In this episode of "Fail with Fire," host Phoenix sits down with Ryan McKenzie, Co-Founder and CEO of True Earth, a company dedicated to reducing plastic waste through innovative laundry products. Ryan shares his incredible journey, detailing his rise from early career struggles to building a multi-million dollar, eco-conscious brand. The conversation begins with Ryan’s introduction, where he and Phoenix delve into their instant connection over humor and shared values, setting the stage for an honest, open conversation. Ryan talks about the challenges of creating True Earth, a brand that has already helped eliminate over 186 million plastic containers from landfills and donated millions of loads of detergent to those in need. He also shares a lighthearted moment, showcasing True Earth's laundry strips on camera. The discussion then shifts to Ryan’s past failures and hard-won lessons. He opens up about his early days in affiliate marketing, recounting the collapse of a ringtone subscription business that once earned him six figures monthly. This unexpected downturn taught him invaluable skills in resilience, SEO, and sales, which later shaped his success with True Earth. Phoenix and Ryan then explore the pressures of entrepreneurship, the challenges of sustaining motivation, and the importance of finding peace, even at the height of success. They dive into meaningful topics, like the reality of setbacks, the role of perseverance, and Ryan's belief that every venture has a life cycle. Through his experiences, he emphasizes the value of learning from every stage of a business journey.00:00 Intro00:47 The Humor Connection and First Impressions01:53 Introducing Ryan McKenzie’s Success with True Earth03:01 The Blue Ribbon Event: Meeting the “Crew”04:35 Instant Friendship: The Power Rangers Reference05:38 How Would Ryan’s Wife Describe Him?06:46 The Value of Authentic Connections Over Achievements08:19 Humorous Product Failures10:29 Transition to Talking About Failures12:21 Early SEO Success and Losses in Affiliate Marketing14:07 Personal Challenges and Financial Collapse16:54 Humbling Lessons and Learning Sales18:52 The Survival Mentality: Moving Past Failure19:28 Everything Has a Life Cycle: Business and Life22:33 The Cost of Success and Taking Time to Reflect26:20 Deep Reflections on Success and Peace29:25 What Truly Makes Us Happy34:19 Hot Take: Purpose of Direct-to-Consumer (DTC)36:11 Diversifying Revenue Streams41:32 The Fallacy of Conversion Rate as a Metric About Ryan! Ryan McKenzie is the Co-founder of Tru Earth, a brand that has generated hundreds of millions in sales, helped eliminate more than 186 million plastic containers from ending up in landfills, and has donated more than 50 million loads of laundry detergent to those in need. He now spends his time helping DTC first consumer goods brands grow to 8-figures in revenue and beyond. Social Handles: Twitter: www.twitter.com/ryemckenzie Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr_WZIhS3_mpVbc03Tq-Esw Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryemckenzie/ Check out Tru-Earth: https://tru.earth/ Learn More about AdBeacon! www.AdBeacon.com https://www.instagram.com/adbeacon/ https://www.facebook.com/OfficialAdBeacon/ https://twitter.com/ad_beacon https://www.tiktok.com/@adbeacon