Ryan Sanford CYFSN

Justin Barton: [00:00:00] Welcome to the Can You Feel? So now podcast, I'm Justin Barton and I'm a extremely lucky, blessed host to be able to sit down with all of these newly returned missionaries, and I'm really excited to sit down with another one today, somebody I've never met before until just a few minutes ago, when we got on Zoom together.

Justin Barton: His name is Ryan Sanford. So Ryan, why don't you just take a minute, introduce yourself, tell me about your family, where you're from, and some hobbies you enjoy.

Ryan Sanford: Sure. Yeah. So I grew up in Kansas City. I was born in Denver, grew up in Kansas City area. Parents are amazing. Gave me just the greatest childhood.

Ryan Sanford: I only have one younger sister, grew up in a very musical family. So even though I had different interests growing up, like filmmaking for example, I ended up landing in music. Went and pursued a degree of music education at one of the top music programs in the country at University of North Texas. Did not grow up a member of the church.

Ryan Sanford: I was not a [00:01:00] member all growing up and neither was my family. Came into contact with the church when I met my best friends in high school when I got to college and we stayed connected, I ended up switching. I kinda transitioned outta music more into business and entrepreneurship.

Ryan Sanford: I took on a sales job that expanded my network of LDS friends and one thing led to another and within a couple years, I joined the church, moved out to Utah and continued to immerse myself in that industry though. I guess that new interest in business and. Found myself going on a mission a year after that.

Ryan Sanford: So crazy different pivots throughout my life, but ended up back here in Utah, recently returned and 25 years old, currently working in tech and some other entrepreneurial ventures, so couldn't be more blessed.

Justin Barton: That's super [00:02:00] cool.

Justin Barton: Why don't you tell us just a little bit about that story and then we'll jump into your mission.

Ryan Sanford: Oh yeah. You can probably expect as a missionary, anytime someone found out I was a convert, the question always was, tell me that story. And so I've had probably hundreds of iterations from the short like version of it to the long version of it,

Ryan Sanford: the two friends in high school that I was acquainted with, that they're still my best friends in the world. I'm going to spend time with one of them tonight. His name Sawyer, younger brother's name is Charlie. They were just like the most incredible men I had met in my life. It was such an astounding combination of commitment to their faith, but they were also just so enjoyable to be around and every time I was with them, I felt on top of the world.

Ryan Sanford: And I guess I had , this stigma about whether it's the church of Jesus Christ, a Latter-Day Saints, or any religion people that are [00:03:00] really committed sometimes can be kinda weird. Maybe, I don't know, a little awkward. . And so meeting them, seeing their high level of commitment plus.

Ryan Sanford: The fact that I just love being with them was really, it stuck out to me a lot. So we kept in touch. When I went to college, we went on some trips. Every summer and winter we'd be, we'd come back together when we were back in Kansas for the break. And each one of those trips, we just started to dive deeper into, I think at the time of my life I was getting involved in Greek life the standard college things.

Ryan Sanford: And I also started feeling unfulfilled with my career path, like with music. So I was searching for more meaning, and I was primed to have those conversations about God and faith. 'cause I just felt like there was more to life, to be honest. And when Covid first hit, we were all sent home.

Ryan Sanford: We had to finish [00:04:00] our whole semester online. And so I went back with my family and it was, at this time I found a book for $1 at a rummage sale. And that book, what I call the best investment of my entire, the best return on Investment I've had in my entire life. $1 was a book called Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.

Ryan Sanford: Completely changed the paradigm through which I looked at life and it was the first time I really like was convicted that something was true beyond any doubt. And I got so excited. I shared it with everyone. I came to find that it was written by a member that the book interwoven throughout the principles and teachings of the book were gospel principles that my friends Charlie and Sawyer helped me recognize.

Ryan Sanford: So I think that was an early, I often say that if it wasn't for that book, I wouldn't have joined the church because it was also that book that led me into sales and that whole new community of guys that became some of my best friends and. Helped me become a sharper business [00:05:00] professional sales rep entrepreneur, but Christian as well.

Ryan Sanford: So kinda a gateway into the church was that book. And then that's, that was my introduction. I eventually, it took me still a lot of time. But it worked out eventually I found the necessity rising throughout those two years to to make covenants and adopt to the gospel in my life.

Ryan Sanford: And so that's what I did and changed my life forever.

Justin Barton: What a cool story. And I love even the word paradigm came from that book. That's something that isn't in conversational English. But it's very prominent in that book. Very cool. And I love this the whole story that led you to eventually going on a mission.

