On Purpose with Jay Shetty - Darren Prince ON: Imposter Syndrome, Substance Abuse & the Road to Recovery

Episode Date: August 2, 2021

Darren Prince sits down with Jay Shetty to talk about his freeing journey from addiction. They discuss how the substance abuse started, the effects it had on him and his family, the many hurdles along the way as he tried to break free from it, and the stories of the lives he touched and helped save. Darren Prince is a prominent sports and celebrity agent and global advocate for addiction and recovery. Through his agency, Prince Marketing Group, he represents icons such as Magic Johnson, Hulk Hogan, Charlie Sheen, Dennis Rodman, Chevy Chase, and the late Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali to name a few. Through his new cause, he has become a sought after speaker on addiction recovery and mental health. What We Discuss with Darren: 00:00 Intro 03:46 Growing up with a crippling anxiety 06:16 The Impostor syndrome grew deeper over the years 09:14 Realizing the addiction was getting bad 13:04 At 14, came the first taste of addiction 17:01 Youth should have access to a trusted teacher or a guidance counselor 21:52 When you are just a shell of yourself 28:08 How addiction affects the people around you 31:35 Helping others recover when you’re still battling addiction 32:35 Recovery isn't based on promotion, it's based on attraction 37:58 Addiction and substance abuse is not getting the coverage that it should 40:38 Your God-Managed Coincidences (GMC) 42:34 It can be therapeutic to look back into your past self 46:34 The story of a father who can see his kids again 49:34 Making a connection is all about the energy you put into it 53:43 A story of several 99 days relapse 58:38 Darren on Final Five 01:00:43 People can send help to Aiming High Foundation Like this show? Please leave us a review here - even one sentence helps! Post a screenshot of you listening on Instagram & tag us so we can thank you personally! Episode Resources: Darren Prince | Website Darren Prince | Instagram Darren Prince | LinkedIn Darren Prince | Facebook Prince Marketing Group Aiming High by Darren Prince Achieve success in every area of your life with Jay Shetty’s Genius Community. Join over 10,000 members taking their holistic well-being to the next level today, at https://shetty.cc/OnPurposeGeniusSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hi, I'm Brendan Francis Neum, I'm a journalist, a wanderer, and a bit of a bond-vivant, but mostly a human just trying to figure out what it's all about. And not lost is my new podcast about all those things. It's a travel show where each week I go with a friend to a new place and to really understand it, I try to get invited to a local's house for dinner. Where kind of trying to get invited to a dinner party, it doesn't always work out. Ooh, I have to get back to you. Listen to not lost on the iHeart radio app or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, it's Debbie Brown, host of the Deeply Well podcast, where we hold conscious

conversations with leaders and radical healers and wellness around topics that are meant to expand and support you on your well-being journey Deeply well is your soft place to land to work on yourself without judgment to heal to learn to grow to become who you deserve to be Deeply well with Debbie Brown is available now on the iHeartRadio app Apple podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts Namaste. Regardless of the progress you've made in life, I believe we could all benefit from wisdom on handling common problems, making life seem more manageable, now more than ever. I'm Eric Zimmer, host of the One-E-Feed podcast, where I interview thought-provoking guests who offer practical wisdom that you can use to create the life you want. 25 years ago, I was homeless and addicted to heroin. I've made my way through addiction recovery,

learned to navigate my clinical depression, and figured out how to build a fulfilling life. The one you feed has over 30 million downloads and was named one of the best podcasts by Apple Podcasts. Oprah Magazine named this is one of 22 podcasts to help you live your best life. You always have the chance to begin again and feed the best of yourself. The trap is the person often thinks they'll act once they feel better.

It's actually the other way around. I have had over 500 conversations with world-renowned experts and yet I'm still striving to be better. Join me on this journey. Listen to the one you feed on the iHeart app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you're struggling yourself with something the quickest way to get out of your own head is to be a service to somebody else. They don't need to be struggling with drugs,

alcohol could be a health issue family, if you friend problem, job problem. I just think when you're there in that moment and you're there without looking for a payoff but just to be a good, kind, caring human being. You will help that other individual. [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ Hey, everyone. Welcome back to On Purpose,

the number one health podcast in the world. Thanks to each and every single one of you that come back every week to listen, learn, and grow. Now you know that I'm always on the lookout to speak to guests that are going to share with us new perspectives that can help us, all the people we love in our lives. Now this guest, I've known for a while. We've been connecting, communicating, he's introduced us to some of the most wonderful guests that we've had on the show.

But this January, I had a conversation with him that convinced me that I had to have him on the show himself. I'm talking about none other than Darren Prince. Darren is the founder and CEO of Prince Marketing Group, a sports and celebrity management agency. He has represented the likes of Magic Johnson, Hulk Hogan and the late Joe Fraser and Muhammad Ali to name just a few. In 2018, Darren released his autobiography, which is called Aming Hai, how a prominent sports and celebrity agent hit bottom at the top.

And as you can see, it's a bestseller in Amazon. You'll have links all over the description so that you can go and audit your copy today and we'll be talking about his journey through addiction and recovery. Darren, welcome to the show. Thanks for having me on that. It's amazing to have you here, man. I remember when I was in London,

I went back to see my parents and my sister and my in-laws because I hadn't seen them in over a year. And we were talking on the phone, and I was literally like in between, I think I just got like, I think I just like had a quick meeting with someone in London or something like that. And I was just driving.

And as you would just tell me just before this, it was around 5 a.m. in LA. So it was about what's that like, it's about 1 p.m. in London. And we were talking about something completely different. And then all of a sudden, you start sharing insights from your journey, and it was one of those moments where everything you said just penetrated straight

through to my heart. And I like, stop the car, because I was speaking to you on speakerphone. I stopped the car and I just made a decision. I was like, I have to have them on the podcast and he needs to share this story. Because there's something about that moment where I just almost felt called that there was a reason that we'd connected. I think we connected two years ago, no, one and a half years ago. It's something like that.

And then it all kind of became reality where I was like, okay, this story needs to be told. And I'd flick through your book before, since I had it. And then when I got back here, I started looking more into the book. I started watching interviews with you and podcasts that you've done. And I'm just so excited that we get to share that on on purpose today. So thank you, man. thank you for making the time. Thank you for being a dear friend and supporter of the podcast for two years or more. And thank you for showing up today.

I know you're ready to share. So thank you. Again, thanks for having me, man. Like I told you on that phone call, we're going to we're going to touch and change and save a lot of lives today. I can guarantee that. Yeah, I mean, that just just hearing that gives me shivers. We're going to touch and change and save a lot of lives today and guarantee that. Yeah, I mean, just hearing that gives me shivers. I'm just like, that's, that, like, just feels so good that that's the aim of what we're trying to do here. But let's start with your childhood.

