Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Joe's Free Book: joesfreebook.com
If you’d like to join world-renowned Entrepreneurs at the next Genius Network® Event – then apply today for your invitation to attend at geniusnetwork.com/event/.
Joe Polish sits down with Ken Wells, author of Dare to be Average and writer of the Genius Recovery Blog. Ken shares his insights from decades of helping high-profile individuals and prison inmates navigate pain, shame, and addiction. Joe opens up about his own harrowing journey through drug and sex addiction, revealing how he used external achievements to mask internal pain. They explored what it means to find value in everyday moments, why "scrubbing the wound" is essential for true healing, and how to separate your self-worth from your mistakes.
Key Takeaways:
• The Myth of Constant Achievement: Why finding meaning in commonplace, everyday experiences is crucial for your well-being.
• Handling Failure: The lesson we can learn from baseball legend Mickey Mantle, who struck out 1,700 times and walked 1,800 times—equating to 7 years of never touching the ball.
• Understanding Addiction: How unmet childhood developmental needs create "Swiss cheese" holes that we try to fill with external highs.
• Joe Polish’s Story: Joe's raw confession about battling drug and sex addiction, and why white-knuckling through recovery doesn't work.
• Scrubbing the Wound: Why facing your deepest pain is like pulling an infected tooth—it hurts initially, but it's the only way to heal and prevent further infection.
• Doing the Work: Why 12-step programs are "step meetings" and require active participation, not just sitting on the sidelines as an observer.
Timestamps:
00:00 – Introduction to Ken Wells and his book Dare to be Average
02:12 – When does the obsession with achievement become toxic?
03:40 – The Mickey Mantle analogy for handling failure
05:25 – Separating your self-worth from your shameful behavior
06:23 – Joe Polish shares his journey through drug and sex addiction
12:03 – How unmet developmental needs lead to addiction ("The Swiss Cheese" analogy)
13:24 – The painful but necessary process of "scrubbing the wound"
15:47 – Joe's first experience at a Sex Addicts Anonymous meeting
17:21 – Why recovery requires participation, not just observation
22:28 – The Genius Recovery Blog
Ready for more Genius Network training and inspiration? 🚩SUBSCRIBE 🚩 to the YouTube Channel here: goo.gl/0mX9id
==============================================
Connect with me:
👉🏽 Follow Joe Polish:
Facebook: goo.gl/opG8L7
Twitter: goo.gl/CkUzNa
Instagram: goo.gl/1BZj32
Joe's Free Book: joesfreebook.com
If you’d like to join world-renowned Entrepreneurs at the next Genius Network® Event – then apply today for your invitation to attend at geniusnetwork.com/event/.
Joe Polish sits down with Ken Wells, author of Dare to be Average and writer of the Genius Recovery Blog. Ken shares his insights from decades of helping high-profile individuals and prison inmates navigate pain, shame, and addiction. Joe opens up about his own harrowing journey through drug and sex addiction, revealing how he used external achievements to mask internal pain. They explored what it means to find value in everyday moments, why "scrubbing the wound" is essential for true healing, and how to separate your self-worth from your mistakes.
Key Takeaways:
• The Myth of Constant Achievement: Why finding meaning in commonplace, everyday experiences is crucial for your well-being.
• Handling Failure: The lesson we can learn from baseball legend Mickey Mantle, who struck out 1,700 times and walked 1,800 times—equating to 7 years of never touching the ball.
• Understanding Addiction: How unmet childhood developmental needs create "Swiss cheese" holes that we try to fill with external highs.
• Joe Polish’s Story: Joe's raw confession about battling drug and sex addiction, and why white-knuckling through recovery doesn't work.
• Scrubbing the Wound: Why facing your deepest pain is like pulling an infected tooth—it hurts initially, but it's the only way to heal and prevent further infection.
• Doing the Work: Why 12-step programs are "step meetings" and require active participation, not just sitting on the sidelines as an observer.
Timestamps:
00:00 – Introduction to Ken Wells and his book Dare to be Average
02:12 – When does the obsession with achievement become toxic?
03:40 – The Mickey Mantle analogy for handling failure
05:25 – Separating your self-worth from your shameful behavior
06:23 – Joe Polish shares his journey through drug and sex addiction
12:03 – How unmet developmental needs lead to addiction ("The Swiss Cheese" analogy)
13:24 – The painful but necessary process of "scrubbing the wound"
15:47 – Joe's first experience at a Sex Addicts Anonymous meeting
17:21 – Why recovery requires participation, not just observation
22:28 – The Genius Recovery Blog
Ready for more Genius Network training and inspiration? 🚩SUBSCRIBE 🚩 to the YouTube Channel here: goo.gl/0mX9id
==============================================
Connect with me:
👉🏽 Follow Joe Polish:
Facebook: goo.gl/opG8L7
Twitter: goo.gl/CkUzNa
Instagram: goo.gl/1BZj32