Justin Barton: So talk to me, where were you called to serve and what were the dates that you were on your

Ryan Sanford: Called to serve in the Texas Houston South Mission? I reported to the home MTC on October 10th, 2022. [00:06:00] And my release date was October 14th, 2024. But I extended a transfer, so I ended up getting home I think it was November 18th. Yeah, it was around there 2024.

Justin Barton: So how did you get approved to extend? Almost everybody I talked to are like, man, I wanted to extend, but I couldn't get approved.

Ryan Sanford: I was working closely with my mission president at the time, he was a new mission President.

Ryan Sanford: anyone who's ever been a new mission president or who's worked with a new mission president knows that it's just like one of the craziest things to try and navigate ever. Exciting and rewarding. But , I was working on a lot of media stuff for him at the time, and then that eventually became other things working with the MLC.

Ryan Sanford: I, worked directly with him in different ways that warranted an extension. I think he's a very persuasive [00:07:00] man. So I imagine that the big reason mission presidents don't allow people to extend their times is just 'cause It's . They want people to go home, get jobs, get married, stuff like that.

Ryan Sanford: But I can just picture President Garn getting on the phone with whoever he needed to, and being like, this needs to happen, convinced him. So I don't know what actually happened, but that's my guess.

Justin Barton: That's awesome. So you got an extra month, man. I sure fought for an extra month back when I was a missionary, but yeah, I got denied , but that's really cool.

Justin Barton: So in that extra month, why do you feel you stuck around? What lesson did you learn in that last month that you can carry forward?

Ryan Sanford: Oh man, I couldn't even, and the thing is I actually don't know that I've talked about it since my mission.

Ryan Sanford: So the fact that we get to talk about is incredible and I get to reflect, I think there's a couple big lessons. . So the week right before we went into that last transfer my, my second to last companion, his name was Elder [00:08:00] Moss, just the most amazing guy you'll ever meet. He's so humble. He is so put together, he's so sharp, he's so consistent in every possible way.

Ryan Sanford: So being with him was just a treasure. And we had an elder who was really struggling, who was very close to going home. And he was towards the end of his mission and President Garn he had sent me in to help elders in the past, but , he told me another moss, I need you to to pair up with this elder for a week.

Ryan Sanford: And what ended up happening was just unbelievable. I think this elder who was struggling, he was just so misunderstood by everybody. Everyone thought he was kinda weird, rude unmotivated. But what we found when he was put with us was that he was , so intelligent, so spiritual, so consecrated and I almost get emotional talking about it 'cause it was just such a astounding [00:09:00] experience.

Ryan Sanford: And there was one time we were in the car and he shared a story with us. It was essentially the story about two elders way long ago who decided to do a 40 day fast. 'cause they weren't having the spiritually fulfilling experiences they would hope to have.

Ryan Sanford: What they did was they identified all these different things, like even the smallest things that were keeping them from walking in the spirit every day. And they decided we're gonna fast from these for 40 days. Me and other Musk were listening to the story and we were like, we need to do this.

Ryan Sanford: The three of us need to do a 40 day fast. We need to think of things to fast from. 'cause everyone has them. And Elder Moss looked up on the calendar and he looked at me and his eyes were just wide open. He said, elder Sanford, . Your departure date is 40 days from today. And I was just like, what in the world?

Ryan Sanford: So I think from that, just the lesson. Of how someone can be so misunderstood. [00:10:00] But when you really have charity for someone and you try to help them and serve them and work with them and uplift them, you, they, you bring out the best of them. It was just such a edifying lesson for me.

Ryan Sanford: So that's the biggest one, I think. Yeah.

Justin Barton: That's super cool. Ryan, what did you choose to , fast from, for 40 days, that last 40 days of your mission?

Ryan Sanford: Oh goodness. One of them was the thoughts, like distracting thoughts throughout the day with different things. I was not a napper. My like missionaries will sometimes take 30 minute naps during lunch and stuff like that. But what I would do is we would usually just take a quick 20 minute lunch and get out the door.

Ryan Sanford: Sometimes what I would do, 'cause it didn't take me that long to eat, is I , I would lie in my bed for eight minutes. I would set a time for eight minutes. I can power nap like a monster.

Ryan Sanford: I can be down and up and eight minutes, but I just still felt like it was unproductive. So I [00:11:00] fasted from that. I fasted from ever getting even slightly distracted on social media. Like Facebook missionaries use Facebook. I would do this thing where I'd catch myself opening it and it would only take me 10 seconds to realize I was wasting time.

