0:00
If you're struggling yourself with something, the quickest way to get out of your own head is be of service to somebody else.
Search this video
0:04
They don't have to be struggling drugs, alcohol, could be a health issue, family issue, friend problem, job problem.
0:08
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.
0:25
Everyone, welcome back to On Purpose, the number one health podcast in the world.
0:31
Thanks to each and every single one of you that come back every week to listen, learn, and grow.
0:35
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 or the people we love in our lives.
0:44
Now, this guest I've known for a while.
0:47
We've been connecting, communicating.
0:49
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.
1:01
I'm talking about none other than Darren Prince.
1:04
Darren is the founder and CEO of Prince Marketing Group, a sports and celebrity management agency.
1:11
He's represented the likes of Magic Johnson, Hulk Hogan, and the late Joe Frazier, and Muhammad Ali, to name just a few.
1:18
In 2018, Darren released his autobiography, which is called Aiming High, How a prominent sports and celebrity agent hit bottom at the top.
1:29
And as you can see, it's a best-seller on Amazon.
1:31
You'll have links all over the description so that you can go and order your copy today, and we'll be talking about his journey through addiction and recovery.
1:39
Darren, welcome to the show.
1:42
Thanks for having me on, man.
1:42
It's amazing to have you here, man.
1:44
I remember when I was in London, I I went back to see my parents and my sister and my in-laws because I hadn't seen them in over a year.
1:56
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 I was just driving.
2:05
And as you were just telling me just before this it was around 5:00 a. m. in LA.
2:09
So, it was about what's that like it's about 1:00 p. m. in London.
2:19
And and we talking about something completely different.
2:22
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.
2:33
And I like stopped the car cuz I was speaking to you on speakerphone.
2:38
I stopped the car and I just made a decision.
2:39
I was like I have to have him on the podcast and he needs to share this story because there was something about that moment where I just almost felt called that there was a reason that we'd connected.
2:49
I think we connected 2 years ago now 1 and 1/2 years ago so something like that.
2:56
And then it all kind of became reality where I was like, "Okay, this story needs to be told."
3:00
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.
3:06
I started watching interviews with you and podcast that you'd done.
3:11
And I'm just so excited that we get to share that on on purpose today. So, thank you man.
3:15
Thank you for making the time.
3:17
Thank you for being a dear friend and supporter of the podcast for 2 years or more and thank you for showing up today.
3:25
I know you're ready to share. So, thank you.
3:28
Again, thanks for having me man and 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. Can guarantee that.
3:35
Yeah, I mean that just just hearing that gives me shivers.
3:39
I'm just like that's that like just feels so good that that that's the aim of what we're trying to do here.
3:45
But let's start with your childhood.
3:48
I want to hear about what was Darren like as a kid?
3:53
What were the things that excited you?
3:55
What were the things you were insecure about?
3:57
What were the things that you loved?
3:58
What was your experience growing up?
4:01
So I grew up in Livingston, New Jersey.
4:03
Great loving mom and dad.
4:03
Uh sister that I'm close with to this day.
4:09
And you know, I had a lot of friends, uh boys and girls, and you would have thought everything from the outside was okay, but it just wasn't.
4:14
I was crippled with anxiety.
4:18
Um no security or self-worth.
4:22
I I was always put in small classrooms and told I was dumb or stupid or learning disabled.
4:28
And uh I just know by not speaking up, that's what eventually led me down the path that it led me down to.
4:34
As far as hobbies, you know, I was athletic.
4:36
I was incredibly obsessed with baseball cards, which by the time I was 14 turned out to be a tremendous blessing cuz I started a multi-million dollar company in 1984, which uh you know, all of a sudden the dumb stupid kid was the smart brilliant one making a ton of money.
4:54
And um but again, I look back at that time and by by not speaking up for the inadequacies, the insecurities, the feeling of less than, uh never fitting in.
5:05
That's why 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, you know, certain people that could have helped me.
5:13
What was it specifically at the time that made you feel like you didn't fit in?
5:16
What was that anxiety that was crippling you?
5:19
Where was it coming from?
5:20
What was the root of it when you were I think I I think you know, I grew up a mama's boy.
5:24
Um my mom definitely overwhelmed me with love.
5:26
You know, I I don't think I had it in between.
5:30
And uh just being away from her, uh my dad was always like a safety net for me.
5:35
So anytime I wasn't around them and around different groups of people, I I just never fit in.
5:39
I I was uh had imposter syndrome since the time I was probably this big.
5:44
And I never really could put my pulse on it why it was just that way.
5:49
It was That was just it and I never spoke up. I kept it all inside.
5:52
What's incredible about that is you you talked about imposter syndrome.
5:58
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.
6:16
Did that imposter syndrome stay? Did it change?
6:19
Did it ever feel like it went away because now you had achieved something or did it get deeper? Where did it go?
6:24
It got deeper because I believed all the bull crap.
6:26
I believed the super agent, the wow, look at Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Evil Knievel, Pamela Anderson, Magic Johnson.
6:33
Like it it just the list was endless, but again, that core which I told you about on the phone call was so badly broken.
6:40
That spirit inside of me was slowly going off the deep end until obviously I hit my bottom, which we can get into later.
6:50
And um I just believed it all.
6:53
And I needed people to think that Darren Prince arrived.
6:55
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.
7:01
I needed the world to think that wow, Darren Prince is the most successful person in our school.
7:07
Darren Prince is doing unbelievably.
7:08
He's on private jets, Super Bowls, backstage for the biggest concerts, award shows.
7:13
And I needed all of it because that gave me the validation that I was missing as a child. It's crazy, isn't it?
7:18
Like 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 how we what we didn't receive as a kid.
7:31
The difference was that you were actually at the top. Doing it.
7:38
Yeah, you were actually doing it.
7:38
Like that's my point that I think we all seek it from from different things in our whole journey, but you'd actually got there.
7:46
But it's crazy you're 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?"
7:54
Uh that must be a really unique experience and journey.
7:59
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?
8:08
It's nobody, but we do have Jason Alexander and Chelsea Handler that came out of my high school.
8:13
So, they did pretty well for themselves, too.
8:16
Fortunately, I don't think either one of them had substance abuse issues like I did, but they're they're they've done uh remarkably well.
8:21
And I I I truly don't know many individuals in that position because normally it's smoke and mirrors. Yeah.
8:29
You know, you're you're you're you're posting now about this life.
8:32
You're verbalizing about it.
