The Culture of Leadership

74. Leading Yourself from Addiction to Sobriety

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Ethan Holland got to a desperate point in his addiction and said to himself, “I’m either going to kill myself… or ask for help.” Fortunately, he chose the latter.

Ethan started his recovery by asking his mom for help, and a few days later he was working toward sobriety at The Glen Centre, where he later became a valued staff member.  Just a few days before our interview, Ethan was ready for the next stage in his life and left The Glen Centre to become a Community Impact Manager at The Indigenous Marathon Foundation (IMF.) Running and physical activity underpin all IMF programs and they are committed to providing social, inclusive, and fun environments for people to adopt active and healthy lifestyles. 

The IMF is a program within the Indigenous Marathon Project (IMP) – established in 2009 by world marathon champion, Rob de Castella, and in 2010 four Indigenous Australians created history as the first to run in the world’s biggest marathon – the New York City Marathon. The continual growth and expansion of the IMP led to the establishment of the IMF in 2015 which covers four core programs:

• The Indigenous Marathon Project (IMP)
• Indigenous Communities for Activity and Nutrition (I-CAN)
• FrontRunners (a Graduate specific program)
• IMF Running and Walking Australia (IMF RAW)

Our talk today is an inspiring look back at Ethan’s journey from a ten-year addiction cycle, to being a proud representative and advocate for others, and ultimately becoming a marathon runner himself.

Discussion Points

• Ethan’s early teen experiences drinking and partying
• What were some of the triggers that made you drink?
• A badly broken arm dashed Ethan’s dreams of sports
• Western Sydney’s culture of drinking 
• The ups and downs of Ethan’s addiction
• On January 8, 2018, Ethan finally asked for help 
• Experiences at The Glen Centre rehab for a 12-week program
• Building a foundation of tools to rebuild self-worth
• Ethan’s experience transitioning from client to staff at The Glen
• An interest in running drew Ethan to the IMF
• How do you inspire others?
• Tell us about some of your tattoos…
• My key takeaways: 
  • Leaders find their true self
  • Leaders ask for help
  • Leaders elevate others

Resources:

The Glen Centre 

Ethan on Instagram 

Ethan Mulholland on LinkedIn 

The Indigenous Marathon Foundation

Brendan Rogers Website

Brendan Rogers LinkedIn

The Culture of Things Podcast Website

The Culture of Things LinkedIn

The Culture of Things Facebook Page

The Culture of Things YouTube Channel

The Culture of Things Instagram 

If you have any questions for Brendan around this episode or generally around culture, leadership, or teamwork, feel free to contact him here.