← Success Story with Scott D. Clary
Success Story with Scott D. Clary
Darren Prince - Agent to Magic Johnson & Muhammad Ali | Why Success Made Me Sicker
01:15:52
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- [00:00]
Darren Prince
I don't want people to be motivated or inspired by my business success. I want them to try to look in the mirror and be accountable. When you take full ownership, that's usually when the healing journey starts.
- [00:12]
Scott Clary
He was a celebrity agent to the biggest names in the world. But behind the spotlight, he was fighting a battle no one could see. Darren Prince built a career representing icons, navigating the highest levels of sports and entertainment. But while he was managing legends, addiction was managing him.
- [00:28]
Darren Prince
Most of the success. Successful people that I know are living it from an external space. The toys and the flex really define wealth, is finding your purpose and your passion from within. I believe I was a prime candidate to fall victim to drug addiction. I just had a huge head start and accessed because I was making real money.
- [00:47]
Scott Clary
His journey from opioid dependency to long term recovery became the turning point that transformed his life and his mission. Today he's a best selling author, an international speaker and an advocate proving that success means nothing without freedom.
- [00:59]
Darren Prince
When you're in an addictive state of anything, the biggest struggle is the lack of power. You can truly go through the dark and come out on the light. The strength is in being vulnerable, not hiding it. When you're able to just come out and have that freedom of saying everything and not hiding it, the miracles start to happen.
- [01:28]
Interviewer
So I am the best version of my fucked up self I've ever been. Darren, what does that mean?
- [01:34]
Darren Prince
Well, now being 17 and a half years sober and doing, you know, so much awareness work, personal development work, character defect removal, couples still pop up once in a while and there's nobody out there that doesn't have shit. There's nobody out there doesn't have unresolved trauma. Some suppress it, some bring it to a surface and to live this authentic, transparent frequency. I don't want people to be motivated or inspired by my business success. I want them to try to look in the mirror and be accountable for not looking at your mother, your father, it's their fault, it's the ex husband, the ex wife. You made those choices for whatever reason. And when you take full ownership of it, you know, that's usually when the healing journey starts. And you know, David Goggins, you know, is a good friend in client. I'm in town for his event tomorrow and he always says that everybody's up, you know, and for somebody to say they're not, you're suppressing a lot of stuff. And most of the successful people that I know that don't want them that are living it from an external Space. And they're doing it with the toys and the flex. And sort of. We just talked about how you and I really define wealth is finding your purpose and your passion from within and sharing that gift with the world just like you're doing. So, like I said, I'm so grateful and appreciative to have me on here, because what you've built and the messages that get sent around the universe to help people is tremendous. Not just professionally, but personally.
- [03:18]
Interviewer
I appreciate that a lot. And I think we're very much on the same wavelength when it comes to, like, what, defining success and wealth and whatever, Whatever you want to achieve in your life. I think that when people are very young, and I think you're an extreme example, people look at sort of the wrong. They get the wrong role models. They look at, okay, how do I make as much money as I possibly can make in the quickest amount of time possible? How do I achieve sort of like the material success? And I think it's even worse now because of Instagram and social media than probably it even was when you were young. But your story is very interesting because you achieved that material success at an incredibly young age, like, much younger than most people ever, ever achieve it. Tell me how you achieved that success, but also tell me what it did to you.
- [04:05]
Darren Prince
I grew up in Livingston, New Jersey, and you would have thought from the outside I was the super happy young kid, loving family, had one sister, and I just never fit in, man. I always felt socially awkward. It was always like. I felt like I had imposter syndrome from a very young age. And a lot of it, when I look back at it, was because I was in very small classrooms. A lot of times my friends were in the big classrooms, 50, 60 kids. And I was put in rooms like this with three or four other people known as the special ed crew. And I heard about it. I heard crickets, I heard teasing. I was verbally teased and never spoke up about it. But I just knew school wasn't for me. And my first experience with drugs were at sleepaway camp. I was about 14, and I had terrible stomach pains one night and the cancer took me to the nurse. I didn't realize, looking back on it, it was separation anxiety. I grew up a mama's boy. Didn't like being away from my mom and dad, and she gave me this green liquid. Took it. It tasted terrible. But walking across the softball field back to the bunk, my.
- [05:13]
Scott Clary
My.
- [05:14]
Darren Prince
My life changed forever, man. I mean, I felt like Superman. I didn't know what it Was. But I was just as popular, just as cool, just as smart, talking with the guys, flirting with the girls at the bunks next door. And I did this for a few straight weeks, not realizing until my mom and dad came for visitation day that it was liquid Demerol. You know, back then, it wasn't a controlled hus substance. And I started that next year when I got back home, I had four different odd jobs. I squeezed orange juice at a supermarket, worked at a pizzeria. I was a stock boy at a sneaker store, and I was a busboy, had a diner. So I would save all that money and buy all my friends baseball card collections. And my father noticed that I could read the back of a baseball card in the 1980s and literally almost had a photographic memory with numbers. And we would sit in front of the tv, I'd start talking about statistics. And he was mesmerized by it. And one, an Intro to Business class teacher. I'm still close with this to this day. Elliot Lovy challenged the class to go home and create a business. Now, in my mind, I had thousands of dollars worth of baseball cards. I just never had a plan to execute how to sell them. But I knew from certain trade papers that I was getting there was these things called baseball card conventions. So I go downstairs to my dad. I'm like, hey, I need insurance for my baseball cards. He looks at me like I'm crazy. I wish he was alive today because he would love the way I tell the story. And insurance. He's, how much do you have? I'm like, dad, I probably got about eight or nine. And he's like, all right, I'll call homeowners and try to get you, like $1,000 worth of insurance in case there's ever a flood or, God forbid, a fire. I'm like, no, dad, eight or nine thousand. And he looks at me like, I've got three heads. How the hell do you have eight or nine vowels worth of cards? I go back upstairs, I get the price. Got to start showing them. Well, who's going to buy them? I pull out this big newspaper at this big. It was at the Holiday Inn back then, 1984, on Highway Route 10 for anybody from New Jersey listening in Livingston. And it was $20 to buy a table. So I executed. I mean, I wasn't a student in school, but when it came to this, my dad started realizing my brain worked with numbers. And being a sponge with him from his guidance in business, he said, was mesmerizing. So now that came with the confidence. Oh, I got my dad's support. And every day after school, whatever I had to do into typesetting a design company, I would call them and have them make beautiful signs. I bought display cases. I made sure this was going to be the most beautiful six foot display you've ever seen and become a big family affair. And that Sunday, I actually set up, ironically, with my best friend, one of my best friends, Steve Simon, who runs my agency now. We go back since I was 10 years old and he's one of my top agents at Prince Marketing Group. He went in for the hobby. He spent like two hours the day of throwing some cards in a shoebox and went. I spent two weeks. So when people are listening and talk about preparation to doing a business, nothing just happens like that.
- [08:18]
Interviewer
Of course not. Yeah.
- [08:19]
Darren Prince
And two weeks when you're talking several hours a night to prepare for this, I was ready. You know, I knew the market, I knew the business. I had my display laid out. You know, you gotta remember there was no social media back then. Computers were limited. And I went in like this was my, my new career. And I made over $1,000 that afternoon. And Steve made like 30 bucks. And that was.
- [08:43]
Interviewer
How old were you again when you're doing.
- [08:44]
Darren Prince
I was 14.
- [08:45]
Interviewer
So. So just to paint the picture, 14, you, not you figured out how to make money, but also you figured out the effects of drugs on confidence and, and, and identity. Really, this is very young to be dabbling in this shit. Yeah, Yep. That's very, very. Okay, so you made.
