Lessons - Breaking Free from Money Addiction & Building a Business with Purpose | Ryan Zofay - Entrepreneur & Transformation Coach

Summary

Success Story Podcast: Breaking Free from Money Addiction & Building a Business with Purpose with Ryan Zofay

Host: Scott D. Clary
Guest: Ryan Zofay, Entrepreneur & Transformation Coach
Release Date: March 3, 2025

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1. Introduction to Ryan Zofay's Journey

In this compelling episode of the Success Story Podcast, host Scott D. Clary sits down with Ryan Zofay, an entrepreneur and transformation coach who has navigated a tumultuous path from money addiction to building a purposeful business. Ryan's story is a testament to personal resilience, faith, and the transformative power of embracing one's higher purpose.

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2. The Downward Spiral: Money Addiction and Its Consequences

Ryan candidly shares his early struggles with trading addiction, highlighting how the pursuit of wealth led to destructive behaviors and ethical compromises. He reflects on the solitary nature of trading and the inherent competition that fueled his addiction.

Ryan Zofay [04:15]: "The second you start making money off of trading, it's like, it's a very selfish way to make money because you know that there's going to be a lot of losers in it."

Ryan's relentless pursuit of financial success not only strained his personal relationships but also led him to a point where money became an addictive force, overshadowing all other aspects of his life.

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3. The Turning Point: Legal Troubles and Personal Loss

Ryan's addiction culminated in severe consequences, including a $10 million lawsuit from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). This legal battle became a wake-up call, forcing him to confront the reality of his actions.

Ryan Zofay [05:17]: "I keep promising her, I was like, just one. It was like I was a dick, dude. I literally couldn't stop."

Moreover, the strain on his relationship led to his fiancée leaving him, further isolating Ryan and pushing him towards a moment of profound introspection.

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4. Embracing Faith and Surrendering Control

Facing the immense pressure from the lawsuit and personal loss, Ryan describes a pivotal moment of surrendering to his faith. This act of letting go marked the beginning of his transformation.

Ryan Zofay [05:23]: "As soon as I gave it to God, my lawyer emails me and says, 'Ryan, you won the preliminary injunction.'"

Ryan emphasizes the significance of this surrender, explaining how it not only resolved his legal issues but also opened the door to personal healing and growth.

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5. Healing from Trauma: The Role of Recovery Programs

Investigation into his past reveals that Ryan's destructive behaviors were deeply rooted in unresolved childhood traumas. He sought help through a personal development program called On Site, which focused on addressing inner child traumas.

Ryan Zofay [16:04]: "I learned about what's On Site. It's a personal development program, like a retreat. And they deal with, like, inner child traumas."

Through this program, Ryan began to understand the underlying causes of his addiction, leading to a profound sense of self-awareness and responsibility.

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6. Building a Business with Purpose: Lessons Learned

Armed with newfound clarity and purpose, Ryan transitioned from his past life of trading to establishing a business centered on altruism and helping others heal from their own traumas. He credits his transformation to the support systems and personal accountability measures he embraced.

Ryan Zofay [16:56]: "I realized that I had to take responsibility for myself. And I learned that at On Site."

Ryan's business endeavors are now deeply intertwined with his mission to guide others through similar journeys of healing and personal growth, embodying the principles of accountability and ethical entrepreneurship.

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7. Insights on Faith and Ethics

Throughout the conversation, Ryan delves into his evolving understanding of faith and its role in his life. He grapples with theological questions, reflecting on the inclusivity of salvation and the ethical implications of belief systems.

Ryan Zofay [12:32]: "Only 2.4 billion people know about Christianity. So you're telling me the other 5.6 billion people are going to go to hell because they just never knew about Christianity."

Ryan advocates for a compassionate and inclusive approach to faith, emphasizing the importance of believing in something greater than oneself to foster accountability and ethical living.

