#249 MrBallen - Ouija Boards, Aliens Hijacking an Aircraft and Real-Life Horror Stories
In this episode of the Shawn Ryan Show, two former Navy SEALs discuss their paths from military service to content creation and entrepreneurship. The conversation explores how their military backgrounds, including specialized skills like firearms expertise, shaped their business ventures. Both hosts have built successful media platforms, with one developing a new podcast studio compound and the other growing a YouTube channel to over 10 million subscribers.
The discussion takes an unexpected turn as both hosts share personal experiences with supernatural encounters in cabins. These stories include mysterious sounds, unexplained figures, and electrical interference that other witnesses later corroborated. The episode also touches on their recent industry recognition, with both of their podcasts being considered for Golden Globe nominations.
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Ex-Navy SEALs' Transition to Entrepreneurship
Former Navy SEALs Shawn Ryan and Mrballen have successfully transitioned from military service to become thriving entrepreneurs and content creators. After Mrballen's medical retirement, he began by organizing veteran employment events. Both have since launched successful media ventures, with Shawn Ryan establishing a new studio compound for his podcast and Mrballen building a YouTube channel with over 10 million subscribers. Their military background, including specialized skills like firearms expertise, has significantly influenced their entrepreneurial journeys.
Supernatural Encounters in Cabins
During the conversation, Mrballen shares a haunting experience from his teenage years in a New Hampshire cabin. He describes encountering mysterious sounds, including footsteps and sleigh bells, followed by the appearance of an unusually tall, dark figure that vanished into the ground. The experience was made more unsettling by a cryptic comment from the cabin owner's mother the next day.
Similarly, Shawn Ryan recounts his own supernatural encounter while filming in a Civil War-era cabin. He describes inexplicable footsteps and electrical interference that frightened both him and his crew. The paranormal activity was later validated by other guests' reviews of the property on Airbnb.
Industry Recognition
Both content creators have achieved significant recognition in their field, with their podcasts being considered among 25 shows for potential Golden Globe nominations. Their unique storytelling approaches and distinctive narrative techniques have contributed to their mainstream success in the media industry.
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Actionables
- You can explore your own past to find unique stories or experiences that could be the foundation for creative content. Start by jotting down any significant events from your life, no matter how mundane they may seem at first. Then, consider how these could be crafted into engaging narratives or lessons that others might find valuable or entertaining. For example, if you once got lost in a forest, that could become a story about resilience and problem-solving.
- Transform a personal hobby or interest into a content series by identifying what you're passionate about and brainstorming ways to share that with others. If you love cooking, for instance, you could start a blog or social media page where you post original recipes or cooking tips. The key is to provide a fresh perspective or unique spin that reflects your personality and experiences.
- Leverage your existing skills to offer a service or product that fills a gap in the market. Take inventory of what you're good at and research to see if there's a demand for it. For example, if you're skilled at organizing, you could create an online course teaching people how to declutter their homes efficiently. The course could include step-by-step guides, checklists, and personal anecdotes to make it more relatable.
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Speakers' Backgrounds: Navy Seals Experience, Transitions to Entrepreneurship, Content Creation
Former Navy SEALs Shawn Ryan and Mrballen have transitioned from military service to thriving careers as entrepreneurs and content creators, leveraging their unique experiences and skills in their post-military lives.
Ex-seals Shawn Ryan and Mrballen: Entrepreneurs and Content Creators
Both Shawn Ryan and Mrballen have leveraged their Navy SEAL backgrounds into successful careers outside of the military. For Mrballen, the abrupt transition due to a medical retirement initiated his entrepreneurial journey, which began with networking for personal job opportunities and evolved into creating events to help fellow veterans find employment.
Shawn Ryan and Mrballen Launched Hit Podcasts, Authored Books, Received Award Nods
Shawn Ryan transitioned to content creation and has established a new studio compound where he hosts his podcast, while Mrballen has cultivated a massive following with over 10 million subscribers on his YouTube channel and created the Mr. Ballen podcast. They have both authored books, with Mrballen's graphic novels hitting top charts and releasing a second novel titled "Where Nightmares Live." Their success is evident as their respective podcasts have garnered attention for potential Golden Globe nominations.
Military Experiences Shape Entrepreneurial Journeys and Career Transitions
Their experiences and skills from their time in the SEALs have been influential in their new ventures. Mrballen credits his injury in Afghanistan and the subsequent mental health challenges as defining factors that shaped his transition. He also reveals a sleepwalking condi ...
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Speakers' Backgrounds: Navy Seals Experience, Transitions to Entrepreneurship, Content Creation
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Clarifications
- Mrballen's abrupt transition due to a medical retirement signifies his sudden departure from military service due to health reasons, leading to an unexpected shift in his career path. This event prompted him to navigate a new direction outside the military, ultimately propelling him towards entrepreneurship and content creation. The medical retirement served as a catalyst for Mrballen to explore alternative opportunities beyond his military service, setting the stage for his successful ventures in the civilian world.
- The mention of potential Golden Globe nominations for podcasts signifies that podcasts are gaining recognition in prestigious entertainment awards, like the Golden Globes, alongside traditional film and television categories. This recognition reflects the growing influence and quality of podcasts as a form of entertainment and storytelling. It highlights how podcasts, as a medium, are being considered for mainstream awards typically associated with visual media. The acknowledgment of podcasts in such esteemed awards sh ...
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Mrballen's Ghost Sighting In a Cabin
Mrballen shares a chilling tale from when he was a teen about his supernatural encounters in a cabin, which left him with more questions than answers.
