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Ryan Healy is a recent college graduate. He is a founder of 
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New here? Employee Evolution is a blog written by Ryan Healy. Ryan is a Co-Founder of Brazen Careerist, the webs #1 social network for young professionals. Ryan speaks with organizations on best practices for recruiting and retaining Generation Y and how to effectively use social media to reach your target market. To contact Ryan, please visit our contact page.
It hit me. It was time to do something big with Employee Evolution. We needed to take it full time.
At dinner, on my quarterly business trip to Indianapolis I contemplated my next move. When I returned to the hotel, I began to research similar sites. What made them BIG? What was their revenue model? How could we get funding? Then, as fate would have it, my phone rang.
It was Penelope Trunk. I assumed she was calling about my weekly post on her blog. I couldn’t be more wrong.
She asked me if I ever thought about teaming up our sites.
“Kind of,” I said.
The truth was, I thought about collaborating on a bunch of projects with Penelope. Maybe a book, possibly consulting work, but I never thought she would want to acquire us.
Still, I understood why she wanted to – she was scared. In a recent BusinessWeek article I became the primary source, while she was quoted in the shadows. The guy she had been promoting, mentoring and teaching was stealing the spotlight.
All jokes aside, she recognized potential. Something bigger was on the horizon and the best way to make it happen was to assemble our resources and start a network working with Penelope full time.
With that said, I’d like to proudly announce the new company, Brazen Careerist, Inc. We haven’t yet acquired our URL, but things have been in the works since July, and I have to admit, it’s a huge relief to finally tell the world.
Our goal is to create a network of career-related blogs geared toward Gen-Y. We’ll be launching with a small, base network that, with time, will become the go-to site for all things career.
Our future goals know no bounds. We will be launching a jobs section with a distinctive spin, bringing companies that aim to evolve the workplace for the better straight to the employees seeking them out. Shortly after the initial launch, we’ll be unveiling an array of other features that we know you will find extremely useful.
Heeding our own advice, Ryan Paugh and I are ditching our big-city lives and heading west to Madison, WI, where we will set up shop and be able to work face-to-face with Penelope on a daily basis.
We’re a little nervous, extremely excited and undecided on the harsh winters. But our bags are packed and we’re ready to go. By the time our leases run out on September 30, we’ll already be in the mid-west. So here’s to the journey!
Thanks to all of our supporters over the past six months – we hope you’ll continue to join us for the ride.
Leave your thoughts here. (38 responses)
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Congrats, guys, and best of luck as you get things up and running.
Wow Ryan, congrats! You guys must be extremely excited. I guess you really don’t enjoy the safe route as you suggested in yesterdays post. I applaud you guys for picking up and moving on. It’s not an easy thing to do. Bigger and better things to come! Keep up the great work!
Congrats - I’ve really enjoyed the concept and content of both websites in the past and am excited to see what happens with your new partnership!
Congratulations Ryans! I been following for about a month and will for sure continue
Congratulations guys, and good luck…
That sounds like a lot of fun. I know I talk to Paugh more than I’ve had a chance to interact with you, but you guys have taken the right steps and seem to have arrived at a great opportunity.
Penelope is savvy. She’s someone worth teaming up with, and I expect that you guys will have a blast.
Madison is the new [fill in the black] Coast
Congratulations, guys, we’ll be here to welcome you!
Ryan,
Congratulations!
I’ve followed you through Penelope’s blog and have enjoyed your posts. Although I’m 47, and I don’t fit the demographic/psycho graphic, I have many Xers and Yers in my life - my kids in school and many personal and professional friends.
I look forward to your progress and success.
Any way I can help?
David
Thanks for all the kind words. We will be sure to keep everyone updated on our progress.
Dale - See you in Madison!
-Ryan
Wow, Ryans, that’s so cool. I follow both yours and Penelope’s blogs and was electrified by your announcements. Although I am closer to her age than yours, I write the Publishing Careers blog for Gen Y/milennials who are interested in careers in book publishing (publishingcareers.blogspot.com). Let me know if you want me to join your network of blogs in the future!
Congrats and best of luck–the Midwest rocks!
Wow, that’s really exciting, well done guys. I’ve been following your posts with great interest for some time now, and I’m really looking forward to seeing what you come up with in your new (ad)venture. Can’t think of a better time to be part of this generation!
