The "Shawn Ryan Show" is hosted by Shawn Ryan, former U.S. Navy SEAL, CIA Contractor, and Founder of Vigilance Elite. We tell REAL stories about REAL people from all walks of life. We discuss the ups and downs, wins and losses, successes and struggles, the good and bad in a respectful but candid way with our guest. We're better than entertainment, we're the REAL thing. Please enjoy the show.
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Mike Durant is a retired U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 and Master Black Hawk pilot with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Night Stalkers). Inspired by his father, a First Sergeant in the Army National Guard, and a family friend’s helicopter flight, Durant enlisted in 1979. After studying Spanish at the Defense Language Institute and serving as a voice intercept operator in Panama, he graduated from flight school at Fort Rucker, Alabama, becoming a Warrant Officer in 1983. He fl...
Adam Bry is the Co-Founder and CEO of Skydio, the leading U.S. drone manufacturer and world leader in autonomous flight technology, founded in 2014 to develop AI-powered drones for consumer, enterprise, and defense applications. A graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a degree in aerospace engineering, Bry was an early team member at Google X's Project Wing, contributing to delivery drone initiatives before launching Skydio. Under his leadership, Skydio achieved unicorn stat...
Jocko Willink shares his journey from a rebellious youth to a decorated Navy SEAL officer, recounting challenging deployments, the complexities of combat leadership, and the devastating impact of war. He details the formation and legendary actions of Task Unit Bruiser in Ramadi, emphasizing the importance of ownership, trust, and communication. Willink also discusses his post-military entrepreneurial ventures, including Origin USA and the Warrior Kid series, highlighting his commitment to American manufacturing and guiding future generations.
Tucker Carlson is a leading voice in American politics, recognized by Time magazine as the “most powerful conservative in America,” and the host of The Tucker Carlson Show, a long-form conversational podcast launched after his departure from Fox News in 2023. He attended St. George’s School in Rhode Island, where he met his future wife, Susan, and developed a passion for debating, before earning a B.A. in history from Trinity College in 1991. After a rejected CIA application, Carlson pursued jou...
Ryan Montgomery is a renowned ethical hacker, penetration tester, and cybersecurity expert, ranked #1 on TryHackMe's Capture The Flag leaderboard. Founder of Pentester, a cybersecurity platform based in Boca Raton, Florida, that provides all-in-one tools for vulnerability scanning, data breach detection, and risk mitigation. As Chief Technology Officer of the Sentinel Foundation, he leverages advanced technology and collaboration with law enforcement to combat child exploitation and human traffi...
In this raw and detailed interview, Brian Harpole, head of Charlie Kirk's security detail, provides a minute-by-minute account of the tragic assassination. He discusses his team's extensive vetting and training, the challenging pre-event coordination with UVU, and their immediate, professional response to the shooting. Harpole directly addresses and debunks various conspiracy theories circulating online, from foreign intelligence ties to exploding microphones, while also questioning the authorities' lack of transparency regarding crucial evidence and the rapid paving of the crime scene. He emphasizes the profound impact of the event and the malicious spread of misinformation on his team and Kirk's family.
Chase Hughes is a leading expert in human behavior analysis, influence, and persuasion, with over 20 years of experience as a U.S. Navy veteran. He developed groundbreaking programs like the "Behavior Pilot Program" for HUMINT, "CuePrime" for interrogation behavior analysis, and the "Pre-Violence Indicators Index" for detecting pre-attack behaviors. Author of the bestselling "The Ellipsis Manual: Analysis and Engineering of Human Behavior," Hughes consults for law enforcement, the military, Fort...
Former Navy SEAL Matt Bissonnette, known as Mark Owen from "No Easy Day," publicly reveals his identity and discusses the government's retaliatory actions against him. He details the financial ruin, emotional toll, and ongoing battle with the Department of Justice over his book royalties and the suppression of his new book, "No Easy Way." The episode also covers his SEAL career, including the Bin Laden raid, and critiques military leadership's hypocrisy and lack of support for operators.
Sean Duffy is the 20th U.S. Secretary of Transportation, confirmed by the Senate in January 2025 and sworn in on January 28, 2025. A former Republican Congressman representing Wisconsin's 7th District from 2011 to 2019, Duffy served on the House Financial Services Committee and chaired its Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. Before politics, he was a district attorney in Ashland County with a 90% conviction rate, a champion lumberjack winning titles like the 1994 Lumberjack World Champ...
