Shawn Ryan | Ep. 152

Summary

Full Send Podcast Episode 152: An In-Depth Conversation with Sean Ryan

Host: Shots Podcast Network
Guest: Sean Ryan
Release Date: March 27, 2025
Episode Title: Shawn Ryan | Ep. 152
Podcast Description: Full Send Podcast brought to you by Happy Dad Hard Seltzer.

---

Introduction

In Episode 152 of the Full Send Podcast, host Ryan engages in a candid and compelling conversation with Sean Ryan, a decorated Navy SEAL and former CIA contractor. Sean shares his multifaceted journey from military service to overcoming personal struggles, offering listeners profound insights into resilience, addiction, and personal transformation.

---

Early Military Career and Experiences ([00:00] – [15:00])

Sean Ryan begins by detailing his early military career, enlisting in the Navy at 18 after feeling directionless and unsuccessful in traditional academic and athletic pursuits. He recounts the rigorous training he underwent, including boot camp, SEAL Qualification Training (SQT), and jump school, ultimately joining SEAL Team 8.

Notable Quote:

Sean Ryan ([11:50]): "I started looking at special operations stuff, Marine reconnaissance. Nobody would take me because I was little. Nobody really took me seriously."

Sean discusses his deployments to Germany, Afghanistan, and Iraq, highlighting both the camaraderie and the challenges faced during missions. He vividly describes operations aimed at disrupting insurgent activities, teaching local forces sniper and reconnaissance techniques, and the psychological toll of continuous combat.

Notable Quote:

Sean Ryan ([14:08]): "It was surreal. You land and, like, it's like another world over there. You see how people live and stuff."

Sean reflects on the purpose and effectiveness of these military interventions, expressing skepticism about the necessity of prolonged engagements in Iraq and the implications of policies implemented during the Obama administration that limited their operational effectiveness.

---

Transition to CIA Contracting ([26:08] – [37:00])

After six years in the Navy, Sean transitions to a career in private contracting, aspiring to leverage his military experience to build a business. He narrates the complexities of securing CIA contracts through private companies like Blackwater, detailing the vetting processes and the operational roles he undertook, primarily focusing on protective details for intelligence personnel.

Notable Quote:

Sean Ryan ([27:13]): "They would go to a company like Blackwater or SOC or mvm. And they'd say, 'Here’s what we need,' and they would recruit the best guys to do the job."

Sean shares an anecdote about being arrested in Miami for petty theft in 2012, a brush with law enforcement that ironically led to a direct contracting opportunity with the CIA. This incident underscores the unpredictable nature of his career path and the blurred lines between personal experiences and professional assignments.

Notable Quote:

Sean Ryan ([34:08]): "They don't Google my mug shot, even though it was a really good looking mug shot. So I got back from that trip and from that piracy thing and like, well, we're gonna need you to come in and, like, do an interview at headquarters."

---

Struggles with Addiction and Recovery ([37:00] – [52:34])

Sean delves into his personal battles with addiction following his intense military and contracting careers. He describes falling into substance abuse, particularly with alcohol and cocaine, as a means to cope with the adrenaline addiction stemming from his high-stress backgrounds.

Notable Quote:

Sean Ryan ([38:36]): "I was just trying to build, like, a cocaine network just to feed my adrenaline because I was so used to, like, being in combat."

His journey through addiction is marked by close calls, including overdoses and arrests in South and Central America. Sean candidly discusses the destructive patterns of seeking adrenaline highs through dangerous ventures and substance abuse, leading to numerous legal and personal crises.

A turning point in Sean's life comes with his decision to seek help through psychedelic therapy. He recounts his experiences with ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT in Mexico, which played a pivotal role in his recovery by providing profound psychological insights and healing.

Notable Quote:

Sean Ryan ([49:21]): "It was awesome. It was like you just had this intuition that clicked in my head and it was like all this that I'm doing is poison."

Sean emphasizes the transformative power of psychedelic therapy, recounting how it helped him overcome addiction, heal traumatic brain injuries, and find clarity in his life's purpose. He advocates for the therapeutic potential of psychedelics, sharing success stories of friends who have significantly improved their mental and physical health through similar treatments.

Notable Quote:

Sean Ryan ([61:36]): "They would do ibogaine. And then as soon as they're done doing ibogaine, they would fly back up to Stanford and they would do another brain scan. Time after time after time, again, those black spots had disappeared."

---

Views on Current Geopolitical Conflicts ([06:34] – [07:53])

The conversation shifts to Sean's perspectives on contemporary geopolitical issues, including the ongoing conflicts in Yemen, Gaza, Israel, and Ukraine. He expresses concern over the sustainability and moral implications of prolonged military engagements.

Notable Quote:

Sean Ryan ([07:53]): "I think it is, yeah. I mean, just Israel alone, you know, that's. Who knows how that's going to go."

Sean conjectures on the potential impact of Donald Trump rejoining the political arena, speculating on his negotiation skills and ability to de-escalate tensions, particularly regarding the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Notable Quote:

Sean Ryan ([08:31]): "I think he's off to a good start, you know. What do you think?"

Ryan and Sean discuss the historical context of American involvement in conflicts like Vietnam and Iraq, with Sean questioning the necessity and ethical foundations of these wars.

Notable Quote:

Sean Ryan ([09:19]): "You look at Halliburton and Cheney, those ties, and he's part of the biggest logistics company in the war. The only logistics company."

---

Personal Transformation and Future Plans ([52:34] – [68:36])

Sean narrates his comprehensive recovery journey, highlighting how psychedelic therapy catalyzed his transformation from an adrenaline-addicted former soldier to a stable, purpose-driven individual. He discusses his current endeavors, including building a new podcast studio, expanding his team, and aspiring to create content that empowers youth by instilling traditional American values and confidence.

Notable Quote:

Sean Ryan ([66:06]): "There's going to be a shooting range. So I'm like, yeah, it's on a bunch of acreage. There's going to be a wellness center. It's going to be like the Google of podcasting."

He envisions launching a kids' network aimed at rebuilding confidence and patriotism among young Americans, addressing societal issues like the demonization of police and the erosion of traditional values.

Sean also touches on the broader implications of his experiences, advocating for the adoption of psychedelic therapies to aid veterans dealing with PTSD, addiction, and traumatic brain injuries. He underscores the necessity of finding new purposes post-military service to prevent veterans from falling into destructive patterns.

Notable Quote:

Sean Ryan ([65:57]): "The adrenaline addiction is going on. The, you know, the TBIs, the PTSD that a lot of their wives left them, infidelity, guilt, survivor's guilt, having to kill people. Like, there's like a heaviness that veterans have."

---

Conclusion and Closing Remarks ([68:36] – End)

As the episode draws to a close, Ryan and Sean discuss potential collaborations and future projects, emphasizing the synergy between Sean's transformative personal experiences and the podcast's mission to inspire and entertain. They also touch upon the idea of incorporating military training elements into future podcast content, aiming to provide audiences with authentic and engaging experiences.

Notable Quote:

Sean Ryan ([68:20]): "When you come out, I'll have you on my show, and then I have like a 500 yard range. So we'll go down, we'll set some stuff up and give you a bunch of guns and we'll put you at it."

Ryan commends Sean's journey and expresses optimism for his continued success, highlighting the inspirational nature of Sean's story for listeners facing their own challenges.

Notable Quote:

Ryan ([68:18]): "Your story is very inspiring. This, this combo is awesome. And yeah, you have one of the biggest podcasts in the world, so wish you nothing but great success."

---

Key Takeaways

• Resilience and Transformation: Sean Ryan's journey underscores the profound ability to overcome personal demons through self-awareness, professional help, and transformative therapies.

• The Hidden Costs of Service: The episode sheds light on the psychological and emotional toll of military and covert operations, emphasizing the need for comprehensive support systems for veterans.

• Innovative Therapies: Sean advocates for the therapeutic potential of psychedelics in treating addiction, PTSD, and traumatic brain injuries, presenting them as viable alternatives to traditional treatments.

• Geopolitical Skepticism: A critical examination of America's involvement in prolonged conflicts, questioning the ethical and strategic imperatives behind such engagements.

• Future Endeavors: Sean's plans to expand his podcasting empire and create content that empowers youth reflect a commitment to leveraging his experiences for broader societal impact.

---

Notable Highlights and Quotes

• Sean on Adrenaline Addiction:

  "The adrenaline addiction is going on. The, you know, the TBIs, the PTSD that a lot of their wives left them, infidelity, guilt, survivor's guilt, having to kill people. Like, there's like a heaviness that veterans have." ([65:57])

• Sean on Psychedelic Therapy:

  "They would do ibogaine. And then as soon as they're done doing ibogaine, they would fly back up to Stanford and they would do another brain scan." ([61:36])

• Sean on Purpose Post-Military:

  "I have to find a new purpose. It takes time, but you have to get out and get off your ass and go try things and figure out what you like, what you don't like. And like, clarity comes from that." ([65:14])

---

Conclusion

Episode 152 of the Full Send Podcast offers a riveting exploration of Sean Ryan's life, blending tales of military valor with intimate revelations of personal struggle and redemption. Through his honest storytelling, Sean provides valuable lessons on resilience, the complexities of service, and the transformative power of finding one's true purpose. Listeners are left inspired by his journey and motivated to seek their own paths to healing and fulfillment.