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8. Conclusion: From Addiction to Altruism

Ryan Zofay's journey from a money-addicted trader to a purposeful entrepreneur serves as an inspiring narrative of redemption and transformation. By confronting his past, embracing faith, and committing to personal growth, Ryan has redefined success beyond financial metrics to include meaningful impact and altruism.

Ryan Zofay [17:06]: "I can heal people, I can teach people. I know what they need to do now. I gotta let everybody know this."

Scott Clary's insightful interview with Ryan underscores the profound lessons that can be learned from personal adversity and the power of building a life and business with purpose.

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Notable Quotes:

• Ryan Zofay [05:23]: "As soon as I gave it to God, my lawyer emails me and says, 'Ryan, you won the preliminary injunction.'"

• Ryan Zofay [16:04]: "I learned about what's On Site. It's a personal development program, like a retreat. And they deal with, like, inner child traumas."

• Ryan Zofay [12:32]: "Only 2.4 billion people know about Christianity. So you're telling me the other 5.6 billion people are going to go to hell because they just never knew about Christianity."

---

This episode offers a deep dive into the complexities of addiction, the impact of unresolved trauma, and the transformative potential of faith and purposeful entrepreneurship. Ryan Zofay's story is a powerful example of how confronting one's demons can lead to profound personal and professional fulfillment.

Transcript

[Scott Clary]

Today's Success Story podcast is brought to you by Vanta. Now listen up. This matters for your business. In today's digital landscape, security isn't optional, it's essential. Without it, deal, stall, sales cycle stretch out and scaling becomes really difficult. Why? Because investors, customers, partners, they all expect businesses to demonstrate strong security practices before they commit to anything. And if you can't prove trust, you lose opportunities. So whether you're a startup founder trying to land that first big client or an established company scaling your security program, Vanta helps businesses of all sizes prove they're trustworthy by Automating compliance across 35 frameworks like SoC2, ISO 27001 and HIPAA. The exact certifications your prospects, your customers are demanding. And here's why you need to pay attention. Vanta gives you back precious time you're currently wasting on compliance. Their platform automates up to 90% of the tedious compliance work and it helps you respond to those endless security questionnaires up to five times faster. And they also connect you with to get your security program running immediately. And the results they speak for themselves. A recent IDC report found that Vanta customers achieve over $535,000 per year in benefits and the platform pays for itself in just three months. So join over 10,000 global companies like Atlassian, CORA and Factory who use Vanta to manage risk, improve security in real time, and don't miss this for a limited time, only my listeners can get a thousand dollars off Vanta. That's real money back in your pocket. Visit vanta.com Scott now this offer expires. That's V A N T A dot com Scott For $1,000 off a huge shout out to Federated Computer for supporting today's episode. Let me explain why I love Federated Computer. Why they are friends of success story. They are changing the way businesses buy software because we all need software to run our businesses. I don't care what kind of business you're building, but the best business software doesn't have to cost thousands of dollars each month. So Federated Computer replaces a lot of the software that you're using right now. Let me explain. The average typical Federated computer customer saves 75% or more on their software built and gets great software, top notch customer service and support and a software solution that is uniquely installed for your business without any sort of surveillance or breaches of privacy. For example, if you use Google for email, Salesforce for CRM, Slack for team chat, list Monkey for customer acquisitions, and Airtable for data management with a team of 10, you'd save $9,000 per year on software costs by switching to Federated Computer. They replace all of those. And what's wild is that the cost of Federated Computer doesn't grow as your team grows. You can use Federated Computer savings to grow your business. Rather than feed the woke Silicon Valley software companies. The Federated Computer team literally invented cloud software. They actually have the patents to prove it. And they are taking a hammer to the ridiculously high prices of business software that all entrepreneurs are suffering from. Federated Computer. They've been a longtime supporter of success story. They're offering 30% off their already low prices when you use the coupon code freelance. So go to www.federated.computer to begin saving 75% or more on your monthly software costs. That's www.federated computer. These folks are going to do you a big favor. Check them out in this lesson's episode.

