Inspiring Journey of Ryan Holtz From Rock Bottom To Rising To the Top

Pamela Bardhi
Hello everyone and welcome to another episode of underdog today. I have an amazing guest here with me today. Ryan Holtz, Ryan. How are you?

Ryan Holtz
I’m excellent, I’m here for you, I’m great.

Pamela Bardhi
Such a pleasure to meet you, My friend. I’m just honored. You know, I’m honored, I love your energy. And like I just can’t wait to hear your story and what you’re all about?

Ryan Holtz
Well, I am big on energy and I feel that you can always transfer energy. No matter where it is. And I am a huge proponent with this whole COVID thing. Since March of last year, I tell people all the time, I’m like. Listen. Because you’re not in somebody’s physical presence, does not mean you cannot transfer energy. I can transfer energy through a text message. Depending on the emojis or exclamation marks, I can transfer energy through this camera right now talking to you. The energy you show up with is the energy that you’ll be remembered for. And people need to really understand that.

Pamela Bardhi
I love that. And I’ve read up all about you and I’m just like blown away at your. So I guess the first question for you would be. What led you on your journey? To get to where you are today’s loaded question. I know we can answer.

Ryan Holtz
It is pain, suffering, and desperation. That is the answer, you know. I grew up very humble beginnings, I was raised by a single mom. My mom passed away at 13, I talked a lot about that on my podcast. Because I really came to grips with that. It’s a traumatic instance, because when you don’t have mom and dad and you lose your mom. Which is representative of both my parents, you don’t have parents. And when you’re 13 years old, I don’t know Pam. If you remember when you’re 30, you don’t know what the hell you’re doing. You don’t know yourself at all, you’re going through hormones, you’re hitting puberty.

I feel like and I am a dad now and I can say this, I’m like I have. You know, my 21-month-old daughter is Italian. My four-year-old king and I call Talia, my little Queen and Dijon is my little King. And they need you, they need mom and dad, they need their parents. But I think even as they get older, it goes from let’s change diapers all the time to dad. I want a relationship here, I want to talk to you, I want to feel you, I want to give you ideas, I want your perspective. And that’s where having that parent-child relationship is so huge. So for me, my mom was great. The 13 years I had her. She literally poured into my cup every day, how great I was.

How great I was gonna be and I think about it. I’m like she did a wonderful job raising me In the short time that she had. And it’s stuff that I still take in everything I do to this day. The picture on my wall there. That’s my mom when she was a little girl and this is called mayIm enough wall. And it’s a wall that represents little things for me, that has always been just if you have any kind of self-doubt. Or anything like that, keep going. Just keep going. So yeah, it started out and my mom later on in her life, kind of developed a huge mental illness. But my mom’s biggest weakness was letting everybody step all over her.

And we still think to this day, my mom died of a heart attack at the age of 42 years old, which is so young. A doctor even said I’ll give my medical opinion. But I think stress just ate her up to a degree and I tell people all the time, I’m like set boundaries. Do not let everybody take from your glass. Because how are you going to pour into others if you are no good, you are of no service to any other people. So that’s kind of my trajectory in it, again, in terms of monetary material. I didn’t grow up with much but in terms of love, guidance, and care, I grew up very wealthy and I love my mom for that.

But that being said, I was left with nothing and I had to make a life and I literally feel like my story is somewhat of an immigrant story.
Even though I was born in North America, because when I talked to some of my friends. They are from other countries and heard about their grandpa’s and families. And coming over to dollars and the boats and all these things I like it. Why didn’t come over on a boat but I mean, I couldn’t even get on a boat here. Like it was a weird feeling to feel like you’re almost growing up in a third-world country. But you’re in a first-world country and It’s just that disparity.

So to answer your question, yeah, it’s a loaded question, so it’s a long answer. But the motivation was, I want to create a good life. I want to give myself Everything, I didn’t have and I want to give my kids everything I didn’t have on a monetary basis. But what I’ve uncovered and I built a great life now In terms of monetary and material. I got home and everything I could ever want is, it’s kind of funny, but I’m gonna say this. It all means shit, I don’t even care about it.

Like it’s funny because you work your life you’re like, I want to buy this. I want to get all this stuff and then, that motivation once you get it, it’s gone. And then, you start digging deep inside yourself and you’re like, this is all just materialistic. What kind of impact do you want to have? And for me, my definition of true success is personal mastery that impacts the masses. That’s what we’re going for now. So that’s your answer.

Pamela Bardhi
I love it. Oh, my God. You mentioned so many things that have questions on it. I’m sorry to hear about your mom with that. And the reason I’m asking this is because I just never know who’s going through who’s listening right was a loss of a parent, how at that age. Were you able to say overcompensation is really not overcoming? How did you cope with it and move forward?

Ryan Holtz
I think for me, basically, there are a lot of people out there in my situation. And it’s really interesting because I would say up until about maybe 2021 years old. Like you could not get me to talk about that situation with my mom and I didn’t even realize. How deep I packed It away that you see a football helmet over here. 13 years old, right after my mom passed away. By the grace of God, I think, I was like grade seven, eight. And I’m sitting in class and I was a big basketball player back then. This one of my friends came in. I’ll never forget his name was Dylan.

