Today we’d like to introduce you to Brad Plotkin.
Hi Brad, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
At the age of 12, I became depressed and anxious. Lacking the skillset(s) to deal with life, as well as the subsequent depression, I turned to food to cope. Without realizing it at the time (and for many years after), I had become addicted to food.
Much like any addiction, if I wasn’t “using” I was thinking about using. When I was eating, my mood would elevate. As soon as I was finished, negativity resumed.
As you can imagine, I gained weight… quickly. Overeating, lethargy, as well as the poor dietary trends of the ’90s (high calories low nutrients) all, led to my weight gain.
Furthermore, putting on so much unhealthy mass caused excessive teasing and low self-esteem. We all know kids are cruel, and what I know now is pretty much nobody is exempt from ridicule. Home life wasn’t much better, as I was made to feel ashamed. Siblings tease even more, and one of my parents didn’t fail to add a disappointing 2 cents.
Addiction and depression continued into high school. Fed up and ashamed at my appearance, combined with the overwhelming urges for the opposite sex, I decided to take action.
My thinking was “if food made me fat, then naturally not eating is the solution.” As a result, I barely ate for over a year. The exercise was also inserted. 2-3 workouts a day were the norm. Often, I would wake up at 5:00 am before my family to get 30 mins of cardio in before anybody noticed.
I want to clarify something I know now and didn’t then. Depravation was very easy for me. The reason being, little to zero consumption is still the food addiction, only the other side of the coin. Much like an alcoholic who hasn’t had a drink in 10 years, they are still an alcoholic. They either drink every single minute of the day or not at all.
Moving on, when I was about 15 my mother came into my room after I had taken a shower. Only wrapped in a towel, she gasped at the sight of my ribs. From that point on, she did everything in her power to get me to eat again.
Because I hadn’t actually used my body’s ability to break down food in quite some time (i.e. metabolism), as soon as I started eating again I put on weight faster than ever. Also, keep in mind that I didn’t realize I had unhealthy eating habits, such as overconsumption and poor choices.
I naturally assumed I was flawed and weird. “Everybody else can eat and look normal, but not me.”
From the ages of 12- 25, I would follow the same pattern; Overeat, starve myself. Overeat, starve me. I believe I road that coaster 4 or 5 times. Anxiety, low self-esteem, and obsessing about my body defined my journey.
At 25, I was working in a cubicle, and I was bigger than ever. I would start the day with two cigarettes, and two diet cokes. Large lunches from restaurants, even worse dinners. To boot, I was living with a girl who was in magazines for being beautiful, and she treated me like sh*t.
One of my co-workers told me about a book called “Body For Life”, by Bill Phillips. I had never read anything that spoke to me in such a way. It basically laid out all the reasons I was overweight. Each and every error one could make in an attempt to be lean and healthy, I was making.
I decided then I was going to do every plan of action this book laid out. And believe me, I did just that. Remember, when it comes to the focus on my body, “obsession” isn’t a strong enough word.
Instead of eating two large meals a day and drinking 7 sodas, I ate 6 times a day and drank two gallons of water. French fries were replaced with salmon. Short-term diets were replaced with consistency. Up at 5:00, gym by 5:30, shower by 7:00 then off to work where I would constantly fuel. Every day (except Sunday).
I was able to execute this strategy without fail for a couple of reasons. First, the compulsion ruled me. “If I can just get in shape I will be confident and happy, and maybe even not hate myself.” And second, the constant eating worked nicely into my food addiction. Only 2.5 hours between each meal (which for me seemed like days haha).
After about 16 months of these behaviors, I had changed. My body and face had changed. My world was different. The people around me had changed. I went from being teased for my man boobs, to people asking me for fitness advice.
Looking back, it was an amazing period in my life. I had it all figured out (or so I thought). As the new me had formed, many people would ask me questions such as “who do you model for? What modeling have you done?”
At first, I blew it off, but as more and more of these comments were aired, I decided to look into it. Before too long I had signed with an agency in Miami Beach and had moved south permanently. I was not ready and equipped for the world I had just entered.
Firstly, the low self-esteem and body dysmorphia ramped up. Obsession as well. While on runways or castings, I couldn’t understand why anybody would want me there. I assumed everybody else was looking at me and thinking “why did they hire him?’
Needless to say, the industry was too much for me.
Furthermore, as a result of thinking mostly about my body for 15 years, I lacked certain skill sets necessary to navigate as an adult. The ability to say “no” and set boundaries is one example. Realized I have value, which would allow me to remove people from my life that show me attention but are also not good for me. is another.
Miami can be like a school. Any insecurities one possesses are heightened without fail. (side note: I love that about Miami).
While flirting with modeling for years, I was also in personal training. Which posed many of the same problems as the modeling industry. “Why would anybody want to work with me?” “My body is weak and terrible, how can anybody hire me as a personal trainer?”
Even in the face of clear evidence, my eyes couldn’t see. Being in magazines wasn’t enough. Achieving record personal training sales at my gym wasn’t enough.
I remained insecure, filled with shame, depressed and anxious. At 34, I decided I wanted to earn more money. In my attempts, I joined BNI, which is short for Business Network International. I became the chapter’s Personal Trainer. Our group would meet weekly. Accountants, lawyers, doctors, and the like. We were basically a club designed to send referrals to each other.
I enjoyed BNI, although I always felt small. Like a kid amongst adults. I believe the reason being is I was having the same emotions and thoughts that I was having at 13. It can be very difficult to feel 34 when nothing has matured or changed in 21 years.
Moving on, one of the main tenants of BNI is the obligation to have what is called “One on Ones.” These are basically hour-long meetings with other members on an intimate level. Its easier to send referrals and build a relationship when time is spent closely.
