We were lucky to catch up with Whoman Ryder recently and have shared our conversation below.
Whoman, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?
Our journey toward becoming a mission-driven company began in childhood, fueled by a desire to alleviate suffering stemming from my multicultural upbringing. However, the spark truly ignited when my own child, Mariam, passionately cried out to ‘FEED THE CHILDREN,’ which evolved into a movement as others joined our cause. Witnessing firsthand the impact of our work, such as the nurse’s tearful gratitude at LEOA, reinforced the significance of each individual’s story and the importance of offering unconditional support. This experience solidified my belief that everyone deserves love, dignity, and respect, guiding our inclusive approach to serving others.
Whoman, 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?
Everyone is born with a spark, a desire to be someone. I always wanted to be RICH not just for the cool stuff I could buy, but for the peace and security it could afford my family. I witnessed a lot of fights centered around money growing up. I didn’t want that for my family. So when I grew up, we started businesses and read lots of books. I went into banking and attained 6 figures, but something was missing—a nagging desire to serve others still existed in my soul. That is when we humbled ourselves and took a huge pay cut. I went into the United States Army as a linguist and volunteered in my free time with World Vision, AmeriCares, and Network Goodness.
Out of that, a fire sparked in my youngest daughter. At the age of 5, she started chanting ‘FEED THE CHILDREN.’ We encouraged that, and by the age of 11, we were home from serving in the military and started a NonProfit called LEOA. Mariam, my daughter, chose the name. I asked her what LEOA meant, and she said, ‘That is easy, Dad. LEOA stands for LOVE EACH OTHER ALWAYS.’
COVID happened, and instead of shutting down like all the other food distributions, we just kept on hugging people and feeding people. I guess that’s what makes us REBELS. We risked a lot, but people were fed. LEOA led to Instagram influence and new networks and business skills. We have built over three brands now on Instagram totaling over 3 million followers. But mostly, we just like helping the average person and working on passion projects. Yes, we offer courses and coaching, but mostly I just like to build on our little property in the Appalachian Mountains.
You can follow my passion project where I am creating 1000 steps in the mountain on youtube.com/@askwhoman. Of course, we are proud of LEOA.org and really appreciate donors who support us. Leoa.org/donate Our Leoa: instagram.com/leoa.org.
My wife’s photography: https://www.instagram.com/artistlavelle My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/askwhoman
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
The main lesson I had to unlearn was getting angry. As I mentioned, my childhood was rough, with a lot of fighting due to cultural and language barriers. The stress of the ARMY and managing that alongside a marriage with four children under the age of 5 exacerbated my depression and manic episodes. I chose not to renew my contract because my marriage was in shambles and broken. We needed time to heal. Healing is a process, but the biggest lesson I have learned came from Mo. There is a great podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-tony-robbins-podcast/id1098413063?i=1000650056800) where a father named Mo, who lost his son, explains how to be one of the happiest people in the face of unusual circumstances and pain.
Basically, I have adopted this philosophy:
- First, I ask myself if the problem is real or true.
- Second, I ask myself if there is any way to fix it or find joy in the situation.
- Third, I ask if I can endure suffering to make others’ lives better.
So, I unlearned anger and gained joy and contentment.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
We are constantly in a state of having to pivot. One of my mentors said, ‘Everything that can change will change.’ One thing that is certain is that things will change. That’s why we have to stay flexible. Currently, my wife has decided she wants to be a nurse, so we are going through that pivot now. To support her in her change and her journey, I came out of retirement and got a job serving another influencer. It is a very fulfilling experience. Serving others is what we are here for.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://stan.store/askwhoman
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/askwhoman/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@askwhoman
- Other: My Book: HOW TO GET RICH AND ENJOY IT! https://a.co/d/hzr6Dce
Image Credits
I own all these images.