I need to give that guy a shout-out one day too and find out where the hell he is. Because I don’t know where the hell Dylan is. But shout out to Dylan because he helped me. He said, Ryan, there’s a trial for a football team. I said, Hey, man, I don’t, I said, I don’t want to get it. And I was always like, kind of a metrosexual, I don’t want to, I want to get hurt. Like I don’t want to, I don’t want to mess all this pretty face up.

I don’t want to get any scratches or bruises. What the heck, man? Well, I want to go to basketball. I want to sweat and I want to put on my nice sneakers after and roll out and then, that’s it? And he says no. All right, I think you should really come check out. Just come, I told my coaches about you and I thought, I don’t know how it works in the States. But in Canada, you don’t have a football program at that grade. So basically, you’re playing on like a club team, so I went out and the guy was like. Well, here’s the ball and run. I’ll never forget it.

It was the most liberating thing because I didn’t know what I was doing. I realized how mad I was, I took the ball and I ran as a running back and I ran the quarterback snaps the ball. He brings the ball back to me, I run through the line standing straight up. When everybody who’s listened to your show. If they’ve ever played football or their football fans if you run through a line of scrimmage standing up. You’re going to get killed, I didn’t care. So I knew at that time, I’m like, you’re so pissed that you just took this ball and ran through a bunch of guys and I still have the game tape. It looks like I was running.

And I was just running through. It looks so aggressive and so careless and the guy comes over, he says Ryan, me like. If you keep doing that you’re gonna get hurt and I think, I just said like. I don’t care, I’m just so pissed off, I just want to break heads right now. And that was the beginning of my football journey. So how did I cope off the hop was I immediately got into a program. That allowed me to take on my frustration in a legal and direct way. I got to go every day, five days a week, and break kids and take out complete mass aggression.

And It turned out pretty good for me that by the time. I was done football practice, I was hurt and I was too damn tired to even Rowley get upset. It was a form of therapy and I don’t think, I realized that at that time. But obviously, as you grow and mature. You realize this was something that saved your bacon, so much so that. I went all the way to university and played very well, I was thinking about playing Semi-Pro here in Canada. Started my first business but I go into schools pre COVID. And I have a talk that’s called resiliency and I talk a lot. So I’ll go into a grade 789 10 1112 school and I’ll talk about football.

But what I lead with is, I don’t care if you play football, but if you’re going through some traumatic stuff. Whether you were abused, whether your home life is terrible, whether you’re dealing with death. Find your football. Whether that’s painting, whether that’s playing an instrument, whether that’s playing a sport, whether that’s, just something. That is going to take you and just somewhat give you some guidance. Find a healthy escape, is what it really is. Now, as we know, a lot of people don’t find a healthy escape, they find a terrible escape. That leads to more problems and more issues. Kind of how I coped and then, I think my mom had always raised me very independently and she was a banker.

In the height of her career and so, she was actually sent to the bank with these handwritten notes, back then. I think I was like 1112 years old, I would start cashing checks. So she gave me a check. She gave me a handwritten note. And back then, I didn’t know how old you were, Pam, I’m 36. But back then you could actually do that with your kids. Now, you’d be like, no. You’re the bank is going to be calling the Child Protective Services. This is not appropriate for a child to walk into a bank and cash a check. And then, I think about it because people ask me, hey, did your mom ever think. What you would do when you grew up?

The show you say two things. She’s like, you’re either going to be a performer, a lawyer, or a business owner. And that was and she just was like, No, that’s, that’s my son. That’s my boy and she just said, Man. Go be the king that I made you be. And she named me Ryan because Ryan means little prince. So she said, Well, you know. You’re gonna grow into a king, so you know, I love my story. It is heartfelt, but I learned that people should share their story. Because I cannot tell you how many messages I get when people hear my story.

And they say, Man, Ryan. I’m going through this or I went through that or you shared your story. So it made me feel comfortable enough. To share a little bit of mine, so many people are going through something. That I just say man, don’t, don’t bury it, it will not do good. When you bury it, you get to share it, even if. It’s just for your own selfish reasons of getting it off your chest.

Pamela Bardhi
Absolutely. Wow, thank you so much for sharing that. And I agree with you like you got to have those outlets. Because if you don’t worse, like. You’re human, right, you have stress, you have all these. And that goes for anything really like, you need to have an outlet that helps you. I will say you’re going to exclude that from your system. Because then like you said, you can turn to all different kinds of things. If you allow yourself to if you don’t if you’re not intentional about how you do it.

Ryan Holtz
You have to have emotional nutrition, It’s like. An emotional nutritional hack is every day. To wake up and see three things that you’re grateful for. It’s automatically going to change your whole mindset. People have to understand that you got biohacking. And emotional hacking and spiritual hacking and food hacking and all these things. Your life is very comprised of so many different things. That you have to be extremely self-aware and really learn yourself. When you learn yourself, I mean, man, you become a power, a beast.

I’m all about the beast of and it’s interesting. Because the more you learn about yourself, the more you understand how much. You don’t know about yourself. So I don’t think the beauty of life is you’re never going to get this 100% answer, you know. You’re going to consistently persistently uncover new things about yourself. And when you uncover new things about yourself. You’re now uncovering things about others and then, your whole world experience is going to be that much different.

