Ryan Holiday is a media strategist and prominent writer on strategy and business. After dropping out of college at nineteen to apprentice under Robert Greene, author of The 48 Laws of Power, he went on to advise many bestselling authors and multiplatinum musicians. He served as director of marketing at American Apparel for many years, where his campaigns have been used as case studies by Twitter, YouTube, and Google and written about in AdAge, the New York Times, and Fast Company.
His first book, Trust Me I’m Lying—which the Financial Times called an “astonishing, disturbing book”—was a debut bestseller and is taught in colleges around the world. He is the author of two other books and is now published in 16 languages. He currently lives in Austin, Texas with his rebellious puppy, Hanno and pet goats
A few words about this site. I don’t do the standard blog stuff. I use the second person a lot (and for that bio, apparently, the third). You like that. I try to talk about the things that I wish blogs would talk about more often: life, dealing with assholes, how to be self-critical and self-aware, humility, philosophy, reading and strategy. And by those things I mean those things in a thoughtful and practical way, not SEO-bait and bulleted list stuff.
Anyway, there is a core group of readers here and you’re welcome to join us. There is a monthly email of reading and book suggestions which can be signed up for here.
Some of my bigger posts:
The Narrative Fallacy (also see The Soundtrack of Your Life Delusion and The Second Act Fallacy)
Advice to a Young Man Hoping to Go Somewhere
Schemes and Scams
Read to Lead: How to Digest Books Above Your “Level”
Contemptuous Expressions
A False Sense
Stoicism 101: A Practical Guide for Entrepreneurs
The Experimental Life: An Introduction to Michel de Montaigne
Is This Who You Want to Be?
The Dress Suit Bribe
And finally, here is a small update on me as well as a recent interview…if you’re curious who I am exactly.
Hello Ryan, I am a fan of your blog and writing. I own a surfing website/ real estate brokerage/ travel agency in Costa Rica. Do you surf? Thought you would be an interesting person to spend a few days with, and we have the coast pretty much wired. Strange email, I know, but I am an eternal entrepreneur and enjoy learning and sharing with folks who have done extraordinary things.
Have a good one brother!
Erik
Strange question but, were you mentioned in Tim Ferris’ book?
You love Meditations yet you follow Tucker Max, isnt that bit of incongruent?
I don’t follow Tucker Max. He is my friend and one of the best ones I have at that. I owe him an incredible amount and I don’t think he’s ever asked for anything in return. Not incongruent at all.
but he didnt just randomly become ur friend…you had to follow him at some point b4 he became ur friend so something at some point was incongruent
I heard your comment in a south park voice. Don’t take it so serious yo.
Ryan,
I just discovered your blog , great and short ideas ….
I am strugling to figure out how to become a partner at this firm , I wish to establish the company into Mexico as a complete industrial solutions and we are missing the human touch to get the business done … business is about people right ???
You rule, dude!
hi ryan
are you still 21? tim says you’re 24. not that it matters but it knod of does . . .
:o)
I didn’t think there was another person in the world who thought Meditations was the coolest book ever. Besides the genocide on the Marcomani tribe, Marcus Aurelius was pretty awesome.
I’ve been trying to compile a list of my own. My ridiculous OCD often gets me stumbling on the small things that don’t matter, but I try to focus and find principles that can apply to anything. Do you have a list of your own meditations?
Thanks,
-Armi
lol….”besides the genocide” lmfao
F&$k, I haven’t read a single one of the books on your reading list.
I have one for you, albeit a quite famous one, an easy read, but personifies determination and will power: Hans Ulrich Rudel – Stuka Pilot
Regarding working in an organisation I found The Rules of Work to be a must read.
Would you advise 48 laws of power over Power by Jeffrey Pfeffer?
Cheers
Yes
Congrats on the book deal, Ryan. Can’t wait to read it.
I listened to your audiobook. Kudos for reading it yourself. Effing amazing. I feel like a bag has been lifted off my face and I can see the word for what it is. Where can I get the last one or two pages of your book in text format to post as a quote? I want to post that brilliant shit on my facebook wall and I’m too lazy to buy a real book and type it out.
What page/paragraphs? (It should be searchable on Google Books or Amazon, but if not I’ll try to post it)
Ryan,
I’ve read quite a bit of your writing and am in the middle of your book. I’d be very interested to hear more about your creative process. How do you decide what approach your going to take with each client? I would imagine that it differs greatly if a client is a service provider vs. a retail product like American Apparel vs. a Tucker Max book. Assuming that this isn’t found in the second half of your book, do you have any writing that describes how you come up with your various strategies?
Normally I do not learn post on blogs, but I would like to say that this write-up very forced me to take a look at and do it! Your writing taste has been surprised me. Thanks, very great post.
Thanks for your marvelous posting! I actually enjoyed reading it, you’re a great author. I will be sure to bookmark your blog and will come back in the foreseeable future. I want to encourage you to definitely continue your great posts, have a nice afternoon!
Loving your site. Just purchased your book and am really looking forward to reading it.
BTW great About Page, really stands out from most people’s. I might have to mimic yours on my blog 😀
-Max
Hey Ryan, your article on the new digital divide was fascinating and I’ll definitely be reading ‘Average is over’ now – thanks for the insight.
Today I stumbled across your name on Thought Catalogue. Liked what I read, looked you up, and 4 hours later, my email/letter/semi-memoir to you (and also probably the most self-revealing thing I’ve ever written) is finished and sent. I can’t begin tell you how glad I am that I found your writing, although I certainly tried to in my email. You really helped me figure out how to explain to my parents why exactly my goal is happiness, not success. Hope to hear back from you soon.
Tremendously significant knowledge that you have stated, thank you for posting.
Hi Ryan, i stumbled upon your site a few months ago, but never visited your about page. The links to your “bigger” articles proved really helpful!
Just wanted to thank you for your awesomeness.
Not more, not less.
Thomas
Thanks for the monthly favorite books list! You da man homie!
Thanks for the growth hacking book!
Happy Birthday Ryan. Thank you for all the high quality reading reccomendations. Wishing you the best from New Orleans.
After reading all of the books that you have read, have you found YOUR passion or does your drive come from searching for YOUR passion?
Bests,
Mark