Today's guest is Ryan Carson. He's a father, entrepreneur, and a developer. He founded Treehouse, an online education platform that aims to makes technology education affordable for all.
After a decade running Treehouse, Ryan seriously considered selling the business. When he tried to let the buyer down easy, the buyer said he intended to "crush" Ryan and his business. This ultimately became a defining moment in his career.
He knew he would do anything to keep his business alive, including outworking and out competing his competition. It revived his fire for the business and pushed him to start learning all the ins and outs of business that he never had time for before.
After teaching himself sales, he found that it wasn't necessarily complex, just hard. He kept himself motivated by using visualization tactics and learning from the most focused and intense people he could find, such as Jocko Willink.
Ryan has had a lot of wins, but he's also learned the hard way about burning bridges and the importance of maintaining good relationships.
Today, Ryan spends his time growing Treehouse, and doing his part to bring equality in the workplace by providing technical education to the masses. Improving his physical fitness and being a good father and husband are also huge parts of his life.
[click_to_tweet tweet="Sales is not complex. It's just hard. It's very simple math and it's literally just the discipline to not quit." quote="Sales is not complex. It's just hard. It's very simple math and it's literally just the discipline to not quit." theme="style3"]
In this episode Ryan talks about:
- Saying no and trusting your instincts when it comes to big decisions.
- How a CEO coach has been an essential part of his business and personal growth.
- Visualization and how it can help you achieve your goals and, just as important, knowing what to do after you reach them.
Main Takeaways
- Take time to digest big decisions. Put your customers first and trust yourself to make the right call.
- Push yourself to learn new skills, but don't do it at the cost of your family or personal life. Be focused and clear when you are working.
- Visualize your goals and really see your desired outcome happening.
- Don't burn bridges. You never know what will happen in the future and how valuable those relationships may be.
Important Mentions in this Episode
Season 3: Origin Stories
More episodes in this season:
S03 E01 - Building relationships, focusing on your strengths, and why you need a therapist with Justin Jackson
Season 3 Teaser
S03 E02 - Family, Priorities, and Writing it Down with Curtis McHale
S03 E03 - Philip VanDusen on evolving career paths, identity, and building the work and life you actually want
S03 E04 - Paul Jarvis on keeping things simple, freelancing, and being a business owner
S03 E05 - Carrie Dils on being your authentic self, and fearless freelancing
S03 E06 - Vincent Pugliese on getting out of debt, freedom, and choosing not settle
S03 E07 - Matt Inglot on running an agency, finding the right clients, and starting over
S03 E08 - Val Geisler on raising daughters, why you should specialize, and how to provide real value for clients
S03 E09 - Bridget Willard on WordPress, Why Twitter is the Best, and Relationship Marketing
S03 E10 - Ryan Carson on Relationships, Motivation, and Mastering Sales
S03 E11 - Avani Miriyala on Design, Finding Your Niche, and Facing Your Fears
S03 Bonus - Tom McFarlin on Blogging, Balancing Work and Family, and Building a Business that Lasts
Best of Season 3 - Building Relationships
Best of Season 3 - Get out of the comfort zone