- [09:04]
Darren Prince
So that was kind of a perfect storm. But not at the same time that I went home that night. And the one feeling I remember I wrote about this in my book Aiming High that I, you know, I published in 2018 was. I remember getting home and it was so euphoric. I felt so important on the show floor. Like the energy was flowing. People were running over to me like I was this hot shot, well respected young kid that knew about the rookies, the minor leaguers, the top prospect. And I started making friends with people and I actually felt like this was school and I was the head of the class. I was the valedictorian. I was the one. And all my friends who sold me their collections again were making fun of it. What are you doing with those stupid cards? Cards are corny, bro. We got out of baseball cards years ago. Needless to say, a few years later, and they all came back from college break, I started hiring one of them, one at a time, a bunch of them, one at a Time to work for me because they couldn't believe what I built. So that night, though, when I was 14, Scott, like, it went from, like, this euphoric feeling to all of a sudden, this empty feeling. So there was some unbelievable attachment to the external validation of that thousand dollars that I made of stealing support.
- [10:20]
Interviewer
It's a high when you make money.
- [10:21]
Darren Prince
And I couldn't figure out why this happened. It was Sunday night getting ready for bed to go to school, and it went from like this to this. So, you know, looking back at it at that time in my life, I believe I was a prime candidate to fall victim to drug addiction. I just had a huge head start and access to get whatever I needed because I was making real money. By the time I was 15 years old, I was making a couple hundred thousand dollars a year selling baseball cards. I was literally the first person in the state of New Jersey to buy a cell phone. It was called Bell Atlantic, and The phone was $3,000 back then. It had huge aluminum battery pack with the rubber antenna and the phone clipped on top of this aluminum battery. And it had this leather case, and I had it in my locker. So I'd be running ads in a magazine that's still around to this day called Sports Collector's Digest. And I would have stockbrokers calling. And you couldn't text back then on cell phones, but it did have a voicemail attached to it. So in between class, I would run to my locker, listen to the messages, eat real quick, and be making notes, writing down notes from these stockbrokers that were coming because somebody might have wanted a Mickey Mantle rookie that weekend. So whatever it might have been, Joe DiMaggio, Babe Ruth, could be a modern day. The popular guys back then, Strawberry Mattingly, Wade Boggs, Tony Gwynn, they want to do five of this, five of that. So I just became a broker to all these guys.
- [11:53]
Scott Clary
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- [12:37]
Interviewer
Now, you know, it's weird.
- [12:38]
Scott Clary
I'm doing well financially, but I have this constant low level financial anxiety that I was missing something because I have crypto on all these different exchanges. I have multiple Investment accounts, old 401ks, savings scattered everywhere. See, I knew the pieces were fine, but I had no idea if the whole picture made sense. I finally got Monarch Money to pull everything into one view.
- [12:56]
Interviewer
And the first thing I noticed, I.
- [12:58]
Scott Clary
Had $10,000 sitting in a temporary savings account from eight months ago when I sold some stock. That's eight months, $10,000. It could have been working instead of just waiting for me to remember it existed. Also, it showed me that I was spending tons monthly on all these subscription services that I couldn't even remember I signed up for. Every Sunday morning. It takes me five minutes to check everything. All my financial stuff in one place. No more wondering, no more anxiety. The Wall Street Journal just named it the best budgeting app of 2025. But honestly, it's more about finally having control. So don't let financial opportunity slip through the cracks. Use Code success@monimal money.com in your browser for half off your first year. That's 50% off your first year@monimal money.com with code SUCCESS Gusto is a success story partner. Now look, I talk to business owners every single day and you know what I hear constantly? Scott, I love running my business, but I hate dealing with payroll. And I get it. Nobody starts a company because they're excited about calculating tax withholdings and benefits administration. That's exactly why I use Gusto myself. And the smartest business owners use it as well. Gusto is online payroll and benefit software built for small business. It's all in one remote, friendly and incredibly easy to use. So you can pay higher onboard and support your team from anywhere. Now, here's what sold me. Unlimited payroll runs for one monthly price. No surprises, no hidden fees when you need to run that extra payroll. And when you hit a tough HR situation, and trust me, you will, you get direct access to actual certified HR experts, not a chatbot. Real people who know what they're talking about. Plus, they're the number one payroll software according to G2 for fall of 2025. And over 400,000 small businesses already trust them. Gusto today at gusto.com success story and get three months free when you run your first payroll. That's three months free payroll@gusto.com success story.
- [14:47]
Interviewer
14, 15, 16. You make a couple hundred thousand. I've always thought about this actually you just mentioned something that I think is actually very true. The same personality that is required to be successful in business, like the obsession over what you're doing and all the preparation and the reason why you made a thousand bucks and no one else did. That personality is a dangerous personality. You got it because you get addicted to anything. It's that same personality that makes you successful. That could be drugs, any kind of gambling, women, whatever your vice is.
- [15:17]
Darren Prince
I had all of it and.
- [15:19]
Interviewer
But if you know how to channel it, it can be very useful, that personality.
- [15:23]
Scott Clary
But you experience all this stuff way.
- [15:25]
Darren Prince
Too young and there's no handbook, there's no parent. You know, Charlie Sheen, Charlie. Charlie Sheen's a dear friend inclined too. And he's got, you know, New York Times best selling book out. It's been on there for like eight weeks. And incredible things happen in his career with this Netflix documentary and other things. And we really identify with this because he's like, even though his dad and his brother were already there, he goes, dude, there's just, there's no way to like understand it. You know, I was out here six months ago with my boy Ryan Fitterman and Mike Tyson. We had a fun at the Hard Rock. Mike and I got in a real talk about this and he's like, prince, I get it, man. 19 years old, I'm the baddest motherfucker on the planet knocking people out. I got a couple hundred million in the bank who gave me a goddamn handbook how to deal with it. So it's so easy for people to like look at me or them or whatever and like, what it. No that there, it's. It happens and there's a reason it's going to happen again. And these influencers now, when you see some of them taking their own lives at young ages, because when we think it's about the money, when we think it's about the stuff and the things and the mansions and the jets and the jewelry and the life and the woman or the shopping, whatever that might be, and you get there and guess what? You realize you're still unfulfilled. It is the most dangerous, scariest, loneliest place a human being can ever be. Because I've been there.
- [16:55]
Interviewer
And then you have the resources to up your own life. That's the biggest issue. You're like, what's going to make me feel that same feeling?
- [17:03]
Darren Prince
When you got the Self sabotage, destructive behavior and getting at a sense of self because. And it can happen at any age. I'm not just saying this is for young people. I mean, somebody could be grinding it out for 10, 15, 20 years. We have a lot of friends that made it big in their 30s, 40s. But again, if you're not doing that work, if you're not doing that inner work on sense of self, the brokenness, the character defect, the unresolved trauma, and you're just suppressing it. And it's just that one goal to build, scale and exit. I do not want to be you. I don't care what amount of.
- [17:38]
Interviewer
For you. What was that point when you kept chasing after this? You make $100,000 before you're even 20, which is insane for somebody who's 16, 17 years old. What's the point when it all blows up?
- [17:53]
Darren Prince
I'll give you a little bit in between that so we can lead to where it blew up, if that's okay.
- [17:58]
Scott Clary
For sure.
- [17:58]
Interviewer
Go ahead.
- [17:59]
Darren Prince
So at 19, I sold the baseball card company for a million dollars. It was my inventory, it was my database. And back then, yada need to stay on. It was just. I had a new vision where I started getting enamored with autograph signings. I'd be at convention, I'd be like, wow. People are wrapped around the corner to see Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle and Pete Rose. And I saw one time like Muhammad Ali was coming to one. I was like, this is so much cooler than baseball cards.
- [18:28]
Scott Clary
Wow.
- [18:29]
Darren Prince
So I wanted to start learning that business. And we did that for about four years now. The reason this is the first time I really hit business adversity, the reason I got out of that was, and I'm very open about it, there was a forgery scandal going on with Michael Jordan autographs. And there was an FBI forensic document expert that the industry was praising as a guru for authentication and big investigation by the FBI. I got investigated, got cleared of mail fraud charges because I truly believe the stuff was real. But there was this whole sort of assembly line of different artists forging its name. And the FBI, retired FBI forensic agent went to prison. And so my father, some of the greatest lessons he taught me were three things. It's not what you say, it's what you do. Your reputation's the hardest thing to uphold and the easiest thing to lose. And that one. That one was really what mattered to me at that time more than anything. And he would always say, the idea is 1% carrying it through the other 99 so I took whatever I had and I started sending out refund letters. I had to get lawyers involved. And Scott, for the first time in my life, here I am now 24, and I'm like, financially ruined. And so even then, you're just worried.
