Ryan Holmes, Hootsuite CEO, tries to keep things simple
Founder and head of Vancouver-based social media company talks entrepreneurship and success
Ryan Holmes had a simple, wholesome start to life, growing up near Vernon, B.C., on a farm.
He won an Apple computer in Grade 5, which had to be rewired to run off a car battery because the Holmes's farm was off the grid. In high school, he founded a paintball field as his first business, and a few years later started a pizza restaurant — but computers were his passion.
Holmes started with a local tech firm before creating his own digital media agency called Invoke Media. As more businesses moved to incorporate social media into their marketing campaigns, Hootsuite was born.
Eight years later, with 600 employees and more than 10 million users later, Ryan Holmes is still trying to keep things simple.
Watch our interview to hear more about how Holmes is defining success, what he looks for in new hires — and to find out his answer to the question: "Have you been approached by any reality TV shows?"