Painfully Growing to Build with Purpose W/ Dave Gieselman

Dave Gieselman never thought he’d live past 25. Years of chaos in restaurant kitchens, fueled by alcohol and cocaine, convinced him burnout was inevitable. But free donuts pulled him into sobriety, and breathwork showed him how to calm his nervous system instead of destroying it.

This conversation isn’t about chasing profit or building fast. It’s about the painful, necessary growth that comes from aligning what you build with who you are.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

Why building without purpose drains you—and why purpose makes the hard parts fuel you.

How chaos disguised as “normal” can quietly kill you.

Why failure in business and marriage doesn’t have to mean you’ve failed.

The nervous system hack that works when nothing else does.

Why discomfort is not the enemy—it’s the curriculum.