When I first set out to build something a year ago, I had no plans to launch a website.
But after hearing the same feedback month after month, year after year, I realized it needed a home—something people could actually use, not just a passing conversation.
The question that kept coming up?
“How do you remember all this random s*?”**
I usually tailor my answer to whatever the person is ready to hear—no need to open doors they’re not equipped to walk through yet.
But here’s the real story:
I’ve lived with some form of C-PTSD for as long as I can remember.
Early on, I learned something brutal but effective:
If I could understand the world well enough, maybe I could control it just enough to keep it from hurting me.
That didn’t turn me into a classic data-driven know-it-all, but I’ve walked into more than a few conversations already knowing enough to be dangerous—and usually, effective.
Where It All Started
If I had to trace it back to a single moment, it would be when I was seven years old.
Sitting at our front yard picnic table in the countryside, my mom handed me a science encyclopedia. I still remember the first page I opened: Jupiter—my favorite planet.
Only recently did I learn why she gave me that book.
We’d just gotten back from a library trip I don’t remember—but she does.
During that visit, she couldn’t find me in the children’s section and—understandably—got a little worried.
She asked the librarian if she’d seen me.
“He’s in the non-fiction section,” the librarian replied.
“He said he wanted to read books that were truthful.”
That’s where the journey really began.
From Survival to Strategy
Even now, I still love reading Wikipedia, Scientific American, and peer-reviewed research.
Whether I’m upgrading my gear, changing my diet, or investing in new tools, I start by separating what matters from what’s just noise.
After decades of this habit, it’s no surprise I always seem to have insights most people haven’t heard before.
One story that sticks with me:
A year ago on a hike, I told a group of friends I had recently cut nearly all plastic from my food chain.
A few people replied that food plastics are now “BPA-free,” so they must be safe.
I pushed back:
“They’re just using other bisphenols now—like BPS or BPF—which can be just as bad, or worse.”
Some tuned out. One guy stayed curious, asked questions, and said he’d look into it.
I figured that would be the end of it—like most conversations.
But the next time we met, he surprised me.
He was excited to tell me I was right—and a bit exasperated about having to make changes.
He asked where to start. So I gave him a few pointers and shared what’s worked for me.
Why I Built LastingEco
That’s when it clicked.
I didn’t just enjoy doing the research—I wanted to share it.
Not just in one-off conversations, but at scale. Because let’s face it: too many products are all hype and no backbone.
They promise sustainability or innovation but fall apart faster than a Tesler Cybertruck panel under pressure.
I wanted to build something that cuts through that noise. Friends and past partners had said it before:
“Can you just research this and tell me what to buy so I don’t have to waste hours figuring it out?”
For a long time, I brushed it off.
“I’m not a researcher—I’m a physicist,” I’d say. But the truth is: I’ve always been both.
Eventually, I realized that what started as survival—reading everything I could to make sense of the world—had become a skill people actually needed. So I stopped gatekeeping my own brain and started building something real.
That’s how LastingEco was born.
The Deep Dives you’ll find here come from the same place this story does:
Decades of lived experience, obsessive curiosity, and a relentless drive to separate truth from noise.
Thanks for reading.
– Nate
P.S.
Yes, I’ve researched the hell out of my own trauma too.
C-PTSD doesn’t run the show anymore. But without it, none of this would exist.
If you’re struggling with it, please seek help from a licensed medical professional.
Don’t wait—it was the best decision I’ve ever made.
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💬 Not sure where to start or how this applies to your life?
You’re not alone—and that’s exactly why I built LastingEco.
Drop a comment below with your questions, doubts, or something you’ve been wrestling with. I read every one and I’d love to help you figure out your next step.
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