🔱 Our mission is to prepare men and
women for success in the world’s most demanding military and special-operations pipelines. We combine real-world SEAL experience with evidence-based human-performance science to deliver the most comprehensive BUD/S preparation, Navy SEAL training readiness, and Special Forces
conditioning programs available anywhere.

Our 28-acre facility in Banks, Alabama is built for elite performance: from advanced strength and conditioning, rucking and running protocols, and combat swimmer development to nutrition, recovery, and mindset training for operational excellence. We train every candidate to master the physical, mental, and emotional demands of modern special operations — building resilience, discipline, and purpose under pressure. Performance First exists to develop warriors who are ready to earn the trident, serve with honor, and lead with strength — on any battlefield, in any
environment, anywhere in the world.

Former Navy SEAL Team Six Operator | Exercise Physiologist | Special-Operations Performance Expert

Nichols earned his Bachelor’s in Kinesiology from Troy University in 2002

Jeff Nichols is a former U.S. Navy SEAL Team Six operator and exercise
physiologist who brings real-world combat and human-performance science
together to prepare the next generation of Navy SEAL, BUD/S, and Special
Forces candidates.

As the Department Head of Human Performance at SEAL Team Six, Jeff spent
nearly a decade designing and implementing strength, conditioning, and recovery programs for the military’s most elite operators. His approach is not theory-based—it’s built on years of firsthand experience
performing at, and coaching others to reach, the absolute peak of tactical and athletic capability.

After leaving active duty, Jeff founded Performance First. In Banks,
Alabama, the 28-acre training facility and 10,000-square-foot performance
center is dedicated to special-operations preparation, BUD/S physical and
mental readiness, and elite human performance.

Jeff’s mission is to develop complete warriors—men and women capable of
excelling under pressure, mastering stress, and performing with discipline and confidence in any environment. His programs combine tactical fitness, mental-toughness development, and evidence-based
performance physiology to produce measurable results.

From his years as a SEAL Team Six operator to his expertise in exercise physiology, Jeff Nichols stands apart as the only active BUD/S and Special Operations trainer with direct experience at the highest level of Naval Special Warfare. His work continues to influence the future of Navy SEAL preparation, tactical human performance, and elite-operator
training worldwide.

Katherine has been a strength coach for over 25 years working with men and women of all ages in fitness industry. She started as a licensed massage therapist working with professional athletes and quickly shifted into coaching.

After graduating with honors with her Bachelors Degree in Kinesiology from the University of Minnesota in 2006, began her career as training manager at Life Time Fitness.

She co-owns Performance First. Katherine Grimm’s purpose is to build the mental, emotional, and spiritual foundation required for elite human performance.

As business manager, credentialed meditation teacher, and expert in mindset, resilience, and stress management, Katherine leads the
development of programs that help Navy SEAL, Special Forces, and BUD/S
candidates — and anyone pursuing excellence — cultivate unbreakable
focus, emotional control, and inner calm under the world’s most extreme
pressures. Through guided meditation, breathing techniques, and evidence-based
stress-mitigation practices, she teaches operators and athletes how to master their nervous system, recover faster, and sustain performance when everything is on the line.

Her approach bridges science and soul — connecting psychological strength,
mind-body awareness, and performance readiness — to help every individual operate with clarity, composure, and confidence in any environment.

Katherine Grimm’s work at Performance First is about more than training the body; it’s about awakening the mind — empowering warriors, athletes, and professionals alike to perform, recover, and live with balance,
resilience, and purpose.