Pamela Bardhi
Absolutely agree and the crazy thing is, too is like you’re always evolving. So when you figured it out? And then, it morphs again and you’re like, that’s happened to me twice in my life before. That’s why you got it.

Ryan Holtz
Yeah. And I mean, I’m on your show right now. Because there’s a good energy about you and there’s something. That you’re doing with your little Rhino tips and in your set. What do you call your Saturdays, what’s the Saturday thing

Pamela Bardhi
Saucy Saturdays?

Ryan Holtz
Yeah, you got the saucy Saturdays and you’re showing up and you’re doing. You’re doing a different vibe and you’ve invested in your brand, your LinkedIn. You got your little cover, you got your header photo. You’re just you’re, you’re invested in your brand. You know, you got the red, you got your rolling with the red, you know. We talked about the whole Albanian thing and the barstool sports. And, I mean, I remember certain things about people. Because they’re the people that really stand out.

So if people are surprised, when I remember little details, like wow, like you. Cuz I think a lot of people just talk on the phone. They send direct messages all the time and I do it too. And I’m like, I know, I’m never gonna talk to this person again. You we’re never gonna, we’re never gonna be homeys like, we’re never gonna. Why am I even taping this right now? Like, what am I like, this is, you know, this is social media. And I think that you know. For every 50 interactions you have, if you can maybe find one that’s nutritional. Then it’s worth it.

Pamela Bardhi
Oh, 100%. And remember, I’ll never forget when I got the audio message from you, I’m like, Yes. Whoa. It’s so personable and I was like and that’s where you really were. When you were talking about transferring energy. I really felt that and I was like, Wow. Really outstanding and like just showing up. It’s Ryan, I’m like, I want to get to know this guy. He’s so awesome.

Ryan Holtz
And I encourage people, because this is what I like about the internet. Because we know on the internet, there’s a lot of people posting a lot of stuff that’s just not true. This is even who they are in real life, because prior to COVI. When we would actually sit down and do meetings and go out for lunches and that would be a form of networking. I always say not working, because people are like you want to go for lunch. I’m like this is going to be an hour. My name is to get there 20 minutes back, like. What do you want to do for lunch? Because I’m a time person, I’m like, I want to be as efficient as possible.

And it’s so funny because he will say, Why do you really want to be efficient? I said I want to be as efficient as possible in business in my day. So I have more time to spend with my kids and my family. It all comes back to wanting to be as efficient, as possible professionally. So that I can invest all my time personally, so I think with the voice messages and people who are listening to this. And your audience and social media, that I love video. Because I feel like it’s hard for somebody to BS on video. Like when you’re hearing somebody talk and you’re seeing their hand gestures and their emotions.

I just know that when I meet them in person. There’s definitely going to be some authenticity and some carryover there. Because it’s hard to fake video, right? And when you send if you get on somebody’s grid or something. Or social and you’re like, man, I really liked that person and you’re talking. When you hear a voice message, man, I mean. There’s so much energy packed into a voice and tonality that you’re like, oh, wow, like. Not only in what I’m seeing I like or I’m gravitating to. But this is actually this person like I can hear it in their voice.

Pamela Bardhi
That I was like, Well. I didn’t even know audio messages existed on LinkedIn. Until you sent me one. And I was like, Oh my god, I need to do this. I’m like, why but.

Ryan Holtz
My messages are 90% audio. I’m not even kidding you and when you’re prospecting. Or maybe you want to get a new opportunity or business development or you’re trying to get a guest. I cannot tell people all the time even a podcast hack, you know. You want to get a big guest on. Yo man get in front of your mic and say, Hey. This is why you should be on my frickin podcast. Listen. I’ve seen you do podcasts that are way smaller than mine with no vibe.

So here’s why. Why do you want to come on my.bar? Like we have Barney coming on from K Swiss. He’s the president of K Swiss. I say Yo, Bernie, he’s I sent him a text, he seen it. The seen you know, when somebody seens. When they don’t reply on the video, I said, yo, Barney, I know, you seen my message. But brother you need to come on my podcast. And he actually replied back to me. He was like, that was so awesome. Like, I’m coming on the show. That was actually called me out on video.

And you said, you actually straight up went to the scene, like you know, and it’s hard. Because if you don’t respond to that, I’m sorry. You’re kind of an asshole. As somebody is videoing you and audio of you. I mean, come on, man, Alicia says no, I’m not interested. But you can’t just be if somebody shoots me a video, I’m like, come on, like. You gotta say something back. Like, it’s just the fact that they did a video like, um, you know, I gotta give them some respect, put some respect on my name.

Pamela Bardhi
I love it so much, I love your authenticity or your ability to just go out there. And I can see where it stems from a lot. It seems like your mom instilled a lot of affirmations in you, at a very young age. And that’s exactly what my father did want me to, like. You’re going to be a leader, he’s like, you will never, he’s like, repeat after me. You will never depend on any man in your whole life.

He’s gonna be depending on the kind of stuff my dad was saying. And I didn’t realize how it really shaped me. Because when I was about 13 and whatever, I’m like. My dad’s trusting me with all these things and I’m going out there and I’m confident and all that stuff. So like that parent talk and those really are strong affirmations, so I just find it beautiful that it’s been instilled in us.

