Ryan Millsan Empower by GoDaddy graduate and founder of a San Diego-based multimedia consulting firm Four M, spent most of his career in human resources services and sales. Finally he asked himself.
Feeling that something was missing in his career, he sought new opportunities to achieve the important financial goals he had planned for himself and his family.
“A light bulb went off in my head and I decided it was time to work backwards,” said Ryan. “I took a role as a marketing director for a mortgage company and after climbing the ladder realized I was doing this myself, so I started a business.”
However, Ryan’s first business was not successful. After identifying several reasons why his first business failed, including limiting his clientele to the food and beverage industry, he decided to try again.
“In February 2020, we launched Four-M, which stands for Mills, which stands for Media, Marketing, and Management, which is my last name,” Ryan shared. “We are a one-stop-shop for content creation. We provide video content, visual media, marketing services and campaigns, and manage our clients and their content. Our clients range from music artists, makeup artists, video production companies, and more. clients, all our services are under one roof.”
Ryan wants to expand his business in the next few years. “Because of COVID, I had a little bit of downtime and business leveled off.
“In the long term, I want to create a sustainable business that I can pass on to my son. , my perspective changes and it’s time to settle down, but I also find flexibility in my job and as a father. Being a business owner gives me the flexibility I need and my family It has inspired me to be my own boss.”
Like many businesses, when the pandemic hit, Ryan found he had more free time than he expected. When he came across his Empower by GoDaddy program, Better Business Bureau Serving the Pacific Southwesthe was intrigued by the opportunity to access free resources and support to expand 4-M’s digital presence, strengthen its business infrastructure, and foster a sense of community among other local business owners. .
“Empower by GoDaddy has allowed me to step back as an owner and appreciate my business more broadly,” says Ryan. “Then I had the opportunity to learn from other participants about the ups and downs they faced in starting a business. The community that was built from our group sessions and what we were able to learn from each other – that’s what was most rewarding.”
Business growth is not without challenges. Ryan shared that the hardest part of being an entrepreneur is pushing the start button. “Once you start your business, the next hurdle is to come up with a business plan. Before Empower, I was very confident in my business strategy, but I was worried about the risks and how months or quarters could go wrong. It can actually be tempting to deflate and reset when you start thinking about where your business would be if it wasn’t, but now that you’ve overcome that challenge, I feel prepared for all sorts of scenarios. I have.”
Ryan continued, “There’s a lot of talk about inflation and the possibility of a recession. If there’s one thing we’ve learned through our involvement with the pandemic and Empower, it’s strengthening our infrastructure and business plans. Scale up or scale. It can adapt to most situations, even when down is required.”
A personable and charismatic, Ryan often acquires his customers through networking and face-to-face meetings, and the challenges of COVID, and the move to a fully virtual model, have reduced traffic to business leads and his services. Less. He said Empower has enabled him to circle and rebuild the network he needed to keep his business growing.
“Empower has taught me a critical new digital strategy to win clients. We were able to convert and create such a ‘brick and mortar’ online and open up to clients across the country,” Ryan shared.
For those interested in starting their own business, Ryan recommends “just push the start button.”
“It’s a big challenge, but you have to stick to the script, set yourself tight deadlines, and don’t be too hard on yourself. Just get started!” “There’s a lot to navigate, including applying for an LLC online, getting a business license, and buying a domain with GoDaddy. I love buying your domain so quickly.”
August was National Black Business Month. Ryan believes empowering black business owners is key to stimulating the economy. “I strongly encourage more people in the black community to start businesses,” he said. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to share our voices and stories.”
Empower by GoDaddy Spotlight Series: Empower by GoDaddy partners with nonprofits in different regions of the world to reach previously inaccessible people by providing skills training, resources and mentoring to accelerate their business journey We aim to This article is part of our Empower by GoDaddy spotlight series that shines a light on the individuals who make this unique initiative possible.