I want to hear about what was Darren like as a kid. What were the things that excited you? What were the things you were insecure about? What were the things that excited you? What were the things you were insecure about? What were the things that you loved? What was your experience growing up? So I grew up in Livingston, New Jersey, great loving mom and dad, sister that I'm close with to this day. And I had a lot of friends, boys and girls, and you would have thought everything from the outside was okay, but it just wasn't I was crippled with anxiety No security or self-worth

I was always putting in small classrooms and told I was dumb or stupid or learning disabled and I just know by not speaking up That's what eventually let me down the path that it led me down to. As far as hobbies, you know, I was athletic. I was an incredibly obsessed with baseball cards, which by the time I was 14 turned out to be a tremendous blessing because I started a multi-million dollar company in 1984, which, you know, all of a sudden the dumb stupid kid was the smart brilliant one making a ton of money. And, But again, I look back at that time and by not speaking up for the inadequacies, the insecurities, the feeling of less than

never fitting in. I'm so passionate about what I do today, especially with the teens, because if I could go back in a time machine, I would have addressed certain people that could have helped me. What was it specifically at the time that made you feel like you didn't fit in? What was that anxiety that was crippling you? Where was it coming from? What was the root of it when you were... I think I grew up a mama's boy.

My mom definitely overwhelmed me with love. I don't think I had it in between. And just being away from her, my dad was always like a safety net for me. So any time I was in a round them and around different groups of people, I just never fit in. I was, I had imposterous syndrome since the time

I was probably this big. And I never really could put my pulse on it. Why it was just that way. It was, that was just it. And I never spoke up. I kept it all inside. What's incredible about that is you, you talked about imposter syndrome. and then you go on to develop

and we'll talk about the journey, but you go on to develop this incredible career as a celebrity in sports management, agent and manager and your own company, the Prince Group and you're working alongside, I mean, the biggest icons in the world. Did that Imposter syndrome stay? Did it change? Did it ever feel like it went away because now you had achieved something

or did it get deeper? Where did it go? It got deeper because I believed all the bull crap. I believed the super agent, the, wow, like in Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, evil, cannibal, Pamela and her, same magic. I like it, just the list was endless, but again, that core magic. So I like it just the less it was, and less, but again, that core, which I told you about on the phone call, was so badly broken. That spirit inside of me was slowly going off the depent

until obviously I hit my bottom which we can get into later. And I just believed it all. And I needed people to think that Darren Prince arrived. I needed that little kid in the back of the room that was in special ed, that was told he was no good, that wouldn't go anywhere. I needed the world to think that, wow,

Darren Prince is the most successful person in our school. Darren Prince is doing unbelievable. He's on private jet, super balls, backstage for the biggest concert to work. I was like, I needed all of it because that came with a validation that I was missing as a child.

It's crazy, isn't it? I feel like when I hear that, that's such a big part of everyone's story where we all end up seeking validation or acknowledgement or recognition for what we didn't receive as a kid. The difference was that you were actually at the top. Doing it.

Yeah, you were actually doing it. Like, that's my point that I think we all seek it from different things in our whole journey, but you'd actually got there, but it's crazy, you're there, but you're still looking for validation from the people who are looking up, going, oh my gosh, he did it, how did he do it?

That must be a really unique experience in journey. How many of the people that you went to school with or grew up around were on similar career trajectories or experiencing what you were? There's nobody, but we do have Jason Alexander and Chelsea Hanna that came out of my high school. So they did pretty well for themselves too. Fortunately, I don't think either one of them had substance abuse issues like I did, but they've done remarkably well. And I truly don't know many individuals in that position

because normally it's spunk and mirrors. You know, you're posting now about this life. You're verbalizing about it. And you're not really living it. You need people to think. You want people to think you've arrived at the top. Yeah, we've had Chelsea on the podcast too. So, when I hear you say that, I think that experience is shared by so many of us.

And that's what I'm so glad that we're getting to talk because what I love about your journey is that despite having all this success, you then decide to write a book, which has got nothing to do with becoming successful from the external sense, but really becoming successful from an internal space. Tell me about the day or the journey where you started to realize that you had an addiction because this is what the core pillar of your work and when you shared your story with me on the phone that day, I was just like, everyone in the world has a addiction.

Some people have an addiction to sugar, Some people have an addiction to sugar. Some people have an addiction to their smartphones. Some people have an addiction to alcohol. Some people have an addiction to validation. Like, we all have an addiction. Everyone is listening or watching right now. There's no one who's free of an addiction. And so when I read your story and hear your story of recovery from addiction, even the

your addiction was extremely deep and in the sense that people would more align with an addiction, I think it's a journey that all of us need to go on. So tell us about when you first were able to realize and recognize that you had an addiction. So I started Prince Markening Group and I was 24 in Magic Johnson, gave my first client. And I like to say what was once living to use, turned out to using to live.

I don't know when it turned on me, but for the first five or six years, I was a rock star. I really was on the plane network and my butt off building the agency. Magic told me specifically you got to use me to knock down every door to build your agency because it's not how successful I become. It's how successful I make you and everybody else around me. That's what life's about.

I was like, wow, I got the opportunity to exploit them and get on the phone with different celebrities. And it probably was, I would say around 2002, which was my pinnacle moment in my career in the book. and I'm going to mention it now because last Monday was the 50th anniversary of Olly Frazier, the most incredible spectacle sporting event of all time, historically, culturally. The Vietnam War stopped that night. I'm marching at the semitim one and I spent six years with my dear friend, Harlan Warner,

who was a mom and agent, brought me into the Olig team to get these two regal icons together. And the opportunity happened in 2002 for MBA Ulster weekend. And I got a call from Lonnie, and she's like, Mohammed, and I would like you and Joe and Joseph Marvis to come to dinner in Mohammed's suite tonight. And I just, I was losing my mind. This historical opportunity behind closed doors to finally make peace with each other and hug and embrace and where world leaders, anybody would have just done anything but in that moment.

Well, Jay, an hour before I went to get Joe, I'm in my hotel, I'm snoring in parka sets in oxycaons and vikens. Because that eight year old kid, that 10 year old kid, with the severe learning disability, did not deserve to be there and had no idea how to be there present in the moment and take in this experience.

That would blow anybody away. And the fact that Joe and Muhammad loved and respected me more than I respected myself. That's when I realized I was like, this is getting really bad. I don't know how much longer I can keep this up. I mean, even just listening to you share that, I can hear from you in your voice, how present you are with it now.

You know, just how I like present you are with it now in that moment. And in this moment, which is beautiful to see, and the smile you have in your face right now as well. If anyone is listening and not watching, like Darren has the best smile on his face, it's incredible to think that what you just said, that they respected you more than you respected yourself. They believed in you more than you believed in yourself. Tell us about where do you think that addiction

start through your journey and for others. Because I think what ends up happening is you have a moment like the one you just said where it kind of hits you and we go, oh, I get it, the penny drops. But where does it start? Because it almost seems like, it almost seems like it starts so small and naive and a bit complacent and then all of a sudden it's cascaded to this.

How does it start? Where does it go? For me, it started at 14. I was in sleep-boy camp in Massachusetts and I had terrible stomach pains. When I asked the counselor to take me to see the nurse, she gave me this clear cough syrup cup with this green liquid in it.

