To Start: Derousseau?  

Hi there. That’s my name. It’s actually Ryan Derousseau (many butcher the name, but the correct way to pronounce it is like Rousseau, just with a De in front. Either way works!). You can also call me your test subject because that’s why I’m here. To try things that many of us our afraid to do, getting outside our comfort zone, to find a way out of a rut.

We’ve all been there. The “Day-In, Day-Out,” replaces our sense of adventure and passion for learning, until the only solace comes from our computer or the hour in front of the television at the end of the night. I know it. You know it. Everyone who has ever worked for a living knows it. Then we fall into that rut. That place that we can’t get out of. “I can’t quit my job, but I want to,” place. That, “I need something new, but I can’t figure out anything to do or that I’m good at,” place. Or that, “There’s nothing that excites me,” place. None of these mindsets help us achieve what we want in life, instead they hold us back. And these mindsets, I suffer from all the time.

Who Am I?

That’s a great question, one I’m constantly trying to figure out myself. For a day job, I’m a writer. This means I have a few different caps.

- One, I work as a business journalist, writing about personal finance and investing for some top magazines in the world.

- Two, I’m a content strategist, which allows me to work with businesses and organizations on their blog, social media feeds or other online or offline outlets, to better spread the word of the organization and market it to their target audience.

- Three, it means I’m constantly looking for new ways to offer my ability to organizations, whether it’s through technical reports, case studies, etc.

- Four, it means I’m trying to break into fiction and essay work, which isn’t easy, but it’s satisfying.

- And Five, it means I blog on a regular basis. I used to blog about my content strategy work, but that’s how I fell into my rut. So it’s time to move on, and talk about ways to step outside that hole.

Outside of the J.O.B., I live in Long Island City, NY (just into Queens out of Manhattan) with my girlfriend, Laurie, who you will hear about from time-to-time. And we live with a 5-year old adopted rescue dog, half lhasa Apso, half Brussels Griffon, named Wookie. You will also hear about him from time-to-time. I’m originally from Wichita, KS – yes, people actually live there – but grew up outside of Dallas. Went to school in Austin, still the best place I’ve ever lived, before heading to New York for the career.

Otherwise, I enjoy golf, basketball, a good red wine (although I’m not great at selecting) and writing. But I don’t want to get further into this, as this experiment is all to figure out all the other things in life that I enjoy!

Why Am I Here

That’s why I’m here: to explore the reasons we fall into a rut, experiment with ways to step out of such a hole, and hopefully inspire and teach a reader out there about how they can do the same.

I fell into my routine when I became a freelancer. To me, it was an opportunity to travel, experience new adventures, and set my own schedule. Instead, it became sitting in front of the computer all day long, trying to scratch out the next pay check. It has become clear, that’s not the way I can continue, and that’s why it’s time to explore how to fix my mindset, my ambitions, my hopes, my dreams and my day to better connect me with what actually makes me happy, as opposed to what simply helps me pay rent.

That’s the place I’m at now. It will hopefully change. You can read about my altering mindset on the blog, or view my plan of attack for stepping outside this hole that I’ve dug, and rejoining the world with a smile and action in your inbox by signing up here.

Either way, please join in on the conversation. Please feel free to take part in your own efforts to cure your funk. And please let us all know about it. Because there’s no great experts at getting rid of that rut. There’s just a bunch of people with suggestions. This is hopefully a place, where those suggestions will become actionable plans for you!

To learn more about my background, you can click here. Or if you’re interested in my journalistic or content strategy services, then please click here.

Thanks, and I hope to hear from you soon!

-Ryan