The FYE Mindset: Responsibility Over Excuses
In this episode, Ryan Stewman breaks down the FYE Mindset—Fuck Your Excuses—and how it’s a personal mantra he lives by. Tattooed on his left hand as a constant reminder, FYE means taking full responsibility for your actions and situations, rather than making excuses. Ryan shares a recent story about firing a contractor who kept giving excuses instead of owning up to mistakes. He contrasts that with a deal he made years ago during COVID, where, despite circumstances beyond his control, he took responsibility for his promises and paid out $700,000 out of his own pocket.
Ryan’s key message is that when you take responsibility, you gain wisdom and grow stronger. Excuses, on the other hand, rob you of the chance to learn and improve. Success comes from owning your mistakes, learning from them, and committing to doing better moving forward.
Take responsibility, gain wisdom, and always rise above excuses.
Rise Above. 🇺🇸
In this episode, Ryan Stewman delivers a powerful message about overcoming life’s toughest challenges. Drawing from his own experiences—incarceration, divorce, homelessness, financial ruin, and even being told he’d never walk again after breaking his neck—Ryan explains how he’s refused to let the “force of average” or others’ limiting beliefs define him. Instead, he’s used every setback as fuel to fight harder.
Ryan emphasizes that no one is coming to save you—no government, no superhero, no rich relative. It’s up to you to take control of your own destiny, handle your struggles, and never quit, no matter how difficult life gets. He believes that, as people created in the image of God, we have the strength and ability to overcome every obstacle thrown our way. But most importantly, he encourages us to lean on that strength, not for miracles, but for the power to face life head-on and solve our own problems.
If you’re relentless in your pursuit of your goals, you can become a limitless, unstoppable individual.
Rise Above. 🇺🇸
Ryan Stewman dives into the relationship between knowledge and confidence and how it impacts our success. He explains that when we start something new—whether it’s a job, a business, or a career—we begin with high confidence and little knowledge. But as we learn more, our confidence tends to drop because we realize how much we don’t know. This is where many people get stuck and quit.
Ryan shares stories from the car and mortgage industries, showing how gaining more knowledge can shake your confidence in what you’re selling. But if you push through that dip, you’ll reach a point where your knowledge and confidence align, and you can master your craft.
The lesson? Don’t quit in the middle when things get tough. If you stick it out, you’ll gain the knowledge, confidence, and stability needed to succeed at a higher level than you ever thought possible.
Power through, gain confidence, and win bigger by staying the course.
Rise Above 🇺🇸
In this episode, Ryan Stewman tackles the common question: How do you balance work and family life? He shares his philosophy that “balance is bullshit”—as his mentor Tim Grover once told him, a balanced scale is at zero, and no one wants to be a zero. Instead of trying to balance everything perfectly, Ryan invests intentional, quality time into his family. He has a structured system that has worked for over 10 years:
• Weekly date night with his wife, where they disconnect from business and focus on each other.
• Family dinners with a “family huddle,” where each family member shares their highs and asks for prayers.
• Weekend adventures at the ranch with his kids, giving his wife some much-needed downtime.
Ryan makes it clear that success comes from investing quality time into your family, not chasing an impossible balance. If you want to maintain both a thriving business and meaningful relationships, structure your time and make family a priority.
Don’t aim for balance—create a system that works.
Rise Above 🇺🇸
Ryan Stewman channels Mike Tyson’s famous quote, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face,” and explains how it relates to entrepreneurship. He shares that no matter how carefully we plan, unexpected challenges will always come our way—whether it’s regulations, economic downturns, or other unforeseen obstacles. The real mark of an entrepreneur isn’t having the perfect plan, but the ability to take a hit, adjust, and keep moving forward.
Ryan likens it to a heist movie where, despite a hiccup like a teller pressing the alarm, the crew adjusts and follows through with the rest of the plan. He reminds us that getting “punched in the face” is inevitable, but the key to success is pushing through the setbacks, adapting to the situation, and getting back on track as quickly as possible.
When life throws you a curveball, take the hit, adjust, and get back to the plan.
Rise Above 🇺🇸
In this episode, Ryan shares the inspiring story of Dave Chappelle and how standing firm in his values led to one of the greatest comebacks in entertainment history. After creating one of the most innovative and successful TV shows of all time, The Chappelle Show, Dave walked away in Season 3 when producers pressured him to compromise his identity. For 10 years, he was dragged through the mud by the media, called crazy, and disappeared from the spotlight. But his perseverance paid off—he later landed a $50 million deal with Netflix, which became an even bigger success.
When you stay true to your core values, even in the face of criticism, the truth will eventually come to light, and success will follow. It may take time, but standing by your principles will always prevail in the end.
Stick to your values, never compromise, and always rise above.
