Meet Dylan Stevens | Paranormal Investigator & Army Reservist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dylan Stevens and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dylan, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
Work life balance is still something I am actively trying to figure out.

When my friend Steve formed Haunted Nights and asked me to join him in exploring haunted locations around the US, I was still a senior in high school. Having been investigating the paranormal for 5 or 6 years at that time, I was eager to expand, and with little responsibilities, had the free time to do so. COVID expanded my free time, as school went virtual- and I ended up at the Saratoga County Homestead a couple days a week for 10-14 hours a day. The Homestead opened so many doors for me- from Destination Fear, Sam & Colby, and volunteer hours, to just meeting people and working on my confidence in leading groups and running tours.

Fast forward to last year; moving out of the worst of COVID, I had 2 years in the army reserves down, worked 2 retail jobs, but still took time to help run events on the weekends I didn’t have drill. I would often work 7am-8pm all week, helping with paranormal events on weekends. This was a pretty rough setup, but I stressed about money a lot growing up, and this allowed me to have the best of both worlds- so I thought.

Moving between sleep schedules every week & waking up at 4am most days to hit the gym really took a toll over time, eventually leading to me rolling my car, and taking out 4 telephone poles because I fell asleep. It was a tough lesson, but a rude awakening that I can’t “burn the candle at both ends”. I always pushed my limits despite my family & friends efforts to tell me otherwise, but glad I’m here to talk about it.

This year, I’ve been able to focus much more on Haunted Nights, developing a YouTube channel and traveling to some of the most haunted spots in the Eastern/Midwestern US for events. I’ve learned that rest days both in the fitness, and work spheres are not a bad thing. Prioritizing good sleep, planning rest days, and allowing myself to decompress has done wonders for my productivity & overall well-being.

It’s still a work in progress; I still work retail, still have drills one weekend a month and two weeks out of the year, and our paranormal events are ramping up every year. With our YouTube channel, some weeks we’ll go from filming straight to events. I’ve found a balance that allows me to have a few days in between ghost trips and going back to work at home- a little breather to fix my sleep schedule, and get my bearings back. While I work on building my own brand & helping Haunted Nights expand, I’ve slowly been able to pull away from my retail job as I can see everything falling together, slowly but surely.

I hate having rest days, or “unproductive days” as I see them, but I’ve learned over the last year that they are necessary; it’s alright to take a few days to yourself.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
In my life overall, one of my proudest personal accomplishments is how much I’ve broken out of my shell.

In October of 2014, I first started ghost hunting and eventually was tasked with helping lead tours at some spots local to me. At the time I was a pretty shy and awkward middle schooler, and had a huge fear of public speaking and being in front of groups. Over the span of 5 years, I was put in charge of leading groups, spoke at conventions, and worked on public speaking.

Since 2020, I’ve gone to and completed OSUT (One Station Unit Training) with the army, been featured on the TRVL Channel/Discovery+, and several prominent YouTube channels, even being in videos of our own with Haunted Nights. All of these developments wouldn’t have been as seamless if it wasn’t for me taking the first leap- public speaking still makes me anxious, but 8 years ago I would’ve never elected to go in front of a camera and speak.

With Haunted Nights, we seek to make our events as affordable as possible; we understand a lot of these locations are expensive to rent out for a night, and we understand that not everyone has a 10 person group they can split the rental cost with. Also- we’re passionate about investigating. We’re at the events not only because we love meeting new people, but we love the places and their history we take these long road trips to. As I write this, it’s 1:37 AM, and we have another 3 1/2 hours until we hit our destination- a haunted spot 13 hours from home. We do this because we love it, and we have a sincere interest in the paranormal.

It’s also really neat to pass on knowledge we’ve gathered; we’re certainly no experts, but even something a simple as explaining equipment & seeing the interest in someone’s eyes is something that reinvigorates me to talk to more people about the paranormal, and continue working in this field. Discussing theories, comparing evidence, and proposing experiments is always fun- and we always seek answers, but end up walking away with more questions. This is why we love doing public events, as each person walking through the doors has a different perspective, and may ask a question that could spur a totally different chain of activity.

Long story short- take that leap of faith, and don’t be afraid to share your experiences with others. It might be difficult to start with, but perseverance is key.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My area is pretty awesome in terms of history and tourism; starting out in South Glens Falls with the Parks Bentley Place. An awesome historical little townhouse that dates back to the American Revolution, and it’s thought that it was part of the Underground Railroad. We can stop for a meal just a few minutes down the road, either at the Peppermill, or Massie’s, a choice between American & Italian.

Day 2 we can hit up Lake George, and check out the many restaurants in the area. With activities ranging from hiking, to the beach & historical tours at Fort William Henry (a fort dating back to the French & Indian war), mini golf and the outlets, we certainly have options for the day.

Maybe spend another day or two in Lake George enjoying the scenery, and then we can move South to Saratoga.

From the battlefield, to historic downtown, the race track, and the old Saratoga County Homestead on the table, we’re not short of options here either. These are all must-sees, the haunted Adelphi Hotel in downtown is a cool site to visit, & there are a ton of awesome restaurants all within walking distance of downtown.

Between Lake George & Saratoga, I’d say that makes up a pretty solid visit to the foothills of the Adirondacks.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’ve been incredibly fortunate, in that many people have stepped forward to provide mentorship to me in one field or another. From teachers and drill sergeants, to friends, family, and random content creators I grew up watching, I’ve had a lot of help and support getting to where I am.

As such, I want to acknowledge a few people; the first being my uncle, Jake. His “work hard, play hard” attitude showed me that it is possible to balance fun and discipline, but knowing when to focus on each is key. He’s always been an easily accessible beacon of support and advice- especially as I navigate my military career. Both him, and my parents have been major in discussions about overcoming adversity and surpassing challenges that come up.

Second, I’d like to recognize Steve Brodt, a friend & business partner I’ve had the pleasure of working with the past 8 years. He’s opened a ton of doors for me in the paranormal, and the business world and I look forward to seeing where our next adventures take us.

Website: https://www.hauntednightsevents.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/snevets_nalyd/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylanstevens-e4122

Twitter: https://twitter.com/snevets_nalyd

Youtube: https://youtube.com/c/HauntedNightsInvestigations