The Shift: A Podcast With Ben Brown

Episoder

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  Is Porn Hijacking Your Ability To Love? 08.10.2026 20min

  Have you ever felt completely disconnected from true physical intimacy, even when you desperately wanted it?In this episode, I open up about my decades-long struggle with porn-induced erectile dysfunction (PIED) and how early exposure to extreme content completely distorted my sexual arousal template. PIED is a behavioral and psychological condition where an individual experiences difficulty achieving or maintaining an erection during partnered sex, despite being fully capable of doing so while viewing pornography or masturbating alone. From nine years old to escalation throughout my teens and adulthood, I ended up chasing high-dopamine novelty while driving a wedge between physical attraction and genuine emotional depth. It was only after hitting rock bottom, walking away from porn at 38, and dedicating four years to recovery, therapy, and rewiring my brain that I finally learned how to merge heart-centered love with true physical connection.This episode isn't just about my personal recovery journey; it's about you and the invisible patterns that might be keeping you isolated from real intimacy. I invite you to reflect on what you are feeding your mind and whether your current habits are pulling you away from the depth you actually crave. You are not broken, and a deeply fulfilling, authentic relationship is fully within your reach once you choose to step out of the shadows. PIED is not permanent. You too can recover and learn to love in healthy ways.#pornaddiction #PIED #MensHealth #SexualHealth #relationships #intimacy #emotionalconnection
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  How Breathwork Can Get You Sober from Sex and Porn Addiction 23.09.2026 37min

  For almost 30 years, I ran from every uncomfortable feeling I had. As a kid, nail-biting and video games. Then, as a teen and beyond, porn, fantasy, and sex. When I decided to get sober, I lost every one of those buffers at once, and I had to find another way to survive the fear. I needed a new coping mechanism. In this episode, I sat down with breathwork therapist Jesse Torgerson to break down the practice that actually worked: breathing into physical sensation and releasing tension on the exhale, until my nervous system stopped treating discomfort like an emergency.This episode isn't just about my personal journey through addiction, it is about your ability to realize that uncomfortable feelings won’t kill you. I invite you to examine the stories keeping you stuck in anxiety and discover how present-moment breath awareness can create radical clarity.Safety is not found outside yourself, it is cultivated with every conscious breath.If this hits home, subscribe for more conversations on breaking addiction and building a real life on the other side of it, drop a comment with what you're working through, and share this with someone who needs to hear it.#Breathwork #AddictionRecovery #Sobriety #NervousSystemHealing #MensMentalHealth
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  From Addiction to Purpose: How to Use AI to Map Your Dream Life 16.09.2026 17min

  Do you know exactly what your problems are, but have no idea where you actually want to go? When I first got into recovery, my mentor challenged me to write down my five-year dream life. I played it safe. Censored myself so I wouldn't fail and feel bad. He looked at what I wrote, saw straight through it, and sent me back to do it again. This time, from a place of full permission to dream, not from what I thought was realistic.That shift changed everything. I started watching my life manifest in ways I couldn't have written down the first time around.Now, guys in recovery come to me stuck in the exact same spot. They can write a dissertation on their problems. Ask them what they actually want, and they freeze. So I get to walk them through the same process that cracked things open for me, building vision boards with AI images of their deepest desires to finally get clarity on their purpose.This episode is about that arc, from the first censored list to the version that actually lit me up, and it's an invitation for you to do the same. Stop driving in circles focused on what's wrong. Write your uncensored five-year dream life, and start moving toward it.Face the truth. Build the map. Shift your direction.
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  Can Another Person Really Fix Your Self-Esteem? 09.09.2026 23min

  Have you ever looked for another person to fix the internal noise you cannot stand? In this episode, I look back at how I used external validation to escape my own feelings of inadequacy.Before getting sober and stepping into recovery, walking down a street in New York City could trigger a complete internal crisis. The moment I saw an attractive woman, my mind convinced me that her approval was the ultimate cure for my low self-esteem. I would approach out of sheer anxiety, desperate for a fix. If rejection happened, I made up a story like, "Oh, I might not look rich enough for her." Then that thought became a fact in my brain: "I don't look rich enough for her," and I had to sit with the belief that I was not enough, which felt like crap. That experience was not comfortable, so then I looked for another quick fix, like a donut in a coffee shop, candy, or swiping on the apps to temporarily ease my pain.It was only through hitting walls and learning to become the witness to my thoughts that real healing began. By practicing acceptance and detaching from the stories my brain creates, I started shifting away from compulsive reactions and moving toward conscious choices.This episode isn't just about my past conditioning; it is about your relationship with emotional discomfort, too. I invite you to reflect on where you turn when anxiety strikes and whether you are letting your thoughts pull you around on a leash.Growth is a slow, steady movement from compulsive reaction to conscious choice
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  Why Having a Plan B Will Kill Your Dream 02.09.2026 1t 7min

