EP 131: Ryan Devlin — Life as a TV Actor, Progressing From 11b to 12c in a Year, and How Pro Climbers Relate to Struggle

Ryan Devlin is a television actor, entrepreneur, philanthropist, rock climber, and host of his new podcast The Struggle Climbing Show. We talked about parallels between climbing and being a TV actor, the role of chemistry in dating, how to deal with rejection, progressing from 11b to 12c in a year in his 40s, and biggest takeaways from interviewing top climbers on his podcast.

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Show Notes:

thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/ryan-devlin

Nuggets:

0:07:15 – My Parent’s Basement Productions

0:09:35 – Junk food

0:12:20 – Returning to the Midwest

0:17:59 – How far Midwesterners commute to climb at the Red River Gorge

0:20:36 – The TV show ‘Are You the One?’, and why you might recognize Ryan in the grocery store

0:30:08 – A question from Allison Vest, and the role of chemistry in dating

0:37:20 – Similarities between the climbing world and the TV/acting world, and creating your own luck

0:43:20 – How Ryan deals with rejection, and building happiness that is not based on outcomes

0:49:19 – Being afraid of falling, Ryan’s first-ever trad lead, and how climbing has impacted his acting (and his life)

0:56:05 – How Ryan got into climbing, and his first day climbing at Tahquitz

1:07:25 – Getting into sport climbing and training in his 40s, and progressing from 11b to 12c in a year

1:16:50 – Early lightbulb moments in Ryan’s training journey

1:23:11 – Getting more days in at the crag

1:29:44 – Why Ryan decided to create The Struggle Climbing Show

1:38:00 – How the pros relate to struggle, and what the rest of us can learn from that

1:48:39 – Drinking from a firehose of information, and letting go of finding “the best way” to train

1:55:21 – Mental game, fear, gratitude, and Alex Honnold and Hazel Findlay’s mental approaches

2:00:01 – Hollywood love scenes, and being starstruck by Lynn Hill and Harrison Ford

2:07:53 – Podcasting and community

2:10:17 – Starting a Forest School, and looking at the world through kids' eyes

2:14:56 – Camping, van windows, and blackout curtains

2:18:33 – Vanlife, and climbing with Jordan Cannon and Alex Honnold

2:30:24 – The climbing experience scales

2:31:29 – Ryan’s hopes and dreams as a rock climber

2:37:50 – Ryan’s plans for Season 2 of The Struggle Climbing Show

2:44:30 – Wrap up