1231: Owen Hanson | From USC Golden Boy to International Drug Kingpin

2025-10-30

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From USC quarterback to drug kingpin to ice cream entrepreneur, Owen Hanson explains how criminal skills can translate to legitimate business success.Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1231What We Discuss with Owen Hanson:Early childhood trauma shaped Owen Hanson's path. Owen's parents divorced when he was eight, and his mother left with his sister. He didn't see her for nine months, leading to deep abandonment issues and a desperate need for his father's approval that influenced his later...

From USC quarterback to drug kingpin to ice cream entrepreneur, Owen Hanson explains how criminal skills can translate to legitimate business success.

Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1231

What We Discuss with Owen Hanson:

Early childhood trauma shaped Owen Hanson's path. Owen's parents divorced when he was eight, and his mother left with his sister. He didn't see her for nine months, leading to deep abandonment issues and a desperate need for his father's approval that influenced his later choices.
Prison strips away fair-weather friends. When Owen went to federal prison, he lost nearly everyone. He could count his true friends on one hand (including his parents) — most people vanished out of fear or because they were only there for the party, not the person.
Drug smuggling vs. ice cream logistics. Owen admits shipping frozen ice cream pallets is actually harder than smuggling cocaine because ice cream must stay frozen 24/7. When his first shipment arrived in New York unmelted, he felt the same rush he once got from drug deals.
Business skills transfer directly. Owen discovered the same entrepreneurial principles that made him successful in illegal operations — logistics, networking, risk management — apply perfectly to legitimate business, just with different (and legal) products.
Redemption lives in applied skills. Owen channeled his hustler instincts into creating a high-protein ice cream business he developed in prison. By redirecting his entrepreneurial energy toward something positive, he proves that skillsets aren't inherently good or bad — it's how you deploy them that matters.
And much more...

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