And it tasted disgusting, but the most amazing thing about that was five minutes later, I'm walking across the softball, filled with the counter back to the bunk. And I felt like Superman. Every in addict was see, we just talked about insecurity, feeling of less than not feeling a part of the anxiety,

went away like that. I got back to the bunk now, I'm the cool kid, the buff kid, the funny one. Never had the courage to do this in my life. I knocked on the bunk next to us and started flirting with girls at 14 years old. I didn't think anything of it. I just knew whatever that was. I needed this feeling 24, 7th minus 65 days a year. Got up the next morning, thought nothing of it, did all our activities, softball soccer, and I'm in the bunk that next night and looking

up at the sky thinking, wow, that feeling was amazing. And I learned how to lie in con in that moment. I hill over the counselor runs over because you're okay, Darren. I think, wow, that feeling was amazing. And I learned how to lie in con in that moment. I hill over the counter until free, because you're okay, Darren. I said, oh man, we gotta go back to the counter. My stomach has killed him. And I start shaking. And I knew right then that this was something I needed.

And I did this for the rest of the week, straight every single night to mom and dad came for visitation day and found that I was taking liquid demoral. Did you know at that time what you were taking or was it just the feeling that you wanted was the nurse or the person you gave it to or where of what they gave you and it exposed you to like what was the situation from an adult perspective of what we're doing with this for too long? So I don't think the opiate epidemic was nowhere near as rampant back then in 1984.

It is now I don't blame the nurse because I can get it to plenty of other situations that I found when I needed. But you're not going to tell a 14-year-old kid you can't take that again. My whole world got changed in that very moment. Nobody was telling me that you can't do this. And Case in Point three months, I'm back home. I had my wisdom teeth removed. And I come back from the dentist, and my mom gives me these two white pills. I have no idea what they were.

I'm freaking flying, I'm zooted. Now my business is starting, I'm starting to make money. I'm on the phone, calling up everybody, the cool one, the one that everybody's looking at, the smart one, with all the great business ideas. And two days later, the pills were gone. Freaking devastated. I was crushed. I know I'd get more of these beautiful white pills that just made me feel like I was floating and flying. And same thing, go downstairs, I put the crocodile tears on his mom. My tooth is killing me. We

got to go back to the dentist and think of a horrible infection and as a loving mother who wants to see their child suffer She took the bait and took him back to the dentist next day crocodile tears and all the more days of the pills that I found that were extra strength like it That's insane like it is it's incredible to hear just You know the fact that all of this was just so readily available to teenagers, kids, and like you said, like there was just not an awareness, like there wasn't the education and then once you're addicted or once you're strapped for that, it just, what is, what do you think, and I want to do this at every stage with your journey because I know you speak to a lot of leaders you speak to a lot of parents and you speak to teenagers.

What's the equivalent right now for teenagers that you see being the challenge. So that's the challenge that you were facing and your generation was chasing what facing what is the generation today facing where is there. What is the generation today facing? Where is their addiction? What is it that they are exposed to that you think parents or Others may not be aware of the negative effects of women I know there's fentanyl out there here about all the the hard Stories of somebody just touching it, but I think it's deeper than I don't think it's substances And I'm gonna give a shout out to my amazing The honestly Priscilla kids over there because we had a talk a few years ago and she came up at something that was genius.

And I remember when I was at the White House, I mentioned this to Kelly and Conway that we need a course in grammar school and high school on self-worth. We need children to be about at the courage to speak up so you don't become like Darren Prince because by all right, I should not be sitting here with you. I had several overdoses. I should have been dead many, many years ago.

And if I knew there was a course where the jocks and the nerds and everybody else could actually get along for that one hour or two and put your hands up comfortably and speak to a teacher where have a private session with the guidance counselor, would it change my life? Yeah. Would it change my life? Yeah. Would it change my life? That's what I think the big underlining root issue is everybody with the social meet and who's better looking, who's more athletic, what family has more money,

who has bigger, better opportunities. You know, you fail a test one day, like I used to every other week, you go home with a broken self-esteem, you feel freaking worthless. You know, have the ability to call a teacher, go to a guy and catch a different day. I'm not really feeling good about myself. I worked my part

off on this test and I got it to let them work on you. Let them work on that inside. Because if I had that, the guy said, I got to believe there's no light would have gone down the road that I went to. But I don't regret any of it. My life worked out perfectly. My mission now is not just with adults and corporations and everybody speak to my biggest passion is the teens because I have had someone the most amazing God moments with some of these kids, 3,000 in an audience and one puts their hands up and had the courage to speak up to me in front of 3,000 kids and said he's acting out, he's doing some very bad things and drug-wise

and alcohol wise, but because of your message, Mr. Princeton, because of your speech, I'm here to tell myself, the greatest feeling in the world. It's moments like that, doing a steamable axe that have given Darren Prince self-esteem, that it was looking for his whole life. It never came from magic, Johnson, respect, failure their whole call, Gama Ham and all I, it's being a service. I love that how it's always your pain or the challenges that you go through

that become your purpose and your growth because it's like you have to use the same thing that broke you to help others have breakthroughs. And to help others have that moment where that kid, I mean, I can't imagine what that kid, how deeply moved he would have been by you to be able to put up his hand.

Was it a guy? It was a guy. To put up his hand to share that in front of his peers. But see, here's the thing, let's go back again. You're now developing a confidence, a false confidence based on what you're taking. And now you love being in that high because that's where you're talking to the girls.

Like now you've got the business ideas. Like you're seeing all this happen. So it's almost like you're falling in love with a false version of yourself. And and it's not falling in love. It's more like just falling for a falling for a version of yourself that is being created. I mean, when I was reading and listening to your story, now I'm like, that's like the real life limitless, like the movie with Bradley Cooper when he's taking pills and just he feels like a new man

and you know, now he can't live without it. How do you go from, and I'm not asking you to answer this question in one go because it's a big question. But the hardest part about what you've done, and I know this from just the few interactions we've had. So, you know, I know we've got people in the room today who are closer to you then. Patrick, you know, my dear friend. Absolutely. Yeah. And you've got people in the room

who are closer to you. Every time I've seen you, you've been with Patrick. So you guys always together. You know, you've got people in the room that know you so deeply. Far more deeply, of course, than I know you, but what I find the most amazing thing is you've gone from being someone who is falling for their false self to now building love for yourself, right? In the process of building, always developing. Where does that journey start? How do you even get to the point where you're like, I can disconnect from this false

identity I've created which actually is giving me everything I want because I'm sure your confidence gets attached to that feeling. How do you even get the courage to say, this is in confidence, this is false? Hey, it's Debbie Brown and my podcast deeply well is a soft place to land on your wellness journey. I hold conscious conversations with leaders and radical healers and wellness and mental health around topics that are meant to expand and support you on your journey. From guided meditations to deep conversations with some of the world's most gifted experts in self-care, trauma, psychology, spirituality, astrology, and even intimacy.

Here's where you'll pick up the tools to live as your highest self, make better choices, heal, and have more joy. My work is rooted in advanced meditation, metaphysics, spiritual psychology, energy healing, and trauma-informed practices. I believe that the more we heal and grow within ourselves, the more we are able to bring our creativity to life and live our purpose, which leads to community impact and higher consciousness for all beings.