[Ryan]

Discover a transformative journey from destructive trading habits to embracing a higher purpose.

[Scott Clary]

Learn how surrendering to faith can catalyze profound personal change. Understand how crises pave the way for healing and growth. And explore the shift from self serving.

[Unknown]

Ambition to building an altruistic legacy. I was wondering because I'm thinking about like the fact that you go into this world and you even spoke about, you know, like when you sort of came out of that Xanax binge, you were like, the only reason why I'm here is God. And the only reason why, like. And then you start to realize that there's like a purpose beyond yourself.

Yeah.

But it's interesting. The second you start making money off of trading, it's like, it's a very selfish way to make money because you know that there's going to be a lot of losers in it.

Yeah.

It's, it's just a tough, it's a business, but it's a tough business. So it's, and I don't want to put words in your mouth. It sounds like you like lost yourself for a minute.

Yeah.

And you're like, focus on making money. And money solves all problems.

Yeah.

And like family's not family. Sort of falling apart again. This little cohesive unit that I had for a couple years fell apart again. So like I make money, but then money becomes addictive.

Yeah.

And then you don't stop. It's not like you just made a salary and then got back on the right track. It's like, let me see how far I can push this.

[Scott Clary]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

Because you're like that kind of, you're a very competitive person. Like, I get it. I totally get it. It's a good personality for an entrepreneur. And it's sometimes a bad person if you. If you're not on the right path. So this is like another, like, wake up call for you.

Yeah.

I'm assuming. I don't know. So, $10 million lawsuit.

[Ryan]

I go home. Yeah. My fiance leaves me.

[Unknown]

Why?

[Ryan]

Because the guy I was, who I was being, the guy that was.

[Unknown]

But she. She met you when you were doing so.

[Ryan]

She met me right before I started on commodities.

[Unknown]

So Interesting. And she felt that you changed enough.

[Ryan]

She. Well, I kept promising that I was gonna stop. I kept promising her. I was like, just one. It was like I was a dick, dude. I literally couldn't stop. And I literally would come home, we'd fight probably, like, every three or four months. She'd be like, ryan, you said when you get to this number, you're going to stop.

[Unknown]

Why did she hate it so much?

[Ryan]

Because I would. She didn't. She knew what I was doing was. Was morally and ethically wrong. And. And she knew in my heart that I didn't love it because I would come home at night and cry at times because, like, people would lose money and it would crush me because, like, these people are trusting in me. These people are literally, like, believing in what I'm saying, you know? And although what I'm saying is true, the risk, 90% of the people lose. And so it was just devastating to me. And so the FTC came in, they sued me. I go home, she leaves me. The best thing that could have happened to me happened, dude. It was again, another moment where I had no choice but to surrender. And so I was so blessed for that because I don't think I could have stopped. And so God stepped in for me. And here's what's interesting. So 30 days after I go to the preliminary injunction, I'm on the phone. My first sponsor. So my sponsor, I'm on the phone. I. I finally divulge everything to him. I've been avoiding him, I've been ducking him, because now I'm not, like, really working a program because it's hard to, like, go work an honest program and be spiritual and love God when you're being a scumbag. And so I finally, like, broke down and told him, and I was, like, scared to death, Scott. And he literally says to me, he's like, ryan, the second step is all about turning your will and your life over to God. He's like, are you that's the third step. Are you ready to give your life to God? And I was scared. I didn't. I wasn't. I was hard. I was like, really having a hard time making this decision. And I was like, oh, my God. Like, I didn't realize how hard this was. And I got to the point where I was like, okay, I'm willing. I'm willing to let this old life go. I kid you not, Scott. As soon as I humped the phone with him, my lawyer emails me and says, ryan, you won the preliminary injunction. And so as soon as I gave it to God, God's like, here you go. And I was like, holy shit. I was like, this is crazy. That was like. That was like 90% of the case. Now my lawyers were like, all right, we're good. Now we can go to the table and just settle this and just move on. Because I didn't want to be in the industry no more. If I wanted to be in the industry, I could have been. I didn't want to be. And so we went to the mat, we did a suspended judgment, I paid my fine, and now I have, like, reporting requirements that I have to do now.