Transcript

[Ryan]

All right, Me and Sean are starting out the pod. We're tossing in a little. Little alp shout out to Tucker. You were on Tucker's, too, or.

[Sean Ryan]

No, I've been on Tucker.

[Ryan]

You've had him.

[Sean Ryan]

Yeah. Super cool, dude.

[Ryan]

How was that? He's a man, right?

[Sean Ryan]

I love that guy, man.

[Ryan]

Did he get you into.

[Sean Ryan]

He came to Nashville and had, like, a launch party for this.

[Ryan]

Okay.

[Sean Ryan]

At Ramsey's place. And I was like, ah, it. I'll try one. About knocked me on my ass. And then I was like, I kind of, like. Kind of like this.

[Ryan]

I just love the burning on the lip.

[Sean Ryan]

Me, too.

[Ryan]

You know what I mean? That's, like the main. The main thing, right?

[Sean Ryan]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

Did you see what we did him when we gave him the big Zen container? Did you ever see.

[Sean Ryan]

No.

[Ryan]

So we surprised Tucker with, like, the world's biggest zin container. I'll show it to you after.

[Sean Ryan]

Nice.

[Ryan]

Yeah, we, like, flew it in on a helicopter.

[Sean Ryan]

I don't think he's a big fan of Zen anymore.

[Ryan]

Not anymore. This was, like, a year and a half ago. Yeah.

[Sean Ryan]

Nice.

[Ryan]

Yeah. Yeah. But no, dude, I'm pumped to have you here. Sean Ryan. This guy's become, like, an absolute inspiration to, like, millions of people. I know you're in the Navy. You're in the CIA. So much military. You, you know, experience and stuff like that. And now you started a podcast, and I think you've just obviously become, like, a help to so many people and inspired so many people. Did you ever think that, like, back then, did you ever think you'd be doing, like, a podcast now that's so successful?

[Sean Ryan]

No, definitely not. I didn't. I didn't even like talking to people, so I still get nervous for these damn things.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Sean Ryan]

Do you?

[Ryan]

A little bit. Yeah.

[Sean Ryan]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

You're considered a legend, too, so you always want to do a good job, right?

[Sean Ryan]

Who's.

[Ryan]

If you guys have not tried out the Prize Picks app, you got to download it right now. You guys know me. I've tried every single app when it comes to firing on sports, and Prize Picks is by far my favorite. What I love about Prize Picks is instead of choosing teams, you're choosing individual players. So it makes the game so much more fun to watch. You go on the app, you can either go more or less on the set projection that each player has put a bunch of picks together. The more you choose, the more it's going to multiply. I just love Prize Picks. I can't watch game without firing on Prize Picks. It makes it so much more fun. If you guys have never tried out the Prize Picks app. We got you guys on Code Nelk. Plug that into the app the first time you download it, and if you put in $5, you're going to get $50 for free with that Code Nelk. So take advantage of Code Nelk. That's for you guys to use. Prize Picks is available in over 40 states, including Texas and California. It's March. College basketball is going insane right now. There's never been a better time to fire on Prize Picks. I'm going to be firing pretty much every day. So download the Prizepix app, the best app in the game to fire on sports. Take advantage of Code Nelk. Let's get into the podcast. Who's the craziest person that you've had on?

[Sean Ryan]

The craziest person?

[Ryan]

Obviously, you've had Trump.

[Sean Ryan]

So, man, I don't know, man. I've had a lot of, like, really good interviews, but I don't know. And every time somebody asked me this, somebody new, somebody different pops into my head. But I had this dude, Chris Beck on and, like, one of the most brilliant minds that I've ever encountered, like, just a super smart guy, but he was the first, maybe the only, hopefully the only, but transgender Navy seal.

[Ryan]

Really?

[Sean Ryan]

Yeah, yeah. And he wrote a book called the Warrior Princess, and then he transitioned back into a man.

[Ryan]

Started as a man, went to a woman.

[Sean Ryan]

Yep. Yeah. And then joined the military after he was a seal.

[Ryan]

Okay.

[Sean Ryan]

He transitioned.

[Ryan]

Okay.

[Sean Ryan]

To a woman. I mean, as you could imagine, the SEAL teams just, like, lost their fucking mind.

[Ryan]

They probably weren't happy. I was going to say.

[Sean Ryan]

Yeah. I just think it's, like, fascinating to get in somebody's mind. I really wanted to know, like, how does this happen, especially to a seal? And we're pretty headstrong guys. And so I was like, how. How's this gonna go? And. And I also, like, I wanted. I mean, he had transitioned back, so I wanted people to see, like, what that looks like and the effects, you know, that it has on people, because, you know, I mean, it sounds like it's getting better now, but at the time, you know, we heard all this stuff about kids transitioning and Washington. They were confiscating kids, you know, from their. Or they were. They were taking them. The state was taking them if the parents didn't want the. The surgeries to happen. And so I was like, well, let me get inside this guy's head and, like, let's talk about how this happened and what the effects Are. It's one of the most fascinating interviews I've ever got to check that one out.

[Ryan]

What did he accredit it to?

[Sean Ryan]

Long story short, so super, like, rough childhood. A lot of, like, sexual abuse. And, and, and, and his dad was pretty abusive. I think him and his dad has since made up, but he basically, he had some brothers and sisters, but he was the one. He was like the whipping boy. You know, they would take him in and just knock the out of him. And so what he did, he. He did not want to be a woman. But what he would do is he would go up in the attic and like, skip school as a child and put his sister's clothes on, and he goes, I didn't want to be a woman. He's. Or a girl. He's like, I just didn't want to be me. You know, Sexual abuse by the neighbor. Dad knocked the out of him all the time. So he would just put these different clothes on and pretend he was somebody else. And then after he got out of the seal teams, he rode with the Hells Angels. Cocaine. Whole. Whole gambit was like, a lot of us do. We just lose our minds when we get out. And so he wanted to get better. He started going to therapists, and he got the wrong therapist. And. And I don't know if you've ever done any therapy, but always go back to childhood, right? She started talking to him about his childhood, and he said, like, yeah, you know, I was severely abused as a kid, and I would put my sister's clothes on as like a young, like 10 years old Brian. And. And she like, kind of like mind him into going, you want to be a woman? You want to be a woman? And he was still up on opiates and coke and all these other drugs and stuff. And don't quote me on the exact drugs, but it was. It was a combination of a lot of things, plus Booz, like a lot of booze. And she told him to write a book, and she helped him write the book. And when he was all fucked up one day, she slid over the, you know, the contract, and he just signed it, not realizing, like, he had signed, like, everything to her. So he wanted to redact the book. And he's like, I don't want this released. And she's like, sorry, bud. Like, I own you. And so the book got released, and then he decided he wanted. Didn't want to be a woman anymore. So he came back. But that's awesome. He didn't go the full gambit, though. Yeah.

[Ryan]

That's good.

[Sean Ryan]

Didn't go the full I want to go full gambit. That's good.

[Ryan]

You've had Trump on. How do you think he's doing so far? I know, I saw you said on Joe Rogan's that America maybe aren't the good guys anymore when you're on there. Do you think that now Trump is in office, has that changed at all or what's your outlook on that?

[Sean Ryan]

I gotta be honest, I'm not following it as much as I should be. I'm kind of exhausted with the political, you know, environment. But I mean, he seems to be doing good. You know, I mean, the Doge stuff. I mean, I'm a little worried about the economy. Economy. I think that the government needs to be cut. You know, I just interviewed the secretary of the VA yesterday and they're getting ready to slash 83,000 jobs, which they need to. I mean there's like 180, 100, 480,000 government employees in the VA and there's only 450,000 active duty in the army. There's definitely an imbalance there, you know, but you see all these jobs getting cut and I'm kind of wondering like, well, how's, how's this going to play out with the economy? But at the same time, I'm not saying we shouldn't be cutting these jobs because there's so many, there's so much fat determine the government. But as far as being the good guys. Yeah, I mean, I think it's great that we're pulling out all, all these wars, but I mean, you know, we go in four, four year increments.

[Ryan]

Geopolitically. I was saying too, because like I saw recently, I guess we struck the like Iranian, is it the Houthis and yeah. In Yemen and then you got the Gaza and Israel thing going on in Ukraine, Russia. What do you make of like the geopolitical, like wars going on right now? Is it a scary time or.

[Sean Ryan]

Yeah, I think it is, yeah. I mean, just Israel alone, you know, that's. Who knows how that's going to go. I don't know. I'd like to see us pull out of everything, you know, I'm not really sure what we're doing over there, but.

[Ryan]

Do you think Trump can put an end to the Russia, Ukraine thing?

[Sean Ryan]

I think he's off to a good start, you know. What do you think?

