Ryan Erickson: The Four Pillars of a Successful Life

Episode Summary

In this episode of The Brian Green Show, I sit down with Ryan Erickson, an entrepreneur, CEO coach, and founder of Fulcrum, to talk about what it really takes to build a successful business without sacrificing the things that matter most in life.

Ryan has spent more than 20 years working with CEOs and businesses of all sizes, helping leaders navigate growth, leadership, and difficult business challenges. We talk about his journey from working at EMC to starting his own consulting company—and how taking action before he had everything figured out ultimately led to his first major client.

But this conversation goes far beyond business. Ryan shares his perspective on faith, family, leadership, personal growth, and finding success in all areas of life. He explains why he believes confidence should come from your intentions rather than your results, why great leaders need to become masterful listeners, and why surrounding yourself with people who are smarter than you can accelerate your growth.

We also talk about Ryan's faith and how his belief in God influences the way he leads, works with CEOs, raises his family, and thinks about success. His philosophy is simple: success isn't just about building a great business—it's about becoming a better person while you're doing it.

Key Takeaways

• Take action before you have all the answers. Ryan's first company started before he had a perfect business plan or even a first customer. Taking the leap created the opportunity to figure things out along the way. 
• Confidence shouldn't depend on your results. Ryan believes confidence based on success and failure will constantly fluctuate. Instead, build confidence around your intentions—who you are and why you're doing what you're doing. 
• Learn to become a masterful listener. Great leaders aren't simply waiting for their turn to speak. They listen without judgment, ask better follow-up questions, and genuinely try to understand another person's perspective. 
• Challenge your own perspective. Ryan explains that leaders become better when they're willing to listen to different viewpoints. Sometimes you change your mind; other times, your original perspective becomes stronger. Either way, you learn. 
• Success requires more than business. Ryan believes people need to invest in four areas of life: physical health, relationships and family, finances/business, and spirituality. 
• Get comfortable being uncomfortable. One of Ryan's core leadership principles is learning to operate effectively when things aren't easy or certain. 
• Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you. Ryan believes great leaders continually work on themselves and intentionally put themselves around people who have knowledge and experience they don't have. 
• Your team is your leadership “game film.” One of the best ways for a leader to evaluate themselves is to look at the people around them. Are the people who report to you thriving, growing, and becoming better? 
• Faith can create a powerful foundation for leadership. Ryan shares how his belief in God shapes his confidence, his vision for the future, and the way he approaches both business and life. 
• Don't just listen to yourself—talk to yourself. Ryan's closing lesson is about replacing fear and doubt with intentional encouragement and positive self-talk.