Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ricki Friedman. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Ricki thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

In 2021, I walked away from a 10+ year weed addcition which transformed my entire life. Once day, while having breakfast in Sedona (I was on a roadtrip) i posted a 6 second video to my 200 followers on tiktok celeberating “100 days since walking away from weed.” I closed the app and didnt think much about it.

One week later, after feeling the urge to stay on the road, I started getting notfications on my phone…like hundreds and hundreds which made me reazlie that my 6-second video went virial and all the sudden i went from 200 followers to 10K in a week to 50K in a month and so on and on…

I jumped into the momentum and started posting 3-6 videos a day about how i stopped smoking and “walked” away from weed. People started thanking me for helping them and i quikcly grew a community which gave me the idea to build a 3-day program called “walking away from weed” – I Just had a feeling it would grow.

And i was right. 1.5. years later, 11 live programs on zoom.. I’ve helped over 650 people walk away from weed addiction and change their life.

That program CHANGED my life, helped my podcast grow into a top100 and grew my tiktok from 200 to 200K in 1.5. years

One video can chage your life.

Ricki, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I started my career as a health coach (before it was cool!) in 2012 by accident! My best friend at the time had 100 pounds to lose and asked me to help her. So, we created a blog called “break the weight” and documented the entire experience for the world to see what it was REALLY like to break the mental, emotional and PHYSICAL weight. She lost 100 pounds and i turned that blog into a brand and business where I coached others to do the same. In 2020, i took a step back from my brand and became the creative director for a big company but missed sharing my life and hepling people so I got the idea to start a “walking” podcast called Steps Forward with Ricki where I helped people take steps forward in their life and day.

It grew quickly to a top100 podcast and inspired me to face myself in new ways.

After that podcast, I quit my job, left my relationship, stop. smoking weed and hit the road…

Thats’ when i created the wakling away from weed program and became a top100 podcast.

Today, I’m a content creator, speaker and coach helping people take steps forward in their lives.

How did you build your audience on social media?

For me personally, Tiktok was a game-changer. I had no idea what I was doing when I started, but read somehwere that MORE is more so i just kept posting more and more. I niched down at the time to walking away from weed because that’s what was true for me in that moment and what my community wanted. I am not joking when I say that i posted every single (3-6 times) a day for 1 year straight.. sharing my story, posting about my program, etc.

Beng consitent IS REALLY KEY – esp on Tiktok.

I also have a following on IG but that feels like a little all over the place somtimes (and way more person) where as tiktok is basically a search engine and the best way to get discovered organically.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I’m always pivoting! Who isnt? haha.

But, march 2023, after having a really succesful year in my business, I made another big decision to get off 28-years of adderall whcih was the hardest thing ive ever done in my liife and really forced me to stop everything i was doing so i could heal, reprogram my brain and reconnect with myself.

1.5 years later, I’m finally feeling better but that decision came with A LOT OF learning for me in business, relationships, with my body and life in general.

Contact Info:

• Website: [email protected]
• Instagram: iamrickifriedman
• Facebook: [email protected]
• Linkedin: [email protected]
• Twitter: [email protected]
• Youtube: [email protected]
• Yelp: [email protected]
• Soundcloud: [email protected]
• Other: Tiktok: Iamrickifriedman OR rickinicolefriedman

  Podcast: Steps Forward with ricki

Image Credits

I took the pictures!