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Ryan Averys 2017

Ryan Avery: 17 in 17 in 2017

By Motivation No Comments

Here are the 17 events in 17 photos that best describe my 2017. What are yours? Use #17in17in2017 to connect with others and share your year in 17 photos!

Ryan Avery's Family

The Avery Family (Penny is the one next to me)

Finding Aunt Penny

I have never been more surprised in my life! Earlier this year we found out that my grandmother had another daughter and after 33 years of searching, Penny, my long-lost aunt, found us and I am so glad she did! My father now has an older sister, my mom now has another sister-in-law and me and my sister have another aunt! Crazy!  (Yes, this caption deserves that many !)
Ryan Avery Keynotes at GLC 2017

Keynoting in Frankfurt, Germany for The Global Leadership Conference

75 Keynotes

I am beyond grateful for what I get to do for a living. Speaking allows me to provide for my family, work with thousands of leaders around the world teaching them how to be strategic communicators and every day in an unbelievable adventure. With my daughter turning one this year, Chelsea and I have decided that I will be capping my keynotes at 75 events a year. This allows me to spend enough time on the road and be back enough for my family. I have 52 keynotes booked for 2018 so far and looking forward to securing the other 23 soon!

Ryan Avery Cooking

One of my many cooking classes this year 🙂

Cooking New Foods

From homemade Baklava to vanilla Macaroons, this year was full of baking, decorating and eating! This is my creative hobby/outlet and allows me to dream, create and produce and the best part is, each time I create something it gets eaten which means it goes away and does not have to stay in the house! Cooking/Baking is the perfect hobby for those of us who don’t like clutter!
Ryan Avery and James Goodnow MM

Me and James at our Book Launch Party!

Motivating Millennials

I am so proud of this book and everyone who helped make it a #1 best-seller. I am even happier that I got to co-author this book with my friend and amazing Harvard-Educated Lawyer, James Goodnow. James is a great guy, super knowledgable and the perfect co-author for Motivating Millennials. Thank you to everyone who purchased a copy, wrote a review and more importantly implemented the strategies found in the book!
Ryan Avery and Carole Roemer

Me and Carole with our inspiration (Atlas) 🙂

YES, OH YES, SHE DID

Wow was this book fun to write! After hiding it as a surprise with Atlas’ great-grandmother (Carole) for more than 6 months we published our first children’s book together. I am so thankful for everyone who bought a copy and 100% of the profits from this book go to non-profits supporting young girls around the world. We wrote our first $1,000 check to Girls, Inc. of Metro Denver.
Ryan Avery and Chelsea Avery at Tom Petty

Me and Chelsea at Tom Petty’s 2nd to last show

Chelsea

From flying to Beverly Hills for the night to see Tom Petty’s 2nd to last show to keynoting together in NY we had one heck of a year together. I enjoyed our dates, massages, parenting, running AveryToday, Inc, walks, working out and so much more with you this year babe! I am looking forward to 2018 (and 93 more years) and so glad I get to live our life together!
Ryan Avery 70.3 IRONMAN

TEXAS + IRONMAN = AWESOME

70.3 IRONMAN

All I want to say about a 70.3 is that it is 10x better than a 140.6 🙂 Got to do a race down in my home state this year and am so thankful I have the health, money, time and energy to race in these competitions. It keeps me fit and challenges me to be healthier and better. I use everything that I experience as an IRONMAN and implement it in my daily life. Excited for our relay next year 😉
Ryan Avery's Dinner Parties

Asian Theme Poker Party (Each month is a difference theme)

House Parties

From AMAZING poker parties to my Grammy’s 90th Birthday party, we used our house this year as THE house for parties and I am so thankful we did. Having parties make you realize how much your parents spent on you as a kid and how much hard work entertaining is. I hope we get to have even more parties in 2018.
The Avery Family

The Avery Family in Hawaii

Travel

This was an epic year of traveling. From spending my birthday weekend with my family in Hawaii to spending two weeks keynoting in the UK with Atlas and Chelsea! I knocked some states off my list like New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut and New Jersey and now have 4 more states to visit before I have keynoted in all 50.