- [19:54]
Interviewer
About going to jail at this point?
- [19:55]
Darren Prince
Yeah. Now I'm at the point where I'm getting ready to go to jail. And I had incredible relationships, from booking to infernal autograph sonics. Because a lot of people want to know, how did I get all these clients? That's why I wanted to give you the background. And I took my last $3,000 and took my father on a fly fishing trip to Alaska. He wasn't happy about it because he knew I was in the balls of my ass, but I knew fish was our favorite thing to to do. And Prince Marketing Group would not exist today if that trip didn't happen. We're out on this gorgeous dream and he says to me, what's your next move, fellow? When you, when this all works out, like you got to go back into that industry? I go, dad, you know what? I'm so pissed off. All my people that, that were friends and fans, like they're haters and people are like turning their back on me. I'm like, I don't care about that. I want to be in Egypt, but I don't have eight years to go to law school. He drops the fishing pole in this gorgeous stream and we have this guide with us and it's like law school. He goes, darren, he goes, life is about who you know, not what you know. Think about your resources. Think about who supported you with this case with the judge and sent letters from, you know, Magic and the Ali's and smoking Joe Frazier and Joe Montana. And he's like, you know, he was giving one name after the Chevy Che. Like everybody, he goes, what I would do is the next time you see Magic, tell him your vision. He goes, because he's like family at this point, even though you guys only go back about three, four years. So I was in a hotel suite with Magic a few weeks later, and it's kind of almost like I would have thought he might have spoke to my dad, because they did speak. And he said, what do you think you're going to do next? And at that point, I was cleared. I was charged with making a false statement because I sort of didn't give everything factual during the interview. So I had like three years probation. But for the most part, the big case against me, you know, criminally to go to prison. They knew I wasn't in the wrong. I just made a stupid mistake trusting this one person.
- [21:49]
Interviewer
Quick question. What's your go to when you got.
- [21:52]
Scott Clary
10 minutes before a meeting or a workout? For me, it just used to be whatever I could grab, which usually meant skipping meals entirely or just grabbing something that left me crashing an hour later because it was just full of garbage. That's why I'm partnering with Huel. This block Edition Ready to Drink is a complete meal.
- [22:08]
Interviewer
So it has 35 grams of protein.
- [22:11]
Scott Clary
6 grams of fiber, 35 essential vitamins and minerals. It is no sugar added, gluten free under five bucks. I always keep a few of these in my fridge and honestly it solved the whole back to back meetings. Go, go go, non stop, no time to eat problem. Super well.
- [22:28]
Interviewer
And this one's new for me.
- [22:29]
Scott Clary
It's Huel's Daily Greens.
- [22:30]
Interviewer
I had the blueberry this morning. Honestly first impression it was way better than I expected. It's developed by registered nutritionists and dietitians. There are 42 vitamins, minerals and superfoods.
- [22:39]
Scott Clary
Only 25 calories, 4 grams of fiber and just 1 gram of sugar. I throw one back first thing before my morning calls. Every single morning.
- [22:47]
Interviewer
Look, if you're running a business, time.
- [22:49]
Scott Clary
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- [23:06]
Interviewer
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- [23:08]
Scott Clary
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- [23:27]
Interviewer
It doesn't have to suck.
- [23:29]
Scott Clary
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- [24:38]
Interviewer
Mind you're like 24 at this point, so everything you're dealing with is something that most 24 year old never have to deal with. You don't have to. Not that you should never lie to the FBI, but just putting yourself in the shoes of a 24 year old, that made way too much money really quick. You had way more business success than most people even achieve in their life. Forget at 19 when you sold. Now you're being investigated by the FBI. Like life is coming at you so quick that it is really hard for Schmidt to grow up really to understand how to navigate this shit. Because I'm assuming I don't know what your dad or your parents did, but I don't think that they would have been able to give you the exact perfect playbook to navigate everything you went through. No one's no one really.
- [25:18]
Darren Prince
My dad was in direct mail coupon advertising. But, but, but the one great bit of advice on a fishing trip was tell them it's not what you know, it's who you know and to speak to magic. So when I was with, I call him Irvin by his real name. I was with them and he asked me that question. I said, irvin, I want to become an agent. I said, I really think I can do this. I'm like, I'm learning quite a bit about how this works from speaking engagements. I'm studying commercials and I bought these books about how to contact different ad agencies and you know, learning about like merchandising convention for endorsements. Because, all right, because who do you think you want? Because you need a big client. And he had that big billion dollar smile bump wedding. I mean, my hands are like, I, I got to get the question on my heart's Palpatine at this point. I'm 24, 25, and I'm like, ask him. You better ask him one of those moments in life if you don't say it. And I'm like, I'd like it to be you. And he goes, all right. And he smiles because, look, you. You're a good dude, man, and you made a mistake. And just, you know, God tests great men and women, and he's testing you. And he goes, and I love you, and I love your family. And he goes, here's what I'm going to do. Get a good entertainment lawyer or find one. If you don't have it, I'm going to let you represent me for two years. But if you don't use me to knock down every door to bring in all the celebrities he can to build this agency, I'm going to fire you before this year's rough. Because life isn't about how successful I become, Darren. It's about how successful I can make you and everybody else around me. Because when you got there, you're going to learn about paying it forward. I couldn't believe it. It was just so magical. And he was like, because I'm going to be a success the world has never seen in sports and entertainment. Fast forward. We still laugh about it. Thirty years ago, multiple Del empire owns how many sports teams. 18th World Championship now as player owner with the Dodgers. Sorry to say, I know that breaks your heart.
- [27:13]
Interviewer
It's okay.
- [27:14]
Darren Prince
I was with the Monday a few hours after the parade. And it's just, you know, for somebody to be such a visionary, but also do that to me and allow that where I could now bless other people and, you know, so the success in the agency life started real quick, man. I. Right after Magic, it was like Joe Frazier and then Robin at the time and Pamela Anderson we had and Chevy Chase. So I learned the business real quick and the drugs really started accelerating, you know, the involvement in my life. But I learned about morality clauses. So I moved away from illegal drugs and it became prescription painkillers. That was legal.
- [27:57]
Interviewer
So you're too smart for your own good.