8:32
And um you're not really living it.
8:36
You need people to think.
8:38
You want people to think you've arrived at the top.
8:40
Yeah, we've had Chelsea on the podcast, too.
8:44
So, it's uh when when I hear you say that, though, I think that experience is shared by by so many of us.
8:52
And that's why 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 uh from the external sense, but really becoming successful from an internal space.
9:14
Tell me about the day or the journey where you started to realize that you had an addiction.
9:22
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."
9:35
Some people have an addiction to sugar.
9:37
Some people have an addiction to their smartphone, some people have an addiction to alcohol, some people have an addiction to validation.
9:42
Like, we all have an addiction.
9:45
Everyone who's listening or watching right now, there's no one who's free of an addiction.
9:52
And so, when I read your story and hear your story of recovery from addiction, even though your addiction was extremely deep and in the more 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.
10:07
So, so tell us about when you first were able to realize and recognize that you had an addiction.
10:14
So, I started Prince Marketing Group when I was 24 and Magic Johnson became my first client.
10:18
And I like to say what was once a living to use turned out to using to live.
10:27
I don't know when it turned on me, but for the first five or six years I was a rockstar.
10:30
I really was on the plane networking my butt off, building the agency.
10:35
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.
10:44
That's what life's about."
10:44
I was like, "Wow, I got the opportunity to exploit him and get on the phone with different celebrities."
10:49
And it probably was, I would say, around 2002, which was my pinnacle moment of my career in the book.
10:56
And I'm going to mention it now because last Monday was the 50th anniversary of Ali-Frazier, the most incredible spectacle sporting event of all time historically, culturally.
11:06
The Vietnam War stopped that night on March 8th, '71, and I spent six years with my dear friend Harlan Werner, who was Muhammad's agent, brought me into the Ali team to get these two regal icons together.
11:19
And the opportunity happened in 2002 for NBA All-Star Weekend.
11:23
And uh I got a call from Lonnie, and she's like, "Muhammad and I would like you and Joe and Justin Marvelis to come to dinner in Muhammad's suite tonight.
11:33
And I just I was losing my mind.
11:34
This historical opportunity behind closed doors to see them finally make peace with each other and hug and embrace.
11:42
And where where all the leaders anybody would have just done anything to be in that moment.
11:50
Well, Jay, an hour before I went to get Joe, I'm in my hotel room snorting Percocets and OxyContin's and Vicodin's.
11:59
Because that 8-year-old kid, that 10-year-old kid with the severe learning disability did not deserve to be there.
12:07
And had no idea how to be there, present in the moment, and take in this experience that would blow anybody away.
12:15
And the fact that Joe and Muhammad loved and respected me more than I respected myself.
12:22
That's when I realized I was like, "This is getting really bad.
12:24
I don't know how much longer I can keep this up."
12:29
I mean, even just listening to you share that, I can hear from you in your voice how like how how present you are with it now.
12:38
Like, you know, just how how like present you are with it now in that moment. And and in this moment. Yeah.
12:44
And which is beautiful to see.
12:47
And the smile you have on your face right now as well.
12:48
For anyone who's listening, if you're listening and not watching, like Darren has the best smile on his face.
12:53
It's incredible to think that what you just said, that they respected you more than you respected yourself.
12:59
They believed in you more than you believed in yourself.
13:04
Tell us about where do you think that addiction stopped?
13:07
Uh through your journey and for others.
13:10
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?
13:20
Because it almost seems like it almost seems like it It so small and naive and a bit complacent and and then all of a sudden it's it's cascaded to this. How does it stop? Where does it stop?
13:35
So, for me it started at 14.
13:35
I was in sleepaway camp in Massachusetts and had a terrible stomach pains one night.
13:39
I asked the counselor to take me to see the nurse.
13:43
She gave me this clear cough syrup cup with this green liquid in it.
13:47
And oh, it tasted disgusting, but the most amazing thing about that was 5 minutes later I'm walking across the softball field with the counselor back to the bunk.
13:57
And I felt like Superman.
13:59
Every inadequacy 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.
14:07
Now I'm the cool kid, the buff kid, the funny one.
14:09
Never had the courage to do this in my life.
14:11
I knocked on the bunk next to us and started flirting with girls at 14 years old.
14:14
I didn't think anything of it.
14:16
I just knew whatever that was, I needed this feeling 24/7, 365 days a year.
14:19
Got up the next morning, thought nothing of it, did all our activities, softball, soccer.
14:25
And I'm in the bunk that next night and looking up at the sky thinking, "Wow, that feeling was amazing."
14:35
And I learned how to lie and con in that moment.
14:36
I keel over, the counselor runs over because he was like, "Okay, down."
14:39
And I said, "Oh man, I got to go back to the counselor.
14:41
My stomach is killing me."
14:42
And I start shaking and I knew right then that that this was something I needed.
14:46
And I did this for three straight weeks straight every single night till Mom and Dad came for visitation day and found out I was taking liquid emerald.
14:57
Did you know at that time what you were taking or was it just the feeling that you wanted?
15:01
Was the nurse or the person who gave it to you aware of what they gave you and had exposed you to?
15:05
Like, what was the what was the situation from an adult perspective of what we're doing with this 14-year-old?
15:13
So so so I don't think the opioid epidemic was nowhere near as rampant back then in 1984 as it is now.
15:16
I don't blame the nurse because I can get it to plenty of other situations that I found when I needed um but you're not going to tell a 14-year-old kid you can't take that again.
15:26
My my whole world got changed in that very moment.
15:31
Nobody was telling me that, you know, you can't do this.
15:33
And case in point, 3 months later I'm back home.
15:36
I had my wisdom teeth removed.
15:40
And I come back from the dentist and uh my mom gives me these two white pills.
15:43
I've no idea what they were. I'm freaking flying. I'm zooted.
15:45
Now my business is starting.
15:47
I'm starting to make money.
15:48
I'm on the phone calling up everybody, the cool one, the one everybody was looking at, the smart one with all the great business ideas.
15:54
And um 2 days later the pills were gone. Freaking devastated. I was crushed.
15:59
I had no idea how I was going to get more of these beautiful white pills that just made me feel like I was floating and flying. And uh same thing. Go downstairs.
16:11
I put the crocodile tears on.
16:13
I said, "Mom, my tooth is killing me.
16:14
We got to go back to the dentist.
16:14
I think I have a horrible infection."