[Ryan]

I think he can too. I think he's a really good negotiator and he seems like he's just a people pleaser. Right, too. So I think you never see him insulting someone. Like, he doesn't insult. I guess he insulted Zelensky, but maybe he knows that you got to insult Zelinsky to kind of get to him, too. But I think if you insult Putin, you kind of. You piss him off, and then he's never going to make a deal with you. Right.

[Sean Ryan]

So, yeah.

[Ryan]

What do you think was, like, the most nonsense war that America has ever been involved with?

[Sean Ryan]

Jeez. I would say it's a toss up between the Vietnam War and then probably. Probably right around to the Iraq war. I mean, I'm not super knowledgeable on Vietnam, but I don't know what we were doing in Iraq, you know, even when I was there, I mean, I was all about the mission and, you know, doing the work and killing people that wanted to kill us. But, you know, like, did we really need to be there? Probably not. I mean, if you look back, you know, at Halliburton and. And Cheney, those ties, and he's part of the biggest logistics company in the war. The only logistics company. Yeah.

[Ryan]

Man.

[Sean Ryan]

Do you know about this shit?

[Ryan]

I mean, I know a little bit about it, but I'd love to hear from you.

[Sean Ryan]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

So what is that defined for our audience? Like, what's a logistics company?

[Sean Ryan]

Don't quote me on this. I'm going to butcher it a little bit because I didn't know we were going to talk about this, but Cheney was, I believe he was the CEO of Halliburton. And so if you went to Afghanistan, if you went to Iraq, Halliburton pretty much ran all logistics for both of those wars. And so what. I mean, logistics, that's like they're building the fuel stations, they're building the chow halls, they're building the barracks, they're doing the laundry, they're cooking the food, they're sorting through the mail.

[Ryan]

They're for the U.S. military.

[Sean Ryan]

For the U.S. military. So I can't remember the percentage, but the majority of people that were over there were actual contractors. Right. In the way these things work is all these companies will put bids in, you know, for the. For government contracts. Well, just so happens that, you know, Halliburton won, like, all the bids, and so there was definitely an incentive. I don't. I don't know what his ties were when he was vice president, but to come from that company to the vice president and then to win all those. The. The company that he came from, Halliburton, to win all those contracts in a war that we probably shouldn't even have been in just basically everything you see all the infrastructure that was built, all. All the. Everything. It was all Halliburton. I mean, it's the military industrial complex, like, unraveling right before your eyes, you know, And I didn't. I didn't realize that when I was there, you know, because, I mean, we're busy doing, you know, sniper work and all kinds of other shit. But. And then even in Afghanistan, it's kind of like after the bin Laden raid, it's kind of like, what. What are we doing here? Like, in the. In the ROE Starting to really tighten up, and the Obama administration really kind of chopped our legs out from underneath of us. It got to the point where Marines would be out there, and if they got shot out and the guy dropped their weapon, they weren't supposed to return fire and kill the bad guy. But it's. It's like, if that's what you're gonna do here, then, like, what the are we doing here anymore? You know, you're not even letting us do the job. We're not killing as many bad guys. It got to be only the Tier one units were. We're doing any real work. I think probably the Afghan war, you know, the Operation Enduring Freedom, whatever you want to call it afterwards, after the bin Laden raid was kind of senseless, and it just seemed to drag on and on. And then the entire Iraq war.

[Ryan]

Yeah. You have an incredible story. I know you joined the Navy when you're 18.

[Sean Ryan]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

And were you. Did you do eight years in the Navy?

[Sean Ryan]

I did six years. I did a little less than six years.

[Ryan]

What made you want to, like, enlist originally, like, all those years back then?

[Sean Ryan]

I wasn't really good at anything growing up. I wasn't an athlete. University wasn't really a path forward for me. Plus, I would have just blew it with Happy Dad.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Sean Ryan]

Every day, all day long. I was always into, like, GI Joes and shit, even as a kid. And the military, I just always had a draw to the military. I wanted to go to war. I didn't know what that looked like. And. And so then I started looking at special operations stuff, Marine reconnaissance. Nobody would take me because I was little. Nobody really took me seriously. I was probably like a buck 30 maybe. And the Navy recruiter, like, stuck his head out and was like, hey, have you ever thought about being a seal? And I was like, what's that? So he gave me some pamphlets. I went home, studied it, went to the library. We didn't have the Internet at the time. And and checked out all the books, started renting movies about SEAL teams, the National Geographic and Discovery Channel stuff was coming out. And so I was like, yeah, let's do this. And I wanted to make my dad proud, man. I just always felt like a failure being the oldest and just fucking everything up, you know? All I really cared about was booze and chicks.

[Ryan]

Yeah, I'm still in that phase.

[Sean Ryan]

I'm good for you, man.

[Ryan]

Just getting over it.

[Sean Ryan]

Took me a long time to get out of that phase, so.

[Ryan]

Six years in the Navy, what was that like?

[Sean Ryan]

You know, went to boot camp. That was kind of a joke. Um, and then went to buds. That was. That was really hard for me. Got through that, went to SQT, went to jump school, and then showed up at Seal Team 8, only to find myself to go to Europe, to Germany. So more booze and more chicks, which was great. I was just like, man, I didn't go, like, through all this training to booze with Germans. Beat people up at Oktoberfest and shit. And so I had made my decision to get out then. And then we got back, and then we went to Afghanistan. We did some stuff in Afghanistan. It was right after Red Wings happened, so Red Wings was the lone Survivor movie with Marcus Luttrell. And so it was. It was. It just wasn't like, a great time. You'd think we'd go over there and just kill everybody. That.

[Ryan]

What was that like? Like, it was somber into Afghanistan.

[Sean Ryan]

I mean, it was surreal. You land and, like, it's like another world over there. You see how people live and stuff. And, I mean, that stuff's fascinating to me just to see.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Sean Ryan]

People living in caves and mud huts and like that. And, I mean, those people are so poor. They'll put. If you had a bag of fertilizer or grass seed or something, you threw it away. They, like, hang that up in their house as art. But we didn't do, like, a tremendous amount. We. We hit a couple of targets and brought back some bad guys and threw them in a little hole and interrogated him and stuff, and worked with the Canadian special ops guys, which were awesome. Those dudes were, like, really cool to work with. We got sent home early because. Because of Red Wings, there was. It just got very political. That's when I realized I was like, I'm done, man. Like, we did, like, maybe three operations that were. They were pretty cool, but it wasn't everything it was cracked up to be. So I volunteered to go to Iraq.

[Ryan]

And what year was that in?

[Sean Ryan]

That was 0506 and jumped in to my sister platoon in Iraq. And then we got pretty busy. We were there to like. It was another mission that I just wasn't excited about. It was protecting, like the prime minister or something. And we had an awesome boss OIC lieutenant and he started farming us out for a bunch of sniper work. The very first mission we went on, I was there for like a week. And then we were doing real. So basically what he did is he. He like looked for conventional army infantry units or. Or supply routes that guys were getting killed on with IEDs, and they're getting blown up. So they would send us in. We do like a reconnaissance targeting package. Figure out where these guys were getting blown up, if there were any patterns. And we would bring in a couple of the guys from that unit, like, teach them, like, this is how you set up a hide. This. We'd teach them everything from setting up a sniper hide in an urban environment to shooting to targeting, to finding patterns. And then we would actually go on the operation with them. And the first night we went out, we killed like four dudes, I think, like within sniping. Yeah, well, kind of. They wound up being like 50 hearts away, but it wasn't like a miraculous sniper shot. But so we had these guys come in, two dudes on a moped. And so they were planting the bomb in the same exact place like every. I can't remember, it's like every Thursday or whatever at 8pm and these two dudes would roll in on the moped, pull out the bomb out of the back, planted, wired up, tried to drive off, and we smoked them. And so they're laying on the side of the road once again, like, my badass boss. Oh, I see. Then there was this taxi, and he kept like driving circles because the convoy, the army convoy had gone by and the explosives didn't go off because the guys that were going to initiate it, we'd killed. They came by like another time. They came by like three times. All of a sudden you heard my OIC go, maddie, light that fucker up. And so here's the road. A sniper hide on this side in a building. Sniper hide on that side of the building. And then we had two automatic weapons guys that basically like the M60 machine gun, it was like an upgraded version of that. And there was two guys on top of the roof. And they just peeked over the lip of the roof and you just saw like, tracers, just like heavy machine gun fire coming down from two different angles. Hit this car, blew it to, kept Driving hit. Hit, like electrical box. The electrical box blows up. And then we were like, right. We were like, right on. Who is that? And it was. I mean, he was obviously involved because he kept driving by, see if the. If the explosives, why they didn't go off. Then we called in the army to come in, like, do the cleanup and bag the bodies and pull all their IDs and shit. And so it wound up we had killed the two ID emplacers, which were just, you know, little minions. And then the guys in the taxi. One of the guys wound up being the cell leader, like the IED cell leader for the entire region. And we just, you know, killed him. And so. So that was really cool. So we did a lot of that stuff in Baghdad where we were just. And then none of those guys would get. They didn't get blown up again for the rest of the time. They took everything that they learned from us and killed a bunch more people. We ran into them. Bad guys, not people, terrorists. But we ran into them right before we left, and they were like, dude, we. We like, we've been getting it on. So word got around and then all these other units started calling. They're like, hey, can we use you guys over here? And so we go over there and then kind of do the same thing all over again.

