» 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 Ben
01:40 Reflecting on brutal past workouts
04:09 How bodybuilding became therapy
07:56 The tension training revolution
11:27 Building MI40 from necessity
15:41 Four pillars that limit fitness progress
19:14 Why energy crashes and motivation dies
21:05 Travel routines and staying consistent
23:44 Making training sustainable for life
27:38 Training beyond just looking good
31:13 The psychological warfare of bodybuilding
33:23 Learning to embrace discomfort
37:37 Shoulder mechanics and coaching philosophy
40:07 High-performance habit optimisation
44:15 Why people unconsciously abandon goals
47:13 How trauma shaped Ben's character
50:19 Healing through psychedelics and therapy
55:08 Balancing ambition with inner peace
58:34 Finding fulfilment versus chasing happiness
1:04:35 Business evolution and future gym plans
1:08:04 Training for athletic longevity
1:11:31 Personalised health through supplements
1:13:36 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/

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» Follow Ben«
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bpakfitness/
Website: https://www.benpakulski.com/

» 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 Intro
02:07 Have I hit my prime yet?
03:28 What my 80-year-old self would be proud of
04:23 How my brand will evolve with age
09:58 My biggest relationship lesson
12:29 Guest wisdom on financial success
14:41 What keeps me positive in life
16:10 What I'd do differently starting over
18:59 My favourite quality about myself
21:20 Would I sacrifice physique for success?
22:58 Is entrepreneurship really for everyone?
25:25 Coming back from my podcasting break
27:14 Dating advice for guys in their late 20s
32:05 Being a role model for teenage boys
35:28 My personal definition of success
36:56 Following passion versus building skills
37:55 The most challenging part of my journey
40:00 When men really take off financially
41:25 Do I struggle with relationship contentment?
45:24 The moment I realised I'd made it
46:40 Disagreeing with guests but staying quiet
49:18 What I still struggle with after success
51:30 Will I make it to 500 or 1000 episodes?
53:05 Building a life like mine
54:54 What genuinely makes me happy
57:35 Cutting off friends to build this life
59:55 Finding inspiration when things go wrong
1:01:40 Finding wife material in Dubai

Resources:
» 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

» 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 Introduction
01:46 Turning 90, family history and surviving against the odds
04:26 Brand building, luck and why fun matters most
06:40 Why sports brands thrived through recessions
09:27 The innovation that started with spiked running shoes
11:48 Leaving the family business and starting from zero
14:15 Launching Mercury Sports and the early branding struggle
16:25 Losing the Mercury name and the birth of Reebok
18:50 How a childhood dictionary led to the Reebok name
22:23 The move from athletic spikes to casual sneakers
26:55 Breaking into UK market through local clubs
29:57 Club-level selling and dominating UK athletes
31:56 Choosing white space over battling Adidas and Nike
33:23 First trip to America and navigating early export failures
37:47 The Runners World five-star rating breakthrough
43:52 Choosing Paul Fireman over Kmart and scaling US reach
49:28 Reebok's biggest challenge: the EVA foam failure
52:15 Crisis with a UK distributor and surviving with direct sales
56:05 The rise of aerobics and Reebok’s pivot to women’s fitness
59:26 Becoming number one globally with an unexpected audience
1:04:23 Expanding into tennis, basketball and new categories
1:13:05 Going up against Nike, using celebrities, and staying innovative
1:17:00 3D-printed AI shoes and what they reveal about new brand strategy
1:24:03 Losing momentum, big changes and the need for reinvention
1:31:53 Advice on building stories, visibility and modern branding
1:37:29 UK vs Dubai: Entrepreneurial energy and global opportunity
1:43:22 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 Joe
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/founderrbk/?hl=en
Website: https://www.reebokthefounder.com/

» 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 Introduction
01:40 Origin story and early insecurities
09:44 Hustling through low-level jobs and discovering crypto
17:22 Anxiety from social media and limiting online exposure
22:27 The viral Johnny Walker meme and meme culture
30:06 Relationship with money, flex culture, and staying low-key
34:04 Building a meaningful platform and helping people change
38:20 Steroid accusations and genetic potential in fitness
41:44 Fasted training, intuitive eating, and body awareness
46:24 Finding healthy food while travelling and fasting hacks
53:48 On relationships, distractions, and staying single
58:13 Sex, soul ties, and celibacy as a conscious choice
1:04:53 Building an online community and redirecting influence
1:17:11 Navigating biohacking, placebo and intuitive wellness
1:20:56 Experimenting with stem cells, and expectations
1:25:23 The vegan phase, nutrition pitfalls, and personal baseline
1:38:16 Anime, escapism, and choosing your inner hero wisely
1:41:25 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 Nate
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrbelmar/?hl=en
Website: https://animeshreds.com/

