A New Adventure

I’m really excited to announce that I’ve founded Ryanintheus LLC, own company offering Business and Marketing Solutions.  As CEO and head strategist I’ll be able to leverage and lead an incredible team curated from my huge network of experienced business professional, leading marketers, influencers and content creators. This is an exciting new adventure for me, after founding a nonprofit back in 2010 and having thoroughly enjoyed the experience of building and leading that team over five years I’m really looking forward to building a successful business where others can succeed as well.

Having worked with globally recognized brands such as Amazon, Google, Microsoft, The Project Management Institute, HTC, Verizon Wireless, SAP, Sotheby’s International Realty, Ricoh and the University of Washington, I’ve learned a lot about how business and marketing should and shouldn’t be done, and as a result have very strong beliefs about how to vertically integrate business planning and marketing ecosystems to actually deliver what all companies want, a healthy and robust pipeline of customers and the ability to deliver and scale operations. Similarly, as a social influencer being engaged by brands across the globe, I have first hand knowledge of how to successfully leverage and engage influencers to get results by matching your company with exactly the right influencers to create successful long-term partnerships.

Ryanintheus LLC Solutions Include…

Business Strategy

• Strategic Planning
• Leadership Development
• Structure Design
• Culture Management

Vertically Integrated Marketing Strategy

• Integrated and Content Marketing Strategy
• Brand Strategy and Development
• Web and Analytics Strategy
• Social Media Strategy
• Paid Media Strategy

Influencer Marketing

• Influencer Strategy
• Influencer Engagement and Management
• Content Development – Photography, Video and Blog Writing

Social Media Training (click here for more information)

• • Executive Social Media Coaching
  • Employee Social Media Training

Top 100 Marketers on Twitter in the World

It’s not every day that it’s announced that you are the 20th most retweeted marketer in the world. Yesterday was one of those days!  A study by BUZZSUMO analyzed 11,000 influencers, then ranked them by an algorithm. That algorithm included 16 different influence metrics including retweets, Twitter lists, Google PageRank, Moz’s website domain authority and page authority. From these data points they were able to determine who in fact where true marketing professionals.  They then narrowed the list down to the 100 most retweeted marketers.

Top 20 Marketer

I’m very humbled to crack the top 20, but this was absolutely no overnight success. I’ve been working on building my Twitter audience since 2009 when I created my account to promote a nonprofit I had founded at the time.  Over the years I’ve had wonderful opportunities to get connected to some of the top global social influencers.  I was once fortunate enough to co-author a Huffington Post article with former Forbes #1 Influencer in the world Sean Gardner.  I’ve now tweeted 21,600 times and built an audience of over 173K with 60% of that audience interested in marketing.  All while holding down senior executive roles at global marketing agencies until recently when I created Ryanintheus LLC.

How to Become an Influencer

Over the years I’ve had many great opportunities in the marketing and social media space. I’ve led social media for a brand with 20M followers and befriended, worked with and learned from most of the top 100 social influencers in the world. I’ve traveled on influencer trips to London and very soon to Mexico. So I’ve learned a thing or two about how to become an influencer.

A couple of years ago I put these learnings together and I developed two great trainings. The first is an Executive Social Media Coaching which equips time poor executives (CEO’s, CMO’s, VP’s etc) and their teams with the knowhow and the tools to become influencers in their space.  The training focuses on Twitter and LinkedIn, my clients have included senior Microsoft executives and Verizon Wireless Managers across the US.  The second training is for anyone who wants to be a an influencer. It includes Instagram and Facebook as well as Twitter and LinkedIn.  I’ve completed this training with Olympians, Actors, Bands, News Reporters and other celebrities.

For more information about my social media trainings or Ryanintheus LLC‘s Marketing and Influencer Services please contact me below.

It took 23 years but I finally got the chance to reconnect with Hugh Jackman, my old college mate.  All the way back in 1993/94 Hugh and I were both at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) in Perth, Australia. Hugh, back then, an aspiring actor studying theater, me an Arts Management student learning how to manage arts agencies like dance companies, arts venues and bands.  We were a couple of guys following our dreams without a clue as to what was coming next.

