Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan VanLieu.
Hi Ryan, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
Back when I was in High School, I found myself rebounding and putting some athletes through drills while recovering from a knee injury. The 2 athletes I worked with went on to become the boys and girls all-time leading scorers in school history, and I quickly developed a passion for helping them achieve their goals which led to me looking for an opportunity to pursue Basketball Training as a career path.
I interned in Orlando, FL for a company called OHoops before moving back home to NY to help my twin brother build and grow our own basketball training business in Orange County, NY. (GymRatz Performance LLC)
From 2014 to 2018 the business grew up exponentially but I found myself missing the south, so ultimately, I decided to relocate back to Orlando, FL and start another training business on my own called OTM, or Only the Motivated. Now I work with some of the best young talent across the state of Florida and continue to remain passionate about helping the youth achieve their goals both on and off the court!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Anyone in Entrepreneurship knows starting, managing, and sustaining a business is no easy task. You run into obstacles almost daily including straining relationships with family and friends to compromising and sacrificing time with people you care about.
On the business side for me, finding and securing consistent gym space was an initial obstacle which resulted in traveling from park to park, driveway to driveway to provide training opportunities in the beginning until I was able to secure a consistent location at Parke House Academy which then led to multiple other locations throughout the Orlando area.
It’s cliche, but adversity has helped me grow both as an individual and as a business!
We’ve been impressed with Only the Motivated, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Only the Motivated represents the mentality and lifestyle I have and live by and one I aim to instill in every athlete I work with. Through the game of basketball, I aim to impact the athletes in ways that will help then stay motivated both on and off the court.
Teaching life lessons and core values such as persistence, consistency, respect and the ability to take and utilize constructive criticism will help them grow not just as ballplayers, but as individuals.
Aside from priding myself on impacting the athletes and getting on-the-court results through custom, detail-oriented and game-like training methods, I also pride myself on building a family environment. Every parent and athlete that works with me knows that I care about each and every one of them, and to see them representing the brand through apparel or their social media without being prompted keeps me motivated to continue growing the OTM fam!
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
The easiest way for people to connect and get started with myself and OTM is to text me directly at 845-866-4858.
For anyone looking to see a little bit of what I offer prior to reaching out, they can also follow me on Instagram @coachryanv.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: www.Instagram.com/coachryanv
Image Credits
@quanshotit