16:16
And as a loving mother who wants to see their child suffer?
16:19
She took the bait and took him back to the dentist next day. Crocodile tears and all.
16:23
3 more days of the pills that I found that were extra strength Vicodin. That's insane.
16:29
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.
16:41
Like there wasn't the the education and and then once you're addicted or once you're strapped for that it just What is What do you think?
16:51
And I 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.
17:00
What's the equivalent right now for teenagers that you see being the challenge?
17:06
So that's the challenge that you were facing and your generation was facing what facing.
17:10
What is the generation today facing?
17:12
Where is their addiction?
17:16
What is it that they are exposed to that you think parents or others may not be aware of the negative effects of?
17:23
mean, I know there's fentanyl out there.
17:24
You hear about all the the horrid stories of somebody just touching it.
17:29
But, I think it's deeper than that.
17:29
I don't think it's substances.
17:30
And I'm going to give a shout-out to my amazing ex-fiancée, Priscilla Kase over there, because we had a talk a few years ago, and she came up with something that was genius.
17:40
And I remember when I was at the White House, I mentioned this to Kellyanne Conway, that we need a course in grammar school and high school on self-worth.
17:50
We need children to be able to have the courage to speak up, so you don't become like Darren Prince, cuz by all rights today, I should not be sitting here with you. I had several overdoses.
17:58
I should have been dead many, many years ago.
18:00
And if I knew there was a course where the jocks and the nerds and everybody else could actually get along for that 1 hour or two, and put your hand up comfortably and speak to a teacher, or have a private session with the guidance counselor, would have changed my life. Yeah.
18:16
Would have changed my life.
18:16
That's what I think the big underlying root issue is.
18:20
Everybody with the social media, and who's better looking, who's more athletic, what family has more money, um who has bigger, better opportunities.
18:26
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.
18:33
You know, have the ability to call a teacher or go to a guidance counselor and be able to say, "I'm not really feeling good about myself.
18:38
I worked my butt off on this test, and I got a D." Let them work on you.
18:43
Let them work on that inside.
18:46
Because if I had that, like I said, I I I got to believe there's no way I would have gone down the road that I went down.
18:50
But, I don't regret any of it.
18:50
My life worked out perfectly.
18:52
You know, so, but my mission now is not just with adults and corporations and everybody I speak to, my biggest passion is the teens, cuz I have had some of the most amazing God moments with some of these kids.
19:06
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 he he he's he's acting out, he's doing some very bad things and uh drug-wise and alcohol-wise, but because of your message, Mr.
19:19
Prince, and because of your speech, I'm here to tell on myself.
19:24
Greatest feeling in the world.
19:24
It's moments like that doing estimable acts that have given Darren Prince self-esteem that he was looking for his whole life.
19:32
It never came from Magic Johnson, respectfully, or Hulk Hogan or Muhammad Ali. It's being of service. Mhm.
19:40
I I love that how it's it's always your pain or the challenges that you go through that become your you know, your your purpose and your growth because it's it's like you have to use the same thing that broke you to help others have breakthroughs. Exactly.
19:58
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? A guy.
20:08
To put up his hand to to share that in front of his peers.
20:14
But see, here's the thing. Let's go back again.
20:16
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.
20:30
Like now you've got the business ideas.
20:32
Like you're seeing all this happen.
20:34
So, it's almost like you're falling in love with a false version of yourself.
20:40
Uh and and it's not a falling in love, it's more like just falling for a falling for a version of yourself that is being created.
20:48
I mean, when I was reading and listening to your story now, I'm like, that's like the real-life Limitless.
20:52
Like the 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.
21:02
How do you go from and and 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.
21:13
So, you know, I know we've got people in the room today who are who are closer to you than Patrick and you know, my dear friend. Absolutely, yeah.
21:20
And and you've got people in the room who are closer to you.
21:23
Uh every time I've seen you, you've been with Patrick.
21:25
So, you guys are always together.
21:28
Uh you know, you've got people in the room that know you so deeply.
21:32
Uh 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 was falling for their false self to now building love for yourself. Right?
21:46
In the process of building, over always developing.
21:50
Where does that journey start to 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."
22:01
Because I'm sure your confidence gets attached to that feeling. Yeah.
22:05
How do you even get the courage to say, "This isn't confidence. This is false."
22:14
So, I think we're probably going to get to my bottom moment. It's what you're asking.
22:17
I um I was at the jumping-off point, suicidal.
22:23
I had the life, I had the money, the notoriety, the top of the industry.
22:28
But I was so incredibly broken, and I was so sick of the double life.
22:33
And um I went to an addiction psychiatrist, told him what was going on, he put me on Suboxone, which was an opiate blocker, but I lied to him, too.
22:40
I was snorting Ambien before I went to bed at night.
22:42
I was drinking still a couple days a week.
22:47
I was on a mood stabilizer, antidepressant, and anxiety pills, and um I I I was just a shell of myself, and my uncle and his then girlfriend, Andrea, were my a moment.
22:59
They were visiting from Florida.
23:01
They were both in recovery in the 12-step fellowship of AA and NA.
23:06
And they paid a surprise visit on July 1st of 2008.
23:09
And I never met her before, Jay, but she walked in and surprised me and said, "Are you okay?"
23:15
And I said, "No, I'm not."
23:17
She goes, "You don't look okay. What's wrong?" And I told her.
23:21
I had accountability for the first time in my life. I told her everything. And she looked at me.
23:25
She goes, "Do you realize you're an addict and your life's unmanageable?" I said, "Yeah."
23:27
She goes, "Do you realize that you're powerless over this? And you have a disease?" I said, "Yeah."
23:32
She goes, "Let me ask you the most important thing.
23:36
Do you realize that it doesn't matter if you're from Park Avenue or park bench or Yale or jail that the disease of addiction does not discriminate?" And that broke my soul.
23:46
And I started to just break down and cry. I said, "Yeah."
23:47
She goes, "You want to do anything it takes?" I'm like, "Anything."
23:52
She goes, "I can put you on a detox plan."
23:54
And I 36 hour was that next night at 7:00 p. m. July 2nd, 2008.
23:56
I came back from the gym.
23:59
I was married at the time. I'm shaking.
24:01
When I go back to my apartment, I'm vomiting.
24:03
Just all the wonderful detox feelings that come along with that nightmare. And I called them up.
24:10
I said, "I can't freaking do this.
24:11
I'm calling the freaking doctor to get what I really need to get."
