As an entrepreneur and CEO of MIT45, you know firsthand how difficult it can be to run a successful company that continues to grow and thrive. From overlooked opportunities and underperforming assets to a lack of proper delegation and poor internal communication, your company may not be in the best position to reach its full potential — until now, that is.

Meet Ryan Niddel, a 39-year-old business growth strategist, entrepreneur, and CEO who has the proven ability to scale and grow your business. Thanks to his impressive leadership qualities, unique growth strategy, and decades of expertise in the industry, he has successfully tripled the revenue of more than five companies in under three years, adding an extra $950 million in valuation to these companies.

Robb McCormick
Ryan Niddel Robb McCormick

So how does he do it? Ryan sees growth opportunities, operational efficiencies (both tangible and intangible), and underperforming business veins that everyone else is blind to. He is esteemed for finding significant revenue and enhancing profits where no one else can. But most importantly, he has made mistakes, so you won't have to.

"My biggest failure in business came from a start-up that I founded and thought I could do everything alone," says Niddel. "I focused more on the profitability and what I put in my pocket than the people to support the mission, vision, and values."

Niddel learned from his failures and decided to use these struggles as motivation. He then rebuilt his company using the opposite methodology: "Finding great people that have a skill set that is specifically greater than mine in independent areas of the business, while keeping a keen eye out for the next opportunity."

According to Niddel, one of the most important qualities of a successful company is internal culture — or as he describes it, "the hidden revenue multiplier." With just a quick scroll on Niddel's Instagram, you'll receive valuable advice on how to achieve a more positive company culture that shares a growth mindset. Here are some takeaways:

  • Even though you're the CEO, you're not an exception to the rule. Ensure that you aren't late to meetings without notice and aren't wasting your employees' time.
  • It can be challenging to give up control. At some point, you have to delegate to people you trust.
  • Prioritize intentional work over meetings.
  • Be mindful and diligent in your hiring process.
  • As a business owner, it is important to hand your lessons off to others, so they can avoid the mistakes you've made.

In addition to these helpful and inspirational tips found on his Instagram, YouTube and Facebook accounts, Ryan also offers one-on-one consulting using Voxer, an app used for personal messaging. "What I found with Voxer is that instead of having a scheduled call or a scheduled meeting where you have to clear out time and space on your calendar, using Voxer allows people to share real-time issues they are going through and know that they will be getting a response back," he says.

Although he provides his services as a consultant, Niddel is often asked to become a part of the business — which is how he landed his current position at MIT45. "I chose to get involved in the Kratom product space because my two partners had reached a point in their business in which they didn't know where to go," he says. "I was originally brought in to help them streamline and systematize some of their processes, but that eventually led to my coming on as CEO and managing partner."

After Niddel joined the team in the spring of 2019, the company grew from $5 million a year to just under $70 million in annualized revenue by the fall of 2022. While he considers the trajectory of MIT-45 his proudest accomplishment yet, some other successful highlights include growing a web hosting company from 10,000 clients to almost 600,000 clients in the course of two years, a custom clothing company from scratch to $5 million a year in annualized revenue, and a CBD company direct to consumer from $0 to $10 million a year in annualized revenue.

So how can you score Niddel as a consultant for your company? The entrepreneur doesn't just consult with any business — there are some criteria that need to be met first. "Do they have a successful business?" Have they been in business for more than three years? Are they generating more than $3 million a year in annualized revenue? Do they have a well established staff? "Are they calm and collected?" he asks. "Those questions are going to be the filter before ever considering working with them as a consultant."

Even though he has reached extreme success, Niddel attributes much of it to self-improvement and believes that it's important to do things that improve yourself on a daily basis. He currently has three mentors that he works with on different aspects of his life, and he's educating himself on topics such as finance, internal rate of return, discounted cash flow calculations, and more.

"I better myself on a daily basis by spending time reading, spending time in moments of silence, in moments of gratitude, and making certain that all of those closest to me know that I love, honor, and appreciate them," he says. "It's the simple things that help me find value in myself."