Wow. What a couple of weeks it has been!

A couple of you have reached out checking on me, and I appreciate that so much; it’s just another reminder of how blessed I am. This issue is going to be more of a life update than anything deep or even educational. Plenty of time for that down the road. :)

A few people have seen a recent post on socials, and a couple have reached out asking why I’ve been quiet. It’s just because life, haha. But in the best way.

“Are you ready?”

Saturday, 9/12, I was up by about 3:30 a.m. and heading to the airport to fly to OC and hopefully pull off a surprise engagement. This was WAY more difficult and tricky than I anticipated, and it could not have happened without the help of one of my girl’s best friends (thank you, Andrea!). But in the end, we made it happen.

I’ll spare you all the romantic details. But I remember vividly, waiting at the bottom of the hill at Salt Creek Beach, waiting on her to arrive (for what she thought was a photo shoot with her friend, not knowing I was in town), and the photographer asked me such a simple question. He asked me if I was ready.

.

And I was nervous. Heart pounding, excited, exhausted, and strangely calm…. and I knew the answer. I WAS ready.

For me, this was such a huge moment. Not just because I was about to ask the most amazing woman I have ever met to marry me, but because I was actually, READY.

I wondered after my divorce if I would ever do this again. If I would find my soulmate, my unicorn. I wondered if I was lovable, if I was still broken, if I was even worthy of a happily ever after.

And then I thought about the work I have put in. The self-reflection, the therapy, the intentional time to grow and do better and become a better person. I thought about how my friend group has slowly changed and morphed into a supportive group of peers who push me to succeed in ALL areas of life, not just business. I thought about the manifesting I did: writing a list of who I wanted and needed in a partner, and then not being willing to settle for less than that. I had no idea God and the universe would help me find that person on a bus in Hawaii, or that the timing would be so much sooner than I ever expected…. I just knew I was trying to be the person who would attract the soulmate I someday wanted.

So ya, when the moment came and the photographer asked me if I was ready, the answer was a clear and confident yes.

Then I saw her on that hill, coming down to meet me…. and nothing else mattered.

Somehow, someway, I have been fortunate enough to have actually found my unicorn. I get to have a happy ending too. I’m so grateful for the life I have already lived, even the pain and heartache and my own failures and mistakes, because in the end I got a second chance at everything I ever wanted.

And she said yes. :)

The whirlwind

What followed was a whirlwind of bliss. The engagement party with her friends (and one of my own forum mates, who flew with her husband all the way there for a two-hour party just to be able to celebrate with me! Aivel, you rock). A few days of downtime at a Miraval property in Arizona. Flying home just to pick up the kids and drive straight to Asheville to watch my team crush an events setup with the PGA for another tournament. (Even bit the kids to work for a bit haha) A couple of days of normal life and homework and more tough calls with the business. And then right back to California to watch a beautiful wedding of new friends; another ripple in the pond that comes from putting great things out and the universe sending it back to you.

I know, I know. I am on cloud nine right now, and that’s ok. I have finally accepted something….I’ll say it again. I deserve happiness too.

Why am I sharing all this?

It’s personal, and it might feel like bragging. I am not. I have said the whole point of this is to be vulnerable, to be transparent about the ups and downs. I have had some hard days (like we all have) and I have shared those. And I have had some amazing days…. Both sides of life can be learned from, and it’s important to talk about the good as much as learn from the bad.

I have had one-on-one conversations with many of you, and we have shared candidly our hopes and dreams and fears and failures. In some ways this newsletter is a chronicle of all of that: what I have learned from you, and sharing my own experiences in a way that encourages and maybe teaches you something as well.

My takeaway here? Life is hard, but it can be beautiful. We are human; we make mistakes. But we can learn, we can grow, we can put in the work to make our own lives better…. and IF we do (and I am here to encourage you to do so!), then we can’t be surprised when we find what we are looking for. Even when that is happiness.

That’s all for now. I’ll be back to writing about business shenanigans soon (holy smokes, we have so much going on!). Thanks for reading. I hope you’re as encouraged today as I am grateful.

Still not quite there yet, and never will be. But damn if I’m not glad to be moving in the right direction. :)

Ryan
Not Quite There Yet Guy
CEO & Co-Founder, Knowledge Perk | Chair, Gravity Center Foundation | EO Charlotte

Alright, it’s a new week. And I didn’t write last week; that’s another one I skipped without saying anything. So for this week, I don’t know that there’s a specific theme other than honesty and vulnerability.

Life is a roller coaster. In the middle of all of it, I got to go to California with my mom and my sister, visit my amazing girlfriend, and eat our way across the coast while looking at art! Life be lifing. (No, that’s not a word. Yes, I am using it.)

How fast it all changes

Over the last week and a half, it’s amazing to me how quickly life can change. Business too.

There’s a lot going on in my personal life. Some things coming up that I’m incredibly excited about and looking forward to, and yet that factors into the daily and weekly stress just the same. Same with my kids. Jaxon’s in middle school now, dealing with all the changes there and the massive amount of homework that comes with it. I’m working through what my future gets to look like and having conversations with both of my kids about that; especially my daughter, who does not always see eye to eye with me because, well, she’s ten and has a mind of her own. LOL.

And then there’s work. I’ve spent the last seven or eight years pouring into different things and moving in a specific direction, and it’s crazy how things can change at the drop of a hat. Even just the last couple of months: money from a capital raise coming in, conversations with banks, new locations coming on board, a potential acquisition. And then, in the space of a few days, all of that can change. You’re left wondering, did I do something wrong? Did I screw something up?

The reality is, sometimes? Sometimes it’s just life. Sometimes things just aren’t meant to be.

(And yes, the company is fine. The decisions being made actually improve the raise, with investor approval. Sometimes it’s just admitting that other people maybe had a better bead on what the future looks like than you did, even if it was your vision to start with…. The end goal is the same, but the path to get there can change in a moment. Oh, and even with all the craziness, my team closed new accounts and we got Small Business of the Year in Columbia! Biz life is wild, haha.)

The 24 hours that changes everything

When I look back over the last couple of weeks, there were documents I was so close to signing, and something just didn’t sit right. Didn’t feel right. So I gave myself one or two more days of space. And that space and time allowed other things to transpire.

I’m amazed at how often that little bit of extra time, even 24 hours, is the difference between a potentially terrible decision and a great one.

In this case, I have to reflect on my faith, and on God’s providence and grace; looking out for things, looking out for me even when I didn’t know it, even looking out for my company.

