The story behind LEVEL10 begins long before I became an entrepreneur. It goes back to my college days, when I first used alcohol as a way to manage stress. The pattern continued through college and well into my early career. Back then, it felt like the norm—drinks with friends, parties on weekends, and the occasional rough morning after. But what started as a way to unwind quickly became a crutch that was hard to put down.
When I moved to San Francisco and got into the nightlife scene as a DJ, this lifestyle only intensified. I was living two lives—by day, a corporate professional with a promising career; by night, a fixture in the city’s vibrant party scene. It was fun, but it was also exhausting. And when I started to climb the corporate ladder, the toll on my mind and body became impossible to ignore. I cut back on DJing to focus on my career, hoping it would improve my mental health, but the drinking didn’t stop. It just followed me into airport lounges and hotel bars as I traveled the world for work.
By my 30s, I was moody, depressed, and struggling to stay focused. The stress of work and the pressure I put on myself made me feel entitled to drink. It was a vicious cycle that affected my relationships and my ability to enjoy life. I knew something had to change, so I took a break to attend a personal development retreat. It was there, surrounded by people striving to better themselves, that I had my first real taste of clarity.
That clarity led me to leave the corporate world and start my own consulting business. But as anyone who’s started a business knows, being your own boss comes with its own set of challenges. I eventually became overwhelmed and started to burn out. I was working hard, but the passion was gone, replaced by stress and a sense of obligation. I was stuck, and the old ways of coping—drinking, pushing through—weren’t working anymore.
My first breakthrough occurred when I decided to look at my problem solely as a physiological one. That breakthrough didn’t happen overnight, as I was mired in old ideas of alcoholism being a function of willpower. Things started to change when I considered the possibility that my desire to drink could be linked to a pre-existing chemical imbalance. Through years of meticulous research I came to understand the root causes of alcoholism. With that knowledge, I began testing ideas and experimenting until I discovered a combination of strategies that made a real impact—not just on how I felt, but also in reducing my cravings for alcohol.
But even with those strategies, the stress of daily life would eventually pile on, and I’d find myself slipping back into old habits. It wasn’t until I confided in a close friend about my ongoing struggle that a sustainable solution came into view. My friend mentioned that some people she knew had successfully quit drinking with the help of medical cannabis. Up to that point, I had only tried cannabis recreationally and had no real understanding of its medicinal properties. Needless to say, I was skeptical. But feeling like I was running out of options, I decided to meet with a doctor. What happened next changed my life—and my perception of cannabis—forever.
Using cannabis to curb my alcohol cravings was surprisingly straightforward. Anytime I felt the urge to drink, I would reach for cannabis instead. For me, this was most afternoons. Almost immediately, I noticed the difference between alcohol and cannabis when it came to energy and my response to stress. Cannabis didn’t cause a crash, wreck my sleep, or leave me with a hangover. In fact, I started sleeping better, and my overall mood improved. I also found that the supplements to curb cravings (which I was already taking) enhanced the benefits of cannabis, making it easier to stay focused, motivated, and inspired.
As I continued to experiment, I started noticing patterns—certain types of cannabis worked especially well when paired with specific supplements. I became deeply curious about how these combinations could enhance the effects of cannabis while reducing potential side effects like paranoia, mania, and lethargy. Over time, I developed a consistent system that not only worked for me but could be adapted to help others struggling with similar issues.
This system eventually became the foundation for what I now call the LEVEL10 Protocol—a comprehensive approach to stress management, mental clarity, and entrepreneurial success. It’s more than just a way to cope; it’s about thriving in all areas of life. Through LEVEL10 Programs, and especially Green Light Retreats, I’m excited to share this approach with fellow entrepreneurs who are ready to take their mood, mindset, and creativity to the next level.
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