 

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Our inside dinning room table

The Dinner Table

From the flower arrangements to the recipes this year to the place settings and the guest, we got to entertain our friends and family so many times this year at our dinning room table and outside table on our deck. This table means a lot to me because it was the first real piece of future Chelsea and I bought and every time I look at it, it makes me feel so proud and like an adult.
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Night diving with my sister in Honolulu

Scuba Diving with Manta Rays

Hands down one of the coolest experiences of my life! I have been waiting five years to do this dive and I finally got to do it. Any the cherry on top? I got to do it with my amazing sister. What an unbelievable out-of-body experience. Scuba diving with 13 Manta Rays at night.
Ryan Averys Backyard

I mean look at my dog…

Gardening

I am not going to lie, gardening is way harder than I thought 🙂 On our property we have plums, grapes, apples, quince, hops, strawberries, so many herbs and more variety of plants, flowers and trees than we can count. It was a blast learning about what we have and how to take care of them. It was even more fun to see Atlas enjoy the yard and spend quality time together outside in the sunshine!

Ryan Avery and Atlas Avery

This smile makes me smile 🙂

Atlas Turning One

How in the heck is Atlas one? It has been SUCH an epic year being a dad and am so glad she is in our life. I can say with 100% certainty as much sleep as I did NOT get this year she is worth every hour of sleep lost and besides marrying Chelsea the best decision I have ever made!
Ryan Avery and Chelsea Avery Office

Part of our new headquarters

The New AveryToday, Inc. Headquarters

Game changer! We built an external office for us to work because come to find out working from home with a toddler is near impossible. Now we have our own space with no kids allowed and gives us the place needed to run AveryToday, Inc.
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12,000 feet up!

Paragliding with My Dad

I cannot wait to do this again. One of the coolest experiences. If you have not done this, add it to the top of your bucket list and make it happen at least once. You literally feel like you are flying with the birds.
Ryan Avery Family

We had a lot of meals out on the deck this year!

Family

I am so blessed to have the family that I do. From family trips to bike rides with my dad to meals with my mom to seeing my sister and aunts/grammy/cousin more than we ever have. To seeing the eclipse in Kansas City with all my in-laws to having my amazing mom/dad and mother in law/step-father-in-law and father-in-law help so much with Atlas all the way to random family dinners. Family is the most important thing in this world and I am so thankful I get to spend my life with mine.
Ryan Avery's Friends

BFFs who hid in a trunk to pop out so they could surprise me!

Friends

From Andrew, Jef and Marcos flying down from Texas and NYC for my book signing, to Cassie meeting us in San Fran, to dinner night with Jimmy and Steph to Devin and Jessica to my BFFs Matt and Alison giving me of the best surprises ever to sending magnets to Martin to my accountability buddy Taryn to my Facebook buddies and college roommate David to all my friends I got to meet in cities that I flew into for the night, this year has made me realize how lucky I am to have the friends that I do!
I am very thankful for 2017 and looking forward to 2018! Thank you to everyone who made 2017 special!  I hope you had a great year and I am looking forward to seeing your #17in17in2017
Definition of Leadership

What’s The Definition of a Leader?

By Motivation 2 Comments

Here is my definition of a leader:

Leader: Someone whose actions, inspire others to take action. 

You don’t need a title, money or power to be a leader. When you do something, say something or share something that gets someone else to take action, in my book you are a leader!

The world needs more leaders now than ever. Take time this week to take action on something you have been wanting to do and see who you inspire, motivate and lead!

What is your definition? Share, like or comment to get the conversation started! As always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

Ryan Avery Scuba diving

Why Leaders Should Be Adventure Seekers

By Adventure No Comments

I recently had the opportunity to go scuba diving at Ocean Park in Hong Kong. When you visit, I highly recommend you go and be prepared to spend the entire day there because it has a lot to offer!

I was giving a couple speeches in Hong Kong and instead of hopping from hotel to hotel I thought I would be adventurous in-between speeches.

You are 2 feet away from hammer head sharks and hundreds of other fish!

You are 2 feet away from hammer head sharks and hundreds of other fish!

I knew Ocean Park was one of the top rated tourist attractions in the world, so I reached out to the theme park’s PR department to ask if I could scuba dive with the hammerhead sharks, manta rays and more than 5,000 other fish they have in their 2.5 million gallon grand aquarium.

A week later, they said yes and granted me access to a behind-the-scene tour of how the aquarium works and an up close and personal experience with the animals.

Just in case you want to know what a manta ray eats.

Just in case you want to know what a manta ray eats.