[Unknown]

But you're not barred from the industry.

[Ryan]

No, I mean, I can't sell precious metals anymore. I could get back in the NFA if I wanted to. I could get my, my Series 7 if I wanted to, but I don't have any interest to do that.

[Scott Clary]

A shout out to NORDVPN for supporting today's episode. I have to tell you a story. So I was actually in Toronto visiting family last month and I went to binge some of my favorite Netflix shows. I forgot. And I realized that half of my US shows weren't available in super annoying. Flipped on NORDVPN within seconds. I got access to everything. Now it's not just about watching shows. What makes NORDVPN a game changer, really? Just imagine having this personal security guard for your entire digital life. With just one click, you're connected to one of their 7100 servers across 118 countries. I mainly use it for accessing streaming services when I travel, but I've also saved hundreds on flight bookings by checking prices from different countries. And their new threat protection pro blocks all those endless pop ups and suspicious links before they even get to me. And what I like, love most is how simple it is. One account, 10 devices. So laptop, phone, iPad, everything's covered. And the speed, honestly, it's so fast that I forget that I'm even using a vpn. And the best part? I've got a special offer just for success story listeners. So head over to nordvpn.com success and you'll not only get their best discount, but they'll throw in an extra four months on the two year plan. And don't worry about commitment because they offer a 30 day money back guarantee. The link is in the episode description. Trust me, it's worth checking out, especially if you travel or stream content regularly. That's nordvpn.com/success. Thank you NetSuite for supporting today's episode. Now, what does the future hold for business? If you ask nine experts, you're going to get 10 answers. Bull market, Bear market Inflation up, Inflation down. Honestly, I just need a crystal ball. But until we get one, over 41,000 businesses have found the next best thing. They future proofed their operations with NetSuite by Oracle, which is the number one Cloud E ERP. Imagine having your accounting, your financial management, your inventory, your HR all flowing together in one fluid platform. Here's what makes NetSuite different. It gives you one source of truth for your business. You get the visibility and control to make quick, confident decisions. While others are guessing. You're working with real time data, insights, forecasting. You're basically looking into the future of your business with actionable data. Whether your company is earning millions or even hundreds of millions, NetSuite helps you respond to immediate challenges and helps helps you grab your biggest opportunities. And speaking of opportunities, they Put together the CFO's guide to AI and machine learning at netsuite.com ScottClary this is the playbook for understanding how to use AI for your business.

[Ryan]

The guide is free.

[Scott Clary]

Go to netsuite.com Scott Clary that is netsuite.com Scott Clay A big thank you.

[Ryan]

To Indeed for supporting success Story because hiring people is one of the hardest things you're ever going to do as an entrepreneur, as a founder, as somebody who's trying to build a business. Because it's important to hire. Well, it's important to hire and find the right person, but it takes so much time. It's so labor intensive because like most entrepreneurs, you have a thousand things going on and there's a good chance that you just realized your business needed to hire someone yesterday. How can you find that great, amazing right fit candidate fast?

[Scott Clary]

It's easy.

[Ryan]

You just use Indeed because you don't have to waste time struggling to get your job post seen on all these other job sites. If you're using Indeed, you can just use their sponsored jobs to help you stand out and hire fast. Your post jumps right to the top of the page for relevant candidates so you can reach exactly who you're looking for faster. And the results really speak for themselves. According to INDEED data, sponsored jobs posted directly on indeed have 45% more applications.

[Scott Clary]

Than non sponsored jobs.

[Ryan]

You know what I love most about Indeed? It really just makes hiring so fast because everything is streamlined in one place. No more juggling multiple platforms or waiting weeks for the right candidate. How fast is Indeed in the mid minute? I've been talking to you. 23 hires were made on Indeed according to Indeed data worldwide. There's no need to wait any longer. Speed up your hiring right now with Indeed and listeners of this show will get a 75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility@ Indeed.com Clary just go to Indeed.com Clary right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Indeed.com Clary terms and conditions apply. If you're hiring Indeed is all you need.

