From Rock Bottom to Sky High Success: Ryan Niddel on the Power of Self-Improvement

Ryan Niddel is a highly sought after business consultant and entrepreneur in demand for his repeated successes increasing business revenue and growth. Drawing on his expertise on the application of lean manufacturing principles and identification of operational efficiencies, Niddel has, with the acquisition or exit of more than 11 companies, surpassed a collective revenue of $237 million. In addition, Niddel has tripled the revenue of over five companies in under two and a half years, adding $950 million in valuation.

With a background in entrepreneurship that began at age 10 mowing lawns, Niddel currently leads two eight-figure companies, including the kratom products company MIT45, and is a principal in a private equity group. The journey that got him here was filled with highs and lows, as only a 20+ years entrepreneurial career can be. The lows proved to be especially educational.

“My biggest failure in business came from a start-up that I founded, and thought I could do everything alone. I focused more on profitability and what I put in my pocket than the people to support the mission, vision, and values,” says Niddel. “So the lesson I learned there is that to be truly successful, you need to surround yourself with people with more intellect in specific areas than you do.”

To turn things around for himself and his business career, Niddel sought collaborators with skill sets greater than his. As much as the humbling experience taught him to appreciate other people’s input and value, it also prompted him to develop himself. His first step was to learn to get out of his way. The second is to adopt a broad openness to learning and growing.

“I would advise people to remain a student of all things in life. I would advise them to start with all things psychology to understand how people think and what makes people tick,” he says. “It helps you interact, get more out of people, and be more empathetic. I would also encourage them to challenge their belief system consistently.”

An avid reader, Niddel sees books for what they are — an endless depository of wisdom and great tools to help in self-improvement. His self-improvement itinerary also includes time for silence and reflection, gratitude, breathwork, and working out. And then there are the more formal ways of improving oneself.

“Post-high school, I studied mechanical engineering as a field of study and have consistently been enrolled in classes, courses, and mentorship training for the past 15 years,” says Niddel. “I am studying a combination of finance and finance-related aspects of growing businesses, including internal rate of return calculations, net present value calculations, and discounted cash flow calculations. It’s the things that are pretty in the weeds combined with going back and revisiting the lean six sigma methodology and the Toyota way of conducting business.”

Finally, any work on self-improvement is an investment in a future more aligned with one’s goals and wants. Defining those goals is crucial, and Niddel approaches it with due respect.

“I plan for what I want with my life by taking time away from the business and creating a little space to think and understand what I want,” he says. “Much of that is something that a great friend and mentor of mine has taught me called timeline therapy, which allows me to close my eyes and visit a future version of myself that achieved whatever I wish to achieve. Right now, it’s the continued success of MIT45 and seeing where we’ll take it from just under $70 million in annualized revenue we had in 2022.”

McClatchy newsroom and editorial staff were not involved in the creation of this content.