In my chapter was a Hypnotist. He invited me to have a One on One. The terms were, that I would give him a workout, and he would treat me to a free hypnosis session. Even though I had no idea what a hypnotist actually did, I naturally agreed.
While in his office, I was nervous as hell. Not because of the hypnosis, but because I simply wanted him to like me and believe I belonged in the group. Remember, everybody else was better than me and knew more than me. I was small.
I’ll never forget him asking me “do you have any addictions, anxieties, or diminishing self-beliefs?” Again, remember I had zero clue what a hypnotist actually did. I was taken back.
In the face of that, I decided to come out with it; “I’m pretty sure I’m addicted to food. I obsess about it constantly. I’m only happy if I’m eating, etc.” An hour later my food addiction was gone. And I knew it.
Leaving his office I felt like a heavy boulder-sized weight had been removed. As I was walking down the hall to exit the building, I was laughing hysterically. I must have looked like a crazy person.
(Side Note: Often after hypnosis when a shift happens, an influx of emotions is the result. Sadness and tears, laughing, intense relief. Many reports feeling like they have just taken their first breath in years).
I thought to myself “what is this, and why isn’t everybody doing this ALL THE TIME.” I had been in talk therapy for 5 years up until that point. While psychotherapy is a valuable tool to manage ups and downs, I had never experienced such a shift in that way.
Over the course of a year, I used it constantly in all areas of my life. I used it to quit smoking. To remove anxieties. To change my mental thought patterns with regard to myself.
At 25, I changed my body. At 35, I changed my mind.
My brilliant hypnotist was tenured enough to train and certify others. I joined up to take the courses, as I had to know how this actually worked. Also, full disclosure, there was a selfish motivation drawing me to the curriculum. I believed if I could know how it works, then I could use it on myself, as opposed to paying $350 per session.
Through my training, it turned out that I had an affinity for hypnotizing others. My Hypnotist actually offered me a position in his practice. As flattered as I was, I didn’t take him up on his offer. Remember, I wasn’t taking the training for a career, as the concept of actually being a hypnotist hadn’t yet occurred to me.
As time passed, I opened up to the idea and decided to take a shot.
The first client I treated was in my home. I had met her socially and told her I was a trained Hypnotherapist. She naturally assumed that was what I did for a living, I didn’t correct her.
This particular client had a fear and a distaste for vegetables (my work is beyond fascinating). She couldn’t bring herself to eat them, even though she wanted to.
As with most issues, her distaste was a result of childhood trauma. In 30 minutes she was cured. To this day she sends me referrals and continuously states “I have changed her life.”
This instant success changed everything for me. I had actually made an impact on someone’s life. It was really all I needed to open my own practice (with my business partner Lauren).
I have been a hypnotist professionally for 4 years now. When most people go to work, they think “damn it, f*cking Monday, here we go again). I’ve never once felt that.
6 years ago I was a grown child, today… I am a lucky man.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Miami Florida Hypnosis?
Miami Florida Hypnosis has been up and running for 4 years.
Hypnosis is a quick and safe method for overcoming trauma, removing anxieties, alleviating addictions, improving self-esteem, disregarding negative beliefs and their thought patterns, and much more.
What most don’t realize and what my clients come to find out, is that we are all being hypnotized each and every day. While influenced by emotional events and the world around us, beliefs, habits, and thought patterns are being inserted into our subconscious minds consistently. Furthermore, beliefs are constantly reinforced strengthening them to our core.
I find this fact important to state to alleviate some of the confusion regarding hypnosis. Trance (hypnosis) is not some random abstract state. It is easily achieved by us all. As a Hypnotist, I am simply trained to help others achieve such a state with the purpose and intention of productive “rewiring” (for lack of a better term). In that sense, I don’t take my clients out of trance, I simply shift them to a preferred one.
I’d say what separates me or sets me apart from other practitioners, is that I’ve lived it. I understand what my clients are going through. I tell them the same thing quite often, “I get it.” Having shared similar journeys and struggles, I find myself at a clear vantage point allowing me to assist in the healing journey.
To put it another way, I would rather take fitness advice from someone who took themselves from 300 LBS to lean, than a freak athlete who looks like the 1%, who never experienced the struggle.
As a hypnotist of 4 years operating and owning Miami Florida Hypnosis, I am most proud of my clients. They are amazing. I have had the most sincere, sweet, caring, and brave people walk in and out of my door. It takes a certain level of humility to walk into a stranger’s office, bare your soul, then trust and work in an attempt to improve. I’m proud of those that do, every single time.
To conclude, I’d love the readers to know that Hypnosis is not goofy, it’s not “out there”. It’s an amazingly quick and effective means for rapid improvement. It also feels quite nice.
If there are any areas of struggle that are persistent, I’m here to say they don’t have to be. If anyone reading this has ever considered hypnosis and has shied away due to stigmas, keep an open mind (hypnosis pun) and enjoy all it can do for you.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
This one is very easy to answer.
My mother Pam for reminding me that this is my calling before I started and for supporting me throughout. My girlfriend Shayda for telling me how talented I am and how I make the world a better place.
My partner Lauren continues to be the best business partner and friend anyone could ever as for. And of course my clients for doing the work, and putting their trust in me and the process in hopes for growth.
Pricing:
- Single Session – $300
- 3 Sessions – $750
- 4 sessions – $900
- 6 sessions – $1200
- Yearly Membership – $250/month
Contact Info:
- Website: bradplotkin.com – miamifloridahypnosis.com
- Instagram: @thesmokinhypnotist
- Youtube: @thesmokinhypnotist
