Hi,
I'm Ryan.

I'm Amanda's husband, Bennett's dad, a second-grade flag football coach, advisor, teacher, author, and perpetual work in progress.

Work with me
Let's talk.
The work
Ryan, Amanda, and Bennett on a Northern Michigan beach
Endlessly curious

Why do certain people walk into a room and make everyone around them better?

I'm endlessly curious about people. Why do we do what we do? Why do some people grow while others get stuck? Why do we sometimes know exactly what we should do and still don't do it?

I've built much of my life around those questions.

The hard way

12 PhDs from the School of Hard Knocks.

I've also learned that most of the things worth teaching are things I've had to learn myself, often the hard way. I've failed, been hurt, and had plans change without my permission. I've made excuses, avoided difficult conversations, cared too much about what other people thought, and gotten things completely wrong.

After speaking with the coaches at UConn, one of them came up to me and asked, “How did you learn all of this stuff?” My answer was honest, “At this point I've earned about 12 PhDs from the School of Hard Knocks.”

Those experiences have shaped how I work and live.

Who you are

How you treat your family matters.

I don't believe leadership is something you turn on when you walk into the office, locker room, or boardroom. How you treat your family matters. How you treat a stranger matters. Who you are when things don't go your way matters. What are you doing to curb the assumptions you've been making and believe about yourself and others?

Northern Michigan

When I'm home, I'm happiest outside.

Amanda and I live in Northern Michigan with Bennett and our golden retrievers. When I'm home, I'm happiest outside. Working around our property. Making maple syrup. Coaching kids. Cruising in an old Camaro or our hand-me-down mower.

Ryan coaching Bennett's flag football team
Fall colors over the Blanck property at sunset
A bottle of homemade maple syrup
Ryan with the second-grade flag football team
Still learning

I'm still learning, asking questions, and trying to get better at getting better.

I don't have leadership figured out. I don't think anyone does. But I've devoted a pretty good portion of my life to understanding what makes someone worth following. And I'm still fascinated by the question.