- [27:59]
Darren Prince
Yeah, and I had legitimate back pain side act. I was always working out. Every doctor saw my success, gave me whatever I wanted. And for six or seven years, it worked. I mean, I was a networking machine. I remember times, you know, I did a couple projects with Kobe Bryant. I mean, these guys just. Everybody just gravitated towards me. I was super comfortable in my skin when I was high, obviously, you know, around the biggest names in the world. And I often say when I speak, especially to high school kids, that what was once living to use turned out to using to live. And I don't know when that exact moment was, but it got to a point, sort of like that metaphor you said before, where I couldn't really get high anymore. Whatever I was taking or mixing or whatever cocktail, it was just making me function. There wasn't much more euphoria coming to the point where there were multiple overdoses. And the last One happened in 2007, late 2000, mid 2007, NBA All Star break in Vegas. One of my clients was celebrating a big TV show deal that we did, and I was married at the time. And that same Steve Simon that was. That runs my agency now, did the first baseball card show. We were getting ready for an event. He came up to my room, and I took. I had vodka Red Bull. I snorted a few oxycontins. I had Tussin X cough syrup, because I had bronchitis that day that I got diagnosed with. Said doctor gave me anything I needed to get from the pharmacy, and, man, I was on the ground. I mean, I don't remember anything foaming at my mouth, my eyes just sweating, hot flashes, chill. The paramedics came into the room. Oxygen mask on my face, needle in my arm, EKG machine everywhere. Clearly, I never made it out that night. But Steve had to see that horrific picture. He came to them to see if I was ready and saw paramedics everywhere, you know, of me, just, what the hell's going on? And that next day, I finally had a little bit of accountability where I. I got home, back to New Jersey, and I called a addiction psychiatrist. But I lied to him, too. So it was a process. He told me I was an opiate addict, put me on Suboxone. I didn't tell him I was sniffing Ambien at night. I was still drinking a couple days a week. I was on a mood stabilizer. I was taking Xanax every once in a while. And that just got to a point where, you know, I was a shell of myself, making millions of dollars, biggest names in the world, living this double life. None of it meant anything. And that God shot happened on July 1st of 2008. My uncle Stu, who's no longer with us, was visiting my mom in New Jersey. And he had a girlfriend at the time, Andrea. They both lived down here. Andrea still in Miami. And I never met her, Scott, but she walked into my condo, and she's like, are you okay? And something came over me, a connection with this woman that I never had with anybody. And I told her, no, I'm not. And she asked what was wrong. I told her everything. Told her everything that was going on with the drugs and the way that I was feeling. And she's like, do you realize your life's unmanageable and you're an addict? And I said, yeah. And she goes, most importantly, she goes, I'm looking at all these photos of you and all these big stars. Do you realize that this doesn't mean anything because you don't mean anything to yourself and you've been living this way for decades. And that broke my soul. And I started to cry and I said, yeah. And she goes, do you want the help? I said I would love it. And she reached into her pocket and she goes, do you know what this is? And she goes, last week I just celebrated five years sober. It's my five year sober coin. I could help you get the life on your wild streams. And she put me on a detox plan. It was the next night, was July 2, 2008. I was back in the city with my then wife and crawling out of my skin. Detox pains, upset stomach, nauseous. They were back in Miami. I called them, I said, I can't freaking do this. Forget it. I'm going to call the doctor to get what I really need to get. My uncle starts yelling, it's the damn disease talking. It's this immature child. It's BS behavior you got to dealing with your underlining trauma and your issues and get yourself to a 12 step meeting. And you know, she's trying to support him in the background. I said, I can't do it, forget it. I hung up the phone, ran in the bathroom, locked the door. My then wife is banging on the door, stoically crying, think I'm going to overdose. I'm going through all the medicine cabinets, got looking for the non narcotic anxiety pill she told me I could take to help with the cravings. And out camera two, Vicodins, extra shrimp. Vicodin to one of the bottles and it was three opiates obviously to Vicodin, Percocet, Oxycontin. But the crazy thing was we spent like an hour the night before cleaning out all the medicine cabinets to make sure there was no temptation in the house. So this, in that moment, just for that split second, I remember thinking, wow, what a gift. I thought that was the God shot. But then I wanted to live more than I wanted to die in the first time of my life. I fell to my knees with the Vicodin in his hand. Then I screamed out to God. Take the money, take the business, take the notoriety. If you can give me a single day of freedom and take me out of hell, I promise I'll help take other people out of hell one day at a time. And it was a white light moment that my life in the bathroom in the Carillon building changed forever. Because I had a burning sensation on their shoulder and I'm deaf on my left ear. I wear a cochlear implant once in a while. I don't have it in now, but I heard in my guitar, I heard a voice say, I've got you and you're ready. And I stood up, I flushed the pills, went into the computer, started googling 12 step recovery meetings. Found one in a church 30 minutes later in the upper 80s, went downstairs, flagged a tax. There was no Uber back then in 2008. And I'm in this cab on this gorgeous Summer Night of July 2, 2008 Night and looking up, oh my God, what the hell just happened? For the first time in my life, I wanted to stay super mother. I wanted to get high. And I walked into this church basement not knowing what to expect. There's about 150 to 200 people, all addicts and alcoholics who are once of a hopeless state of mind. And the leader sitters, anybody knew anybody coming back, anyone sick and suffering. And I believe God raised my hand because it went up with no problem. I said, I'm sick, I'm suffering, I'm suicidal. I don't want to live anymore. I need your guys help. I said, I've got so much to live for. But I don't care about it anymore because my drug addiction and substance abuse issue has gotten so bad. And I felt a part of something in that hour, especially immediately after saying that, that I never felt before. I had a bunch of grown men that walked over to me and they hugged me and they told me things like, we got you. We know what you're feeling. We've all been there, Stick with the winners. It's easier to stay here, Darren, than it is to come back. I learned about the five A's. Attitude, adjustment, accountability, action and acceptance. And then the words that just blew me away were a couple of them came over and put their arms around me and they said, we're going to love you before you ever learn how to love yourself. And what I thought at that moment when I was on my knees was the worst day of my life. Sooner than later. Turned out to be my very best when.
- [35:35]
Interviewer
When you go through. Because when you started doing drugs, you were like 14 years old.
- [35:41]
Darren Prince
Yeah.
- [35:42]
Interviewer
What age are you now at this?
- [35:44]
Darren Prince
When I got Sober, I was 38.
- [35:45]
Interviewer
38. So from 14 to 38, so basically your whole adult life you had something that was masking and covering after that long. For somebody that is going through this because it seems like you've probably been living in this state for longer than most people. I think that most people who have been in this state of drugs and depression, it's sad to say they probably don't make it.
- [36:15]
Darren Prince
They don't make it that long. No.
- [36:17]
Interviewer
So from somebody who's gone through it and lived through it and has learned to love himself and learn to reshape your identity, which you never had for the first 38 really years of your life, this program is one step. But what are some other things that you had to do outside of just going to this program that really allowed you to be successful and not go back?
- [36:40]
Darren Prince
12 step recovery meetings are great. You know, it teaches you about the 12 steps. And if you, if you Google the 12 steps, if you're not familiar with it, only the first step talks about alcohol or drugs. There are steps for living. Every single human can understand and appreciate the 12 steps. But for me, I wanted to be, I wanted to be so uncommon in the recovery world. Amongst the uncommon. I always wanted to be different and I always, I don't want to just do the program, the fellowship, like it's changed my life, it saved my life. But one of the steps is continue to take your own personal inventory when you're wrong. Promptly admitted it, promptly admit it. And that's the tenth step. And I'm like. But I don't want to have to keep promptly admitting for doing the same thing. I'm going to get to the root cause of that problem. I want to get back, going to my subconscious. So you know my boy John Avino, he's my trainer, nutrition, he's a master NLP practitioner, done a lot of NLP neuro linguistic programming over the years. Some really deep life changing sessions. I've got my by lingerie. That's been my meditation life coach that, you know, wrecking and all that like sound frequency and really taking me back into, you know, my inner child. Talking to myself and talking to moments with my mom or certain people to clear out that sense of forgiveness. And every single day starts with deep breath work meditation. He actually customizes a lot for me based on where I'm at in my life and bringing certain moments from the past into where I'M at now to like get even different layers of healing. Then there's so much biohacking that I do for myself. You know, when I talk about this stuff, sometimes people are like, well it's so expensive. Like no, it's really not. Like you can get a cheap grounding mat, you can take a cold shower, you could put your face into an ice bucket like my fiance. Nuts. It does every single morning to stimulate yourself, get those brain waves going. Go on a hike. You could drink more water instead of soda and, and, and crap. You know, you can learn to pray more. You can go to church, you can find, you can go to temple, you could go online and start watching on YouTube all the incredible people in the world that are giving you these gems from, you know, Chase Shetty and is a good friend of mine and Lewis House and Tony Robbins and you like you guys are giving them the tools. There is no excuse anymore. Like no matter how dark it gets. I've seen situations a million times worse than mine. You know, I found that the real self esteem for me, slowly but surely once a day became a month, a month became a year, was to give this gift away to help other people. So always living at a certain frequency, self esteem has been built by doing esteemable acts. And then you know, I've been able to, I told you earlier on my mom's one year passing of her unveiling yesterday, bro, to go there with such gratitude and see her and my dad's plot, of course there's emotions but dad got me eight and a half years sober. Mom had me for 16 and a half years sober. Hulk Hogan passed away three months ago. Dear friend and client, dear friend, our God loving connection and what we've been through with each other. And he's seen me from the lowest of low to the highest of highs. I sent him a beautiful blessing to have dinner with Nick, his son who I've known since he was a little kid in New York City. Two nights ago I was with Magic after the parade, two hours after the parade. I mean everything with my clients, the business part is so secondary now. And these are the most successful people in the world. I just got a multibillion dollar empire. Like you know, times I've been around Mark Cuban and you know, Jeannie Boss who just sold the Lakers, money never comes up, you know, so that, so when you're watching the people that are triggering, oh that's the life that I want. Or find out why you want it first identify is there, you know something from that external Scent. Because no matter how many regular, everyday, super mega wealthy people I know, they don't have the wealth of those names that I just mentioned. And those people are never posting yachts and never posting jets and never posting jewelry and never posting their flex. Why? Because they're whole within them. And it's easy to say, oh, well, they're all fin. No, they've all had their challenges, but they've risen above it. And they get more joy out of giving. They get more joy out of doing all their philanthropic work. They get more joy as seeing other people succeed because they in their own way have done the work on themselves. So famous or not, like, I just think every single person has it in them and I think, think all the tools are out there no matter what you're struggling with. My biggest blessing, as you know, because I know you've done enough reading and watching my interviews, is that I have my Aiming high Foundation. My 501C3 has been just, oh my God, man, the dopamine high that I get. But I'm able to get a call from a family member when somebody comes home from a treatment center or a family, you know, gets their mother back, their father back, whatever it might be, it's. It's unexplainable. I mean, I'll take that, you know, any day of the week over a multimillion dollar business deal because that's purpose, that's wealth, you know, that's changing lives and creating legacy for a mother, a father, the children. And you know, that just was one of the greatest things that I started, the Aiming High foundation. Because I knew when I was doing a lot of speaking, when my book came out, that there was people that had those white light moments. And all I could do is kind of be a voice, but I had no sort of white out. So I'd say, well, you should go to rehab. But I was like, I know enough people, I've got enough wealth in my wheelhouse that I guarantee if I start this, I could start getting some great contributions to donate a hundred of the proceeds to scholarship people. And I want to be there when the lights are turned on. Because you always get that. You only get that small moment to make an impact. And I want to be that guy that says, good, you ready to go and pack a bag? Because I'm calling my office now. Administration at this center over here, they're going to get on the phone with you an hour. We're checking you in in a few hours. I'm taking care of everything, every expense.