» 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 Introduction
02:00 Meeting at age 13 and bonding over sneaker reselling
04:05 Building their first sneaker bot app and selling it on Facebook
06:40 Dropping out of school and going all-in on internet startups
07:55 Pivoting into websites for Twitch streamers during COVID
10:29 Early experiments, failed apps, and lessons in product-market fit
14:20 How WAP solved problems they faced as software sellers
18:18 Expanding from software to Discord access and digital memberships
20:17 Payments infrastructure and why it’s central to their platform
25:28 Chasing shiny objects like NFTs and learning to refocus
30:42 Co-founder dynamic, intense pressure, and emotional moments
36:01 Competitors, cyberattacks, and the cost of success
39:31 Staying out of the spotlight despite massive revenue
44:30 Taking investment from figures like Peter Thiel and Tinder’s founder
49:11 Making WAP the internet’s go-to for work and income
54:25 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=en
Website: https://whop.com/

» 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/

Most people say they want more – more money, better health, stronger relationships – but few are willing to change the internal patterns that keep them stuck. In this episode, we explore what it actually takes to level up in every area of life.

Afnan Khalifa, founder, entrepreneur and life coach, is sharing how she rebuilt her mindset from the ground up. We talk about moving from reaction to responsibility, what it looks like to lead without forcing, and how your energy – not just your strategy – shapes your results.

No fluff, no shortcuts. Just the real work behind sustainable growth.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
01:40 Growing up Saudi and embracing her cultural roots
05:11 Breaking free at 18 and moving to Canada alone
08:52 Learning sales, communication, and confidence
13:27 Dropping out of uni and diving into finance
16:07 Early success with crypto and earning six figures
21:30 Getting rich young and the dangers of fast money
25:55 Developing emotional resilience and embracing discomfort
34:13 Balancing ambition, business, and personal relationships
38:25 Personal branding versus chasing likes and virality
43:16 Helping introverted women master visibility online
47:43 Training confidence by filming solo and pushing comfort zones
52:03 Managing pressure as the audience and responsibility grow
57:27 Scaling coaching offers and building community for women
1:02:16 The dark side of online money and fake success
1:08:52 Rebranding beyond fitness and mistakes when launching courses
1:14:18 Deciding who to partner with and protecting your public image
1:27:06 Why she won’t date a man earning less than her
1:33:02 Building respect over likability and staying grounded

» 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 Afnan:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UChjKbov1cr0JczgIXLE-W3Q
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theafnankhalifa/?hl=en
Website: https://www.theafnankhalifa.com/

» 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/

Looking and feeling your best doesn’t require living in the gym, and Greg O’Gallagher (AKA Kinobody) is here to prove that. He’s walking us through how training less, eating smarter, and managing stress can actually lead to better results, physically and hormonally. We talk about what it really takes to boost testosterone naturally, why walking is more powerful than most people realise, and how chasing size can backfire when your nervous system isn’t on board.

Greg doesn’t just share what works – he breaks down why it works, and how he’s built a lifestyle and physique that’s dialled in, without being obsessive. This one challenges a lot of fitness stigma and offers a refreshingly simple, effective way to train, eat, and live with intention.

00:00 Introduction
02:23 Why Greg chose Miami over Canada for business and life
04:01 Fitness obsession and childhood inspirations
06:27 Outgrowing sports and finding a love for training
07:11 Creating the Keno Body approach to fitness and aesthetics
09:57 Debunking myths about needing to train every day
11:13 How alcohol derailed recovery and performance after 30
12:30 Strategies for tracking calories without losing your mind
16:41 Building an empire around YouTube videos and bold marketing
19:14 Lessons from early success and natural marketing instincts
21:46 Helping his brothers transform and the reality of slow gains
23:44 Staying natural and resisting pressure to chase size
25:18 The worrying trend of young guys hopping on gear too early
29:40 The real keys to boosting testosterone naturally
41:02 Why overtraining wrecks fitness gains and how to fix it
45:05 Scaling from fitness programs into building supplements
49:24 Bloodwork revelations and optimising health in your 30s
58:07 The underrated power of deep sleep for fat loss and testosterone
1:14:30 Breakups, fat loss motivation, and emotional transformations
1:20:05 Keeping relationships private and future family plans

» 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 Greg«
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtBw4N4-EiaAqK9TvZGlGDw
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gregogallagher/?hl=en
Kinobody: https://kinobody.com/

» Produced by Hack You Media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hackyoumedia/
Website: https://hackyou.media/

Diego Perez, widely known by his pen name Yung Pueblo joins the show to share the inner journey that led him from emotional chaos to global recognition as a voice for self-awareness and healing. Before the books, the quotes, and the millions of readers, there was a personal reckoning: addiction, overstimulation, and the need to change from the inside out. Meditation became the turning point, helping him rebuild his relationship with stillness, discipline, and emotional honesty.