Last week was hard

Obviously, I didn’t write. I was dealing with so many things coming at me from so many directions, many of which will get written about in the coming weeks and months as things play out and unfold. But I was unbelievably stressed. The pressure and the weight of life, of being a father, a boyfriend, a business owner, and just a man…. it’s real.

I’m so glad I have people I can talk to. People I can go on long walks with, or pick up the phone and call. People who care about me and my kids and my family and my business. And I’m reminded that this is exactly why we are not supposed to do life alone. If I’d had to deal with the last two weeks completely on my own, I’m honestly not sure how I would have managed it.

And sometimes it’s just taking time out to go watch Spider-Man a second time, or letting the ten-year-old with a mind of her own sleep on the couch next to you….

Even with my support structure, there were one or two nights specifically where the world just weighs you down, and it’s completely overwhelming. I feel like I’m a pretty strong dude, even though I do have some big emotions. But I’ve realized that my upbringing, and the sense of responsibility I carry, keeps me feeling the pressure for everybody else. I feel an ownership sometimes that maybe shouldn’t even be mine. I feel like I need to be there for my girl, for my kids, for my business partner, for my family, for my friends, for my employees.

And sometimes, at 2 a.m., that leaves you wondering: who is there for me?

The reality is that God is. And every single person I just mentioned above is too…. if I let them. They don’t know to help me, or how to help me, or even that something’s wrong, if I don’t tell them. I’ve got to be willing to pick up the phone and say: hey, I’m really struggling today. Or: hey, I’m weighed down by this decision, can I talk through it? Or even: hey, I don’t want to do or talk about anything. I know what I need to do, and I just hate that I have to make this decision. I just want to walk with somebody in silence….

I think as guys, it’s hard for us to admit that. And over the last two weeks I’ve learned it’s just as hard for me to admit it, even with the massive effort I’m putting into being vulnerable and transparent so everybody else can see they’re not alone. Even I have to remind myself to take these steps; to support myself by allowing myself to not be alone. There are people there. I just have to choose to lean on them.

Otherwise, what’s the point?

Before I go

I know this one is a bit of a ramble. Next week I’ll get back to business, with updates on directions and decisions made. This week I just wanted to be real. It was a tough couple of weeks. I am okay, and I’m okay because of the people around me, the support structures I do have, and because I understand that not only can I not do life alone; I shouldn’t. We’re not meant to.

So to each and every one of you who has some place in my life, some meaning, some importance (some closer than others, but even acquaintances are there for a reason): thank you for listening.

And I encourage you: if you are struggling, if you are depressed, if you just need somebody to talk to, reach out. Whether it’s me, your significant other, a kid, a family member; it doesn’t matter. Don’t hold everything in. You’ve got to have somebody to talk to and lean on. That’s half of what life is about.

This is just a reminder to myself that I’m not quite there yet, and honestly, never will be. And if you’re honest, you won’t be either.

All we can do is keep moving forward.

Ryan
Not Quite There Yet Guy
CEO & Co-Founder, Knowledge Perk | Chair, Gravity Center Foundation | EO Charlotte

If you’re in crisis, call or text 988. Any time, any reason.

Alright everybody, this is my first ever mailbag issue, and I’m honestly pretty excited. It took a little bit to pull this together, and I might have to do another one. But here goes with the first one.

First, I need to say how cool it was getting replies. Some came through Instagram or Facebook, some as direct responses to my emails. Some funny, all encouraging, and some incredibly heartwarming. It is humbling to know that anybody reads at all; and even more that something is actually hitting home and resonating, and that you’d take the time to respond. That’s a really cool feeling.

These aren’t in any particular order, since there have been a few newsletters out now. Here we go.

The single dad

A reader wrote me after the Father’s Day issue. He became a single dad when he lost his wife at forty years old. And my favorite thing he said in his response: tragedy can turn into triumph.

I won’t share all the details of his letter, but let me tell you, it spoke to me, and I found it incredibly encouraging. You know who you are. I’m so sorry for your loss; and I love the way you’ve taken that tragedy and turned it into a win, not just for yourself, but now as a way to encourage other people. Well done, sir.

The open door

Another reader responded to the fatherhood thread; the “Am I Enough?” question, the idea that two kids in the same house can have two completely different childhoods, and the one-up trap.

This gentleman always reaches out, and he’s so encouraging. He’s been telling me for years that his deck is open, the pool’s always open, and my favorite: “I always have a pour for you.”

You know who you are, buddy. One day I’m going to have the time to take you up on that. Just know your encouragement and support through the years is something I don’t take for granted.

“Their emotions doesn’t cash my check”

A CEO buddy of mine sent me that line after the business issue, and dammit, if that did not resonate with me.

Another reader, someone with fifty years of business behind him who I respect a ton, shared his own version of the same lesson; he learned a long time ago to keep his head down and let the work speak, because a handful of comments can make it feel like everyone is against you.

And a third reader wrote something that told me he really understands my frustration around here. It’s difficult sometimes to know you’ve done your best, that you’ve been generous with your time, your money, and your intentions, and to have that completely negated or overlooked because somebody doesn’t like your opinion on something. Or because they have one percent of the facts and move forward with assumptions as if they had all of them, creating a narrative that’s just not accurate. It’s frustrating, and it happens more than I’d like to admit in a small town.

Perhaps there’s more to dive into there one day. But that’s a different issue.

The question that got me

One of my favorite responses came from a friend and fellow business owner I have mad respect for. He asked: how do you balance multiple operations while still making time for yourself?

This is difficult to answer, because even the last couple of weeks are evidence that sometimes I don’t have the right answer. I’ve got a capital raise I’m in the middle of (hit me back if you want more info!). An acquisition I’m trying to work through. A girlfriend who lives on the West Coast. Two kids back in school with different needs I’m now struggling to meet. And I’m trying to balance my personal time, play golf, be dad, and just enjoy life, against the constant, ever-changing pressures of a business that has ups and downs like any rollercoaster.

So it’s hard. But here’s what I’ve got.

I’ve been super fortunate in deciding to hire a phenomenal executive assistant who helps keep me balanced.

I’ve learned to listen to myself and intentionally put myself first sometimes. That may sound selfish or crazy to some people, but it’s like they say on an airplane: you have to put the oxygen mask on yourself before you can put it on anybody else.

