Smart Business Owners Invest in Centers of Influence, Not Followers with Ryan Hogan

Business owners are incessantly told to chase leads and prospects. Ryan Hogan, naval officer, serial entrepreneur, and co-founder of Talent Harbor, points out that exponential growth, deeper trust, and better leads come from building ecosystems.

Host Tom Schwab explores this growth strategy that too many ignore but the best business leaders rely on: investing in relationships with centers of influence.

Ryan shares how he went from spending millions on ads at his previous company, Hunt A Killer, to now building Talent Harbor on a foundation of trust, referrals, and long-term partnerships. You’ll hear how he invested over $40,000 in podcasting before seeing a single referral, and why that patient, relationship-driven approach now fuels his biggest source of clients.

This isn’t about spray-and-pray marketing or chasing clicks. It’s about cultivating ecosystems, building credibility inside connected communities, and unlocking exponential growth by focusing on the people who already serve your ideal audience.

Timestamps From This Episode:

[03:27] Building ecosystems versus chasing prospects

[12:07] Being patient and focusing on a long-term investment, not quick wins

[18:31] Why leverage and relationship-building results over direct prospecting

[25:00] How to connect multiple ecosystems to create new opportunities and deeper relationships

Resources From This Episode:

TalentHarbor.com/Ryan

InterviewValet.com

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