a turning point, one that inspired him to retire from the Air Force and step into a new mission: helping others regain their health and capacity through Transcend’s tailored therapeutic programs. What struck me most was the sense of purpose that radiates from him when he talks about service. That never went away; it simply evolved.

Ken reminded me that living fully doesn’t always mean constant achievement; sometimes it means refusing to sleepwalk through life. It means choosing courage over comfort, curiosity over resignation, and meaningful action over fear. Whether you relate to his athletic drive, his experience of rebuilding after trauma, or simply his desire to leave nothing on the table, Ken’s story invites all of us to ask: What might be possible if we took one small step toward the hardest thing we’re avoiding? That question alone might change everything.

In this week’s Work From The Inside Out podcast, learn more about:

  • How early childhood shaped Ken’s belief in community, nature, and connection

  • The unraveling he experienced during adolescence and the turning point that changed his life

  • The recruiter whose tough honesty set Ken on a path of service and growth

  • Ken’s rise from struggling student to award-winning Airman and commissioned officer

  • His near-Olympic pursuit in triathlon and the extreme dedication behind it

  • The life-changing accident that caused a traumatic brain injury—and the seven years he hid it

  • How he navigated military service while dealing with cognitive and physical challenges

  • His remarkable recovery through peptide therapy and why it transformed everything

  • Ken’s work at Transcend and how advanced therapies are helping people regain their vitality

  • The philosophy behind his “Seven Gates” leadership model and what drives his passion for hard challenges 

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About Tammy, host of
Work from the inside out

Before launching my coaching practice, I worked in mental health, higher education, public policy, and fundraising. Those experiences showed me how deeply our work shapes our sense of purpose—and now I help clients navigate change and growth so they can feel more fulfilled and aligned in what they do

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283: Discover Your Unique Genius to Build Meaningful Work with Casey Berman