And I’ve learned to go with the flow a little more. I don’t try to cram everything in. Some days the energy and the mindset are there for work, and I dive in. Some days they’re not; and if they’re not, I don’t force it. That’s my body or my brain telling me I need something else, and I’m actually doing my own company a disservice by forcing it. Sometimes I need to sit down and do nothing. Sometimes I need to go visit a friend, sit on his deck by the pool with a glass of whiskey, and not even talk; just sit in silence and know I’m with somebody who gives a damn. Sometimes it’s golf.

I don’t know that I have all the answers, and maybe one day if you guys care, I’ll elaborate on how I actually structure my week to allow for everything. But balancing multiple operations is surprisingly difficult, and it’s something you have to work at intentionally.

The reader who made my week

One of my favorite responses was from a 72 year old with a cool story: they’re buying another business instead of retiring.

What I have to say to that is: hell yeah.

I think that’s super cool. I know a lot of people who retire and don’t do anything, and the reality is, their life slowly ends. I think we’re supposed to stay busy. Now, we don’t have to be working like a dog, and hopefully you’re not working for financial reasons; you’re working to stay busy and do something you’re passionate about and love. And if that’s the case, you’re not really even working.

I love that this person is 72 years old and still going after more of what they want. Hopefully some of my future writing can be not just an encouragement to them, but can offer some lessons to make their new project even easier and better; especially since I’m going through an acquisition myself.

The therapy issue is happening

A couple of you reached out specifically saying you wanted the therapy issue. So I’m going to do it.

I’ll talk about what I’ve learned, why it took me so long to go to therapy, why I’ve decided to continue in therapy, and why I genuinely believe that everybody needs therapy; especially men. And if you don’t think you need anything at all, then you probably need it more than you realize.

I’ve heard the responses. It’s coming.

To those already serving

Lastly: several of you reached out to encourage me about my service in Bolivia, and a couple of you mentioned that you’re already serving in various capacities, whether that’s missions or local outreach. I just want to say, I find that so cool. I’d love to hear more of those stories; what you’re doing, how, and why.

Thank you, for the encouragement toward my own efforts and for letting me know what you’re doing. I genuinely appreciate it.

Before I go

That wraps up most of what I’ve received; I apologize if I missed anybody.

For future newsletters: if there’s anything you want to know, or anything else you want covered, please don’t hesitate. I’m happy to write about it if it’s something I’ve got experience with or can resonate with.

And one more thing: I intentionally kept all of these responses anonymous. If you’ve got a response and you’re willing to let me share your name and a specific quote, let me know and I’d happily do that. Otherwise, if you don’t say anything at all, I’ll keep it anonymous. Always.

One housekeeping note: this issue I responded so everyone can read it, as promised. But just know, future mailbags will only go to paid subscribers. Thanks for understanding, and I’m grateful for the support!

Next up is some business updates, and that therapy issue is coming soon. But I wanted to get some responses out first.

Thank you, everybody, for giving me something to respond to. Talk to you next week.

Never there. Never going to be.

Ryan
Not Quite There Yet Guy
CEO & Co-Founder, Knowledge Perk | Chair, Gravity Center Foundation | EO Charlotte

Well y’all, I’m sitting here in the sun on a couch in dreamy California, thinking about what to write during my normal scheduled writing hour, when it suddenly hits me.

I didn’t write last week.

My first thought was annoyance with myself…. I have reminders and alarms and calendars and AI (and real) assistants! I committed to something; how could I not follow through? And just as quickly, I got annoyed at myself for being annoyed at myself. Why is my first instinct to put myself down?

I’ve heard for years that the most successful people are often their own harshest critics. But WHY? Why must we beat ourselves up so quickly? I’m not saying we should let ourselves off the hook for every little thing; personal accountability and self discipline should be core principles of our daily lives. But shouldn’t grace and compassion (yes, even for self) have an equally high stature of importance?

A tale of two stories, again

Remember a couple newsletters back, my tale of two stories? Both versions true; it just depends on which one you choose to move forward with.

This week is the same dilemma. Except this time, I’m not even going to bother with Version 1.

Version 2 looks like this: I spent 9 days in Bolivia serving others. I had a 38 hour travel day back home, arriving around midnight. On Sunday I still got my kids, went to church and family lunch, and went straight into dad mode; clothes shopping for two households, supplies, lunches, meal prep for the week. Then a crazy busy first week back to school,

with intense work stress, EO events, and never fully recovering from the travel weariness (IYKYK). All that, and still traveling to California on Saturday for some needed quality time with my girl….

So my first reaction to missing a self imposed deadline should be disappointment and frustration? Nope. Reframing it: Version 2 guy had a kick ass couple of weeks back to back, and he deserved a respite. My “massive” following of 200 people, who may or may not skim my random musings, will be ok…! :)

Why I’m even telling you this

Next week I’ll be back to business tips and stories, and possibly a mailbag issue where I can finally start responding to what some of you have asked me.

But today I just wanted to be encouragingly real. I thought about not mentioning the skipped week at all; just moving on, and nobody would notice. But that’s not what this is for. This is real life. We’re real people. And reality isn’t perfect. Sometimes we miss the newsletter.

Every time though, we focus on the good. And we give ourselves (and others) grace.

None of us are “there” yet. And we never will be.

P.S. For those of you that wanted to know… the clinic saw a total of 1685 patients last week in Bolivia!!

Talk soon,
Ryan
Not Quite There Yet Guy
CEO & Co-Founder, Knowledge Perk | Chair, Gravity Center Foundation | EO Charlotte

Well, friends and family, this one is a little bit different; I am writing to you from Bolivia!

I’m here on a medical missions trip through MMO with my sister. We got in country Thursday night, spent the weekend doing a little exploring and setting up a clinic, and today I got to see my first real patients come through. I’m running the autorefractor machine in the optical clinic and using a surprising amount of Spanish!

It’s already fairly rewarding. People come through who either need new glasses or have never had glasses at all. They find out we have something that matches their prescription, we get the glasses on them, and they see clearly for the first time in years. For some of them, for the first time in their whole life. It’s a truly incredible feeling.

As I was thinking through what to write this week, considering where I am and what I’d hope you get out of my trip, I realized a couple of things.

I want my kids to see me serving

I’m here, in part, because I want my kids to see me serve. I want them to know there’s more to life than building a business or going on fun trips and vacations. Yes, all of those things are important, and they all have their place. But I remember growing up with the ethic my mom and my grandparents instilled in me and my siblings about how important it is to give back. I remember all the Meals on Wheels we delivered. The volunteering in nursing homes. Working with other kids. Going on mission trips.