Ryan Holtz
You know what the word that is the one and I hate to say this word. Because it’s kind of overused and overplayed over-index, but it’s empowerment. When your dad empowers you. The very core of empowerment means to instill power into somebody. To make them feel like, you could walk this path alone and you’re still gonna be good, that is a gift that you cannot buy. It’s amazing because, and to speak to. That what’s really funny is this. When we look at our podcast, our podcast has done very well.

One of the top podcasts, we’ve brought on all kinds of people, it does incredibly well. However when we look at the audience, I’m 70% female, I got 70% female listeners. Between the ages of 35 and 49 that are, professionally employed or looking to. Maybe start their own business and I think about it and I’m like. But Ryan, you are heavy. Even if I look at my social media, look at engagement, direct messages. I mean, it’s got to be 70 80% females that are actually engaging with me, and the reason I think that Is when I used to play football back in the day. All my friends were always females.

And I was raised by a woman, I am so comfortable talking about shoes and eyebrows, and are you threading? Are you waxing, are you plucking? I would legit use face masks when I was 14 years old. What 14-year-old guy do you know? That’s up in the freaking like skincare aisle? Getting really biological about that shit? Like really scientific like that’s gonna clean the pores, okay, wait sec nighttime, wait a sec Can you the morning, okay Wait a sec should you dab? Okay never blocked around okay wait whoa, I mean getting so like. Pete like I still do everything right. You have the most incredible skin? I do my hands feel like baby, like babies butts.

They’re so, soft. Right? So when I talk to a female guest I just always have been comfortable with females. And I remember my dating days prior to being married and my wife is Egyptian Lebanese, so she is Middle Eastern. I remember all my friends were like, yo, Ryan. How are you? Like, how are you always talking to this girl or girls coming to you, I said, Listen, man. There’s a rule to the game. First of all, there’s levels to the game. Number one, nobody ever wants to go to the door. If the doors come at you all the time and just bang.

There’s no attraction to that. It’s the door that you’re like. What the hell is that door over there? Wait, what? Okay, let’s be kind of open, kind of closed. Right? And when you talk to females and you talk to people in general. The whole premise of everything. Is there a human being? There’s no magic. So when you talk and then, you listen, and then you’re actively engaged. And you actively show support and you actively show you’re interested? Well, there’s no brainer.

Somebody is gonna gravitate to that. Because you’re putting energy into that. Right and I always like to ask people, does Versace come to you and say buy my shit. Versace even sent you an email saying, buy my shit. No. Versace sits there in the most expensive real estate all over. Wherever they’re situated and says, your doors are closed. And this is our sign and we’re going to show you four products in our whole store. If you even have to ask how much it is you probably shouldn’t be here.

Pamela Bardhi
Yep. Amen.

Ryan Holtz
Right. And so you have to decide in life. Do you want to be Versace? Or do you want to be Walmart? Because there’s a very, very different type of thing. Kevin O’Leary Shark Tank comes on the show. He says Ryan, I became who I am because of a very humiliating moment, he says, Listen. I had this job at an ice cream place and I go to my boss. It’s coming to the end of the shift and then. My boss’s waist, like before you leave, I need you to clean that shit up off the floor.

I need you to clean that gum, that’s all smeared all over the floor. And do it now or you’re fired and he said, that was the most humiliating moment. Because first of all, I didn’t understand how much power I gave to somebody else over my life. And he said, Ryan from that day forward, this is his own words, quote, unquote. He says, there’s two people in this life. Two types of people, one’s gonna own the store and one’s gonna clean the shit off the floor. You just have to decide which one you want to be.

Pamela Bardhi
Wow.

Ryan Holtz
Wow. Right.

Pamela Bardhi
The truth though?

Ryan Holtz
Isn’t that the truth? And by no means did Versace or anything. Like I’m not saying you’re going to become Versace overnight. Because when we study some of the largest brands or some of the biggest and wealthiest people. They were broken as a joke for a lot of their life. But you know what the difference was? They would not budge on their value, they would not budge, they said this is me. This is what I’m worth. Okay. You don’t think so? That’s not your job to determine how much I’m worth. I’m worth this next-door neighbor. Bye-bye. Yummy knows they said many times they’re like, you know, they didn’t take the check. And it’s the famous saying that they pay you a salary to forget your dreams.

Pamela Bardhi
Mm-hmm.

Ryan Holtz
I could keep going Pam I could keep going. I’m passionate about life and this stuff because it’s true.

Pamela Bardhi
It really is though it really is. I mean, entrepreneurship is the way. My father came to the United States and he built his relationship with his mentor. And the first thing he said to the way you build wealth in America is this, A- you own real estate? B- your business owner. There are no other options I mean that, of course, they’re stuck it’s true but those are you know.

Ryan Holtz
It’s so funny Pam is here for Nicole Pamela or Pam because I’m confused about this.

Pamela Bardhi
The end is what

Ryan Holtz
What does everybody call you? Because you refer to yourself as Pam though, right?

Pamela Bardhi
Damn, I have so many nicknames.

Ryan Holtz
Call me what you want. Just don’t call me late for dinner.

Pamela Bardhi
But now in college, my DJ name was Pammy B. So, anyone who knows Yeah, I hear the name Pammy B. I know there.