- [43:21]
Interviewer
I'm just wondering if you have an idea about. Because I know that this, I know that this moment in your life, it reshaped your, your relationship with money, wealth, success, all of it. This is what reshaped everything. It was like a, it was like a, a wake up call, right? Why do you think people get so, get success in wealth? The, the, the, the things that they try and pursue, why do they get it so wrong? Like how do we end up pursuing these things that really don't even serve us, that don't make us happy, that don't make us fulfilled? Because there's a different. I don't, I just don't understand how you answer. What's the answer?
- [44:03]
Darren Prince
I was with Gary V. A couple weeks ago at the same keynote event that I booked a bunch of clients. And he always says it because most people care too much about what other people think. And the ones that make and want to live in that frequency and like, oh, I'm showing you this, or showing this so all things are possible. No, no you're not. Because even if you're worth a few hundred million, I know plenty of people that you're extremely poor next to and they're not doing that. You're doing this because you got a lot of unresolved trauma, Mr. Mrs. So and so. And you want to flex from all the failure, from all the being made fun of the bankruptcy, whatever might have been because you didn't work on you, because a person that's in a healed frequency, it's okay to do that. I'm not saying don't post a vacation. Everyone are proud that you just bought this new home, but live in a vibration of what that wealth has now done. You know, show individuals whose lives that you've impacted that's the content that should be put out there. Not that, you know, a lot of mega wealthy people want recognition for the contributions what they're doing. But you know what, those are the stories that need to be published more. And especially like I said, some of these elite entrepreneurs, these everyday people that want to be insta famous because they're not fulfilled with all their wealth. You know, don't just sit here and make it like you're doing all that to show people all things are possible. Give them a handbook, start your own charity where people can send in applications that they need real mentorship from you. Or how about this, how about a hand pick a dozen people that fill applications that actually have real businesses that might have a shot that you invest in and finance become their Advisor, their partner. Those are the stories we need. That's somebody that the people that live in that frequency, because I've seen enough, they're healed, they get where real wealth is. We're blessed with real wealth and abundance so we can pay for it to other people. I have so much happening in my businesses right now. It is mind blowing. And it's because, number one, I don't have the relationship with money that I used to. And Newts will tell you because, you know, we're engaged. She's not only a client. I do nothing for me. I don't care. I need a couple vacations a year. You know, if I go shopping, it's for sneakers, Adidas and Nike sweatpants and some T shirts, all that stuff. I've lived it. I know it does make me happy. I love blessing other people. I love blessing my girls in my office in California and my people back in New Jersey and just putting smiles on other people's faces. And that just continues to deepen and strengthen that self esteem. Paying a forward others.
- [47:01]
Interviewer
It's so interesting how when you serve people, the money comes anyway.
- [47:06]
Darren Prince
Dan Fleischman and I spoke a couple days ago. I know you've had him and we had this conversation two days ago because, dude, there's nothing better. We even go deeper, talk about like our exes, like, like we had this conversation about. I'm like, I don't hold the grudge against anybody. If somebody didn't work even on a relationship with one and they've needed my help from time to time, they will all tell you I'm the one they call. That's not a simp. That's a good human that knows that if it didn't end, obviously catastrophically. I mean, there's certain ways, certain relationships end that I don't fully agree with it depending on the situation. But somebody's a good person and you just had a situation in time or whatever it might be. I don't ever see an issue with an ex boyfriend or girlfriend helping each other, guiding each other, advice for each other, you know, you know how to get ahead financially. Like, you know, you got to let your past make you better, not bitter. And I think there's a big misconception on that too.
- [48:03]
Scott Clary
Indeed is a success story, partner. Now, if you're hiring, indeed is all you need. Let me give you an example. If I needed to hire a new editor for this show, I'd go to indeed and be super specific, not just can you edit audio. I'd say I need someone who's edited a conversational podcast for at least three years, gets our style and knows our software. Someone who's done this before. And here's the thing with Indeed Sponsored Jobs, I'd get people who fit that description. I'm not digging through resumes from people who've edited one YouTube video. I'm getting actual podcast editors who know what they're doing. People who've worked on shows like ours and can prove it. That's what makes a difference. You get people who actually are what you're looking for. According to Indeed data, Sponsored jobs posted directly on indeed are 90% more likely to report a higher than non sponsored jobs. And people are finding quality hires right now. In the minute that I've been speaking to you, companies like yours have made 27 hires on Indeed. According to Indeed Data Worldwide. Spend more time interviewing candidates who check all the boxes. Less stress, less time, and more results. Now with Indeed Sponsored Jobs and listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsored job credit to help you get your job the premium status it deserves@ Indeed.com Clary just go to Indeed.com Clary right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Indeed.com Clary terms and conditions apply. Hiring do it the Right way with indeed, HubSpot is a success story. Partner now look, if you're in marketing right now, or if you're an entrepreneur who's hired marketers, or if you're a founder who leads a whole marketing team.
- [49:27]
Interviewer
You know the drill.
- [49:27]
Scott Clary
You are creating content for 12 different channels. You're launching campaigns, you're scoring leads, you're analyzing all the data and somewhere in there you're actually supposed to do great marketing. And it's exhausting and you're spread too thin. But this is what actually works for marketers to give you your life and your time back. HubSpot's marketing hub HubSpot's content hubs hub combined with their new AI called Breeze. Now what this actually does is basically everything that you shouldn't have to do yourself. It remixes your content instantly so you're not starting from scratch every single time. It handles lead scoring so you know exactly who to focus on, which customers will probably convert. And it pulls all your analytics and your data and KPIs into one place instead of having them scattered across 15 different tabs and tools. Plus plus, the AI agents that HubSpot builds for you can automate the repetitive stuff that's eating away your day. Bottom line, you get better results faster without burning out See, with HubSpot, everything's connected in one platform instead of duct taped together.