Ryan & Ryan - Congratulations! You have an inspiring story of success: breaking the mold and pursuing your dreams. I can’t be more happy for you! (except the whole Madison, WI thing… still not sure I quite “get” it)
I look forward to chatting with you all sooner than later.
Hey, Madison is a beautiful place–it’s kind of a big college town, with lakes on two sides. There’s great food, lots of artsy stuff, a young college-type crowd, and it consistently gets rated high on all those “quality of life” features. You’ll love it. Congrats!
good luck gentlemen
Wow I just came from Penelope Trunk’s site. She had a funny way of describing your partnership Ryan. Great chemistry between you two. You got all the makings of a great and dynamic partnership. Good luck with your new venture! I wish you all the best!
Sweet deal guys. Super exciting. Hopefully I’ll be the next millennial to ditch the day job and go at it. Till then I’ll pump out the 9-5 and then the at home extra work to make it work. Looking forward to seeing it all unfold!
Hmm, just had another read of this post, and Penelope’s post too, and being the true reflector that I am have returned to weigh in with a more considered response
You guys have done really well for yourselves and I wish you every success for the future. I reckon this opportunity will go a long way towards bringing the whole Gen Y and workplace change thing into the spotlight, so lots of your readers have a vested interest in seeing you do well!
A timely juncture for some feedback now, if I may
I think it’s cool that you guys provoke reactions from all sides on this blog and also over at Brazen Careerist, and I get that that’s often the point of what you’re at i.e. generating discussion. Personally it’s never really bothered me that I’ve rarely agreed with you. (This 28 year old often finds the conclusions you draw so far off base that she’s rarely motivated to post a response… or even check this blog’s feed on a regular basis, if she’s honest!) What keeps me coming back is that great spark of recognition I get when you describe the situations you find yourselves, and especially your friends in. That’s not something I get on many blogs about the workplace.
You do come a bit too close to being caricatures of yourselves though. I value this generation’s confidence, go-getting attitude and self-belief as much as anyone my age, but it would be a real shame to see you fall into the trap of the clichéd and stereotypical behaviour that is expected of us (cf. list of outlandish behaviours listed by angry Baby Boomers or even Gen X-ers the world over). I’d love to see you working on showing a little more finesse than that, on not believing your own hype (at least, not *all* of it
) and just generally showing that we’re *not* all substance and no style (no pressure there, then!)
Anyway, my 2p worth.
Sarah
Wow.
Madison. OUTSTANDING! Just a few miles from “the only Waunakee in the world”. Worked there for a couple of years. Wonderful place to live - but bring your long underwear or you’ll freeze it off. I guess, though, not much different than PA. I grew up and lived within 60 miles of MadCity for over 30 years. You’ll love State Street.
After selling franchises for over 10 years and working with truly entrepreneurial people here is what I’ve learned:
It will take twice as long as you think.
It will be three times as hard as you can imagine.
It may take four times the money you planned on.
It will be ten times worth it all when you look back 5 years from now.
Take it from someone 53 years old, Ryans. Network with the best and you’ll not only steal their ideas, you’ll share some of yours with them and everyone wins.
Make sure you come to the Kennedy Conference in Orlando in November or go to the one in Vegas in May. (Here is a tough choice - get warm or drink for free. duh) I met Steven Rothberg, the founder of CollegeRecruiter.com there. He was at Valpak two weeks ago and we are doing some cool things with him. He was where you are today and can help.
Feel free to call me or e-mail me. Simply e-mail: valpakmark@valpak.com
Go light it up!
Remember, you have a friend in PA.
Best wishes!
Ray
Congratulations to both of you, Ryan P. & Ryan H.!!! I know that you both worked very hard to get to this point, and it shows in your great work. I wish you both much success, and a continued great partnership with each other and with Penelope Trunk. You guys are the best!!! Go for it!!!
Ryan P and Ryan H.,
Since RayC was on the subject of friends… just thought I’d let you know that you got a friend over here in the Philippines too! Or at least an admirer. if ever you are in the Philippines, be sure to drop me a line. ^_^ Would be happy to show you guys around. Take care!
Kudos!
