149: Sailing Through Recovery with David Greer
Entrepreneurs and high-performing individuals are highly persistent and driven. Oftentimes, they are in control as they push themselves to success. They look really good on the outside. However, when they have an undercurrent of hurt and pain that is never expressed or paid attention to, they\u2019re also likely to numb out from the pain through alcohol, drugs, sex, or something else.\nLet\u2019s add to that the fact that drinking is pretty normalized in Canada, the US, and Western Europe. It\u2019s even more normalized in many businesses as their way of closing deals. Unfortunately, we need to understand the progressive nature of this disease.\nOn today\u2019s episode, Duane speaks with David Greer, an entrepreneur, author, and coach who shares about his own recovery journey, specifically from the perspective of being a successful entrepreneur.\xa0\nDavid was a high-functioning alcoholic who had a difficult time recognizing that he had an issue with alcohol. For decades, he was in denial because he had it all together on the outside. His moment of clarity came to him one evening while sailing on the Mediterranean under the stars. He feels that his higher power touched him at that very moment.\nDavid has been in recovery for over 12 years now. For the last six years, he has been a business coach and a facilitator of strategic planning who works exclusively with entrepreneurs.\xa0He decided to break his anonymity from the 12-step program and come out publicly to help other entrepreneurs who are running successful businesses and also struggling with alcohol or addiction so they can move to the next level.\nIn this episode, you will hear:\n\nDrinking being normalized in certain cultures and in business\n\nSailing through the Mediterranean Sea\n\nThe moment David\u2019s higher power touched him\n\nHiring a coach on his 50th birthday\n\nDavid\u2019s three biggest fears\n\nHis breakthrough moment of admitting he was an alcoholic\n\nThe #1 characteristic of entrepreneurs\n\nWhy self-care is very critical as entrepreneurs\n\nHiring a coach versus a consultant\n\nNavigating through challenging social situations when you\u2019re early in recovery\n\nKey Quotes:\n[06:16] - \u201cDrinking is normalized in Canada, in the U.S., and Western Europe. But then, in a business context, in many cases, I think it's even more normalized like it's the lubricant to close deals.\u201d\n[08:43] - "I was in denial for decades because I just had a massive capacity to drink and not show a lot of adverse effects."\n[22:40] - "The bottom line is I don't like negative feelings... and my three biggest fears are I'm not good enough... it's my fault...and who do you think you are \u2013 to deserve a great life?"\n[26:08] - "I'm uncomfortable with crying because that wasn't allowed in the household that I grew up in."\n[27:59] - "People ask me, like, what's the number one characteristic of entrepreneurs? And my response to that is persistence."\n[29:04] - \u201cThere's three parts to your life\u2026 when you're setting goals for yourself for the year or the quarter \u2013 career/finances, business; your life, your relationships, your significant other, your family; and then in the middle is yourself.\u201d\n[31:20] - "There's a whole myth that to build a successful business, you have to be a workaholic."\nIf you really enjoyed this episode, we\u2019ve created a PDF that has all of the key information for you from the episode. Just go to the episode page at www.theaddictedmind.com\xa0to download it.\nSupporting Resources:\nwww.coachdjgreer.com\nDavid\u2019s book: Wind in Your Sails: Vital Strategies That Accelerate Your Entrepreneurial Growth\nEpisode Credits\nIf you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.\nFind out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices