← Unblinded with Sean Callagy
Unblinded with Sean Callagy
From Celebrity Agent to Recovery: Darren Prince’s Untold Story with Sean Callagy
01:11:41
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- [00:00]
Sean Callagy
Hulk Hogan and Magic Johnson. Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Pamela Anderson, David Goggins, Chevy Chase, the list goes on and on. And if this man that was classified in special education in the great state of New Jersey, if he could do it, why can't you?
- [00:14]
Darren Prince
I felt like Superman. I was on top of the world. I felt just as smart, just as popular, just as good looking. I never had this feeling before. My life shortened and I found that I was taking liquid Demerol. I was in sleepaway camp. 14 years old.
- [00:28]
Sean Callagy
So 14 years old, you become a successful entrepreneur. By 19, Darren Prin sells his first business for $1 million. How'd you do that?
- [00:41]
Darren Prince
My dad sat me down. He said words that changed my life forever and gave me belief. But I've noticed something with your brain, with numbers that's mesmerizing that none of them have. And we're going to tap into that so you can become a success. Muhammad starts doing the legendary font that he does start fighting the bottom lip. And he looks at Joe at the other end, he goes, gorilla. But then Joe was, like smiling at that smirk. That's when he just dropped it and he hit him with, man, we just made up back there. Am I going to have to kick your ass again for a fourth fight? And Muhammad literally starts spitting his food out. He was laughing so hard. I think Hulk was the one that humbled me. I was down in Clearwater beach, and he looks at me, he puts his on my shoulder. Good brother. These people still treat me like I'm heavily a champ of the world, and that's a blessing. I think authenticity and vulnerability is truly a superpower. You know, I'm always talking about getting to the top but never being fulfilled. And you and I got to the top, but we know how to be fulfilled. We know it's not always about being at the top. It's about getting others there.
- [01:46]
Sean Callagy
Hey, Sean Callagy here with the unblinded podcast where we help you see what you may not see, but exponentially growing. Your money, time, your magic with heart and integrity. And we have a miraculous master in the building today. And Tink Nicole Malo who's here.
- [02:08]
Narrator
Imagine a world where legends are built under the brightest light. And then imagine the rarer figure, the one those legends trust when the lights go out. A kid from New Jersey didn't just dream of greatness. He earned his way into the inner circles of icons. Muhammad Ali, Magic Johnson, Hulk Hogan. But hear this clearly. He wasn't there as a fan. He became the man they relied on. The man they trusted. The man who stood beside greatness as part of what sustained it. Because while the world saw champions, they saw Darren Prince. And that distinction is everything. Over $500 million deals, decades, representing some of the most iconic figures on the planet, and even invited to the White House to help shape the conversation around the opioid crisis. Because access like that isn't given. It's earned through character, through trust, to becoming the kind of man legend choose to keep close. And like every true icon, his path wasn't easy. He faced adversity and he rose. Today, he is more than one of the most respected agents in the world. He is a leader in recovery, a voice of truth, an author, and a force for good. Because true greatness isn't who you stand next to. It's who you become. And how many lives are better because of it. Welcome to the Sean Callaghan Blinded Podcast. A man trusted by icon, respected as their peer. The one, the only, Darren Prince.
- [03:41]
Sean Callagy
Let's see for Darren Prince, ladies and gentlemen. My brother. Do you know that guy, that guy Darren Prince that we're talking about? Like, how does that feel to be that person? And we have so much to cover today. Just want to give you a couple of headlines like the power of identity and fame recovery. Why people make choices. They do. To feel better for you. Value everywhere today with an icon, working with icons. But, my brother, how does that feel to have that be you?
- [04:10]
Darren Prince
I mean, I'm, you know, I was thinking, as she was speaking, probably, you know, 18, 19 years before I got sober would have really been a great ego boost, but the more she kept talking, it's just my gratitude towards God and the fact that, you know, he humbled me for. For the right reasons. Because, you know, I'm always talking about getting to the top but never being fulfilled. That there's a lot of people out there that live in that frequency. And you and I got to the top. But we know how to be fulfilled. We know it's not always about being at the top. It's about getting others there, taking others through the journey of life to be the best. That.
- [04:51]
Sean Callagy
Amen.
- [04:51]
Darren Prince
How to pay it forward.
- [04:53]
Sean Callagy
Amen, my brother. And for everybody, this is the first time you're listening. Like, oh, like, why? Like a hypey intro. It's not a hypey intro. It's the truth. Because. And this is like the perfect context for Darren Prince today to appreciate and understand this. The things, the wisdom, the advice that some people gave you, maybe your grandmother, grandfather, maybe your mother, father, maybe it's your child, brother, sister, aunt, uncle. It doesn't land the same way as when. It comes from people who've achieved things that feel impossible or at least aspirational for you. So these introductions are so you can understand what these people have done. But if Darren Prince stands for anything, I'd love your comments on this. It is the distinction of humility and not false modesty. He promotes some of the most impactful humans in the world, and he's one of those people himself. And also he's a humble man. But the humility doesn't change the fact that he knows who Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Hulk Hogan, David Goggins, Magic Johnson. He understands, understands and appreciates the doors their identity and accomplishments open. So more to come on that topic for today. But you're such a humble man, and you've been through a ton of your life. What does humility mean to you? And why do you believe it's so essentially foundational? Before we get to fame and impact and identity, let's talk about humility. And what does it mean to you, Darren?
- [06:11]
Darren Prince
I mean, for me, I think it's everything. I think when I fell on my knees on July 2, 2008, screamed out to God to take the notoriety, the business, the money, that all I needed was a single day of freedom. And if he takes me out of my own personal health from my opiate addiction, that I would go back into hell one day at a time and take others out. And I think there was just a shift in me in that very moment where the ego was crushed. Because I think ego comes from a place of unresolved trauma in a lot of us. I think ego comes from a place of insecurity. I think ego comes from a place of needing instant validation for some unresolved wounds that we all have. We're all healing our own way. And I think once you can get into a place of humility, you're almost bulletproof, of being, like, immune to getting wrapped into that. Look at me, look at you. Look at what I've accomplished. It's not about that.
- [07:11]
Sean Callagy
Well, so, my brother, let's take it from the beginning quickly. So, 14 years old, you become a successful entrepreneur. By 19, Darren Prin sells his first business for $1 million kid from New Jersey. And we're talking 19, late 80s. Is that tracking right? Late 80s. A million dollars then is a lot more than a million dollars today. And it'd still be an incredible accomplishment today. But how? And we're gonna put this to the prism of the Unblinded formula in a minute. But in Darren, your words, how'd you do that? Of course, hard work, of course, caring about people, being good to people. But you had to have some how to strategy involved and from your heart. How'd you do that?
- [07:57]
Darren Prince
I mean, my father was incredibly impactful in my life back then. And I had a. A moment with an intro to business teacher where giving a little bit more about my backstory. You know, I was in small classrooms growing up special ed and had a lot of anxiety and most of my friends were in the bigger classrooms. So when I got home after school, Sean, during the day it wasn't about homework. It was about immersing myself in to the Walter baseball courts. That was almost like my therapy. And I studied all the players, knew all the stats and after the century to business teacher challenged us to and create a business. I had one in my mind. I just never executed it. Everything was in shoeboxes with prices and what they were worth. And my father challenged me and said, well, he goes, who's going to buy these things? And I had a newspaper ad in the West Sister Tribune, which still exists in Livingston about a card show that was happening two weeks. Oddly enough, Stephen Simon, who you know runs Prince Market Group with me, is here with us. We've known each other since we were 10. We decided to split a table for $10 each. And I went in as if with that Sean Calligan mindset, as if I was training for the Olympics. He just wanted to come along and have fun. So I spent two weeks every single day and made over a thousand dollars on that Sunday afternoon. And that was it. The light bulb went on my dad's head. My dad sat me down. He said words that changed my life forever and gave me belief. He's like, I understand your friends. Most of them think this by their brains work with this way. But I've noticed something with your brain with numbers that's mesmerizing that none of them have. And we're going to tap into that so you could become a success. All right?
- [09:35]
Sean Callagy
So your dad had an enormous impact. He would later suggest that you write aiming high when Seoul becomes clear. We'll get to that in a little bit. So Darren, though, teachers, special ed classes, how. How was that educational model? Were there people putting limitations on you? Did you feel limited in the traditional educational model or did you have great support systems from the teachers around you? Like, what was that like in that educational model before you had this breakout entrepreneurial success?
- [10:07]
Darren Prince
That one teacher that intrude a business teacher. Elliot Lovie, to this day, is a dear friend. In fact, when my mother passed away in November of 24, and you and your team came to her funeral, the teacher was at the funeral and he was sitting, like, right behind you. I remember specifically looking at when I did the eulogy and that that's how much he impacted my life. And tells me every time they see each other that there was a point where, late teens, you wanted to become an agent. And I said, somebody has to do it. And I said, no, I'm not smart enough. I don't think I could do it. And that look. Wow.
- [10:46]
Sean Callagy
And what type of diagnoses were being thrown at you? And how were you receiving them? How was your family receiving them? Like, what was the environment around you?
- [10:59]
Darren Prince
The. The words were cruel back then. I mean, there was no social media, but obviously, idiot. I was the dumb one. I was the one that was verbally bullied. I don't think they understood what ADD was. Attention, Toughest disorder. Because my father also knows that was something I took interest in. I excelled better than anybody else. And, you know, when I look back at it, sure, not to get too much into it now, but, you know, that sort of emotional abuse from teachers, not getting the support from friends and the teachers isolating me in small classrooms, making me feel less than everybody else. That's why drugs given to play, to make me feel whole.
- [11:38]
Sean Callagy
And so because, Darren, the value of this, I would hope for some is maybe there's a 15, a 20, a 25, a 30, a 35, a 40, a 45 or 50, 55 or 60. And if you're any of those ages or in your 70s and you're sitting here and you've never come to grips with some of the trauma of classification, bullying, framing, this man did. And he created arguably the greatest reunion in sports history or American sports history, one of the greatest unions in just cultural history. And this man had many of those things that you've been told about yourself by teachers, by friends, maybe even your family. And Darren, what would you say to anybody from 15 to 75 who had some of those same traumas about their ability to get to a remarkable place and not just to move through addiction, but to actually achieve impact and success in the world, Please.
- [12:39]
Darren Prince
Yeah, I think it's never too late to change your present and change your future? You know, we're not what. We're not what our past is. Whether it was a teacher, a mother, father, sister, brother, relationship, job, career, whatever, it could have been, there's only so much that, you know, you could stare at the past. I always say, like, yesterday's history, tomorrow's a mystery, today's the present. Why we call it a gift. And it's the ones that go deep into that, you know, healing of meditation and mindset work and not pointing fingers, just owning the situation and leaving it exactly where it is to become your higher self.
- [13:21]
Sean Callagy
Yeah. And if you, in an, you know, on the title, aiming high, and obviously there's a number of different ways you're. You're referring to that, what would you say is a mindset principle foundationally for the people listening out there that have had those challenges and maybe people who haven't. If you had one mindset sentence to give to people, if you could, like, install it inside of them, what would that be?
- [13:46]
Darren Prince
One mindset sentence. I am enough. I think that's where most people doubt themselves. They don't know if they can do it. They feel a prisoner of the past. And I think just constantly repeating to yourself, you are enough. And words of affirmation are very, very powerful.
- [14:05]
Sean Callagy
And I thank you for everybody. I have a personal relationship with Darren. We do a lot together. I don't easily use the word friend. I call Darren a friend. I love him, his beautiful fiance. And the impact in the world this man creates. And the very podcast you're watching has been consistently now ranked number one, number two in Apple business podcast. It would never be here without a couple people. But Darren Prince is one of those folks. We've had Magic Johnson on this podcast, Charlie Sheen, Ralph Macchio, many others that are associated with this man and many more to come, and massive, massive gratitude. So I just want to thank you on a personal level, Darren, for everything you've done to make this what it is and the impact you've had on my life. Because while I've had the blessing and privilege of never struggling with drugs or alcohol substances, you know, you do feel like, wait, who am I to be interviewing Magic Johnson? Who am I to be sitting down now with Ralph Macchio, the Karate Kid? So we all have that struggle and challenge. And I couldn't agree more with this, brother. You are enough. Darren's enough. I'm enough. We're all enough. And we all struggle with that challenge, including some of these iconic names that we've shared a moment ago. But first, let's step into this journey that at some point, a desire to feel better comes into your life. We all have that desire. We all want to feel better. And what were some of the Choices you were making that were positive in ways to feel better. I'm sure entrepreneurship was one of them. And some of the ways that negative choices of how to feel better came into your life, Darren.
- [15:37]
Darren Prince
Well, it's a double edged sword with drugs, especially opiates, because, you know, opiates become a superpower at a certain point. Where it allowed me to feel so free and so unstoppable and so confident. Certain environments. But then when I'd be home at night or after a long trip or, you know, in my home, wherever I might have been by myself in my own head, I was back into a prison. That I had no idea how I was going to escape this cycle. I tell people often, Sean, I wasn't a bad person. I was a sick person. Always trying to get better. There was never any, like, ill will or evil to me. Even when opportunities would come my way, I always practice what magic. And my dad taught me about paying it forward and blessing everything else. I just had a lot of stuff that I had to work through until I got there.
- [16:27]
Sean Callagy
And where was the beginning? Like, what was the first choice that took you down that path?
- [16:32]
Darren Prince
So it would have been July 1, 2008. And again, I'm gonna mention Steve because he was there.
- [16:37]
Sean Callagy
No, I mean going down the path of addiction. Oh, addiction in the first place. Or even using. Like how? Yeah.
- [16:43]
Darren Prince
So as far as the using, I was in sleepaway camp, 14 years old. I had terrible stomach pains one night and the counselor took me to see the nurse. I took this green cloth syrup type of liquid and it tasted terrible. And within five minutes, every inadequacy went away. I'm walking back to the bunk. I felt like Superman. I was on top of the world. I felt just as smart, just as popular, just as good looking. I'm now the talkative one at the. At the bunk. All the guys are laughing with me. I started flirting with the girls in the bunk next to me. I never had this feeling before. My life short. So I woke up the next day, did all the activities in Seaway camp, and I learned how to lie and con. And that very next night, I healed over in the bunk because I wanted the couch to take me to the infirmary. So went on for three weeks until my mom and dad came out for visitation day and I found that I was taking liquid Demerol. Wow.
- [17:40]
Sean Callagy
So for everyone out there, I want to ask Darren this next, but we can choose different ways to feel better and feel worse. And we all want to feel more confident. We all want to feel more Included, we all want to feel stronger and more powerful, more loving, more abundant, more generous. And what I'm hearing from you, Darren, and I've never done a drug in my life. I thank God for the blessing of that. But what I'm hearing is, the great challenge is people don't know how to get that and it's so accessible in the beginning through substances. Am I hearing that correctly?
- [18:16]
Darren Prince
Absolutely, 100%. And now more than ever.
- [18:20]
Sean Callagy
And so for folks that if you can go back and talk to a 14 year old or talk to your 14 year old self, not just saying hey, like say no to drugs like Nancy Reagan style, but if we're sitting there, we do want those positive feelings. What would you suggest to people would be that pathway and what do you do now to feel better instead?
- [18:42]
Darren Prince
I think it just needs to be more of an open conversation. You know, I've definitely noticed some influencers and some prominent famous people talking about their own struggles. I think authenticity and vulnerability is truly a superpower. You know, I look at what it's done for me and the amount of people I've been able to help. I also think a quick fix for a lot of people when we're stuck in our own head and it's a vibration and frequency you and I live by is I think the more we serve other people, I think the more we get out of our own head and help lift other people up, help other organizations just get out of that noise between our two ears, it's a phenomenal fix to build up real self esteem, real self worth, real self love, peace and fulfillment.
- [19:30]
Sean Callagy
And I think we might share another really bizarre behavior that could be helpful for people. And if I'm wrong, just please tell me I'm wrong. But do I remember hearing that you were at this incredible mansion party out in the Hamptons and you might have disappeared under a table to do something. Am I remembering this correctly?
- [19:51]
Darren Prince
Yeah, yeah.
- [19:52]
Sean Callagy
And what was that something?
- [19:53]
Darren Prince
So was that with my ammo experience? Yeah, I just, I mean and I was just out of my mind. Just the behavior of what was going on. I was, you know, I think I was on stage, steroids and all, jacked up then and always wanted entertain to put the attention on me and I took my shirt off and started doing push ups, entertaining people and I mean but there were so many experiences like that, you know, and I laugh at some of my guy friends now. You remember all the great night of your lives. But anybody that's here recording a production team, when we talk about the best nights of our lives in that moment. The next day you wake up with your friends or whatever your crew was. You don't remember any of those greatest night of your lives. You cannot sit here and tell me. I remember the top five. Yeah.
- [20:41]
Sean Callagy
So do you still do push ups? Do you still not publicly venue in front of thousands taking your shirt off?
- [20:49]
Darren Prince
Yeah. Yeah.
- [20:50]
Sean Callagy
So how in. So this is so fascinating to me because when people ask me like, why don't you drink? Why don't you do drugs? And they're like, wow, you must be really disciplined. I'm like, no, no, no. I just hate feeling bad. And so I'm very present to what's gonna happen afterwards. And I just don't like that feeling. I really despise it. And I love the feeling. And I did this before we got together today. I did ellipticals, I did push ups. I'm six sets in of pushups today. Not to feel cool and to look cool, but. But to feel better. So if I could ask, doing pushups, putting endorphins in your body, for those that really have some challenges with substances, or for those that might just drink a lot of coffee or smoke a whole bunch, how does that feel comparatively? And I'm sure it's not the same thing as, you know, I don't think you have it a crack, but an opioid. There's a certain incredible high you can get. But how might the putting of endorphins into one's body be able to be. It's certainly more effective later. But how about just even the short run for feeling better? How close can you get by putting endorphins in your body to some of those feelings of confidence and strength and love and fun and humor? Any thoughts?
- [22:06]
Darren Prince
It's super important. I mean, not just in your detox phase. I had to make sure I was hitting the gym twice a day during the detox phase on top of my 12 step spiritual meetings. But. But to this day, Sean, I mean, I'm 70 and a half years sober and I'm in the gym six days a week. I'm jumping rope when I can't make it to the gym, I'm doing bodyweight, squats, push ups, sit ups, you know, whatever it is that I need to do. I think in general, anybody that's struggling with anything, mental health, wise, depression, substance abuse, what it does for your serotonin and dopamine levels, it's the greatest natural drug in the world.
- [22:45]
Sean Callagy
Yeah, I agree. And I'll just share this from my heart to anybody out There I. Darren, we're up to a lot of things in the world as many of you are listening and some of you have even more present struggles of paying the rent or paying the mortgage and meeting payroll for your business. And what I'll share from my heart around this is when I put endorphins in my body 12 times a day, micro dosing, I'll just get on the ground, do push ups. I'll be in my office. Not to make a public spectacle out of it. In fact, I don't want to do that at all, as Darren was saying. But how that feels when I'm done, I feel like I just took drugs. I've never taken drugs, but I feel like I'm high, high. That doesn't have any negative side effects. So I really give you that. That's part of how this man stays as healthy, as strong, as abundant, as masterful as he does. And that could be very practical. Do that today, 12 times a day. Go. Wait, what? Yeah, just like after every phone call, once an hour, drop on the ground, do a set of pushups for 60 seconds, do some body weight squats, as Darren said, do some crunches and see how that feels. Align brother 100%.
- [23:51]
Darren Prince
You could totally shift your brain frequency patterns just with a consistent daily routine of doing that. Even after a week, you're going to notice the difference. Your brain will actually start craving.
- [24:03]
Sean Callagy
Yeah, I feel like I feel addicted and when I don't do that, I feel bad and I feel myself reaching for something and for me it might be sugar, where I'll be reaching for more sugar. And when I put, yeah, I'll put the endorphins in my body and I'll just feel so much better. So practical takeaway. Now. Here you are. You sell your business for a million dollars. You are. How did that feel when you sold the business for a million? Where were substances in your world at 19? Like, what was life like at that moment?
- [24:34]
Darren Prince
It felt like almost that it was a long time coming because at that point I was building for five years and I knew I wanted to make a transition out of the card industry into. I already had my direction because I was noticing all these legendary athletes signing autographs at trade shows. So I wanted to dabble into that. So it was more just an excitement and reinvesting that money into growing and building something else.
- [24:58]
Sean Callagy
Very cool. And were substances yet tipping into a problem at 19?
- [25:03]
Darren Prince
They were, but I was highly functioning at that point. There wasn't really any ramifications. I would say probably till about 21, when I was arrested four times in six months.
- [25:13]
Sean Callagy
And that was for possession, is that correct?
- [25:15]
Darren Prince
Yeah, yeah.
- [25:15]
Sean Callagy
So not this shell.
- [25:16]
Narrator
Yeah.
- [25:16]
Darren Prince
Because I didn't need to sell. I was making plenty of money. It was to use and to give to my friends.
- [25:21]
Sean Callagy
Yeah.
- [25:21]
Darren Prince
I thought I was the cool kid that was buying all the drugs for everybody.
- [25:24]
Sean Callagy
Yeah. And for me, like, we could go down that road for an hour and just tell stories, and I don't really see value. So the bottom line is that Darren Prince went through an extraordinary journey, starting at 14 years old in substances and had challenges all the way through to 2008. And we'll come to that in a second. But as you're highly functioning and on the successful side of what's happening in business, how do you begin to build relationships with massive people of identity? You might call it fame. In my language, you say identity. In the world, you create these unbelievable relationships. What was that journey?
- [26:03]
Darren Prince
So the first one I went after was for a mutual friend. I knew my friend. I knew a guy named Harlan Warner was Muhammad Ali's main agent. So he was the first guy I contacted start doing with and for. And booking autograph signings for Muhammad Ali. So I went right to up.
- [26:18]
Sean Callagy
Wow.
- [26:19]
Darren Prince
From there, I'm in magic.
- [26:20]
Sean Callagy
You didn't start small.
- [26:21]
Darren Prince
Yeah.
- [26:21]
Sean Callagy
The most recognizable athlete in the history of the world.
- [26:25]
Darren Prince
Right. So. And then from there, I got introduced, you know, to magic and it went, you know, to Chevy Chase and then, you know, Pamela Anderson and smoking Joe Frasier. And so that's how the business started out. The first v uron. I developed relationships with them from a business that had nothing to do with, you know, sports and entertainment marketing. It was basically booking them in certain autograph signing appearances.
- [26:50]
Sean Callagy
Got it. And so you would bring them into an environment with these set events, or you would.
- [26:58]
Darren Prince
It was either events or they would go to a hotel conference room for a few hours and sign. And you wouldn't have.
- [27:05]
Sean Callagy
And you will be promoting that yourself.
- [27:07]
Darren Prince
Exactly. Wow.
- [27:08]
Sean Callagy
Exactly. And why did they say yes to you? I mean, weren't there other people seeking that yes from them? And to do that like so. Because I want everybody to realize this narrative, it's not that easy to call up Muhammad Ali's people and have them say yes. What was it you think about you that made people comfortable, these icons, to say yes to you at such a young age?
- [27:30]
Darren Prince
Number one. I mean, I credit my dad with a lot of the way he wanted me to behave and act around that and make it more about the person than the business. He always said, you know, that's the biggest mistake in business. Too many people care about the sales and the contacts and the dollars when we should be caring about the person. And I also think, in a way, not to pat myself too much on the back, but I think I was somewhat a visionary for that market taking off back in the early 90s. I timed it so well that it gave me such recognition for being aligned with these people. There was no Internet back then. It was all done by fax machines, marketing and running ads in a magazine called Sports Collectors Digest. So what I do is I'd run photos of all the signings. And I think it put me so far past everybody that they just said, oh, well, we got to go to Darren Prince for this person and that person, and this one's to do with signing. And that's kind of how it all happens. Wow.
- [28:30]
Sean Callagy
And so for everybody out there, a foundational principle of Unblinded and this podcast is that influence is the only human attainable superpower. And what you're hearing from Darren Prince is that thanks to his dad and the innovations that followed him along his journey, this man became a master of influence. And interestingly, and I think a master of integris influence. Because from my experience and how you built your relationship with these people is you did what you said you were going to do, and it went the way you said it was going to go. Am I hearing you correctly, Darren?
- [29:07]
Darren Prince
Yes. Until I was 25, and then I had a little bit of a setback.
- [29:13]
Sean Callagy
And that setback was so I was
- [29:15]
Darren Prince
selling from another contact. Michael Jordan was one of the other biggest athletes in the world. Some authenticated Michael Jordan product. And this forensic document expert that was retired from the FBI was being praised as the guru of authentication. I know you have collectors that watch. There was no psa. There was no Beckett back then. And after about a year or so of selling it, I'm getting investigated by the FBI. And I went from this 19, by
- [29:45]
Sean Callagy
the way, that's not fun.
- [29:45]
Darren Prince
No, I went from this 19 year old get on top of the world, more or less losing everything. But you talk about relationships. At the time of the sentencing, I got a felony charge for making a false statement to the FBI during the interview. Never went to prison. Magic, Chevy's team, Muhammad Ali and Lonnie Ali all wrote letters to the judge on my character. And I wound up getting probation. But I had it rebuilt. And that's where I have two more unbelievable stories with my dad and mystic and how that Happens I was on a fly fishing trip with my dad. The last three grand to my neighbor went to Alaska who's so pissed that I spent.
- [30:30]
Sean Callagy
So you have the last $3,000 after you sold your card business.
- [30:34]
Darren Prince
26 years old, 1996, and you've had
- [30:36]
Sean Callagy
all these massive celebrities, now you're down to your last three.
- [30:39]
Darren Prince
So this is another moment where we talk about reinvention. Let your past make you better, not bitter. Have a vision for what you want to do. And we're on this beautiful stream and my dad said to me, what's my next move? And I said, you know dad, I want to be an agent, but I don't have eight years to go to law school. He drops the fishing pole and says law school. He goes, life is a better who you know, not what you know. Any lawyer would kill to have the relationship with that. He, you can go to Joe Montana's house, you can go to Berrien Springs and see Muhammad, you can go to Mulholland Drive in Beverly Hills and see Pam and Tommy or Magic in Beverly Hills. So he goes, what I would do is next time you see Magic, tell him your vision. So Sean, true story, I've talked about it before. Three weeks later I'm with Magic in Michigan. He, we had a corporate event. I go into his hotel room so tell suite and if he was here, he would repeat the exact same words, it's 30 years ago. And I told him my vision. He said, you're a good dude, you made a mistake, I made a mistake. This was four years after his HIV announcement. And he goes, and I love your family. Who do you want to start with as your first client? And it was one of those moments. I'm literally a 26 year old kid. I got one shot to ask him, my heart's palpitating, my hands are sweating and I got up the nerve and I go, I would love it to be you, Irvin. You know, I call him I should on him and he goes, okay. He goes, I'm going to give you two years to represent me. But if you don't use me to knock down every door to bring in all the celebrities you can, I'm going to fire you for these years are up because unlike Darren, it's not. He said, I'm going to become a success they've never seen before in the world of sports and entertainment. Fast Forward is a multi million dollar brand because it's not how successful I become, it's how successful I make you and everybody else around me. So when you get there, it's your turn to bless other people. And Prince Mark Ingrid was born after that and everything changed. I went to every single client and said Magic signed on.
- [32:41]
Sean Callagy
Superpower of yes. That's what happened. He had the heart to do it, of course, but the mastery, the, the grace, the humility, the rapport with Magic Johnson and he caused. Yes. And then once he had Magic Johnson, he had the opportunity. It's still not easy. You could know incredibly famous people and have nothing happen. Many people know famous people and nothing happens. What Darren Prince became incredibly masterful at, and you can too, is once you build a relationship with the right person, it doesn't have to be a famous celebrity in the world. If you're an attorney, an accountant, a financial service provider, a local realtor, you, you're trying to get your coaching business moving, anything. Who is ecosystem famous in your world? Maybe it's a local attorney, an accountant, a financial service provider. If you're an accountant, it's an attorney. If you're an attorney, it's a financial service provider. Who is it in your world that you're a Magic Johnson? Back to you, brother. So once you had Magic, what happened from there?
- [33:40]
Darren Prince
You know, I never hired a publicist before I did. It basically wound up in all of our, the trade papers and the trade magazines that he signed with us. It made it so much easier for me, me then to go to all the other celebrities that we were looking wirecraft signing. So I'm like, look, we're starting to do a lot more bigger things now. We're going to start bringing new speaking engagements and licensing deals and commercials and, you know, all sorts of different branding opportunities and. But it's like you said, knowing these people is one thing. Like my dad would always tell me the same thing. He goes, having them as friends and associates are good, Darren, but can you actually put real projects together for them? Can you bring real opportunities? Because now you get the benefit of both. It could be a business together with your dear friends at the same time. And it took a little bit, but once I found that sweet spot, I would say within like six to eight months, it's kind of like we never look back. I mean, I think relationship capital has been sort of a strength. Before I even knew that was a term my dad was like I said, if Magic was in New York City, always make sure that you have food coming to his hotel suite from his favorite restaurant or, you know, bring him to his favorite restaurant and make sure the bathroom is blocked off so he can Go there in peace and silence and enjoy himself. And every time Joe Frazier was in town, Muhammad was in town with his wife Lonnie. You know, bring a certain food to the Essex House, whatever hotel he was at. And I think that really created a foundation, Sean, to show that I was different. Find out about their birthday, their family, their likes, their dislikes, their hobbies, where the business part was important to a degree, but it wasn't the priority.
- [35:22]
Sean Callagy
And my experience with this man, Darren Prince, and something for you to really consider as you experience this is truly loving people. So what you could mistake what you're hearing from Darren to say is, hey, do a lot of nice things that seem like you care. No, no, that's not what Darren's saying. This man cares. He loves these people. When Hulk Hogan recently passed away, Darren was devastated. Like, I heard it, felt it, saw it, as he. When he speaks of Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali, these icons who are no longer with us, the resonating power of love come from his heart and soul with these people is genuine. So what if the great opportunity, Darren, for folks out there is to find a way to truly love people? And how have you done that? Because that is very present for me that you're such a loving soul. Was it always that way when you were 14, 15, 16, 17? Did you love people or did you learn to love people?
- [36:21]
Darren Prince
I think I picked up on my dad's philosophy, but I also think I did it for a large part of my life to be accepted, out of insecurities and wanting to be validated. And then eventually I started my spiritual sober journey seven and a half years ago. It was coming from a different place. It was coming from a place of, I can do this. I can provide. I am worthy of the world that I'm in, the respect that I have now. Let me bless and put smile on other people's faces where there's absolutely no transaction whatsoever. And think back to two of our things. The Sugar Ray Leonard dinner that was completely unplanned.
- [36:57]
Sean Callagy
Yes.
- [36:58]
Darren Prince
And you said some words to me, which I'm not going to announce on the podcast because it was a little bit of a curse word that when
- [37:04]
Sean Callagy
I was like, you're a sick mother, Aphrodite. Prince, you maniac.
- [37:08]
Darren Prince
When I told you that Sugar Ray Lemon is coming to dinner, one of your favorite place, that Steve so graciously and beautifully coordinated for that event, I mean, it was unbelievable. You know, Ric Flair a couple weeks ago when I got him to FaceTime.
- [37:21]
Sean Callagy
Here's the great advice I Got from Ric Flair. Ric Flair. He said, now listen, I'm divorced four times. He goes, I'm divorced four times. This is. I'm like hearing from nature, boy. Thanks to Darren Prince and a phone call, I'm sitting by the fire in my home, like, watching a movie with my daughter, who's four and a half years old. And he's like, here's the advice now, I'm divorced four times. So you can take it from where it comes. He goes, but ask for forgiveness, not permission, and get on an airplane and come on down and hang out with me and Barrett. So. So, yes.
- [37:50]
Darren Prince
So anytime you and your crew are down in Tampa, it's done. But yeah, moments like that, that gets me so much more excited. Business is fun and great when we do it, it's nice, but you gotta. You know, the money only means so much at a certain point. It's how many people are getting blessed from experiences. You know, we saw from your event in October, how many people just lit up from who you had there because you were blessed to be able to provide value for your audience, for your team, for these people that are looking for that shot in the arm, whatever it might be, to reshift and re pivot, you know, their belief system itself and business and whatever it might be. And you understand that you can't put a price on that. It feels just. It's euphoric. Yeah.
- [38:32]
Sean Callagy
And so now from that place of euphoria, from identity, let's talk about identity. So it lands for people not emotionally, but intelligently, intellectually, strategically, with integrity. Muhammad Ali, the most iconic athlete in history. And you can't be Muhammad Ali unless you have other icons that you are embroiled with. Joe Frazier is one of those folks. And Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, two of the greatest athletes and champions in the history of American sport, and certainly in boxing. And they have this incredible rivalry. They're on two different sides of the world. Joe Frazier is representative of the right, Muhammad Ali of the left. They didn't choose that. It's how it broke out. Joe Frazier is this, you know, American for the American patriot. And Muhammad Ali becomes the progressive civil rights movement and change and disruption, anti war movement. All of these things are going on. Muhammad Ali doesn't go in the draft. 1971, they have this iconic fight. My dad was there, by the way, in 71 at Madison Square Garden. I was one and Darren and I were one the same year, just out of a fun fact, a few weeks apart. And so all this is going on. And as their Rivalry builds. Muhammad Ali, this incredible communicator, starts to move in directions that would be very pain or are very painful, are very disrespectful. And. And those that love him find it to be humorous, as we often do, for the people we love and for those that don't like him, think he's a monster, a devil, right? So this creates this massive rift in this greatest, arguably the greatest sports rivalry in American history, and certainly, I believe, in the history of boxing. And this is this rift that's there. They have three fights. Joe Frazier beats Muhammad Ali the first time. Muhammad Ali comes back and beats him the next two times. And it is the foundation of Muhammad Ali's career and Joe Frazier's career. Now, Darren gets to know these fine folks a little bit later down the line, and there is a tremendous, like, seismic rift that exists between the two of them. And can you pick it up from there? And you're rolling all of it, brother.
- [40:54]
Darren Prince
So we tried many a times to get them together. Lonnie Ali and Muhammad graciously offered to fly me, Joe, and his son Marvis out to the Ali premiere, where Will Smith starred as Ali, and they wanted us to ride in Muhammad's limo to the Hollywood premiere. Joe didn't want to do it. I mean, that's when I realized how deep the emotional wounds were. And Joe just said, prince, the only way I'm doing something with him, as if you say, on my turf in Philly. So it's about a year and a half, two years later, I got a call from Harlan. I talked to my dear friend that Brian Ali scheme that Lonnie wanted to call me, that Muhammad's in town with her for the NBA All Star weekend in Philly, and they would love Joe and you and Marvis to come by their hotel suite that night for dinner. So I'm now, like, shaking like I can't even believe this opportunity to come. This was in February 2002. And I called Joe up, and without batting an eye, no delay, no pause, he goes, all right, now call up Marvis. Let's do it. It'll be good to see him tonight. So the second part of that, Sean, is I'm still in active addiction. So I can't even believe this is happening. So I have to go back to the hotel.
- [42:07]
Sean Callagy
Can I just. Freeze frame? So Darren Prince is about to be the orchestrator of a reunion of the greatest friction in the history of sports between two of the most iconic athletes in history.
- [42:25]
Darren Prince
And he said it perfect. So I'm back In the hotel, and Marvis and Joe are heading over to get me, because then we had to go to Ali's hotel. And my best thinking was that, you know, I just. How am I even worthy of the situation right now? And the only thing I could think of doing was to get high, you know, because you're sitting there talking to me. So many people are in awe of this situation. So many people cannot believe it happened. There's photos, there's videos, there's documentary. And you see me with these two kings. Anyway, I made the best of it. And we go to Muhammad's suite, and Lonnie opens up the door, and I'm out of my mind. Like, I cannot believe this is finally here. And Joe walks over to Muhammad, who's on the couch, and he was a little bit bloated and overweight at that time in his life from not found the proper diet and the Parkinson's medication. But some moments I remember was Joe kind of lifted Ali up, and Muhammad kind of fell on Joe's shoulder as Joe locked in his back leg and literally just had tears in his eyes. Ali, as he was on Joe's shoulder, hugging him. And Lonnie looked at all of us and said, you know, Muhammad really just found real peace. Thank you for coming. Thank you for coming. And then we sat at this huge dining room table and had dinner, And Muhammad starts to. On the legendary taunt. Dido starts biting the bottom lip, and he looks at Joe at the other end. He goes, gorilla, we got to go back to. He goes, we got to go back to Manila. And Joe drops his fork and knife in his food. He goes, man, we just made up back there. I'm gonna have to kick your ass again for a fourth fight. And I'm like, there's no way I'm watching this right now. It was unbelievable to just see that they just could not help themselves. It was just in the fabric of their DNA. Because here's a private moment with six of us in a hotel suite, and it was still going. Now, quickly, because we can get into the next subject when I just want to keep talking.
- [44:24]
Sean Callagy
No, please, please.
- [44:25]
Darren Prince
NBA surprised us the next day. Joe and I were planning on going with my. My boy Nikki C. To the all star game. And the NBA called and said, we understand Joe and Muhammad got together last night. Of course, I denied it. I go, no. I said, we were just. You know, Joe and I just had a relax. And I said, okay. They were asking because we'd love to put Joe near Muhammad somewhat near Muhammad at the game today. So an NBA All Star game is the star of All Stars. I mean, it's like next level, Especially out of all the All Star games.
- [44:56]
Sean Callagy
Yes.
- [44:57]
Darren Prince
And so we get there and we have seat three, four and five, center court. Within 15 minutes, I started hearing that chant, ollie, ollie, ollie. I looked to my right. Coming out of the tunnel with security is Muhammad and his best friend Howard Bingham, the famed photographer. Obviously neither are longer here. And Muhammad sits in seat two and Howard's in seat one. Now, mind you, Sean, center court is Howard. To his left is Ali. Right next to Ali is me. And next to me is Joe. I've never been selling, I have never been so uncomfortable.
- [45:31]
Sean Callagy
Who is that guy? Who is that guy?
- [45:34]
Darren Prince
I have never been so uncomfortable and felt socially awkward in my life that I'm like, how do I get Joe to switch freaking seats with me right now? He starts elbowing me with his big strong arm and he leans over and he goes, boss man. Because that's what he used to call me. I said, yeah, boss. He goes, switch with me. And I said I'd be honored. And I got up. I now go to Joe's left. Joe sits down next to Ali. They're holding hands. Alicia Key comes out to sing America the Beautiful. The place goes ballistic. I mean, the entire arena was standing up applauding what was going on with Joe Muhammad. So that was, that was just as special having Elton John look at them during halftime. And Kobe and Michael and Iverson, like everybody knew what was happening. This was a piece of history at the NBA also.
- [46:20]
Sean Callagy
Again, that is unbelievable. And to think that just to go back half a step for a moment, that part of the deep rift, the pain, the rage that existed was Muhammad Ali saying these things about him beating the gorilla in the Thrill in Manila, which is obviously a racially derogatory attack on Joe Frazier. And then he says it at the table.
- [46:45]
Darren Prince
So that is absolutely nuts.
- [46:47]
Sean Callagy
And then what Joe Frazier had been saying in response, cuz this is such a hanger over time, is like, ye look at Muhammad Ali making fun of his Parkinson's condition, saying, who do you think won those fights now?
- [46:59]
Darren Prince
And look at him, look at me. I won all three.
- [47:01]
Sean Callagy
Yeah, like all of this conversation and then it's happening at the table and the next day they're sitting back together. So when that, when Muhammad Ali was saying that, what were you feeling at the table? Like were you. Well, I know you had substance, but was there any part of like this is going to completely devolve, like what
- [47:18]
Darren Prince
was No, I actually got nervous for a second. I was like, damn, they just made up. And Joe's putting his fork and his knife back in his plate. I'm like, I hope he's not gonna get up and walk over. But then Joe was, like, smiling at that smirk, and that's when he just dropped it and he hit him with, man, we just made out back there. Am I gonna have to kick your ass again? For our fourth bite? And Muhammad literally starts spitting his food out. He was laughing so hard. He was hot like this. And it was a beautiful moment. Just like. Like I said, they just couldn't handle help themselves. It just who they were.
- [47:51]
Sean Callagy
Ali, Ali, Ali. As he's walking in, walking down with Hulk Hogan or Joe Frazier or Pamela Anderson. Can you explain to people, as slowly and methodically as is appropriate, the power of identity, the power of fame, so people can truly appreciate what happens and what you've experienced traveling with these people.
- [48:15]
Darren Prince
Yeah, I mean, I've been blessed to be with the kings of kings or queens of queens. And, I mean, I've had De Niro, Pacino, Trump, Lionel Richie, Denzel Washington at dinner with Joe. And I. I mean. I mean, the list goes. Spielberg literally in awe at a March for Our Lives event in Washington, D.C. that my prince, Scooter Braun, coordinated. Maybe 2018, 2019, the biggest, you know, athletes and celebrities just. Joe Frazier walks into a room, and it's. It's. It's no regal of another level. It's a different. It's a different association. Bono, Bon Jovi at the MTV VMAs. I've seen it, like, they are like little kids. It's. Beyonce had a magazine cover party for Gotham magazine. My friend Jason Bin sent a car, and Beyonce and her dad wanted to meet Joe. Joe came up in Philadelphia. It's something so different, especially when you go back to that generation. Sean. I'm not saying there's a certain athletes that I haven't had in the past 20 years, but they were. They were different. They were like. They affected the world politically. Vietnam were stopped the night of March 8, 1971, for the fight of the century. You know, they had such power.
- [49:36]
Sean Callagy
That was Ali Frazier 1.
- [49:38]
Darren Prince
They had such power, their voice, what they stood for. Long before social media, long before the Internet, they had this level of global fame that they're not sending out tweets to build up their image. So what happened is, you know, generationally, you know, the grandfather taught it to the uncle, the uncle taught it to the father, father took it to the son. And Hulk Hogan was that way, too. Hulk Hogan transformed at least 30 and 40 different generations. And I think when I look at magic, the Dream Team really took him to a level that the Dream Team is so incredibly impactful.
- [50:16]
Sean Callagy
Let's go, Hulk Hogan for a second WrestleMania. They called it WrestleMania, not WrestleMania 1. I was there at Madison Square Garden. This man gave an unbelievable autograph poster from WrestleMania to my dad. We'll get to my dad and Dwight. Good. And Mookie Wilson a couple minutes. And being there and just Hulk Hogan coming out and the place going nuts, right? People literally losing their mind. Like Elvis Presley taking the stage. Ed Sullivan. When you have that, when you're walking around Hulk Hogan and people there, lawyers, accountants, financial service providers, doctors. What you mentioned, feeling some of these iconic celebrities looking at Joe Frazier, like they're like a little kid looking up to Joe Frazier. What's it like? Were people. How would you describe how disrupted people become in the presence of a Hulk Hogan or in the presence of some of these others? What is it like as people are mobbing him for autographs and adult professionals and successful people? How would you describe what happens to people?
- [51:20]
Darren Prince
I mean, I think over the years, I've just come to accept it more early on. It was like excitement. But it's also, I have a job to do with their security to make sure they get in and out, whatever situation I'd be safely. But I think Hulk was the one that humbled me. I was down in Clearwater beach, where he spent the last 20, 25 years of his life, Florida. And me and a couple of my boys went to say, we went for sushi for lunch, and Hulk is me as his valet ticket. He goes, brother, do me a favor. He goes, can you just go have them pull up the car so we can get out of here? And I turn around, I'm not kidding, Sean. There's 50 people behind us just waiting. They could tell the bandanas on the cut red shirt from behind the blonde, you know, hair. They know. They know it's him. And so I look at all these people. I say, oh, this is going to be like a half hour for him to get out of here. I go get the car. I'm waiting in the parking lot for a half hour with the valet guy. He comes out, he goes, brother, what's going on? You know, click something bad. I'm like, you know what? I called him Terry by his room, Terry. But I'm like, terry, we finally get away from the craziness of the traveling and all the Fans and, you know, the Hulkamania craziness, just to kind of get a lunch with you. And while this is still happening. And he looks at me on my shoulder, good brother. These people still treat me like I'm heavily a champ of the world. And that's a blessing, because let me tell you something. We might be friends, but we wouldn't be as good friends as you were, because you wouldn't be calling me. With all these business opportunities, these fans disappeared. And that made me never say another word about it, because he understood it. He understood the power of, you know, being there for their fans like that none of them are who they are without the love and support of that.
- [53:10]
Sean Callagy
And while this may resonate so powerfully emotionally, let's also think about it. We live as people in a hierarchical world, and I'm not talking about the way we wish the world would be, but it is. So if you build a relationship with the president of an association, this is how I built my entire business. Originally, I had the president of the Northern New Jersey Chiropractic Society 29 years ago bring me in to speak. And once that person said, hey, Sean's okay, then everybody else said, he didn't say, sean's okay. Said, sean's great, masterful at what he does. It changes everything. And that's the power of identity. And so if you're entertained by this, you're enjoying this. I mean, I would love to talk to Darren all day, all night about these stories. But what I hope is there for you, at least some of you, is to take this away and realize that you, too, can be a Darren Prince. And you could build relationships with people with identity in certain ecosystems. Maybe it's a medical society, a legal society, accounting society, whatever it is that's going to transform what you do. And maybe for some of you out there, you want to be calling Darren Prince and saying, hey, can I bring some of these people? Because I assure you, when you start bringing people like Darren's got to bring to your situations, that's not an easy thing to do, right? This is not just about money. It's like, this has got to be the right situation, the right people, the right situation with the right people of integrity. But the power of bringing celebrity identity is game changing all day, every day. So from that place, brother, how do you leave the world of addiction? So you have these iconic moments. You struggle to feel them, experience them as deeply and meaningfully as you want. This is in Darren's book, Aiming High. You want to read a Heartwarming soul touching, entertaining as heck. Story of a journey into the power of celebrity. Aiming High is there for you. And if you want a pathway out of some of the challenge you're having, it's there for you. And I know how and why and I've read the book multiple times now. But aiming high 2008, you finally have had enough. And please share with people that powerful moment that may serve some folks out there or prevent them from moving down that same path.
- [55:29]
Darren Prince
My late uncle Stu was dating a woman, Andrea at the time. And I don't know, I just connect with her and Steve who's sitting here, you know, was there to witness it and I was just ready. I mean she started asking me all these questions and I told her I was sick and tired and I was just done and she pulled a coin out of her pocket. We talk about GNCs as I call them. God managed coincidences. She just celebrated five years sober and she said I could help you. So she put me on the detox plan and the next day was July 2, 2008 and I went into my apartment bathroom at the time that I was living with my, my then wife and thought I was taking like a non narcotic anxiety pill. And two Vicodins came out, which is one of the three opiates. And I thought it's what I needed, Sean. But I had, first time in my life, a white light moment. You know, I fell to my knees and I screamed at God, take the money, take the business, take the notoriety. If you can give me a single day of freedom, I'll go and go back and tell one day at a time and take other people's out, other people out. And I had like a lightning bolt on my right shoulder because it was a feeling I never had before and I never had it since. And I heard a voice that got you when you're ready. And there was no Uber. I went downstairs into a taxi cab after going online, found a 12 step meeting in the upper 80s in a church basement in New York City with 150 plus addicts and alcoholics were once hopeless. State of mind, ego crushed. Most importantly, knowing that I was going there to get the help that I needed and surrender for the first time in my life. And that day what I thought at that time was the worst has now turned out to be my very best.
- [57:08]
Sean Callagy
Well, congratulations my brother. Of course. And for folks out there, Darren, that maybe are not in a terrible place of addiction, but they're just looking for ways to have fun at a Higher vibrational level. This is a man that rolled with some of the wildest, craziest characters ever. What would you say to people about how you have fun now? Because you know, I surf, I ski. I said before this, I surf, ski in scuba dive, scuba doe this month. I'm a blind guy and I love makes me feel high. I've never been actually high, so I can't be sure I really feel high. But it certainly makes me feel at a much higher vibrational level. How do you have fun now? And for the folks that may be thinking, yeah man, but if I stop drinking as much as I'm drinking or stop getting high, sometimes I'm just not gonna have fun. But I think your life says something very different.
- [58:04]
Darren Prince
Yeah, I mean fun for me is not defined the way that it used to be. You know, it's just being around the right energy people. You know, you, you and I always have a magical connection or together just around people that are as spiritual as possible. I think when you talked about individuals that are listening and watching that doesn't necessarily need, need to be a celebrity. But there is somebody in their world of impact that's probably doing the next right thing every day of their life to build scale, give back, be in integrity that if you latch on to people like that, you're really going to start realizing what life is about and get a new definition of fun. You know, it's, it's a different time and I think people are starting to understand that it's not about nothing could happen shot when you're at a bar till 11, 12 o' clock at night. You know, my level of fun and joy and happiness now comes from helping other people that are struggling. You've been a blessing to my aiming high foundation. I scholarship anywhere from 30 to 40 people a year. When those calls come in, it is the greatest, most exciting time in my life when something like that happens. We, we have somebody that comes in that doesn't have the resources that we can help them. If somebody wants mentorship in sports management or celebrity marketing, like I drop everything, my office makes sure I set that stuff up because it, it, you can't even, you understand it. But for people that are listening, haven't experienced it, you can't even put the feeling into words on what it's like every single time an app.
- [59:43]
Sean Callagy
Amen brother. And fun. So here's what's fun for me. Having lunch in California, in Hollywood with Darren after we've just gone to an amazing home in the Hollywood Hills, which I'll keep confidential for what we did and what was happening there. We'll be able to announce it soon. And then having lunch and just enjoying pizza and laughing and talking about the future and possibility. What also was fun is when I had the blessing and privilege of first meeting Darren. It was on Halloween 2024. 2024. And Darren comes in with his. One of his incredible business partners, Ammo. And ammo is there to, like, check me out, to make sure I'm not some maniac with our 20,000 square feet here. Right. And I had the blessing and privilege of making a contribution to Darren's Aiming High foundation. That's fun. But the reason that happened is because we did things not like Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. Exactly. Or Hulk Hogan or Magic Johnson, but not completely unlike it. We face challenge and friction. Darren did, I did. We built business. We built abundance. And only from that place of abundance could a contribution come for people to get free. And so that happens, we begin to develop a relationship. It was fun running a thousand person event in New Jersey and having all these incredibly iconic celebrity people come in. It was really fun and magical to sit down with Charlie Sheen and not to exploit him, but to lean in on his incredible influence, charisma, magic that this man has brought to the world. And also to be present to the fact that he's had some extraordinary challenges as well. And Darren represents him. And what was fun and magical was my dad's 80th birthday. My dad's really sick and this just happened in 2025. And my dad couldn't have his 80th birthday party. And I was heartbroken. He was heartbroken. And we began a conversation with Darren, a mutual teammate of ours, Mike Vesuvio, and said, my dad is an enormous Met fan. And Darren causes Dwight Gooden and Mookie Wilson, along with his incredible team, Steve and partnership. And they come to the hospital and I'm able to surprise my father and nothing means more to him than the New York Mets and have Mookie Wilson and Dwight Gooden walk into his hospital room. I got the computer set up, and the most meaningful moment my dad and I have ever shared was 1986 being a box 113A for the new York Mets and watching the ball roll through Bill Buckner's legs that Mookie Wilson hit. We rewatched this moment in the hospital room with my father with Mookie and Dwight Gooden watching the whole thing, brother. And they're there in the hospital room for like two hours, you know, ish, like an hour and a half, two hours. We have a Mets cake and a James Bond cake for my dad's birthday. Mookie Wilson and Dwight Gooden are asking for second pieces. I'm thinking they're being nice, taking the first piece, like, no, no, that's really good. Grab another piece. Then we come into this room and do a podcast with Dwight Good and Mookie Wilson telling the story. I'm crying. They're all emotional. We're having pizza and wings, you know, in the office till God knows what time. But that's fun. But that fun only comes because of the sacrifice of this man, his partner. Other people have made to build these relationships with incredible people. And also, humbly, the abundance I've had the privilege of creating with partnerships and teammates myself. So what if it's fun to build things and from that abundance, do magical things? So, brother first, from my heart, my soul, and I've shared this already, but I want to say it right here on this podcast. We wouldn't be here without you, number one. Number two, thank you for one of the most meaningful moments of my life and my father's relationship. You know, we all have challenged our parents and all have interesting moments, but like Billy Crystal, well, the movie set in City Slickers, and one of his co stars said, you know, when you feel like he can't talk about anything, like we could talk about baseball. And it was the heart and soul of our life. My dad cried more than 10 times that day about this, and he's cried at least 25 times since. Every single human being my father knows has heard this story about Dwight Gooden and Mookie Wilson being there. And if my father was in this room with us right now, he would be crying, tears pouring down his face and the mention of his 80th birthday, he cries instantly. You did that. And that. I hold no judgment. I've had plenty of people with addiction challenges in my life and my family. I hold no judgment. But I know for a fact there's no way that there could be a greater high than that. And I hope that can penetrate your heart and soul, brother, because you've done that for so many people. But you did it for me and my father and my children. All my children. I have four kids. I have a 26 year old, my son, dad, and my 4 year old daughter. We're all in this room together with my dad for his birthday. And what was going to be this beautiful party at the capitol grill and 100 people and friends turned into just us in that room. Tiny, small family collection. And it was the most memorable day of my father's life. And you did that, brother. And I hope that high brother special. Yes, sir.
