Shawn Ryan spent 14 years as a Navy SEAL and CIA contractor. Now the Temecula-area resident hosts one of the biggest interview podcasts in the country and is building a privacy app with former intelligence professionals.

Ryan is the subject of Temecula City Lifestyle's November cover feature, written by Sean Arnett. The profile traces Ryan's path from classified combat operations to media entrepreneurship and veteran advocacy.

The transition out of military life hit hard, Ryan told the magazine. He described losing the identity that came with operating at the highest levels of special operations, then entering a civilian world where he couldn't discuss most of what he'd done.

Ryan launched The Shawn Ryan Show on a shoestring budget. He hired a film crew for four days to teach him equipment, filming and editing. His first guest was Mike Glover, a fellow Special Forces veteran. Ryan told Temecula City Lifestyle he wanted to document military experiences from the people who lived them, not from news commentators.

The show has since landed high-profile guests. Ryan has interviewed Hsiao Bi-khim, vice president of Taiwan, and hacker Ryan Montgomery, whose appearance Ryan said preceded a major stock decline at a gaming company. The show has helped raise more than $1 million for veteran causes, according to the profile.

Ryan is also building Glacier, a privacy and security app featuring a VPN, secure DNS and private burner numbers. He told the magazine he wanted the tool simple enough that users could connect once and forget about it.

Beyond the podcast, Ryan advocates for research into treatments for PTSD and traumatic brain injury. He told Arnett that entrepreneurship helped pull him and other veterans out of the cycle many fall into after service.

His message to veterans still struggling was blunt: "There's no need to be ashamed," Ryan said in the profile. "It's okay to say you're not okay."

Ryan's profile arrives as Temecula's broader veteran support network stays active. The Veteran Supplemental Support Network, a Temecula-based nonprofit serving military families since 2013, focuses on filling gaps that government services miss. Board chair Daisy Tate described the organization's work in an August episode of the Growing on The Vine podcast, saying small logistical hurdles like transportation failures or short-term housing delays can spiral into crises for veterans.

VSSN plans a Winter Wonderlane event on Friday, Dec. 11, at the Temecula Promenade to connect veteran families.

Upcoming veteran events in Temecula:

  • Tuesday, Nov. 10: "Launching Your Veteran-Owned Business" workshop, 10 a.m., Temecula Valley Entrepreneurs Exchange, 43200 Business Park Drive. An SBDC consultant will cover business planning, financing, licensing and permits.
  • Friday, Dec. 11: VSSN Winter Wonderlane, Temecula Promenade.