Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Wilson.
Hi Ryan, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I was born in Southern California in 1978 and raised in the rugged beauty of the High Desert. From a young age, the outdoors was a major part of my life. I grew up hunting and fishing with my dad, riding motorcycles, camping, and learning to appreciate the freedom, challenge, and peace that come from being outside.
Those early experiences shaped who I became. The outdoors taught me patience, toughness, responsibility, and respect — not only for nature, but for the people I shared those moments with.
At a young age, I became a Fire Explorer, and that experience sparked my passion for the fire service. I spent the next 10 years pursuing that path, working hard to become a paramedic and eventually a firefighter. The journey took dedication, discipline, and perseverance, but it also gave me a career built around service, teamwork, and helping others when they need it most.
Throughout my life, I have remained an avid outdoorsman. Whether I’m camping, hunting, fishing, riding, or simply spending time outside, the outdoors has always felt like home to me.
Today, I continue to work in the fire service in Southern California, while currently living in Tennessee, where I have called home for the past eight years. During my flights between California and Tennessee, I found myself with time to think, plan, and reconnect with my love for the outdoors in a new way. That time inspired me to create a website dedicated to offering quality outdoor equipment.
For me, this website is more than just a business. It is an extension of the life I’ve lived — a life built around adventure, preparedness, service, and a genuine love for the outdoors. My goal is to help others find dependable gear they can trust, whether they are camping with family, heading into the backcountry, fishing at sunrise, or preparing for their next outdoor adventure.
My story began in the High Desert, but it continues wherever the road, the trail, or the next adventure leads.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
My path into the fire service was long and difficult. I put myself through paramedic school with no income, which tested my determination and commitment.
After becoming a paramedic, I applied to many fire departments and faced repeated rejection. Each setback was discouraging, but I kept learning, improving, and pushing forward until I finally found a department willing to give me the opportunity I had worked so hard for.
Starting an online company has brought a new kind of challenge. I had never built a business or website before, so I had to learn everything from the ground up. There have been mistakes, long hours, and plenty of uncertainty, but just like with the fire service, I continue to learn, adapt, and keep moving forward.
These struggles have taught me resilience, patience, and the importance of never giving up on something I believe in.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
For the past 15 years, I have had the privilege of serving as a firefighter. During that time, I have experienced the challenges, responsibility, and rewards that come with a career dedicated to helping others. The fire service has taught me discipline, teamwork, leadership, and the importance of staying calm under pressure. Every call is different, and every shift brings the opportunity to serve the community, protect lives, and make a difference when people need help the most.
Throughout my career, I have continued to value the paramedic side of the job. Providing emergency medical care has been one of the most meaningful parts of my service. As a paramedic, I am able to offer care, support, and critical help during some of the most difficult and frightening moments in a person’s life. Whether responding to medical emergencies, accidents, or fire-related incidents, I take pride in being able to bring both skill and compassion to those situations.
Being able to combine emergency medicine with the fire service has shaped the way I serve. It has taught me that the job is not only about responding quickly, but also about being prepared, making sound decisions, and treating people with respect and empathy. The paramedic side of the job has allowed me to connect with people on a personal level and be present for them during moments when they may feel scared, vulnerable, or overwhelmed.
Over the last six years, I have been promoted to Engineer, a role that has brought a new level of responsibility and pride. As an Engineer, I am responsible for driving and operating fire apparatus, making sure our crew arrives safely and that the equipment is ready to perform when needed. This position requires focus, technical knowledge, accountability, and a strong understanding of both emergency operations and the apparatus itself.
Promoting to Engineer has allowed me to grow as a leader while continuing to serve alongside my crew. It has challenged me to think ahead, stay prepared, and take responsibility for an essential part of the emergency response. This role has given me the opportunity to contribute to the fire service in a new and important way, while continuing to build on the values that first drew me to this career: service, dedication, teamwork, and commitment to the community.
How do you define success?
Success, to me, is not defined by one single achievement. It is built through perseverance, growth, and the willingness to keep moving forward even when the path is difficult.
In my life, success has meant setting goals and refusing to give up on them. It meant putting myself through paramedic school with no income, facing rejection from multiple fire departments, and continuing to learn and improve until I earned the opportunity to serve in the fire service.
Success is also found in service. For the past 15 years, I have had the privilege of helping people during some of the hardest moments of their lives. Promoting to Engineer and taking on the responsibility of driving and operating fire apparatus has been another meaningful measure of success because it represents growth, trust, and leadership.
Today, success also means building something new. Starting an online outdoor equipment company with no prior experience has challenged me in a different way, but it has also reminded me that success comes from learning, adapting, and staying committed.
For me, success is not about having an easy road. It is about resilience, purpose, and continuing to grow while staying true to the values that shaped me: hard work, service, preparedness, and a love for the outdoors.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Outdoorsmancompany.com
- Instagram: outdoorsmancompany
- Facebook: Outdoors Man Company
- Twitter: @outdoorsmanco
