What happens when you mix Texas grit, a hot pink brand, and a relentless drive to succeed? You get Ryan Major. In this episode of Empire Building, Wendy Papazan sits down with Ryan to dive into her journey from growing up on a horse farm in Fredericksburg to building a real estate empire in Lindale, Texas.

Ryan’s story is one of resilience and reinvention. She shares how the lessons she learned from showing horses—grit, perseverance, and a thick skin from being constantly judged—prepared her for the highs and lows of the real estate industry. She opens up about hitting burnout after running a brokerage for five years without any leverage, her struggle with alcoholism, and how a bold move to Keller Williams in 2020 (paired with a rebrand in hot pink) turned everything around. Through it all, she’s leaned on the power of community—especially the Her Best Life family—and shares how finding like-minded women helped her navigate the loneliness of ambition in a small town. Whether you're building a business or just need a reminder of the power of taking action (and course-correcting when needed), Ryan’s story is packed with inspiration, humor, and hard-won wisdom.

Resources:

• Learn more: themajorteam.com
• Check out Her Best Life

Connect on Instagram:

• Seychelle Van Poole: @seychellevp
• Sarah Reynolds: @sarahreynoldsoji
• Wendy Papasan: @wendypapasan
• Kymber Lovett-Menkiti: @kymbermenkiti
• Tiffany Fykes: @tiffanyfykes

Produced by NOVA

This podcast is for general informational purposes only. The guest's views, thoughts, and opinions represent those of the guest and not KWRI and its affiliates and should not be construed as financial, economic, legal, tax, or other advice. This podcast is provided without any warranty, or guarantee of its accuracy, completeness, timeliness, or results from using the information.