Ryan Holtz
C’mon, look at that controller back there. Dj SB three. Come on now, slider. That’s a DJ controller, that’s the controller right there. Oh my god. I’m DJ for years. This is the controller that DJ Jazzy draft, Jeff made the button. Where you can just do the scratch every year is DJs. Like, that’s a piece of crap controller. So I kind of put it up there as funny, because they’re like, that’s not you don’t have to do anything. You just have to press buttons.

Pamela Bardhi
I had the same thing. Don’t worry, mind. We’re not that. Not that advanced, I just started in college. Because I was like, I can’t stand the music that’s being played. I just want to throw my own parties. And that’s what I did, I just found a controller and just rolled.

Ryan Holtz
Here’s the thing about entrepreneurship. We don’t mind picking shit up off the floor as long as we own the floor. Right? Shit, I’m saying cuz entrepreneurs, all you’re doing all day long is picking up shit. I mean, see, here’s the funny thing though. This is because it’s true, right? Kevin O’Leary says, Hey, man, I’m working for somebody else. I’m not picking that shit up off the floor. But if he owned my ice cream shop, he’d be picking up that shit off the floor in two seconds. With no hesitation, no hesitation. So it’s not that it’s a pride thing. Because sometimes people hear that statement like, oh, man, it’s kind of arrogant.

No, it’s not arrogant. And I don’t care that you’re too fucking sensitive to hear the truth. Go be with your friends that say yes. All the time. See how far you get in life. To be with them at the same fucking level. 10 years later, anyway it doesn’t matter, you need tough love. Right? You need to know what’s right? Not I mean, not everybody loves me. In fact, I know that if 10 people meet me five will hate me and five will love me. But here’s what I love about it. They all remember me to come into a room and not be remembered is tragic. 7 billion people and we only know like, I don’t know how many names, right? I love this stuff.

I think this is great, I hope your listeners are listening to this right now. Wherever you’re at in your life, man, this is a beautiful time to be living. This is a beautiful time. There is no set way, you don’t have to go to school and do something that you don’t want to do. You don’t have to go to university to become successful. That is a proven statistic, you have to work, you have to show up and you have to dig deep inside yourself and ask. Who are you and who do you want to be? And success has nothing to do with money. That is the one thing I will say upfront. Nothing to do with money.

Pamela Bardhi
I 100% agree my biggest quote is this hustle out beats talent every day of the week.

Ryan Holtz
Always man always right. And I think many people equate success to money. I’m like, Oh, are you happy? If you’re happy, keep doing what you’re doing?

Pamela Bardhi
Because at the end of the day, you can’t take it with you, right?

Ryan Holtz
No, and people don’t have to work at a job. Like people don’t have to be an entrepreneur, like this whole entrepreneur thing and start a business. No, you don’t have to, not everybody’s supposed to start a business and there’s being an employee or a team member, you can become very wealthy, making, being an employee, right? You can use that job to get your credit straight and go buy real estate.

Go buy real estate, because you know, if you’re a bank and you see a business owner. We have to go through a much harder wringer to get any money from a bank as a business owner. Whereas when you got that paycheck, they’re like, well, you got consistent income. And I always tell the banker I’m like, yeah, that’s not consistent income. It’s called rented income. Meaning you don’t own your job. If your company says tomorrow, hey, we’re reformatting. Take care. Bye. Bye. You’re done. Right. So like, it’s perceived stability, perceived.

Pamela Bardhi
Perceived? I agree with that, I agree with that completely. And like I had another question for you regarding your story. So when you were in football. How did your trajectory happen? Sort of after that? What was your life like after football?

Ryan Holtz
So when I played football, originally I wanted to be a psychiatrist. I’ve always been fascinated with the mind with the human brain. So I read lots of books, even though we don’t even know what we’re doing. It’s the subconscious that plays into the mind so much. If you can work the human brain. You can work anything in life, right? And you sit back and you listen. However, when I was playing football, I kind of said it’s kind of weird. Because I was very good at it, I made a great name in football. I don’t know if I ever went down the path of all, I ever want to be a football player, though.

It was really interesting. Because while I was playing football, I also was in a band, I played the saxophone. So I was in a band, so I’d actually leave football prices hilarious. I go from playing like the saxophone and then put on the football helmet. And when I look at the trajectory of myself, I never ever was comfortable just doing one thing. I always had so many different things about me that I’m like, I wouldn’t feel good exploring one thing if I didn’t know, I was exploring the other. Which is very interesting and I didn’t realise that at the time.

But it was always kind of like that, even to this day. It’s the one thing you’ll never catch me saying on a professional front, like. I’m happy and I’m great. Like, I’m good. It’s always like, well, that I try that, like, I just don’t know, I feel like I want the full expression. And I don’t know that I’ll ever feel like, Is it like this? Is it? This is the thing. I think there’s many things and I think it depends on the stage of life, you’re out. But once I was done with football, early 20s 2223, I kind of decided. And I thought, because when I went down to California from Canada, I said, Well. If I can’t make an NFL team, this is not worth the money.

They’re paying me for the abuse that’s happening to my body. So I came back to Canada and I thought, well, I could play CFL. But these guys aren’t making any money. Like they gotta make their stuff to have a second job and I’m like. What are you gonna bang up your body, but at that time, I started kind of navigating the business world? And I actually was an insurance broker for a little bit and it was my first job. I thought I was just the man because I’m like, I got a business card, like 22 kinds of business cards. It was interesting because I started looking at the owner of the brokerage.