- [65:04]
Darren Prince
You know who my favorite athlete is of all time?
- [65:06]
Sean Callagy
Mookie Wilson.
- [65:07]
Darren Prince
There you go. And anybody will tell you that that's known me since I was a little boy. So that made it even more magical.
- [65:15]
Sean Callagy
Thank you. And yet, how many people have you brought moments to like that? I mean, you did it for. I can't even imagine with the relationships you have and the power that these celebrities can have in people's hearts and souls, brother, you're like George Bailey, like, It's a Wonderful Life. Like, are you present to all the lies and the ripple effects of everything? Not just that these people do that you do, brother. Like, how present or not are you
- [65:41]
Darren Prince
to that I am. I mean, it's like I brought up earlier to you about your abandoned New Jersey. Like, I see it, it's not, of course, there's a business side to things, but we don't want to be just a transactional business. We want to create experiences. We want to create mind blowing moments. We want these events, or keynotes, whatever it might be, of whatever that business project is to just really impact others from the energy and the frequency of whoever that celebrity is that they're around. Because transactional one off. Shake somebody's hand, maybe deal with them again. No, we, we want to just make sure we maximize every single thing we're doing at this point, because that's where the magic is. That's when it becomes, you know, you're reaching back and giving back. And people are in that moment of just taking every single thing in, just like you were with every single person, every celebrity you had on stage. I mean, you changed so many lives that day just to be behind the scenes with Steve and watching it with Matilda and like, knowing we had a very small part of that helping to put this raster. It's such a good feeling, man.
- [66:45]
Sean Callagy
Thank you, my brother. So what does it go from here as we begin around the bend home. You have hopefully another hundred years in this earth. What is it? I know you take one day at a time. I know you meditate, love life. But if you could fast forward 100 years to your final day, what, if anything, would you want to bring forward that you haven't brought forward yet?
- [67:07]
Darren Prince
But if anything, you know, I think I'm just so passionate about the younger generation and the mental health and this whole word that everybody keeps hearing, narcissist and you know, unhealed. Like, I would love to be somebody. And I even spoke to them at the White House about this when I went that. Can we, like, you know, start creating, like, a course in grammar school about self worth?
- [67:34]
Sean Callagy
Yes.
- [67:34]
Darren Prince
And self love?
- [67:35]
Sean Callagy
Yes.
- [67:36]
Darren Prince
I want to be a part of that. That has nothing to do with business whatsoever, and I can care less. It's been giving me blessings and relationships that are incredible. I've said it before. When I'm gone, I want to be known as the man that went deep into hell, came out on the other side, and sprinkled hope and recovery across the world to make people's lives better. And that's something that would change. Mental health, addiction, substance abuse, bullying. That if the jocks and the nerds that are 8, 9, 10 years old and the geeks and whatever little stereotypes you want to call them all sat in the same room and talked about how they feel on that given day, everybody will be on the same playing field.
- [68:14]
Sean Callagy
Amen, brother. And as a small token of gratitude, and this is, like, fun for me, I'd like to make a $50,000 donation. Come on, Kalgi Christian family. This was not at all part of, like, Darren being here. We didn't say this, but a $50,000 donation from my calmer lives, from my Calgary Christian foundation to aiming high. That's fun. And a massive gratitude like that, that's how I get high. So thank you, my brother, for everything you've done.
- [68:40]
Darren Prince
Thank you.
- [68:41]
Sean Callagy
I love you. Anything you'd like to share with these incredible people in final. Final. You've shared so much already. Is there anything left on your heart that we have not yet attended to these folks?
- [68:51]
Darren Prince
I just think sort of how we opened it up, man, because you live in a frequency that's just so unbelievable. And I do it as often as I can that it's about finding fulfillment, you know, don't be blinded by all these people with the cars and the jets and the houses. Like, that's getting great. And it's important to some, and it's nice to have the ability to live a life, but it's about integrity. It's about relationship building. It's about giving back. It's about finding that fulfillment in here and in here and in here. And when you get it, let it spread like wildfire to people that need to hear it. Because when you get to that place, you want to know that you're as happy as you possibly could have been. Because I know a lot of people that have gotten to that place up the top of the mountaintop that are just miserable. And, you know, I think the younger middle aged generation needs to understand there's a different way to go about it.
- [69:42]
Sean Callagy
Yeah. And what I would love you to take away from this time with Darren Prince is that what if we are all a mouse? What if Muhammad Ali was a mouse, Joe Frazier is a mouse. Darren, myself, you. What if we're all mice looking for lions? And what if the lion that Muhammad Ali pulled the thorn out of the foot of were people that felt oppressed and challenged and limited and fearful and concerned about what's happening? What if Joe Frazier was for people who thought there was change coming that was hurtful? And what if there's thorns in the feet of ecosystems? Sometimes the ecosystems are large groups of people, sometimes they're individuals. And what this brother stands for is he took lions, found the thorn, and removed it, and created massive value. And that's how he integrously built these relationships. So my takeaway is, what if we all, Darren, myself, you, all of us, and these iconic people just kept looking for ways to build relationships with integrity. Darren wants to help more people. I have financial abundance here. I am to do it. Darren's gracious enough to come in. He brings gifts for me, my dad, all these things. What if we just keep realizing it's not a zero sum gain, but there's value to expand and share and to find people's pain. They may be way bigger than you, way bigger than you in many ways, but what if you could remove that thorn and create massive value for them and build lifelong relationships? That is what this brother has done with the likes of Hulk Hogan and Magic Johnson, Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Pamela Anderson, David Goggins, people, the list goes on and on. We can do it all day long. And if this man that was classified in special education in the great state of New Jersey, we also share that in common. If he could do it, why can't you? Darren Prince, I love you, my brother. We're in this life together forever. So much more to do. I thank you for being on the Sean Calligan unblinded podcast, and it wouldn't be here without you. So thank you, Darren Prince.
- [71:38]
Darren Prince
It's an honor, my brother. Love you.