Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Brandon.
Hi Ryan, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
When I was 12 years old, my Father was diagnosed with Leukemia. We’d just moved to Phoenix, AZ from Los Angeles and weren’t even fully settled in. Doctors gave him less than a 5% chance of survival. Had it not been for my Mother noticing his symptoms and urging him to go to the Doctor, it would’ve been too late. Immediately after his diagnosis, he was flown to City of Hope in Duarte, CA and he spent the next 8 months fighting for his life. He received a Bone Marrow Transplant as a self- donor, which was rare and cutting edge back in 1995. After such a long period of not being able to see him, my younger sister and I were finally able to visit him and the smell emanated from his hospital room. I’ll never forget: my father smelled like a newborn baby – this was due to the aggressive chemo and radiation treatment – wiping just about every good and bad cell in his body – the bone marrow transplant is considered your “re-birth” and thus you are given a new lease on life as you wait for your cells to slowly regenerate. You are “new” again. My sister and I hugged my Father, it was the first time we had seen him cry. I’ll never forget this moment. He became my hero and inspiration right there.
Many patients we befriended, did not have the same fortune as my Father.
Mothers, Fathers and even children died. This stays with you. The fragility of life.
Later on, I attended Arizona State University and got my degree in Psychology and Business. During this time, I also spent a semester abroad in both Siena and Florence, Italy. Travel became sustenance for me. I loved being thrown into new experiences.
This would begin a yearly tradition of traveling overseas for the next 10+ years.
Mostly Eastern Europe – Czech Republic and Poland. There is something about their people, history and culture – that resonates deeply with me. No matter what hellish pasts they had to endure, they always rise up – I respect that. Going deep into these beautiful quaint villages and just sharing a meal with strangers. Human connection and new world views.
In 2007, I moved to New York City and then Santa Monica, CA in 2010.
I began a position at 20th Century Fox Studios in the Creative Services Department. After trying my hand in a few different departments, I realized working within a studio wasn’t for me.
In 2012, I started Rytechan Consulting and this allowed me to forge amazing relationships with Producers, Directors and Writers at many of the large and small studios. Everything I learned about business – was during this time. It was “learn by doing”, moving at breakneck speed – high risk, high stress and high reward.
At the same time, I began to really commit myself to writing screenplays for both TV and Film. During the development of these projects, I had the opportunity to collaborate with many industry creatives that I deeply admired and respected.
Later, I spent some time in San Diego and Santa Barbara before calling Utah, home.
Fast Forward to 2022: I’m fortunate to have an amazing woman by my side. She exemplifies the word, partner. We have a 1-year-old daughter. I had been feeling a little off – for a while. She pushed me to go to the doctor. I waited until we visited family in Arizona. When I finally saw a Doctor out there, bad news. I had cancer – a tumor. It was large and it needed to be removed ASAP.
48 hours later, we were back in Salt Lake City and I was going into surgery the next day.
As I recovered from surgery, I needed to get as strong as possible and fast. Chemotherapy was the next phase of treatment and the thoughts of City of Hope began to race through my mind. I re-read “Man’s Search for Meaning” by Viktor Frankl. I have my partner and daughter as my “why” and will endure any “how” to survive for them.
Let me say, Salt Lake City has amazing cancer care and support in the form of Huntsman Cancer Institute, St. Marks and Utah Cancer Specialists. Thank you.
Post-surgery and during my rounds of chemo, my parents and sister would alternate flying out to help with our daughter. Make everything seem as normal as could be. We don’t have any local family here in Utah. Friends and Family sent us care packages, food delivery and every form of support. We couldn’t have visitors since my immune system was compromised.
I would spend most of time researching every facet of cancer treatment and the recovery process. Support groups on reddit and reaching out to friends who had beaten cancer.
After learning that cancer did not spread, I was and am so full of gratitude and newfound energy – that being said, I could no longer find any meaning in my consulting work in its current form.
I began to think about some of the few absolute truths in this world. Things that matter.