24:13
And they said, "It's the damn disease Darren talking. You got to go online.
24:15
You have to find yourself a 12-step meeting.
24:17
Put your damn ego aside already and surrender." I said, "I can't do it.
24:21
I've been to those stupid meetings.
24:23
I can't identify with these people."
24:24
I hung up the phone, ran into the bathroom.
24:26
And uh my my then wife thought I was going to kill myself cuz she was a part of other overdoses and hysterically crying, banging on the door, and going for all the medicine cabinet to take a non-narcotic anxiety pill.
24:38
And out came a two Vicodins.
24:40
Which at the time actually seemed like a gift cuz now I had 36 hours clean for the first time in my life, but I needed it.
24:50
And the miracle happened because I fell on my knees.
24:54
And I shouted out to God like I never did before in my life and I love the fact that the emotions are still so raw and I said God I can't do this.
25:01
I said I'm begging you just take the chains off of me.
25:09
Whatever it takes, take the money, take the notoriety because I can't do this without you and broken on the floor crying, shaking, trembling.
25:17
He heard me because I had this amazing sensation of this burning feeling over the shoulder and in my good ear you don't have them on my left I heard I've got you when you're ready.
25:31
And I had a white light moment cuz I sit up. It wasn't me. I flushed the pills.
25:33
up. It wasn't me. I flushed the pills. I went into the living room and I found a 12-step meeting I'm in a taxi cab it was before Uber and I'm looking up at this beautiful night of July 2nd, 2008 saying oh my God for the first time in my life
25:46
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 and 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 5 minutes, 10
26:08
This guy couldn't go 5 minutes, 10 minutes without getting high.
26:12
And these people there was about a dozen that came over to me spiritual brothers and sisters who were all once in a hopeless state of mind showed me love support, hugged me.
26:24
They taught me so many things during that hour that for the first time in my life I felt a part of something.
26:27
And again it wasn't the celebrities it was these individuals that were once so badly broken that slowly showed their imprint had to be the five A's as I call them.
26:41
Action, attitude adjustment, accountability, and acceptance and I put them into up here.
26:49
I put them into my heart.
26:49
I put them into my soul and one day at a time this guy started becoming whole.
26:54
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.
27:09
Thank you for sharing that, man.
27:11
I mean, you're more present than ever.
27:13
Like, just just the way it's coming through you right now is 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 all need.
27:35
Uh so so thank you for showing up in that way and and letting it come through you that way, but when we look at addiction today, unfortunately, we don't really understand it.
27:55
I think if you've not been through it, you don't really understand it.
27:57
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.
28:08
What does it feel like to be addicted, to have an overdose?
28:11
How does it affect the people in your life?
28:15
How does it impact the people that you love?
28:21
Uh 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.
28:28
It's more so that we hear how difficult it is for the person who's suffering.
28:36
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."
28:41
But I can't imagine that anyone is happy causing pain to others when they're in so much pain and suffering themselves.
28:50
When I was 21, I was put in an outpatient program after being arrested four times for possession charge.
28:56
And the day I supposedly graduated, that night I got the bright idea to go to New York City with a buddy of mine and we did these mind eraser shots, took a handful of Xanax, and the night turned out so well that his car fell in a ditch, he fell asleep on the wheel, my face went into the windshield, I woke up in the hospital with a massive concussion, 90 stitches in my face.
29:13
So, anybody listening right now, I don't care if you're young or older, the first two people I saw when I came through were my mom and my dad.
29:24
Broken and tears, helpless that their baby boy was spiraling out of control, cuz that's what addiction does.
29:29
Addiction destroys families.
29:29
You think it's the person suffering, we kill everybody else around us.
29:33
Everybody else around us.
29:37
You know, and nobody gets out for free. You got three choices.
29:41
You're going to get locked up, covered up, or cleaned up.
29:45
Tell Tell me about some of the people that you intentionally or that unintentionally at that time you knew that you were pushing away or making it harder for them, but you couldn't do anything about it.
29:57
Like, did you feel helpless at that point with how you were with people, or did you find you were actually yourself with people?
30:03
This was just something you were dealing with professionally at work and in those environments.
30:07
Yeah, I know there were some people in my inner circle that just had no idea what they can do.
30:12
Um, it was very It was It was very uh much a high bar on those.
30:18
Very much a you know, I was living this double life.
30:22
People knew something was wrong, they didn't know what because there's so much shame.
30:26
I mean, my ego, look at Look, I've arrived, man.
30:27
I I can't be telling everybody that I'm that before I'm going out one night I'm snorting six Percocets and four OxyContins and bringing more in the bathroom with me when I'm at at an event with the client, because to me also, I'm getting these from doctors.
30:43
I'm not doing illegal drugs anymore.
30:43
I'm not jeopardizing my morality clauses with with with my clients.
30:46
You know, these doctors are writing me prescriptions for sciatica whatever it might be. So, I justified it.
30:51
And I believed my own bull crap.
30:56
That's that's the hardest part about it.
30:57
I feel like knowing that you're not doing anything illegal.
31:01
And it feels like, oh, this is all, you know, above the line.
31:03
This is all normal and No, I mean, man, I remember being on the plane with Dennis Rodman to Vegas for Celebrity I mean, uh coming home from London from Celebrity Big Brother.
31:14
And actually, Muhammad Ali and Laila were on the flight. We had no idea. And we're back.
31:17
And you know, he's ready to go to sleep and had a drink or whatever.
31:22
And just here's my pill bottle.
31:23
And to look over even him.
31:23
I mean, I had many clients say something this week was broke.
31:27
You got to stop at this, thinks.
31:29
And I was like, bro, my back's killing me.
31:31
Don't even start with me. Like, just Yeah.
31:34
Did you meet other people before you went into recovery that were struggling with similar things and also being quiet?
31:40
And also coming up with like a white lie or whatever it was?
31:43
Or or did you feel so alone that you were the only person that you know going through this? No, it's funny.
31:50
I did There was a handful of people uh business-wise and personal-wise that I remember going through rough times.
31:55
And again, maybe just being a master of, you know, con artist in my own way back then in my using days. Not not in a bad way.
32:04
I just always had a way to, you know, come across as the guy well put together.
32:08
I actually helped some people get sober.
32:10
Not realizing I'm the one that needs the help. Wow.
32:14
So, even at that time, not not in recovery, even at that time you helped other people get out of it. Yep.