  Mario Carbone didn't build Major Food Group by hedging. He went all in, no safety net, no backup plan waiting to catch him if it didn't work.This episode is about the lie of the safety net. The plan B you keep "just in case" isn't protection; it's permission to fail.Every hour spent maintaining a fallback is an hour not spent making the real thing work.Mario and I get into what all-in commitment actually looks like when the stakes are real. Not just motivational-poster talk.If you've got one foot in your dream and one foot in your backup plan, this episode is for you.
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  Cheeseburgers to Designer Shades: Playing Whack-a-Mole With Addiction 26.08.2026 17min

  Have you ever found yourself swiping your credit card not for the item in your hand, but for the person you hope it will make you become?In this episode I open up about my battle with shopping addiction and how it connects to my deep-seated need for validation. For years, my addiction played a game of whack-a-mole. When I got sober from booze, drugs, and sex back in 2019, my brain immediately transferred that void to food, bingeing on cheeseburgers and milkshakes. Once I addressed the overeating, the shopping took over. I was chasing an image, purchasing $1,000 designer sunglasses and endless outfits just to sell a story to the world and escape my own feelings of inadequacy. It wasn't until I hit a wall of anxiety over a $2,500 sunglasses spree that I realized I couldn't keep running. Through recovery and learning to appreciate what is already in my "circle," I began to heal.You are already enough, and no purchase will ever give you what self-love already provides.
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  Your Fear of Being Cringe is Ruining Your Life 19.08.2026 27min

  Do you ever think to yourself, I don't want to be perceived the wrong way, so I will just stay quiet?From a young age, I started to get the response from the outside world that 'you like me when I am small, so let me stay small, so I get what I need.'In this episode of The Shift, I explore how the fear of being cringe is really a prison holding you back from having a big, bold, and wonderful life. I tell the stories of the many different ways I have stopped myself from going after what I want because of fear. But that stops here. Together, one day at a time, one step at a time, we will begin to face what holds us back. Following the notion that our purpose must be greater than our fear, we will be the lucky ones who get out of our own way.If you have ever felt like "too much," "extra," "too hyperactive," or felt like you had to shrink yourself to stay safe, this episode is for you.
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  "I Absolutely Despised Motherhood" with Hana Catlett 12.08.2026 43min

  I will never forget the first time I heard Hana say, "I hated being a mom and I hated being a wife," while she was standing next to her husband Will (who is one of my best friends) and thinking to myself, "Holy sh*t this is uncomfortable."In this episode of The Shift, I sit down with my friend and one of my former coaches, Hana Catlett, brand archietect, wife, and mother of two.Hana's transparency around being a mom shocked me from the moment I first heard her say she hated it, and hate seems to be an understatement. Her words now: absolutely despised. In this episode she gets real about motherhood, the parts most women don't say out loud. We get into why modern motherhood is basically engineered for isolation, and what got lost when we stopped raising kids in villages.Mother or not, this one's a gut-punch. Listen in.
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  You are a LUMINARY with Hana Catlett 05.08.2026 30min

  In this episode of The Shift, I sit down with my dear friend and mentor, Hana Catlett. While Hana is known as a brand architect, what she really does is help people uncover who they truly are beneath the conditioning, the fear, and the stories they've been telling themselves. She helps people get clear on the impact they're here to make, and then holds them accountable to actually step into it.This conversation isn't really about branding. It's about identity.For so many of us in recovery, we spend years hiding, performing, seeking validation, or believing we have to become "perfect" before we're worthy of being seen. Hana and I unpack why that's a lie. We talk about the freedom that comes from showing up as you are, the power of sharing from the middle of the journey instead of waiting until you've "arrived," and why your willingness to be authentic may be the very thing someone else needs to see.If you've ever felt like fear, shame, or self-doubt has kept you from pursuing the life you know you're capable of, I think this conversation will resonate. Recovery isn't just about letting go of the addiction. It's about becoming the man you were created to be, and having the courage to let the world see you.I hope this episode challenges you, encourages you, and inspires you to take one more step toward the most expansive version of yourself.
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  Why I Went 500 Days Without an Orgasm (Part 2) 29.07.2026 32min

  How long do you think you could go without an orgasm?In this episode of The Shift, I tell the highly anticipated part 2 of the story of how I ended up giving up sex, dating, and masturbation, and why what felt impossible became a life changing course of events.This isn't just about me. It's about addiction, freedom, healing, and what happens when you stop using your greatest escape and start facing what's underneath. This shift changed everything for me. Do you believe that your behavior with sex, love or porn is holding you back? This episode is for you.
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  Why I Went 500 Days Without an Orgasm (Part 1) 22.07.2026 29min