[Ryan]

What was, like the civilians, like, appetite when you guys were there? Were they, like, angry with you guys or were they, like, happy you guys were there? Like. Because I know at some points they were saying, like, you guys were just being policemen there at a certain point, right? I don't know if that was when you were there, but now.

[Sean Ryan]

We were never policemen. But I mean, look. I guess the way you can kind of look at it is America, right? You got super blue states and super red states. And I'm sure if you go to a super blue state, a lot of people hate you. You know what I mean? And if you go to a red state, a lot of people probably like you. And that's kind of like how it was over there, you know? And so we would go into these places and. And break in and set our sniper hides up in people's houses and people's buildings. And like that instance, the shoot, I was just talking about that operation they were in, placing those bombs. And this woman's like, like right in front of her house, and she had little kids, you know, and she's actually the one that told us. She was like, these guys come every Thursday at 8pm and my. My kids are outside trying to Play or like, they're coming in and breaking my windows and, you know, it's causing a lot of violence. So she, like, dimed them out and was like, super happy that we're there, super happy that we killed those people, those terrorists. I don't know why I keep calling them people, but, you know. And then you go to other places where the town was black, and black means no Americans are allowed in there. Nobody's allowed to fly over it. No helicopters, no tanks, no Humvees. And then they would Send in the SEALs to go and kind of take care of business on the outskirts of the town. Or they'd send in the Marines to a place like Fallujah and just, you know, wipe everything out. It was kind of hit or miss. But the majority of the places that we operated in, they were, like, really happy that we were there. So, yeah, we went into this one place and like I said, it wasn't. It wasn't my specific hide, because we have, like, I don't know, four or five hide sites all around a designated area where we thought they would show up. And these guys broke into a house. Another sniper team on the same op broke into this house and wound up being an Iraqi prostitute. And you would think that they don't have that stuff because they're all, you know, full dress, like they wear the.

[Ryan]

You know, prostitute broke.

[Sean Ryan]

Yeah, no, no, no, no, no. We broke into a prostitute's house and so. And she didn't speak any English and those guys didn't have an interpreter. But she kept trying to tell them, I guess, that there were going to be visitors showing up. But she was super happy that they were there. She's, like, cooking for them and making tea and all this other.

[Ryan]

So the prostitutes loved you guys, too?

[Sean Ryan]

Yeah, they low. Yeah, but. But you'd have, like, these Iraqis banging on the door, and she'd have to shoo them away, and then 15 minutes later, another one would bang on the door and she'd answer and shoo them away. And it was like they came over calm. So, like, I think we. I think we set up in a prostitute's house. Like, well, make sure you keep watching the target now. Don't get too busy over there. But that's hilarious. But, yeah, everybody. Most. Most of the people were just, like, really happy that we're there to kind of get rid of the. The bad shit that was going on in the neighborhoods.

[Ryan]

You put your life on the line there and, like, you serve there. Looking back now, do you think that's a War that should have happened or.

[Sean Ryan]

No, at the end of the day, man, you know, there's people trying to kill you, and you're trying to kill them. I hate to say it like this, but everybody's just doing what they believe. And those guys believe that we're the bad guys, and we believe that they're the bad guys. And, you know, only God really knows. We probably should have never been there. If somebody were to infiltrate our country, I'd do the same damn thing they were doing to us. I'd kill as many of them as I could. But no, I don't. I don't think we should have been there. I do think that we killed a lot of evil, you know, in that country. But should we have been there?

[Ryan]

But Afghanistan, that's. That's a different story. You think that one was justified?

[Sean Ryan]

Yeah, I think that one was justified up to a certain point. And then after that point, I mean, look, the. We went in there to eradicate terrorism, right? When you start getting these stupid rules, like the one that I had mentioned earlier, they were sending the Marines into the hornet's nest and, and giving them these ridiculous ROEs, like, if they shoot at you and they drop their weapon, then you can't shoot back. And it's like, dude, like, that sounds like they're gonna get killed or they're gonna be worried that they're gonna go to prison. So if you don't want them to kill the bad guys, that's. When I was working for the agency or contracting for the Agency, we didn't fall under those rules. But, you know, it was just like, man, like, what the fuck are we even doing here? After that, Bin Laden, right? If. If the goal wasn't to eradicate every terrorist within that country, then what are we doing there?

[Ryan]

What's your opinion on 9 11? Do you think that's something that could have been prevented?

[Sean Ryan]

Definitely. I mean, we got a warning. We got several warnings, right? But, you know, I went over and interviewed this guy, Ahmad Massoud, about the. About the funding that we're doing to the terrorists right now and what the withdrawal was like, because those guys were on our side. There was a. There was an alliance. You know.

[Ryan]

The most recent withdrawal again.

[Sean Ryan]

Yeah, yeah, the most recent withdrawal, and we turn that over to basically our enemies and all the guys that fought along with us. Like, there were a lot of Afghans that were on our side that were fighting with us. And I mean, 20 years these guys have fought with us, and then we just left them. Well, they're still there fighting Taliban, fighting Al Qaeda, fighting these, you know, terrorist organizations. His dad was the guy that we were going to partner with because he had that alliance that way back then. His dad was also a mod. Massoud. He's known as the lion of Panchir. Just a phenomenal warrior and leader. Bin Laden killed him, had him assassinated. They set up a fake interview where they sent in like a news crew, I think, I believe it was two days before 9, before they did 9 11. Because bin Laden knew that we would use the alliance, the resistance, to infiltrate Afghanistan and to use them to, like, help us get the lay of the land and use their intel networks and all that kind of stuff. Well, they had set up an interview much like this, but they put the explosives in the cameras. So they started the interview and then blew the cameras and it killed Ahmad Massoud, the Lion of Pancher. Well, he had tried to warn us days before that that this was going to happen and nobody paid attention, you.

[Ryan]

Know, and so he said, there's going to be an attack on US soil.

[Sean Ryan]

Yep.

[Ryan]

Wow. And who did he warn? Do you know?

[Sean Ryan]

He warned the administration that, you know, the Bush administration, and they didn't take it seriously.

[Ryan]

There's so much weird shit with that. Like all the Bin Laden's flying out.

[Sean Ryan]

Yeah, there's a lot of weird stuff around 9, 11, but yeah, I mean, it could have been prevented.

[Ryan]

So when did you join the CIA?

[Sean Ryan]

I got out in November of 06 and I wanted to. I wanted to be a businessman. I'd read Trump's books on deployments when we weren't doing anything, and I was like, man, I want to do what this fucking guy's doing. And so I thought I would get out and start a real estate empire. And that didn't work. And so I was gonna open a Jimmy John's with my dad. I didn't have any money and he didn't have the money to fund it either. And so I was like. Well, I was like, there's this contracting thing that I can do and pays really well. And so I was like, maybe I can go over there and just work for like a year and then come back and it'll. We can just pay for it cash and start this damn sandwich shop and open a whole bunch of them. So I started contracting and I tried, like, all these. I just floated my resume everywhere with the nsa, with the. Actually you don't really know, like, who you're applying to.

[Ryan]

Yeah, how do you apply to, like.

[Sean Ryan]

So there was like all these companies out There where you would. They would. They would take your resume and kind of farm it out and put you in groups, like, because at that time, contracting was huge. So they had, like, police officers and DEA agents and FBI and SEALs and Green Berets. And they would take, like, your experience and put it into a tiered system. When the agency or the NSA or the DEA or State Department, whoever needs guys, they'll be like, all right, well, what. What caliber of warfighter do you want? What capabilities do you want? They would tell the company. This would be like, to a company like Blackwater, and they'd be like, well, we want all special operations guys that have been in for however long. So they would go into the resume files, and the tiered systems would be like, all right, here's who we have. It'll be yes or no. And so then they would call all of us up and say, hey, you're trying out for this thing. We need you here at this time. But they wouldn't tell you who the client actually is. So I got picked up and tried that and got through the vetting process, or there was a handful of us. I think we only. I think out of all, it was all spec ops guys. And I think there was like three or four of us that actually got through of it, got through the training, passed all the qualifications. It's called a vetting process. And then at the end of that, they're like, hey, you're going to be contracting for CIA, and here's the dates we need you to leave. And so that's. At the end of that is kind of when you get your briefing.

[Ryan]

That is so interesting. So it's these private companies that are getting paid. It's a middleman by multiple different agencies to go and fight.

[Sean Ryan]

It's not fight. It's. It's not like an offensive force, you know? And like, my thing kind of, it was a protective detail for spies.

[Ryan]

Okay.