Wherever I go, I enjoy doing adventurous things (skydiving, white water rafting or rock climbing) for a variety of reasons. When we as leaders and speakers become adventure seekers it allows us to:

Meet New People: As leaders, the more people we know, the more people we can help. Being a good leader means you are good at building relationships. I think if more people traveled, the world would be a better place because you learn that your way is not the right way or the only way, rather it is the way that works for you. As leaders we need to meet more people so we can make better decisions, expand our thinking and continue to learn.

Create New Stories: There are people who think that your life is what it is and you can’t do much to change it; you have to play the cards that you are dealt. Well I say, if you don’t like your cards, play a different card game. A card game that allows you to have the winning hand! We can create our own stories, we don’t have to wait for them to come to us! What story have you been waiting to create? Go out there and make it happen!

Enjoy New Experiences: Sometimes we get stuck in routine. That is where boredom can sink in. We as leaders need to be trying, exploring and having new experiences on a regular basis to keep our minds fresh, our perspective open and to see all the world has to offer outside of our own little bubble. What is one experience you can create for yourself this week that will let you grow as a leader?

My friends at D89 joined us on the adventure and they were so amazing. They showed Chelsea and I around the entire city after we got done. They hosted one of our events, took us to a party and were so gracious to host us while we were in Hong Kong (Thank you Derek)! All of D89 is amazing and I learned a lot from them.

So the next time you are feeling less than motivated or you feel like you are searching for something to do in life, instead of drowning in self doubt, build up the courage to ask, do and try! Who knows where it will take you?

Thank you to the team at Ocean Park for the awesome experience and to Donna for making it happen! I can’t wait to come back and visit and to see what my next adventure will be.

Remember it’s the dreamers who take action that change our world. Take advantage of today, plan for tomorrow and always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

Ryan Avery - New cafeteria with new tables

INFOGRAPHIC: Where Do You Sit in The Leadership Lunchroom?

By Motivation No Comments

Because you enjoyed last week’s infographic and because my high school reunion is a week away, I thought I would share another infographic today by MBC! This time, it helps us identify what type of leadership style we are drawn too more! Which one are you?

Ryan Avery - 11-killer tips to stop saying um forever

11 Killer Tips to Stop Saying “Um” Forever

By Communication One Comment

Do you use filler words like “um,” “so,” and “like” when you speak? Check out this infographic from

11-killer-tips-to-stop-saying-um-forever_550accd4c23ad

Ryan Avery speech in Australia

12 Speeches in 12 Days with 12 Photos

By Motivation No Comments

I got to speak 12 times in Australia for the first time and had a blast! Here are 12 photos with 12 reminders from my 12 days in the Outback!

Photo #1: Our first ever international speech together!
Note: Australia was the first part of our

Reminder: There is power in partnerships!

Ryan and Chlesea speaking in Australia

Photo #2: Dancing after a long day of work
Note: This photo is embarrassing but also makes me smile. One of the best parts of being a speaker is being able to meet the people and hang out with the people that you spoke to that day. The members of D17 were so welcoming, generous and kind that we had to dress up in their “Gold Rush” theme and join them on the dance floor!
Reminder: Dance your heart out every now and again!

Ryan Avery - The Averys Dancing
Photo #3: Having offices around the world

Note: One of my favorite things about being an entrepreneur is that you can work from anywhere around the world. We had the complete pleasure of having Bill and Debbie take us around the Swan Valley in Perth to show us wineries, breweries, coffee shops and more, all while I snuck in some emails and enjoyed the view!
Reminder: Sometimes you get more done when you are out of your traditional office.

Ryan Avery - The Averys Office

Photo #4: Meeting a fellow BIG dreamer
Note: This man is walking from Perth to Sydney (more than 5,000 KM) to raise awareness for heart disease! He had a BIG dream and decided to go after it. I love meeting people like this! The world needs more people to go after their BIG dreams!
Reminder: He literally embodies the saying, “A journey of 1,000 miles (or 5,000 KM) begins with a single step!”

Ryan Avery Dreaming BIG with others
Photo #5: Feeding kangaroos for the first time

Note: I have officially decided if any zoo around the world is looking for foster parents of a tamed kangaroo, we will be glad to take them! Now I understand the wild ones can be a bit of a pest but these kangaroos were born in captivity and were so freaking cute I almost put one in my pocket to take home!
Reminder: Take time to visit local attractions the next time you are in a different city.

Ryan Avery - The Avery's Feeding Kangaroos
Photo #6: Eating Kangaroos 

Note: Oh Australia! I just love how you eat your own national animal. Not only do you eat kangaroo, you feed the meat to your cats and dogs! 
Reminder: We say “Don’t mess with Texas” where I am from… but maybe we should start saying “Don’t mess with Australia!”