Deeply well with Debbie Brown is your soft place to land to work on yourself without judgment, to heal, to learn, to grow, to become who you deserve to be. Deeply well as available now on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts. Big love, Namaste. I'm Jay Shetty and on my podcast on purpose, I've had the honor to sit down with some of the most incredible hearts and minds on the planet. Oprah, everything that has happened to you can also be a strength builder for you if you

allow it. Kobe Bryant. The results don't really matter. It's the figuring out that matters. Kevin Haw. It's not about us as a generation at this point. It's about us trying our best to create change. Lurus Hamilton.

That's for me being taken that moment for yourself each day, being kind to yourself, because I think for a long time I wasn't kind to myself. And many, many more. If you're attached to knowing, you don't have a capacity to learn. On this podcast, you get to hear the raw, real-life stories

behind their journeys and the tools they used, the books they read, and the people that made a difference in their lives so that they can make a difference in hours. Listen to on purpose with Jay Shetty on the I Heart Radio app Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Join the journey soon. The therapy for Black Girls podcast is the destination for all things mental health, personal development, and all of the small decisions we can make to become the best possible versions of ourselves. Here, we have the conversations that help black women dig a little deeper into the most impactful relationships in our lives, those with our parents, our partners, our children, our friends, and most importantly, ourselves. We chat about things like what to do when a friendship ends,

how to know when it's time to break up with your therapist, and how to end the cycle of perfectionism. I'm your host, Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, a licensed psychologist in Atlanta, Georgia, and I can't wait for you to join the conversation every Wednesday. And I can't wait for you to join the conversation every Wednesday. Listen to the therapy for Black Girls podcast on the I Heart radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. Take good care. So I think we're probably going to get to my bottom moment. This is what you're asking. I was at the jumping off points suicidal. I had the life, the money, the notoriety, the top of the industry, but I was so incredibly

broken and I was so sick of the double life. And by the end of the addiction psychiatrist, told him it was going on and put me on Suboxone, which was an opiate blocker. But I lied to him too. I was snorting Ambien before I went to bed at night. I was drinking still a couple days a week. I was on a mood stabilizer, antidepressant, and anxiety pills, and I was just a shell of myself and my uncle and his then girlfriend, Andrea, were my god moment. They were visiting from Florida. They were both in recovery in the 12 step fellowship of a a and a

And they paid a surprise visit on July 1st, 2008 and I never met her before Jay, but she walked in and surprised me and said, Are you okay? And I said, no, I'm not. She goes, you don't look okay. What's wrong? And I told her I had accountability for the first time I left. I told her everything. And she looked at me, she goes, do you realize you're an addict at your life? Some manager by city, I she goes, do you realize that your powerless over this and you have a disease of city, I she goes, let me ask you the most important thing. Do you realize that it doesn't matter if you're from park Avenue or park banjo or Yale or jail? That the disease of addiction does not discriminate.

And that broke my soul. And I started to just break down and cry. I said, yeah, she goes, you want to do anything? It takes them like anything. She's going to put you on a detox plan on a 36 hour was that next night at 7 p.m. July 2, 2008. And I came back from the gym. I was married at the time.

I'm shaking when I got back to my parmin, vomiting, just all the wonderful detox feelings that come along with that nightmare. And I called them up, I said, I can't freaking do this. I'm calling the freaking doctor to get what I really need to get. And they said, it's the damn disease, Darren talk, and you gotta go online.

You have to find yourself a 12 step meeting, put your damn ego aside already and surrender. I said, I can't do it, I've been to those stupid meetings, I can't identify with this people. I hung up the phone, ran into the bathroom. And my, my damn wife thought I was going to kill myself because she was a part of other overdoses and hysterically crying, banging on the door

and going through all the medicine camp to take an honor, a cardiac anxiety pill, and how came two vikinins, which at the time actually seemed like a gift because now I had 36 hours of clean for the first time in my adult life, but I needed it. And the miracle happened because I fell down my knees and I shouted out to God like I never did before in my life. And I loved the fact that the emotions are still so well and I said, God, I can't do this. I said, I'm begging you, just take the chains off of me.

Whatever it takes, take the money, take the money, do it on a variety, because I can't do this without you. And broken on the floor, crying, shaking, trembling, he heard me because I had this amazing sensation of this burning feeling with his shoulder. And in my good ear, you know, in the deaf on my left, I heard I've got you and you're ready. And I had a white light moment because I stood up. It wasn't me. I flushed the pills.

I went into the living room and I found a 12-step beating on an attack. The kebab is before Uber. I'm looking up at this beautiful night at July July 2, 2000 and saying, oh my God, for the first time in my life, I wanted to stay sober. More than I wanted to get high and I walked into a church basement in the upper 80s with about 150 to 200 people. And I heard the leader say, is anybody new coming back or needing help? With no ego. This hand, I believe it was God that lifted it because the so-called super-agent was a fraud. This guy couldn't go five minutes, ten minutes without getting high. And these people, there was about a dozen that came over to me, spiritual brothers and sisters, who all once

of a hopeless state of mind, showed me love, support, hugged me. They told me so many things during that hour. That for the first time in my life, I felt a part of something. And again, it wasn't the celebrity who's these individuals that were once so badly broken that slowly showed their prints how to be the five A's as I called them. Action, attitude adjustment, accountability, and acceptance. And I put them up here, I put them into my heart, I put them into my soul. And one day at a time, this guy started becoming all. And the biggest gift is realizing once you have that foundation,

once you sort of know that you're in a place of safety, avoiding people, places and things, you want to keep this gift, you better give it away to other people. Thank you for sharing that, man. I mean, you're more present than ever. Just the way it's coming through you right now is really special. And I'm sure anyone who's listening or watching right now can hear it and see it and experience it through you and experiencing God through you in that moment and experiencing that moment of revelation through you as well because that's what we will need. So thank you for showing up in that way and letting it come through you that way. But when we look at addiction today, unfortunately, we don't really

understand it. I think if you've not been through it, you don't really understand it. We can be empathetic and compassionate and be loving towards someone, but we can't wrap our head around it if we've not experienced it. What does it feel like to be addicted to having overdosed? How does it affect the people in your life? How does it impact the people that you love? You know, because I think sometimes people are not aware and I'm not asking that as a like judging the anyone who goes through it. It's more so that we hear how difficult it is for the person who's suffering. Because often I think when we see people addicted, we see them cause pain to others and we think, oh well they're just causing pain to others. But I can't imagine that anyone is happy causing pain to others when they're in so much pain and suffering themselves.

When I was 21, I was put in an outpatient program, I felt being arrested four times for possession charge. And the day I supposedly graduated that night, I got the brilliant idea to go to Newark City with a body of mine. And we did these mind erasure shots, took handful of Xanax and the night turned out so well that his car fell and it did she fell asleep on They will my face went into the windshield I woke up in the hospital the massive concussion 90 stitches in my face So anybody listening right now I didn't care for your younger older the first two people I saw when I came through Where my mom and my dad?

Broken and tears helpless that their baby boy was spiraling on a control because that's what addiction does, addiction to a choice families. You think it's the person suffering, we kill everybody else around us, everybody else around us. You know, and nobody gets out for free, you got three choices, you're going to get locked up, covered up, or cleaned up. Tell me about some of the people that you intentionally, that unintentionally, that time you knew that you were pushing away or making it harder for them, but you couldn't do anything about it.