  Why would anyone willingly go 500 days without an orgasm?In this episode of The Shift, I tell the full story of how I ended up giving up sex, dating, and masturbation, and why what felt impossible became the most life-changing experience of my life.This isn't just a conversation about celibacy or self-denial. It's about addiction, freedom, healing, and what happens when you stop using your greatest escape and start facing what's underneath. This is the story of the shift that changed everything for me. Do you believe that your behavior with sex, love or porn is holding you back? This episode is for you.
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  From a Life of Addiction to a Life with God 15.07.2026 1t 3min

  What if whatever is happening in your life is happening for your benefit, even if you can't see the reason yet?In this episode, I sit down with Ralph Rivera, a friend, mentor, and someone whose wisdom has had a profound impact on my life. Every month, Ralph opens his home to a community of people who gather to share a meal, have honest conversations, and support one another through whatever life is bringing.Together, we explore the path from addiction to recovery, the role that faith can play in healing, and the difference between religion, belief, and a personal relationship with a power greater than ourselves.Ralph also shares the remarkable story of his son, who became paralyzed after a life-changing accident, and how faith, prayer, and community have helped sustain their family through unimaginable challenges.This episode is an invitation to explore hope, resilience, purpose, and the possibility that even life's hardest moments can shape us in ways we don't yet understand.
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  Waiting for Approval is Holding You Back | Will Catlett 08.07.2026 1t 20min

  How much of your life has been shaped by trying to earn someone else's approval?In this episode of The Shift, I sit down with my good friend, actor Will Catlett, for one of the most honest conversations we've had about confidence, purpose, self-worth, and what it really means to become the person you're meant to be.We talk about why confidence isn't something you're born with, why boundaries are essential if you want to grow, and how fear often keeps us from pursuing the life we know we're capable of living.One of the biggest takeaways for me was the idea that approval has to come from within. So many of us spend years waiting for someone else to tell us we're enough, when the truth is, that decision has always been ours to make.Will shares what he's learned about believing in yourself, embracing sacrifice, building a legacy, and trusting that your path unfolds one step at a time. It's a conversation between two friends, but I think anyone who's ever questioned their worth or wondered if they're on the right path will find something in it.Because no one else can give you the life you're waiting for.At some point, you have to approve yourself.
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  What Happens When You Stop Needing All The Answers? 01.07.2026 1t 14min

  What if the reason you feel stuck has less to do with your circumstances and more to do with what you're unwilling to sit with?In this episode of The Shift, I sit down with my childhood friend Rich Torrisi, chef and co-founder of Major Food Group, for a conversation about curiosity, discomfort, faith, and the unseen forces that shape our lives.We talk about what happens when you stop looking for certainty, why comparison can quietly steal your joy, and how some of the most meaningful experiences in life begin when you're willing to move toward the unknown instead of away from it.Rich shares his journey from a kid with a dream to building one of the most successful restaurant groups in the world, but what stood out to me wasn't the success. It was the mindset behind it. The willingness to choose the harder path, stay curious, trust the process, and keep moving forward without needing all the answers.Because maybe growth isn't about finding certainty.Maybe it's about becoming comfortable enough to keep going without it.
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  Put the Sh*t Down! 24.06.2026 16min

  At some point, we all have to get honest with ourselves.We have to look at what's holding us back and ask: Is this still serving me, or is it keeping me stuck?In this episode of The Shift, I'm talking about what it really takes to put down the habits, addictions, and behaviors that no longer align with the life we want to live. Whether it's substances, social media, unhealthy relationships, or any pattern that's keeping you from becoming who you're meant to be, change begins with the willingness to face it.I share some of my own experiences with letting go, the fear that comes with stepping into the unknown, and why simply removing something isn't enough. If we're going to put something down, we also have to pick something new up.Growth can feel awkward. Being a beginner again can feel uncomfortable. But I've found that life truly begins when we're willing to step outside of our comfort zone and take that first small action.If you've ever asked yourself, "What would I do without it?" this episode is for you.
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  Are You Dating Them... Or Your Past? 17.06.2026 1t 17min

  In this episode of The Shift, I sit down with Dr. Morgan Anderson for an eye-opening conversation about attachment styles, childhood wounds, authenticity, and the hidden patterns that shape our relationships.We explore why so many of us find ourselves repeating the same relationship dynamics over and over again, even when we desperately want something different. Dr. Anderson explains how our earliest experiences with love, safety, and connection create attachment patterns that often follow us into adulthood, influencing who we're attracted to, how we communicate, and what we believe we deserve.We talk about anxious attachment, avoidant attachment, emotional availability, vulnerability, self-worth, and the concept of repetition compulsion: the unconscious tendency to recreate familiar emotional experiences in hopes of finally resolving them.This conversation also explores healing, mentorship, self-awareness, and the courage required to stop numbing, feel what's underneath, and show up authentically. Because real transformation doesn't happen when we keep running from ourselves. It happens when we're willing to face what we've been carrying and create new experiences that challenge old beliefs.If you've ever wondered why your relationships follow the same script, why healthy love feels unfamiliar, or why you keep attracting the same types of people, this episode will give you a new lens through which to understand yourself.
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  What Happens When You Stop Chasing Sex? 10.06.2026 1t 10min

