Blerim Skoro is a Kosovo-born former CIA operative whose life took a dramatic turn after deserting the Yugoslav army in the 1990s. Arriving in New York as an asylum seeker, Skoro’s journey led him from a drug trafficking conviction to becoming a key informant for the FBI and CIA post-9/11. Posing as a radicalized Islamist, he infiltrated al-Qaeda networks in the Balkans, Middle East, and Pakistan, providing critical intelligence. His covert work ended after a 2010 shooting in Macedonia, when the CIA severed ties, leaving him with minimal compensation. Facing deportation in 2016, Skoro’s story, detailed in the documentary The Accidental Spy, highlights the perils of espionage and abandonment by his handlers.

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Blerim Skoro Links:

Check out the documentary The Accidental Spy coming soon! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2xOkWvXkIQ (Film trailer)

For sales or screening queries, please contact the film's producer, Johnny Howorth [email protected]

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Bob Parsons is a successful entrepreneur and philanthropist. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Vietnam War and was awarded a Purple Heart. After graduating from college, he founded Parsons Technology, which was later sold to Intuit. He then founded GoDaddy, which became the world's largest domain name registrar. He later sold a majority stake in GoDaddy and founded YAM Worldwide. He also founded PXG, a golf club company, and The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation, which supports marginalized populations. Parsons is also the author of the bestselling book "FIRE IN THE HOLE!".

Shawn Ryan Show Sponsors:

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This episode is sponsored by Better Help. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/srs and get on your way to being your best self.

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Bob Parsons Links:

X - https://x.com/DrBobParsons 

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/drbobparsons 

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/ThinkFast126

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebobparsons/

Website - BobParsons.com
Book by Bob Parsons - As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases (paid links): Fire in the Hole!: The Untold Story of My Traumatic Life and Explosive Success

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Joshua Broome is a former adult film star turned pastor, speaker, and advocate for redemption. Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, he entered the porn industry in his early 20s, earning accolades like “Porn Star of the Year” and appearing in over 1,000 films before walking away in 2013. After hitting rock bottom—struggling with identity, shame, and a life unraveling—he found faith, left the industry, and rebuilt from scratch. Now married with four children, Broome shares his raw journey of transformation, warning about the destructive ripple effects of porn on marriages, mental health, and society.

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Joshua Broome Links:

X - ⁠https://x.com/iamJoshuaBroome⁠ 

Instagram - ⁠https://www.instagram.com/iamjoshuabroome⁠

Book - ⁠https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/154600565X⁠

Book me to speak - ⁠https://www.joshuabroome.me/speaking-requests⁠

Resources for unwanted sexual behavior - ⁠https://ignitemen.net/the-p51-project

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Marat Gabidullin, born in Siberia and raised in Uzbekistan, served in Soviet airborne forces until 1994, then spent three years in prison for shooting a crime boss. After security work in Russia, he joined the Wagner Group in 2015, rose to lead a reconnaissance company, and was badly wounded near Palmyra in 2016. He later advised the ISIS Hunters Battalion and fought at Khasham, but quit Wagner in 2019, briefly ran a Redut detachment in Syria, and left disillusioned. Gabidullin’s 2022 memoir denounced Wagner and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; he now lives in France.

Journalist and researcher John Lechner reports from conflict zones and specializes in Russian PMCs. His book Death Is Our Business (Bloomsbury, 2025) charts the rise of Wagner, following earlier work such as Beginner’s Chechen and upcoming Circassian and Sango language texts. A former policy analyst for the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom and an emerging-markets banker at Deutsche Bank and Lazard, Lechner holds degrees from Harvard (Slavic Languages) and Georgetown (MSFS). Fluent in five languages and conversant in several others, he is a recognized expert on Russian foreign policy and has written for The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Atlantic, and Foreign Policy. He lives in Washington, DC.

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Guest Links:

Marat Gabidullin

FB - https://www.facebook.com/share/15TBVmf2mt/ 

Book - Moi, Marat, ex-commandant de l'armée Wagner - Les dessous de l'armée secrète de Poutine enfin révélé https://a.co/d/csNMjFH 

Book - Ma vérité https://a.co/d/bLZYssf 

John Lechner

X - https://x.com/JohnLechner1

IG - https://www.instagram.com/johnalechner/

FB - https://www.facebook.com/john.lechner.5

Book - Death Is Our Business: Russian Mercenaries and the New Era of Private Warfare https://a.co/d/7rKXhnI

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Father Stephen Gadberry is a priest in the Diocese of Little Rock, Arkansas, ordained on May 28, 2016. Born and raised on a farm in the Arkansas Delta, he enlisted in the Air Force after high school, serving in Texas, Germany, and Central Iraq during the mid-2000s. With degrees in philosophy and theology from St. Joseph Seminary College and Rome’s Pontifical Gregorian University, he’s a scholar and a shepherd. As Word on Fire Institute fellow, he’s also hosted EWTN’s Breaking Bread and tackled obstacle courses on American Ninja Warrior. When he’s not leading Mass at St. Theresa Church in Little Rock, he’s lifting weights or coaching CrossFit, he spends time with his dogs, Murph and Shorty.

