How you do anything is how you should do everything.
Ryan OKeefe is the CEO and founder of InstaHealthy. Prior to founding InstaHealthy, OKeefe worked in the healthy vending industry for nearly five years. OKeefe is originally from Chicago, has two kids (Jaden and Brooklyn) and enjoys spending time with them outdoors, staying active, snowboarding, surfing, hiking and playing basketball.
Where did the idea for InstaHealthy come from?
I worked for another healthy vending company for nearly five years and learned the ins and outs of the healthy vending landscape. Over that period, I was inspired to build my own concept for a healthy vending business, and offer premium technology, high traffic locations, high product standards, and an elevated level of customer support.
What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?
My average day starts at 5 a.m. and I focus on the three areas of my life which are not business related—Being (meditation), Body (fitness) and Balance (immediate relationships). From there, I will then dive into my email, respond to any texts or make calls to my team. If my schedule allows, I will go to the gym for a 45-minute workout. I like to take advantage of the early mornings while most people are still asleep, and this is by design. This limits the amount of caffeine that I require throughout the day, keeps my mind sharp and sets the tone for my day’s productivity. I also meditate in the afternoon to rejuvenate myself, which helps me avoid the mid-afternoon crash.
How do you bring ideas to life?
It all depends on the type of idea I am working on bringing to life—marketing, operations, location procurement, etc. I have a rockstar internal team composed of leadership and employees, as well as outside teams which consist of graphic design, web development, SEO, and PR. I also work closely with a couple of mentoring groups consisting of businessmen, business owners and CEOs. Depending on the idea and where it’s best served, I will typically collaborate with one of the before mentioned teams. In some cases, I’ll just run with the idea and “win or learn”, as the saying goes.
What’s one trend that excites you?
A trend that excited me is the “demand for better.” Consumers are demanding better in all areas (better product, better quality, better service, etc.) and are willing to pay a premium price for it. Consumers are also willing to be educated, and an educated consumer is a smart consumer.
What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?
My morning routine, no doubt.
What advice would you give your younger self?
“Stop wasting time with the go-nowhere crowd.”
Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.
I’m a phenomenal 3-point shot. My best bud won’t admit this to me, but I know that he thinks it!
As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?
Understand your strengths and weaknesses. And when you’re building a team, build it based on those strengths and weaknesses.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?
How you do anything is how you should do everything.
I have Partners (think Franchisees) all across the U.S. and this has been our core value from the very beginning. From the first Partner to the 50th, and beyond, will tell you that we, as a company, will always do what we said we will do.
What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?
In the beginning, I was putting too much stake in someone else’s opinion and not leveraging my own experience to make decisions for my own business. I ultimately took full reigns on my decision making and today InstaHealthy thrives from it.
What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?
An app that will allow people to be on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube all at the same time!
What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?
Buying $100 in fruits and vegetables every week to make nutrient-rich smoothies every morning with my Blendtech.
What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
We are currently switching over our operations to Zoho and investing into ClickFunnels, I’ll have to get back to you on both!
What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?
I’d love to recommend a podcast that I love, as I podcast more often. It’s called EntreLeadership and it features tips on leadership and business by some of the top minds in the business world.
What is your favorite quote?
“Revenue is vanity, profit is reality, and cash is sanity!”
Key learnings:
•There’s winning and learning in business. You never lose, as long as you choose to learn from failure.
•Stop hesitating by trying to create, just document.
•Take less opinions and work hard.
Connect:
Ryan OKeefe on LinkedIn:
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InstaHealthy on Twitter:
InstaHealthy on LinkedIn:
Mario Schulzke is the Founder of ideamensch, which he started a decade ago to learn from entrepreneurs and give them a platform for their ideas.