Not just to give back, but as a reminder of how truly blessed we are living in the United States of America.

I was able to get my kids their passports this summer, and I can’t wait to take them out of the country so they get a little enlightenment about how truly blessed they are. That’s part of this: setting the example. Not “do as I say,” but “watch, and let me show you why this is important.”

The business case nobody expects

There’s a business side to this too.

For years now, speaking in university classes and on panels, people ask me the same questions. What’s the number one piece of advice you’d give somebody going into entrepreneurship? What’s the best way to raise capital? (Something I’m fairly well known for being pretty decent at.)

Almost nobody expects my answer: volunteering. And I mean it.

Every person who has ever had a significant impact on my business or my life, and almost every single investor I’ve met, has come through some channel of volunteering. Boards. Nonprofits. Chambers, both in York County and in Charlotte. Incredible people met on humanitarian and mission trips….

Volunteering is a way to connect with people on a deeper level. Some of the wealthiest people I know don’t want to just give their money; they want to roll up their sleeves and do something meaningful. And when you work side by side with those people, it gives you a common interest and a common connection that cements a relationship far better than any networking event or business card ever will.

So not just for your kids. Not just for yourself. Even for your business: get out there and give. Find a cause or an organization you’re willing to put more than just your money into, and go serve.

Your turn

Where do you serve, or where have you been meaning to start? Hit reply and tell me; I read every single one, even from a clinic in Bolivia.

As for me, the rest of this week is right here: practicing my Spanish and lighting up a room with smiles, for people who for the first time may get to see me smile back at them clearly.

With love, until next week. Always moving forward, because we’re never quite there.

Ciao,
Ryan
Not Quite There Yet Guy
CEO & Co-Founder, Knowledge Perk | Chair, Gravity Center Foundation | EO Charlotte

Hey y’all,

The last couple issues have been fairly business heavy, so this week we’re going a slightly different direction. Still vulnerable; but this one is about family, fatherhood, and something I think a lot of guys struggle with in general.

So here it goes!

The week everything came at once

This was a difficult last week, in that I really felt like everything was coming at me all at once.

I’m heading into my second week of having my kids two weeks straight as part of my 50/50 custody schedule with my ex-wife; we each get two weeks in the summer. Last year I did a huge two-week road trip with them, which many of you saw on my social media. This year, I just didn’t have the capacity. We did have a fun weekend visiting my best friend in Atlanta, but there’s a part of me that felt guilty that I didn’t do as much as I did last year.

I think that’s a pressure a lot of parents carry in general: every year, we have to one-up the year before. I don’t believe that’s actually the case. I think we need to teach our kids about life and about balance. Some years, just like some days, have more in them than others.

But I digress. What got to me this week was the overwhelm. Work coming at me in every direction. So many things happening with the foundation I chair. Social engagements. Trying to still take care of myself. Trying to be present in a long-distance relationship. Having the kids for the summer. And even coordinating with my son’s behavior therapist, who supports Jaxon at home and in school; one more thing to manage, even when it’s a good thing.

(For those newer here: Jaxon is on the autism spectrum. How we’ve learned to work with him, and everything he has taught ME, is another issue I’ll be writing down the road. It’s very personal; but it’s important to so many families trying to navigate the same thing.)

I found myself getting short with them. And I realized I actually had to apologize to my kids.

A couple of things came out of this.

1. It’s okay to admit you’re overwhelmed and ask for help.

We know this as parents… I think? But specifically as guys, as dads, we carry the weight of everything usually silently, including fatherhood. And sometimes it really does just get to you. That doesn’t mean you’re a bad dad or that you don’t care for your kids. Life is heavy, and we have to be able to manage that. Sometimes asking for help is part of managing it.

2. It’s okay to apologize. In fact, we should.

One of the things I’ve learned is that some of the best teaching moments are catching my OWN mistakes, letting the kids know why it was a mistake, and apologizing. It’s so easy to get aggravated or frustrated with the kids and use their mess-up as the teaching moment. I’m starting to really see it’s more impactful to use my own instead.

3. Have more than one outlet for yourself.

That can be anything. Run to ATL to visit you best friend and eat your way across the city!! (see below haha)

Escaping for a quick round of golf. Quiet time alone with a book while the kids go do something on their own. It could even be therapy (Ya, I said it).

I’m actually going to talk about therapy in a couple of issues, because I think it’s a massively taboo subject for dudes; so many guys are afraid to admit they need it and feel like it will make them look weak. I’ve been there. I come from a strong background where it was not ever talked about. But it’s been such an important part of my journey and my life in the last couple of years, and I highly encourage it. Try it.

If you guys will allow me, I’ll dive down that road and be very vulnerable about my own experiences in therapy. What made me seek it out, and why I’ve continued (or restarted) it multiple times over several years, including most recently. Hit reply and tell me if you want that issue; that’s all the permission I need.

What I actually did about it

All that to say: it’s normal to be frustrated. It’s normal to feel overwhelmed. What’s not normal, or at least what should be talked about, is not doing anything about it.

This week, I took the kids with me and played a little golf at the local simulators, just to get some sanity back. I spent Sunday lunch with the family. I took Saturday off and didn’t do anything except rest on the couch and watch movies with the kids. I scheduled my next therapy appointment. And I talked to the kids about the lessons learned this week, and apologized for being short with them when I knew they didn’t deserve it.

I made a lot of mistakes this week, and sometimes it still gets to me. But I also learned some more lessons. I’m sharing this with each of you in hopes that it rings true and gives you some encouragement that you may not be the only person feeling this way.

Your turn

What moments have you had with parenting or overwhelm, and how did you cope with them? Hit reply and tell me. I read every single one; and after the mid-year issue, I know some of you have stories.

Not quite there yet. Never will be. And that’s really the whole point.

Keep building. Keep going.

Talk soon,
Ryan
Not Quite There Yet Guy
CEO & Co-Founder, Knowledge Perk | Chair, Gravity Center Foundation | EO Charlotte

Hey y’all,

I’m sitting on my couch tonight contemplating what to write, and so many things come to mind. My recent time in California. The World Cup match I got to attend in Houston. The business rollercoaster this week has been (trying to acquire another company is as frustratingly exhausting as it is exhilarating). But what keeps rising to the top is gratitude…. because of a panel I got to speak on this week.