Rise Above 🇺🇸
Ryan gets real about the impossibility of making everyone happy as both a human being and a business owner. He explains that if you aim for 100% satisfaction, you’re setting yourself up for failure and heartbreak. As your business or following grows, so does the chance that someone will be upset with you. Even with a near-perfect success rate, there will still be unhappy customers, and the same applies to your social media following—there will always be haters.
Ryan compares this to something as universally loved as ice cream—even ice cream can’t please everyone, whether it’s because someone’s lactose intolerant or simply prefers another flavor. The key is to do your best and realize that no one has a 100% satisfaction rate, no matter how hard they try. Bad reviews, complaints, and negative feedback are just part of the journey, and the bigger you get, the more likely you are to encounter them.
The lesson? Accept that you can’t make everyone happy and focus on making yourself happy.
Rise Above. 🇺🇸
In this episode, Ryan opens up about his journey to quitting weed after 30 years of smoking. He shares how the decision came after feeling that everything he wanted in life was on the other side of quitting. Ryan emphasizes that quitting wasn’t easy—it brought anxiety, anger, frustration, and even physical symptoms like insomnia and digestive issues. But as time went on, he began to see life more clearly, recognizing the improvements in his mental clarity, relationships, and focus.
Ryan’s message is simple: don’t think about quitting forever. Focus on quitting today and take it one day at a time. While the first 30 days might feel harder, the rewards start to show after that. If you feel like weed is holding you back, try quitting for 90 days, one day at a time, and see how much better your life can get.
Take it one day at a time, my friends.
Rise Above 🇺🇸
In this powerful episode, Ryan talks about the importance of having core values and high standards in life, something many people lack. He emphasizes that integrity is about staying true to your word, whether it’s positive or not, and holding others accountable to those standards. Ryan explains how people often get upset when they’re held to someone else’s standards, like when they try to match the level of someone like David Goggins, only to realize they can’t keep up. When faced with higher expectations, people might label those with standards as “assholes,” but Ryan makes it clear: if you stand for something, you can’t lower your standards just because others can’t meet them. Ultimately, it’s about sticking to your core values and not compromising, no matter what.
Adopt some standards and ride or die with them.
Rise Above 🇺🇸
In this raw and personal episode, Ryan shares a defining moment from his time in prison, just two weeks before his release. At one of the lowest points in his life, Ryan found himself in a tense situation with an inmate who tried to attack him, followed by an embarrassing moment where his fellow inmates rejected him at their table, forcing him to sit with the “outcasts.” This painful experience taught him a powerful lesson about standards: you can’t allow people who don’t align with your values or goals into your circle, as it can make you look weak and damage your integrity. Whether it’s in business or personal life, Ryan emphasizes the importance of surrounding yourself with the right people to stay strong and uphold your standards.
Keep your standards high and don’t let them sit with you.
Rise Above 🇺🇸
In this episode, I talk about how bad publicity isn’t the career-ender we often make it out to be. I share real stories from coaching calls and personal experience, showing that most people don’t care as much as we think when things go wrong. Whether it’s a bad review or social media hate, the truth is, it’s usually a small blip that doesn’t change the bigger picture. The key is to focus on your supporters, not the critics, because if people are talking about you, it’s usually a sign that you’re winning. Tune in to hear why any publicity can be good publicity and how to keep your focus where it matters. Rise Above 🇺🇸
In this episode, I’m hitting you with the hard truth: you can’t expect 2024 results with a 2022 work ethic. The world has changed, and the rules of success have changed with it. If you’re sitting around waiting for the economy to turn, for interest rates to drop, or for someone to fix the mess, you’re going to get left behind. I break down why it’s time to stop expecting handouts and start putting in 2, 3, 4 times the effort just to get ahead. It’s going to take more grit, focus, and intensity than ever before to thrive in this new reality. But for those of us willing to do the work, there’s still massive opportunity ahead. Tune in to learn how to level up your mindset and actions to make 2024 your breakthrough year, no matter the economic climate. Rise Above 🇺🇸
In this episode, I’m sharing one of my biggest fears—becoming a “used-to” person. You know the kind I’m talking about: the ones who live in the past, telling stories about what they used to be or used to do because they’ve stopped chasing greatness in the present. That’s not who I want to be, and I know you don’t either. I’ll walk you through how I turned my own “used-to” moments—like being in prison or broke—into fuel for success today. I’m here to challenge you to stop living in the past and start becoming a “right-now” motherf*cker. Everything you want is ahead of you, but you’ve got to grind for it. Let’s get to work! Rise Above 🇺🇸
In this episode, we dive deep into the power of struggle and how it can be a transformative force in our lives. Whether it’s in the gym, financially, or in everyday challenges, embracing adversity is the key to growth and success. We explore the mindset shift required to stop being victims of our struggles and instead become stronger and victorious. Learn how to “struggle well” and use life’s hardships as fuel to push past the “force of average” and reach your highest potential. Tune in for motivational insights that will challenge you to rethink how you face obstacles and chase greatness.
Alternate Identity | ReWire 1509