From Olympian to a backdoor entry into private equity, Ryan Heckman shares his story as a blue-collar PE executive aiming to elevate the industry. He began his career in private equity and, after nearly 20 years, transitioned to leading a successful startup. He later sold this business to a private equity firm.
Now, as a co-founder of the groundbreaking private equity firm Rallyday, Ryan describes how they began by identifying everything wrong with the private equity world and then developing innovative approaches to address these issues. At Rallyday, they focus on being business builders rather than just investors. They view founders as their core customers, providing them with the love and support they need to build thriving businesses for the long term.
Meet Ryan Heckman, a conscious leader who advocates for “Monster" leaders who are aggressively humble.
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For transcripts and show notes, please go to: https://www.theconsciouscapitalists.com
This show is presented by Conscious Capitalism, Inc. (https://www.consciouscapitalism.org/) and is produced by Rainbow Creative (https://www.rainbowcreative.co/) with Matthew Jones as Executive Producer, Rithu Jagannath as Lead Producer, and Nathan Wheatley as Editor.
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- Timothy & Raj
Time Stamps
00:44 Introduction to the Conscious Capitalists
01:03 Meet Ryan Heckman: A Journey in Private Equity
03:02 From Athlete to Private Equity Executive
05:33 Building and Selling a Business
08:06 Founding Rally Day Partners
09:27 Innovations in Private Equity
15:46 Employee Ownership and Development
20:18 Challenges and Opportunities in Private Equity
25:15 Exiting Investments with Purpose
27:31 Preparing for the Sale: Early Work and Employee Retention
27:54 Ensuring Continuity of Purpose and Values Post-Sale
29:24 Sponsorship Announcement: 2024 Conscious Capitalism CEO Summit
30:14 Redefining Greatness: From Good to Great to Goodness
32:16 The Importance of Courage in Leadership
32:56 Lessons from an Olympic Athlete: Embracing Failure and Thriving
36:57 The Concept of Thriving in Business and Community
39:33 Stewardship and the Infinite Game
42:11 Monster Leaders and Aggressive Humility
47:08 Conscious Leadership and Community Development
52:54 Closing Remarks and Gratitude