Rena Malik, MD, is a board-certified urologist and pelvic surgeon specializing in sexual medicine, urogynecology, hormone management, and pelvic pain. She completed her medical education at New York University Grossman School of Medicine, followed by a urology residency at the University of Chicago and a fellowship in Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Practicing in Newport Beach and Beverly Hills, California, with affiliations at Tibor Rubin VA ...
John B. Allen, known as MrBallen, is a former U.S. Navy SEAL, and storyteller specializing in strange, dark, and mysterious true stories. A graduate of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Allen served as a Navy SEAL from 2010 to 2017, completing multiple deployments including to Afghanistan, where he was wounded and medically retired. Launching his content career in 2020 on TikTok and YouTube as a form of therapy, he quickly amassed millions of followers with his engaging narratives of true...
Jon Delaney is the founder and leader of Real News No Bullshit (RNNBS), an independent news platform launched in January 2021 to provide unbiased, agenda-free coverage of domestic and global events. Fed up with mainstream media's perceived biases, Delaney created RNNBS as a digital outlet on Instagram and other platforms, focusing on straightforward reporting without sensationalism. The platform has grown rapidly, offering news summaries, and video content on topics like politics, international ...
Brandon Tseng is the President and Cofounder of Shield AI, a defense technology company he established in 2015 with his brother Ryan Tseng, specializing in AI-powered autonomous systems for military applications, including the V-BAT drone deployed in operations like those in Ukraine. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy with a BS in Mechanical Engineering and Harvard Business School with an MBA, Tseng served seven years in the U.S. Navy as a SEAL and Surface Warfare Officer, with deployments inc...
Vanessa Marin is a licensed psychotherapist with 20 years of experience specializing in sex therapy, holding bachelor’s degrees in human sexuality and sociology from Brown University and a master’s in counseling psychology. Working alongside her husband Xander, she provides practical tools and courses to help couples strengthen their relationships and enhance intimacy through their platform Vanessa and Xander. A New York Times bestselling author of "Sex Talks: The Five Conversations That Will Tr...
Trae Stephens is Co-founder and Executive Chairman of Anduril Industries, a defense technology company, and a General Partner at venture capital firm Founders Fund, where he invests across sectors with a particular interest in startups operating in the government space. Previously, Trae was an early employee at Palantir Technologies, where he led teams focused on growth in the intelligence and defense sector as well as international expansion, helping large organizations solve their hardest data...
Victor L. Vescovo is a private investor with over thirty years of experience in a variety of complex business situations. He co-founded private equity firm Insight Equity in 2002 with his business partner, Ted Beneski and raised over $1.5 billion in equity capital across four funds. In 2023, he departed Insight in order to focus on his own investments with new capabilities to support industrial startups, life sciences, and other areas of venture capital and special situations. Victor received hi...
Steven Robinson, Editor-in-Chief of the Maine Wire, leads New England’s fastest-growing digital media outlet focused on exposing political corruption and organized crime across local, state, and regional levels. A native of Dexter, Maine, and Bowdoin College graduate in political philosophy, he previously worked at Regnery Publishing, produced the Howie Carr Show, and handled Barstool Sports' Kirk Minihane Show and true-crime podcast The Case, which spurred murder charges per season. During COVI...
Pete Scobell is a former U.S. Navy SEAL Lieutenant with 17 years of service, including six combat deployments, best known as the real-life member of the SEAL team that rescued Captain Richard Phillips from Somali pirates in 2009, inspiring the film Captain Phillips. Scobell served in the United States Navy as both an enlisted and officer in the SEAL Teams. He served at SEAL Team EIGHT, ONE, SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team ONE and Naval Special Warfare Development Group. Prior to the Navy, Pete was a ...
Ruslan Karaoglanov, known professionally as Ruslan KD, is a Christian hip-hop artist, entrepreneur, podcaster, and influencer of Armenian descent. Born in Baku, Azerbaijan, to Armenian parents, he immigrated to the U.S. as a child in 1990 to escape anti-Armenian pogroms, a harrowing journey that included dramatic escapes. A refugee who embraced Christianity in his teens, Ruslan channels his experiences into positive, spiritually-minded music and content, blending hip-hop with cultural and faith-...
Dr. David Fajgenbaum, MD, MBA, MSc, is a pioneering physician-scientist, tenured professor at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and national bestselling author who transformed his personal battle with the rare, deadly Castleman disease into a global mission to accelerate cures for humanity's 12,000 known diseases. Diagnosed after losing his mother to cancer, Fajgenbaum endured five near-death experiences before using his medical training to identify sirolimus—a r...