A friend reached out a couple of times about getting me on it. And while I’m always excited for the opportunity to speak, as it got closer I caught myself frustrated with ME for saying yes to another thing. Then the event was executed beautifully, and I was so grateful for the invite.

What’s even crazier, and what still humbles me: the number of people who reached out afterward. They appreciated my story. They wanted coaching or mentoring. They’d been watching for a while and wanted to volunteer. You name it. I think I got five different direct reach-outs from fifteen minutes of talking.

So that’s the inspiration for tonight…. to keep pouring into what I said my why was: making it easier for the next generation of entrepreneurs. Which brings us right back to something I put on the list a couple issues back…

Personal guarantees. Welcome to Done Dumber Things #2.

What we signed

Here’s the thing: what my partner and I did wasn’t necessarily dumb. What was dumb was not fully understanding what I was signing and how it could impact me down the road.

By that point I’d already signed a personal guarantee on an equipment loan. (There’s a long story behind that one; it’s actually part of the reason my former business partner is no longer my current partner. I’ll save it for the larger story.) The point is, I had a decent amount of debt attached to my name, and I didn’t realize how those guarantees were quietly making everything else harder for me financially.

Fast forward to one of my business partners and me signing our first lease together, and we had to personally guarantee it. In the moment? Exciting. New location, let’s go.

Then you look back and realize what you actually did: you committed yourselves, personally, to paying that lease in such a way that even if the business failed, he and I were still on the hook. Not the company. Us.

What nobody tells you

Almost every landlord and lender asks for this now, and most entrepreneurs don’t know there are other ways. Three, at least:

1. You don’t always have to sign it. A personal guarantee is a negotiation, not a law of nature. Sometimes pushing back works.

2. A corporate guarantee. The business guarantees itself. What they don’t tell you: you need real company maturity and solid financials; nearly impossible as a startup, but it’s where you’re headed. We don’t personally guarantee leases anymore, though getting away from them at the bank is still almost impossible until the company is a little bigger.

3. Leverage an investor. Have them guarantee the lease or loan. They’re far more likely to do it for a loan backed by collateral (equipment, real estate) than a lease. But it’s a legitimate tactic to bring to the table.

The part that follows you home

Here’s what I really didn’t understand then: it wasn’t just a bigger commitment than I realized. It compounds.

Every loan we’ve signed with a personal guarantee, plus that lease, adds up; and the bank sees the total when it sizes up our fiscal responsibility. Every new thing we try to do carries the weight of every old thing we signed.

And it doesn’t stay at the office. It can make it harder to buy a home. I watched that happen up close: one of my business partners recently had to purchase his house primarily through his wife…. for this exact reason.

Beyond the financial complications (and even the legal ones down the road), there’s a layer of mental stress that comes with knowing that if your business doesn’t work, you can’t just walk away. You’re responsible for your financial obligations, your payroll, your employees, your own personal finances; and you may be personally liable for the debts and leases on top of it. It’s a sobering weight if you’re not ready for it, and if you don’t understand what you’ve committed to and what the plan is for making sure your personal guarantee is never actually needed.

I’m not saying never do it. I’m saying it’s complicated. And you deserve to know that going in.

Some news (okay, two pieces of news)

I promised to help you through issues like these based on my own past mistakes and learnings. That’s a big reason I moved to Substack. This newsletter is always going to be free, and I’m going to keep putting free resources out there. But I’m now also offering a paid subscription at two levels, and I’ll be stocking a VAULT with things I’d love for you to have: my operating agreement checklist, my personal guarantee audit (it drops with this issue), plus plenty more I’m building to make your lives easier.

And the second piece: enough of you voted. It’s official. We’ve moved from Still Going to Done Dumber Things.

My dumber things are your gain as I keep building a vault of entrepreneurial resources that help you take it to the next level without making the same mistakes I did.

Your turn

I’ve compiled a list of every question that’s come in so far, and over the next couple of issues I’m going to start answering each one. So tell me: what else do you want to know? Entrepreneurship, startups, building a business, fatherhood, dealing with life in general…. I’m here for all of it.

Hit reply. I read every single one, and I love the thoughts you guys share with me every week.

Keep building. Keep going. None of us are quite there yet.

Talk soon,
Ryan
Not Quite There Yet Guy
CEO & Co-Founder, Knowledge Perk | Chair, Gravity Center Foundation | EO Charlotte

Welcome to the Vault; the practical companion to every Done Dumber Things issue. Each lesson I write about ships with something you can actually use. This post is the master list; it gets updated every time a new item drops, so bookmark it.

No. 001 - The Operating Agreement Checklist (companion to Issue 004)

Every question your OA should answer before you need it: the exit, the what-ifs, the day-to-day, and the red flags.

Read more

Hey y’all,

We’re halfway through July, and more than halfway through the year already. That doesn’t seem possible, and yet here we are.

So let me ask you: are you where you thought you’d be?

I’m not. I’m both ahead of where I expected AND further behind. Makes perfect sense, right?

Stay with me.

The mirror I wasn’t ready for

I said when I started this newsletter that I was going to be vulnerable and honest, and damn sometimes that’s harder than I thought it would be. Sitting down on Sunday to write has become a mirror I wasn’t ready for.

When I think about what to write, a couple of things always bubble up to the surface and get instantly rejected as TOO honest. And then it hits me: those are probably the exact things someone else is struggling with too.

Like this mid-year check-in. I’m not where I want to be, and that frustrates me. But then I have to start digging deeper. Were my goals realistic and achievable? Were they tangible and intentional?

Because here’s what I recognize in myself: I chase perfection, then deal with resentment and frustration when I don’t achieve the result I wanted… usually in a wildly unrealistic time frame.

The first story

My business is struggling with cash flow issues I haven’t solved. My kids are growing and changing, and I don’t have every answer. My long-distance relationship forces me to confront insecurities and deal with hard issues. My routines aren’t perfect. I haven’t learned French. I don’t have my pilot’s license. My physique isn’t where I want it. On and on and on… all the things wrong.

The self-inflicted pressure to do more and be better, and then the guilt when I’m not where I wanted to be at some arbitrary point in the year.

Why? I think society and social media (especially for entrepreneurs) put a pressure on us to grind and hustle, usually at more personal harm than gain.

And I’m recognizing that. Which is exactly why I’m further ahead than I thought I’d be.

The second story

My business is growing. My team is amazing, and my business partner is a real partner (and a friend!). My kids are growing, and I’m growing with them. I’m not perfect, but I’m a damn good dad, and I try.