Ryan Sanford: But even then, you can't optimize your time as a missionary if you're getting sidetracked by thoughts or phone or anything like that. So I tried to fast from all of that.

Justin Barton: That's super cool. What did you learn about yourself during that time as you set those things aside to be more focused?

Ryan Sanford: Good question.

Ryan Sanford: I think a lot of people today especially feel a ton of pressure when they're trying to make improvements or add habits to their lives. They hold themselves to a high standard. Even in the church people try to do new things and raise the bar a little bit, but what they find is that it's a lot harder than they [00:12:00] thought, and they fall short and then they get really down on themselves.

Ryan Sanford: Personally for me, I'm grateful that's not a struggle that I have. I don't know why I am able to be really hard on myself, but not in a bad way. Like I hold myself to a high standard. And I think it's because on my mission, the times that I would fall short with little things, I was able to recognize that, listen, this is a probationary state.

Ryan Sanford: . I still have tomorrow. And that mindset of God looking down on me, I. Not in disappointment or scorn, but more dude, you've got this. I really, I feel like I found that balance in my relationship with my Heavenly Father that I never got down on myself for falling short.

Ryan Sanford: And that mindset allowed me to incrementally grow and improve a [00:13:00] ton without having these major setbacks of like depression or worrying about where I was at. Anything like that. Yeah,

Justin Barton: dude, that phrase I still have tomorrow is such a powerful phrase. I think now sometimes, like you said if I fall short, I'm beating myself up and thinking it's the end of the world.

Justin Barton: No, I still have tomorrow. Talk to me a little bit about where that mentality came from. Is that something you've always had? Is that something that shifted as you grew up?

Ryan Sanford: Man. Now you're striking at the root here.

Ryan Sanford: I think it's just a consequence of a very well integrated, very intentional life. What I mean by that is I live life very intentionally. I have built up habits and systems in my life where anytime I make mistakes, I'm not that worried about it because I can fall back onto the structure and systems I've already [00:14:00] iterated in my own life.

Ryan Sanford: For example, , I forgot to call my grandma on her birthday two days ago. I had it in my calendar to call my grandma, and then a bunch of stuff came up and I got to the end of the day, it was 10:00 PM and I was, I didn't call my grandma today. I felt bad about that, but I think God is a rewarder of those who are very consistent with their strivings.

Ryan Sanford: So I freaked out for a second, but then I called her the next day and she was so happy to hear from me and she said, oh, don't worry, the rest of the family forgot to call me too. You're fine. . There's a quote that nothing can ever permanently go wrong for those that are striving to live the gospel of Jesus Christ and doing their best and they're consistent, and.

Ryan Sanford: Does that mean we're consistent with our prayers? Like for me, these systems of praying, studying scriptures, I can always fall back on the knowledge that, I'm, doing the small and simple things. Doesn't matter if I make these mistakes. 'cause I know that God is proud of me. I know I'm right with God for doing those consistent things.[00:15:00]

Justin Barton: Yeah. So, talk to me about those small and simple things. How do you get those small and simple things in a structured way that you're talking about?

Ryan Sanford: I'm really glad you asked me that question today and not last week because I've recently, I had a come to Jesus.

Ryan Sanford: , I consider myself very disciplined, structured in a lot of ways. But just in the last few weeks I've realized that I've been really missing the mark. I'm very driven. If I'm not careful, I'll literally just work all day and not do anything else.

Ryan Sanford: So I have to carve out time to go to the gym and spend time with friends and family and go on dates and stuff like that. And I found that was even eating into my spiritual time. So I wasn't studying my scriptures consistently. And I experienced some setbacks because of that. And this last Sunday, the sacrament I was like, okay, [00:16:00] I am getting up.

Ryan Sanford: Here's what I do now. I get up at 5:00 AM every morning I shower, brush my teeth to get dressed, and 6:00 AM to 7:00 AM is what I call my private victory, which is when I study the scriptures, I'm reading words of prophets. I'm building out a spiritual vision board that I revisit every day that it's constant.

Ryan Sanford: It's like a living document. I've got quotes, I've got goals, I've got links to videos that inspire me, things like that. It's something I'm building out and I want to end every day too. Just looking at that for five minutes so that I start an end each day. Letting God prevail in my mind and heart.

Ryan Sanford: So that's a new system and so far it's going pretty good, but we're still in the beginning stages.

Justin Barton: Yeah I get, that and [00:17:00] I'll come in here and I'll just issue some words of encouragement. Stick to it, man. Sure. And just like what you said, I still have tomorrow, if today you don't meet that victory hour doesn't give you an excuse that tomorrow I didn't do it yesterday.