[Unknown]

Okay, so I'm. So what does God mean to you?

[Ryan]

Yeah, it's interesting, dude. Like, it's changed throughout my life.

[Unknown]

You.

[Ryan]

Know, Like, I started going to Christian church for the last five years and I started being introduced to Jesus Christ as my savior. And I believe, you know, Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins. And I believe a lot of what they say. But I also have a hard time believing that you're going to go to hell if you don't believe in Jesus. Because there's 8 billion people on earth. Only 2.4 billion people know about Christianity. So you're telling me that true?

[Unknown]

I didn't know that.

[Ryan]

Yeah, I did this research because I'm like, this is crazy. Like, I just have a hard time believing that, like God is going to say, like, you're going to hell if you don't believe that Jesus is the path to me. So I. It was. It's.

[Scott Clary]

It.

[Ryan]

I'm like, dude, like, I'm always like, facts checking like this. It's. It's an innate part of me. So I was like, let me do some math and some research. I'm like, dude, there's 8 billion people in the world. Only 2.4 billion people know about Jesus Christ. You're telling me the other 5.6 people are. 5.6 billion people are going to go to hell because they just never knew about Christianity. So I don't know what that means.

[Unknown]

But I think that there is. I think God's a very good thing. I think that believing in something beyond yourself is good. And I think that godlessness is not a good thing. I think a lot of society is godless right now, which I think is why there's a whole bunch of issues, but there's always issues. It doesn't matter. But I believe that even like some parts of like organized religion, some of it's fear based too. You got to think about where a lot of like religion like originally came from and the people that like sort of expanded. And it's like some of the messaging I think is a lot of fear based. So that's not good. But I think that like believing in God, believing in something beyond yourself, I think is very important for sure. Because if not, then who are you accountable to?

[Ryan]

Sure, sure.

[Unknown]

And you just do whatever the you want. And if you're not in jail, then who cares, right? That's also not a good way to live your life.

[Ryan]

Well, I've, I've been, I've been down both paths, unfortunately. Unfortunately, I guess.

[Unknown]

No, I mean, like you, everything is a, everything is a learning experience, right? Yeah, everything's a learning experience. Like, so when you look at what you've built now, it like, it's not like, it's not like a religious calling, but I mean, part of your belief in God prompted you force you, sort of push you towards building something that was really altruistic. It was like building something that was bigger than yourself. And I think that's actually, I think that's how you got to where you are like right now. Because even a lot of the stuff that you do, we talk about this offline. Like, why, why are you wasting. We're in your studio right now. Why are you wasting your money and your time building this? Right? It's like you have a fully functioning business, but. And not only is your business helping more people than the average business, it's actually selling like products or services. Like, still I want to do more. Many people that build $100 million businesses do not learn how to teach and speak and, and run work. Like it's not like the average thing that somebody does. Right. So I think that all the stress and all the bullshit that you dealt with actually put you in like, made you a pretty damn good person.

Yeah.

From what I've known so far. So. So as you sort of progress in your journey, no more commodities, you're sober again, I'm assuming.

[Ryan]

I was sober, yeah. I was sober through the whole time.

[Unknown]

So then the next big thing is we level up, right? That's the, the Next sort of your life.

[Ryan]

So, yeah, sued by the ftc, fiance left me. And actually, before I came on set, I actually called one of my really good friends who introduced me to On Site, which was the foundation of my inner healing and inner trauma. And so I went to on site in 2012 and I learned about what's on site. It's a. It's a. It's a personal development program, like a retreat. And they deal with, like, inner child traumas. And so that was the first time that I was exposed to, like, early childhood trauma. And, like, I finally understood, like, why I was doing the things that I was doing. So that was the first moment when I had some, like, acceptance around me being a scumbag. Because, like, up into that point, like, I didn't know. I. I didn't. I kept, like, finding myself. Like, when I was 16, I woke up in jail and I'm like, how'd I get here? Like, what the hell is going on?

