We were lucky to catch up with Ron Ripley recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Ron thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

Nobody ever told me “you’d be an amazing carpenter” or “you should be an event planner”.

In my case, the first time I knew what I SHOULD do – was being dragged to the principals office by an angry old third grade teacher scolding me the entire way… “You think that was funny? you LIKE making people laugh”?

“Fuck yeah I do”I said…

The older I got, I knew I was a wise ass. I could play sports and was popular enough, but I was GOOD at being funny and creative.

I grew up in foster care so I didn’t get much cheerleading or guidance and I joined the military after high school\ because I had shit grades and zero monies for college.

I learned construction trades and fell in love with woodworking.

after the military I ended up in San Diego and it was when I was overlooking an event at comic con when I saw how the talent was treated and I said aloud to my (now) wife “Being a performer would be so easy. I could do that way better than them!”

I was onstage for the first time a few days later.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I came from Foster Care and the Military so my background is about “community”.

Within my local comedy community, nobody does what I do.

I started my company, Alarm Red Media, after I graduated college as a place to showcase my comedy and other creative works.

The internet is full of garbage content and the algorithm has us trapped into doom scrolling until we pass out and drop our phones. I wanted to make content that doesn’t trick people into giving me views and that people would watch for more than 60 seconds.

There are fewer things I love more in this life than telling jokes to a crowd of people. It’s what I was put here to do.

After a while, I knew I could help others make content as well, which is why I try to showcase others work as well. I want to build on the reality that people who work together, get more happiness from life.

I produce comedy and entertainment that stands out and cannot be ignored.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Obviously, it’s the fame and fortune. I make a LOT of money being an artist and entertainer, hell just last week I got paid with a SALAD! so yeah… things are going extremely well for me…

I made that up. There’s no money here until other people want to use you. If money motivatres you to create things, that’s not real art to me.

Thats why, for me, it’s the FREEDOM of being yourself that is the big payoff.

I don’t need anyone to finance me to live a great life or to create my work or do what I do – so I am free to take on the projects that make me happy, that showcase who I am, and let me be me. You can’t put a dollar value on that.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

My social media game is atrocious.

I HATE social media because that’s just not how my mind operates. I look at social media as an industry not only working against us, but one that wants us to pay for the experience. I find it to be completely predatory and gross.

But it’s “part of the game” isn’t it? Well, fuck tthat “game”, I live real life.

I want to build my audience ORGANICALLY and face to face. Come see my shows and binge my content to think for yourself.

I see comedians / performers get booked “because they have a million followers” they seduced for 60 seconds at a time – and can’t keep it together on stage for more than 5 of the 60 minutes they were booked for! Anyone can BUY followers but it doesn’t make you funny. The club like it because it fills a seat, but what’s the point if you get boo’d and aren’t welcome back?

I also want to build my audience by assigning social media growth to a TEAM MEMBER that gets off on it, someone that LOVES getting those likes and knowing which title screen and captions will get more clicks… thats not my “thing”.

Every reel I am trying to force into “the algorithm” takes TIME! Every moment I spend on that task – I am not creating the next project, or writing jokes and scripts, or editing content, or taking meetings, or booking gigs….

WORK WITH PEOPLE!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.alarmredmedia.com
• Instagram: @ronripleyriot
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlarmRedMedia
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ALARMRED