Ryan Avery - Kangaroo Meet
Photo #7: Missing our puppy 

Note: We have been gone for more than three weeks and we are really missing our puppy. Our friends who have been taking care of her while we are gone keep sending us photos (Thank you Allison and Alison) and this one melted my heart! 
Reminder: Treat your pets well.

Ryan Avery - Sugar Avery
Photo #8: Trying Vegemite 

Note: Not my favorite! I am not going to lie… I miss a good ole’ PB&J right about now!
Reminder: Try the local favorites at least once! It is part of the adventure!

Ryan Avery eating Vegemite
Photo #9: Dreaming BIG with C.Y. O’Connor

Note: We had our first successful webinar with the Map to Dreaming BIG team and were inspired by the story of C.Y. O’Connor. His ability to take an idea and make it real, even when others (most) doubted him is inspiring! 
Reminder: Go after your BIG dreams! The world needs you!

The Averys Dream BIG
Photo #10: Getting to feel like a rockstar 

Note: After I got done speaking at Technology Park, the meeting planner asked if I could sign one of the posters so they could frame it and hang it up in the office. I am not going to lie Emma… you made me feel like a rockstar and thank you for being an A+ event coordinator! 
Reminder: Enjoy the moments in life that make your heart beat fast and when your smile reaches your ears.

Ryan Avery - Signing the Poster
Photo #11: The SUPER PIT in Kalgoorlie 

Note: 220 stories below the ground this can be considered as the Grand Canyon of Australia; one of the largest gold mines in the world! Fascinating to see and learn more about and to understand the history of what made this town so great!
Reminder: You have to dig deep to find gold!

Ryan Avery - The SuperPit in Kalgoorlie
Photo #12: My first professional speech in Australia 

Note: Thank you so much Technology Park for inviting me to speak and work with your entrepreneurs and leaders. They had a 300+ audience fill the room. I got the opportunity to share with leaders the power of storytelling and what it can do for their business, teams and  families!
Reminder: When you work hard to do work you love, it doesn’t feel like work!

Ryan Avery in Perth
Remember to stop waiting for things to happen and make things happen! Thank you again to the members of D17 for making this a life-time memory and we can’t wait to be back in the Outback soon! As always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

 

Ryan Avery Speaking at a Conference

A Quick Reminder

By Motivation 2 Comments

I have been moving at what feels like 1,000 miles per hour this past week while speaking in Australia for the first time!

We have had a blast while being here in D17; gambling, brothels, creating new friendships and more! (Photos and lessons learned along the way to come next week. Oh and yes, I said brothels)! 

I woke up feeling so stressed this morning as I had four talks to give today and I wanted to make sure I was ready for them all!

Having a mini-freak out, Chelsea reminds me to: Pause (breathe). Remind myself where I am (Australia). Remember time will pass (True).

This week: Pause. Remind yourself where you are. Remember time passes.

What I am upset about today is that although I feel like I did my best, I didn’t do the best job of being in the moment to enjoy it. I stressed about going from one speech to the next and now it is 10pm in Australia and my day is over. The speeches are over and I never get this day back.

I am in a new place, enjoying great conversations with awesome people and I’m with my wife! I love having days where I get to speak, teach and meet new people! So I (we) should enjoy every moment we get like this. Don’t you think?

A quick reminder for us all: Enjoy the moment. 

Can’t wait to share with you what else I have learned while being in Australia (great group of people these Aussies are)! Remember to keep taking advantage of today (enjoy the moment), plan for tomorrow and as always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

Books Leaders Should Read

10 Books Aspiring Leaders In Their 20s Should Read

By Leadership 7 Comments

I wish I would have started reading at an earlier age, but it is never too late! As we develop our leadership skills, we can learn from others who have put their wisdom into written words. Here are 10 books aspiring leaders in their 20s should read:

7 Habits of Highly Effective People

The Alchemist

Tribes

Lean In

Letters from Leaders

Leaders Eat Last

Strengths Finder

The Five Love Languages

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership

If you read and implement even three of these books while you are in your 20s you will be light-years ahead of your peers and one day soon be the leader running a Fortune 500 company, global non-profit, or creating the “next big thing” that will change our world! Happy reading and as always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

Ryan Avery - 5 Ps To a Perfect Proposal

The Five Ps To a Perfect Proposal

By Motivation, Uncategorized 2 Comments

Starting out I wasn’t getting the results I wanted nor the revenue a full-time speaker really needed to make ends meet. I had proposals in the hands of the right people, but nothing was popping up. I knew my content was valuable to professionals, but those who were buying weren’t biting.