32:19
Not real Wow, that's crazy. That's insane. Wow. That's that's amazing.
32:28
That just shows that you've always had this ability to have a positive influence over others.
32:35
Tell us about the journey of recovery.
32:37
I love your A's that you mentioned there because I think they're so practical and actionable.
32:42
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.
32:57
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 where 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.
33:12
Tell us about the start of recovery and then that period.
33:16
So I learned so many things from my spiritual brothers and sisters.
33:18
You know, they talk about 90 meetings in 90 days.
33:22
If you could do anything for 90 days straight, it'll reprogram your brain and it'll reprogram your spiritual core.
33:27
So I became obsessed with meetings.
33:30
I learned that anything I put my before my recovery, I'll lose it.
33:34
Um I learned to stick with the winners.
33:36
I learned that recovery isn't based on promotion, it's based on attraction.
33:40
That's why I wanted to sit with you because the opposite of addiction is connection.
33:44
And I know people are going to be watching this and listening to it and feel our connection.
33:48
And for an addict and somebody that has imposter syndrome, whether you're in your teens or you're older, that's what it's about.
33:55
It's it's about waking up that dead spirit, that broken spirit that Darren Prince had for 24 years where it becomes alive little by little.
34:03
It doesn't happen overnight like you said.
34:04
You know, you might have, you know, a detour at a certain point, but that's why we need our support system with other spiritual brothers and sisters.
34:12
And it took me a good 6 months.
34:15
My sponsor Steve always says I was an exposed nerve.
34:18
And um it took me at least a good 6 months for the physical cravings, uh for my brain to somewhat start working, to start sleeping again.
34:28
Um I I had a every day I had to call my sponsor.
34:30
I I went to my meetings, I listened, I kept my mouth shut.
34:33
I heard take the cotton out of your ears and put it in your mouth.
34:39
I started implementing the 12 steps.
34:39
I don't know if you're familiar with what I tell people all the time.
34:42
12 steps everybody on Earth can use.
34:44
Alcohol is only mentioned in the first step.
34:46
We all need them on a daily basis.
34:50
And um you know, little by little, once I got to that one-year mark, I started realizing, you know what?
34:57
I need to get life to be like lasagna. And then I'm good.
35:00
You talk about finding happiness as your purpose, which I love and so many millions of people around the world do. That was my mission. Sober and lasagna.
35:06
Because if I can keep it there more times than not, I got a shot.
35:13
And um like I said, once I got to that one year, man, I I I I started becoming open pretty early on on Facebook and Instagram.
35:20
Um my mom wasn't thrilled about it, you know, upper-middle-class Jewish family, embarrassed a little bit, but then she would start having friends here and there, "Oh, my friend my son my friend is struggling."
35:30
And uh my dad was always super supportive, may he rest in peace, and uh just knew that I was onto something that that was much bigger than Darren Prince the agent. Yeah.
35:39
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 will see Darren Prince that he's going to do this for me and never follow through. Came from my dad.
35:54
Um so I put that same relentless psychotic obsessive drive, the same I do to this day, um 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 going to be a day I'm I'm going to need to withdraw upon it.
36:17
Because just because I got sober doesn't mean life is always going to get better. But this guy got better. My perspective changed.
36:25
My perception changed on everything.
36:31
And I became this spiritual God-loving being that if something worked out in business, great.
36:37
If it's something I really wanted and it didn't work out, that's great, too.
36:40
Just wearing life like a loose garment.
36:42
And um like I said, to me the biggest thing was giving it away and helping others.
36:49
What was the hardest part about recovery?
36:50
What was the most difficult thing that people are going to have to break through when they're in that point?
36:58
Uh slowing the brain down.
37:01
How can I not go to a wedding?
37:01
How can I not to go to party?
37:02
I can not to go to function without picking up a drink or doing something like this.
37:06
Don't worry about it, cuz you need to do something you've never done before in your life.
37:11
You need to stay present. Don't project.
37:14
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.
37:20
And if you and I made a list of projecting on a hundred things that might not go right over the next few months.
37:27
Not that we're those type of people.
37:30
99 of them aren't even going to happen that way. Totally.
37:33
And the one that might go wrong, the biggest blessing is going to come of it. Yeah. You know? Yeah.
37:37
But it's the constant working on this and in here and in here to just understand, slow slow this down. You know? Yeah.
37:46
Let's Let's talk about the service element of it of now you paying it forward, passing it on, becoming a sponsor to yourself, and helping others and serving others.
37:56
Tell me about how people can help people in their lives if they think they're addicted.
38:04
Because I think that for everyone who's listening today, they may not be going through addiction in the extreme sense.
38:14
How can we help others in our lives that we love during this time?
38:17
What What should we do and what should we avoid?
38:22
You know, there's um this question comes up all the time.
38:26
There's so many ways to go about it.
38:27
Unfortunately, if it's your loved one, most people are too close.
38:30
You could always try the intervention.
38:34
Um I'm at a point with some mothers that call me with their children.
38:36
I'm like, "Get them arrested."
38:37
You want to bury them or you want them to sit in jail? It's that simple.
38:42
You know, there's no in between anymore because to earn this year we're going to lose about 23 lives from the opioid epidemic epidemic just in this country alone.
38:52
And look, I know people are struggling with the pandemic and all that, but addiction and substance abuse and mental health is taking a backseat to it.
38:59
Not as much mental health I should say because people are isolated, they're in homes, but the addiction, you know, uh it it's not getting uh you know, the coverage that it should because it's worse than ever.
39:11
And you know, aside from like I said, maybe an intervention, um there's so many great treatment centers out there that somebody could 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.
39:35
You're based like I said, based on the attraction, not promotion.
39:36
Well, I have a lot more success that it could be a one of your closest childhood friends, God forbid, or somebody suffering that Darren Prince is going to come in.
39:43
And I'm not going to talk to you about your problem.
39:46
I'm going to talk to you about what my problem was like. Yeah.
39:48
I didn't talk about the way I behaved cuz I'm not going to shove it down your throat.
39:52
And then if you want what I have, you're going to tell me. I think that way. I do that now.
39:59
And that's when God comes into my heart and changes lives.
40:02
And I've seen it time and again.
40:04
It's it's just the most beautiful experience in the world that it just never gets old. Absolutely, man.
40:10
I know exactly exactly what you mean.
40:13
When What do you think it was that made you turn towards God? Why God?
40:17
Where was God in your life before?
40:20
Did you always have faith?