[Sean Ryan]

And then when we got in there, they started to realize, like, these guys are a lot more capable of doing other than just protective stuff undercover. And so they started using us for all kinds of shit. Yeah, that's kind of how it works. You know, it's. I mean, it's like. It's like when you build a house. If you build a house, you get a general contractor, and then he finds the drywall guy, the plumber, the electrician, the roofer, you know, the window guy, all that. And so it's. It's essentially the same thing. They would go to a company like Blackwater or SOC or mvm. And they'd be like, this is, this is what we need and this is the caliber of people we need. Blackwater or SOC or whatever the entity was, would do the recruiting and say, hey, we've got 50 guys ready to go already qualified, like everything you're looking for, plus some. And so they would be like, boom, Blackwater wins the contract. Agency pays Blackwater, Blackwater pays us. We go do the work.

[Ryan]

Wow, that's so.

[Sean Ryan]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

Business of war is so interesting.

[Sean Ryan]

It is, isn't it?

[Ryan]

I didn't know it worked like that.

[Sean Ryan]

That's how it works. That's how it works.

[Ryan]

So in the CIA is funded by taxpayer dollars or is it privately funded to.

[Sean Ryan]

No, it's taxpayer dollars. Yeah. As far as I know.

[Ryan]

Right.

[Sean Ryan]

And it's cheaper, you know, it's cheaper for the government to do it that way than hire, than do big military recruiting push or whatever, you know, and then you're paying, you know, you're paying retirements and you're paying, you know, health care and all that kind of. And for the families and da, da, da, da, da. So, and this is like a quick, A quick thing because I don't think anybody really realized that the war was going to go on as long as it did. That way at the end of it, they don't owe you anything. You don't know them anything. You just cut ties and that's it. Plus, it's a great way to just, hey, we don't know who these people are. They're just contractors. You know, even when you employ someone.

[Ryan]

It'S easier to make them a contractor.

[Sean Ryan]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

An actual employee. So it's just the same thing. Right.

[Sean Ryan]

So I did that for, I don't know, a number of years, maybe four or five years. Years. And then I took a break and I was like, I need something different. So I started doing this anti piracy and at that time, like, I don't know if you heard the Captain Phillips story, the Somalian pirates were hijacking all these tankers and, and cargo ships and stuff. So they would throw us on and then if they got, if they tried to hijack them, then we would kill him. And so I did that.

[Ryan]

So you're on different ships.

[Sean Ryan]

Yeah. It was horrible, man.

[Ryan]

What region was that? Somalia.

[Sean Ryan]

It was. So you would jump on wherever, but it would be game on. When you got into the Gulf of Aden, which is like in between Yemen and Somalia, they would like. It sounds cooler than it is. It was the most boring job. I probably. So there's no action there is, but it's like very far and few between. So like the first one I did, we got on in Mauritius, east of Madagascar. It's like this little island country, interesting place, but you just get on there and just do nothing but work out and mess around and, you know, screw off. And until you got into the Gulf of Aden, which could be weeks.

[C]

All right, if you guys have been following me, you've been seeing. I am trying my best with all the traveling, all the partying to try and stay in the best shape I can. A few years ago, you guys saw me do my 100, 120 day transformation. I followed a very, very strict and effective workout program that was designed by my coach, Todd Norman. This guy's an absolute expert in the industry. He has a ton of experience, and he designed my workout program from scratch. And that was me being on the road, drinking every week, not access to good food. So I basically told him, todd, we got to make this program available to everybody. I partnered with him on tnmlifestyle.com fell a quick quiz. It's totally free. We're accepting a very limited amount of clients because this is one on one coaching. If you're chosen, you're gonna get a call from a trainer and create a completely custom workout and diet plan for you. Diet's the most important part. You look good, you feel good. I feel like that translates to everything else in life.

[Sean Ryan]

So.

[C]

Also, guys, while I was in India, I ran a fucking marathon too, which my trainer Todd actually helped me train for as well. We also have marathon programs available now on tnm, so if you want to run a marathon like I did, you can get a completely custom tailored plan, depending on what level you're at, to train for a marathon as well, which is pretty cool.

[Sean Ryan]

Then when you get into the Gulf, Aiden, up into the Suez Canal, that's kind of when you're, you're, you're ready for some shit to happen. I did one trip and then the agency got a hold of me and wanted me to contract directly for them without the company, so that what they would do is they would, like, recruit the best guys, supposedly the best guys. And so I went back to the agency doing that. They actually hired me like two weeks after I got arrested in Miami.

[Ryan]

What'd you get arrested?

[Sean Ryan]

Petty theft.

[Ryan]

What year was that?

[Sean Ryan]

2012.

[Ryan]

Okay. Is that resolved now or.

[Sean Ryan]

Yeah, yeah, I was, it was, I was like, really paranoid that they weren't gonna hire me because. Did you know that place? 11.

[Ryan]

Oh, buddy, look at his hat.

[Sean Ryan]

Yeah. Yeah, man. So we know 11. So 11 used to be the. We know that.

[Ryan]

Like the Gulf of Aiden. Same. Same level.

[Sean Ryan]

Yeah. So 11 used to be the gold brush. And so I did like a crazy night in Miami, downtown, wherever 11 is at. Stayed there until like 9:30 in the morning on that. Yeah. And good times.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Sean Ryan]

They were closing and I was like, well, shit, man, the party is getting ready to fire up in Miami beach, so let's go over there and see if we could pick up some women. And so I passed out in the taxi and woke up to the cops, like, beating on the door. And I'm like, what the fuck is this? Didn't have any cash on me. So I was like, hey, let me just go to the ATM and just pay the cab driver. And they did. Not. Like, they didn't have it. It was. It was. Is it Memorial Day weekend? Is that in May?

[Ryan]

Oh, yeah. It's messy in Miami.

[Sean Ryan]

Yeah, they have like a 5, 000 arrest quota. And they were like, nope, Handcuffed me, threw me in the clank. And a couple.

[Ryan]

Not because you were drunk, just because you couldn't pay the taxi.

[Sean Ryan]

And I mean, I was drunk off my ass and on some other stuff too.

[Ryan]

Yeah, it's 11, right?

[Sean Ryan]

Yeah. So I. So they threw me into. They threw me in jail with a bunch of people that don't speak English. So I started just brushing up on my Spanish. I was in there like the only white boy in with a bunch of Latinos. And I was like, well, shit, I might as well make the best of it. So I started having him teach me Spanish in jail, knowing that I had to be in Cairo, Egypt. Like, I. So the way the piracy shit would work is they would like give you. Shoot you an email, and you would have to be out within 24 hours. And I was like, fuck, man. Like, I know there's an email in my inbox with a plane ticket to go to Cairo.

[Ryan]

That's some hangxiety right there.

[Sean Ryan]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

Like in jail. And you got.

[Sean Ryan]

I'm like, you can't arrest me. I gotta go fight pirates. Like, within 24 hours. They're like, yeah, right, buddy. And. And so get out of jail. Go to an Internet cafe. There it is. So then I had to haul ass back home, pack my shit, and be on a flight within like 12 hours. So from arrest to Cairo, it was like 24, 36 hours, and I'm back on a ship. And then on the ship, I got the email that the CIA wanted me to contract Direct for him. And I'm like.

[Ryan]

And the ciao.

[Sean Ryan]

They don't Google my mug shot, even though it was a really good looking mug shot. So I got back from that trip and from that piracy thing and like, well, we're gonna need you to come in and, like, do an interview at headquarters. And I'm like, I totally blew this because I was, like, really excited. Like, cool. Blackwater's out of the way, Socks out of the way. Like, I'm just working for them. And I was like, yeah.

[Ryan]

Which is.

[Sean Ryan]

And I just got arrested for petty theft, which makes it sound like I stood up a 711 for a bag of Doritos. And so I go. My first assignment was to go to Yemen, which was really hot at the time. And I show up and they have my mug shot pasted on every fucking door at the safe house. And they're like, oh, you thought we didn't know, didn't you? And. But yeah.

[Ryan]

Yeah, like, as a prank kind of.

[Sean Ryan]

Yeah. That's like, oh, this is our guy. Nice. Good job, Sean.

[Ryan]

And you guys did party a lot in the military.

[Sean Ryan]

We partied a. It's like, where's. Where was.

[Ryan]

Where was your craziest? Like a rock star.

[Sean Ryan]

Oh, yeah.

[Ryan]

Where is, like, the coolest place to party during all your.

[Sean Ryan]

All my time partying in the military.

[Ryan]

Or anything like that?

[Sean Ryan]

Dude, there's so many, like, good spots, but, like, in my life, it would be Medellin, Colombia.

[Ryan]

Self explanatory.

[Sean Ryan]

Have you been there? I've been nice.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Sean Ryan]

Yeah, Nice.

[Ryan]

It's a good time.

[Sean Ryan]

Yes, it is.

[Ryan]

You were doing some crazy shit there too. No.

[Sean Ryan]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

When did you go to Colombia?