Like, did you feel helpless at that point with how you were with people, or did you find you were actually yourself with people? This was just something you were dealing with professionally or did you find you were actually yourself, with people this was just something you were dealing with professionally at work and in those environments. You know, there were some people in my inner circle that just hadn't a idea what they can do. It was very much a high bar, I don't know,

it was very much, you know, I was living this stuff, a life people knew something was wrong, they didn't know what because there's so much shame. I mean, my ego, okay, look, I've arrived, man. I can't be telling everybody that I'm before I'm going out one night, I'm snorting six perks, sets in four oxy-contains and bringing more in the bathroom

with me, but I'm at an event with the client because to me, also, I'm getting these from doctors. I'm not doing illegal drugs anymore. I'm not jeopardizing my morality clauses with my clients. You know, these doctors are writing me prescription for sciatica, whatever it might be. So I justified it and I believe my own bulk rap. That's the hardest part about it.

I feel like knowing that you're not doing anything illegal and it feels like, oh, this is all above the line. This is all normal. And I mean, I remember being on the plane with Dennis Rahman to Vegas for celebrity, I mean, not coming home from London from celebrity big brother. And actually, Muhammad Ali Alani were on the flight. We had no idea.

And we're back. And he was ready to go to sleep and had a drink or whatever. And just here's my pill bottle bottle and just looks over at him. I'm in many clients say something, and the drink was broke. You got to stop at those things. And I was like, well, my back's gone. I made it even store it with my interest. Yeah.

Yeah. Did you meet other people before you went into recovery that were struggling with similar things and also being quiet and also coming up with like a white lie or whatever it was or did you feel so alone that you were the only person that you know going through this? It's funny, there was a handful of people business-wise and personalised that I remember going through rough times and again maybe just being a master of you know, kind of honest in my own way back then am I using days?

Not not a bad way, I just always had a way to, you know, con-ordists in my own way back then, am I using days? Not in a bad way. I just always had a way to, you know, come across as the guy, well, put together. I actually helped some people get sober, not realizing I'm the one that needs help. Wow. So even at that time, not in recovery, even at that time, you helped other people get out of it. Yep. Not real.

Wow. That's crazy. That's real. Wow. That's crazy. That's insane. Wow. That's, that's amazing. That just shows that you've always had this ability to have a positive influence on others. Tell us about the journey of recovery. I love your a's that you mentioned there,

because I think they're so practical and actionable. But before we get into the practicality, I want to hear what recovery was like, where it started, and what were the steps, the back and forth, the oscillating period. Like, I want to hear about like, when you thought you had a breakthrough, but you didn't, because I feel like that's where most people spend their life is, they keep having breakthroughs, wait, yes, I'm through, and then they get pulled back in, and that's when you've got to keep going,

and you've been through that. Tell us about the start of recovery, and then that period. So I learned so many things from my spiritual brothers and sisters, you know, they talk about 90 meetings in 90 days. If you could do anything for 90 days straight, it'll reprogram your brain and reprogram your spiritual course. So I became obsessed with meetings. I learned that anything I put before my recovery, I'll lose it. I learned to stick with the winners. I learned that recovery isn't based on promotion, it's based on attraction. That's why I wanted to sit with you because the opposite of addiction is

connection. And I know people are going to be watching this and listening to it and feel our connection. And for an addict and somebody that has imposed to a syndrome whether you're in your teens or you're older, that's what it's about. It's about waking up that dead spirit, that broken spirit that Darren Prince had for 24 years, but it becomes alive. Little while it doesn't happen overnight, like you said. You know, you might have a detour at a certain point, but that's why we need our support system with other spiritual brothers and sisters. And it took me a good six months.

My sponsor, Steve, always says I was at Expos nerve. And it took me at least a good six months for the physical cravings, for my brain to start working, to start sleeping again. I had every day I had to call my sponsor. I went to my meetings, I listened, I kept my mouth shut, I heard, take the cotton, add your ears and put it in your mouth. I started implementing the 12 steps, I don't know if you're familiar with my tell people all the time.

12 steps everybody on earth can use. Alcohol is only mentioned in the first step. We all need them on a daily basis. And, um, you know, little by little, once I got to that one year mark, I started realizing, you know, well, I need to get life to be like Lasagna. And that I'm good. You talk about finding happiness was your purpose, which I love and so many millions of people are on the world too.

That was my mission, sober and lasagna, because if I can keep it there more times than not, I got a shot. And like I said, once I got to that one year, man, I started becoming open pretty early on on Facebook and Instagram. My mom wasn't thrilled about it, you know, upper middle class Jewish family and barrage still a little bit, but then she would start having friends here and they're with my son, my friend struggling.

And my dad was always super supportive. May he rest in peace and just knew that I was onto something that that was much bigger than Darren Prince, the agent. He knew how passionate I was about business, the psychotic work ethic I had from a teenager that when I commit to a project, when I commit to an individual, you'll never meet any human being that'll see Darren Prince that he's going to do this

for me in a revolver. I came from my dad. So I put that same, relanthly, psychotic, obsessive drive, the same I do to this day into me getting sober because I knew if I can get it and I can get that foundation, slowly put those meetings, put those spiritual messages into my spiritual bank, there's gonna be a day I'm gonna need to withdraw upon it because just because I got sober, doesn't mean life is going to get better, but this guy got better. My perspective changed. My perception changed on everything. And I became the spiritual God loving being that if something worked out in business, great, if it's something I really wanted and didn't work out, that's great too. Just worrying life like a loose garment. And like I said, to me, the biggest thing was giving it a Y and helping others.

What was the hardest part about recovery? What was the most difficult thing that people are going to have to break through when they're in that point? Slowing the brain down. How can I not go to a wedding? How can I not go to part-accent? I can not go to function without picking up a drink or doing something? This, don't worry about it because you need to do something you've never done before in your life. You need to stay present. Don't project because when I speak now, I often say we're not responsible for our thoughts, but we are responsible for how long you want to think those thoughts. And if you and I

made a list of projecting on 100 things that might not go right over the next few months, not that with those type of people 99 of them aren't even going to happen that way. And the one that might go wrong The biggest blessing is going to come of it You know, but it's the constant working on this and in here and in here to just understand slow this down. You know? Yeah. Let's let's talk about the service element of it.

Now you paying it forward, passing it on, becoming a sponsor yourself and helping others and serving others. Tell me about how people can help people in their lives if they think they're addicted. Because I think that for everyone who's listening today, there may not be going through addiction in the extreme sense. How can we help others in our lives that we love during this time?

What should we do and what should we avoid? You know, there's, this question comes up all the time. There's so many ways to go about it. Unfortunately, if it's your loved one, most people are too close. You could always try the intervention. Um, I might have pointed with some mothers

that call me with their children. I'm like, get them arrested. You want to bury them or you want them to sit in jail. It's that simple. You know, there's no one between anymore. Because during this interview, we're going to lose about 23 lives from the opioid epidemic, epidemic just in this country alone. And luck, I know people are struggling with the pandemic and all that, but addiction and substance abuse and mental health is taking a back seat to it. Not as much

mental health I should say, because people are isolated in homes, but the addiction, you know, it's not getting, you know, the coverage that it should because it's worse than ever. And, you know, aside from, like I said, maybe an intervention, there's so many great treatment centers out there that so many can reach out to locally to see if that loved one is willing to speak to a counselor to see if they could have a breakthrough because a lot of times Jay It takes somebody that's in recovery You're based like I said based on the attraction not promotion. Yeah, I've a lot more success And it could be when your closest childhood friends got for somebody's suffering, that Darren Prince is gonna come in.