40:23
Or or was this something new and fresh?
40:25
Because I always find that when people go through these life-changing moments, it either goes towards God or sometimes it goes towards uh lower habits and our lower selves.
40:38
Why for you was God so accessible?
40:40
You know, I grew up Jewish, went to temple, always in a God, but I think at one point maybe I didn't believe in him, maybe I left my faith, and um life just became so crazy.
40:54
But when I had that white light moment, that was it. I mean, that was it.
40:58
And then I got so many GMCs, and I still get them to this day.
41:01
A GMC is a mean God managed coincidences.
41:05
And um you know, I still have the ups and downs like anybody else and challenges in recovery, but I just know um he's with me.
41:13
This morning Magic Johnson and I had a whole conversation on my first two phone calls cuz they're so excited about anytime I have a big platform, especially like yours, to push this message.
41:21
And I'll tell you maybe 30 seconds was about business, Magic was 20 minutes, Hulk was 15. It's about God.
41:28
It's about God being here right now with you and I, and I'm feeling him through me.
41:31
Because sometimes I don't even know what I'm going to say, and I know it's going to come out the exact way he wants me as a vessel because for such a long time, even in recovery, I knew I needed him.
41:43
And then he started sending messages.
41:43
I need to interview Prince.
41:48
The agency life is just a byproduct of what your purpose is going to be.
41:53
Something is going to happen through the notoriety you've gotten through your industry where you're going to touch people around the world.
41:59
And then that's when that came in, the book. Yeah.
42:04
And and I and I love that because you're almost acting as an ambassador of God uh uh, in your way for the people that can connect with you and you're using and engaging the platform that you built Yeah. for that purpose. Absolutely.
42:19
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.
42:34
When you sit down to write the book and put it together, what's the process like of revisiting so many of these moments?
42:46
Is it actually like the You smiled came on your face for everyone who's listening again.
42:51
Uh, is it actually a moment of like, "Yes, I get to serve through it."
42:52
or is it painful to revisit those moments? It wasn't painful. It was very therapeutic.
43:00
At that point, I was, um, I think about 9 years so- 10 years sober.
43:03
And, uh, my amazing publisher, Anna David, she had a vision.
43:09
My dad passed away, uh, the year earlier and always wanted me to write a book about the agent life, but I would explain to him like, "Dad, but do you want about the Ali Fraser says?"
43:17
Like, "Ah, Dad, you know, John Muhammad was private.
43:20
I really don't want to get into it."
43:21
And I I I go, "Dad, I don't have an ego anymore.
43:24
Like, I'm nobody special.
43:24
I work for people that are very special.
43:28
I've accomplished extraordinary things.
43:30
I'm just the guy that's got great networking ability.
43:32
I'm a good people person.
43:33
I've got good negotiating skills."
43:35
And he's like, "Okay, well, maybe one day you'll think about it."
43:38
And when I met with Anna, she just kind of like our conversations, she goes, "Your passion and the cuz the way you speak about about your journey and your recovery."
43:47
She goes, "Why don't you write a book about it?"
43:48
And she goes and implement the fly-on-the-wall experience of being an agent to some of the most iconic figures of our time. And that's when it hit. I go, "That's it." I go, "That is it."
44:00
And a month later, I'm in Miami and, uh, in tears of joy with Magic Johnson and I told him and he got so excited cuz baby boy this this is so great this book's going to be your legacy and you're going to change and save so many lives and as I turned into that nervous little kid for a second cuz I had to ask him for a big favor and I call him Urban by his real name I said Urban would you do me a favor and write the forward to the book?
44:25
He goes man I'd be so pissed if I didn't write the forward to the book.
44:29
What are you going to ask Dennis or somebody else?
44:30
So he he did a beautiful forward and but but but but just amazing too like what what like the support that I got Jeanie Buss who I had the privilege of meeting a Mark Cuban and whole 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 deal in history it wouldn't even matter.
44:54
This is what life is about.
44:57
Because they saw me go deep in hell and come back out.
45:02
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.
45:14
Uh and I 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.
45:26
But the impact that you had on these people's lives was so meaningful that they they're with you on the journey.
45:31
You're still all together right now.
45:32
That must feel really special.
45:32
Yeah Hulk ended the call with I know he won't mind me telling this but he ended the call he goes brother I told you years ago there's a light around you and you came correct and asked God for the blessing.
45:46
And he said now I'm going to make you a blessing to other people and that's what he's doing.
45:51
And you know Magic knows all the great work I'm doing with my Aiming High Foundation 100% of the proceeds go to get people into treatment.
45:57
I'm affiliated with Banning Treatment Center 14 properties if people don't have the money.
46:02
I do anything I can to get them into treatment there.
46:05
Magic said, "God just blesses you tenfold for the work that you're doing." Absolutely.
46:10
that's just how life works.
46:10
And he goes, "I've I've seen it."
46:12
He goes, "I've seen the transformation, man. It is so beautiful. And I'm so happy."
46:15
And I said had me in a little bit of tears at the end cuz he goes, "God and and your dad's going to be there with you today which I I know it." I love that. I love hearing that.
46:26
Tell me tell me about Tell me about another story I love the story you said of the the boy standing up in the middle of his class and tell us about another experience you've had with someone that I know there's I know there's many. one that was recent.
46:39
So, I was at in South Carolina about a month ago.
46:41
I spoke at Oaks Recovery.
46:43
Um donated a bunch of money to get five people into treatment and I got to meet them all after I spoke.
46:49
And this one guy comes over to me and he goes, "Thank you for saving my life."
46:57
Like I what I did because you're Darren Prince at Aiming High Foundation.
47:03
I said I I said that that's great.
47:03
I said, "I'm so glad to hear it."
47:05
He goes, "No, you don't understand.
47:06
I was dead on the side of the road a few weeks ago.
47:09
Narcan saved my life and the local treatment center Massachusetts couldn't take me.
47:12
So, the prosecutor when the judge wanted to throw me in jail called over here and this we got a grant.
47:20
We can put you on the plane.
47:22
We can get you started on this brand new life."
47:26
And he pulls out his cell phone.
47:28
He goes, "Because of you I'm going to get to see my kids again.
47:34
And they're going to have a father."
47:38
I mean I don't care about the money anymore.
47:43
I told Omar on that podcast.
47:43
I go, "Bro, I truly believe money doesn't buy anything but temporary happiness." I love it.
47:50
I take care of so many people.
