Hi, I'm Ryan.

I’m a leader, mentor, and entrepreneur. I’ve founded multiple businesses in my life, while simultaneously managing a full-time career and freelancing in the evenings. I know what it takes to make it as a freelancer and business owner.
A portrait of Ryan Stogran

Here's How I Got Started

Mentoring & Coaching

Throughout my career I’ve always focused on self improvement through education and doing. And it’s a methodology that has gotten me through a lot of difficult times on my own.
I didn’t have a role model or resource to lean on for support in my early stages of freelancing, and so I’m proud to be able to help others where I’m an expert so they don’t have to make the same mistakes I did.

Leadership

My first leadership opportunity came at 17 years old as the weekend manager for a national auto parts chain; the first of many. In fact, in all but one of my subsequent careers I owned the role of leading individuals and teams towards a common goal.
Today, I continue this pattern, guiding the team at RS Creativ to push themselves, learn new skills, and take on new and exciting challenges and opportunities.

Entrepreneurship

From selling stickers and burned CDs in middle school, to car stereo installs in high school, you could say I’ve always had a knack for business. This continued into my twenties, importing, selling, and installing custom car parts from Japan in my garage.
The whole time I was also freelancing building websites (my first at age 11) and designing print goods for local businesses. This eventually culminated in the founding of RS Creativ–another step in my entrepreneurial journey.

3 Rules I Live By

Your Previous Careers Don't Define You.

I've held many different careers in my life and none of them have determined my future, but I have learned valuable lessons from all of them.
These are just some of the career positions I've held over the years and the entire time I was freelancing web and graphic design in the evenings:
  • Grocery store retail associate
  • Auto parts store manager
  • Elevator constructor and service technician
  • Red Seal heavy equipment technician
  • Crane operator

Knowledge is Free & Nobody Can Take that Away From You.

Make a point to absorb as much as possible from every job you hold. You'll be surprised how many experiences and lessons you can draw on later in your life.
I believe that what I've learned from certain jobs, situations, and experiences has had a greater impact on my life and success than anything I was taught in school:
  • Learning how to handle stressful situations and how to keep your emotions in check.
  • Understanding the power of team work and collaboration towards a common goal.
  • Being mindful of how your decisions affect other people.
  • Balancing work and life and prioritizing the activities that fill your cup.
  • Withholding judgement until you know all the facts. You just never know what's going on in someone's life.
I believe that what I've learned from certain jobs, situations, and experiences has had a greater impact on my life and success than anything I was taught in school:
  • Learning how to handle stressful situations and how to keep your emotions in check.
  • Understanding the power of team work and collaboration towards a common goal.
  • Being mindful of how your decisions affect other people.
  • Balancing work and life and prioritizing the activities that fill your cup.
  • Withholding judgement until you know all the facts. You just never know what's going on in someone's life.

Knowledge is Free & Nobody Can Take that Away From You.

Make a point to absorb as much as possible from every job you hold. You'll be surprised how many experiences and lessons you can draw on later in your life.

When People Show You Who They Are, Believe Them.

This is less about work and more about building healthy, lasting relationships with people around you.
Over time you'll find that the relationships you have are the single largest contributing factor to your happiness and success. These are the basic rules I follow for all relationships, personal and professional:
  • It's worth repeating: when people show you who they are, believe them.
  • Don't waste time trying to change people. Either accept people for who they are or move on.
  • Get what you want out of the relationship. You don't have to be selfish but you have to feel fulfilled.
  • Strive to build mutually equitable relationships where everybody wins. In business, this is the holy grail.
  • Honesty is always the best policy, even if it may hurt the other person.

Don't Make the Same Mistakes I Did.

Just because you're starting out doesn't mean you have to figure it out on your own. Learn from my mistakes and save yourself headaches, confusion, and money in the process.
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