[Sean Ryan]

I bounced in and out of there for, I don't know, five, six years. Really grew fond of cocaine and women. There was so much partying that it got kind of boring. I'm not condoning that, by the way. I'm sober now.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Sean Ryan]

I haven't even had a drink in three years. But so it was a bad time. And I OD'd a couple times down there, but. But yeah, I started. I started trying to build, like, kind of like a cocaine network just to feed my adrenaline because I was so used to, like, being in combat. Like, I wanted to chase that feeling again.

[Ryan]

And this is post CIA.

[Sean Ryan]

Yeah. And I wasn't getting it anymore. I just started going to, like, the most dangerous places that I could find in Colombia and meeting with dealers and meeting with the dealers that feed the dealers and. And kind of like set up this whole network. And so the Thing was going to be was basically, I mean, you get a lot of Americans, Italians, Spanish people that go down there, and they want to have a good time, but they don't want to deal with the Colombians because they're scared they're going to get their head chopped off or something.

[Ryan]

And so I was like, reliable cocaine?

[Sean Ryan]

Yeah. And so I was just like, well, I'll just be the intermediary. And. Because I taught myself how to speak Spanish in jail, but. And down there. And so I would just be the intermediary and make whatever they wanted to happen. And it never wound up, like, going to that. But I had everything pretty much in place. And then, like, I said, I had Oda a couple times and woke up, like, on the floor. Like, I started feeling like that's when.

[Ryan]

Cocaine becomes not fun.

[Sean Ryan]

Yeah. I remember, like, my best friend told me, he was like, you don't need to worry. He's like, dude, you're on speed. You don't need to worry when you're on speed. And then it starts to slow down. That's when you're skirting the line. I had that happen a couple times. I didn't want my parents to, like, get a call like, hey, we just found your son decomposing in a penthouse in Medellin. I knew I had to get out of there, and then the federal police were on to me. Anyways, I'd set up a hide site across the way on the building adjacent from me and were monitoring me. So I kind of, like, just dipped, right? Yeah, yeah. Bought a couple of different plane tickets to different locations, and, wow, got that hot. I mean, and I. You know, I'm like, kind of trying to get out of shit like that. So it got pretty intense, man. Like, the. The addiction to adrenaline was just, like, overcoming me. I remember Google in the most dangerous place in the world, and at the time, it was San Pedro Sula, Honduras. And I was like, all right, bucket, let's go to Honduras. Let's go to San Pedro Sula. Went there, mess around, and I shouldn't have messed around there. Got arrested there. And then right before I cut it, I was like, man, there's starting to be a lot of Americans. And I never wanted to be around Americans, so I never went to Bogota because I didn't want to be around the embassy. And I used to go to Cartagena. And then after the Secret Service sex scandal, I was. That was like. It brought a ton of Americans there. So I was. That's when I went to Medellin And I went to Cali and Pareda and all these different places. And then I started bouncing around to Lima, Dominican Republic, Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras. And then I was like. The coke trade was, like, moving down to Bolivia. I was like, nobody goes to Bolivia. So I was going to go to Bolivia and then smartened up and got my together. It took a long time to get it together, but.

[Ryan]

And that was just chasing adrenaline.

[Sean Ryan]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

You think? Not money or. Really?

[Sean Ryan]

I didn't care about money, man. Like, you know how it is down there. The dollar goes a long ways, you know, in those places, especially a place like Honduras or Bolivia, I had made a pretty decent amount of money contracting, at least at the time. It wasn't about money, man. It was just about. It was like, how deep into this can I get before I get killed? I mean, I don't know how familiar you are with Medellin, but did you ever go to Barrio Antioquia?

[Ryan]

You went there, right? Yeah.

[Sean Ryan]

Barrio Antioquia is like, you can't even get in there unless you go through several checkpoints.

[Ryan]

Okay.

[Sean Ryan]

So a white boy going into that neighborhood, they're like, what are you doing? And I would go in there in the daytime. I'm going there at nighttime and, like, start at the bottom with the street dealers and work my way up. And it got pretty dicey.

[Ryan]

How crazy are those cartels? Like, is there any crazy stories, like, close calls?

[Sean Ryan]

I mean, dude, there was, like, so many times down there. Did you ever go to Fahrenheit? There used to be this place down there, and all the tables were black, and they would have, like, lines of what look like coke and little mounds and shit, you know, and they lacquered over it.

[Ryan]

Wow. It's like a movie.

[Sean Ryan]

So that way nobody could tell if you were actually doing coke or not. We would frequent there. I would frequent there. I say we. But, like, usually I was down there by myself, and I had guys come down, like, I want to experience this. And then they'd be like, get me the out. Yeah. I'd wake up and they'd be gone. I'm like, where'd you go? And they're like, dude, you're crazy. I grew up in a farm town, and I used to bring one of my buddies down there. I mean, it's farm town, usa, dude. And he never really left there, so he didn't have these kind of experience. And I would bring him down and be like, check this out. He made a lot of money for being in a small farm town. But then he comes down there and like. And so he. He had like. He was a confident guy, I'll put it that way. He was hitting on somebody's girl or something like that happened. And I watched him do the rally. Like, I watched the head nods happen. They followed him into the bathroom. This is probably like 10 or 11 the next day. Like, we would just go like for days.

[Ryan]

12 a 12PMs, dude. It was just my record's like one and it hurts.

[Sean Ryan]

We would have been good friends back in the day. Yeah, but I know he's like a.

[Ryan]

He's like a Nelk boy from the past, but way more. Way more badass.

[Sean Ryan]

But yeah, I remember going in there and I was like, like, they're gonna kill him. So I ran in there and like, I was able to like, kind of de escalate it because I built like a pretty big reputation in Medellin especially, and nobody really knew. Do we with this guy? Do we not? Why is he here? How's he so connected? How is he confident enough to run around with a Rolex in these parts of town?

[Ryan]

What were you dressing like at the time?

[Sean Ryan]

Like, just to the nine dude.

[Ryan]

Like, like white guy in Colombia with the Rolex. Everything, like, just flashy.

[Sean Ryan]

Like super flashy. But it was like, for that. Overcon. Overconfidence.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Sean Ryan]

And because I wanted to confuse him. And I knew Spanish. Like, I had everything, man. And I had like a pretty big network. So it would confuse them and they would be like, maybe we don't want to. With this guy. We don't know who's a. Who he's attached to. Even though I wasn't really attached to anybody, but it put fear in them. Where in. In the girls I would run with would tell me, like, I would ask them, like, why aren't they, you know, what's the deal? Why is everybody like, looking at me or scared of me or whatever? And they'd be like, they don't know, like, who you are. It's weird for somebody like you to be there and be that confident and know the lingo and the slangs and. And the prices and like, all of that. Anyways, I ran in there and like, was able to de escalate it, but had I not, he would have been cut up and bleeding out on the floor.

[Ryan]

Was it more there than like overseas?

[Sean Ryan]

I mean, it's totally. It's different, but it's the same feeling. And it was the feeling that I was chasing. I mean, if you listen to my show, there's a lot of this, you know, like, I haven't heard anything quite like mine. But there's other stuff. I mean, like, I just talked to you about Chris Beck. You know, he's riding with the Hell's Angels, like, doing whatever he's doing, doing like riding his Harley on one foot and going 100 miles an hour. And like, you just get like this death wish and you can't get that feeling unless you're riding the edge. There's like a chemical imbalance that happens when you have. When you have that many adrenaline dumps, you know, doing a job in combat like that, like it. With your brain, and then. And then the adrenaline actually becomes an addiction and you crave that chemical release that happens when you get it. In adrenaline dump, guys find all kinds of different ways, you know, to, to. To feel it. And then it takes, it takes it and rock bottom to, to realize like, this isn't. This isn't sustainable.

[Ryan]

So is that when you hit rock bottom, like kind of in the Columbia?

[Sean Ryan]

Yeah. I mean, you know, I told you, like, I wanted to make my dad proud, right? And that's, that's why I joined the SEAL teams. I would say that's probably the biggest reason, like, I wanted to quit in there and hell week, but I was like, I can't like, call my dad and let him know I'm a failure again. And that's kind of like the same sentiment I got when I really started skirting the edge and things started slowing down when I was on speed, but I couldn't just like, cut it. And that's when I wound up moving to Boca. But before that, like, I was like, maybe I'll just go to Costa Rica. Like, it's pretty tame. It's like. And I got there and I, I kind of started doing the same again. And like, I just fell right into it. It just like, it was like second nature for me to start building networks and stuff. And. And then I went home and got. Drank like a fifth and a half of vodka. Probably totally blacked out. I must have come clean on everything to my parents. And it scared the out of them. And they're like, we just want you to talk to somebody. They were like tearing up. And I was like, oh, so totally left South Central America. And that's when I moved to Boca Raton, Florida. I was thinking about Miami, but I.

[Ryan]

Was like, ah, it's too Spanish there.

[Sean Ryan]

I was like, I'll probably just get Spanish. Yeah.

[Ryan]

I was just become the king of any Spanish culture.