I met the most amazing woman. Relationships are hard, and distance is just an excuse. What a privilege to have access to therapy to work through my own stuff, to resources, and to a girlfriend who’s also an entrepreneur and “gets it.” I get to be in love again…how cool is that?!

I started French! Slow and steady wins the race. I’m studying for my pilot’s license; while building a company and being a dad and a boyfriend and volunteering and living a beautiful life. So who cares how long it takes?

And I’m in the best physical shape I’ve been in in years. Down 20 pounds, eating clean, stronger than ever.

Same seven months. Two different stories. One outlook shift.

Grace

If I’ve learned anything recently, it’s to be kinder to myself and allow myself grace; honestly, to hell with what anyone else thinks.

So… I asked if you were where you thought you’d be, and maybe your answer was no. Now read your year the second way. What’s your answer now?

Be kind to yourself. We are all just climbing, and none of us are quite “there” yet.

Your turn

Here’s this week’s homework: tell me both stories. The one where you’re behind, and then the same seven months told the other way. One thing that hasn’t gone to plan, and one thing day-one-of-January you would be proud of.

Hit reply and send me both. I read every single one.

Still…. not quite there yet ;)

Talk soon,
Ryan
Not Quite There Yet Guy
CEO & Co-Founder, Knowledge Perk | Chair, Gravity Center Foundation | EO Charlotte

Quick housekeeping first, then I've got something I've been wanting to build for a long time.

Still Going has a new home. This newsletter now lives on Substack, which means every issue (past and future) lives in one place, you can comment and share, and if somebody forwards this to you, you can join us at the new address:

donedumberthings.com

Yes. That's really the address. I own it, I love it, and if you know me, you know why it fits. More on that in a second, because it's not just a funny URL… it's a foundational piece to something I have been working towards for a while. (I even thought about naming my newsletter "Done Dumber Things"... should I? Hit me back and let me know!)

You don't have to do anything. Your subscription came with me. Hit reply anytime; that still works exactly the same, and I still read every one.

The new series: Done Dumber Things

Here's what I've realized after eight years of building companies: nobody hands you the damn list.

You know the list I mean. Not the "write a business plan, follow your dreams" list. The other one. The list of things that will cost you six figures because nobody told you they existed until you were already bleeding. The list of things that stop your heart and make you question why the hell you started all of this in the first place.

I've paid tuition on that list. Multiple times. So starting with this issue, I'm launching a series where I walk through my experiences; item by item, story by story, scar by scar. I am still going to talk about life and fatherhood and random things on my heart, but some issues will be specific to the Done Dumber Things series. What happened to me, what it cost, what I'd do differently, and eventually, the actual people and businesses I trust and personally use to handle each one. Not affiliates or sponsors. Just the people who actually helped me.

Fair warning: I'm going to be honest about how dumb some of this was. Hence the name.

Let me tell you about my two business divorces (wow I have been divorced alot…smdh)

The first one, years ago with the first business I started: my partner and I stopped seeing eye to eye on the direction of the business. There was no real framework for what happens when partners disagree. So ya know what I did? I basically gave away my half to avoid the conflict.

Read that again. I handed over half a business (that still exists to this day) because having the hard conversation felt more expensive than walking away. It wasn't. It never is. That decision cost me my equity, and worse, it taught me nothing at the time… because I told myself I was "keeping the peace."

The second one hurt more and cost less. Let me explain how that's possible.

In 2021, my original partner at Knowledge Perk and I reached the end of the road together. This was a man I'd shared years of friendship with. Watching that unravel hurt in a way I wasn't prepared for and being completely honest, the process brought out a version of me that was angry, anxious, and checking my email at moments I shouldn't have been. (True story: one of the negotiation emails landed while I was at a Rolling Stones concert. A mentor of mine, in language I'll clean up for print, told me to “put my #&*!@* phone away and deal with it in the morning.” He was right.)

The buyout took over four months. It ended a multiyear friendship. And it was still the best-case version of that story because this time, I had an Operating Agreement.

Your Operating Agreement is divorce papers for your business… written back when everybody still loved each other.

People think an OA is paperwork you sign when you form the LLC and never look at again. Wrong. Mine laid out exactly what happens when a partner wants out: how the offer gets made, how the members consent, how the terms get structured. When everything got emotional (and holy hell did it get emotional and personal) the document didn't care. It just gave us a process to execute and a roadmap to follow.

Without that OA, I'm convinced that fallout would have cost me HUNDREDS of thousands more than it did. With it, the whole thing stayed bounded, unemotional (on paper, anyway), and finished.

That painful buyout became the framework for every partnership since; including my current partnership with Jordan at KP, which is the best one I've ever had. Not because we agree on everything; we don't (and he's usually right). Because the rules were clear before we ever needed them.

The list nobody hands you

Over the coming issues, we're going through all of it. In no particular order:

• The Operating Agreement — your business divorce papers (this story, in full)

• The right accountant setup — bookkeeper vs. CPA vs. CFO, and why you probably need all three doing different jobs at some point in your business journey.

• Real legal representation — finding the attorney who redlines the contract before you're in trouble, not after

• Your IP framework — we once discovered our own trademark was sitting in the wrong entity. Fun conversation.

• Other people's money — investors, and the strings nobody mentions until the check clears. Every dollar comes with opinions, expectations, and a seat at your table. Some are worth every penny. Some cost you more than the money ever helped.

• Buy-sell agreements — and actually funding them — what happens to a partner's equity if they die, quit, or walk away, and where the money comes from

• Key man coverage — what happens to revenue if the person who IS the business can't work

• Personal guarantees — the debt that follows you home, and your family, if you're not covered (this has caused so much stress)

• Disability and income protection — before 65, a long injury or illness is statistically more likely than death. Nobody plans for it. Run your own business and don't have it? You're wrecked.

• Succession and estate planning — what happens to the business, and your family, if you're not there

• Side agreements and handshake deals — if it's not documented, it doesn't exist. Ask me how I know.

• Banking relationships and credit lines — the money you set up before you need it, because when you need it, it's too late (You'd think I would have learned this the first 17 times)

• Separating personal and business finances — the boring one that blows everything else up if you skip it

Some of these I learned the hard way. A couple I got right by dumb luck. All of them I wish someone had put in front of me on day one.

Do this one thing before the next issue

I attached a free tool that walks through 11 of these exact questions: partners, buy-sell, key man, guarantees, succession… and shows you where your gaps are. It takes about 3 minutes.