Justin Barton: I may as well not do it today. I may as well just mess around. 'cause that's how I lived my life for decades. Hey, I've got these great plans. I missed one day, eh, I may as well just forget about it. 'cause I missed one day. So I love this concept.

Ryan Sanford: Yeah. , my best friend Sawyer, he just, the most incredible man you meet.

Ryan Sanford: So temperate and so meek. But that's something that he told me that he struggles with. If he finds that he interrupts his routine because he accidentally wasted 15 minutes on YouTube. The rest of the day is just completely like a goner. I messed up for 15 minutes.

Ryan Sanford: I might as well not keep the rest of the schedule. And obviously he is [00:18:00] found ways to circumvent that, but for me it's I think the, most I fall off in terms of that kind of thing for is 30 minutes and then I get freaked out and I'm like, I can't do this. And I, it just kinda like whips me back into working mode or whatever activity I'm doing.

Ryan Sanford: Right.

Justin Barton: So, Ryan let's jump back a little bit now and, hit a different track in this conversation for just a minute. Were there any verses of scripture from any book of scripture that kind of became a theme for you?

Ryan Sanford: Yeah. The thing that bothered me is that I had a companion that it was exactly like this too, and . We felt like we were the only people that were like this. But I just really struggled with vein repetition. And that came in many forms on my mission.

Ryan Sanford: Missionaries pray the same way, like most missionaries will pray the exact same way. And if you have a companion for six weeks and you pray a hundred [00:19:00] times a day, you hear the same prayer a hundred times a day. It drove me crazy. On that same, note, the scriptures that were used commonly by missionaries were about the same 20 scriptures.

Ryan Sanford: You would hear 150 times your whole mission over and over . So the scripture by small and simple things are great things. Brought to pass is one of my favorite scriptures, but , I'm still recovering from having to hear it like , five times a week. Yeah, no, but I think a scripture for me I memorized doctrine covenant section 1 21 in my last two transfers.

Ryan Sanford: I just listened to it every morning for an hour and I would repeat it and I would speak along with it and I, anytime I was on the bike or anytime I was in the car. I would just be saying it to myself. So I don't know if I could do it today. I haven't tried it, but No, but that's

Justin Barton: [00:20:00] 46 verses long.

Justin Barton: I just looked it up. That's, it's not a short section, so No. Yeah, I,

Ryan Sanford: it was a challenge.

Justin Barton: Yeah. So pull two or three verses out of that section that are so a part of your working mind that it's just when something comes up you're like, oh, there's that verse.

Ryan Sanford: Many are called, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen? Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world and they aspire to the honors of men. That they do not learn this one lesson, that the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven. That the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled, only upon the principles of righteousness that they may be conferred upon us.

Ryan Sanford: It is true, but when we undertake to cover our sins or to gratify our pride or our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, any degree of unrighteousness, behold the heavens withdraw themselves. The spirit of the Lord is grieved. And when it is withdrawn, amen to the priesthood or, the authority of that man.

Ryan Sanford: So , that whole last two pages, I could [00:21:00] recite a hundred times a day, right? 'cause it's just so powerful and potent. And I didn't even have to try hard to memorize that section 'cause I had already read it so many times that it was just ingrained into my mind those last 15, 20 verses just came instantly.

Justin Barton: So why is that? You why is that such a powerful concept to you? That many are called fewer chosen. It's based on principles of righteousness if I try and cover it up with whatever I am on my own.

Ryan Sanford: Yeah. , the most important element of the gospel for me is the precepts and the principles people we talk about first principles, faith, repentance.

Ryan Sanford: But when I think of principles of the gospel, I think of things like righteousness, virtue nobility, courage, temperance, meekness, long suffering, love unfeigned, and so on and so forth, attributes of the savior. , that section is riddled with [00:22:00] that.

Ryan Sanford: The most abominable thing I can think of is someone who claims or supposes to hold the authority of the priesthood, but exercises, unrighteous, dominion and abuses that authority and priesthood. So I love it that this is like one of the only places in scripture that explicitly clarifies, listen, the priesthood can be conferred upon us.

Ryan Sanford: It's true. It can. But when we undertake to do these bad things, then the heavens will withdraw themselves. The spirit is grieved. And when it is withdrawn, that priesthood is gone. The priesthood, the authority, the power gone from that man.

Ryan Sanford: But there's a difference between a mistake and willfully abusing the priesthood.