Diego's new release "How to Love Better" is out now: https://lnk.bio/a8IF

00:00 Introduction
02:00 How Diego created the Young Pueblo pen name and what it means
04:31 Partying hard at university and realising it was self-avoidance
06:13 Health collapse at 23 and the wake-up call that changed everything
08:46 Rugby, gym life, and how Mike avoided spiralling at university
10:14 Early motivations behind Mike’s fitness journey
11:47 Building discipline through meditation and the “mental gym” concept
13:08 Why you don’t need to become a monk to master resilience
14:38 How Silent 45-day retreats reset personal growth and relationships
16:45 Why Diego invests heavily in silent retreats every year
18:04 Meditation, scrolling addictions, and wisdom
22:23 Diego’s relationship with emotions
29:17 Why communication matters more than mind reading
31:06 Should you grow with a partner or find someone already emotionally aware?
35:03 Dating apps, and the dangers of chasing 2% better
40:27 Mike’s experience thriving after living alone for the first time
42:47 Solitude, presence, and why personal growth fuels better relationships
51:11 Learning to trust your intuition over generic dating advice
54:35 Mike and Diego reflect on career, self-knowledge, and relationship priorities
1:01:31 Handling conflict properly instead of expecting endless peace
1:10:02 Compassionate venture capital investing and startup mental health
1:18:16 Shifting social media landscapes and why newsletters matter more now
1:21:03 Loving the creative process and protecting deep work
» 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 – get your first month for free: https://join.whoop.com/FirstThingsThrst

» Follow Diego
How to Love Better: https://lnk.bio/a8IF
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yung_pueblo
Article: https://yungpueblo.substack.com/

Davis Diley, entrepreneur, content creator, and competitive strongman—joins the show to challenge one of the most common fitness myths: that more training equals better results. Drawing from his own journey pushing elite numbers in strength while juggling business and content, Davis breaks down why recovery, frequency, and nervous system management matter more than just intensity.

He explains how training less—but smarter—has led to bigger lifts, fewer injuries, and more consistency over time. It’s a refreshing, no-BS take on performance, discipline, and letting go of the grind-for-grind’s-sake mindset.

00:00 Introduction
01:00 Kicking off inside a $55,000 home gym setup
04:46 Planning and building a professional-grade home gym
07:15 How the pandemic reshaped fitness content and workout habits
08:10 Davis’ gym journey, football and a hunger for control
10:47 Discovering bodybuilding as an outlet for personal responsibility
14:17 How training helped avoid distractions and anchor discipline
16:18 Is fitness coaching too saturated for newcomers?
20:12 Navigating conflicting advice and finding trusted voices
22:32 Trimming the fat from training as an advanced lifter
25:36 Going all in on food, focus, and gym execution
28:00 Building and scaling your own fitness app the hard way
34:45 Davis’ unexpected viral moment sparks a new career path
38:58 Why content creation never gets easier, just more demanding
45:46 Crafting standout short-form videos with just a phone
49:13 Shifting from aesthetics to long-form content and longevity
51:00 Strongman days, extreme bulking, and chasing World’s Strongest Man
58:09 Narrowly avoiding steroids after a career-altering back injury
1:02:16 Staying lean, staying motivated, and the mental cost of shredding
1:09:35 Meals, volume, and why boring food is killing your cut
1:11:38 Travel routines, smart walking, and eating without spiralling

» 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 – get your first month for free: https://join.whoop.com/FirstThingsThrst

» Follow Davis
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davis.diley/?hl=en
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@davis.diley?lang=en

Returning face and old friend Chris Williamson is back on the show to unpack the real cost of chasing self-improvement—and the trade-offs few people talk about.
While the internet makes optimisation look effortless, Chris shares how his own journey has been marked by burnout, loneliness, and the pressure to always do more.
He questions the myth that productivity equals purpose, and dives into the importance of slowing down, feeling safe in your body, and building a life that’s actually enjoyable—not just efficient.
If you’re wired for growth but feeling stretched thin, this one’s a thoughtful reset.

00:00 Reuniting in the heart of Austin
01:37 Why everyone's moving to Texas
02:40 Building habits that actually stick
07:30 How guests reshape your thinking
09:08 The passion behind the microphone
13:29 Optimising your mental game
15:39 Meeting heroes and battling nerves
21:31 Choosing guests worth listening to
24:46 The weight of public opinions
29:43 Mastering the time management puzzle
35:08 Life between the UK and Austin
41:02 Building Neutonic from the ground up
43:35 Bringing past skills to new ventures
47:14 The hidden battle with mold toxicity
49:45 Coming to terms with getting older
52:47 Evolving as a better partner
1:00:51 Knowing when to walk away
1:10:16 Writing through health challenges
1:13:56 AI's role in content creation
1:21:04 Where AI falls short in fitness
1:25:07 The art of high-quality podcasting
1:30:18 Staying relevant in changing times
1:35:04 Taking the leap into video content
1:39:02 Facing criticism with grace
1:43:29 Understanding our shared insecurities

» 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 Chris
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx/?hl=en
Website: https://chriswillx.com/