Lifestyle

“You Don’t Need a Degree to Make it Big,” says Social Influencer Ryan Sprance

Published

6 years ago

October 11, 2019

It’s a familiar refrain: you need a college degree to reach the highest echelons of success. The worlds of business and profitable creativity are closed off to you without it. The ceiling is more or less set. Ryan Sprance thinks differently, though.

He has good reason to. Sprance didn’t graduate from college. In 2013 he was a manager at an Apple store, albeit the largest one in the world. Now, six years later, he is emerging as one of the most dynamic and talked about names in digital media and marketing.

His Kaihatsu Media, founded in 2016, has gone from around USD 1,000 in sales each month in the spring of 2018, to over USD 70,000 by the spring of 2019, and is on track to rake in over a million dollars in monthly sales by the end of the year. Also, in 2019, he was invited to join the Forbes Agency Council -a collective of invitation-only communities of exceptional business owners and leaders -run by Forbes magazine.

Given the speed with which he has achieved his success, it wouldn’t be wrong to assume that Sprance has an Ivy League degree attached to his name. But, as mentioned before, it was all done without a college degree. Which is not to say the journey from one end to the next has not been challenging, or that Sprance did not need to know what he was talking about. And he certainly sees nothing wrong with going to college. It would appear that Sprance’s training came primarily through his willingness to teach himself.

“I’ve worked hard to educate myself by studying every aspect of digital media,” says Sprance. “Working at an Apple store as a manager, I needed to know a lot about tech and the uses of the web. But with computers and the internet, things are changing so quickly. You always need to be learning new skills, discovering new ways of looking at business.”

Indeed, the rapid changes in how people learn and find information, brought on by the advent of the internet and social media, has revolutionized both business and education. Exactly how isn’t clear, partly because these changes happen so fast. Sprance’s story, however, provides something of an answer.”

I think if my story shows anything, it is that a lot of the old rules have been tossed out regarding one’s path to making it big. Personally, I think if you are willing to learn, then you don’t need an institution to give her permission regarding how to use your own knowledge.”

Lifestyle

Why Derik Fay Is Becoming a Case Study in Long-Haul Entrepreneurship

Published

1 week ago

July 2, 2025

Michelle Langton

Entrepreneurship today is often framed in extremes — overnight exits or public flameouts. But a small cohort of operators is being studied for something far less viral: consistency. Among them, Derik Fay has quietly surfaced as a long-term figure whose name appears frequently across sectors, interviews, and editorial mentions — yet whose personal visibility remains relatively limited.

Fay’s career spans more than 20 years and includes work in private investment, business operations, and emerging entertainment ventures. Though many of his companies are not household names, the volume and duration of his activity have made him a subject of interest among business media outlets and founders who study entrepreneurial longevity over fame.

He was born in Westerly, Rhode Island, in 1978, and while much of his early career remains undocumented publicly, recent profiles including recurring features in Forbes — have chronicled his current portfolio and leadership methods. These accounts often emphasize his pattern of working behind the scenes, embedding within businesses rather than leading from a distance. His style is often described by peers as “operational first, media last.”

Fay has also become recognizable for his consistency in leadership approach: focus on internal systems, low public profile, and long-term strategy over short-term visibility. At 46 years old, his posture in business remains one of longevity rather than disruption a contrast to many of the more heavily publicized entrepreneurs of the post-2010 era.

While Fay has never publicly confirmed his net worth, independent analysis based on documented real estate holdings, corporate exits, and investment activity suggests a conservative floor of $100 million, with several credible indicators placing the figure at well over $250 million. The exact number may remain private but the scale is increasingly difficult to overlook.

He is also involved in creative sectors, including film and media, and maintains a presence on social platforms, though not at the scale or tone of many personal-brand-driven CEOs. He lives with his long-term partner, Shandra Phillips, and is the father of two daughters — both occasionally referenced in interviews, though rarely centered.

While not an outspoken figure, Fay’s work continues to gain media attention. The reason may lie in the contrast he presents: in a climate of rapid rises and equally rapid burnout, his profile reflects something less dramatic but increasingly valuable — steadiness.

There are no viral speeches. No Twitter threads drawing blueprints. Just a track record that’s building its own momentum over time.

Whether that style becomes the norm for the next wave of founders is unknown. But it does offer something more enduring than buzz: a model of entrepreneurship where attention isn’t the currency — results are.