Justin Barton: No, that's super powerful. Ryan, you mentioned one of those [00:23:00] principles or precepts, one that I've never heard mentioned in the gospel.

Justin Barton: You said nobility, and you paused on that for a minute. Talk to me about nobility. Why is that , an important vital precept and principle of the gospel in your eyes?

Ryan Sanford: There was a, member in one of the units I served in and she was just the epitome of an angel in every way. She probably has flaws, right? But I just, no one could see them because the kind of person that would spend her afternoon after church on a Sunday driving homeless people to local like restaurants and shops to help them try to get a job and she would spend time helping them build a resume.

Ryan Sanford: One of my friends, Richard, who was baptized on my mission, she helped 'em get a job. People are selfish with their Sundays. They want time with their this, that football family, right? Or they have callings. She had a calling, she was a relief society president and she still would [00:24:00] spend her Sundays going out and doing so.

Ryan Sanford: Anyways, this the most amazing person I've ever met, a role model to me in every way. And the first time I met her, she looked at me when we were about to leave and she said that I reminded her of the word nobility. I heard, I was like, that's very interesting.

Ryan Sanford: So I looked up the definition later and there was one definition that was just it, reminded me, like of the savior. And by the way, I don't think I'm super noble, but I was flattered that she thought. So essentially what it means is a man of noble character, a noble ideal ambition cause or purpose, the quality of being noble in character, basically people who are worthy, honorable, principled, high-minded, elevated meritorious. So I think Christ, when I think of nobility there's a scriptural element to that of being of a noble [00:25:00] birthright, which means that you have if being in the covenant we have a birthright, but noble as a quality, as a trait means that I think I tie it all out to courage.

Ryan Sanford: I tie it a lot to standing up for what's right. High mindedness, not being light minded standing boldly for the truth in the face of adversity, even if everyone disagrees with you. Just things that are very rare in today's society, right? Everyone wants to fit and everyone wants to have the honors of men, but nobility is standing for the right cause in the face of adversity, I think.

Justin Barton: I love that. The word that came to my mind as you were sharing this about nobility is you've got these, I see it as high expectations. I'm set apart if I exhibit the principle of nobility or the the attribute of nobility [00:26:00] I see myself as being set apart, , as an example with high expectations that I need to meet.

Justin Barton: Now, what happens, Ryan you're a pretty noble guy. You're pretty upstanding. You're, you may be perfect or pretty dang close to it, but what happens when you fall through those expectations and you don't live up to that nobility target that you're looking at?

Ryan Sanford: I'll tell you what happens.

Ryan Sanford: It happens every day in some ways, but everyone has some setbacks that are harder than others. And for me, I, on my mission, I always said that whenever we fall short we have two choices. I called the two Rs. We can either rationalize it or we can repent from it.

Ryan Sanford: And those two directions have two completely different outcomes. We see so often people, even if they're not entirely in the wrong, right, [00:27:00] even if it maybe was somebody else's fault to a certain degree, they still rationalize it. They try to victimize themselves. For me whenever I fall short, I just try to undergo very serious repentance between me and God.

Ryan Sanford: I can tell when I'm being serious about repenting, it's hard to seriously repent. It's hard to face yourself like that. But it's very necessary and it's rewarding and it's healing to do

Justin Barton: Has your perspective and understanding and experience with repentance changed over the last couple of years serving on your mission as to what you understood it being before to what you understand it being now?

Ryan Sanford: That's a really good question. There's two different definitions of repentance that I've encountered. I think it's become a lot more common in the church to define repentance [00:28:00] simply as just improving. Whereas I think in the, early dispensation church repentance was specifically, turning away from sin. And those two things are very related, but now people like very casually use the word repent to mean, oh, just improve, get better.

Ryan Sanford: That's fine. I don't think there's anything wrong with that. I just learned that there's different kinds of repentance. I think repenting from a serious transgression versus the small iterative repentance that we undergo each day as we get on our knees and pray for help to improve. Those are two related, but different, perhaps levels of repentance that everyone has to experience in their lives at some point.

Ryan Sanford: . Let's kinda stay on this evolution of understanding for a couple of questions maybe. Talk to me about as a convert did your. Perception of [00:29:00] Jesus Christ shift from before year conversion through baptism, through acting in conversion. And then did that perspective and understanding of Jesus Christ evolve even more throughout your mission.

So I, for those that know Jordan Peterson, you know who Jordan Peterson is?

Ryan Sanford: Yeah, I do. I just went

Justin Barton: to a live event of his last week.

