
MrBallen (Former Navy SEAL): I Wasn't Sleeping, I Became A Raging Alcoholic! I Was Disowned By The SEALS! This Will Turn Your Life Around In 2025!
From rock bottom to Navy SEAL, and then to storytelling YouTube star from John Ballen to MrBallen, he reveals what it takes to reimagine your life's path
John Ballen, best known as MrBallen, is a former US Navy SEAL and founder of Ballen Studios. He is the host of the ‘MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories’ and author of the book ‘MrBallen Presents: Strange, Dark & Mysterious: The Graphic Stories’.
In this conversation, John and Steven discuss topics such as, the 5 words that transformed John’s life, the benefits of storytelling, why he was disowned by the SEAL’s, and how to turn your life around in 2025.
(00:00) Intro
(02:13) Becoming MrBallen
(10:25) The Self-Awareness to Take Responsibility Changed Me
(15:09) How You React After Making Mistakes Changes Everything
(16:54) What Is the Navy SEALs?
(19:31) How Long Is Navy SEAL Training?
(23:15) The Difference Between Those Who Made It or Not
(27:18) The Mentality of MrBallen Before and After SEAL Training
(30:02) Hitting Rock Bottom
(33:03) Advice for People Who Feel Stuck
(36:33) I Almost Died: Finding Your True Motivation
(39:54) Retiring Due to War PTSD
(45:44) I Was Dishonored by the Navy SEAL Community
(49:26) I Crossed the Line...
(01:01:33) What Happened to Those Nine Hikers
(01:03:45) Advice to Discover What Motivates You
(01:07:09) The Best Things in Life Are on the Other Side of Fear
(01:14:34) Dealing With People Hating What I Love Doing
(01:18:54) Will You Stop Being MrBallen?
(01:21:26) What Would Make You Leave MrBallen Behind?
(01:25:49) Finding the Next Thing to Check Off Your List
(01:27:29) Dealing With PTSD and Alcoholism
(01:34:03) Coming to Terms With Everything I Did
(01:36:52) Your Demons and Therapy
(01:38:45) The Only Way to Cope With Your Demons
(01:41:03) Ads
(01:42:07) Reconciling With My Dad
(01:46:02) How to Help Men Experiencing Mental Health Issues
(01:50:30) How to Be a Great Storyteller
Follow John:
Instagram - https://bit.ly/3BjQjbv
Twitter - https://bit.ly/3Bd3evX
MrBallen YouTube - https://bit.ly/4irOnhN
Ballen Studios Website - https://bit.ly/3ZzRv2A
MrBallen Podcast - https://spoti.fi/49xFsY0
You can purchase John’s book, ‘MrBallen Presents: Strange, Dark & Mysterious: The Graphic Stories’, here: https://amzn.to/4g7fq0p
🚀The 1% Diary is live - and it won’t be around for long, so act fast! https://bit.ly/1-Diary-Megaphone-ad-reads
Watch the episodes on Youtube - https://g2ul0.app.link/DOACEpisodes
My new book! 'The 33 Laws Of Business & Life' is out now - https://g2ul0.app.link/DOACBook
Follow me:
https://g2ul0.app.link/gnGqL4IsKKb
Sponsor:
PerfectTed - https://www.perfectted.com with code DIARY40 for 40% off
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett
The Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett is a podcast hosted by Steven Bartlett, the CEO of the social media management company, Social Chain. The podcast features Bartlett's reflections on his experiences as a CEO, as well as interviews with other business leaders and entrepreneurs. The show provides insights into the challenges and opportunities of running a successful business, as well as the personal journeys of its guests. The Diary of a CEO is known for its honest and candid discussions on the realities of being a CEO, and is aimed at helping listeners understand the inner workings of successful businesses.
New Zealand PodcastsSteven Bartlett is a British entrepreneur, investor, and author. He’s the founder of Flight Story – a media company – and Flight Fund, an investment fund backing the next generation of category-defining businesses.
He created The Diary Of A CEO to share the unfiltered pages of the personal diaries of the world’s most fascinating CEOs, experts, therapists, and leaders – with the hope that their lessons will help both you and him live better lives.
DOAC is a double acronym: Diary Of A CEO, but also Dreamers, Open-minded, Awareness, and Connection.This is your corner of the internet to dream boldly, think openly, expand your awareness, and feel more connected.
My New Book: https://g2ul0.app.link/DOAC
IG: https://www.instagram.com/steven
LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenbartlett-123
- No. of episodes: 720
- Latest episode: 2025-08-28
- Business Society & Culture