Some transformations don’t come from motivation, hacks, or quick fixes — they come from radical honesty and long-term commitment.

In this episode of Surviving the Side Hustle, I sit down with Stanley Bronstein — an attorney and CPA with over four decades of professional experience — whose story is as powerful as it is grounding. Stanley lost over 220 pounds, kept it off for more than a decade, and built a life where he no longer works for money… but for meaning.

This conversation goes far beyond weight loss. It’s about awareness, discipline, identity, responsibility, and truth — and what happens when someone finally stops negotiating with themselves.

Stanley shares his journey from childhood trauma and decades of self-destructive habits to building a personal operating system he calls The Way of Excellence — a framework for sustainable change in any area of life.

We explore:

• Why knowing you need to change isn’t the same as being aware
• How long-term thinking creates freedom while short-term thinking mortgages your future
• The difference between temporary changes and permanent identity shifts
• Why abstinence is sometimes easier (and healthier) than moderation
• How discipline becomes effortless once decisions are removed
• Why motivation fades — but systems endure
• The power of integrating mind, body, and spirit

Stanley also opens up about the emotional roots of his journey — including the loss of his mother at a young age — and how healing those experiences was just as important as changing his habits.

You can “know” something for years and never change. Real awareness begins the moment you act.

When you commit 100%, decisions disappear — and discipline becomes automatic.

Perspective shifts everything. Health, movement, and growth are privileges, not punishments.

When you decide who you are, your habits naturally follow.

Motivation fades. Systems compound.

Stanley has made his entire framework — The Way of Excellence — available for free, including:

• His full system
• Short educational videos
• Digital copies of all five of his books

👉 Visit thewayofexcellence.com to explore the resources or connect with Stanley directly.

This episode touches nearly every Prime Performance principle:

• Resilience through responsibility, not toughness
• Intentionality through long-term thinking
• Clarity through radical self-honesty
• Optimization through systems and routines
• Sustainability through identity-level change

As Stanley puts it:

“You don’t change the world by fixing everyone else. You change the world by changing yourself.”

If you take one thing from this episode, let it be this:

Stop lying to yourself.
Tell the truth.
Then act on it.