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
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