We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ryan Angel. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ryan below.

Ryan, appreciate you joining us today. How did you scale up? What were the strategies, tactics, meaningful moments, twists/turns, obstacles, mistakes along the way? The world needs to hear more realistic, actionable stories about this critical part of the business building journey. Tell us your scaling up story – bring us along so we can understand what it was like making the decisions you had, implementing the strategies/tactics etc.

Often outsiders look at a successful business and assume it became that way overnight. The truth is usually less glamorous. When I started my marketing agency in 2020, expandmarketing.io, I didn’t have a shortcut or some secret formula. What I did have was persistence, long nights, and the willingness to learn through trial and error. Looking back, the growth my agency has experienced wasn’t the result of a single moment but rather a series of decisions and lessons that built on each other.

In the beginning, I realized how critical it was to know the hard skills my team would eventually handle. I came from a design and marketing background, so I already understood the fundamentals, but I pushed myself to keep leveling up. Whether it was web design platforms like Webflow and Squarespace or design tools like Figma and Adobe, I wanted to be fully capable of creating and executing at a high level. I’ve always been passionate about going the extra mile to make something amazing, whether it’s a marketing campaign, a website, or a full brand identity. I can be as hands on or hands off as a project requires, which has given me flexibility to both lead and deliver when needed.

The next turning point was building the right team. Because I had been working in the marketing industry for years, I had connections I trusted to deliver high-quality work. I didn’t go on a hiring spree. Instead, I brought people in project by project and let trust build naturally. Over time, those relationships turned into a dependable team that could handle bigger projects and more demanding clients.

Networking became another pillar of growth. I didn’t approach it as a numbers game, where the goal was to hand out as many business cards as possible. I focused on genuinely connecting with people, asking questions, and finding ways to be useful. Some of the most important clients I landed came from casual conversations at local meetups and business groups. It taught me that opportunities often come from showing up consistently and authentically.

Not every client was the right fit, and learning to say no was a hard but necessary lesson. Early on, I worked with someone who wanted me to screenshare every update to their website and provide live edits while they watched. It was exhausting and reminded me too much of my old corporate life. That experience shaped how I evaluate clients today. I only work with people who trust my expertise and respect the process, because the wrong fit can drain more energy than the project is worth.

Another piece that helped me scale was finding a niche. Over time, I gravitated toward health and wellness businesses because that’s the industry I was most passionate about. Once I leaned into that, everything became easier. I understood the challenges those businesses faced, I could speak their language, and I had more enthusiasm for their projects. That specialization helped me stand out in a crowded market and made my work more meaningful.

The growth of my agency wasn’t about some magic moment where everything clicked. It was about layering these strategies over time, making plenty of mistakes, and learning from each one. From mastering the tools, to slowly building a trusted team, to networking with authenticity, to choosing the right clients, to carving out a niche, each step created momentum.

Reflecting on what people sometimes assume as “overnight success” was actually five years of showing up, learning, and adjusting while leaning on my expertise in marketing and design. Scaling wasn’t about rushing. It was about building a foundation sturdy enough to handle growth when it came.

Ryan, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Ryan Angel, and I am the founder of Expand Marketing, my agency helps businesses grow in the health, wellness, and lifestyle spaces. I have always had a passion for art and began my professional career in marketing as a graphic designer.

From a young age I had the entrepreneurial drive, even to the extent of winning a startup competition during college: https://www.pacbiztimes.com/2016/03/13/clu-students-win-startup-weekend/

I am most proud of the positive impact I have made in the health and wellness space, having marketed for Physical Therapy clinics, dental offices, Recovery service businesses, personal trainers, and other health care industry specialties. It is wonderful being able to help others by enabling growth for these companies.

My latest venture is building a health and wellness app: boostd.ai which will be launching in the coming months to help others get personalized AI coaching with custom workouts, habits, goals, meals, macros, and journaling — all in one app.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Honesty and reliability have been the key to building my reputation in my market. I care about my client’s and their businesses, most of them being small business owners that are taking a leap of faith investing in marketing. I am always 100% transparent with them and often will go above and beyond because I want them to succeed. I pride myself in consistently delivering projects on-time and always being available for questions along the way.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

I am a huge fan of The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. The book teaches lessons about the power of the law of attraction. It is easily digestible and I’d recommend it for any age group. I still make my vision board every year to set my sites on what I want to achieve!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://expandmarketing.io
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryan_angel_7