From representing legends to saving lives: Darren Prince's journey of recovery

Our next guest has represented some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment. We're talking Magic Johnson, Muhammad Ali, Hulk Hogan, Charlie Sheen, just to name a few. But today, Darren Prince is sharing his own story, a journey from addiction to recovery, and now his mission to helping others. Darren is joining us now live. Hi, Darren. Hey, how are you? Thanks for having me. I'm doing great. Thank you for joining us. Obviously, you've represented some pretty big names in the entertainment world and sports world. First of all, I wanna get deep into your background and how this all started with the celebrity business. Very untraditionally, I had a baseball card and a sports memorabilia company from my late teens to my early 20s. So I was booking autograph signings and I just had a bigger vision. Thanks to my dad who motivated me, I sold that company and started my agency, Prince Marketing Group in 1994. I was 24 years old and Magic Johnson was my first client. We're still together almost 33 years later and he's a very dear friend. Wow. So I wanna get into your career. Behind the success, there was a battle you were fighting privately. When did things start changing for you? I think recreationally I was using drugs and alcohol growing up. I had a lot of insecurities, inadequacy issues. I always felt like I had imposter syndrome. But the thing is, I think the public is hard on athletes and celebrities and artists and musicians when they're younger and you're handed so much money and so many opportunities and so much notoriety because you're really not given a handbook on how to deal with that. And that's why a lot of people crash and burn. And for me, I would say it worked for about five or six years. It allowed me to really be fearless and super comfortable in my own skin from my opiate addiction. And I was a networking machine, but eventually it was once living to use, as I put it, turned out to using to live. Now, you say July 2nd, 2008 changed your life. What happened that day and what was the sign that you had? By the grace of God, I just celebrated 18 years sober last Thursday. And I was just at that jumping off point. Suicidal, didn't want to live anymore. I had all the external stuff of life, but I just lost a sense of self. And I thought on my knees and screamed out to God like I never did before. If you take the money, the business, the notoriety and give me a single day of freedom, I will spend one day at a time taking other people out of hell. And I truly had a white light moment then in my apartment at the time in New York City, because I heard a voice say, I've got you when you're ready. I stood up, I flushed the last of my opiates and wound up in a church basement at a 12-step recovery meeting about 30 minutes later. And these spiritual brothers and sisters that were all once of a hopeless, broken state of mind told me things that changed my life. And one of the most important was that they were going to love me forever and I never knew how to love myself. Now it's your mission to help others who may be experiencing something very similar to break free from any addiction or even mental health struggles. Talk to me about what you're doing these days and how your recovery has now turned into this mission. I never expected it. I wrote a book in 2018 called The Aiming High that Magic Johnson wrote the foreword to and a lot of my clients gave amazing testimonies. And became an international bestseller. And I just had a vision that I felt like when I was doing keynotes and speaking at schools and businesses and colleges that people would have a connection with me just from being so vulnerable and open. And I wanted to be able to act in that moment because you have such a short window. And it gave me the idea to start my own 501c3, the Aiming High Foundation. And it's been such a blessing with contributors and donors all over the world. My dear friend, Sean Callagy in New Jersey has been a huge supporter. We have a gala coming up October 1st in New Jersey. It's our first big one. I'm originally from New Jersey. So we're expecting a big crowd and we're honoring Sean and my super big brother, Steve Delaval, NBA legend, Dominique Wilkins, who's a dear friend and client. And Mike, the Situation from Jersey Shore who's also in recovery. It's just the greatest gift to be able to help somebody and scholarship them. I think on average we scholarship about 30 to 40 people a year around the country to different treatment centers for substance abuse and mental health. And we fly in dozens of veterans to Banyan Treatment Center. I believe they have about 18 or 19 properties in America. And it's just the greatest thing in the world. Business is secondary to me. I found my purpose in life. And I really think that's the real wealth. I think this younger generation has it very off that, you know, it's not about the external success. That's nice and great, but you need to be purpose driven. You have to find out why you're here and bless other people. You know, always