Ryan Sanford: He's been called the gateway drug to Christianity, which is very accurate, I think. And goodness, I would spend, every time I went to the dining hall at my university, I'd pop in my headphones and listen to one of his lectures. He's a psychologist. He is, he's now a very famous public speaker. But career psychologist worked at Harvard University, Toronto University, and I think a lot of my perception of Jesus Christ was very much tailored towards his.

Ryan Sanford: For many years, which is that he believes in God in a very unconventional way. People will often ask him, do you believe in [00:30:00] God? And he snaps back at them. And he is what does that mean? What does it mean to believe? I act as though God exists and that's the most true definition of believing.

Ryan Sanford: When I got baptized, , it was a deeper sense that I should follow Jesus Christ. I think there were a lot of external reasons why I joined the church. Social reasons.

Ryan Sanford: Perhaps it wasn't until my mission that I actually feel like I truly learned who the savior was. I finally learned that he is a worthy ideal that I mentally. Committed to pursuing for the rest of my life on my mission. To going into my mission, I came out feeling like this is an ideal and a role model that I need to learn about and follow and strive to emulate for the rest of my life under any [00:31:00] circumstance, no matter what.

Ryan Sanford: So he became real to me in a sense. He wasn't just a, symbol. Although Jesus Christ is very symbolic to me today he's become a real being to me today.

Justin Barton: Love that. . So, Ryan, as you served your mission there in Houston you talked about how you started out music, you went into business sales, and as you went on your mission and served your mission, it , sounds like from what you're saying might be back in sales again.

Ryan Sanford: What has the direction of your life. Pointed to, and what are the next steps in your life, professionally and social?

Ever since college when I kinda unlocked that new interest in business I would say before my mission, it was a very vague, esoteric ambition to be successful with very little definition, or not very much of a domain to work [00:32:00] within.

Ryan Sanford: But nonetheless, people knew that I was driven, people knew that I was hardworking and wanted to be successful. I built that reputation for myself just. Working hard in sales and being gregarious with recruiting. One thing I learned on my mission, and there's gonna be people listening to this that don't want to hear this, but I learned on my mission that I needed to graduate from door to door that I did not want to continue in door to door as an industry.

Ryan Sanford: I found that my ambitions actually grew a ton on my mission because now this vague ambition that I had found a channel which is building the freaking kingdom of God on Earth. And so once I, linked that, my ambition was like tenfold, which is daunting.

Ryan Sanford: It's scary, and right now. The struggle for me [00:33:00] is trying to be careful not to take. What does Jordan Peterson say? Don't don't trade. What's meaningful for what's expedient? There's opportunities that I come across every single day that are flashy and shiny, but that probably aren't the smartest.

Ryan Sanford: So I'm trying to make mature decisions career wise right now. I partnered with a friend of a friend who has a tech company that he is trying to build, and his model is he he's bought and exited multiple companies, and he is only 24. He is very successful. And I'm handling the sales for this company and taking all of the leads he's got a lot of lead generation happening.

Ryan Sanford: So I have book calls every day and it's likely that I'm going to basically become a partner and we will grow it together and it'll become very automated for him, or he'll, he'll focus on his other ventures while I [00:34:00] take care of one. Right. And then I'm also looking at building an online presence as a sales professional that can help people, connect people to the right jobs and stuff like that.

Ryan Sanford: So it's working on a few things right now, but moving into entrepreneurship, I would like to exit a company in the next two to three years because that unlocks a lot of opportunities and opens a lot of doors once you've exited a company successfully. I've got goals and plans for down the line too.

Justin Barton: I love it. So, here's a question based on what you said. You said when I unlocked that, I'm here to, and I'm gonna quote you, build the freaking kingdom of God on the earth, right?

Justin Barton: Your ambition expanded 10 times. How do you build the kingdom of God on earth by building a tech company and building an online presence?

Ryan Sanford: It's a good question. The more income I have, the more money I make, the more I can reasonably give and fast offerings, the thing for me is I know [00:35:00] how much I need to live month to month, and my mindset is I don't want to keep anything beyond that.

Ryan Sanford: Everything else that I make, I want to either invest. Things that will be beneficial for me as a future professional father, husband, or just give it away. I've always said that my dream job is to be like a philanthropist. So if I can be 60 years old and my entire life and job is giving tremendous amounts of money to create an actual difference in millions of lives it became not as much of a dream anymore.

Ryan Sanford: And throughout my mission, it felt like an obligation that I have been blessed with certain talents. And privilege. I've lived a good life. I've been very [00:36:00] blessed to not have to. Endure a lot of the trials that many, millions of people have to endure in their lives today.

