HIGH PERFORMANCE SHOULDN’T HURT
I’m George Haymaker.
After rebuilding my life from addiction and burnout using neuroscience, I now help high-achieving professionals rewire their brain, regulate their nervous system, and reclaim the focus, energy, and resilience they need to thrive.
I Had Everything I Thought Would Make Me Happy, But I Still Felt Empty
On the surface, my life looked like a success story.
I had built a business, earned respect, and checked every box that was supposed to lead to fulfillment. But underneath it all, I was unraveling.
What started as pressure to keep performing became stress I couldn’t shake. That stress turned into constant exhaustion. And eventually, I coped the only way I knew how — by numbing out with alcohol. I told myself I could manage it. Until I couldn’t.
My thoughts were always racing. I was distracted, overwhelmed, and disconnected from myself, my work, and the people I cared about. The harder I pushed, the more I lost my sense of who I was.
It wasn’t a lack of discipline. It wasn’t a lack of ambition.
It was a brain that had been locked in survival mode for far too long.
Recovery was the turning point. Not just from addiction, but from the way I had been taught to live and perform. That journey led me to the science — to the neuroscience of stress, behavior, and identity. I discovered how the nervous system responds to pressure and how we can retrain it with intention, awareness, and practice.
For the first time, I saw the deeper pattern.
And I finally had the tools to change it.
Now, I work with high performers who feel stuck in that same loop. They are the ones who look like they are holding it all together, but inside they are carrying mental fatigue, emotional overload, and a deep desire to feel in control again.
If that sounds familiar, I want you to hear this:
You are not broken. You are running a system that was never built for the life you’re living.
But that system can be rewired.
And I can help you do it.
“I had to lose everything I built the hard way before I realized performance isn’t about pushing harder. It’s about working with your brain, not against it. That shift didn’t just save my life, it gave me a new one.”
From Recovery to Purpose
The more I learned about the brain, the more I saw how many high performers were unknowingly stuck in the same survival pattern I had lived through.
They weren’t weak. They weren’t unmotivated.
They were driven professionals trying to operate at a high level while their nervous system was locked in overdrive.
That’s when everything clicked.
You can’t think your way out of chronic stress.
You can’t meditate your way out of burnout.
And you can’t hustle your way into sustainable clarity or emotional peace.
If your brain is wired for survival, performance will always feel like a battle.
I became certified in neuroscience-based coaching so I could help people solve the problem where it actually starts — at the level of the brain.
HOW I CAN HELP YOU
They want to feel calm without losing their edge.
They want to perform without paying for it later.
And most of all, they want to feel like themselves again.
If that’s you, there is a way forward.
You don’t need to burn it all down.
You need to reset the system that’s been quietly running the show.
Today, I work with leaders, entrepreneurs, and professionals who are ready to stop pushing through and start rewiring their patterns.
George Haymaker
“You’re not broken—you’re patterned. And the good news is, anything that’s been patterned can be re‑patterned. Your brain is waiting for new instructions—give it a reason to change, and it will follow.”
Hear George’s Story and Strategies on Leading Podcasts
Listen as George breaks down the patterns behind burnout, the neuroscience of change, and what it takes to lead with calm power in high-pressure environments.
Uncommonly Remarkable – Episode 41: “Rewire Your Brain: How George Haymaker Overcame Addiction and Transformed His Life”
In this episode, George shares his raw journey through childhood trauma, addiction, and recovery, and explores how neuroplasticity makes lasting change possible. His experience and expertise on rewiring mental patterns is center stage here.
Mindset2Results with Elena Apalkova – Episode 216: “Rebuild Your Self-Image Through Practice & Mentorship”
George delves into how early-life identity patterns shape thoughts and behavior, and discusses the role of repetition and mentorship in reshaping identity and driving transformation.
Adult Child of Dysfunction – Episode 170: “Neuroplasticity and the Power of Transformation: George Haymaker’s Journey”
This episode explores how George moved from addiction to deep personal change through neuroscience. He explains how the brain forms habits and how intentional action allows individuals to rewire organizing patterns.
Unshelling Medicine – Episode 48: “How High Performers Avoid Burnout and Stay Focused”
George discusses how identity, multitasking, and environmental triggers affect mental performance. He emphasizes brain training for clarity and sustainability, sharing his own recovery and transformation story.
Spreaker Interview – “Rewiring the Brain: George Haymaker’s Neuroscience-Driven Path to Addiction Recovery”
George discusses how identity, multitasking, and environmental triggers affect mental performance. He emphasizes brain training for clarity and sustainability, sharing his own recovery and transformation story.
Ready to Rewire the Patterns Holding You Back?
If you’re tired of pushing through and getting nowhere, it’s time to work with your brain instead of against it. Join my neuroscience-based coaching program that helps high performers shift out of survival mode and into sustainable, aligned performance.