Meet Your Coach: Ryan Ross

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I'm a proud product of Dodge City, Kansas where I was shaped by an agriculture community where hard work was the foundation and taking care of your neighbors wasn't optional. That small-town grit and reverence for serving others have been the underlying principles guiding me through life. Today, I live in the Kansas City area with my wife and four children - three sons and one daughter - who keep me grounded, motivated, and always on my toes. When I'm not working, I'm an avid outdoorsman who loves hunting, fishing, cooking, and coaching my kids' sports teams. After more than a decade of leading high-performing sales teams and entrepreneurs to produce greater results than previously attained, I decided to channel my expertise and launch Root Cause Coaching & Consulting so I could expand my impact and empower even more salespeople and companies to achieve breakthrough results.

My leadership and coaching philosophy centers on respect, relationships, and a pragmatic approach to problem-solving; prioritizing people over profit, and focusing on strategies backed by data. I believe anyone can thrive when they have a specific and detailed strategy tailored to their inherent skills and personality, not just a generalized process to navigate on their own. I meet people where they are, understanding that effective coaching isn't one-size-fits-all but rather a personalized approach that honors each individual's unique strengths and challenges. Throughout my career, my expertise in developing scalable sales processes, implementing data-driven business strategies, and coaching individuals to reach their full potential has propelled companies to become industry leaders and shaped the careers and lives of hundreds of sales professionals and entrepreneurs.

My professional journey started in education as a high school science teacher and baseball coach; experiences that shaped my passion for developing others. After five years of struggling to make it work on a teacher's salary, my drive to build a strong future for my growing family led me to pursue a new challenge: sales. What happened next was fast. In a high-volume sales environment, I quickly discovered that my competitive spirit and strengths in communication, analytical thinking, and teaching translated into immediate success. 

I never bought in to the traditional sales clichés, and instead viewed sales as an opportunity to help others by providing the right solutions for their specific needs. I was occasionally met with resistance for "leaving money on the table" when I could have pushed for a close or an upsell, but every decision I made was rooted in my core belief that true success in sales occurs when you treat people with respect and focus on solving problems, not selling products. But the results I was seeing told me I was on the right path: I began breaking company records and within months I rose from top producer to Sales Training Manager, operating as a player-coach while completely overhauling the sales training department. Because of the measurable results my team was producing, I earned the opportunity to lead the entire inside sales division, where I was able to cascade my sales philosophy and strategies throughout the organization.

As Director of Inside Sales, I led our sales team in generating more than $30 million annually and was instrumental in helping scale the company into one of the nation's top dealers in its industry. I built training systems that increased employee retention by more than 20% and implemented technology and leadership methodologies that boosted average sales rep performance by over 30%, setting the foundation for rapid organizational growth.  

I then joined one of the fastest-growing franchises in the country, leaning on my previous experience and the lessons learned along the way to drive results and lead the organization to new levels of success. As Director of Sales and Business Development, I led programs and teams supporting hundreds of franchise owners and generating more than $80 million in annual revenue, driving consistent 20%+ year-over-year growth. My approach blended strategic leadership with hands-on coaching to develop sales professionals, elevate operations, and build systems that fueled sustainable, scalable performance.

I've seen firsthand what separates those who struggle from those who thrive. The difference isn't talent; it's having the right strategy, the right support, and someone in your corner who genuinely cares about your success. Whether you're a sales professional ready to take your performance to the next level or a business leader looking to build a high-performing team, I'm here to help you identify what's holding you back and create a clear path forward. 

Let's dig to the roots and get to work!