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

And that's how I know God was guiding me. I got sued by the ftc. I woke up and was like, how did I get here? Like, what the hell is going on? Like, this track.

[Unknown]

My wife sometimes, dude, I didn't want.

[Ryan]

To be that guy. I was like, how did I become this guy? But then I finally realized that I had to take responsibility for myself. And I learned that at On Site. And I was like, holy. Like, there's so much trauma around. My mom getting shot, my mom getting stabbed, my dad abusing me, using drugs, being taken advantage of, manipulated. All that stuff was like the core of why I was doing the things I was doing. And so that was the first introduction to this version of Ryan. And I was like, well, holy crap. Like, I can. I can heal people, I can teach people. I. I know what they need to do now. Like, I know the answers. I was like, I gotta let everybody know this. And so that's when I started. We level up. It was in 2013.

[Unknown]

Thanks for tuning in. If you found this valuable, don't forget to hit that subscribe button so you never miss an episode. And if you wanna dive deeper into this conversation, check out the links in the description to watch the full episode. See you in the.

[Scott Clary]

Today'S success Story Podcast is brought to you by Vanta. Now listen up. This matters for your business. In today's digital landscape, security isn't optional, it's essential. Without it, deal, stall, sales, cycle, stretch out and scaling becomes really difficult. Why? Because investors, customers, partners, they all expect businesses to demonstrate strong security practices before they commit to anything. And if you can't prove trust, you lose opportunities. So whether you're a startup founder trying to land that first big client or an established company scaling your security program, Vanta helps businesses of all sizes prove they're trustworthy by Automating compliance across 35 frameworks like SoC2, ISO 27001 and HIPAA. The exact certifications your prospects, your customers are demanding. And here's why you need to pay attention. Vanta gives you back precious time you're currently wasting on compliance. Their platform automates up to 90% of the tedious compliance work, and it helps you respond to those endless security questionnaires up to five times faster. And they also connect you with experts to get your security program running immediately. And the results? They speak for themselves. A recent IDC report found that Vanta customers achieve over $535,000 per year in benefits and the platform pays for itself in just three months. So join over 10,000 global companies like Atlassian, Quora and Factory who use Vanta to manage risk, improve security in real time, and don't miss this for a limited time, only my listeners can get a thousand dollars off Vanta. That's real money back in your pocket. Visit vanta.comscott now before this offer expires. That's V A N T a dot com Scott for a thousand dollars off A huge shout out to Federated Computer for supporting today's episode. Let me explain why I love Federated Computer. Why they are friends of success story. They are changing the way businesses buy software because we all need software to run our businesses. I don't care what kind of business you're building, but the best business software doesn't have to cost thousands of dollars each month. So Federated Computer replaces a lot of the software that you're using right now. Let me explain. The average typical Federated computer customer saves 75% or more on their software bill and gets great software, top notch customer service and support, and a software solution that is uniquely installed for your business without any sort of surveillance or breaches of privacy. For example, if you use Google for email, Salesforce for CRM, Slack for team chat, list, Monkey for customer acquisitions, and Airtable for data management. With a team of 10, you'd save $9,000 per year on software costs by switching to Federated Computer. They replace all of those. And what's wild is that the cost of Federated Computer doesn't grow as your team grows. You can use Federated computer savings to grow your business rather than feed the woke Silicon Valley software companies. The Federated Computer team literally invented cloud software. They actually have the patents to prove it. And they are taking a hammer to the ridiculously high prices of business software that all entrepreneurs are suffering from. Federated Computer They've been a longtime supporter of Success story. They're offering 30% off their already low prices when you use a coupon code Freelance. So go to www.federated.computer to begin saving 75% or more on your monthly software costs. That's www.federated.com puter these folks are going to do you a big favor. Check them out.