Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ryan Albert. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Ryan, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?
Own The Ugly was born out of my own scars, military service that ended with injury, personal battles that left me questioning my worth, and a world that often values polish over authenticity. For years, I tried to fit the mold of perfection: the strong soldier, the flawless leader, the man who never stumbled. However, the truth is that life breaks us. And it was in those broken places that I discovered something powerful: when we confront our flaws instead of hiding them, they become the very source of our strength, transforming our struggles into a beacon of hope.
That realization became the foundation of Own The Ugly. The mission isn’t about chasing an image of perfectionists, but about embracing the grit, the scars, and the lessons that come from struggle. It’s about boldly rejecting the false crown of appearances and instead building one from discipline, resilience, and authenticity, empowering us to stand tall in our truth.
This mission holds deep personal significance for me. I intimately know what it’s like to lose an identity, to start over, to wonder if what’s left is enough. And I also see the freedom and power that comes when you stop pretending and start owning who you are, ugly and all. That’s the gift I want to give others: the courage to face themselves honestly, and the tools to transform that honesty into growth, leadership, and purpose, so they too can feel understood and connected.
At its core, Own The Ugly is about proving that greatness isn’t handed down; it’s forged in the fire of real life. That’s not just my mission. That’s my life.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I’m Ryan Albert, a veteran, author, and entrepreneur, and the founder of Own The Ugly. My journey began in the U.S. military, where I served with pride until a service-ending injury forced me to start over. That experience shaped the heart of my mission: true strength isn’t found in perfection, it’s forged through struggle, scars, and the courage to rise again.
Own The Ugly was born from that realization. It’s not just a brand, but a movement dedicated to helping people embrace authenticity, turn setbacks into stepping stones, and lead with resilience. We offer a diverse range of creative works (books and devotionals), products (apparel with meaningful messages, not empty slogans), and services (coaching, leadership development, and faith-based mentorship). At its core, the brand offers a community for everyone, regardless of their background or struggles, who feels the pressure to hide flaws or live up to unrealistic standards.
What sets us apart is simple: authenticity. I don’t teach theory; I share lived experience. My background as a veteran, business leader, and theologian allows me to connect across multiple dimensions of life, but it’s my scars that make the mission real. I understand the struggles, the setbacks, and the courage it takes to rise again, and I’m here to guide you through it.
What I’m most proud of is the impact, whether it’s someone in my ministry regaining hope after a personal crisis, a client discovering confidence to start their own business, or a follower finally feeling seen and understood in their struggles. These are the real-life transformations that drive me and validate the mission of Own The Ugly.
At the end of the day, Own The Ugly is about freedom: the freedom to stop pretending, to embrace who you are, flaws, mistakes, and all; and to build a crown out of resilience and truth. In our context, ‘ugly’ is not a judgment, but a celebration of our imperfections, which make us uniquely human.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
One of the defining moments of my life came during my fifth deployment in Djibouti, Africa. A service accident left me with damaged L4-L5, L5-S1, and S1-S2 discs, spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, along with nerve damage and arthritis; effectively ending my 11-year military career. Everything I had built my identity on — discipline, service, and leadership — was suddenly gone.
For a long time, I felt broken. My body didn’t work the way it used to, and the future I had envisioned vanished overnight. But it was in that season of loss that I discovered what resilience really means. It wasn’t about pretending everything was okay or pushing through as if nothing had changed. It was about confronting the reality of my pain, owning my limitations, and then making a conscious choice to build something new out of it. This choice, to build something new out of the pain, is a powerful act of empowerment and control.
That’s where Own The Ugly was born. I realized that scars aren’t weaknesses to hide—they’re proof of battles that have been survived. By embracing the ugly parts of my story instead of burying them, I found strength, purpose, and a mission far bigger than myself. Today, I use that experience not just for my own growth, but to help others transform their own struggles into fuel for growth, leadership, and authenticity. This mission to help others is a testament to the support and connection we can find in our shared experiences.
Resilience, to me, isn’t about never falling; it’s about learning how to rise differently, stronger, and more honest than before.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
When I first started building Own The Ugly on social media, I didn’t have a marketing plan or a playbook. What I had was a story, and the decision to finally share it without hiding the scars. I talked about my military service, the accident that ended my career, and the painful process of losing the identity I thought defined me. For the first time,
I wrote honestly about what it felt like to hit rock bottom and what it took to begin rebuilding my life.
One of those early posts was simple; it was about learning to see my injury not as the end of who I was, but as the beginning of something new. I expected maybe a few likes, but instead, people began messaging me privately. One person wrote, “I’ve been hiding my own struggle for years, and reading this gave me the courage to speak it out loud.” That was the moment I realized this wasn’t just about me telling my story; it was about sharing it with others. It was about giving others the freedom to own theirs.
From there, I committed to showing up consistently. Every reflection, every scripture, every leadership lesson I shared circled back to the same core truth: our scars don’t disqualify us, they prove we’ve endured. Over time, it stopped feeling like I was broadcasting into the void. A community began to take shape, built on trust, honesty, and shared resilience.
Looking back, the growth didn’t come from a viral trick or polished production. It stemmed from leaning into authenticity, staying true to the mission, and treating every comment and every message as an opportunity to connect with another human being. That’s how Own The Ugly became more than just content. It became a movement.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Owntheugly.com
- Instagram: @Owntheugly
- Facebook: @Owntheugly
Image Credits
Ryan Albert
Patrick Costello – USAF, picture on airfield