Full transparency: it's from Ember, my insurance company. That's exactly why the recommendations in this series are going to be worth something; I'm not writing about this stuff as a spectator. This is some of the work I actually do now, largely because of everything above. From the companies I've started out of my own need to fulfill what I was missing, to the work I do with the foundation I Co-Founded, I have a real and authentic desire to help others do more with fewer failures by learning from my own experiences and those of others close to me.

Take the 3-minute Business Risk Audit →

Business Risk Audit

Count how many times you answer "not sure." That number is your homework.

Your turn

What's the thing that blindsided you? The clause you didn't have, the coverage you didn't know existed, the handshake that fell apart? Reply or leave a comment. I read every single one; and your story might become an issue in this series.

Still going. Always will be.

Talk soon,

Ryan

Not Quite There Yet Guy

CEO & Co-Founder, Knowledge Perk | Chair, Gravity Center Foundation | EO Charlotte

Hey y'all,

I know this was supposed to be bi-weekly. But I promised to keep this real and authentic and this one's been sitting on me, so I'm sending it while it's still fresh. (And yes, I got all of your responses from last time. I promise I'm going to write about every single one. I just needed to get this to you first.)

I'm going to tell you something I spent a long time pretending wasn't true.

Somewhere along the way, I got jaded by business.

For years I'd have told you it didn't bother me. That's what we do, right? Thick skin, keep moving, don't let them see it land. But if I'm being honest (the whole point of this newsletter) it bothered me a lot.

When we started Knowledge Perk, we had this huge rush of customers. People showed up, fell in love with the place, made it part of their routine. And over the years since, we've lost some of them. Dozens of core regulars. Hundreds of customers in general.

A lot of that is just business. Attrition is normal. New competition opens up. People move, habits change. I get all of that, and I made peace with it a long time ago.

What I never quite made peace with is the other kind.

The kind nobody warns you about

Some people don't leave over the coffee or the service. They leave because of something they think I said. Or did. Or some slight they perceived that I'm not even aware of.

We've had people decide I was homophobic or transphobic — never mind that some of our very best supervisors have been trans, that we openly and respectfully support people's right to live how they choose, and that two of my closest friends in this world are gay men I love dearly. None of that registers. But we hosted a worship night in our space a couple of times, so clearly I must be a hardcore extremist. People will build an entire version of you out of one data point and walk away from years of history without blinking.

I told myself that one didn't get to me either. Then last week, another customer left. Someone who'd been coming for years. Not over bad service, over a single decision I didn't make the way they wanted. And just like that, gone. Now posting about their new favorite local spot like five or six years of history never happened. Overnight.

And yes… I know it's just coffee. It's not a big deal, right? But time after time after time after time, you can't help but notice. And all those little ones quietly add up into a big hurt.

It's not the first time. And I'll be straight with you: it's frustrating, it's hurtful, and it's a part of running a business that nobody tells you about when you start. It's honestly one more reason I stepped away from social media for a while. Everything gets politicized, dramatized, taken to the furthest extreme when most things just call for a little rationality.

It's everyone's right to take their business wherever they want. But pulling support from a local place over a perceived slight from one person? That one still gets me.

"Too big for your britches"

Here's the other flavor of it.

I've been told lately that I don't do enough for the community. That I've gotten "too big for my britches" by growing the business beyond Rock Hill. As if scaling a company that now supports close to 80 jobs is something I should apologize for. (And for the record; nobody's getting rich off coffee. Trust me.)

Never mind that we do more now than we ever have. I just don't broadcast it through the company, and I post less on my own accounts these days. So the assumption is we must've gone quiet.

The truth: over the last eight years, my companies have given back (very literally) hundreds of thousands of dollars. Coffee donations, support, and time poured into the greater York County area, and Rock Hill specifically.

And it's not just the money. A lot of it is that people don't see me around the way they used to. For years I was at every event, on every board, in the middle of everything happening in Rock Hill. These days I'm rarely there and people have noticed.

But that's intentional. It's part of growth. The honest truth is that Rock Hill can't offer everything I need to keep building anymore, and stepping into bigger rooms is how I keep this thing moving forward. What stings is that instead of cheering that on, some folks would rather hold me back for daring to leave the nest.

Never mind that I still chair a foundation I helped create specifically to fill an entrepreneurial void right here…one that quietly helps dozens of business owners every single year.

And yeah. It stings that none of that seems to matter. That you can pour into a place for years and still get forgotten the second something shinier shows up.

Then it hit me

I was taking all of this way too personally.

I was internalizing something that, at the end of the day, doesn't actually say anything about me. Other people's choices — where they spend their money, who they support — are not a reflection of my character. They're not even a reflection of my company. It just is life.

Some people are rude and shortsighted. Some are selfish. Some will burn you flat regardless of every bit of loyalty that came before. That's real, and pretending otherwise doesn't help anybody.

But there are also incredible people who support you no matter what. People who get how genuinely hard it is to run a small business, and who show up anyway. I ran into a friend recently who, honestly, preached at me a little. She reminded me that what we do still matters. That it's still my job to keep giving to this community and to be honest with other business owners about the fact that I got jaded, that I've been hurt, and that I'm choosing not to live there anymore.

So that's the decision. I'm going to keep giving back quietly. Keep being a good human on purpose. Keep building something I believe will have a real impact, something people are proud to be part of.

Like Steven Bartlett puts it: you can only control your inputs. The outputs aren't your responsibility, and they aren't your business.

That's a tough one for me. I'm still working through it. But I'm starting to believe that other people's actions shouldn't have a thing to do with my intentions. So I'm going to keep moving forward, keep supporting, and keep being as much of an encouragement as I can; including by just being honest about how hard a lot of this actually is.

Your turn

If you run a business or pour yourself into anything where people can walk away without explanation, I want to hear from you.

What's the part of it nobody warned you about? Leave a comment or reply and tell me. I read every single one.

Still… not quite there yet.

Talk soon,

Ryan

Not Quite There Yet Guy

CEO & Co-Founder, Knowledge Perk | Chair, Gravity Center Foundation | EO Charlotte

First things first.

Thank you.

I started this newsletter not really knowing if anyone would care, and the response blew me away. The subscribes, the replies, the messages from people telling me they felt seen by something I wrote… I had no idea. I didn't know how many of you were quietly carrying the same things I write about.

A bunch of you sent recommendations on what to write about next, and I promise I'll get to all of them. But this one's gotta be about today.

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there.