47:53
Um that'd be the only thing that's heartbreaking up ever lost it that I couldn't have the ability to do that.
47:58
You know, I care about my purpose at this point because I know if I lost the business and the money tomorrow, Jay, you'd still be sitting right in front of the same Darren Prince.
48:04
The Darren Prince that turned his pain into his purpose.
48:09
And there's no better feeling than that.
48:11
You got it at a young age.
48:11
You found yourself at a very young age, which is so incredibly beautiful what you're doing to inspire the world because people need to hear it.
48:18
Do you know how many adult 50, 60, 40 that are super accomplished that haven't They haven't gotten through the healing?
48:25
You know, that stuff is still in here.
48:27
The character defects, the acting out, the things that they do.
48:31
You know, I'm not a perfect human being.
48:33
Um you know, I still make mistakes, but I try to be accountable.
48:35
I try to take an action and apologize right away cuz I don't want that emotional hangover.
48:42
You know, but I say like this, I'm not exactly who I want to be.
48:43
I'm not yet where I want to be, but thank you, God, I'm not the person I used to be. Mhm. I love that. I love that.
48:53
That that's just so magical and and beautiful to hear and uh 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.
49:08
That we're not who we want to be.
49:09
We're not you know, where we want to be yet, but uh at least we're not who we used to be.
49:16
I think that's such a such a beautiful prayer and such a beautiful affirmation and connecting us with God.
49:22
I loved what you said earlier. I want to go back to it.
49:24
You said that the opposite of addiction is connection.
49:28
Thought that was so powerful.
49:28
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.
49:38
Obviously, it's helping them.
49:41
But if someone wants to deepen their connection with someone, what should they be doing?
49:48
I think being more present.
49:50
Priscilla used to struggle with that, as we know.
49:54
Priscilla is laughing if you knew. she's seen improvements.
49:57
Um I love what you say about the cell phone before you go to bed at night.
50:00
I've been getting better at it.
50:00
Um because that just doesn't work.
50:03
You just you you you just have to If you're struggling yourself with something, the quickest way to get out of your own head is be of service to somebody else. Mhm.
50:12
They don't have to be struggling drugs, alcohol, could be a health issue, family issue, friend problem, drop job problem.
50:17
And and and and and and and I I I just think when you're there in that moment and 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 going to feel that energy.
50:34
It's all about the energy and the the the you know, what's behind it.
50:36
You know, I don't I'm never somebody in my business that asks for favors. My clients know that.
50:44
You know, um you Louis, you guys my boys.
50:45
If I can help you get clients, man, we just have that connection.
50:51
on that call, you know, um I just believe things happen energetically and the way they're meant to happen at a certain point um if they're meant to happen.
51:00
But I I I just think, you know, that connection um the opposite of addiction is so powerful and I got to give credit to my spiritual brother Brandon Novak from Jackass cuz he's the one that so he said it and um I think he's coming up on eight years sober.
51:13
It's just such a beautiful, deep, deep um you know, statement for somebody like me.
51:20
How often do you still keep in touch with your spiritual family now?
51:22
It sounds like you talk to them all the time.
51:25
Like you've got them, Louis, and all your guys and you know, I I've got I got to just mention them whether it makes the cut, you know, I've got Tim Ryan and Jennifer Jimenez and Chris Herren who's the best in the game, the X Boss himself, Dick, and Anna David Ryan Hampton, Brandon Novak I just mentioned.
51:41
I mean, they are my Mount Rushmore.
51:44
They're the ones with the big, big followings.
51:45
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 our own therapist.
51:54
When we're drained, when we're beaten up, when we need that source of energy, we need that reminder, um we call on them. We call on each other.
52:02
My sponsor, Steve D'Elia, saved my life. I called him 2 days ago.
52:04
I said, "I can't thank you enough."
52:06
He goes, "Man, you'll never understand it.
52:09
You helped me, Darren, way more than I ever helped you."
52:11
He goes, "You put the work in." And um you need it.
52:15
I mean, I heard it in your voice when we spoke a couple months ago.
52:18
I told you what I was taught.
52:18
I'm not a genius making up these things, you know?
52:22
I said, "Learn to say no." Yeah.
52:22
Because you got to take care of you.
52:24
I know what's going on with your book tour, and you need to get to England with your wife, and just check out.
52:28
Um 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.
52:37
You're not going to make it to other people, you know?
52:39
I I've learned so much from them J Spero tribe already wise, like now life is about saying what I mean, meaning what I say, and not saying it to mean I try to understand people instead of me being understood.
52:54
And this goes for everybody.
52:54
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.
53:04
Just stay in that place of peace.
53:04
In 10 minutes, you're not going to know why the heck you were so angry in the first place.
53:10
That's what I've learned that keeps me on that spiritual sober beam, because a lot of this old character defects that come out, that's going to push me closer to a relapse.
53:17
And I'm not afraid of relapsing and dying. That's easy. I go bad.
53:23
My system's not going to be taken.
53:25
I'm a deathly afraid of relapsing and living.
53:29
That's what I don't want. Ever.
53:32
And I'll do whatever the heck it takes.
53:33
I'll move away from people, places, clients, whatever it might be, to stay in that place.
53:38
Because nothing is ever worth going back to that life.
53:42
Do you ever feel when you hear someone and they say to you, "Darren, you know, I read your book.
53:48
I hear you, but I just can't change."
53:53
Like, you know, someone's just like, "I just I just I can't do it. It's just not for me. I'm not you.
53:57
I'm not as special as you are.
53:59
I'm not as hard working as you are.
54:01
I'm not as disciplined as you are. I can't do the 90 days."
54:05
Have you ever had anyone say that to you?
54:07
And when they've said that, what's been your response?
54:10
It's It's It's a great It's another great question.
54:12
I'm at the Lamond Truss about 3 years ago, before the book came out. I had this individual.
54:18
I spoke I was honored at the New Jersey Mental Health Association Gala in May of 2015.
54:22
Knew nothing about speaking.
54:25
If I even watched the tape long before I started working with my speaking coach, it was probably embarrassing, but I still got the claps and whatever.
54:31
So, I found out a week before that this individual was coming, a 23-year-old kid that was in 18 treatment centers. 18.
54:42
And he's coming to see me because he read my bio and the father said, "This is the first time I saw sunlight of excitement."
54:47
I actually knew then this event had nothing to do with me.
54:49
That ego was pushed aside because this event has this individual all over it.