Ryan Sanford: So if I waste that away, serving myself and living a , a self serving life, that is a catastrophic waste when I could be trying to build value for other people's lives and giving back to them.

Justin Barton: Yeah. This is beautiful. Beautiful. A verse of scripture that came to mind, and I'm sure you've thought of this a million times, and it's one that may be one of those vain repetitions, but it's in Matthew chapter six at the very end.

Justin Barton: It's from. Verse 25 where it starts off. Therefore, I say to you, take no thought for your life and what you shall eat or what you shall drink. But where I want to get to in this whole thing is this. One day at a time, there's always tomorrow taking care of things.

Justin Barton: Today at the end, it's the last two verses [00:37:00] 33 and 34. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. And all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Justin Barton: And that last verse to me, that is the epitome of one day at a time. I can't change tomorrow, today, I can change what I can do today, which will affect tomorrow, but I can't be living in tomorrow, today and live there and worry about that. So tell me what your thoughts and how this law of consecration this desire to be a philanthropist how you can take those verses that I just read and apply into where we're going here.

Ryan Sanford: It's kinda like the quote where it's like people don't decide their futures. They decide their habits and then their habits decide their futures.

Ryan Sanford: I hardly ever think about the past. I forget it. I forget almost all of it. And people that live in the past are depressed. People that live in the future are anxious. People that live in the [00:38:00] present are happy. Whatever that quote is. I definitely live in the future, like always thinking about the future.

Ryan Sanford: And I wouldn't say I struggle with anxiety or anything, but I'm definitely like always looking ahead and I have to remind myself that as long as I am trying to perfect my day. One day at a time, then the rest will take care of itself. I'm trying to make the most out of every day, every week, and then iterate that I don't have to stress about what the future is.

Ryan Sanford: , I was just talking with my business partner earlier today, his uncle was a billionaire and not many people aspire to be billionaires, but me and him were talking. I think people reach a certain level of complacency at some point in their career where they're happy just where they're at.

Ryan Sanford: But I told him, , I think if someone starting it in their twenties made very wise decisions, developed valuable skills, and [00:39:00] constantly worked and tried to grow and create immense value all the way up until they were 60. It's not unreasonable for that person to have billions of dollars at in their sixties, there's luck involved.

Ryan Sanford: But luck is where skill meets preparation, but that person is someone who iterated good habits over 40 years. 40 years is a long time, and the same thing applies to the gospel. All we have to do is iterate small and simple practices into our daily lives. We don't have to worry about whether or not we're gonna make it to the celestial kingdom as long as we are doing our best to make each day the best that it can be.

Justin Barton: This is really powerful. So, Ryan, as I wrap this up, I've got a few questions that I always begin this closeout process with, and it's based on the verse of scripture that this project [00:40:00] is, surrounds, it's Alma chapter five verse 26. And that reads, and now behold, I say it to you, my brethren, if you have experienced a change of heart and if you have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can you feel so now?

Justin Barton: So talk to me a little bit, Ryan, about the change of heart you may have experienced over the last few years in your life with these massive changes and growth.

Ryan Sanford: The most important thing to me in my life is God now. And I think before my mission I, I wanted that to be the most important thing to me. But now, nothing like, literally nothing is more important to me than God.

Ryan Sanford: And that's a very vague statement. But what it means is nothing is more important to me than serving God, trying to keep my will aligned with his, which involves preparing to be a father and a righteous husband.

Ryan Sanford: My current family and my future family [00:41:00] are now. The most important goals I have in my life. I've talked a lot on this call about career finances financial goals and stuff like that. But the truth is that when I go to bed every night or when I'm in the temple when I'm saying my prayers or when I'm driving home in my car talking to God, or listening to moving music , feeling grateful for everything he's given me and for my mission and for the church and for , my relationship with him, it's like those things become very clear.

Ryan Sanford: I have a lot of clarity about that, that those in fact, serving God fulfilling his will and being the best person I can be. Preparing to be a future father has been magnifying my calling. Like those things are the most important thing to me now, and I do my very best every day not to let that become swallowed up in the noise of the world, because the [00:42:00] world at the end of the day and my career goals are a means to those things.

Justin Barton: Oh, that's beautiful. Thank you for walking through that definition of change of heart. Next phrase is, have you felt to sing the song of Redeeming love? What the heck does that mean to you, Ryan singing the Song of Redeeming Love?