I had to be doing something wrong when writing or delivering proposals to potential clients.

I dove in. I asked questions. I researched, read, wrote and re-wrote my proposals. After weeks of formulating a formula, I tested it on my first client. The next week I landed my first BIG five-figure contract.

How did this proposal differ from the others I was sending? It was a formula you can use that I like to call the 5 Ps To a Perfect Proposal:

State Your Position: What is your take on an issue, a problem, or a belief you have? What experience do you have with it? Why does it matter to you?

Identify The Problem: What problem is your target audience facing that they need help solving?

Give a Process: What process will you take them through to fix this problem?

Offer a Product: What do they need to buy in order to fix this? A keynote, a training, a book, a six-week course?

Illustrate the Priority: What happens if they don’t fix this problem? What will their business look like, and why does it need to happen now? Why are you the one they should go with versus someone else?

This simple formula has helped me land larger clients and get more ‘yeses’. This simple to use, simple to read, and simple to understand formula has resonated with several of my clients and created significant income for my business.

So, the next time you write a proposal state your position, identify the problem, give a process, offer a product, and let them know why this is a priority. Hope that helps. Keep using your voice to make a difference! As always…

Dream BIG,

Ryan

Ryan Avery turns 28

28 Things I Know For Sure at 28

By Motivation 4 Comments

This week I celebrate my 28th birthday. Along the way I have experienced loss, joy, friendship, family, love, hate, disgust, accomplishment and gratitude.

I have loved and been loved. I have hurt and been hurt. I have spoken up when I should have and I have remained silent when I shouldn’t have! Inspired by my wife’s article, I thought I would share the 28 things I know for sure at 28:

You are the only one who is in control of how you feel.

Everyone has leadership potential but only a select few harness it.

The most powerful weapon on the planet is your voice and the most powerful ammo are your actions.

A marriage will work when you communicate often and remain intimate with your best friend.

Take a honeymoon every year. 

The bigger the dream, the bigger the reward! 

“Many people die at 25 but don’t get buried until they are 75.” – Ben Franklin

“If you are not having fun you are not doing it right.” – Jay Nodine

Do what you can while you can.

Friends come and go.

90% of the problems you have are 100% related to how well you communicate! 

Don’t let one thing, ruin the whole thing.

Success is a feeling, not a destination.

Success is not about looking good, it’s about doing good.

It’s very easy to learn, its very difficult to do.

Those who are really good at what they do, really care about what they do.

The only competition is you.

“It’s not about living forever, it’s about creating something that will.” – Chuck Palahniuk 

Who you were is not who you have to be.

How you practice is how you play.

Those who win will occasionally have epic fails, but those who never try are guaranteed to always lose!

You can’t make more money until you know how to manage the money you already have.

Live below your means.

Giving 10% of your income will help feed your soul.

I wish more people traveled.

Before anyone else is going to believe you, you have to believe you.

An awesome way to make your business successful, is to make your family successful first.

It’s the dreamers who take action that change our world.

At your age, what is one thing that you know for sure? Comment below and share this article with others if you agree with one of the above. Let’s learn from one another and see what advice we can get from others! Thanks for reading and as always…

Dream BIG,

Ryan

How to Create An Elevator Pitch They’ll Remember

How to Create An Elevator Pitch They’ll Remember

By Motivation 2 Comments

You know that person who, when you ask them, “What do you do?” they ramble on for five minutes? Please don’t be that person!

Here is how you can create an 8-second elevator pitch they will remember, they will like, and that will give them clarity on what you do.

Plug in this formula:

I work with… (who)
Who want to/are looking to… (do what)

By… (how)

For example:
I work with high-level executives
Who want to win high-stake presentations
By teaching them the strategies I used to win the World Championship of Public Speaking

My wife’s elevator pitch is:
I work with wives
Who want to have a good relationship with their spouse
By sharing stories, strategies, and insights on my blog at thenewwifestyle.com

What’s yours?

People remember things that are simple! The simpler you make it, the better chance you have they will remember you and what you do! Use this formula the next time someone asks you, “What do you do?” and see the response you get and the conversation that begins! As always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

P.S. We are going to share how you can take this formula to the next level with the members of The Map to Dreaming BIG.