Ben Williams: Former Royal Marines Commando and instructor, author of Commando Mindset, founder of the wellbeing tech startup Lupin, and former mindset coach to the England football team.
What this episode covers
Ben Williams tells Steven Bartlett the story of his broken childhood, descent into drugs and steroids, and a nightclub manslaughter case during his time as a bouncer that pushed him to a suicidal low. A Royal Marines YouTube advert became the catalyst for him to get clean and pursue his childhood dream, eventually passing commando training. He describes near-fatal combat in Afghanistan, being blown up by an IED, losing comrades, the PTSD relapse that followed, and his court-martial. He then unpacks the commando mindset and its values, his ARA framework (accept, remove, adapt), his work with Gareth Southgate's England team, and building his startup Lupin during the pandemic.
The guest's own work
Commando Mindset
Ben Williams
“This is why I wanted to write my book Commando Mindset because I wanted to get people's thinking that a commando mindset is a particular way of thinking”— Ben Williams
Also referenced (named, not recommended)
Commando on the Front Line
Chris Terrill
“I'd watched a documentary by Chris Terrill, Commando on the Front Line, and it followed a troop through commando training”— Ben Williams
Snatch
Guy Ritchie
“Lock, Stock was quite old but Snatch and certain other films were out which they were quite they were almost in the limelight”— Ben Williams
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
Guy Ritchie
“around that time, you know Lock, Stock was quite old but Snatch and certain other films were out”— Ben Williams
Run Fatboy Run
“I don't know if you've seen it. I think it's from Sean Penn, Run Run Fat Boy Run. That moment when he steps out the doorway for his first training run”— Ben Williams
Big reveals from this episode
- A man died during a nightclub brawl on Ben's watch, leaving Ben on manslaughter charges for about a year before it was ruled accidental death.
- At his lowest, Ben drove out intending to kill himself but couldn't go through with it and returned home.
- A Royal Marines YouTube advert appearing by chance became the turning point that pulled him out of addiction and suicidal ideation.
- An IED detonated meters from Ben's patrol, injuring everyone; he was hit in the leg and briefly believed he had lost it.
- Ben helped pinch his commander Vicey's severed artery and held his hand; Vicey survived but lost his leg.
- Ben relapsed after Afghanistan, drinking and fighting, and ended up court-martialed.
- Ben's startup Lupin raised over half a million pounds just seven days before missing payroll.
Worth remembering
- Ben started smoking weed around age 12, before he ever tried a cigarette.
- He got his SIA license and started working as a nightclub bouncer the moment he turned 18.
- The Royal Marines endurance course is a two-mile bog-and-tunnel ordeal followed by a four-mile run, and includes a fully submerged obstacle called the sheep dip.
- The Royal Marines values are courage, determination, excellence, self-discipline, integrity, cheerfulness, and humility.
- The Taliban used the code word 'melons' for IEDs over intercepted radio.
- Ben's corporal taught that improving 0.1% better every day keeps you heading in the right direction.
- Taliban fighters were identifiable because they wore trainers instead of flip-flops to move faster.
- Gareth Southgate brought the England football team to the commando training center before the World Cup to learn the mindset and values.
- ARA stands for accept, remove, adapt, Ben's framework for thinking with clarity during adversity.
- Ben gave a keynote for Gareth Southgate at the Football Writers' Awards at the Savoy in January 2019.