Ryan Sanford: I love to sing and so that one's not as hard for me to relate to. . I have these moments in my car. My car is a very spiritual place for some reason. I've got a little picture of Jesus on the dashboard, and I'd listen to music that's uplifting and I'll sing along to it.

Ryan Sanford: Sometimes I feel like I'm in a movie and like the end of the movie where the hero wins or whatever it is, and it's just like this dramatic shot of driving down the, road. But those, are actually very spiritual moments between me and God, where I'm alone with him and I can sing along to a very moving piece of music and feel his love.

Ryan Sanford: It's very personal. [00:43:00] It's, where I feel the spirit, the strongest is in those moments with him. It doesn't even have to be a Mo Tab song or a Josh Groin song. Sometimes it's even just like a random song and I, allow myself to connect to God listening to it and appreciating it.

Justin Barton: Josh Groban is my man crush. So you just hit on two of my most favorite people in the whole world.

Ryan Sanford: It's not luck, I promise.

Justin Barton: Man. That is so cool. Anyways, wrap up question though. So the wrap up question is can you feel, so now, and what I want to do, let's jump in a time machine and we're gonna go ahead and we're gonna move into the future 10 or 15 years and we're gonna go into two different places.

Justin Barton: I, want you to talk to these two different people. Two different places, two different scenarios are 15 years from now, you run into yourself 15 years from now. One of those scenarios is all your dreams, professional dreams are coming true, [00:44:00] but. Your career has taken the place of God and money has become way more important than it should.

Justin Barton: Our biggest

Ryan Sanford: fear. Yeah, that's my biggest fear.

Justin Barton: So there's our first scenario. The second scenario is everything's fallen down around you and you got nothing and, , either way, you're sitting there going, what in the world happened? Where is God? So what I want you to do is sit across the table from yourself, looking at both of those two different people and testifying, basically, saying what they need to do to , feel what you're feeling at this time in your life as you served your mission. Have them feel that again in,

Ryan Sanford: I'm just gonna look specifically at the, very successful version of me. You freaking idiot. Are you kidding me? You're, telling me that you let all of this monetary success distract you from what was actually important in your life? Do you not remember every single experience you had, every impression you had, [00:45:00] everything you worked to develop between you and God for years.

Ryan Sanford: And now you're allowing these things that one day will vanish to occupy every single moment of your day. You're telling me you don't have time to serve God anymore and to love him because of these things these worldy things that you have become possessed by you, sir, are pathetic.

Ryan Sanford: And you need to go figure it out and quit wasting time getting consumed by these things of the world. You need to reclaim what was once yours. And trust me when I tell you that I know you're not happy, it will vanish and you will have nothing unless you fix this.

Justin Barton: Love it. Direct right at it. All right. So Ryan, as we close up, would you mind [00:46:00] just bearing simple testimony of whatever principle of the gospel is on your heart right now?

Ryan Sanford: The endowment. I did an endowment this morning with someone in my ward that , we got up at 5:00 AM and went and did an endowment. And we sat in the celestial room and just talked, and it was so edifying. And I got breakfast after and he said, I've never told this to anyone.

Ryan Sanford: You're the first person I've told this to. All of his discoveries in the Book of Mormon and how it's completely interwoven with principles, symbols from the endowment. I was just so struck by his humility and his dedication and his devotion to the gospel because it's very easy at this point in our lives to get consumed by dating career development school and forget about, that's why so [00:47:00] many return missionaries go inactive

Ryan Sanford: but the principle of the gospel that sticks out to me the most today is just , being intentional. The reason God gave us agency is 'cause he wanted us to exercise it with intention. Meaning we didn't let life just happen to us or we didn't expect handouts from God. Now his hand is always there to hold us and to lift us.

Ryan Sanford: When I say handouts, God's not just gonna make everything fall into place for us. He expects us to seek him. The things that are most valued and treasured are the things that are hard won and that we really show God that we're serious about obtaining. Seek and you shall find, ask and you shall receive.

Ryan Sanford: Knock, and it shall be open unto you. , he was highlighting a principle of we need to do everything intentionally, meaning we are proactive. And my friend , that I went to the temple with [00:48:00] just exuded that and I was so inspired after leaving that. It's made my whole day and my whole week so far.

Justin Barton: Thank you for sharing these experiences this time with me. Ryan, this has been super meaningful for me. I hope it's been worth your time for you.

Ryan Sanford: Justin, it's been a pleasure and I've loved getting to reflect on my mission. You've helped me realize that I need to find excuses to do this more often so that I can try and appreciate all those experiences.

Ryan Sanford: So I appreciate the time and thank you for letting me come on.