[Sean Ryan]

I still wanted accessible, but not as accessible. And then I started a business and you know, still struggle with a lot of different addictions. Like I couldn't sleep, you know, so I would wash down whatever opiates I get on my hands on. Tramadol, hydrocodeine, the occasional oxy, still like finding ways to get coke, Valium, Xanax, Ambien, anything, anything I could do to like wind my brain down. And I was like, well, maybe I'll try this therapy shit. So I tried therapy. The first appointment, she asked what I was on and I told her like I would take several volume and several ambient, several Xanax and I just didn't care. I would wash it down and she, she was like, are you trying to kill yourself? And I was like, no. I was like, I just can't take enough of it to like shut my brain off to sleep. So I, you know, I started weaning myself off stuff and, and several years later I just got totally clean. I did psychedelics, I did a psychedelic therapy.

[Ryan]

What was that like?

[Sean Ryan]

Dude, it was awesome.

[Ryan]

What did you do?

[Sean Ryan]

I did ibogaine and 5 Meo DMT.

[Ryan]

Where'd you do it?

[Sean Ryan]

Mexico.

[Ryan]

Mexico?

[Sean Ryan]

Yeah, I went to this place called Ambio Life Sciences and. But I had like all these guys that I'd worked with or, or maybe I didn't work with, but they had the same kind of path in life as me. They kept telling me about like the psychedelic therapy and how it changed their life and cleaned him out. And I was like, maybe I should try that. And so I flew down and did that and when I came out, like I just, it was like you just had this intuition that clicked in my head and it was like all this that I'm doing is poison.

[Ryan]

What was it? Did you smoke something or drink or.

[Sean Ryan]

Yeah, so the ibogaine is like some kind of a root that they get out of, I think Gabon, Africa and it, they, they say it's like the most powerful psychedelic on the planet and it's like a 12 hour experience and then you wake up from that and then you do this 5 Meo DMT which is also like super profound.

[Ryan]

And how long does that will last?

[Sean Ryan]

That one lasts about 15 minutes. But you have a death experience, dude, it's like you cross over, man. Like you, if you, you have not.

[Ryan]

Done it, I don't think I'm ready for that yet.

[Sean Ryan]

Yeah, it's pretty heavy.

[Ryan]

Recommend it. I'm 30.

[Sean Ryan]

Yeah. I feel like.

[Ryan]

Does it stop you from like thinking certain things are important in society or like, because maybe they're not.

[Sean Ryan]

Like, it may it just by that.

[Ryan]

Yeah, like, money is not important or like, because at the end of the day it's kind of not.

[Sean Ryan]

Right now it paints things in a different aspect for you. It just makes things clearer. So, like, whatever you're doing in business right now, we have a lot of the similar decisions and stuff. We're both in podcasting and, you know, you got this shiny fucking carrot over here and the shiny carrot over there. And like, what it can do is, like, give you the vision and the focus that you need to, like, get what you really want. And so I did that and it like, wiped out all the bad shit that I was doing in my life. And it also, like, gave me, like, this intuitive sense of the shit in my business that's not important. And. And like, it made me guilt free to say no to certain things. And like, I could tell like, what was a distraction in my business. Like, yeah, this might be like a chunk of change, like right now, but I'm after the long game. And so it was almost like if you're looking at something through a bunch of weeds, like, it's like, wow. And the path just becomes like, clear as day. And when I did that, man, like, my business, like, really took off. And so it doesn't take your drive away or anything like that because I hear a lot of guys that, you know, a lot of people that are like, oh, I don't want to. I don't want to turn into a hippie and I don't want to, like, I don't want to lose my drive. And it'll change me, but it will change you. But it will change you into, like, the person that you're supposed to be. It's almost like it illuminates distractions and you're able to just push all that shit aside and go after the big win.

[Ryan]

So you're really struggling with, like, addiction before that and right after that. Yeah, you're just completely drug free.

[Sean Ryan]

Yeah, that's like a miracle.

[Ryan]

That's crazy. The next day, how long did the DMT trip feel? Like the 15.

[Sean Ryan]

You have no essence of time. So when I say it's a death experience, like you 100 in your mind think that you're going to die. Really, you are grasping it. Like, and I was pretty okay with dying. Like, I was like, all right. And then I thought about my son and my wife and I was scared to death to leave them behind in like this up world. And then you have to let that go too. Otherwise you'll wind up in the cycle. And as soon as I let that go, it was like I crossed over into this other realm. But everything. Like, if I did it right now, I would still see you and the microphones, cameras, and all these guys in the background, and, like, nothing really changes. But it's. It's an intuitive experience for me. The human eye can only see. We can't see, like, the spiritual realm. We can't see ir. We can't. You know what I mean? We can't see radio waves. Yeah, man. And, like, you do that and you cross over into this other realm, it's almost like a filter's, like, lifted off of your eyeballs and you start seeing the exact same thing that you're seeing. But you can see, like, you can feel, like, the flow of energy and who's good and who's bad and family members that are not here anymore. And it lasts, like. They say it lasts for about 15 minutes, but you have. It kind of proves to you that time does not exist and that there are energies, spiritual forces, and it's just. It's like your full intuition. And I've done it several times since, and every time has been very profound.

[Ryan]

Now that you've done it a few times, what do you think? What's happening when you do it? Like, you're opening up another sense, or you're like.

[Sean Ryan]

I think that you are opening a door into a spiritual realm.

[Ryan]

So interesting.

[Sean Ryan]

It's pretty crazy.

[Ryan]

Has it changed your perspective on the afterlife?

[Sean Ryan]

Definitely.

[Ryan]

How so?

[Sean Ryan]

Before I went there, I just. I never really thought much about God or what happens after you die or. I mean, I did, but I just didn't really. I didn't live my life like that. And then I did that, and it. It. It made me realize, like, there's definitely something after we leave here. You know, you hear, like, the. Your body is like a vessel. You've ever heard that before? And that there is a spirit or. Or your soul or whatever you want to call it, right? That's kind of like, inside of you, and that's who you actually are without an ego, and that's what you tap into. And I started, like, getting into, like, all right, like, is it the universe? What is. A lot of people think they see the big bang on it. Like, is it. Is it God? Is it energies? And so I just, like, went on this path where I was, like, trying to figure it out. I mean, now I'm. I'm a Christian, and I believe in Jesus Christ and God, and I Think you are somehow getting like almost like a direct link into that realm. Maybe God himself.

[Ryan]

It's crazy.

[Sean Ryan]

It is, man. I hope you do it sometime.

[Ryan]

Wonder. We should do it for a video. I just. It's scary, right? If you've never done it, like you said, I have those same assumptions, like, is it. Am I going to come out the same?

[Sean Ryan]

You'll come out, yeah. Better than you were.

[Ryan]

And the best place to do it is Mexico.

[Sean Ryan]

Yeah, I mean, that's where I went.

[Ryan]

That 12 hour one seems like a trip.

[Sean Ryan]

It is, man, it is. I mean, everybody has different experiences on it, but I can tell you, like, everybody I've talked to has is a better version of themselves. And when I say better version, like, I think a lot of guys that are hard chargers and business mongols like yourself, they think like, it's gonna like hinder that or it's gonna become unimportant. It does, man. It enhances it.

[Ryan]

And you do other psychedelics. You do. You like with mushrooms, right?

[Sean Ryan]

Yeah, yeah.

[Ryan]

Do you do the gummies or like chocolates or just.

[Sean Ryan]

I do tea.

[Ryan]

Oh, tea, yeah. How often do you do that?

[Sean Ryan]

I don't know. Whenever I feel like I need to. Whenever I feel like, like, do you.

[Ryan]

Trip or like microdose it?

[Sean Ryan]

I trip?

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Sean Ryan]

That's what you want to call it? I do it when I feel like I need clarity. Coming up to a major crossroads and I want all the distractions, like moved out of the, out of the way. Like every time, man, I get the path. I mean, I'm like. Or I'll see things like, look, right now, like, we're up for a big podcast deal, right? My contract's expiring and I'm up for a big deal. I've tapped into that, you know, a couple times and I'll see like, and like I said with the distractions, like, it's like, here's like a big pot of money or here's a big, you know, whatever, man. Something that I think might be really beneficial and I'll do that. And instead of just looking at, you know, thinking this is, this is the way, then it brings in all these other aspects and it's like, here's the strings that are attached. If you do that, they want to control you, here's how they're going to try to control you. And it's like, holy shit, man. Like, I never, like, that was never unveiled to me until I, until I did this. Like, for me, that's a big thing. I never want anybody to control what I do. I know there's a lot of traps out there that you can fall into. I mean, look at the Epstein shit, you know? You know, for me, like, I have a very strong relationship with my wife and my kids. Like, I know that they can't get to me through sex, but I know that they could get to me through money. So it will unveil things that, that I didn't think about that are there, and I'll see them, like, after I do it. And if. If. If that's what I get out of it, then I'm like, fuck, man. Like that guy that wants to invest millions of dollars into my podcast, like, this is what he really wants. He doesn't want to help me. He wants me to, like, do this, this, and this and start to create a narrative on whatever X, Y and Z. And then I'll go and I'll kind of, like, research other stuff that I haven't researched. And sure shit, man. Like, I'll see it. I'll be like, fuck. He does want me to. To do that.