Love the description. This sounds like a wonderful, powerful direction.
Go entrepreneurs!
Best,
Senia
Wow, I’ve been mia for a little while and everything is changed! That’s so awesome, can’t wait to see where you guys and Penelope take the project. I wish I had more time to read and write on the blogs but being back in a full semester of classes and Girl Scouts are taking up a majority of my time.
Best of luck and such!
Can’t wait to see where you guys go with this. I’d say “good luck” but I don’t believe in luck. So instead, take care and enjoy the ride!
Hey Ryan,
Great concept and I’ll be keeping a close eye on the deal - enjoy your posts and will continue to read and check out the new site as it becomes available…
Congratulations!
Wow, Ryans, this is big news! Congratulations. You have gone so far in such a short time. You should be really proud.
Please let me know when you get to Madison. I would love to meet you in person (I’m in Chicago). As I told Penelope, I’m happy to help with your new venture in any way I can.
When the next recession hits (and it will), all the crowing about how Gen Y-ers are some new paradigm in the job market will evaporate, much like the ego of the Gen-Xers (of which I am one) did when the last recession hit. Despite claims otherwise, most of the success Gen Y-ers are having right now starting companies or job hopping is related to simply supply and demand mismatches. Easy credit fueled an economic expansion, which required lots of new workers, creating more demand than supply. This makes it an “employees” market. Some people will get lucky for a while, but it will return to “normal” soon enough.
It’s not because Gen Y-ers actually have something special(er) to offer, but just like 1999, companies need warm bodies to fill the chairs. Once again, people are confusing correlation (I get a big raise every time I switch jobs) with causation (must because of the new employment paradigm where employers have to cater to my every entrepreneurial whim). I see this all the time with the Gen Y-ers that I manage. They can’t “stand” a minute of downtime or working on an “uninteresting” project that doesn’t “further their career”. Anything that the company requires but that they don’t want to do is some kind of affront to their aspirations so they should just be able to ignore it.
I’ve lived through/survived two of these cycles already in the last 20 years, and it’s the same every time. I too believed in my own “specialness” until it was proven otherwise. This didn’t make my crawl up in a ball and go home, but the perspective lead to a realization that I was an a*hole, basically, much like the Ryans and most of the blog posters here who think that they’ve little to learn from anyone besides their friends on Facebook or insert-snazzy-new-web2.0-service-here. There’s a glimmer of valuable content contained in their writing/rantings, but it’s obscured by the attitude of entitlement and the obnoxious ego of people who’ve never had to suffer through an actual failure in their life (usually it’s mommy and daddy coming in to the rescue).
When Ryan and all his buddies are on the unemployment line (and they will be, along with some of the rest of us) I don’t expect mea culpas, but a return to the normal sanity of a balanced market, where people who work hard, gain valuable skills and demonstrate their ability to work well with others are the ones who get the best offers.
Cricket,
Thanks for the comment. I’m glad you see a glimmer of valuable content in our posts. I understand what you are saying and, of course, the Gen-Y “success” is completely related to supply and demand mismatches.
There are two points I disagree with however.
1. The mismatches will not go away as quickly as they did when Gen-X was climbing the ranks. The sheer numbers will not allow this. Unless, of course, outsourcing increases 10-fold, which it almost certainly will not due to the lack of top talent available overseas, Gen-Y should have an upper hand for years to come.
2. You mention Gen-Y’s cannot stand a minute of “downtime.” This is absolutely true, and it is because we understand that “downtime” is completely ridiculous. Why sit somewhere if there is no work to do? Downtime is an outdated concept that should not exist given todays technology.
Anyway, thanks for contributing.
Ryan
So Gen Y is immune from the effects of an economic downturn? Really? Massive numbers of web 2.0 companies go out of business, all the old-line companies cut jobs, and you’ll have the “upper hand for years to come”? Wow, that’s well supported by the evidence.
And despite all the hype about numbers (usually related to the supposed out-flux of Baby Boomers that will open up huge numbers of job openings for younger folks) it hasn’t happened yet. Bigger market forces are at work than you can understand with your 1 (2?) years of experience “working” (not sure if blogging about how you want to experience “poverty” counts as work, but whatever).
