Hello, I’m Ryan.
I am your average 28 year old guy who followed the normal path in life: graduate high school, go to college, take out a massive amount of money, and wake up one morning screaming about how much debt controls my life.
You can read more about my story below, but to give you feel for what Grads vs. Debt is, I created this video for you:
The three things you need to know about this site:
#1 – I will teach you how to get out of debt. That is my goal. You see, I’m going all-in, no holds barred, kung-fu crazy on debt and I want to take you on the journey with me. I am a teacher (seriously, I have my teaching license) and I love to help people learn how to take control of their life. Everything I do on this site is geared towards helping you figure out your own path to debt-free financial freedom.
#2 – I’m not an expert. I am an adventurer. I’ve failed at more things than anyone I know. I’ve started businesses, podcasts, nonprofit organizations out to end hunger, and written books that no one read. I’m not an expert by any means; however, I’ve learned a TON through all of these adventures (as I like to call them). I’ve decided that fear isn’t going to run my life. That’s why I try new things. 80% of the time they don’t work. But it’s the 20% that do which make life that much more exciting to live.
#3 – I don’t think financial responsibility means cutting out your morning latte. Maybe this is because I don’t think I could go a morning without my morning coffee, but I don’t believe that making yourself miserable is going to help you get out of debt. Actually, I believe the opposite. I believe that when you find your true passion in life, when you feel happy and whole, that’s when you’re going to generate more income, find harmony with your finances, and be able to take advantage of opportunities that cross your path instead of feeling like the cards are stacked against you. So call me crazy, but I’m not out to get between you and your coffee or ice cream, your date night or your vacations. No, I want you to be happy. And in my approach to becoming debt free, that is step number one.
Three things you need to know about me:
#1 – I love to listen. When you stop listening you stop learning. The two go hand-in-hand.
#2 – I believe you can change the world. Actually, I believe that you already do. Everyday the things you say, the actions you undertake, and the way you treat others ripples through social networks around the world (online and offline). I believe what you do matters and that it actually changes the world daily. Maybe that’s too idealistic…but that’s how I see the world.
#3 – I am a Green Bay Packers fan. You have to be when your parents are from Wisconsin. When I was a child, if the Packers on Sunday all of my brothers and I would scatter to the far ends of the house to avoid the ensuing storm of emotions that would continue until at least Wednesday morning. When they won, we usually celebrated with pizza and ice cream 🙂