🎧 The Double Life of Derek Benson | From Purdue Football to Hofstra, NYU Real Estate to Wall Street—with a Relentless Craving for OxyContin and Appetite for Alcohol & Substances He Could Hustle, Party With, or Get His Hands On—Derek’s Double Life Spiraled into Addiction, Legal Chaos, and Nearly Cost Him His Life. He lives it. Owns it. Stands on it. 10 years sober. This is his, unfiltered story. 👇 Full story and episode timeline below 👇 Derek Benson went from a top recruit to Purdue Football’s black sheep as partying and addiction took hold. Somewhere between full-ride scholarships, a transfer to Hofstra, Finance and Wall Street ambitions, a double life emerged—the polished gentleman on paper masking the chaos of a hustler and addict in real time. It was a volatile mix of D1 football, Pills, Arrests, and Fast-Talking Finance. It was always Another high. Another fall. But after hitting rock bottom, Derek didn’t stay there. Now, 10 years into recovery, he shares what it took to rebuild from the inside out—how Structure, Service, Discipline, and Identity gave him something the drugs never could: a Mental, Physical, and Spiritual Purpose. 🌀 What We Cover in This Episode: + The rise: D1 Football, Military School, & Elite Private Programs + First exposures: Painkillers, Parties, and Early Warning Signs + Life at Purdue: Addiction behind the scenes of College Athletics + Arrests, Bar Fights, and a transfer to Hofstra + $50K+ in pills, and a crash landing on Wall Street + Identity crisis, Shame, and a Long-overdue Surrender + Rebuilding through Service, Real Work, and Community + Why life got harder sober—but also more meaningful + Mind, Body, Spirit integration—and what 10 years sober actually looks like

🎧 From NYU and The Drums to Ralphie May and rock bottom, Charles Narwold spiraled into Addiction, Kissed Death, and Clawed his way Back through Sobriety, Recovery, Entrepreneurship, & launching Motoriot. This is his Raw, Unfiltered, Badass Story. 👇 Full story, topics, and timeline below 👇 🔥 Episode Summary: Charles Narwold went from West Hartford, Connecticut to NYU and into the heart of the NYC indie rock scene—spiraling deeper into addiction along the way, through near-death experiences, and eventually into long-term sobriety. In this raw and unfiltered conversation, Charles shares the full arc of his journey: from chasing chaos in Manhattan clubs and touring with The Drums, to tour managing for comedian Ralphie May, losing everything, and holding on for dear life. 🌀 What We Cover in This Episode: We break down the darkest points of Charles’ story—methadone clinics in South Central LA, hustling for every dollar, a kiss with death, and waking up in a hospital bed with reconstructive surgery and a feeding tube. We then discuss his process-driven claw back—through rehab, sober living, therapy, and structure—ultimately rebuilding a grounded, fulfilling life through business, real connections, and long-term recovery. 🗂️ Key Topics: + Growing up in West Hartford, Early Struggles, Identity + NYU, the NYC Music Scene, and Chasing Chaos + Heroin, Pills, and the Slow Unraveling + Methadone, hospitals, suicide, and rock bottom + Sober Living, Daily Structure, and Redefining Purpose + 7 years sober: Discipline, Entrepreneurship, and Launching Motoriot 🎧 Full Episode Timeline: 0:00 – 🎤 Introduction | Early Sobriety + Charles Narwold Intro + Life in Sobriety Today + Early mental chaos and delusions of control 5:58 – 👦 Childhood, Identity & High School Isolation + Growing up in West Hartford + ADHD, Masculinity, Falling Through the Cracks + Homogenized Culture and the early pull of substance use 12:48 – 🎸 NYU | Indie Rock Dream | Rise of Chaos + Moving to NYC and NYU + Finding identity in NYC’s mix of scenes and chaos + Indie rock, Performing, Partying, Oxy, and the early stages of addiction 25:08 – 💊 Addiction Deepens | Cracks Begin to Show + Heroin use and ritualized highs + Touring with The Drums and using on the road + Losing Identity, the Band, and Control + Attempts at Treatment, Denial, and Early Realizations 37:55 – 🧨 Rock Bottom | Ralphie May | Collapse + Identity crisis and return to Bushwick + Los Angeles, Managing for Ralphie May, Escalating Drug Use + Meth, Death, Food Stamps, Heroin & Hallucinations + Why showing up to 12 Step meetings was not enough + Hospitalization, Reconstructive Surgery, and a Kiss with Death 57:05 – 🛠️ Turning Point | The Climb Back + Winter in Bridgeport, CT | Sober Date + Rehab, Silver Hill, and NYC sober living + First Year of Sobriety: Therapy, Fear, Structure + Ego, Self-exploration, Learning to be Alone + Discovering purpose through Real Estate, Routine, and Mindset Shifts 1:11:10 – ⚖️ Spinning Plates | Sustaining Sobriety & Redefining Success + Living sober day to day | Playing My Hand + Structure, Entrepreneurship, and Motoriot + Emotional Balance, Radical Accountability, and Long-term Change 1:19:30 – 🌱 Final Reflections | Evolving Identity + Building a life beyond sobriety + Who Charles is Today #Sobriety #Recovery #Addiction #MentalHealth #IndieRock #NYC #Podcast #SpiritualGrowth #Entrepreneurship #Investinginsobriety