We recently had the chance to connect with Ryan Hayes and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Ryan, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
The first 90 minutes of my day have little or nothing to do with work outside of the first few minutes. Typically I’ll check Slack and email to see if anything is absolutely pressing or needs my immediate attention. Nine times out of ten, it can wait. I’m pretty conscious of the fact that if something does need my immediate attention, it’s going to cannibalize the next four hours of my day, demanding a solution of sorts. Now, if it’s a regular day, it’s the gym first thing, then the sauna. Then I come home, make breakfast for the family, and pack lunches for the kids. My day is a little hectic and I’ve got three kids, two of which are in elementary, so it’s super important for me to drop them off at school in the morning. By design, my office is super close to their school. I’m fortunate to not have to get on a freeway, which is super nice when you’ve got such an active family.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Ryan Hayes, founder and operator of A Pretty Big Deal (APBD), a creative agency built on obsession, caffeine, and genuine care for the brands we work with. We’re a lean but mighty team — three full-timers here locally, plus two more on the East Coast and in the Midwest — which gives us both the tight-knit collaboration of a small studio and the geographic reach to support clients across time zones.
What makes us different isn’t necessarily raw talent — it’s relentless dedication. I genuinely fall in love with every project and won’t stop until the work feels right, not just looks right.
My path here wasn’t traditional. I dropped out of multiple art schools and took the long, scenic route to where I am today. But that journey taught me something valuable: stay humble, stay obsessed, and never lose the weird kid inside who wanted to design flyers for their friend’s garage band.
APBD has built its reputation on actually caring — we show up, solve real problems, and work as an extension of a brand’s own heartbeat rather than just another vendor. We don’t do “churn and burn” work. We pick projects carefully, invest deeply, and bring passion, pride, and a little bit of defiance to everything we create.
When I’m not obsessing over brand details at 2AM, you’ll find me camping with my family in the Eastern Sierras 10–15 times a year — because life’s too short not to balance creative work with the people and places that matter most.
This now highlights your distributed team structure while maintaining your voice and the essence of what makes APBD special.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
When I was working at LRG Clothing, the owner Jonas — who was an early design mentor of mine — walked up to me and asked if I could design websites. I said yes. He asked me to follow him to his office, which was ten steps from my desk. He handed me a piece of paper and a pencil, and while chain-smoking cigarettes and leaning back in his chair, he waited for me to design the homepage of what would become the next LRG Clothing website.
That was not only a moment of power, but it was more or less the first time anyone had ever trusted me with something as significant as a brand’s entire aesthetic — and even more importantly, it was a brand I had looked up to for years before I ever had the incredible opportunity to work for him.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Sure. I took a large deposit from a demanding client who had a late-night idea about something completely unrelated to his strong suit. The money was attractive… and that was about the only thing that seemed attractive about it. I had just started my agency and was the only employee. This job accounted for probably 20% of my revenue that year alone.
I went on to do a whole host of work over the next few weeks. He was manic, it didn’t work, and he exploded. I was so emotionally invested in the idea that I was devastated by the outcome. I sat on it and really almost gave up entirely.
Instead, I called him, told him we wouldn’t be working together ever again, and said I’d be wiring back the entire deposit he gave me. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
Sure. For the most part. Obviously everything on the internet is curated to some capacity. This isn’t new. This is just the evolved version of how you present yourself today. Same shit, different channel.
I like to think I put the truth out there when I speak. I like to stand on my character, but in reality I make mistakes, cause problems, and typically live with my foot in my mouth. That’s okay though. It’s about leading with heart, helping others, and answering with “how can I help?” when your clients, friends, or family reach out.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I think about this likely more than I should. I hope people say “he was there when I needed him” in one way or another. It’s that simple.
When you’re talking to a friend and they tell you about an interview they have next Tuesday, when you walk away and go about your day, set a reminder on your phone to reach out to that friend next Tuesday to ask them how their interview went. It’s not hard. You’re leveraging the technology you’re already glued to, you sincerely care about how they did, and it’s going to make them feel great that you cared enough to reach out.
I do this all the time. I listen when people talk and try to follow up and ask meaningful questions.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://WWW.APBD.COM
- Instagram: @WEAREAPRETTYBIGDEAL.COM
- Linkedin: ttps://www.linkedin.com/in/thatryanhayes/