What I clearly recall, and many of our friends do as well, is that Hugh has always been the Hugh you see on TV today.  He always remembered your name, he always had time to stop for a chat and say hi, he was always professional and on time and he was the most talented person at WAAPA, and we all knew it.  So it was no surprise to us to see Hugh’s career take off straight out of college and it was with great pride that we saw Hugh take the world by storm, moving from Australian TV and movies to the West End in London, to Hollywood, to Broadway and back to Hollywood, winning awards and critical acclaim along the way.

Of course Hugh is most famous for his role in the X-Men Series as Wolverine, which has made him a household name around the world over the past seventeen years.  On March 3 this year, the movie Logan was released, the last movie in which Hugh will play this iconic character.  Before the release 21st Century Fox offered local TV stations across the US the chance to find their biggest “Wolvie” and send that person to New York  to meet and interview Hugh in person.  Seeing this I immediately jumped at the chance and submitted my video application, and what do you know?  I won! 😉

So off to NYC I go thanks to Komo 4 News entertainment reporter Scott Carty. Folks, follow Scott, he’s one of the good guys and he literally made this dream come true for me.

The big day came long, but before I get to interview Hugh, Scott and I met and interviewed Hugh’s co-stars, Sir Patrick Stewart and Boyd Holbrook (pictured below), as well and Logan director James Mangold, all of whom were fantastic, but hey, as you can imagine meeting Sir Patrick Stewart was pretty special!

Then it was time for me to enter the door marked Hugh Jackman.  I knew his team had given him the heads up that an old Academy friend was about to come interview him.  The door opened from the inside, and as the person before me left I could see Hugh standing in the middle of the room, hands on hips looking to see who was coming into the room and I immediately thought, great this will be awesome if he doesn’t remember me.  But in true Hugh Jackman style when I got into the room he recognized me and let out a big “Ryan! Wow it’s been a long time mate, how are you?”  We had about a minute and half to connect before his team ushered us to our seats and sadly this quick chat was not captured on film but it was just a couple of Aussie mates remembering a few times they had back in the day along with a laugh or two about them.

The rest, as they say, is history as it was all captured in the interview and my reaction to it in Scott’s interview of me after I met with Hugh.  It really is a rare thing to meet and befriend someone, then they go on to be world famous, and then years later you get to reconnect and basically check in.  I think I speak for everyone who knew Hugh at WAAPA in saying we have been so immensely proud of his achievements, we’ve ridden the journey with him, wishing him more and more success.  He was living our dreams and we quietly lived that experience with him from afar, at least one of us made it!  From his first TV show and him meeting Deb, to his Tony on Broadway for The Boy From Oz, to having his two kids, to hosting the Academy Awards, to starting a fair trade coffee company we’ve followed his journey.  What Hugh Jackman doesn’t know is how much joy that’s given us, so for that I say thank you my friend, may your star continue to shine brightly, you were the one my friend, no one deserves it more.

Here’s the interview!

Below is Scott’s video of my journey to NYC, my full interview with Hugh and Scott’s interview with me after.  Again, Scott, thank you for this opportunity.

And here are my two favorite trailers for the movie Logan…

I’m very excited to be headed to London in two weeks to experience Virgin Atlantic‘s inaugural flight from London to Seattle! I am also stoked to be able to enjoy London for a few days before the flight. It’s been cough, um, cough, 21 years since I was in London last so I’m guessing a few things have changed.  That’s where you guys come in, I’d love to know what you recommend I do and see during my free time.  Please comment on my two social posts with your suggestions, choose Facebook or Twitter.

As someone who has traveled the world I’m pretty excited to experience Virgin Atlantic’s Upper Class on one of their Dreamliners.  As you can see in the video below the experience from your door to when you land is simply incredible.  It’s pretty safe to say that I’ve never traveled this way before so it’s an experience I can’t wait to have.  Additionally, Virgin is renowned for doing something special on their inaugural flights so I’m pumped to see what they do this time.

Of course I’m not going alone.  I will be sharing the entire trip with fellow Reinmakers, Joanna Hawley, Cassandra LaValle, Carolyn Yuen Marino, Charles Koh and Rebecca (BloggerNotBillionaire), all pictured with me below at the kick-off event in January.  Remember, please share your London tips with me on Facebook and Twitter and Seattleites book your trip to London now!