It was during my chemo treatments, that I came up with the concept for Addie Health – Empower Children battling Cancer.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
During my cancer treatment, I realized something I desperately needed was empowerment. Simply recovering from surgery and then chemo treatments with a “sit and wait” approach was not acceptable to me. What can I eat? What to avoid? Scar tissue recovery? Numbness? How are Hormones/Testosterone/Mental Health affected by chemo? You are pointed in the right direction, but there are a myriad of options and complexities. We all know complexity is the enemy to execution.
To combat the physical deterioration that cancer treatment does to you, I took on an extreme mindset like an athlete would. I was inspired by Kobe Bryant’s work ethic and unrelentless compromise to simply: “be better.” The first morning walks, post-surgery, were painfully slow as it was during our record-breaking 2022 summer heat, I would wake up at 5:30am and begin: 1/8 of a mile, next day 1/4, then 1/2. Eventually, 3 or more miles per day and so forth. Once I started chemo, that brought new obstacles. I managed to walk 256 miles in 10 weeks between surgery and 2 rounds of chemo. It gave me a sense of empowerment – I received my blood work and was healing faster than anticipated. Very grateful for that.
To combat the challenge of chemo brain, which can include brain fog and forgetfulness. I knew if I was going to try to keep mental sanity while starting a new business, I needed to change how I approached everything. I bought a daily planner. I deleted all the apps from my phone and cleared out my desktop – both on my computers and the actual desk. I wrote and prioritized 3-5 items the day or night before. It helped me sleep at ease knowing I had my day planned out, no matter how forgetful I was, or if I had to deal with vomiting from medications – I could simply clean myself up and get back to working on completing “my list.” Like my 1-year-old daughter and her routine, I started my own and would not to not deviate from it.
The business goals were written as immediate massive actions. Clarity and simplicity were absolutes. Know your destination and figure it out. Work your way backwards from that and you can save many steps. Complexity only gives you “more reasons” on why you can’t execute. I worked slowly but become a “Single-Tasker”. I downloaded apps again only if I needed them to complete the task. The US Navy SEAL term: “Slow is Smooth. Smooth is Fast.” – So true.
There is power in routine. Anticipatory stress is far better than unexpected stress.
I’ve been placed on the other side of the fence. I was rapid fire all systems go for 20+ years. I liked the spontaneity and figuring things out – zero routine. Not anymore. I hurt both physically and mentally at times. Certain normal tasks, I took for granted, take monumental effort now and sticking to a routine is the only way I can complete tasks. To be honest, I have difficulty being compassionate and patient towards myself.
I also keep thinking of the Peter Thiel quote, “If you have a 10-year plan of how to get somewhere, you should ask: Why can’t you do this in 6 months?” Facing mortality head-on, you ask a lot of questions. You aren’t fearless, but you definitely fearless.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Addie Health will be an app/software designed to Empower Children battling Cancer.
Using an age-focused UI, that is personalized by both the child and parent. The app will reward young patients as they reach health milestones during their treatment. It’s essentially gamifying the healing process for the child. The children can redeem their points for prizes before each round of chemo, radiation and/or surgery.
In turn, this will educate both children and their parents on evidence-based self-management. This is to be used alongside their prescribed cancer treatment.
Potential features may include: Telehealth specifically designed for children, a database repository, a virtual classroom plug-in for kids who are missing school, online community for children and parents and much more.
I’ve recently begun conversations with Huntsman Cancer Institute and there are exciting ideas coming to the app.
Now that my immune system is getting stronger, next month I will be visiting Phoenix Children’s Hospital and City of Hope.
I will be talking with Parents, Children, Child Life Specialists, Nurses and Doctors.
We need to create what these children and parents really need to feel empowered, not what I, or we, think they need.
Given everything we have today, there are always better ways to do things.
I’ll close on this…
The last few months have given me a masterclass in equanimity. I’m grateful for that. Be sincere and selfless in whatever you choose to do. Hopefully, you have an emotional attachment to it and experience fulfillment.
Push boundaries, build something meaningful and important. The world really needs it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.addiehealth.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/addie.health/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/addiehealth