And I'm not gonna talk to you about your problem. I'm gonna talk to you about what my problem was like. I'm gonna talk about the way I behaved, because I'm not gonna shove it down your throat. And then if you want what I have, you're gonna tell me, I think that way, I do that now. And that's when God comes into my heart and changes lives. And I've seen it time and again.

It's just the most beautiful experience of the world that just never gets old. A good way to learn about a place is to talk to the people that live there. There's just this sexy vibe and Montreal, this pulse, this energy. What was seen as a very snotty city, people call it Bos Angeles. New Orleans is a town that never forgets its pay. A great way to get to know a place is to get invited to a dinner party. Hi, I'm Brendan Francis Newton,

and not lost as my new travel podcast, where a friend and I go places, see the sights, and try to finagle our way into a dinner party. We're kind of trying to get invited to a dinner party. It doesn't always work out. I would love that, but I have like a Cholala who is aggressive towards strangers. I love the dogs. We learn about the places we're visiting, yes, but we also learn about ourselves.

I don't spend as much time thinking about how I'm going to die alone when I'm traveling, but I get to travel with someone I love. Oh, see, I love you too. And also, we get to eat as much. I love you too. My ex we get to eat as much as we can. I love you too. It makes a lot of therapy goes behind that. You're so white, I love it. Listen to Not Lost on the iHeart Radio App or wherever you get your podcasts. Conquer your New Year's resolution to be more productive with the Before Breakfast

Podcast in each bite-sized daily episode. Time management and productivity expert Laura Vandercam teaches you how to make the most of your time, both at work and at home. These are the practical suggestions you need to get more done with your day. Just as lifting weights keeps our bodies strong as we age, learning new skills is the mental equivalent of pumping iron. Listen to before breakfast on the I Heart app, or wherever you get your podcasts. Not too long ago, in the heart of the Amazon Rainforest,

this explorer stumbled upon something that would change his life. I saw it and I saw, oh well, this is a very unusual situation. It was cacao, the tree that gives us chocolate, but this cacao was unlike anything experts had seen, or tasted. I've never wanted us to have a gun bite.

I mean, you saw this stacks of cash in our office. Chocolate sort of forms this vortex. It sucks you in. It's like I can be the queen of wild chocolate. We're all lost. It was madness. It was a game changer. People quit their jobs.

They left their lives behind, so they could search for more of this stuff. I wanted to tell their stories, so I followed them deep into the jungle, and it wasn't always pretty. Basically, this like disgruntled guy and his family surrounded the building armed with machetes. And we've heard all sorts of things that you know somebody got shot over this.

Sometimes I think all, all this for a damn bar of chocolate. Listen to obsessions, wild chocolate, on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast Absolutely man, I know exactly exactly what you mean when what do you think it was that made you turn towards God Why God where was God in your life before did you always have faith? Or was this something new and fresh because I always find that when people go through these life changing moments, it either goes towards God or sometimes it goes towards lower habits and our lower selves. Why for you was God so accessible?

You know, I grew up Jewish, went to temple, but was believed in a guy, but I think at one point, maybe I didn't believe in him, maybe I left my faith and life just became so crazy. But when I had that white light moment, that was it. I mean, that was it. And then I got so many GMC's and I still get them to this day,

GMC's me guy managed coincidences. And, you know, I still have the ups and downs, like anybody else in challenges in recovery. But I just know, he's with me. This morning, Magic Johnson and Hulk are going to be my first two phone calls because they're so excited about any time I have a big platform, especially like yours,

to push this message. And I'll tell you, maybe 30 seconds was about business. Magic was 20 minutes, Hulk was 15. It's about God. It's about God being here right now with you and I, and I'm feeling him through me, because sometimes I don't even know what I'm going to say,

and I know it's going to come at the exact way he wants me as a vessel. Because for such a long time, even in recovery, I knew I needed him. And then he started setting messages. I need Darren Prince. The agency life was just a byproduct of what your purpose is going to be. Something is going to happen through the notoriety you've gotten through your industry,

where you're going to touch people all around the world. And then that's when I came in the book. Yeah, and I love that because you're almost acting as an ambassador of God in your way for the people that can connect with you. And you're using and engaging the platform that you built for that purpose. Absolutely. And I see that whenever you connect me to someone or when we're messaging or when we speak, like, I never don't feel like there's just this beautiful sincere intention behind, behind every time we connect. And you, you feel that when you sit down to write the book and put it together, what's the process

like of revisiting so many of these moments. Is it actually like, you're a small camera on your face, everyone is listening again? Is it actually a moment of, like, yes, I get to serve through it or is it painful to revisit those moments? It wasn't painful. It was very therapeutic at that point. I was, I think, about nine years, so, ten years over. And my amazing publisher, Anna David, she had a vision, my dad passed away,

the year earlier and always wanted me to write a book about the agent life, but I've been explained to my good dad. Well, do you want to talk to Ollie Fraser? He says, like, ah, dad, you know, Joe Muhammad was private. I really want to get into it. And I got that, I don't have an ego anymore. I go, I'm nobody special. I work for people that are very special

of accomplished extraordinary things. I'm just a guy that's got great networking ability. I'm a good people person. I've got good negotiating skills. And he's like, oh, okay, well, maybe one day you'll think about him when I met with Anna. She just kind of like our conversation. She goes, you're passionate.

She goes, well, you speak about your journey and your recovery, she goes, why don't you write a book about it? And she goes and implement the fly in the wall experience of being an agent's most iconic figure of her time. And that's when it hit. I got that set. I got that as it. And a month later, I'm in Miami, and in tears of joy

with Mattry Johnson Johnson and I told him and he got so excited because baby boy, this is so great. This book's going to be your legacy and you're going to change and save so many lives. And I turned it to that nervous little kid for a second because I had to ask him for a big favor on a column urban by his real name. I said, urban, would you do me a favor and write the forward to the book. Hey, because man, I'd be so pissed if I didn't write the forward to what you got to add, Dennis or somebody else.

So, he did a beautiful forward. But that's just amazing too. Like the support that I got, Jeannie Bosse, you had the privilege of meeting a Mark Cuban and hall, I mean, so many clients just got behind me with this and social media and promoting it and doing interviews with me and it just made me realize like, I could do the biggest sports marketing down history. It wouldn't even matter. This is what life is about because they saw me go deep in hell and come back out. What's beautiful is that you had such a deep relationships with these people. And when you're referring to the phone calls, you had this morning, what I love about is

that your bond was so deep that you've all stayed together. And I think that's something really special because sometimes people go through recovery and they look around and like no one's the same anymore because no one went with them on the journey. Yeah. But the impact that you had on these people's lives was so meaningful that they're with you on the journey. You're still all together right now. That must feel really special.