The Seattle reignmakers flying to London with Virgin Atlantic

*Virgin Atlantic will provide travel and accommodations for my trip to London. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Back in 2015 the very successful story curator UPWORTHY asked it’s quite large audience this very important question.

“…we asked you what you felt were the most important topics: the big issues of our day that deserve more focus and attention than they generally receive in the media.”

They then narrowed down the responses to three.  Just three.  This list was made a couple of years ago and the world feels like a very different place now. Do you agree that these are still the three most important issues? I wonder which one of the three you guys think is the most important in today’s climate?  Let’s try and narrow it down from three to one and identify if there’s another issue you think should be in the mix.  Please tweet or post in the comments below which one resonates most with you or what else should be added.

Issues

#1 Climate Change and Clean Energy

#2 Income Inequality and Poverty

#3 Human Rights

Do you think there are issues more important now that than these three? What are they? Post below…. (If you’re viewing this from my main feed click on the title to access the comments section.

Being an Aussie in the US I had to share this pic and the below Q&A to give you guys a glimpse of some of the more amusing perceptions of Australia that us Aussie’s experience.  These were posted on an Australian Tourism Website and the answers are the actual responses by the website officials, who obviously have a great sense of humor!  Believe it or not I have actually been asked a few of these questions.
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Q: Does it ever get windy in Australia ? I have never seen it rain on TV, how do the plants grow? ( UK).

A: We import all plants fully grown and then just sit around watching them die.
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Q: Will I be able to see kangaroos in the street? ( USA )

A:Depends how much you’ve been drinking.
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Q:I want to walk from Perth to Sydney – can I follow the railroad tracks? ( Sweden )

A: Sure, it’s only three thousand miles, take lots of water.
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Q: Are there any ATMs (cash machines) in Australia ? Can you send me a list of them in Brisbane , Cairns , Townsville and Hervey Bay ? ( UK )

A: What did your last slave die of?
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Q:Can you give me some information about hippo racing in Australia ? ( USA )

A: A-Fri-ca is the big triangle shaped continent south of Europe .
Aus-tra-lia is that big island in the middle of the Pacific which does not
… Oh forget it. Sure, the hippo racing is every Tuesday night in Kings Cross. Come naked.
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Q:Which direction is North in Australia ? ( USA )

A: Face south and then turn 180 degrees. Contact us when you get here and we’ll send the rest of the directions.
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Q: Can I bring cutlery into Australia ? ( UK )
A:Why? Just use your fingers like we do…
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Q:Can you send me the Vienna Boys’ Choir schedule? ( USA )

A: Aus-tri-a is that quaint little country bordering Ger-man-y, which is
Oh forget it. Sure, the Vienna Boys Choir plays every Tuesday night in Kings Cross, straight after the hippo races. Come naked.
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Q: Can I wear high heels in Australia ? ( UK )
A: You are a British politician, right?
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Q:Are there supermarkets in Sydney and is milk available all year round? ( Germany )

A: No, we are a peaceful civilization of vegan hunter/gatherers.
Milk is illegal.
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Q:Please send a list of all doctors in Australia who can dispense rattlesnake serum. ( USA )

A: Rattlesnakes live in A-meri-ca which is where YOU come from..
All Australian snakes are perfectly harmless, can be safely handled and make good pets.
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Q:I have a question about a famous animal in Australia , but I forget its name. It’s a kind of bear and lives in trees. ( USA )

A: It’s called a Drop Bear. They are so called because they drop out of Gum trees and eat the brains of anyone walking underneath them.
You can scare them off by spraying yourself with human urine before you go out walking.
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Q:I have developed a new product that is the fountain of youth. Can you tell me where I can sell it in Australia ? (USA )

A: Anywhere significant numbers of Americans gather.
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Q:Do you celebrate Christmas in Australia ? ( France )

A: Only at Christmas.
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Q: Will I be able to speak English most places I go? ( USA )

A: Yes, but you’ll have to learn it first

A few years ago something had changed in me.  For most of my life I’d been seeing the world through a lens and I was always looking for that great shot.  But I realized I’d stopped taking photos.  In fact I’ve barely been interested in even taking shots of family, friends or even of my travels… for me this was almost a shocking realization.  Photography was my creativity.  Was I no longer creative?

