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.
- •Parents came from humble backgrounds; father constantly away working, mother holding the home together (≈360–540s).
- •Exposure to friends in overcrowded council flats with parents working multiple jobs gave him perspective on struggle and class (≈540–720s).
- •Strong desire to impress his parents in his early 20s contributed to his drive (≈540–600s).
- 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.
- •Loved school structure; excelled in maths, drama, art, music; uninterested in English, science, RE (≈720–1080s).
- •Got attention as class clown, doing impressions because he craved validation (≈900–1080s).
- •Mother put him into local drama group to channel misbehavior into performance (≈900–1080s).
- •Bullied for teeth and ears but buffered by strong love and perspective at home, building resilience useful later in music (≈1080–1290s).
- 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.
- •As a child he had hyperactivity, tics, photographic memory; memorized US states and entire Trivial Pursuit boxes (≈1290–1470s).
- •Parents avoided medicating or segregating him; he’s grateful seeing peers still dependent on meds (≈1470–1620s).
- •Rejects rigid diagnostic boxes, views everyone as “a bit of everything” (≈1470–1620s).
- •Overactive mind leads to constant internal scripts, freestyling, and intrusive ‘shopping list’ thoughts; tools like yoga, Wim Hof breathing help him switch off (≈1620–1800s).
- 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.
- •Preparing to release his eighth album with deliberately low expectations, knowing radio/streaming gatekeepers can ignore even painstaking work (≈1710–1890s).
- •Recounts label-era obsession with Radio 1/Capital playlist tiers, spins per week, and chart positions (≈1890–2040s).
- •Describes the systemic pressure ladder: executives push A&R and marketing, who pressure managers, who pressure artists, creating a ‘losing formula’ (≈1980–2100s).
- 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.
- •Didn’t touch class A drugs until 23; fame and money triggered rapid escalation in drugs, alcohol, and cheating (≈2100–2340s).
- •Explains seductive cycle of VIP access, celebrity circles, free stuff, and constant sexual opportunities (≈2340–2460s).
- •Frames vice as almost inevitable for many artists, comparing with footballers who substitute gambling or excessive spending (≈2460–2610s).
- •Recognizes the cost: broke a ‘lovely girl’s’ heart, disappointed parents, required a family intervention after a 48-hour Glastonbury disappearance (≈2430–2730s).
- •Links childhood penchant for exaggeration/lying to later infidelity; describes moral numbing as cheating escalated (≈2700–2940s).
- 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.
- •Living with 93-year-old step-grandad in a dilapidated house while publicly appearing successful; embarrassed to bring anyone home (≈2940–3150s).
- •Narrates a brutal week: late gig in Manchester, 4:30am call time for video, live lounge, constant TV/radio and PR dinners, only a few hours’ sleep (≈3150–3390s).
- •Realized he was on the brink: asking his manager to cancel shows, being told you “can’t cancel Graham Norton” (≈3330–3510s).
- •Compensated with alcohol before and after shows; has only hazy memory of performances despite crowds loving it (≈3330–3690s).
- 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.
- •Apartment by the Thames near wetlands provided daily tranquility and feeling of countryside escape (≈3390–3570s).
- •Father worked 4-hour daily commute, pregnant wife, dying father, stress alopecia; running the marathon helped him cope (≈3510–3690s).
- •Example runs without music to clear his head; swimming, yoga, and running are the only times he fully switches off (≈3510–3810s).
- •In hindsight, realizes he unconsciously sought emotional comfort from women—cuddles and feeling safe—rather than just sex (≈3810–3990s).
- 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.
- •At his lowest—lonely and self-medicating—he meets Erin on tour in Australia (≈3990–4170s).
- •She feared he had ‘a girlfriend in every city’; he decided this was the moment to reset and be the honest person he was raised to be (≈4170–4350s).
- •They built their relationship via long FaceTime calls and short in-person visits, oversharing life histories, fears, exes, and sexual pasts (≈4410–4530s).
- •Stresses timing: if they had met two to three years earlier, he doubts it would have worked; both were freshly single and ready (≈4350–4470s).
- 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.
- •Previously believed only in ‘making your own luck’; reading Hawking and law-of-attraction ideas shifted him toward viewing humans as interacting atoms and energy (≈4470–4680s).
- •Erin introduced him to zodiacs and planetary influences; he now sees some merit in these frameworks while prioritizing science-informed spirituality (≈4470–4740s).
- •Regular yoga, sauna/ice, and guided breathwork sessions (Breath Collective, Wim Hof style) help him sleep and manage intrusive thoughts (≈4320–4620s).
- •Says younger him would have laughed at spending 10 minutes “just breathing,” but now sees it as learning to relax and face inner demons (≈4560–4680s).
- 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.
- •Erin trained throughout pregnancy; they followed research on exercise, nut consumption, and breastfeeding benefits for baby’s immunity and heart health (≈4740–5100s).
- •First child born standing up, no gas or epidural; he describes catching the baby, the rush, and learning that women shouldn’t ideally give birth on their backs due to tailbone anatomy (≈4920–5220s).
- •Second pregnancy ended in miscarriage after they told everyone early; both were devastated (≈5220–5340s).
- •On Lorraine, producers asked to center the interview on the miscarriage because “we’ve never had a guy” talk about it; he did, receiving many messages from men grateful for the representation (≈5340–5520s).
- •Explains feeling helpless and unseen emotionally; notes that in society everyone asks about the mother, not the father, and that he only fully processed feelings when speaking about it in interviews (≈5460–5670s).
- 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.
- •Wants “to accidentally somehow have a chart hit again” mainly to remember how it feels and quiet people who think he’s retired (≈5820–6060s).
- •Points out he’s had 22 Top 40 singles, 7 Top 10s, 2 number ones, but none recently; still sells out tours and plays 40 gigs a summer (≈5820–6150s).
- •Explains different fan discovery channels: radio/TV, Spotify playlists, gym classes, TikTok, billboards, and Instagram; many only know him through one channel (≈6150–6630s).
- •Frustration that international promoters heavily weight radio play over streaming and past success, drying up gigs once label support fades (≈6390–6750s).
- •Uses meet-and-greets as informal market research: younger fans hear about tours via Instagram, older ones via posters or Facebook (≈6750–7080s).
- 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.
- •Album features drum and bass, UK garage, and drill tracks; he sees it as his best rapping and most comfortable performances to date (≈7080–7320s).
- •Describes filming a low-budget, self-directed video in a Brisbane container yard and on a construction rooftop, emphasizing DIY creativity (≈7140–7290s).
- •Feels he used to think he needed certain ‘credentials’ to rap; now sees hip-hop as storytelling where authenticity is key (≈7290–7380s).
- •Acknowledges the temptation to obsess over number-one vs number-two chart positions but insists he doesn’t lose sleep over it (≈6960–7080s).
- 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.
- •Fatherhood tops his list: he delights in his sons’ evolving speech and records their funniest lines to share with family (≈7380–7500s).
- •Other core components: cooking, fine dining, training, sleep, sex, and being a dad; music is beloved but non-essential compared to these (≈7440–7590s).
- •States he could stop writing and performing for a year and be happy if he retained his family and lifestyle (≈7470–7590s).
- •Proud that nearly all his former bandmates have gone on to bigger successes (e.g., David Stewart writing BTS’s ‘Dynamite’), seeing that as one of his most meaningful impacts on others (≈7590–8100s).
