What happens when a man stops running from pain and starts facing it?

In this raw and powerful episode, Smith sits down with Ben Hill, a former client and now a successful positive psychology coach, to unpack the journey from emotional avoidance to personal ownership.

Ben opens up about being abandoned by his father as a child, a wound that led him down a path of seeking validation, numbing emotion with food and alcohol, and chasing success in a career he hated.

Eventually, the pain of staying the same became greater than the pain of change.

What followed was a radical turnaround:

He removed alcohol.
He faced his emotions head-on.
He walked away from a ‘safe’ job and built a purpose-led coaching business helping others do the same.

This episode covers the cost of emotional suppression, the reality of becoming sober, the courage to walk away from comfort, and the resilience required to build something real.

In this episode, we explore:

– The emotional impact of fatherlessness and how it shapes adult behaviour – Why success and self-destruction often go hand-in-hand – The real reason alcohol becomes a crutch and how to break the cycle – What it takes to leave a career you hate – Building self-worth from the inside out – How Ben now helps others break free from the same patterns

Connect with Ben: LinkedIn – Ben Hill Website – Ask More Coaching

Get in touch with Smith & Mayhew : hello@agameconsultancy.com

Adam Smith

From depressed and suicidal to the happiest and fittest he’s ever been, Adam Smith’s self-development journey hasn’t been easy but it has been worth it. Today, he’s a qualified mindset coach in neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) and a certified Time Line Therapist®.

Adam has coached many high performers, using NLP to rewire his clients’ thoughts and behaviours so they can destroy limiting beliefs and engineer the change needed to excel.

Connect with Adam Smith: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-smith-high-performance-coach/

Adam Mayhew

Adam Mayhew swapped burnout and binge drinking for ultra marathons, CrossFit and sobriety. A registered nutritional therapist specialising in performance nutrition, Adam supports everyone from office workers to athletes to build healthy eating habits.

Using science (and never fad diets, quick fixes or gym bro culture) he helps clients target their problem areas and confidently master diet, training and lifestyle.

Connect with Adam Mayhew: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-mayhew-nutrition-coaching/

To find out more about Smith & Mayhew: https://agameconsultancy.com/about/

091: From Abandonment to Ownership: Ben Hill on Healing, Sobriety, and Starting Over

A-Game Unfiltered

091: From Abandonment to Ownership: Ben Hill on Healing, Sobriety, and Starting Over