And I just started, I was in that guy’s office, he was like, Man. You’re always in my office, you’re always asking questions, and you’re just like, observing everything. I knew I’m like, yeah, cuz I’m trying to figure out like, this guy’s doing stuff differently. Right? You know? And I’m like. What is he doing? I’m sitting at this desk and he’s kind of like, yeah, I’m just gonna go for lunch. He’s having his wife and dog come in and he doesn’t look like he’s stressed out. Like, he looks like he’s got his life setup, the way he kind of wants it. Meanwhile I’m getting like a 30 minute lunch and 215 minute breaks and I’m like. So what’s the difference between school, now I’m paying somebody.

Somebody pays me and calls me on basically, I have to say, Daddy, Mommy, this is a really weird feeling. But there’s a guy that came in as a client. And another thing, people listening to this right now. Use your current situation to maximize for other situations that might come. So I don’t care if anybody’s out there enough, you’re in a job. Figure out how they manage it, figure out the systems they use, figure out how the company came into fruition. And figure out the pitfalls of the customers coming in. Hear their complaints, understand what they love, understand what they don’t like, and be a sponge. Because there is an opportunity.

Where you’re sitting that you’re not even seeing, trust me on that when I tell you that. So work the insurance broker job for like, one year, write so much business. Be so happy and sit down for a year and review. I’m like, Man, I’m gonna have such a great race. Now, at that time, I was making like, $31,000 a year and I was like. Then do the review and all of a sudden, $2,000 He’s like, Listen, I’m so happy. I’m gonna bump up your raise to $33,000, I was like, whoa, wait a sec. How many years would it take me to even crack 50 grand, I’m like. This is not gonna work out for me.

I opened up my first company called que digital design and it started out as a website design company. That actually fruition into a video production company. So when you see my videos online and stuff like that. I’m still to this point, I still edit all my stuff and I’ll get to why I do that still. But the video production company, I learned how-to video at it. And I started doing health and safety videos for oil companies here. So at this time, where I’m situated in Canada. It’s kind of like Texas or Canada where oil is rapid, so I figured out that there was a gap in the market. Where they were inserting the rigs and the oil into the ground.

They wanted to start documenting on video. So, when it came time to get permits from the government. They said that our health and safety program is absolutely incredible, airtight. Play tape eight, Ryan, boom, coming in, going out. And I found a great niche, so I built that business, I left the insurance broker job. Because it got to the point where I think one day I was taking a call and I was sitting in the bathroom in the stall. Then my boss came and I didn’t realize. My boss was there and he’s taken like a piss next door. I’m in full-fledged negotiation business mode.

And he heard that, so when I got back to my desk he’s like Ryan. Was that a call for our clients? I managed to pull it off for a few months and then, that was when I was gone and I built that business. I am 24 years old and technically started, I incorporated on August 8, 2008. That’s when I started so oh 808 Cuz I thought it was really good luck, I still got my articles of incorporation for my business.

I sold it three years later 2728 and fumbling my thumbs and said, Hey, what should I? What should I do now? You know, like, what am I doing now and then, I took this job in a little car dealership. And within a month, featured alongside Barack Obama. When he was doing his campaign through Twitter. I only worked that job for eight months and then, I got all this publication and media attention. And then I left and I opened up my own company that I’m doing now and the rest is history.

Pamela Bardhi
Amazing, I absolutely love that. I love your trajectory and your different experiences that sort of led to

Ryan Holtz
Huge.

Ryan Biggest Aha Moment in His Business

Pamela Bardhi
That’s incredible. And what has been like your biggest aha moment in your business?

Ryan Holtz
That I will always be the brand that people are, they’re not coming for. They’re not necessarily coming for your offering, they’re really coming for you like, and yes. When you start building a big business and you have employees and stuff like that definitely you can scale that. I think though, right now, I think even with COVID, too. It feels like people are really wanting to know. What’s behind the logo? And the one question you only have that. This is the biggest question you have to answer. And if you can answer this question, as a business owner, you’ll do fine.

But if you lead your whole business and your marketing and all your initiatives with this one question. It’s gonna change your life. What’s in it for them? And when you center everything around that one question. You know, you’re a content creator. Why should I listen to your podcast? If you’re not upfront telling me. What’s in it for me? I’m not listening to your shit. They’re not gonna listen to my shit. Hey, this is Ryan Holtz show and today Ryan is going to talk about why Ryan is great. And Ryan is Ryan Ryan, Ryan story brand 101. Like, you have to invite them. You cannot be the hero of your own story and expect to attract other heroes. Because they’re like, well, you’re the hero.

I’m the hero. I need somebody who can be the hero, right? So you have to always serve the answer of what’s in it for them, through your content. You’re doing that Saucy Saturdays, here’s a renovation tip. You know, Hey, man, you need ventilation going out there. Things might not happen. Bad things might happen if that’s not there, right? So you’re leading with what’s in it for them. And your tonality is huge. Like, when you say things like me, like. If your first word is for me? It’s not good. But can you imagine when you say something like, just imagine?