Yeah, Hulk ended the call, whether I know he won't let me tell in this, but he ended the call because brother, I told you years ago, there's a light around you and you can't correct and ask God for the blessing. And he said, now I'm going to make you a blessing to other people. And that's what he's doing. And you know, magic knows all the great work I'm doing with my aiming eye foundation, a hundred percent of the proceeds. Good to get people into treatment. I'm a Philly with Banning Treatment Center, 14

properties of people don't have the money. I do anything I can to get them into treatment there. Magic said, God, just bless you 10 fold for the work that you're done. Absolutely. That's just how life works. And he goes, I've seen it because I've seen the transformation. Man, it's so beautiful. I'm so happy. And I said, had me in a little bit of tears at the end because he goes, God and your dad's going to be there with you today, which I know it. I love the, I love hearing that. Tell me about, tell me about another story. I love the story you said of the boy standing up

in the middle of his class. And tell us about another experience you've had with someone that I know this many. I got a good one, that was recent. So I was at in South Carolina about a month ago, I spoke at Oaks Recovery. Donated a bunch of money to get five people into treatment and I got to a month ago, I spoke at Oaks Recovery, donated a bunch of money to get five people into treatment, and I got to meet them all after I spoke.

And this one guy comes over to me and he goes, thank you for saving my life. I really did because you're a Darren Prince at the Aimee High Foundation. I said, oh, I said, that's great. I said, I'm so glad to hear it because now you don't understand. I'll be dead on the side of the road. Few weeks ago, North condolences of my life and the local treatment center, Massachusetts couldn't take me. So the prosecutor, when the judge wanted to throw me in jail,

called over here, and this we got a grant. We can put you on the plant. We can get you started on this brand new life. And he pulls that his cell phone just because of you. I'm going to get to see my kids again. And they're going to have a father. I mean, I don't care about the money anymore. I told Omar on that podcast, I go, bro, I truly believe money doesn't buy anything

but temporary happiness. I love it. I take care of so many people. That'd be the only thing that's heartbreaking if I ever lost it, that I couldn't have the ability to do that. I care about my purpose at this point, because I know if I lost the business

in the money tomorrow, Jay, you'd still be sitting right in front of the same Darren Prince. The Darren Prince that turned his pain into his purpose. And there's no better feeling than that. You got it at a young age. You found yourself at a very young age, which is so incredibly beautiful. What you're doing inspired the world because people need to hear it.

Do you know how many adult 50, 60, 40 that are super accomplished that haven't? They haven't gotten through the healing. You know, that stuff is still in here. The character defects, the acting out, the, that haven't. They haven't gotten through the healing. You know, stuff is still in here. The character defects, the acting out, the things that they do. You know, I'm not a perfect human being. You know, I still make mistakes, but I try to be accountable.

I try to take an action and apologize right away because I don't want that emotional hangover. You know, but I say like this, I'm not exactly who I want to be. I'm not your I want to be, but thank you, God, I'm not exactly who I want to be. I'm not your Royal wannabe, but thank you, God, I'm not the person I used to be. I love that. I love that. That's just so magical and beautiful to hear. And, you know, just just taking in what you just said, because I think that's something, you know, that's a beautiful affirmation that we can all repeat to ourselves and can all connect with that.

That we're not who we want to be. We're not, you know, where we want to be yet, but at least we're not who we used to be. I think that's such a, such a beautiful prayer and such a beautiful affirmation in connecting us with God. I loved what you said earlier. I want to go back to it. You said that the opposite of addiction is connection. I thought that was so powerful.

I mean, that, in and of itself, is such a... What are some of the deepest ways you choose to connect with people now? Obviously, it's service. Obviously, it's helping them. But if someone wants to deepen their connection with someone, what should they be doing? I think be more present. Priscilla is to struggle with that as we know.

But I think she's seen improvements. I love what you say about the cell phone before you get a better, and I've been getting better at it. Because it just doesn't work, you just have to. if you're struggling yourself with something, the quickest way to get out of your own head is to be a service to somebody else. They don't need to be struggling with drugs. Alcohol could be a health issue, family issue, friend problem, job problem. And I just think when you're there in that moment, and you're there without looking for

a payoff, but just to be a good, kind, caring human being, you know, you will help that other individual. 100% because they're gonna feel that energy to all about the energy and the, you know, what's behind it, you know, I don't, I'm never somebody in my business that asks for favors. My clients know that. You lowest, you guys are my boys. If I can help you get clients,

I mean, we just have that connection on that call. I just believe things happen energetically and the way they're meant to happen at a certain point if they're meant to happen. But I just think that connection, the opposite of addiction is so powerful. And I got to give credit to my spiritual brother, Brandon Novak, from Jack Asks, because he's the one that's that we said it.

And I think he's coming up on 8-8-0, it's just such a beautiful, deep, deep statement for somebody like me. How often do you still keep attached with your spiritual family? Now, it sounds like you talked to them all the time. A lot. You've got them, Lewis, and all your guys. I've got to just mention, I'm whether it makes the kite, I've got Tim Ryan and Jennifer Jementez and Chris Herron who's the best in the game, the Xbox, and Celtic, and Anna David Ryan Hampton, Brandon Novak, I just mentioned. They are my Mount Rushmore. They're the ones with the big, big followings. They're out there constantly pushing this message, speaking hundreds

of times a year on all the biggest talk shows. And we all use each other as an philanthropist. We're drained, we're being up, we need that sorts of energy, we need that reminder. We call on them, we call on each other, my sponsor, Steve Delavale saved my life. I called them two days ago I said I can't thank you and I think as many I'll never understand it you help me down and way more than I ever helped you because you put the working and You need it. I mean I heard it in your voice when we spoke a couple months ago I told you what I was taught. I'm not a genius making up these things

You know, I said learn to say not Because you got to take care of you I know it's going on with your book tour and you need to get to hang with your wife and just check out them. It's key because, you know, if you forget these little tidbits, these little nuggets, you know, you're going to put yourself in a bad energy space. You're not going to make it to other people, you know. I've learned so much from them, J. Spear, Child, E.W.I.s. like.

Now life is about saying what I mean, meaning what I say and not saying it mean. I try to understand people instead of me being understood. And this goes for everybody, if you're in a heat of an argument with somebody, bite your tongue, stop the text, don't send the email, because it's so much better to be all right than right. Just stay in that place of peace, and 10 minutes you're not gonna know why the heck you were so angry in the first place. That's what I've learned that keeps me

on that spiritual super being, because a lot of this old character defects that come out that's gonna push me closer to the relapse. And I'm not afraid of relapsing and dying. That's easy. I go bad, my system's not gonna take it. I'm definitely afraid of relapsing and living. That's what I I go bad. My system's not going to take it. I'm definitely afraid of relapsing a living. That's what I don't want.

Ever. And I'll do whatever the heck it takes. I'll move away from people, places, clients, whatever it might be to stay in that place. Because nothing is ever worth going back to that life. Do you ever feel when you hear someone, and they say to you, Darren, you know, I read your book, I hear you, but I just can't change.

Like, you know, someone's just like, I just, I can't do it. It's just not for me. I'm not you. I'm not as special as you. I'm not as hard working as you are. I'm not as disciplined as you are. I can't do the 90 days.

