603. His Hardcore Experiences Help Execs Break Free

Ryan Stewman

Ryan had served his time for a state crime in the 1990s and was succeeding on the straight and narrow. Or so he thought. Unbeknownst to him, a new federal law would ensnare him and pull him off course.

Ryan Stewman is CEO and founder of Hardcore Closer and Break Free Academy. As a best-selling author, motivational speaker, sales coach, podcaster, blogger and entrepreneur, he’s a regular contributor to Forbes, Entrepreneur, Addicted2Success, Good Men Project, Lighter Side of Real Estate and Huffington Post. Ryan consults with alpha personality business owners on rapidly growing their sales through strong marketing and advertising. With his no BS, ‘take action’ approach, Ryan has been able to help high income and high net worth performers make changes that unleash windfall profits for their businesses.

How Did You Start Using Your Talents?

Working at a car wash, trying to prove himself after a stint in state prison, Ryan recalls, “a regular customer recognized my skills. She offered me a job. ‘If you’ll work half as hard for me as you are doing for this car wash, you’ll be a millionaire by the time you’re 30.’ She ran a mortgage brokerage. I didn’t even know what that was. We didn’t have Google back then, so I couldn’t look it up on my phone and see what it meant. She took me under her wing and taught me the game. Within my first month I made $8,000.”

The Most Impactful Turning Point?

He was the top producer for the largest, privately-held mortgage company in Texas when the federal Dodd-Frank legislation went into effect. His prior felony conviction stripped him of his license. Ryan accepted the consequences of his past. He talked with friends about his next step. “Many people said, hey, you’ve been through some serious stuff. You’ve done the impossible in some of the businesses you were in. Why don’t you start coaching people? There’s a huge industry out there. I thought, it’s not really my thing. But, I do like training people.” He started a website and digital services for some of his former colleagues to help them be hardcore closers. “Most people just want to learn a specialized skill so they can go to work and make money. I want to be the resource that provides that for them.”

The Most Powerful Lessons Learned?

“I believe the things that happened to me were pivot points. The universe was saying, ‘You’re not supposed to go down that road. We are going to have to do something really harsh to correct you, because you are a hard head. So, let’s do this to turn you around.’ I think most people never learn the lessons of who they are. When I made the decision in 2012 just to be Ryan Stewman, my life dramatically changed. I got into alignment with the universe, and that’s really when things started moving on up.”

Steps to Success from Ryan Stewman

1. Know yourself. If you’re “iOS-compatible,” don’t try to force yourself to be “Windows-compatible.”

2. Alignment takes precedence over assignment. Who you’re with is more important than what you’re doing. Get with the right people; with the wrong people, bad things happen.

3. Use your obstacles and barriers as pivot points. Learn lessons from setbacks and pivot in a new direction.