So your listeners are listening to this right now. And everybody is listening to this show right now. Just imagine you’re walking down the street and man this one thing happens. And you think your listeners are like, whoa, whoa, wait a sec. Whoa, what? Okay, like you’re bringing them into the story. You’re getting them curious, so it’s like. When you release a podcast episode, like right off the hop. What’s in it for them? By listening to this, you can or you can or five things you will.

Pamela Bardhi
I love that it’s very important distinction for Sherrie. Because it’s for them and plus like that’s where the logs are supposedly kicked in. When you’re giving the universe will always give back to you in some special. So many different things. But if you’re out there just like given that love and continuing that it’s amazing. And I think I read somewhere in your story too. You were in real estate investments for a little bit too right?

Ryan Holtz
I’m still doing it, I’m in my home in BC right now. I have two homes, so one is in one province and then I have rentals. I got Airbnb ease, I don’t talk about real estate too much at all, I did my first flip when I was 18 years old.

Pamela Bardhi
That’s what I read. Fascinating to me because I always preach the whole thing about what you just said. What’s in it for them? diversify your revenue streams my friends like. You got it?

Ryan Holtz
Yes, It is the key when you talk about real estate. Real estate is like a long game and there is a luck component to the flip. Because I think back when I did the apartment flip I like. It was just the right time in the market and I got this right deal. And that’s the right property and the mortgage rate was great. Like there were so many things that literally came into play, that it had to be a little lucky. Because it was so perfect that, it was only you two. You could only screw up the deal to not make money. But when you’re in a different market or you know. Wherever you are locally and depending on what’s happening there and where you’re buying it.

Like there’s so many factors into that, but the one thing I know to be true. If you can do the buy and hold method and be patient and sit on it. You will make some money in the end that is almost like, like a fact. But whether you can hold for two years or five years or 10 years or 15 years, like, when I say long game, it could be long. Which means that people get into real estate. They’re like, Alright, I’m not making any money. Like, I didn’t make any money this month. I’m like, yeah if you’re getting into it for that right off the hop, I mean, be careful. Because you can cash flow off a rental property and things like that.

But people are coming to you with kind of unreasonable expectations. We’re like, well. How can we make 50 grand off this thing next month? I’m like, well, he bought it how much you buy it for, like, the markets are not gonna increase in a month. 50 grand on your property, like unless something crazy happens like the world and all of a sudden. You lived in the ghetto and now it’s the Taj Mahal, like, I don’t know. You’re way more experienced than I am, I know. Kind of in-depth from the investor perspective, but not on the side, where I’m like a silent investor. I mean, I’m buying stuff that I own.

So this is me and my me that owns it. And it’s not that I have a group of 510 people that are pooling money and resources. That’s something definitely I’ll talk to you about one day, cuz I. You actually are going in there and flipping like, You’re, you’re going in there and rattling. That takes some big balls like literally like. Because I’m looking at your videos and I’m like, holy like you’re showing the studs and you’re showing like the walls ripped out.

And where the toilet was in the plumbing and I’m like, like. You’re literally playing the game of putting it back together. Yeah and that’s it. That can be a very facetious game to play and there’s no guarantees. Because you rip it out and you’re like. I didn’t know that was the issue, I didn’t know that was an issue. Whoa. And in the moment, you start talking about plumbing, electrical, Oh, my Oh, that’s money. That is some money. Oh, that ain’t cosmetic, that ain’t cosmetic,

Pamela Bardhi
Recent project and we ripped out the walls and everything. And then we saw it like this. It’s an old building, It’s all brass pipe. We have to replace all the plumbing. Because it’s so temperamental with brass. It’s like, over the years, it’s just like, there’s in the metal, there’s like, places where it can leak super easily. We just know the whole things that have come out. And I’m like, this is a three-story building, It’s like

Ryan Holtz
Your moneymaker likes your income. How you make money and live is through real estate. Correct?

Pamela Bardhi
Yep. So I have to buy and hold properties. And then I’m also a real estate developer and I’m also a broker. So I make money three ways.

Ryan Holtz
Yeah. And then so did the real estate aspect. Is it like, are you in it with your family or partners? Or like, just you a Wow,

Pamela Bardhi
It’s just me. How old are you? 29.

Ryan Holtz
Look at you. That’s great. And then you’re in the pizza business. I was in the restaurant business, right?

Pamela Bardhi
I was until I was 21. I had two restaurants and then plus my father’s restaurant. And so then I got into real estate development. So I wanted to quit. And basically throughout the years. I’ve sold the least of my restaurants because I just couldn’t, it was real estate that got so crazy. And then now into the empowerment world. That’s I was mentioning, I had different pivots to you know.

Ryan Holtz
Do you have a team now that works with you? Yeah.

Pamela Bardhi
Yeah, back-end operations are marketing people or social media people post for me. Like all that, because you can’t without a team. You just can’t exist doing all these different things. So it’s, I’m blessed. Well.

Ryan Holtz
And I know, and I noticed about you when you do something. Even when you sent over the whole, like, which I didn’t read. Because it’s too long, but the PDF and the guidance. Here’s what we’re gonna do in the interview and I saw it. I’m like, this looks really fancy and I like. Thank you. Bye, because I’m like, okay, no, no, we’ll talk or he’s, like, we’ll handle this business. But everything you do is very, oh, yeah. And then, I went to your calendar link, and I’m like, well, you have different options. Like everything that you do is very detailed. I’d like to say I was that way, but it’s like, I think I’m just like, kind of a bulldozer but I’m like, okay. We’re gonna do this, let’s do this, boom.