be a giver and not a taker and things will just come back to you and you'll align yourself with the right people. And you'll be able to work on your own journey of happiness and healing and really feel fulfilled. And Darren, your event, the gala coming up, is that open to anyone that can attend? Yes, it's open to the public. People can go to the aiminghighfoundation.org website. And like I said, it's going to be a great evening. We plan on doing one in Miami later in the year and where I live now in Los Angeles. And like I said, it's just, I'm so open and so vulnerable about it because I feel like there's such a stigma and there's such shame. And the truth is it's those darkest moments in all of our lives that I feel can eventually lead you to the brightest of all lights. And that's what's happened to me. I feel like God put me in a position to be blessed to work with some of the most iconic figures of all time because when I was ready and begged him to take me out of health, he gave me a platform to be on some of the biggest podcasts, talk shows, be on Here With You Now. And the goal is just to get to one person. If there's one person in the Detroit area that's sick and suffering, they can reach out to the website. They can go to my Instagram at agent underscore DP. And I'm more than willing to scholarship people that need help. And I'm willing to talk to them myself. I drop everything just to pick up a phone or a Zoom, whatever it might be, because it's just the greatest thing in the world to be able to help other people that are struggling to come out of the dark. Darren, certainly what you do is amazing for all the people out there who are battling any addiction, really. Now, with that being said, I wanna ask you because I feel like there may be a misunderstanding about addictions because a lot of people don't understand why people don't come forward for help, why families don't intervene or a partner or whoever, especially among successful people. What do you say to those who are in this situation? We don't really actually get addicted to the drugs and the alcohol. We get addicted to the escape of life. So that's where I do so much meditation and breath work and grounding. I do so much other healing over and above the 12 steps because in life, we all have traumas, unresolved traumas and behavioral patterns and character defects and insecurities and inadequacies. And I just think, I was at the White House, I think back in 2019, and I remember speaking to a couple of Trump's people that I feel if we could actually implement a course in grammar school about self-worth, it would change the landscape of mental health and substance abuse because in that moment, whether you're eight, nine, 10 years old, every child in that classroom would be talking about ways that they feel and would be able to be so open and vulnerable about it and work through those behavioral patterns so they don't go down the road that Darren Prince did. And I think families sometimes don't realize that it's not just the addict and the alcoholic and the person with the mental health that's suffering. We kill everybody else around us. We take everybody down. And again, I've been able to help a lot of families, a lot of mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, significant others where I feel that people in recovery, we have a way to talk to people and we're very uniquely qualified because we lived it. No disrespect to doctors, they're wonderful with certain things that they can do, but I think when you lived it and you know exactly what it feels like to have that drug or drink or whatever it might be in your system, but also what it feels like to not have it, where you feel just dark and empty and not complete, it's almost like an identification thing. So when I have the ability to speak to that person suffering and the blessing of the lights coming on, it's just a beautiful thing, never gets old. After everything you've been through, Darren, how do you define your success now? Man, I went deep into hell, came out on the other side, sprinkle hope and recover across the world for the sick and suffering. I mean, that's hands down what I want my legacy to be. You know, Prince Mark and group's getting great. And like I said, I've worked with some incredibly iconic figures and still do and their family and I love them all, but that's just a byproduct of what my purpose was. Darren, I love your story. Thank you for sharing your journey. And of course, for continuing the mission to help people all over the country. We certainly have to have you back and learn more about the gala that you have coming up and all that information that will be on our website as well. How can people get your book? They can also message me on at agent DP, at agent underscore DP on Instagram. I know times are tough for some people, so we're happy to send out the hard copies for free. All we just request is just an address and an email and we'll send them out. Darren Prince, it is such a pleasure having you join us today. We appreciate your time and continue your mission. Of course. Thank you.