295. Perfect Content Fails, Raw Content Scales: Building a 1.9M Following w/ Ryan Stygar

Personal Injury Mastermind

Most lawyers think success means looking polished and professional. This former firefighter proved them wrong. In this episode of Personal Injury Mastermind, Ryan reveals how his early attempts at "looking like a lawyer" bombed, while raw, emotional content built him a following of 1.9 million. From getting rejected by 13 law schools to becoming a social media phenomenon, Ryan breaks down why authenticity beats credentials in modern legal marketing.

Dominate your market today. Grab a copy of Chris’ latest book, Personal Injury Lawyer Marketing: From Good to GOAT.

In this episode of Personal Injury Mastermind, former firefighter turned employment lawyer Ryan shares how he built a following of over 1.9 million people through education instead of advertising. Ryan found his path and revolutionized legal marketing by focusing on authentic content that serves his audience.

We discuss:

• How to build trust through education instead of sales
• Why practice area shouldn't limit your content strategy
• The power of showing emotion and being real on camera
• Why competing with big firms on their terms is a losing strategy
• The metrics that actually matter for social media success

Guest Details

Ryan Stygar is a former firefighter who spent four years battling California's wildfires and serving as a desert-rescue specialist in the Ocotillo Wells region before becoming an employment lawyer. He's built an incredible following with 1.9 Million TikTok followers and 191K YouTube subscribers.

• Ryan Stygar: LinkedIn, Website, Books
• Centurion Trial Attorneys: Website, YouTube, Podcast, TikTok, Instagram

Chris Dreyer and Rankings Details

Chris Dreyer is the CEO and founder of Rankings.io, the elite legal digital marketing agency.

• Rankings: Website, Instagram, Twitter
• Chris Dreyer: Website, Instagram
• Newsletters: The Dreyer Sheet
• Books: Personal Injury Lawyer Marketing: From Good to GOAT; Niching Up: The Narrower the Market, the Bigger the Prize
• Work with Rankings: Connect

Time Stamps

00:00 Intro

02:11 Why Ryan Left Firefighting

04:14 Starting from Zero: Early Days of Marketing

05:47 The Anti-Sell Approach: Education Over Advertising

07:03 Content Strategy: Why Practice Area Doesn't Matter

08:41 The Evolution: From Polished to Authentic Content

13:20 Organic vs Paid Growth: Strategic Approach

14:33 Building a Personal Brand vs Traditional Marketing

15:34 Don’t Box Mike Tyson: Play Him at Pickelball

16:25 The Power of Authenticity and Work-Life Balance

17:30 Closing Thoughts

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