[Ryan]

You know, I've gotten into the chocolates the last few months.

[Sean Ryan]

Yeah?

[Ryan]

Yeah. Group of Australian girls, they just. They just love them. You ever been to Disneyland on shroom chocolates?

[Sean Ryan]

No.

[Ryan]

You gotta try it out. No, it's a good time.

[Sean Ryan]

I'll bet it is. What do you.

[Ryan]

How do you think we solve some of these problems with vets? Because it's such a big issue. Right. And they're putting their lives on the line to, you know, protect freedom, protect the country and stuff. Is there any solutions to, like, fixing this adrenaline problem or just the way that they're treated?

[Sean Ryan]

I think I just told you about it.

[Ryan]

Psychedelics.

[Sean Ryan]

Yeah, man. There's so many guys that have done that that it's changed their life. Like, I'll give you another example. There's a non profit out there called fets, and it was started by a SEAL Team six guy and his wife. That's who I used to go through. And they've been sending guys down for years now. Stanford did a study, did a study on it. And they would take guys like me. I didn't do this, but they will. They'll take guys especially that have really bad traumatic brain injuries from blasts, like shock waves and stuff. They'll fly them into Stanford, they'll do a brain scan. Like, when you do a brain scan, it'll show, like, the parts of the brain that aren't working. It'll be like black spots in your brain where you took the most blasts. Or whatever, right? And they would identify all these black spots, and then they would send them down and they would do ibogaine. And then as soon as they're done doing ibogaine, they would fly back up to Stanford and they would do. They would do another brain scan. And time after time after time, again, those black spots had disappeared, and the entire brain was lit up. So what's happening, like, when you do this, not at Disneyland, but if you do it like a therapeutic setting and you have, like, intentions that you want, what's going on there is so, like, the neurons in your brain are going back and forth through this thing called the default mode network. And that's from the back of your head to the front of your brain. Back of your brain to the front of the brain. And that's why, like, when you see the older we get, the more set in our ways we get. So what's actually happening is, like, the neurons throughout your life, they get lazy, and they just want to use the default mode network, right? And so rather than traveling through all these different neural pathways in your brain, they're just. Let's just go back and forth, back and forth. Some psychedelics will do is they'll actually put, like, a block in the default mode network, and that communication with the neurons still needs to happen. So instead of using the default mode network, they go back into these neural pathways that maybe you've never used or you haven't used since you were three years old, and it reopens all those neural pathways because the communication still has to happen. And when that happens, the entire brain is lighting up.

[Ryan]

Wow. And they're actually proving this.

[Sean Ryan]

Yeah, man, they're proving it.

[Ryan]

Wow.

[Sean Ryan]

And so. So you're seeing, like, these profound results from this. Like. Like, me, like, dude, I cut Adderall, sleeping pills, opiates, all that, like, alcohol immediately. Like, it also replenishes the receptors in your brain, which is the cure for addiction. The cure for addiction. So I had a really good friend of mine. He survived. It was the biggest car bomb that I had seen somebody survive. He walked out of a massive brain injury. Then he gets shot in the head. Years later, another mat. I mean, you can imagine massive traumatic brain injury, getting shot right here square on the forehead. Survived it how?

[Ryan]

Are you wearing a helmet?

[Sean Ryan]

No, man. He.

[Ryan]

How's that possible?

[Sean Ryan]

It's a great question, but couldn't go outside even on a cloudy day without sunglasses. His wife called. She's like, he's bedridden five to six days a week. He's so dizzy, he can't get out of bed. We haven't had sex in over two years. He can't walk without a cane because his vertigo is so bad. And I had been trying to get him to go down there for a long time. After my results, I was like, you got to try this, man. Just like, what do you have to lose? And then when I found it was that bad, I was. I called him again, and I was like, let me call my buddy Trevor. Let's get you in. We'll get you. Fast tracked, goes down there, does the ibogaine experience, comes out of it, Leaves his cane there for a souvenir, doesn't need it anymore. The vertigo is gone. Doesn't need his sunglasses to go outside anymore. Hasn't been bedridden at all. Goes home, bangs his wife after two years, and this is like eight months ago, and he's still. It's still like the day after he left. Like, he's doing awesome.

[Ryan]

This sounds crazy.

[Sean Ryan]

It is crazy. It's gonna tell you what's even crazier is why the. Is it illegal?

[Ryan]

Right?

[Sean Ryan]

But you know what I mean? And so that's the. That's the kind of stuff that. That stuff is healing down there. And so I'm not saying psychedelics is, like, the end all, be all. I think there's a lot of things that we could do, but, I mean, I've not seen anything more promising than that. You know, for. For addiction, for traumatic brain injury, for ptsd, for depression, anxiety, like, all that stuff. It's curing rape victims going down and, like, they're able to function again. And. Wow, it's really, like. It looks pretty promising.

[Ryan]

So that's your main message to, like, people kind of recovering?

[Sean Ryan]

Yeah, I would. I would say look into it, you know, and then, I mean, there's a lot going on there. You know what I mean?

[Ryan]

Definitely.

[Sean Ryan]

It would be like if, you know, especially guys, not just guys that are operating at the highest level, like at the SEAL teams and. And the rest of special operations, but for anybody. But, I mean, you wrap your identity up into that and. And guys, you know, that becomes them. And so when that gets taken away, it's like, well, who the hell am I? None of these skills really translate to anything else. I mean, just think if, like, your podcast got shut down overnight, what are you gonna do? You know what I mean? What are you gonna do? This is. This is what you do, and you built an empire doing this, right? Well, then it all gets taken away. You know, you have to find a new purpose. And so that's something that's going on. The adrenaline addiction is going on. The, you know, the, the. The TBIs, the PTSD that a lot of their wives left them, infidelity, guilt, survivor's guilt, having to kill people. Like, there's like a heaviness that veterans have, you know, and so there's a.

[Ryan]

Can only imagine.

[Sean Ryan]

Yeah, I think finding a new purpose and being able to, like, realize, like, being a Navy seal, CIA contractor, that's not who I am. That's something I did, and it's gone. And so what's the next thing? You have to figure that out. And it takes time, you know, but you have to get out and get off your ass and go try things and figure out what you like, what you don't like. And like, clarity comes from that. It doesn't come from sitting on your couch with a bottle of vodka and doing drugs. Like, it just. It doesn't come from that. It comes from. From finding a new direction and being able to set the old one down and realize that wasn't me. That's just something I did.

[Ryan]

It's crazy. I got to look into that. We might have to do that for a video if we can handle it.

[Sean Ryan]

What's.

[Ryan]

What's next for. For Sean Ryan and the business and the podcast?

[Sean Ryan]

Well, like I said, we're, you know, we're kind of shopping around, and I'm probably going to go independent because I, I don't like anybody controlling me. I'll probably be. Stick with being independent. I'm pretty independent for the most part right now. But we've been building my team out. I spent all last year building, building my team. There was four of us. My assistant, my social media guy, one editor, my sound guy, slash kind of business guy. And so we've almost tripled that at this point. And so it's kind of getting everybody working together, building the culture. We building a new studio. Right now we're in like 1200ft studio. We're building a studio from the ground up. So like 7,000 square foot. There's going to be a shooting range. So I'm like, yeah, it's on a bunch of acreage. There's going to be a wellness center. It's going to be like the Google of podcasting.

[Ryan]

That's it.

[Sean Ryan]

And yeah, I want everybody to be the. The best paid, the best culture, proud of where they work. And then I'm. I'm starting to think about doing some stuff for kids, like kind of like a kids Network because I think, you know, the last four years, especially, you know, kids really, you see what's going on in schools and all that kind of stuff and the kind of demonizing police and just atrocious, man. And most, most kids don't even have any confidence. And so I want to put something together that could build that confidence and kind of bring, you know, traditional American values back into the country and, and show some patriotism and, and who real heroes are.

[Ryan]

You know, what's that going to come in the form of, like, I haven't.

[Sean Ryan]

Had the bandwidth to dive in too much, but, you know, I hired a COO to, to help me build these new verticals and I think it'll probably be books. Turn it into cartoons, maybe that turns into toys and you know, that kind of stuff.

[Ryan]

Yeah, congrats, man. I mean, your story is very inspiring. This, this combo is awesome. And yeah, you have one of the biggest podcasts in the world, so wish you nothing but great success. And, yeah, maybe I was thinking we got to do if Sean could get us into some Navy training or something. I think it'd be cool to show our audience, like, yeah, man, just put us, put us through the ringer or something like that.

[Sean Ryan]

I'll tell you what, we should do.

[Ryan]

Something for our next NELK channel, like something lifestyle cool.

[Sean Ryan]

When you come out, I'll have you on my show, and then I have like a 500 yard range. So we'll go down, we'll set some stuff up and give you a bunch of guns and we'll put you at it.

[Ryan]

Let's do it.

[Sean Ryan]

Cool. Thanks, Ryan.