54:53
That's why I'm chosen to be the speaker in the keynote. And uh we kept in touch.
54:58
Had a great time at the at the event. I spoke to him.
55:02
I actually flew to London later that night.
55:04
I was at Newark Airport for some business and text me when I was in London.
55:08
Kept going back 10, 20 times.
55:10
I'd be instilling whatever my spiritual knowledge is to him.
55:16
Got to a point where he wasn't checking in as much and I'm at the Lamond Truss 3 years ago and I text him from the place.
55:21
Said, "Hey, bro, you doing okay?"
55:21
Texts you back, "You know what?
55:25
I wanted to reach out for you today. I'm just so embarrassed.
55:29
I I I just feel like I'm wasting your time. I just can't get this. I'm just not ready. Um I'm not you.
55:33
Everything you just said."
55:37
I picked up the phone and I called him. And I said hey man.
55:43
I don't care if you go bad 99 more times.
55:48
Get me on the hundredth cuz I don't want to miss the magic in her eyes cuz I've seen it.
55:53
From that phone call he just celebrated 6 years sober. Wow. I love hearing that.
55:59
see that one gets to me cuz it's I love hearing that. That's beautiful.
56:02
How many of the 99 did he get? Yeah.
56:04
How far did he have to get in?
56:07
Was it the hundredth or he did it earlier?
56:10
even it didn't even take more man.
56:10
I think it was like another one and he was he was he was there. He made it. He made it. how close you are.
56:16
And I just said it's just it's the greatest feeling in the world because I know again it's not it's not even me.
56:23
I'm just I'm just being used for my purpose, you know.
56:25
I uh you know, I th- this this feeling's never get old.
56:30
It's just the greatest thing though because you're not just changing that individual, it's the mother and the father and the girlfriend and the sister and the grandparents that are at his first coin ceremony that I 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.
56:50
But we had one thing we had nothing in common but we had everything in common. I love that man. I love that.
56:55
Everyone who's been listening, I hope that you're going to go and grab a copy of Aiming High by Darren Prince, a prominent sports and celebrity agent hit bottom at the top.
57:07
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.
57:21
We we think about it afterwards once someone in our family gets affected or once we're addicted to something.
57:28
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.
57:48
And I think some of us can sometimes be complacent to the fact that oh, that won't happen to me.
57:53
Oh, that won't happen to my kids.
57:55
Oh, that won't happen And it's so easy to get lost in the it won't happen to me.
57:58
And the next thing you know, you and Exactly what happens to you. Exactly.
58:03
And it's so I hate saying that, but it's it's just reality and the truth.
58:06
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."
58:12
They would be like, "Ah, like that you know, like don't ever say that because you're you're running the risk of just having a massive blind spot.
58:18
And so, if any of you are listening today and have been moved by Darren as I've been, uh please please please go and grab a copy of the book Aiming High. Share it with a friend.
58:29
Uh Darren, before we go into our final five, I want to ask you one question.
58:34
Anyone who's who's listening Actually, no, I'll share this with you after the final five.
58:37
So, as you know, we end every episode with a final five, uh which is our rapid-fire fast five.
58:44
So, this You already know this, but the answers have to be one word or one sentence maximum.
58:50
So, Darren, the first question is uh for your final five is what is your ultimate metric of success today? Happiness within.
59:02
And being of service to others. Beautiful.
59:04
I did not expect a different answer.
59:06
Uh second question, what's the best advice you ever received? Probably my father.
59:11
Um it's not what you say, it's what you do. Mhm. I love that.
59:15
Number three, uh what's the worst advice you've ever received?
59:19
Probably I got to look back at my buddy, I'm not going to mention his name.
59:23
We decided to go to New York City fresh out of outpatient.
59:27
It didn't turn out too well.
59:29
You know, 90 stitches in my face.
59:29
This is why I got this ugly mug today.
59:31
Oh god, no, you look great.
59:36
Question number four, for He's just laughing in the back. He looks great.
59:44
Question number four, what's something that you think other people value, but you don't value anymore? Stuff and things.
59:51
Again, I got nothing against it. I like my stuff, too.
59:53
But ultimately it's not going to be your legacy.
59:58
It's not what's going to really make you happy.
1:00:01
It's going to give you temporary happiness. Absolutely.
1:00:02
And fifth and final question, if you could create one law that everyone in the world had to follow, what would it be?
1:00:11
Oh, it's a great question, man.
1:00:11
Um, one law that everybody had to follow.
1:00:14
I think I got to go back to, you know, being kind.
1:00:20
You know, I think that's what it comes down to so often, being kind and being of service, and not enough people are.
1:00:27
They're wrapped up to their own crap.
1:00:29
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.
1:00:39
Darren, one last question, which is not part of the final five, but I had to ask this to you.
1:00:42
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?
1:00:49
How can they get involved?
1:00:51
How can they, apart from of course reading the book, which we're recommending to everyone, but how can people how can people help?
1:00:55
So uh my foundation, most likely, aiminghighfoundation. org.
1:01:02
Uh we we take, like I said, 100% of the proceeds.
1:01:04
If people are listening and they can't afford a book, Patrick and the publisher have sent out hundreds and hundreds of book free of charge.
1:01:11
They can get to me on Instagram at agent_dp.
1:01:16
I just want to put them in people's hands.
1:01:17
I didn't write the book to make money.
1:01:19
Uh 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 would want me to do. Yeah. That's amazing. I love that.
1:01:26
Everyone head over and follow Darren on agent _dp on Instagram.
1:01:30
Go and grab a copy of the book.
1:01:33
We've put the link in the comments for you as well.
1:01:37
Darren, thank you so much for doing this.
1:01:39
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, but most importantly I want to thank you for just really bearing your soul today and uh being truly one of the um, you know, an ambassador of God.
1:01:57
An ambassador of God and I 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.
1:02:07
And again, thank you for having me.
1:02:10
Thank you for being so genuine in who you are and touching the world like you do every single day.
1:02:16
And um, this is just been a beautiful experience and I can't wait to see how many lives we touch. That's why I'm here. That's why you're here. Absolutely. Thank you. Thank you, Darren. Thank you, man.
1:02:26
If you want even more videos just like this one, make sure you subscribe and click on the boxes over here.
1:02:32
I'm also excited to let you know that you can now get my book Think Like a Monk from thinklikeamonkbook. com.
1:02:40
Check below in the description to make sure you order today.