From losing his identity to the audacious goal of helping 1 billion improve their wellbeing with Ryan Hopkins

A strong identity is everything. It connects to your appearance, the work you do, what you stand for, and who you associate with. But shit gets real when it's taken from you. 

It can send you into dark places. 

It can challenge who you were all along. 

It can also push you out of your comfort zone to a beautiful place you didn’t think was possible.  

That was the case for Ryan Hopkins. 

Ryan was a man’s man. 

A rugby player who loved the competitiveness and camaraderie of the game. 

An aspiring electrician, or sparky, as they like to say in the UK.  

A guy who liked to throw a few back with his mates at the local pub. 

But in an instant, Ryan’s identity was taken from him after a brutal rugby injury. 

Unable to walk for a year, Ryan's mental health began to spiral. In his words, he had nothing. No money, no job, no identity. He was depressed and suicidal.  

But this is where Ryan’s story begins.  

With the love and support of his mother, Ryan charted a new path that took from being a selling machine at a bank, to helping an indigenous family set up a hostel in Ecuador, to going to university in England.  

Life was trending in the right direction, but it was far from perfect. Ryan had a number of challenges that he had to overcome on his journey. But the setbacks gave him the life experience to understand the importance of being well. It also gave him the platform to connect deeply with people by sharing his story. All of it, including his darkest moments. 

Today Ryan is giving back. He is a well-being leader who helps companies create workplaces where employees can be happy, healthy, and more productive. 

He’s also on a self-proclaimed journey to help 1 billion people improve their wellbeing. 

This is a fun conversation. Ryan delivers a very serious message but with a lot of levity and laughter. 

As you listen to our conversation, pause and ask yourself:

• What is your identity and how would you respond if it were taken away in an instant?
• How can you inspire others by vulnerably sharing a time when you were knocked down?
• What one thing can you do to improve your wellbeing at work, in life?

I’m hopeful that these stories of rock bottom and redemption are helping you through challenges in your life. Personally, they are making me more aware of the challenges in people's lives and are helping me on my journey to being a better person. 

If you’re enjoying these conversations, please give Time to Sing Your Song a 5-star rating. It helps in bringing awareness of these awesome stories.

Please also share the podcast with your family, friends, and colleagues. 

As I go deeper on this journey, it is becoming clearer by the day that Time to Sing Your Song is a platform for ordinary people to share their stories of how they overcame gnarly obstacles to live a life that they only dreamed about. What’s crazy is the variety of stories that are coming to me. If you have a story or know someone who does, reach out to me. Easiest way is to send me an email at mike@timetosingyoursong.com or you can send a direct message on social media – Mike Kearney on LinkedIn and mkearney33 on Twitter.