105: High Performers, Hidden Addiction: What Leaders Miss About Alcohol & Coping w/Amber Hollingsworth

Episode notes

This episode is required listening for high performers . During seasons of stress, travel, and constant social pressure - especially around alcohol - many leaders begin to experience a quiet erosion of energy, clarity, consistency, and relationships. What feels normal or even expected can slowly undermine leadership from the inside out. Sean Patton sits down with Amber Hollingsworth , Licensed Professional Counselor, Master Addiction Counselor, and creator of the YouTube channel Put the Shovel Down , to unpack how high-performing leaders often drift into unhealthy coping patterns without realizing it. Amber explains why addiction often hides behind success, how ambition and addiction come from the same drive, and why the issue isn’t how much you drink - but how much space it takes up in your mind and life. This conversation challenges black-and-white thinking around addiction and reframes recovery, presence, and rest as essential components of elite performance and self-leadership. If you’re committed to showing up as your best self - in your work, your relationships, and your life - this episode will change how you think about performance.

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