ICON (Live) Conference 20174 min read

If you keep up with my Instagram stories then you know I was recently down in St. Petersburg Florida for a conference a few days prior to Hurricane Irma’s impending doom. I don’t have any pictures of the event because I was too busy taking notes and hanging on to every bit of wisdom Ryan was dropping.

I was hesitant to go because of the storm, but decided the knowledge and connections I’d make would be well worth it. Ryan got around 20 growth oriented men (what could have been close to 40) to show up in St. Petersburg at an event shadowed by the unprecedented Hurricane Irma. Keep in mind it was shortly following the aftermath of Harvey in Houston. But people showed up. Sure it was a risk and maybe we’re a bit crazy or stupid for going, but it turns out it was all worthwhile. I’m not a gambling man, but I knew I had to be there because Ryan has a lot of experience and knowledge to share and I wanted to deep dive into his mind and his process. It was a lot to take in and I’m still processing it all.

WHO IS RYAN MAGIN?

Ryan is an entrepreneur, men’s style blogger/YouTuber and all around badass dude. He runs Handsome Guy Secrets and amassed a private Facebook group of over 7,000 members.

I learned about Ryan about 4 years ago, there was a video ad with just Ryan’s voice and graphics that I couldn’t stop or pause. It was intriguing and I somehow landed on his email list. I liked the content he was sending out, but it was too much and too sales-y, so I unsubscribed pretty quickly.

MEETING RYAN AT STYLECON

Fast forward about a year later, I discovered he was a speaker at StyleCon (now Menfluential) a men’s style/business building conference. I didn’t speak with him at my first StyleCon, but I still remember his presentation. He kept it real and spoke about the things that most don’t talk about, the real grind behind starting a business and even the dark side of it. The following year, I got the chance to speak at length with Ryan. He again gave an inside scoop of the not so glamorous side of this whole thing. He laid it all out, but not in a discouraging way. It’s refreshing when someone tells you the truth and what can be expected if you choose to go down this lonely road of building a business from the ground up. He’s big on making due with what you have and striving for imperfect action. That’s a part of his talk from this past StyleCon that I took with me.

I have a new level of respect for what he’s been through and how he continues to innovate and make his mark in the menswear space by being different. He doesn’t play it safe. He does things his way instead of blending in with the rest.

Every time I talk with Ryan, I always walk away thinking hard. Thinking about where I want to take this whole thing. Thinking about treating this thing like a business. Thinking about innovating. Thinking about ways to stand out. Thinking about doing things differently and taking a stronger stance on things that may not be the most popular opinion, but creating a persona that may not be liked by everyone, but will be respected by the few who matter to you most.

ICON LIVE 2017

The first ICON Live was an ‘intimate’ affair, one-on-one with Ryan. From the moment I arrived at the cigar bar (awesome spot) in downtown St. Pete’s, Ryan was delivering value until the very end. He truly cares and is invested in the success of his attendees. You will leave with knowledge, inspiration, and an worthwhile experience. Plus you’ll meet like-minded guys from all over, pushing each other to succeed.

In the face of so many obstacles, Ryan made it happen. I left inspired and ready to tackle my work with fervency and new strategy…cant wait for the next one. Looking forward to seeing what the event should have been on top of the tremendous value and insight Ryan dropped all weekend.

Before starting to drop all his knowledge and experiences, he went around the room and asked each of us individually what we were looking to get out of the conference so that he could best tailor things towards what we wanted to know. He did a great job of touching on everyone’s questions and concerns. Ryan didn’t keep anything to himself. He gave us everything he had.

Now that I know Ryan’s story, I know how far he’s come. It’s inspiring to see how fast he’s grown his personal brand and especially how he went from the dark arts of the marketing world, not really caring about the end user to truly caring about his audience and adding massive value to the people in his niche. He’s got a lot to teach. And personally I love to learn from those who came before me, who can teach me things and help me navigate my own entrepreneurial journey as I try to grow a brand from scratch.

I got out of Tampa a day early. Didn’t want to take chances, but I’m looking forward to being back down there. For all the setbacks with Hurricane Irma, cancelled plans, and no beach, Ryan successfully pulled off his event. ICON Live is worth the price of admission and some. I’d definitely come back, just to be around all the positive energy and camaraderie. And I’m looking to meet with many of the guys again soon.

I think January will be even bigger and better. And hopefully we get out to the beach.