Ryan Shell, Author at RyanShell.com

Are You Chasing the Right Goal?

When I was a kid one of my regular household responsibilities was to keep the garage clean. This included the lovely task of sweeping the floor to keep it clean of dust or anything else you wouldn’t want tracked inside the house.

In general, it was a drag, and the task was also used as punishment for ~~over achieving~~ bad behavior a time or two. And those instances are what I’d like to focus on.

When my mom gave the marching orders to go to the garage, it wasn’t necessarily because she wanted the garage cleaned, but more so because she wanted me to spend time doing something I disliked in hopes that it would prompt me to rethink my behavior.

But then, one day, I had the most genius thought.

One of My Worst PR Nightmares

By Ryan Shell

Years ago I worked at a camp for kids with chronic illnesses and was in charge of marketing and public relations. In my time there I helped the camp get a ton of press, but this story has to do with a specific three-month period.

During these three months I spent a considerable amount of energy trying to get NBC Nightly News to the camp. If pulled off, the hit would be one of the largest the camp had ever had, and it would help drive a considerable amount of donations and increase awareness.

The pitch eventually stuck, and before you know it, NBC Nightly News was coming to town. But this is when things went sideways.

It’s Time to Rethink Your Facebook Advertising Budget

By Ryan Shell

Facebook has been a go-to social media platform for marketers and business owners for quite a while, but based on the networks continued page algorithm changes; it may be time to rethink your options.

In no is this post going to imply that you should abandoned Facebook, but I do hope it prompts you to reconsider a thing or two.

Small Business Owners Can’t Suck at This

By Ryan Shell

There’s a lot that small business owners have to do right to succeed, but in my book, there’s one very important thing they can’t suck at.

Sucking at this thing just isn’t an option. That is, unless you love the idea of not having loyal customers.

My wife and I played tennis a lot when we were younger, and picked the game back up during our honeymoon a month ago. Once the first ball was hit it was if we became kids again and remembered how much we loved the game.

My Unexpected Thinking Place

By Ryan Shell

It’s that place.

The one where you can go and let your mind wander.

And more importantly, it’s a healthy place.

When I lived in North Carolina, “that place” was sitting on my bike while out riding 40 or so miles. It was peaceful, and a way my mind, in some ways, became free.

Now that I live in New York City, escaping is much harder, but I’ve found my spot, and it’s probably not a place you’d expect.