What’s the time just I need to know the calendar, boom, boom, boom and it’s in the count once it gets in the calendar. It’s like the holy grail because my whole mind is like. When I’m going to do something when I’m speaking to you right now. My mind is no more owls than you. The only thing that’s going to take me away from right now, my wife says. Oh my god, there’s something going on with the kids and then I’m going to shut down the thing. And runoff and you’re going to be just looking at this wall. Because I won’t even have time to shut up. That’s the only thing literally because I feel like when you show up for somebody, like show up for them and give them your 110% Right.

Pamela Bardhi
Absolutely. And that leads me to my last question for you. Which is you know and I always ask this, because it’s always so powerful. What would your older self tell your younger self based on what you know now?

Ryan Holtz
My older self tells your younger self. Oh, man, truthfully, it’s, you put a lot of headspace into what you already knew you’re gonna do. And you kept almost not outselling yourself out of it. It’s the most basic thing. But if I go into a store or I see this one thing. Or I have this visualization of how I want it to look or this piece. I’ve done this a few times in my life. I’m like, I just know it’s okay, It’s not that way. Just let’s get the other one. Don’t worry, you’ll make that work. Man, I will take that shit down within two days, because it just bugs me. Take that shit back. And I’m like, you better take my return.

Because Walmart, you’ll take shit that you don’t even own anyway. You want to return something that you don’t know where to return to Walmart. Like Walmart will return everything for you. It’s kind of funny. But anyways, I’ve actually done it before, just as a funny case study, because if they did take you back. I have no receipt or backup like I bought this year, like four years ago, I can’t find the skew, sir. Like No, I don’t know. Where that skew is. Did you wear this? Not everywhere, It’s like, you didn’t like doing a renovation. It’s like that anyway.

My mind is getting shot because I had this conversation the other day. We started laughing, so like, it’s so true. But just never settling like you don’t. If I have a vision, I have to get that exact vision. And all the times I’ve been happy and succeeded the most. Was when I didn’t go off course of that vision. Right and right now it’s interesting, because in my current situation. I started this podcast. This show has hit me over the head in the sense of. It’s consumed a lot of my time and effort to the point where it’s really weird. Like I’m passionate about it, I love it to the point where I’m like, I might have to go to the point. Where my marketing agency likes, it’s taken a hit on me where I’m like, I don’t know.

I might sound like I might sell my marketing agency and go all out on the show and do that. And it’s weird because I was going to talk to you about it. Because I’ve had a hand podcast I said when something comes on your plate and it’s unexpected and it’s just like, you’re just like, I’m passionate about this, It’s a beautiful thing. But when you’re known for something else and you’ve invested into this other baby and then another baby comes. It’s like no, baby I don’t want to do that right now. Like a different baby. Right? Yeah, I think that’s a big thing. So for me right now, I would have to say that, the answer to your question is just don’t ever unsell yourself out of what you know. You want to get, right cuz that won’t happen.

Pamela Bardhi
And it’s like I was saying you are constantly evolving and pivoting, which is exciting and in your world. What’s next for you? I mean, I know you just mentioned the podcast, but that’s what’s going on? In Ryan’s world?

Ryan Holtz
Oh, yes, I, you know, you can find me on the Ryan Holtz show podcast. We bring on everyday people all the way to celebrities, Kevin O’Leary Shark Tank, Montel Jordan. This is how we do it to Seth Godin to swv to potrebbe, David value tainment, all of these places. And when you come to our show. You will be enlightened with a great healthy dose of entertainment. But also massive business education. I’m very proud to announce that we’ve created a podcast accelerator course. So I have been investing into this course. A lot of people have been having so many questions of people saying, Hey, Ryan, like. How do you do this? Or you know, this and that or podcast course.

And I said you know what, I’ve never actually done a course before in my life. We started pre-ordering the Ryan Holtz accelerated podcast course. Which basically goes over the technical side of creating a podcast. But it more so goes over, how to get amazing guests and interview them in a way. That just separates you from your competition and then furthermore. How to market that out to actually get people to listen to it. So people just email info at Ryan Holtz.com or text me 780-218-5899. Just say the word podcast and just check me out on social media Ryan Holtz. On a marketing agency, it is pretty easy to find, though. You know you know where to find me.

Pamela Bardhi
You’re amazing. I’ll definitely have your links on your show notes without a question. But I want to thank you so much for being here today. You are out of this world. Awesome. And I’m just so pumped, you took the time today to be here. So thank you for that.

Ryan Holtz
Thank you for having me and I mean, I want to tell you like you are a fantastic human and you make things look easy. I know it’s not easy and you don’t ever show up with not a smile. And I don’t think, I don’t know you personally or in your life. But I’m pretty sure, you know. When I ask everybody in your immediate circle they’re probably like Pam is Scott rainbows no matter. You know what kind of clouds are coming over and that’s a true gift, you can see your spirit is there and the world will receive it, and just don’t stop being you. And you are a unicorn, my friend.