Living Radically Ambitious

Leaving Corporate America is so much easier said than done. We all whine about our jobs, complain about the hours, the boss, the pay, whatever, but how many actually do something about it? How many take the Tim Ferriss mini-retirement? How many start that company and take it to the level of working for yourself? How many “partners” and “plans” see the light of day?

(Ryan Paugh and Ryan Healy photo stolen from Healy’s Facebook Page)

The Ryan’s from MadTown have done just that. They talked about a problem on their little blog, EmployeeEvolution, got some street cred (well 60 Minutes prime time street cred) and teamed up with Penelope Trunk to start a blogging network and career site for 20somethings, Brazen Careerist. I have been a part of the network since its humble beginnings and now with hundreds of bloggers and topics ranging from work/life balance to social media to politics, health and beyond, they are a major player in the blogging world.

They are re-launching BC today (August 25th) and really are giving the site a much needed facelift and way to cut through all the noise on the network. Instead of giving you the details, you should just head over and start reading some of the writing from Gen-Y superstars like:

• Holly Hoffman
• Ryan Stephens
• Jun Loayza
• Andrew Norcross
• Elysa Rice
• Rebecca Thorman
• and countless others (really sorry if I left you out!).

There are a ton of ways to live the life you always wanted and that is the core theme of lifestyle design. I like to focus on the Internet Marketing side, but there are so many avenues. I wanted to talk with the Ryan’s about their lifestyle and what caused that light to go off and actually take action. So, from 2 kids working in suits and ties to living in MadTown, struggling to keep afloat, here is what they had to say about their lifestyle.

Greg: What was it about working in a corporate position that drove you to break out?

Ryan Healy: For me it was two things. First, I knew that the time for me to give it a shot is in my twenties. The only person I have to support is me, I don’t have kids and a wife. So as soon as I was in the corporate world for a few months, I told myself, its now or never, make something happen!

Second, I need to believe 110% in what I’m doing and I need to love what I’m doing. If I have even a little doubt that my job is not helping people, or is not changing the world in some way, I can’t give my all to it. So, as far as I can tell, starting a company that helps people manage their lives and their careers was a surefire way to assure that my job would do these things!

Greg: What happened that actually caused you to pull the trigger?

Ryan Healy: I was on a business trip one night and Penelope called me up. She said, do you want to start a company? I said yes. That was it. It was never a question.

Greg: How was the initial support from family and friends?

Ryan Healy: It was overwhelmingly positive from family and friends who really knew me. Everyone knew that I wanted nothing more than to build a company from the ground up, and they were happy for me. Other people, who obviously weren’t as close would ask why in the world I would leave DC for Madison WI and why would I not want a great job with IBM? But I didn’t even bother listening to them.

Greg: What is that support like now?

Ryan Paugh: Overwhelmingly supportive. It’s always difficult for me to explain to my parents what I do exactly. My Mom is still trying to nail down good Facebook etiquette.

The good news is, we’ve raised money and proven to be fundable. They finally understand that what we do is a more than just blogging.

Greg: How did the concept for Brazen Careerist come about? What about the business model?

Ryan Healy: The concept came about originally from all 3 of us realizing how many smart, interesting and in-demand young people were out there blogging. There was no way that someone could just find all these amazing people by doing a Google search, so we wanted to figure out how to give this group a collective voice.

Since then, its evolved tremendously, we’re reaching out beyond the blogging world, because we know that there are millions of smart, interesting people that are just entering the real-world, and they should have every opportunity that they possibly can to find a career they love, and in general, just be happy with their lives.

The business model is actually really interesting. I don’t want to talk too much about it now, but it will be more apparent when we launch our company pages this Fall.

Ryan Paugh: When Ryan Healy and I started EmployeeEvolution it was pretty obvious that the shell-shock we were felt transitioning from college to adult life wasn’t unique. There was a whole generation of people online who were having the same problems as us. Creating a place where people like us could congregate and solve some of these problems together was a big piece of the inspiration.

Greg: I know you guys are excited about the relaunch. What does having such an awesome community do for you when working on your product day in and day out?

Ryan Paugh: The Community is just AWESOME! Because our members are so outgoing and genuine with one another what we created has really taken on a life of its own. I’ve sees them taking the relationships they’ve made on Brazen Careerist outside the Community walls—one Twitter, their blogs, Facebook, offline too!—and it makes me happy because I know that we are doing something right.

Our most active community members have developed a sense of ownership around the site. They give us uninhibited feedback and keep us in check when we’re doing something wrong. We’re lucky that they’re willing to do that and I don’t know what we would do without them.

Greg: Are you where you thought you would be when you left college?

Ryan Healy: I’m where I thought I should be, but not necessarily where I thought I WOULD be. I never thought I would have experienced and grown so much in a few years. It amazes me every day.

Ryan Paugh: Not at all, actually. I never thought I would be in a startup. I never thought I would be considered an entrepreneur.

I was pretty lost after college and feel lucky that Ryan and I took the initiative to start blogging about it. It led us to Penelope and the Brazen Careerist Community. I can’t imagine my life right now without either.

Greg: Where do you want to be in 5 years?

Ryan Healy: Wherever this crazy journey takes me.

Ryan Paugh: Mexico. Under a palapa with a Mojito and a plate full of tacos.

If you are under 30 and interested in finding a network, a community and some great social people, head on over to Brazen Careerist and see what they have to offer. I know that I have benefited from the network, as partnerships and friends have come out of commenting, twittering and chatting with people over there. It has grown tremendously since I jumped on board at the initial launch and that only means it can pack more heat for those in the network.

To follow the crazy antics of the BC Crew, look no further that Twitter

• Ryan Healy
• Ryan Paugh
• Penelope (she’s almost on that 1 name basis)
• Brazen Network

-Greg Rollett