Meet the Coach
Nick McMillen
I am the founder of Thrive Performance Consulting based in Raleigh, NC. I have spent my professional development learning several mental skills to implement to athletes, refining my skills as a mental performance coach, and working with several teams and individuals of all ages from youth to professional athletes (such as golf, soccer, baseball, softball, swimming, and beach tennis) and tactical performers. I use several different research-based approaches to improve overall performance and well-being, with a focus on mindfulness to keep athletes focused on the present moment, the only thing you can truly control.
Philosophy
My philosophy is broken into 2 main components:
Mental Skills are skills, and as such, improve with intentional repetition. Mental Drills allow Mental Performance to become more tangible and create the ability to practice more consistently.
While I work with many approaches, I believe the ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) approach is the most beneficial when it comes to high performance and every day life. Awareness and acceptance of thoughts leads to the ability and opportunity to thrive in the present moment. Once one acknowledges the inability to fully control their thoughts, they start to understand how to separate their thoughts from reality. Reality doesn't happen until it does.
Education
Nick McMillen earned his Master’s degree in Sport & Exercise Psychology from Georgia Southern University, where he conducted research and completed a thesis titled “The Mediation of Perfectionism and Rumination in Mindfulness and Burnout in Collegiate Athletes.” He also holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Georgia. Throughout his academic journey, Nick was actively involved in research labs and presentations, contributing to the growing field of sport and performance psychology.
Experience
With over seven years of experience in elite mental performance, Nick has worked across both athletic and military settings. He is currently contracted as a Mental Performance Coach for the U.S. Army Special Operations Forces, delivering high-level training in focus, resilience, and performance under pressure. Previously, he was the Director of Mental Performance at the International Junior Golf Academy (IJGA) and Gary Gilchrist Golf Academy (GGGA), where he mentored thousands of elite-level junior golfers.