And you’re a moron if you think downtime isn’t valuable. Your inability to stomach taking the time to think things through deeply (which comes usually through single-tasking and using downtime to actually ponder stuff, rather than mash something up onto youtube or futz with your facebook/twitter status) is a real hindrance, especially the deeper you get into your career.
I’m not saying you should be content to sit for months and months with nothing to do, or stay forever at a job you hate out of misguided “loyalty” for an employer that wouldn’t display the same for you. What I object to is the ridiculous notion that literally every moment at work will be entertaining, fulfilling and stimulating. That attitude is setting your generation up for some pretty big disappointment in the next 5-10 years when life doesn’t work out that way. You’re like pampered senators in Rome, treating everything (including your job and co-workers) like the disposable entertainment that so amuses you on the web. I don’t view it as a positive trait, and neither do most others.
Cricket,
Someone has been chewed up and spit out by the job market a few times, huh? I guess it makes you feel better to vent here.
Sensationalism and name calling are great tactics for drawing attention but it gives little weight to your actual arguments.
You want to know what makes parts of Generation Y different? We’re the first generation to enter the Job Market after the full scale adoption of the internet as a communication platform. While you had only your parents and coworkers success and mistakes to learn from (and a reasonable but exponentially smaller level of access to larger scale information) we have everyone who is publishing on anything to learn from. We get to see the bigger picture more easily
We are educated and understand the economy is cyclical. Part of what is going on with GenY on the web is that we’re using the conversation to try to avoid what’s avoidable and prepare for what is not. I’ll skip the dissertation on why the boom and bust cycle is actually beneficial to an internet economy and leave it that speed of commerce and innovation now dictates rapid adjustments and corrections but that the benefits of this economic movement far outweigh the costs (think of the economic progress as a wavy line, but that wavy line is titled incredibly upward).
Now regarding the “conversation” I’m talking about, you’re missing one thing about discussions. Discussions are sensational because otherwise there would be no response and no counter arguments (something you seem very familiar with on the negative side of things). So if by taking points on the total optimism side of the spectrum and the totally entitled side of the spectrum we come off in a bad light it is because we understand that most people will not move to a position completely inline with our stance. However, the idea is the people will move and make decisions that will be closer to the idealistic stance taken and a slow change results. This push and pull is not a bad thing either.
Personally I appreciate your opinion and feel that GenY does need to be careful with its actions. However, I’m not exactly sure what you were trying to accomplish here. If you’re so incredibly prescient, why not use that knowledge to your advantage instead of coming on here and ranting like a street corner lunatic.
I love the banter about Generational Stuff. It is just recently that we (meaning Baby Boomers, etc) have been made aware of Generational Differences. I knew that I was different than my parents or my kids - but I didn’t much care why! Heck, I’m different from my best friend who is just two years younger than me and went to the same high school. It had nothing to do with generations!
In the last couple of posts there are “sizzling” attacks on the Gen Y vs. Gen X. Most of you probably don’t remember what Reggie White, Hall of Fame Football player who died a couple years ago, said when he was addressing the Wisconsin State Assembly. (Ryan, you should know this now that you are moving to MadCity. He was a Packer when he said this).
Although many people were in an uproar, the rest of us just laughed. Reggie meant well but it just didn’t come out right. Here is what he said. (It reminded me of the classic generalities being discussed with the generations). Enjoy!
“Black people are very gifted in what we call worship and celebration. A lot of us like to dance, and if you go to black churches, you see people jumping up and down, because they really get into it.
White people were blessed with the gift of structure and organization. You guys do a good job of building businesses and things of that nature and you know how to tap into money pretty much better than a lot of people do around the world.
Hispanics are gifted in family structure. You can see a Hispanic person and they can put 20 or 30 people in one home. They were gifted in the family structure.
[Asians are] very gifted in creation, creativity and inventions. If you go to Japan or any Asian country, they can turn a television into a watch. They’re very creative.
Indians, they have been very gifted in the spirituality.
When you put all of that together, guess what it makes. It forms a complete image of God. God made us different because he was trying to create himself. He was trying to form himself, and then we got kind of knuckleheaded and kind of pushed everything aside.”
Valpak Mark
Ryan -
Good luck. I hope it works out for you. Just don’t forget why you started your business before the days of PT.
Jerry