When my daughter Jemma was born in 2011 the camera starting finding it’s way back into my hands but I was still pretty disinterested in photography as a hobby.  Then I found Instagram.  Now you would think that an iPhone app would not be the catalyst for me getting back into a hobby that I have enjoyed since primary school (elementary school in the US).  At the age of eleven I ran the school dark room, mixing chemicals and agitating film by hand.  Instagram and iPhones seem like a different life from those days.  Such is the change that we have seen in our lives already, and I’m only 40! 😉

Instagram Inspiration

So I had this iPhone thingy and then I saw all the cool kids posting great pics with filters and it got my interest.  I may have been a little late to the party but I’ve definitely made up for it over recent years.  I was inspired to buy a new camera and the excitement of getting a great shot came back again.  It’s like meeting an old friend after not seeing them for a couple of years…  What’s been really crazy is the amount of people I would now consider a friend (either in real life or virtually) based on our Instagram interactions. Being so into travel photography I’ve been able to tap into an incredible community on Instagram and learn and be inspired by so many other talented people.   So here’s a few Instagram pics of mine… If you’d like you can connect with me on Instagram I’m at ryanintheus.

[alpine-phototile-for-instagram id=368 user=”ryanintheus” src=”user_recent” imgl=”instagram” style=”cascade” col=”6″ size=”M” num=”24″ align=”center” max=”100″]

I’ve been thinking about change and the role it plays in our life after having a chat with a good friend recently and these words keep rolling around my head…  “There will be many chapters in your life.  Don’t get lost in the one you’re in now.”

I think sometimes we get lost in the reality of our life today, and we forget that change is actually the only constant, not our current situation (although sometimes it can feel that way).   I thought to share this as I think many of us despair at how things are now, this can be a reminder that we have the ability to write new chapters for ourselves and that new chapters are indeed coming our way.

Many of us who enjoy sports are drawn to teams we think reflect us.  That team for me is the Fremantle Dockers.  Affectionally known as Freo, the Fremantle Dockers represent the grit of the hardworking people that live in the Port of Fremantle area.  That same grit can be found in my father who grew up in East Fremantle.  Consequently he instilled in me the value of hard work and not to be afraid of being the underdog… in fact we kind of like it.

I’m a long way from Fremantle these days, living in Seattle, USA and now also a huge fan of the Seattle Seahawks.  The link for me between the Australian Football League (AFL) and the NFL here in the US is Darren Bennett.  One of my earliest memories is of my dad and I watching our local Aussie Rules football team, the East Fremantle Sharks and watching a young Darren Bennett take control of the game with awesome kicking for goal.  That guy went on to play for the San Diego Chargers and was a two time Pro Bowler (1995, 2000), and was honored be being selected in the NFL’s 1990s All-Decade Team and was inducted into the San Diego Chargers Hall of Fame.  Not bad for a boy from Freo.

When I watched that game the idea of having a Fremantle team in the AFL hadn’t even crossed my mind.  Nor had the idea that I would one day live on the other side of the world. It has been the grit, determination and a healthy dose of adventure that I’m where I am today, and it’s those qualities that see Freo off to the best start to a season in club history, 8-0.  But what a long roads it’s been for this perennial underdog.  Those of us who jumped on to support the team from day one of the Fremantle Dockers know what I mean.  As do the fans of the Seahawks.  Both teams have struggled badly at times.  But not any longer.

Two years ago when the Seahawks won their first SuperBowl the Dockers reached, but sadly lost their first Grand Final in front of 100,000 people.

It’s in the the trials and tribulations of supporting a team that hasn’t been a successful club that one finds the value when that team turns from being the underdog to being the best.  And what a feeling it is for us fans.  All the disappointment, frustration turns into ecstasy, jubilation and our loyalty is repaid in spades.   But what I love most about the Dockers is not that they are wining now, but that while the talent of the team has wained at times the commitment has not.  That’s the grit.  You can see it in this video that spans the life of the Dockers, from day one.

At 8-0 maybe this is the year for Freo, I certainly hope so, but regardless of whether they win big prize this year I’m in for life. #foreverfreo

If you want to learn more about Australian Rules Football (AFL) and see some highlight videos click here.