Shawn Ryan Show Sponsors:

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Father Stephen Gadberry Links:

IG - https://www.instagram.com/fatherstephenjgadberry  

“The Making of a Catholic Priest” documentary - https://youtu.be/HumCsGbVAp4

Ministry with Bishop Robert Barron and Word on Fire

IG - https://www.instagram.com/bishopbarron

IG - https://www.instagram.com/wordonfire_catholicministries

Mayhem Hunt

IG - https://www.instagram.com/mayhemhunt

Saint Theresa Catholic Church

IG - https://www.instagram.com/sainttheresalr

YT - https://youtube.com/@sainttheresacatholicchur-kb8cn

Saint Theresa School

IG - https://www.instagram.com/stscougars

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John Stryker Meyer is a decorated Green Beret who served two tours in Vietnam (1968-1969 and 1969-1970) with the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam – Studies and Observations Group(MACV-SOG). Enlisting in 1966, he earned his Special Forces tab in 1967 and joined Spike Team Idaho, later leading Recon Team Idaho at Command and Control North (CCN) in Da Nang. Meyer’s missions took him across borders into denied areas, facing intense combat—including surviving multiple gunshot wounds and leading his team through impossible odds. After Vietnam, he served with the 10th Special Forces Group, then transitioned to civilian life as a journalist and author. He hosts the podcast, SOG Cast, and preserves the legacy of special operations veterans.

Shawn Ryan Show Sponsors:

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This episode is sponsored by Better Help. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/srs and get on your way to being your best self.

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John Stryker Meyer Links:

X - https://x.com/SOGChronicles

Website - https://sogchronicles.com

Across the Fence - https://www.amazon.com/Across-Fence-John-Stryker-Meyer/dp/0983256705

On the Ground - https://www.amazon.com/Ground-Secret-War-Vietnam/dp/0983256756

SOG Chronicles: Volume I - https://www.amazon.com/dp/0983256780 

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Lee Strobel is a best-selling author, journalist, and Christian apologist best known for The Case for Christ, which recounts his journey from atheism to faith. A former award-winning legal editor at the Chicago Tribune, Strobel has written over 40 books, including The Case for Faith and The Case for a Creator. He founded the Strobel Center at Colorado Christian University and continues to write, speak, and equip others to explore and share their faith.

John Burke is the New York Times bestselling author of Imagine Heaven and Imagine the God of Heaven, based on his research of over 1,500 near-death experiences. A frequent speaker and media guest, John co-founded Gateway Community Church in Austin, Texas, which he led for 26 years. He now hosts “The Imagine Heaven Podcast” and continues to speak globally on faith and the afterlife.

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This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/srs and get on your way to being your best self.

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Lee Strobel Links:

X - https://x.com/leestrobel 

Seeing the Supernatural - https://www.zondervan.com/p/seeing-the-supernatural

Website - https://leestrobel.com

Books - https://leestrobel.com/books

Speaking - https://leestrobel.com/speaking

John Burke Links:

For everything John Burke, go to - https://linktr.ee/johnburkeauthor  

Website - https://imagineheaven.net

Podcast - https://www.youtube.com/@JohnBurkeImagineHeaven 

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/johnburkeofficial 

John Burke Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/johnburkeofficial 

Imagine Heaven Facebook page: type https://www.facebook.com/imagineheavenbook

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Dave Ramsey is a personal finance expert, bestselling author, and radio host known for his no-nonsense approach to money management. After experiencing financial ruin in his twenties, Ramsey rebuilt his wealth and launched a mission to help others avoid the same mistakes. He created Financial Peace University, a step-by-step program that teaches people how to budget, eliminate debt, and build wealth. His “baby steps” plan and debt-free philosophy have guided millions toward financial stability and independence.

Ramsey is the host of The Ramsey Show, a nationally syndicated radio program and podcast where he offers practical advice on money, relationships, and personal growth. Through Ramsey Solutions, he’s built a media empire focused on financial education, reaching audiences through books, courses, events, and digital content. Grounded in Christian values and tough love, Ramsey’s message continues to inspire a grassroots movement of people choosing to live debt-free and take control of their financial future.

Shawn Ryan Show Sponsors:

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This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/srs and get on your way to being your best self.

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Dave Ramsey Links:

Build a Business You Love - https://ter.li/1izvr8  

Tik Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@daveramsey  

IG - https://www.instagram.com/daveramsey  

FB - https://www.facebook.com/daveramsey 

X - https://x.com/DaveRamsey

Website - https://www.ramseysolutions.com

Show - https://www.ramseysolutions.com/shows

Coaching - https://www.ramseysolutions.com/life-and-career

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Shyam Sankar is the Chief Technology Officer at Palantir Technologies. A builder at heart, he’s spent over 20 years designing and deploying cutting-edge software and AI for both government and private sector partners. As Palantir’s 13th hire, Shyam helped take the company from scrappy startup to S&P 500 powerhouse.

A relentless opponent of inefficiency and red tape, Shyam has made it his mission to overhaul the institutions holding America back—starting with the government. His focus? The Defense Reformation: a bold effort to transform how the U.S. military buys, builds, and fights so we can win—and keep winning.

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Shyam Sankar Links:

X - https://x.com/ssankar

Substack - https://www.shyamsankar.com

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shyamsankar

On The Defense Reformation - https://18theses.com

First Breakfast - https://www.firstbreakfast.com

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Thomas "Drago" Dzieran is a retired U.S. Navy SEAL, author, and software engineer. Born in Communist Poland, he spent time as a political prisoner before immigrating to the United States in 1984. After becoming a U.S. citizen in 1991, he joined the Navy and served 20 years, including stints with SEAL Teams 2 and 4, and as a BUD/S instructor. Drago deployed to Iraq multiple times, earning numerous commendations for his valor in combat. He’s the author of The Pledge to America and a vocal advocate for freedom, using his tech skills to combat threats to free speech.

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Thomas "Drago" Dzieran Links:

The Pledge to America - https://www.dragodzieran.com/book  

ConnectZing - https://connectzing.com

IG - https://www.instagram.com/dragodzieran

X - https://x.com/DragoDzieran

Website - https://www.dragodzieran.com

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