I love being a dad. More than anything. It's the best thing I've ever done and the thing I'm most proud of.

And I'm going to be honest with you, because that's the whole point of this thing… it's also the hardest.

Being a single dad on 50/50 custody is hard. Being a full-time entrepreneur on top of that makes it harder. Having a gorgeous, strong-willed 10-year-old daughter? Hard. Having a son on the autism spectrum who just became a teenager?

Whoa.

As Jaxon gets older and the hormones hit, he's been struggling in new ways, which means I've been struggling right alongside him.

Last week he had a meltdown in public. A real one. It was brutal, and it lasted over an hour.

And I'll tell you exactly where my head went, because I think a lot of dads will recognize it. I was embarrassed. Then I felt guilty for being embarrassed. I was frustrated. I was upset. I was anxious. Part of me wanted to yell which wouldn't have helped anybody. Part of me just wanted him to calm down, and if I'm being real, that part was selfish. I didn't want to deal with the scene. I didn't want the eyes.

And then it hit me.

Who cares.

Who cares if strangers think he's "throwing a tantrum." (Was there some of that? Sure. But it's a lot more complicated than that.) Who cares if people don't understand what they're looking at.

My goal used to be to look perfect, to make it seem like I had it all together. As I've matured, that's gone out the window. It's not to perform a perfect family with perfect kids. My goal is to be a dad; the best one I'm capable of being. My job is to help him through the rough patches. To support him when he's struggling and stemming, and to still parent him when he's just being a moody teenager.

Here's the thing about me trying to figure this out. My own dad left when I was young, and the example he set was a bad one. But I got lucky! I had a grandfather and a stepdad who stepped up to the plate when they didn't have to, and showed me what a good man and a present father actually looks like. I carry that with me every single day.

And still… even with those examples burned into me, I get lost sometimes. Times have changed. There's more noise now than there's ever been, more pulling at us from every direction. The men who raised me right didn't have to parent through all of this. So even standing on the shoulders of good men, I find myself unsure of the next move.

Like most dads, I don't always know the right move. But I do know that worrying about what everyone else thinks isn't it. Shut out the noise and do the best you can.

It's the same reason I took the socials off my phone. The same reason I block my calendar. The same reason I shrunk my circle of friends. None of that was about pulling away from the world… it was about getting clear on what actually matters and putting it first.

I still struggle as a dad. Same as I struggle in every other part of my life. But I'm slowly figuring it out, just like everyone else. And it starts the same way every time: by ignoring what the world around you says, and focusing in on what's actually important to you.

In that moment, what was important was simple. Just being the best dad I know how to be to Jaxon and Jasyn.

I'm sharing this for one reason; to be an encouragement to the dads out there carrying their own version of last week. We are never going to have all the answers. But we can support each other. We can be encouraged by other dads still pushing forward for the right reasons.

So let me ask you, and I actually want to hear it:

What's an area you've struggled in as a dad or a major win you've had? Leave a comment or reply and tell me. I read every one.

Happy Father's Day, gentlemen.

We're still figuring it out.

Still… not quite there yet.

— Ryan

Hey y'all,

Welcome to Still Going — the newsletter I probably should have started two years ago.

If you're getting this, you either signed up on your own (thank you), or someone who knows you thought you'd get something out of it (thank you to them too). Either way… you're here. So am I. Let's go.

Why "Still Going"?

Because that's the most honest thing I can say about where I am.

Not "I figured it out." Not "I've arrived." Not "here are my 7 steps to success." Just… still going. Still building. Still failing forward. Still waking up every morning choosing to keep climbing even when the top still feels far away.

That's what this newsletter is. A front-row seat to the real thing. No highlight reel. No performance. Just whatever I'm actually living through, and anything I pick up along the way that might be worth passing on to you.

Some weeks it'll be about entrepreneurship. Some weeks fatherhood. Some weeks raising capital, protecting your business, or navigating something I had absolutely no idea how to handle. Some weeks it'll just be something I saw or felt that I think you need to hear.

Where I've been

You may have noticed I went quiet on social media for a while. Over two months, actually.

No announcement. I just deleted the apps off my phone one day and kept living. And honestly forgot to put them back.

In that time I stood at the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland (and tested every Irish coffee I could get my hands on; in the name of research, obviously). I made multiple trips to California. I watched one of my best friends get engaged. I had some personal milestones that reminded me what being fully present actually feels like. I did spring break with my kids (Carowinds, Crowders Mountain, picnics) and now somehow it's already summer.

The best part? I barely took any pictures. I just lived.

And the freedom from not having social media drama on my phone every single day? Holy smokes. I didn't realize how much noise I had been carrying until I put it down.

I'm back now. But not like before.

I won't be posting just to post. Only when something actually matters. Only when I think it might help someone. That's the standard I'm holding myself to — and this newsletter is part of that.

One thing I learned while I was gone

Presence is a choice you make every single day. And most of us (including me) are choosing badly without even realizing it.

When I was at the Cliffs of Moher, there were probably 200 people standing at the same overlook. Beautiful, dramatic, jaw-dropping scenery. And I'd say at least half of them spent more time looking at their phone screens than looking at the actual cliffs.

I get it. I've done it. But standing there watching it happen from the outside was something else entirely.

The version of a moment you capture is never as good as the version you actually felt. The post you write about the experience is never as alive as the experience itself.

I think about this with my kids too. With the people in my life. With the conversations that matter.

Are you actually there? Or are you there-ish?

I'm choosing actually there. Starting now.

What I need from you

This newsletter only works if it actually helps you. So before I get too far into planning out future issues, I want to know; what do you want?

Leave a comment or reply and tell me. Seriously. I read every one.

A few prompts if you need them:

• What's the hardest part of your entrepreneurial journey right now?

• What business topic do you wish someone would just be honest about?

• What's something you're carrying that you haven't told many people?

• What would make this newsletter worth opening every week?

No wrong answers. I'm genuinely asking.

Coming up in future issues:

• How I actually think about raising capital (and what I wish someone had told me before I raised my first dollar)

• The $120 bet that turned into $900K — and what it really taught me about relationships

• Why I almost quit entrepreneurship three times — and what kept me going

• Fatherhood, business, and the impossible balancing act nobody talks about honestly

• Business protection basics that most entrepreneurs skip until it's too late

Still going. Always will be.

Talk soon,

Ryan

Not Quite There Yet Guy

CEO & Co-Founder, Knowledge Perk | Chair, Gravity Center Foundation | EO Charlotte