First Things THRST

• E101 - Fix These 4 areas to Unlock Your Full Potential | Ben Pakulski

  » Produced by Hack You Media: pioneering a new category of content at the intersection of health performance, entrepreneurship & cognitive optimisation.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hackyoumedia/Website: https://hackyou.media/Ben Pakulski is widely known for his success in bodybuilding, but what sets him apart is how he thinks. In this episode, Ben breaks down the mental frameworks, lifestyle protocols, and deep internal work that drive high performance – physically and mentally.We go beyond muscle and talk about how to build a system for self-mastery. From testosterone optimisation and training efficiency to breath work, fatherhood, and identity, Ben lays out a sharp, structured take on what it means to grow with intention.00:00 Reuniting with Ben01:40 Reflecting on brutal past workouts04:09 How bodybuilding became therapy07:56 The tension training revolution11:27 Building MI40 from necessity15:41 Four pillars that limit fitness progress19:14 Why energy crashes and motivation dies21:05 Travel routines and staying consistent23:44 Making training sustainable for life27:38 Training beyond just looking good31:13 The psychological warfare of bodybuilding33:23 Learning to embrace discomfort37:37 Shoulder mechanics and coaching philosophy40:07 High-performance habit optimisation44:15 Why people unconsciously abandon goals47:13 How trauma shaped Ben's character50:19 Healing through psychedelics and therapy55:08 Balancing ambition with inner peace58:34 Finding fulfilment versus chasing happiness1:04:35 Business evolution and future gym plans1:08:04 Training for athletic longevity1:11:31 Personalised health through supplements1:13:36 Using genetics and blood work for peak health» Escape the 9-5 & build your dream life – https://www.digitalplaybook.net/» Transform your physique – https://www.thrstapp.com/» My clothing brand, THRST – https://thrstofficial.com» Custom Bioniq supplements: https://www.bioniq.com/mikethurston• 40% off your first month of Bioniq GO• 20% off your first month of Bioniq PRO» Join our newsletter for actionable insights from every episode: https://thrst-letter.beehiiv.com/» Join Whoop and get your first month for free – join.whoop.com/FirstThingsThrst» Follow Ben«Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bpakfitness/Website: https://www.benpakulski.com/

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• EP100 Q&A: Relationship Lessons, Life Advice & My Worst Podcast Guest

  » Produced by Hack You Media: pioneering a new category of content at the intersection of health performance, entrepreneurship & cognitive optimisation.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hackyoumedia/Website: https://hackyou.media/From navigating modern dating and building real confidence, to the realities of entrepreneurship, personal branding, and staying disciplined when no one’s watching, join us for a special Q&A to celebrate 100 episodes of First Things THRST.We talk content strategy, mindset shifts, and the behind-the-scenes lessons that don’t make it into the full episodes.Thank you to everyone who’s tuned in, shared an episode, or supported the journey so far. Here’s to the next 100.Timestamps:00:00 Intro02:07 Have I hit my prime yet?03:28 What my 80-year-old self would be proud of04:23 How my brand will evolve with age09:58 My biggest relationship lesson12:29 Guest wisdom on financial success14:41 What keeps me positive in life16:10 What I'd do differently starting over18:59 My favourite quality about myself21:20 Would I sacrifice physique for success?22:58 Is entrepreneurship really for everyone?25:25 Coming back from my podcasting break27:14 Dating advice for guys in their late 20s32:05 Being a role model for teenage boys35:28 My personal definition of success36:56 Following passion versus building skills37:55 The most challenging part of my journey40:00 When men really take off financially41:25 Do I struggle with relationship contentment?45:24 The moment I realised I'd made it46:40 Disagreeing with guests but staying quiet49:18 What I still struggle with after success51:30 Will I make it to 500 or 1000 episodes?53:05 Building a life like mine54:54 What genuinely makes me happy57:35 Cutting off friends to build this life59:55 Finding inspiration when things go wrong1:01:40 Finding wife material in DubaiResources:» Escape the 9-5 & build your dream life – https://www.digitalplaybook.net/» Transform your physique – https://www.thrstapp.com/» My clothing brand, THRST – https://thrstofficial.com» Custom Bioniq supplements – https://www.bioniq.com/mikethurston• 40% off your first month of Bioniq GO• 20% off your first month of Bioniq PRO» Join our newsletter for actionable insights from every episode: https://thrst-letter.beehiiv.com/» Join @WHOOP and get your first month for free – join.whoop.com/FirstThingsThrst