- [50:27]
Interviewer
So if you're tired of being spread.
- [50:28]
Scott Clary
Too thin, check out HubSpot.com marketers to see how this actually works.
- [50:33]
Interviewer
I just wish that more people would just when they're trying to live and be successful and sort of achieve their purpose. Purpose. If they just focused on giving everything that they've learned to the world, like teaching the world what they've learned or just helping the world, giving value to the world. The money comes anyways. The money always comes anyways. The money always come. Like there's never anybody who's like, I've given non stop value to the world my entire life and I ended up.
- [50:59]
Darren Prince
Going back to me. I can't pay my bills. I've never heard it.
- [51:02]
Interviewer
It doesn't exist. It just doesn't exist. And I just wish people would, would. It seems like this whole hustle culture, the people you're, you know, talking about on Instagram where they're posting their yachts and, and it seems like they're just trying to extract as much value from the world, like, let me just take as much as I can from the world. That's the wrong way to think about business, entrepreneurship, living. And like even, you know, you were making money and you were, you were, you were doing good work, but you were just like, like you weren't living the right way. You weren't living the right way. How do I say, how do I serve myself?
- [51:38]
Darren Prince
Myself.
- [51:39]
Interviewer
And that's what happened. Now on the other side of this, when you are healing and when you are looking at wealth and success in a completely different light, like people have to understand it's not like you're not making money anymore at all, at all, at all. It just means you are doing it in a way that is serving yourself, serving the world. You're not self destructive. You don't have a, there's no limit now on your life anymore because the way you make money and the way you build a business and the way you sort of put yourself out into the world, yeah, it's, it's a, it's, yeah, there's a business component to it, but also you're not going to die of an overdose or kill yourself or God forbid, do something that's illegal or wrong or immoral just because of the way that you operate.
- [52:25]
Scott Clary
Great.
- [52:26]
Darren Prince
Out of the hundreds of entries I've done, you're the first person to ever put it out that way. And I never thought about it, but I've Done a lot of interviews and TV and talk shows and been on Q and A panels. And people actually asked me, am I still an agent? Because my passion is so much. But just like you said, no, that hasn't stopped. Like, my week was crazy. And I'm not. None of this is to name drop, but reality was magic on Monday. Had Larry Bird do something in Naples yesterday. Like, we're around all the guys. Charlie Sheen's got to do something tonight in New Jersey. We're very blessed to have the talent that we have. I just choose not to talk about it all the time, you know, people to maybe be a little bit more intrigued by my story. Like, to hear some of those stories. And like I've said, Goggins is speaking tomorrow night, but that's not what gets me fired up.
- [53:21]
Interviewer
It's not your identity anymore.
- [53:22]
Darren Prince
No, I'm talking about. I'm talking about not to name drop. I'm talking about it because it's real.
- [53:27]
Interviewer
Like, yeah, yeah, yeah.
- [53:28]
Darren Prince
This is what the schedule this week was. I told you before we went on camera what the week was like. The one that was the most emotional was going to do my mom's one year unveiling yesterday at the cemetery. I told you. And the fact that I had such gratitude as heartbreaking it is to see her and my dad together on the same different plots next to each other. What a blessing that dad had me sober for eight and a half years and mom had me for 16 and a half. That means more than any of the other stuff that's happening this week.
- [53:54]
Scott Clary
I know.
- [53:55]
Interviewer
No, and it's. Again, it's because, like, your identity is no longer just money, right? Your identity is service.
- [54:00]
Darren Prince
Or the celebrity life.
- [54:01]
Interviewer
Or the celebrity life. There's a few words that you said, like a few quotes that I really, really like. One of them. I want you to tell me exactly what it means, because I think it'll.
- [54:10]
Scott Clary
Mean a lot for people that are.
- [54:11]
Interviewer
Going through a very hard time in their life or they're addicted to something and keep it. When I say addicted to something, it could be addicted to work, it could be addicted to drugs. It could be addicted to a variety of different things.
- [54:22]
Darren Prince
Gambling, food, shopping, any addiction working out.
- [54:26]
Interviewer
And this is a whole other idea, Patrick. Ben David first said this idea, and it actually, really resonated. So if people don't believe in. This is not like a spiritual religious podcast. But I think this is a valid point. If people don't. If people don't have a God in their life in a traditional sense, In a healthy sense, then they replace God with some other version of God and they worship something else and worshiping something else, idolizing something else again, food, women, gambling, work, whatever it is, idolizing any of these things, it's against, again, self serving and highly destructive. So you cannot idolize anything that just benefits you. Like your goal in life should be to give value, idolize nothing, and just pursue giving value to the world. And then all the other stuff will come back to you in the meantime. But you mentioned something about addiction. And then I think addiction is the same as idolizing, is the same as unhealthy obsession, is the same as replacing traditional God with, with worshiping some other part of your life. But you said the opposite of addiction is connection. Explain to me what that means from somebody who is worshiping something they shouldn't be worshiping.
- [55:34]
Darren Prince
So ironically, I don't know if you watched my Chase Shetty interview, but that, that's the one that blew him away the most. He's like, oh, it's that powerful. You know, it's the truth. It's a disconnect. You know, addiction is, you know, when you literally have a disconnect up here. So when you get back dialed back into a power greater than herself, a God of your understanding and anything in life, we could take that power back. Because when you're in an addictive state of anything, the biggest struggle is the lack of power. So when you could take that back and stay in your truth, no matter how the healing has to take place, the support group, whatever that might be, the individuals, the meditation, the prayer, the religious centers, churches, temples, who you would go to, you're now surrounding yourself, a vibration of a connection, of people that understand that connectivity and what's needed to stay on that path. Because five meetings I can miss here and there. It's not the end of the world. But I just feel like a better person when I get to them. Because I often say, like I've said in many interviews, I want to be the highest vibrating spiritual being that I could be. I want to say what I mean, mean what I say and not say it. Mean in the heat of an argument dealing with other earth people, I don't want to engage. I'd rather just feel all right than right, even if I know I'm right. Yeah, just let it go. Because for any of your listeners, the minute you engage and the minute you, you give back that energy, I didn't even care if you win that day. You've lost because your day's off. You know, you've now put yourself into a bad, bad energy space, and it's just so bad, you know, that's why you're just being kind and being in service and knowing what our character flaws are, you know, like, look, we're not doormats. I understand. We're human beings every once in a while. But it's also, as our parents, you say when you're. It's not what you say, it's how you say it. That's why I choose to say what I mean mean when I say. And I'm saying me now, of course, my human. Well, occasionally my sober sponsor, Steve. He's like my big spiritual brother, you know, you say he still tells me this, day one, tonight, because remember what I told you? If you snap and it happens and you don't feel bad, he goes, that's. When you're not a doormat, occasionally you just got to put people into their place. He goes, but it's the tone. It's the way you do it. You don't need to go like psychotic, but you do it to the point.
- [58:20]
Interviewer
Where, yeah, you protect your energy. You protect it. And this is also why the people you surround. A couple thoughts just on this topic. But the people you surround yourself with are so damn important because those are the people that give you the right energy, encourage the right behaviors.
- [58:34]
Darren Prince
This is not the biggest components of drug addiction. Alcoholism, right at the top. People, places and things. The people you hang with, the places you go and the things that you do will determine your recovery or the quality of your recovery more than anything you ever do.
- [58:50]
Scott Clary
Gusto is a success story, partner. Now, look, I talk to business owners every single day, and you know what I hear constantly, Scott, I love running my business business, but I hate dealing with payroll. And I get it. Nobody starts a company because they're excited about calculating tax withholdings and benefits administration. That's exactly why I use Gusto myself. And the smartest business owners use it as well. Gusto is online payroll and benefit software built for small business. It's all in one remote, friendly, and.
- [59:14]
Interviewer
Incredibly easy to use, so you can.