Have you ever had anyone say that to you? And when they've said that, what's been your response? It's a great, it's another great question. I'm at the Le Mansreus about three years ago. Before the book came out, I had this individual. I spoke, I was honored at the New Jersey Mental Health Association Gala in May of 2015. You're nothing about speaking.

If I even watched the tape long before I started working with my speech in coach, it was probably embarrassing, but I still got the claps and whatever. So I found out a week before that this individual was coming, a 23-year-old kid, I was in 18 treatment centers, 18. And he's coming to see me because he read my bio and the father said it's the first time I saw some light of excitement. I actually knew then this event had nothing to do with me. That ego was pushed aside because this event has this individual all over it. That's why I'm chosen to be the speaker in the keynote. And we kept in touch at a great time at the event. I spoke to him. I actually flew to London later than I wrote it at a North airport for some business and text me when I was in London. Cap, go on bad. 10 to 20 times.

I'd be instilling whatever my spiritual knowledge is to him. Got to a point where he wasn't checking in as much and I'm at the Le Mansress three years ago and I text him from the place that Heybro, you doing okay. Textes you back. You know what? I wanted to reach out for your day. I'm just so embarrassed. I just feel like I'm wasting your time. I just can't get this. I'm just not ready. I'm not you.

Everything you just said. I picked up the phone and I called. And I said, hey, man, I don't care if you go bad 99 more times. Get me on the hundredth because I don't want to miss the magic in your eyes, because I've seen it. From that phone call, you just celebrated six years over. Wow. I love hearing that.

You could see that one gets me, because it's, I love hearing that. That's beautiful. How many of the 99 did he did he get? How far did he get to get it? Was it 100th or he did it 30? It did even take more man. I think it was like another one and he was there. He made it. I just said, it's the greatest feeling in the world because I know again, it's not even me. I'm just being used for my purpose. You know, I, you know, I just feel like it's never

at all to just the greatest thing. You know, because you're not just changing that individual to the mother and the father and the girlfriend and the sister and the grandparents, they're at his first coin ceremony that I've got the privilege to give him that coin. And tears of joy and hugging each other. This individual from two completely different walks of life. But we had one thing, we had nothing in common,

but we had everything in common. I love that man. I love that everyone who's been listening, I hope that you're gonna go and grab a copy of Aming High by Darren Prince, our prominent sports and celebrity agent, hit bottom at the top. It's already an Amazon bestseller, but more importantly, the reason what's

what's resonating with me right now that I want everyone to hear is a lot of the times we turn to knowledge, especially in this space reactively. We think about it afterwards once someone in our family gets affected, or once we're addicted to something. And the truth is that we can all avoid this in our lives. If we read this book, if we listen to this conversation now, we can actually live a life where we don't have to hit the bottom to be able to practice this.

And I think some of us can sometimes be complacent to the fact that, oh, that won't happen to me, that won't happen to my kids, so that won't happen. And it's so easy to get lost in that it won't happen to me. And the next thing you know, you and someone- Exactly what happens to you. Exactly. And it's so, I hate saying that, but it's just reality and the truth. And I know that every time my teachers would always say to me, every time I say, like,

oh, no, I don't think that's an issue for me. That it was, like, you know, like, don't ever say that because you're running the risk of just having a massive blind spot. And so if any of you are listening today and have been moved by Darren as I've been, please, please, please, go and grab a copy of the book, aiming high, share it with a friend. Darren, before we go into our final five, I want to ask you one question. Anyone who's listening, actually, no, I'll share this with you after the final five. So as you know, we end every episode with a final five, which is our rapid fire, fast

five. So that you already know this, but the answers have to be one word or one sentence maximum. So, Darren, the first question is, for your final five is, what is your ultimate metric of success today? Happiness within and being of service to others.

Beautiful, I did not expect a different answer. Second question, what's the best advice you've ever received? Probably my father. It's not what you say, it's what you do. Hmm. I love that. Number three, what's the worst advice you've ever received? Probably I got a look back.

My body, I'm not going to mention it's the name when we decided to get in your ex-city fresh out of our patient. It didn't turn out too well. You know, 90 stitches in my face. This is why I got this ugly mug today. Oh God. No, you look great. Question number four. It looks great. Question number four. What's something that you think other people value, but you don't value anymore? Stuff and things. I can't, I got nothing against it. I like my stuff too. Totally. Ultimately, it's not going to be our legacy. It's not, but to really make you happy. It's going to give you temporary happiness. Absolutely. And fifth and final question, if you could create one law that everyone in the

world had to follow, what would it be? Well, it's a great question, man. One law that everybody had to follow. I think I got to go back to being kind. You know, I think that what it comes down to so often being kind of being a service and not enough people are to wrap them to their own crap. And you don't realize when you're more kind and you're more in that place of service, everything works out so much better for you. Absolutely. Absolutely.

Darren, one last question, which is not part of the final five, but I had to ask this to you. If anyone's listening today and they've been incredibly moved and they want to support the work you're doing, what can they do to help? How can they support? How can they get involved? How can they, apart from, of course, reading the book, which we're recommending to everyone, but how can people help? So my foundation, most likely, aiminghighfoundation.org, we take like I said, a hundred percent of the proceeds.

If people are listening and they can't afford a book, Patrick and the publisher have sent out hundreds and hundreds of books free of charge. They can get to me on Instagram at agent underscore dp. I just want to put them people's hands. I didn't write the book to make money when it started making a lot of money. That's when I said I'm going to start my foundation because that's what God wanted me to do. Yeah, that's amazing. I love that. Everyone head over and follow Darren on agent underscore DP on

Instagram, go and grab a copy of the book. We've put the link in the comments for you as well. Darren, thank you so much for doing this. Thank you for sharing your soul and your story, and I can't wait for people to dive in the book. And I mean, there's so many more incredible stories in the book that I can't wait for people to read in the book. And I mean, there's so many more incredible stories in the book that I can't wait for people to read. But most importantly, I want to thank you for just really bearing your soul today and being truly one of the, you know, an ambassador of God,

an ambassador of God. And I deeply thank you for being that in my life, for being that in everyone else's life today. And I can't wait for people to hear this. So thank you so much. Thanks my brother and again, thank you for having me. Thank you for being so genuine in who you are and touching the world, like you do every single day.

And this has just been a beautiful experience and I can't wait to see how many lies we touch. That's why I'm here. That's why you're here. Absolutely. Thank you, darling. Thank you, man. I'm Munga Shatekler and it turns out astrology is way more widespread than any of us want to believe. You can find it in major league baseball, international banks, K-pop groups, even the White House. But just when I thought I had a handle on this subject, something completely unbelievable happened to me, and my whole view on astrology changed.

Whether you're a skeptic or a believer, give me a few minutes because I think your ideas are about to change too. Listen to Skyline Drive on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. I am Miyaan Levan Zant and I'll be your host for the R-Spot. Each week listeners will call me live to discuss their relationship issues. Nothing will tear a relationship down faster than two people with no vision. Does your all are just flopping around like fish out of water? Mommy, daddy, your ex, I'll be talking about those things and so much more. Check out the R-Spot on the iHeart video app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you listen to

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