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• E099 - What it Really Takes to Build a Billion-Dollar Brand (Founder of Reebok)

  » Produced by Hack You Media: pioneering a new category of content at the intersection of health performance, entrepreneurship & cognitive optimisation.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hackyoumedia/Website: https://hackyou.media/Before Reebok became a global sportswear giant, it was just Joe Foster and a vision. One shaped in a small UK workshop and fuelled by persistence, not funding. In this episode, Joe breaks down the early days of building Reebok from the ground up: cold calls, missed opportunities, and the moment aerobics unexpectedly catapulted the brand into the mainstream.Timestamps:00:00 Introduction01:46 Turning 90, family history and surviving against the odds04:26 Brand building, luck and why fun matters most06:40 Why sports brands thrived through recessions09:27 The innovation that started with spiked running shoes11:48 Leaving the family business and starting from zero14:15 Launching Mercury Sports and the early branding struggle16:25 Losing the Mercury name and the birth of Reebok18:50 How a childhood dictionary led to the Reebok name22:23 The move from athletic spikes to casual sneakers26:55 Breaking into UK market through local clubs29:57 Club-level selling and dominating UK athletes31:56 Choosing white space over battling Adidas and Nike33:23 First trip to America and navigating early export failures37:47 The Runners World five-star rating breakthrough43:52 Choosing Paul Fireman over Kmart and scaling US reach49:28 Reebok's biggest challenge: the EVA foam failure52:15 Crisis with a UK distributor and surviving with direct sales56:05 The rise of aerobics and Reebok’s pivot to women’s fitness59:26 Becoming number one globally with an unexpected audience1:04:23 Expanding into tennis, basketball and new categories1:13:05 Going up against Nike, using celebrities, and staying innovative1:17:00 3D-printed AI shoes and what they reveal about new brand strategy1:24:03 Losing momentum, big changes and the need for reinvention1:31:53 Advice on building stories, visibility and modern branding1:37:29 UK vs Dubai: Entrepreneurial energy and global opportunity1:43:22 Final advice for founders» Escape the 9-5 & build your dream life: https://www.digitalplaybook.net/» Transform your physique: https://www.thrstapp.com/» My clothing brand, THRST: https://thrstofficial.com» Custom Bioniq supplements: https://www.bioniq.com/mikethurston  • 40% off your first month of Bioniq GO  • 20% off your first month of Bioniq PRO» Join our newsletter for actionable insights from every episode: https://thrst-letter.beehiiv.com/» Join @WHOOP and get your first month for free: join.whoop.com/FirstThingsThrst» Follow JoeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/founderrbk/?hl=enWebsite: https://www.reebokthefounder.com/

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• E098 - The Biohacking Routine That (Quickly) Changed My Life | Nate Belmar