- [59:16]
Scott Clary
Pay, hire, onboard, and support your team from anywhere. Now, here's what sold me. Unlimited payroll runs for one monthly price. No surprises, no hidden fees. When you need to run that extra payroll, and when you hit a tough HR situation, and trust me, you will, you get direct access to actual certified HR experts, not a chatbot. Real people who know what they're talking about. Plus, they're the number one payroll software according to G2 for fall of 2025 and over 400, 000 small businesses already. Trust them. Try Gusto today@gusto.com success story and get three months free when you run your first payroll. That's three months free payroll@gusto.com success Story. Rula is a success story partner. Now look, mental health is something I take very seriously, and not just for myself, but for my team and everyone who's building something meaningful.
- [60:01]
Interviewer
It's hard.
- [60:01]
Scott Clary
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- [61:29]
Interviewer
And on the inverse, you know, look at the other side of that. That can also be the reason why you do get addicted or. And I actually think this is why isolation is so dangerous. And we are more isolated than ever before after Covid.
- [61:43]
Darren Prince
Covid.
- [61:44]
Interviewer
So if we're sitting at home and we don't have a good community, people around us and all of our input is social media and Twitter and argument and anger and animosity, that fuels addiction, that fuels bad behavior. And I think that the first one of the first step, one of the many steps and you sort of just said this but is to get yourself into environments that are healthy. Get yourself out of your own head head and get yourself around people that can hold you accountable and lift you up 100.
- [62:14]
Darren Prince
I mean the isolation. Look, I, I need to even this morning on my, on my grounding mat with me, it was my grounding. I was. My hydrogen water was meditation. I gotta work out and you know, eat clean, everything I have to do. Because like here's the thing, like healing is an ongoing journey. You're never fully healed. I choose to say I'm recovered from, you know, drug addiction because I do basically what I knew every, every single day to stay in that recovery frequency. I. I disconnect for a week or two. Trust me, I know this is not a lifetime cure. I know it's a one day at a time. I love getting high. I'm going to sit here and tell you seven day after you. I love being high and isolating. I just can't do it successfully. That's what most real addicts that are on the path of sobriety understand. So without that connection of individuals that know what that's like, you don't stand a chance. But it's not just in drugs and alcohol. Like I said, it's whatever your addiction or your character flaws, it find that group online, whatever it might be, read those books to strengthen that connection. Be around people that understand exactly what it is that you're going through. And especially ones that have more experience at it. It go into the good side, crossing over. Because you will, you'll take from them. And you're helping them too, because you're going to remind them about what it was like a little bit early on, whether it was a shopping addiction, food addiction, sex addiction, gambling addiction. So many problems out there.
- [63:48]
Interviewer
And helping others, I assume helps you.
- [63:51]
Darren Prince
That's number one. It's number one. I've unfortunately seen people all fail and die. I mean I scholarship the guy during COVID and the wife, well, the ex wife, he did. She took. She got the kids away from him and she called me. We actually grew up in the same town. And I spoke to the guy and call went great. And Brandon Novak, one of my spiritual recovery brothers from Jackass, he got on the phone with the guy too. And we were super pumped. And the guy's like, thank you for this. I'm going to the treatment center for not tomorrow left me a message and I just went into that week and man, I did God's work again. Thank you God. And That Monday morning, the woman called me, and I could tell something's wrong in her voice. And he left the center at Sunday night, and they found him dead in the park. And it just set in at that time where I was like, I'm truly part of his fellowship. Where as terrible as it sounds, that we need to see people fail and die so I can live. So we can live to understand that this is life and death. Like, there's people. We're losing more lives from drug addiction and substance use and mental health than anything, anything. And I need to be on my A game every single day to make sure that I don't take a step backwards, you know? And that opposite addiction is connection. The connection is everything for me to stay in that vibration.
- [65:27]
Interviewer
What is that? What is that necklace you wear?
- [65:29]
Darren Prince
This is for people. This is the insignia for the famous. At this point, I'm gonna have to break anonymity. This is Alcoholics Anonymous. Na. They basically, you know, this was the insignia June 10th of 1935, when the 12 step fellowship was formed. And, you know, certain old timers, I apologize to disrespect, but I live in a different way. I like people to ask what it is, because even yesterday at my mom's, we had a lunch for 30 people celebrating my mom. And one of the waiters came over to me and he said, man, I'm in recovery too. He goes, how much time do you have? And I was like 17 and a half years. He goes, Man, I got seven. And we had a meeting for, like 15 minutes with each other. It's the greatest thing in the world. Here I'm after dealing with the emotions of seeing my mom and my dad trying to stay in gratitude, and I see this young waiter, and we're in the corner of the restaurant talking about 15 minutes about. And so I proudly wear this because it's. It's why you have me here.
- [66:33]
Interviewer
I also think that people underestimate how much of an impact they have on other people just by living a good life.
- [66:40]
Scott Clary
Life.
- [66:41]
Interviewer
I don't think the average person understands that people are always watching and they're always looking, and they're always wondering. Not wondering. They're always saying, okay, so can I look up to this person? What have they accomplished? And you can be a role model in someone's life without ever knowing it. Like, even.
- [66:59]
Scott Clary
Even.
- [67:00]
Interviewer
Like, even the fact that you wear this and that waiter comes up to you, like, that 15 minute conversation could have had such exchange numbers.
- [67:07]
Darren Prince
Because I'd love to stay in touch with you.
- [67:09]
Interviewer
You never know what someone else is going through. Like, I just w. People would be less selfish about life in general, because if you realize that it's not just your life that you impact when you make stupid decisions or you're an. Or you regress or you take something or treat somebody a certain way, or it's like there's ripple effects to every single action, and there could be somebody who looks up to you, who. Their worldview is just shattered because you did something that you shouldn't have done done.
- [67:40]
Darren Prince
Yep, I know. And we've seen that, unfortunately, people that are very highly respected and highly regarded, you know, and it's like, I. I truly got to this place that. I've said it before in interviews, my boy Omar. I said, I think on some other ones that, like, I don't care about the money anymore. And I think that's why it manifests. Like, I care about my purpose. And it's like, if I lost the business and. And the world turns upside down financially and I lost the money and couldn't live where I live and drive the car that I drive, it doesn't change me. I move into a little studio, like this beautiful podcast studio, and I'm good because I found me. I'll figure life out. I know enough people out there that Darren Prince is going to be okay because I found what matters the most. And. And it's an unbelievable feeling of, like, a superpower to live that authentic and that transparent and share it with people in an effort to help so many that need to hear it and that are suffering.
- [68:44]
Interviewer
You speak at high schools. You speak to kids. You mentioned that you really enjoy doing this. What scares you the most about a younger generation right now?
- [68:51]
Darren Prince
Well, what's out there? I didn't have fentanyl. I didn't have some of the stuff that.
- [68:54]
Interviewer
Oh, just the access.
- [68:56]
Darren Prince
It's very scary what's out there with them and the access to it. It's like, beyond. I mean, I've been not. I'm not a parent yet. Let's see what happens is, obviously newts and I talk about it once we get married, but it's scary. And you have kids, right? No, not yet. Oh, not yet.
- [69:16]
Interviewer
Okay, that's next for us. I'm scared, too. I am scared about, like, I want. I. I'm gonna have kids. I want kids for sure. But I'm. I'm scared.
- [69:23]
Darren Prince
Yeah, it's a scary situation because, I mean, they're always curious. Everybody's curious. Growing up and getting in with the clicks and Certain groups of friends. And you don't want to sometimes that, that peer pressure. You don't want to kind of feel like you don't want to put yourself around an environment I know very well to do. Younger kids that did fine, that never fell down that road, but they understood that you kind of, you're meeting people, you're experimenting. But nowadays it's so scary what's out there. I mean, I hear so many stories of somebody just one time trying something and the parents lost their child.
- [70:04]
Interviewer
This is actually, this is not an issue that plagues a certain demographic. Like, I know very, very wealthy, I know very wealthy families, some good friends of ours that have lost their kids. It happens actually, quite a bit in la. It's just, and it's not even addiction at this point. It's like party drugs.
- [70:26]
Darren Prince
Exactly.
- [70:27]
Interviewer
That end up killing people.
- [70:28]
Darren Prince
Yep.
