I turned around and sold a family business and spent over a decade trying to figure out what we could have done differently.
My mission is to help business owner-operators break free from the grind and achieve true independence of time through sustainable cash flow, and lasting wealth, so they can focus on what matters most to them.
What I do for a living
I built the playbook I didn't have when I needed it.
I grew up watching my dad mortgage our house to buy $300k worth of Panasonic copiers. I swore I would never work for him. Then 2009 happened.
The first year I officially joined the family business, we got pulled into a meeting with the bank and learned we had lost $940,000 on $21M of revenue. My dad described what had happened to us with one sentence I have never forgotten:
"I feel like I'm driving a dump truck full of water down the highway and we hit the brakes and everything just came right over us."
That was the start of a six-year war with the bank. Hit a $240k payroll every other Thursday. Drive to the cabin in Wisconsin on the weekend. Pound Captain Morgan. Do it all over again.
We pulled it out. By the time I was 25, I had fired 55 people. By the time I was 27, we had taken the business from a $940k loss to healthy seven-figure EBITDA and sold it for eight figures.
Eight-figure wire hit. I went home and bawled my eyes out.
Sixty days later I was sitting in a cube at the buyer's office, two seats down from a kid named Mitch who was fresh out of college. I had gone from running a $20M company to executing somebody else's spreadsheet. No desk. No phone. No team. No idea what I was supposed to do next.
That morning is what built iBD.
Because here is what I figured out, slowly, over the next eleven years. We did not fail. We sold a working business for a real number. By every external measure it was a win. But internally I was wrecked, because nobody had ever taught me what I was supposed to be doing as the owner. Not the operator. The owner.
Nobody had walked me through what the business was actually worth, or how it would feel to wake up the morning after the wire. Nobody had asked me what I wanted out of my time, or my cash flow, or my wealth. Nobody had separated my W-2 income from my distributions from my equity. Nobody had explained that an owner has a different job than a CEO, and that I was trying to do both.
I spent the next decade trying to build the playbook that should have already existed.
500+ podcast episodes interviewing the smartest owners, operators, and experts I could find. A wealth management seat. A consulting firm. A fractional CFO services business. Three thousand owners through Vistage and EO workshops. Vistage Top Speaker Award.
The pattern that showed up across every conversation was always the same:
Owners don't fail because of strategy. They fail because nobody helps them understand the relationship between their time, their cash flow, and their wealth, and how to design the business to serve those three things on purpose instead of by accident.
The iBD Ownership OS™ is what I built out of that pattern. It is the system I wish someone had handed me at 22 when I walked into my dad's office for the first time. It is also the system I see owners in every workshop and every coaching call wishing somebody had handed them ten years ago.
We built it backward from the experience of not having it.
That is why this exists.
— Ryan
Unlock the Power of Being a Business Owner
While countless systems help us "work in" the business, few focus on how to "work on" the business and truly “win” the game of ownership.
Independence Escape Velocity™ is the moment your business no longer depends on your constant involvement to fund your life.
It happens when time, cash flow, and wealth are intentionally designed to reinforce each other—so your decisions create momentum instead of friction.
The iBD Flywheel™ shows how owners escape the gravitational pull of day-to-day operations by managing constraints, making conscious tradeoffs, and reinvesting capital with clarity. This is how the business becomes a vehicle for independence—not a source of obligation.
- Time is invested intentionally—not endlessly—to create leverage.
- Cash Flow funds both today’s life and tomorrow’s options.
- Wealth compounds into income that is no longer tied to your presence.
Independence by Design™ Podcast
The Independence by Design™ Podcast is where business ownership meets inspiration. With over 500 episodes since 2017, I’ve interviewed industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and authors to uncover the secrets of building and exiting a successful business while living life on your terms. Join me as I sit down with visionaries like Gino Wickman, Mike Michalowicz, and Dan Martell, along with other top-tier experts and owners who share practical advice, hard-won lessons, and actionable strategies for your ownership journey.
Speaking & Guest Podcasting
I bring the Independence by Design™ framework to life on stage, sharing real stories, actionable insights, and strategies that empower owner-operators to regain control of their time, cash flow, and wealth. Whether it’s keynotes, panels, or podcast guest spots, I tailor my message to inspire and equip audiences with the tools they need to build a business that works for them—not the other way around.
Ownership Strategy Call
Take the first step toward designing the life and business you’ve always envisioned. In this personalized strategy call, we’ll discuss your goals, challenges, and how the Independence by Design™ framework can help you create sustainable cash flow, equity growth, and time freedom. Whether you're exploring coaching, speaking opportunities, or want a tailored plan for your business, this call is the perfect starting point.