Ryann Hurka
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A Labor of Love - Leaving the Oil and Gas Industry for Landscaping
Ryann Hurka is a landscaping newbie. With only four jobs under his belt, he’s learning and growing - but confident landscaping is his calling. In this episode of Landscape Disruptor, Stanley interviews the burgeoning entrepreneur, finding out how he’s tackling life as a brand new business owner and discovering his trials, mistakes, and biggest lessons learned.
No Boss, No Worries
Ryann has worked in the energy sector for almost a decade. He works long days half the month and has the other two weeks off. While he was passionate about the work at the beginning of his career, the unbalanced schedule has started to take a toll on him. With so much time off, he started picking up landscaping as a hobby. After investing in equipment, he decided to start his own business and hopes to soon make it his full time job.
Outfitted with a reliable Ford F350 6.0 diesel truck, a used skid loader, and some hand tools, he's taken an entrepreneur hands-on approach to landscape. After founding his company two months ago, he’s picking up as many jobs as possible, while growing his business on his own. Ryann has always liked the job and equipment and is willing to put in the work and time to make sure his business flourishes. That and passion are the perfect recipe for success.
From Small Jobs to Established Business
Getting started is tough. People don’t know you, you have little proof of the quality of your work, and you still need to build on experience. So Ryann has a strategy. He knows he still has a lot to learn so he puts in the work. He does research, reads books about landscape, and understands that educating himself will be a constant in his career.
One of Ryann’s first big jobs was working on a retaining wall for his neighbor, fixing the work of a less attentive landscaper. He made sure to take before, progress, and after pictures and always asks customers to leave him reviews to build an impressive portfolio that speaks for itself. And it’s paying off, customers are satisfied and we have no doubt Ryann’s business will continue to grow.
Don’t Overthink It, Just Do It
“It’s time for me to put my blood, sweat, and tears into my own dreams. I’m going landscaping all the way,” says Ryann. With the privilege of keeping his day job until his business is profitable, he has the opportunity to learn and grow from his first customers. While he might not make a lot of money at first, the experience will allow him to make some for the rest of his life. In the meantime, he’s building his reputation and growing his skills. What he likes most about landscaping? It gives him freedom.
About Ryan Hurka
Ryan Hurka is brand new to the landscaping industry. From Pittsburgh, PA, he has spent the last 9 years in and out of the oil/gas industry. As he started to get over the demanding job, he came across videos of landscape and equipment from Dirt Monkey and was hooked right off the bat. He then started his own business and is planning on making it a full-time career.
rhlandworks.com
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If you like this episode, check out our guests’ line up in Season One and Season Two.