EP 15: Ryan Stewman — From Felon (Twice) to the Leader of 15 Companies
You may know Ryan Stewman from one of the 13 books he’s written, one of the 15 companies he has ownership in, or as the leader of the #WeAreApex Movement. But it wasn’t long ago that Ryan was starting from scratch after his second stint in prison.
“I spent all of my 20s either on probation and parole or in prison,” he says. “Even when I was doing the right thing, the revolving door pulled me back in.”
The first time he went in on drug charges, Ryan remembers thinking that prison “couldn’t be worse than living on the streets.” (It was.) He’d had what he calls a “rough upbringing,” having been adopted at around 10 years old only to drop out of school and start selling drugs not long after.
The second time he went to prison, though, came as a surprise. By then, he’d cleaned up his life, had a job in the real estate industry, and was even speaking on stages. So when the cops kicked in his door one day and arrested him on a gun possession charge, he didn’t see it coming.
“In Texas, after five years, you get a piece of paper that says you can vote again and that you have the right to bear arms in your primary residence,” he says. “So I had a gun in my house, and I had the paperwork for it. And the cops arrested me for felony possession of a firearm.”
Starting over once is hard enough. Starting over twice is a tall order. But today, Ryan — who’s earning millions as an investor and is loving life with his wife and four kids — feels he’s come out on top. In this episode of Life After Addiction And Indictment, Steve and Ryan talk about his journey from twice felon to a leader in the online marketing and lead gen business world.
What You’ll Learn:
- How entrepreneurship originally became a part of Ryan’s DNA
- Why he believes anything is possible for those willing to put in the work (and what exactly that work has required for him)
- What he’s learned about managing money the more he’s made of it
- And much more!
Favorite Quote:
“For me, one of the big benefits of being a two-time felon is the fact that I can’t get a job. So I have to go f***ing to make something happen. Everything seems like a curse at the time — like, I have to go back to 15 months in prison? But if I hadn’t, if I would have stayed married to that chick who left me, and my life would probably be miserable.”
— Ryan Stewman
Connect with Ryan:
How To Get Involved:
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Website: http://lifeafteraddictionandindictment.com
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