The Diary of a CEO: Shawn Ryan on War, Ibogaine, Faith, and America’s Decline

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When ambition collides with danger, and faith collides with fear, the result can be a life that feels larger than any one story.

Today we're breaking down Steven Bartlett's conversation with Shawn Ryan, the former Navy SEAL and CIA contractor turned massive podcaster. This episode is intense. Ryan traces a life built on extreme environments—Navy SEAL training, deployments to Haiti and Afghanistan, then CIA contracting work before moving to Medellín, Colombia. He says that kind of life teaches discipline, but it also creates something darker: an addiction to adrenaline, danger, drinking, and fighting. That appetite for risk really shaped his worldview. He admits he went to Colombia for the rush, worked around dangerous networks, and eventually had to leave quickly after realizing his apartment may have been bugged. Reckless years, but also transformative ones. What's fascinating is how the conversation shifts to podcasts and influence. Ryan suggests there are people who may be "planted" on shows to push narratives or create viral moments. Some guests seem to arrive out of nowhere and gain huge traction for reasons that aren't organic. He doesn't hold back on politics either. Ryan supported Trump before the election, but is now disillusioned. He says America feels less stable, questions foreign policy decisions, and argues the country may not remain a superpower much longer. He points to China, energy policy, the petro-dollar, and strained alliances as evidence of decline.

But the most striking part is his experience with Ibogaine. The first time helped him quit alcohol, sleep medication, and Adderall.

The second time?

Absolutely terrifying. He describes it as "total emptiness" and "the most intense fear" of his life.

That's where things get really interesting. After that second experience, Ryan says supernatural events, nightmares, and strange synchronicities started following him. He believes psychedelics may open a door to a spiritual realm humans were never meant to access. And that opened the door to prayer, exorcisms, and a much deeper relationship with Christianity. Priests have told him he may be experiencing oppression rather than possession. He says the process has been difficult for his family, and he doesn't know how long it will last, but the struggle has made his faith stronger.

This spiritual shift is changing his entire platform. Instead of staying focused on politics, he wants to explore Christianity more seriously, even considering a long series breaking down every book of the Bible. He sees it as part of a larger spiritual fight. Throughout the episode, Ryan keeps returning to alignment. He says successful people make one decision against their short-term incentives, then build a life around that choice. Courage matters, and questions shouldn't be feared.

That theme shows up in how he talks about family too. A good life now means creating memories with his wife and kids, not chasing more money. He admits business can pull people away from what matters most, and says peace has to be created, not bought. He also reflects on his new company, Glacier, which focuses on privacy and digital security. He wants to do fewer podcasts and focus on projects he genuinely believes in. At the end, Bartlett asks: what is love? Ryan answers without hesitation. "Love is what you're willing to die for." When pressed, he gives the clearest answer in the episode: family.