Mrballen's Chilling Cabin Experience With a Supernatural Entity
Mrballen recalls a daunting experience in a remote New Hampshire cabin, which still lingers in his memory due to its paranormal nature.
Teen Mrballen in New Hampshire Cabin Experienced Paranormal Activity: Strange Noises, Tall Dark Figure
As a teenager, Mrballen visited a New Hampshire cabin with his friends after a day of snowboarding. Failing to sleep in the pitch-black room, designed into the mountain with no windows, he played video games before trying to sleep again. Later that night, he was stirred by unsettling tapping sounds, footsteps on the porch, and a door opening marked by the jingle of sleigh bells. These mysterious events led up to a sighting of a tall, dark figure that entered the cabin, causing Mrballen intense fear.
Mrballen described the figure as so tall he could only see its thighs from his lying position on the bunk bed, and the sound of its footsteps were unusually loud for the cabin's interior. This figure approached and then dissipated into the ground, leaving the room and Mrballen enveloped in fear. The next morning, Mrballen's terror was compounded by a strange comment from Nick's mother, the cabin owner, which suggested a connection to the previous night's occurrence.
Mrballen also mentions hearing unexplained noises on a separate occasion involving a pot crashing, and his imagination painted a vivid picture of an intruder in the cabin. Additionally, during two nights in a row, Mrballen witnessed a tall figure enter the room, walk past his bed, and then vanish, which petrified him.
Mrballen's Paranormal Encounter Left Him Disturbed, With Questions About the Nature of the Experience
Traumatized by the events, Mrballen was desperate for a plausible explanation. Nick's mom hinted at a supernatural visit by her late husband, complicating Mrballen's search for reassurance. Trying to find solace, he turned to excessive coffee drinking and was reluctant to discuss any further paranormal incidents.
Even with a physical protection—a knife—he was still paralyzed with dread when the same noises recurred. He sought validation from others who might understand what transpired but found himself grappling with the possibility of having encountered a ghost.
The ordeal left Mrballen deeply shaken, leading him to avoid further contact with Nick and his mother. The chilling experiences compelled him to confront his fear of ghosts and consider their existence, which was in stark contrast to the normalcy that greeted him the next day.
Shawn Ryan's Haunted Cabin: Spooky Experiences & Supernatural Evidence
Shawn Ryan recounts similarly e ...
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Mrballen's Ghost Sighting In a Cabin
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Counterarguments
- Skepticism about the existence of paranormal phenomena suggests that there may be natural explanations for the noises and sightings, such as wildlife, house settling, or even pranks.
- Human perception, especially in low-light and high-stress situations, can be unreliable, leading to misinterpretations of shadows or sounds as paranormal.
- The power of suggestion and confirmation bias can lead individuals to interpret ambiguous stimuli in a way that confirms their beliefs or fears about ghosts.
- The static interference in the camera's audio could be due to technical issues unrelated to paranormal activity, such as electromagnetic interference from other electronic devices.
- Shared stories and prior knowledge of a place being haunted can prime individuals to expect and interpret experiences as supernatural.
- Without objective evidence, such as clear video footage or audio recordings that can be scientifically analyzed, claims of paranormal activity remain anecdo ...
Actionables
- You can explore the psychological effects of fear by journaling your reactions to scary movies or stories, noting any physical sensations, thoughts, or emotions that arise. This self-reflection can help you understand your personal responses to fear and how it manifests in your body and mind, similar to how individuals in the stories reacted to their experiences.
- Create a simple "spooky sounds" playlist to play during a home gathering to gauge and discuss guests' reactions to eerie noises in a controlled, safe environment. This can be a fun way to see how different people react to potential "paranormal" stimuli without the stress of an actual haunting.
- Start a community online forum o ...
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Career Achievements: Awards and Nominations
Shawn Ryan and Mrballen Gain Recognition for Content Creation and Media Ventures
Speakers Nominated For Top Awards, Including a Possible Podcast Golden Globe, Highlighting Mainstream Success
Shawn Ryan and Mrballen, both innovative in the landscape of content creation and media ventures, are on the verge of recognition from one of the industry's most prestigious bodies. They stand among 25 shows being considered for a Podcast Golden Globe nomination, with six being nominated and one winner to emerge. This possibility underscores their successful transition into mainstream recognition in their post-service careers.
Speakers Celebrate Achievements and Express Camaraderie in Shared Entrepreneurship
Shawn Ryan and Mrballen Celebrate Each Other's Achievements, Highlighting Their Collaborative Relationship
Although no specific content from the podcast transcript was provided regarding their reactions or expressions of camaraderie, it is evident that Shawn Ryan and Mrballen would likely celebrate each other's accomplishments. Their shared journey of entrepreneurship and content creation, along with the prospect of industry acknowledgment, speaks to their strong collaborative relationship.
Speakers See Industry Recogn ...
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Career Achievements: Awards and Nominations
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Counterarguments
- Being considered for a nomination is not the same as actually receiving a nomination or winning an award; thus, the recognition is still potential rather than realized.
- The number of shows being considered for the Podcast Golden Globe nomination might indicate a highly competitive field, suggesting that while Shawn Ryan and Mrballen have achieved a level of success to be considered, the actual attainment of the award is not guaranteed.
- The celebration of achievements between Shawn Ryan and Mrballen, while indicative of a strong collaborative relationship, does not necessarily provide insight into the depth or dynamics of their partnership or how they handle potential professional disagreements or challenges.
- Industry recognition, such as award nominations, while flattering, is not the sole or ultimate validation of success in storytelling and audience engagement. There are other metrics and feedback mechanisms, such as audience growth ...
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