  » Produced by Hack You Media: pioneering a new category of content at the intersection of health performance, entrepreneurship & cognitive optimisation.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hackyoumedia/Website: https://hackyou.media/Nate Belmar doesn’t just train for aesthetics, he trains for clarity, resilience, and control. In this episode, we dive into the physical and mental transformation that took him from overweight and directionless to lean, disciplined, and deeply intentional.Nate shares the mindset shift that pulled him out of a low point, why most people are overtrained and under-recovered, and how fasting, metabolic flexibility, and environmental awareness shaped his approach to performance and life. We explore his views on social media pressure, identity, and why detaching from noise—digitally and socially—is often the unlock for growth. Timestamps:0:00 Introduction01:40 Origin story and early insecurities09:44 Hustling through low-level jobs and discovering crypto17:22 Anxiety from social media and limiting online exposure22:27 The viral Johnny Walker meme and meme culture30:06 Relationship with money, flex culture, and staying low-key34:04 Building a meaningful platform and helping people change38:20 Steroid accusations and genetic potential in fitness41:44 Fasted training, intuitive eating, and body awareness46:24 Finding healthy food while travelling and fasting hacks53:48 On relationships, distractions, and staying single58:13 Sex, soul ties, and celibacy as a conscious choice1:04:53 Building an online community and redirecting influence1:17:11 Navigating biohacking, placebo and intuitive wellness1:20:56 Experimenting with stem cells, and expectations1:25:23 The vegan phase, nutrition pitfalls, and personal baseline1:38:16 Anime, escapism, and choosing your inner hero wisely1:41:25 Launching supplements and living with purpose» Escape the 9-5 & build your dream life - https://www.digitalplaybook.net/» Transform your physique - https://www.thrstapp.com/» My clothing brand, THRST - https://thrstofficial.com» Custom Bioniq supplements: https://www.bioniq.com/mikethurston • 40% off your first month of Bioniq GO • 20% off your first month of Bioniq PRO» Join our newsletter for actionable insights from every episode: https://thrst-letter.beehiiv.com/» Join @WHOOP and get your first month for free - join.whoop.com/FirstThingsThrst» Follow NateInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrbelmar/?hl=enWebsite: https://animeshreds.com/

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• E097 - The New Way to Make Your First $100,000 Online (Whop)

  » Produced by Hack You Media: pioneering a new category of content at the intersection of health performance, entrepreneurship & cognitive optimisation.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hackyoumedia/Website: https://hackyou.media/Cameron Zoub and Steven Zhang, co-founders of Whop join the show to discuss the mechanics of building a high-growth startup from the ground up. Whop has quietly become one of the most efficient digital marketplaces online, doing over $100M in GMV without relying on paid ads or loud marketing.We talk about the early days of building out of hacker houses, the decision to focus deeply on product before anything else, and the operational challenges that came with rapid scale. They also reflect on leadership, team dynamics, and what most founders underestimate when trying to build in public.00:00 Introduction02:00 Meeting at age 13 and bonding over sneaker reselling04:05 Building their first sneaker bot app and selling it on Facebook06:40 Dropping out of school and going all-in on internet startups07:55 Pivoting into websites for Twitch streamers during COVID10:29 Early experiments, failed apps, and lessons in product-market fit14:20 How WAP solved problems they faced as software sellers18:18 Expanding from software to Discord access and digital memberships20:17 Payments infrastructure and why it’s central to their platform25:28 Chasing shiny objects like NFTs and learning to refocus30:42 Co-founder dynamic, intense pressure, and emotional moments36:01 Competitors, cyberattacks, and the cost of success39:31 Staying out of the spotlight despite massive revenue44:30 Taking investment from figures like Peter Thiel and Tinder’s founder49:11 Making WAP the internet’s go-to for work and income54:25 Rethinking creator monetisation beyond courses or content» Escape the 9-5 & build your dream life - https://www.digitalplaybook.net/» Transform your physique - https://www.thrstapp.com/» My clothing brand, THRST - https://thrstofficial.com» Custom Bioniq supplements: https://www.bioniq.com/mikethurston• 40% off your first month of Bioniq GO• 20% off your first month of Bioniq PRO» Join our newsletter for actionable insights from every episode: https://thrst-letter.beehiiv.com/» Join WHOOP and get your first month for free - join.whoop.com/FirstThingsThrst» Follow Whop«Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whop/?hl=enWebsite: https://whop.com/

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