▲Takeaway02:00
Why Ryan Ellis Protects His First Two Working Hours
Ryan Ellis says his morning performance begins with putting his phone down around 8:30 p.m. and getting up between 3:30 and 4:00 a.m. He avoids scrolling, showers immediately, and uses the quiet early hours for focused work before meetings begin.
- The morning routine starts with an evening wind-down
- Immediate movement prevents phone scrolling from taking over
- Ellis reserves his highest-capacity hours for focused office work
“try to as much as I can get my phone down at 8:30 and turn it upside down”
“my you know first two hours in the office I get more done than the next eight”
#morning routine#focus#sleep#deep work
▲Takeaway16:00
The Billion-Dollar Goal Behind TravisMathew's Expansion
Ellis says he is committed to taking TravisMathew to one billion dollars in annual revenue without attaching a date to the target. He describes an international footprint that includes Europe, Japan, Korea, Canada, Australia, and South America, while noting that international business remains more golf-focused than the North American brand.
- The stated ambition is one billion dollars in annual revenue
- Ellis views the target as difficult but achievable
- The brand already operates across several international markets
- International sales are expected to exceed 10% in the long-range plan
“I got my sites on a billion I don't have a date to it but I want to get this company to a billion I'm…”
“we see in that long-term plan you know International will be you know a little over 10%”
#growth#international#revenue#apparel
▲Takeaway28:00
Why Ellis Warns Apparel Brands Against Owning Warehouses
Ellis says TravisMathew once tried to own every operational function, including its warehouse, but specialization became more attractive as the company grew. He warns that apparent savings must be weighed against third-party logistics costs, management distraction, and the burden of adding roughly 80 employees.
- Vertical ownership can become a distraction at scale
- Warehouse economics should be compared with third-party logistics
- Headcount and employee experience add hidden operational costs
- Leadership attention should stay on the largest available opportunity
“there was a time at Travis Matthew where we try to own everything like we had our own Warehouse we we did everything ourselves”
“to me it's like keep the eye on the prize we have so much here to go grab let's just keep going for it”
#warehousing#outsourcing#operations#3pl
▲Takeaway29:00
The Personal Tradeoff Ellis Makes to Lead the Company
Ellis says the CEO role leaves meaningful time for family and work but little else. He prioritizes his immediate family first and work second, accepting reduced time for friends and other relationships without describing his family time as a sacrifice.
- Ellis places family before work
- The role leaves little room for a separate social life
- Work itself includes friendships and enjoyable experiences
- He accepts the tradeoff rather than resenting it
“you really have time for family and you have time for work and there's just not much other time”
“family comes first always work comes second and then whatever the rest of it is is what it is”
#family#work life#ceo#priorities
▲Takeaway54:00
Why Ellis Stepped Back From the Women's Line
Ellis says the women's business requires him to let go and allow a predominantly female team to create for and listen to its customer. He retains some involvement but says the team runs the line because its members understand that customer better.
- The women's team is about 95% women
- Ellis sees stepping back as part of building the new line
- Customer understanding sits with the team closest to her needs
- His role includes influence without taking over creative direction
“I have a whole entire women team and it's 95% women”
“it's me letting go a little bit like I'm letting them create and be creative um and really listen to her”
#womenswear#delegation#customer insight#leadership
▲Takeaway55:00
Ellis's Goal to Stop Managing Relationships by Text Reply
Ellis identifies a personal goal of deliberately maintaining important relationships beyond his immediate family and work. He wants to name the people who matter, create regular touchpoints, and arrange occasional dinners instead of relying on reactive text replies.
- The goal concerns relationships outside immediate family and work
- Ellis wants to identify the people he intends to keep close
- Regular touchpoints should replace purely reactive communication
- Planned dinners are one way to sustain those relationships
“write down like who are the people I want to make sure I get those consistent touch bases with”
“what are the important relationships in my life that that I really want to keep”
#relationships#goals#friendship#time