Daniel P. Driscoll is the 26th Secretary of the Army, sworn in on February 25th, 2025, following his nomination by President Donald J. Trump and confirmation by the United States Senate. As Secretary of the Army, he oversees operations, modernization, and resource allocation for nearly one million Active, Guard, and Reserve Soldiers and more than 265,000 Army Civilians. A former Army officer and business leader, Secretary Driscoll brings experience spanning military service, law, and the private...
Sriram Krishnan is an entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and former senior product leader at tech giants like Microsoft, Facebook, Twitter (now X), and Snap. Born in Chennai, India, he began his career at Microsoft before moving to Silicon Valley, where he contributed to product development at leading companies and later transitioned to venture capital as a General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz from 2021 to 2024, focusing on consumer and enterprise investments. In December 2024, President-elect ...
Steven Rinella is an American outdoorsman, writer, and television host, best known for promoting ethical hunting, wildlife conservation, and field-to-table cooking. He is the founder of MeatEater, Inc., a company that produces hunting, fishing, and outdoor lifestyle content across multiple platforms, including television, podcasts, and digital media. As the host of "MeatEater", a long-running TV series on Netflix and many other platforms, Rinella takes viewers into the field, blending hunting ad...
Dr. Diane Hennacy is a Johns Hopkins-trained neuropsychiatrist, author, public speaker, and independent researcher exploring the intersection of science, consciousness, and anomalous phenomena like telepathy and psychic abilities. With over 30 years of clinical experience, she has served on the faculty at Harvard Medical School and participated in think tanks on human consciousness at the Salk Institute. Hennacy’s groundbreaking work bridges rigorous scientific inquiry with mysteries of the mind...
John “Tig” Tiegen is a former U.S. Marine Sergeant and security contractor renowned for his heroic actions during the 2012 Benghazi attacks. Serving with the CIA's Global Response Staff, Tiegen was part of the elite team that defended the U.S. diplomatic compound and CIA Annex against militant assaults on September 11, 2012, saving numerous lives over 13 grueling hours. With over 13 years in high-threat security for Blackwater and government agencies, he has deployed to Afghanistan, Pakistan, an...
Jared Isaacman is an American billionaire entrepreneur, pilot, and commercial astronaut. He founded Shift4 Payments in 1999 at age 16, growing it into a leading integrated payment processing company that went public in 2020, handling transactions for a third of U.S. restaurants and hotels. An accomplished aviator with over 7,000 flight hours, Isaacman set a world speed record for circumnavigating the globe in a light jet in 2009 and founded Draken International in 2012, the world's largest priva...
Nathan Apffel is a Christian, filmmaker, entrepreneur, and director of The Religion Business, a multi-part docuseries that exposes the financial practices and lack of accountability in Western religion, particularly Christianity. Drawing from personal experiences with church scandals and abuse, Apffel investigates how religious institutions accumulate vast wealth, estimated at $2 trillion in the U.S. alone, while often prioritizing internal spending over community impact, with 94 cents of every ...
John Rich is an American country music singer-songwriter, record producer, and entrepreneur. He first gained prominence as a bassist and vocalist in the band Lonestar from 1992 to 1998, contributing to hits like "Amazed." In 1998, he co-founded the duo Big & Rich with Big Kenny Alphin, achieving multi-platinum success with albums like Horse of a Different Color (2004) and singles such as "Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)," blending country with rock and rap influences. As a solo artist, Rich rel...
Gerard Barron, born in Queensland, Australia, is the Co-Founder, Chairman, and CEO of The Metals Company, a position he has held since 2017. A seasoned entrepreneur with a track record in battery technology, media, and future-oriented resource development, Barron leads the company's efforts to harvest polymetallic nodules from the deep ocean floor, providing sustainable sources of critical metals like nickel, copper, cobalt, and manganese for electric vehicles and renewable energy. He previously...
Keith Stansell is a former U.S. Marine and Northrop Grumman employee who was captured by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) on February 13, 2003, after his surveillance plane crashed in the Colombian jungle during an anti-narcotics mission. Held hostage for 1,967 days alongside contractors Marc Gonsalves and Thomas Howes, Stansell endured harsh conditions in the jungle until their dramatic rescue by the Colombian military on July 2, 2008, during Operation Jaque. A recipient of the...