- [70:29]
Interviewer
So, you know, I think one night, that's what I said, one night.
- [70:32]
Darren Prince
It'll be one night. A drink, something was in the drink, a pill, having no idea what was in it.
- [70:38]
Interviewer
Or you think you're taking something and it turns out to be something else.
- [70:40]
Darren Prince
Yeah, well, I mean, so much is being like this fentanyl now, man. They're putting it. I, I don't understand that. The philosophy that I was like, like, if, if I even at the mindset of being a drug deal, why are you putting something in something that's going to kill somebody?
- [70:55]
Interviewer
I don't get it.
- [70:56]
Darren Prince
I don't understand make any sense. Like, is it like I'm, it's not meant to kill everybody? Or like some people be like, just get high off it and feel good and wake up the next day, like, don't they? Like, I, I don't understand this. It's happening too much.
- [71:08]
Interviewer
Outside of fentanyl, what would be your, I mean, that's obviously the other concerns. The other concerns? Yeah.
- [71:16]
Darren Prince
I, I, I think they're way too caught up with success.
- [71:21]
Interviewer
So pursuing this Instagram version, Hustle culture.
- [71:24]
Darren Prince
Yacht, and just in general, I don't think I was at the White House three times during President Trump's first terminal. Probably out there again. Love him or hate him, I have a relationship with them from the Celebrity Apprentice days, and his family's great. They've always been Donald's, always President Trump's always been a supporter to my charities and rehab stuff. And I got to get time with Kellyanne Conway and Governor Christie, and I told them, I was like, if you guys want to really help the mental health crisis and, you know, suicide and everything going on with this younger generation. Why don't you start implementing in every grammar in high school a self development course. If you start bringing in teachers that can teach them about self development and self love. Now you have the nerds, the geeks, the jocks, whatever group everybody wants to go. They're all in the same room together and they can all throw out there the way that they're feeling and they can all be one. And now there's not any more bullying and teasing because everybody's experienced something. Part of the class would be, you have to live in full disclosure in this classroom, or guess what? You're not getting to the next grade. That's what this is about. This is about. So you're ready to leave here and you take the next step to college. And then the real world, you're going to look back at this course in this class that you've talked for six months, whatever it might be, and say, this is most impactful class you ever took in your educational years. But they don't do it.
- [72:52]
Interviewer
No, I know. I mean, I, I, we could do a whole podcast on things that I think are incorrect and wrong about, like education and what they teach versus what they don't teach. I love that.
- [73:01]
Darren Prince
I don't. Everybody says it's an amazing idea. They loved it. But I don't, I don't regret it because I wouldn't be standing here with, sitting here with you today. But what a game changer it would be that, like when I think back now, like if I had that at 14, think about your insecurities and things gone. How cool would that be, man? Like in what a way to like, break bread and for everybody.
- [73:22]
Interviewer
Yeah. Because then it just makes psychologically a healthier adult.
- [73:26]
Darren Prince
Yeah.
- [73:27]
Interviewer
Because again, most of the, that you were talking about at the beginning, like why, why people pursue money or drugs or anything, is because of some version of early childhood trauma that is implanted into your subconscious. And trauma doesn't have to be like.
- [73:45]
Darren Prince
It doesn't have to be bad.
- [73:47]
Interviewer
No, it doesn't have to be like your parents were fighting and.
- [73:49]
Darren Prince
Exactly.
- [73:49]
Interviewer
No, it could be. Well, your parents had ideas about what money is and isn't, and they always said, well, we can't afford that. So now there's something implanted in your brain about, now I got to make.
- [73:58]
Darren Prince
More money causing insecurities, an obsessive need for sickness.
- [74:01]
Interviewer
Or it could be, well, this nurse gave me this drug one time, and I felt at a young, very young age when my brain isn't even fully, I Don't think your brain's developed at 14, God forbid. No, it's not even developed till much later. So now you're just associating drugs with. Okay, now I have a better, you know, I have more confidence and I have an easier time making friends. So that's, that's a memory that's implanted in your brain. And you have all these memories that are implanted in your brain when you're just developing, helping. And that does not leave you. Maybe you don't think about it every single day, but that is in your subconscious until you die. Unless you get it out, talk about it, bring it to the forefront. And that's why a lot of people are 30, 40, 50, or why can't I have a relationship? Why do I work, you know, 100 hours a week and make money when my wife or my husband and doesn't even care about the money that I make? Why do I have such a poor relationship with my parents, my kid, what. All of this is from a young.
- [75:04]
Darren Prince
Age, but there's ways to bring it out into the surface.
- [75:08]
Interviewer
You just had to, you were forced to bring it out into the surface.
- [75:10]
Scott Clary
Or else you would have died a hundred percent.
- [75:12]
Darren Prince
But when I did, I did Bradley a couple of times, my boy. I was maybe early this year, I think I did again. I was talking about the biohacking. I even do like frequency. My boy Brian has this incredible center in Westlake Village, California called Sports iq. And bro, it's next level stuff. They can measure your, your emotions with it and they could actually work on that. So, like, it's mind blowing to me that, like when you're literally in that place, like, listen to us, like there's ways out there that you could watch this interview right now because of Scott's brilliant platform and there's hope for everybody if you're in that dark place, like it's all out there now and it's affordable and some. It's free.
- [75:57]
Interviewer
Well, this is all free, you know, on YouTube, Apple and Spotify and it's all free.
- [76:03]
Darren Prince
Yours is. But like I'm saying some of like the biohacking stuff and you know, Gary Bracket got me set up a 10x and he was there. Like, I understand some of the, some of that cost, but there's so much that doesn't. There's so many quick fixes on a daily that you can, if you have an apartment and you have a shower, I don't care if it's a shitbox, your shower works. Run a cold shower for A minute first thing in the morning, watch what it does to your endorphins. Dopamine, Go for a walk around the block, take your shoes off, walk on the grass for 15 minutes. Consistently, consistently. Do start that routine for a week and read a couple good books.
- [76:40]
Interviewer
You know what I think it is? I think that the, the theme or the idea that will help the most people that I speak about a lot. It's just like ownership over your own. This is David Goggins.
- [76:52]
Scott Clary
This is.
- [76:54]
Darren Prince
I think that's the first one of the first things I said to you. It's not your mother, father, sister, brother, husband, wife, own it. It was me. It's me. No, no, no, nobody. Like when you talk about ownership, like if you would have taken that green Demeralt sleepaway cat camp, I don't think it's going to have the same effect on you that it had on me. It had it on me because I suppressed. I didn't tell the teachers what were going on. I didn't tell my parents. I chose to keep inside the way that I was feeling. So I have to own everything that I did.
- [77:25]
Interviewer
So I want to give people the opportunity to connect with you. I know your book was a while ago, but obviously if they want to get your book, they can get at Amazon, wherever you get your books. Where else should they go? Like social media?
- [77:35]
Darren Prince
Instagram is at agent underscore DPT my 501C3. The Aiming High foundation website is aiminghighfoundation.org I'm still on Facebook. Darren Prince, Los angeles. I'm on LinkedIn somewhere. But yeah, I mean, this isn't about business. Prince Marketing Group is the agency. I can care less if somebody reaches out on that. I prefer if we can get to at least one person from this interview that reaches out and says, I saw your interview with Scott and I'm struggling. They're going to find out how quickly I'll get on the phone. Not text messages. Literally will have my office set up a call and see if I could do more of God's work as an ambassador for him. For him. Saving and changing my life. Because there's nothing that means more of God, of me.
- [78:33]
Interviewer
What would be your last message to somebody who's struggling right now?
- [78:38]
Darren Prince
You know, you don't have to live this way anymore. I've been there. I. I know where you're at. And you know you can truly go through the dark and come out on the light and have a lifebound your wildest dreams. But you can't give up. And you. You have to be open to talk about it. You got to be willing to tell somebody like me or a family member, a loved one what's going on. The strength is in being vulnerable, you know, not hiding it. You know, when you're able to just come out and have that freedom of saying everything and not hiding it, the miracles start to happen.