  In this episode of The Shift, I sit down with anonymous author and recovery advocate Justin Bridges for a powerful conversation about addiction, sexual sobriety, emotional healing, and the journey of becoming whole.Justin shares how growing up in a chaotic family system shaped his relationship with addiction, identity, masculinity, and self-worth. After getting sober at just 17 years old, he began a lifelong search for freedom that eventually led him beyond substance recovery and into the deeper work of emotional sobriety.We talk about sexual abstinence, emotional release, higher power, service, relationships, and the uncomfortable process of letting go of old versions of ourselves. Justin opens up about the profound shift that occurred when he stopped looking outside himself for validation and discovered what he calls a "sacred energy" that had been there all along.This conversation explores what happens when we stop running, stop numbing, and stop chasing the things we believe will complete us. We discuss community, recovery, support systems, personal growth, masculinity, and why real transformation often begins when we're willing to sit with ourselves instead of escape ourselves.If you've ever struggled with addiction, relationships, validation, loneliness, or the fear of change, this episode offers an honest look at what healing can actually look like.
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  Are You Addicted to Being "You"? 03.06.2026 35min

  In this solo episode of The Shift, I talk about the process of unlearning.Not learning more. Not becoming someone new.Unlearning the versions of ourselves we became attached to long ago.I reflect on the identities I carried for years, the need for validation, the patterns I brought into relationships, and the ways I kept trying to escape myself through distractions, addiction, and external approval.One of the biggest realizations for me was understanding how much of my life was being driven by an outdated version of who I thought I was. A version created in childhood that I continued protecting long after it stopped serving me.I talk about abstinence, mindfulness, emotional awareness, relationships, and the uncomfortable process of sitting with yourself long enough to actually meet who you are underneath all the coping mechanisms.This episode is about identity. About attachment. About the stories we inherit and the ones we continue repeating without realizing it.Growth is not always about adding more.Sometimes it’s about shedding what no longer belongs to you.If you’ve ever felt stuck in old patterns, disconnected from yourself, or afraid to let go of who you used to be, this one will hit.FACE IT. SHIFT. GROW. REPEAT.
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  The ONLY Way To Actually Feel Better. 20.05.2026 1t 59min

  In this episode of The Shift, I sit down with Dr. David Forbes for one of the most impactful conversations I’ve had on the podcast so far.We talk about trauma, emotional release work, childhood wounds, therapy, emotional safety, and what it actually means to heal instead of just cope.Dr. Forbes shares a perspective on trauma that completely changed the way I think about emotional pain. That trauma is not necessarily the wound itself, but the separation that happens from ourselves after the wound. The distance we create from the parts of us carrying pain because at some point, it no longer felt safe to stay connected to them.We get into the limitations of traditional therapy, the importance of being seen and understood, and why healing often requires more than just talking about what happened. We also explore emotional release work, support structures, dependency, psychedelic therapy, sobriety, and the fear so many of us have of relying on anything outside of ourselves to feel okay.This conversation challenged me in a lot of ways. It made me think differently about conflict, relationships, accountability, and the stories we carry into adulthood from childhood.If you’ve ever struggled with feeling disconnected from yourself, emotionally stuck, or trapped in patterns you can’t fully explain, this episode will resonate.
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  You Are Not Your Pain. 13.05.2026 1t 7min

  In this episode, I sit down with sex therapist, Amanda Adili to talk about addiction, healing, spirituality, and what it actually means to be true to yourself.Amanda shares her journey through addiction and recovery, and the deeper emotional work that began after getting sober. We talk about the tools that helped her reconnect with herself in a real way. Therapy. Two way prayer. Learning how to sit with discomfort instead of constantly trying to escape it.One of the biggest things we explore is the idea of “capacity” — building the ability to actually feel your emotions without shutting down, numbing out, or running away. Amanda shares how healing wasn’t about becoming someone new, but about slowly uncovering who she already was underneath the pain, fear, and survival patterns.This conversation is honest, funny, spiritual, and deeply human. It’s about learning how to live authentically instead of performatively. How to stop identifying with your wounds. How to trust yourself. And how recovery becomes less about perfection and more about connection.If you’ve ever felt disconnected from yourself, emotionally overwhelmed, or like you’re constantly searching for something outside of you to feel okay, this episode will speak to you.