By the time I was 18 years old I was smoking cigarettes I was snorting

cocaine I was snorting crystal meth and I was free-basin all in the same day.

A former addict turned successful entrepreneur Joe Polish is the founder of Genius Recovery and Genius Network, a network of high-achieving

entrepreneurs.

What we really do our best to cultivate is to make sure that when you want something and you

show up that your give is equal to or

greater than your want. In this episode we explore what's broken in our society,

what's fueling the opioid crisis that is killing 100,000 Americans a year and how to rebuild connection,

community and purpose.

Don't ask the question why the addiction, but why the pain.

All addiction is a response to trauma, Joe says, and that's where the focus of recovery should be.

I believe life gives to the giver and takes from the taker.

This is American Thought Leaders, and I'm Yanya Kelleck. Joe Polish, such a pleasure to have you on American thought leaders.

Yeah, it's great to be here, Yon, really.

Thank you.

You're, of course, runs something called Genius Network, you know, very

ambitiously named. And I was honestly a little bit suspicious because I've seen

a lot of entrepreneurship groups,

and they all purport to be all benevolent and everything.

And then I would check them out a little bit

and seem as benevolent as it was sold that,

okay? But you did invite me to come for a day to Genius Network and it was honestly

...