The Diary of a CEOExample: The Dark Side Of Money & Fame | E152
CHAPTERS
- 6:00 – 9:00
Origins: Family, Work Ethic, and Loving Protection
Example describes how his working-class parents’ relentless work ethic and emotional support shaped his character. He contrasts his relatively stable home life with the hardship he saw around him and explains how that early environment built his resilience and ambitions.
- 9:00 – 21:00
School, Bullying, and Finding Identity Through Performance
He recalls loving school, thriving in creative subjects, and discovering performance as an outlet, even while enduring bullying about his looks. His mother’s constant affirmation and framing of difference helped him build thick skin and convert pain into humor and creativity.
- 21:00 – 28:30
Neurodivergence, Overactive Mind, and Coping Mechanisms
Example discusses his early Asperger’s diagnosis, unusual cognitive traits, and an overactive brain that’s both an asset and a burden. He resists rigid labels, celebrates ‘weirdness,’ and explains how breathwork and yoga help him manage mental overload.
- 28:30 – 35:00
The Music Machine: Pressure, Failure, and Fragile Validation
He outlines the relentless pressures of the music industry—playlist politics, label expectations, and the emotional whiplash of hits and misses. This environment creates chronic disappointment and pushes artists toward brittle, externally driven notions of worth.
- 35:00 – 48:00
Fame, Drugs, Sex, and Becoming a ‘Monster’
Example details how late-blooming into sex and drugs, then sudden fame, catapulted him into a reckless lifestyle of infidelity, partying, and heavy substance use. He unpacks how external validation and access warped his morals and hurt people close to him.
- 48:00 – 56:30
Burnout, Loneliness, and the Worst Week Ever
At the height of his chart success, Example was personally exhausted, financially delayed, and socially isolated. He describes an intense run of gigs, video shoots, and promo that left him sleep-deprived, self-medicating, and questioning if he could continue.
- 56:30 – 1:06:30
Running, the River, and Physical Rituals as Lifelines
He explains how living by the river and keeping up with running and fitness gave him pockets of peace amid chaos. Inspired by his father’s use of marathon training to survive stress, he frames movement and nature as essential mental health practices.
- 1:06:30 – 1:14:30
Meeting Erin: Timing, Honesty, and Resetting His Character
Meeting Erin in Australia marked a turning point where Example chose to stop lying and cheating and return to his core values. Distance forced deep conversation, and he credits Erin with catalyzing spiritual growth and a more grounded sense of self.
- 1:14:30 – 1:18:00
Spirituality, Breathwork, and the Science of Connection
Influenced by Erin, Example moves from skepticism to a nuanced spirituality informed by science, yoga, and breathwork. He describes physiological transformations from breathing practices and explores how parenthood deepened his sense of awe about life.
- 1:18:00 – 1:37:00
Fatherhood, Birth, Miscarriage, and Male Grief
Example shares a vivid account of Erin’s first birth, their research-driven approach to pregnancy, and the awe he felt witnessing it. He then opens up about a subsequent miscarriage, how media pushed him to speak publicly, and how men’s emotional experiences are often ignored.
- 1:37:00 – 1:58:00
Redefining Success: Charts, Tours, and the Illusion of ‘Falling Off’
Now deep into his career, Example contrasts his extensive touring and solid fanbase with the perception that he has ‘disappeared’ because he’s not on mainstream radio. He wrestles with wanting a hit for validation while intellectually knowing that live impact matters more.
- 1:58:00 – 2:03:00
The Eighth Album and Competing With His Former Self
He previews his forthcoming eighth album as his most confident, sonically varied work, and reflects on the psychological trap of competing against his own peak chart era. While he craves a hit, he emphasizes the importance of live energy and artistic evolution.
- 2:03:00
What Really Matters: Components of a Good Life
In closing, Example answers what advice he’d give a younger self about a good life. Having tasted extreme highs and lows, he centers his definition on family, simple pleasures, and being present, more than on fame or output.
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