The Why Not
Mindset™
Keynotes that equip leaders with mindset, ownership, and culture to achieve what they previously thought was impossible.
Meet Ryan
Ryan Lavarnway’s story is a masterclass in belief, ownership, and culture—the pillars of The Why Not Mindset™.
From a 5’4” high school sophomore who didn’t make varsity to a World Series Champion and Olympian, Ryan’s career is living proof that extraordinary results start with one question: “Why not me?” Over the course of a decade in Major League Baseball, Ryan experienced tremendous setbacks—yet every challenge became an opportunity to step up, raise his standard, and lead the teams around him to new heights.
Today, he is a world-renowned keynote speaker and leadership development coach, helping leaders strengthen their mindset and culture around them to perform at their best.
As a keynote speaker, Ryan brings the lessons of elite performance to organizations everywhere. Through The Why Not Mindset™, he helps leaders and teams transform complacency into commitment and belief into action—empowering people to achieve what they previously thought was impossible.
"One thing we say all the time in our little family is, 'keep chopping wood.' As in, no matter what happens, just keep working; keep chopping wood. Keep working. Keep trying to get better and be ready for the next opportunity."
ABOUT RYAN LAVARNWAY
Retired Major League Baseball catcher and baseball Olympian, Ryan Lavarnway played for eight MLB teams over his 10-year career, winning a World Series with the Boston Red Sox in 2013. He is also a member of the Team Israel international baseball team where he has participated in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the 2017 and 2023 World Baseball Classic tournaments, as well as the 2023 Baseball European Championship where served as Israel’s Captain. Prior to his professional baseball career, Ryan was the third-ever MLB draft pick out of Yale University where he had a breakout year in 2007, leading the NCAA in batting average and slugging percentage.
Since retiring from baseball, Ryan has served as a broadcaster, including as a television analyst for the Colorado Rockies and has also appeared as a motivational speaker at Harvard, Yale Law School, Kent State, various leadership summits and numerous Jewish community centers. He recently launched an inspirational podcast, “Finding the Way” and wrote a children’s book, “Baseball and Belonging.”Growing up in Woodland Hills, Calif., Ryan played baseball at El Camino Real High School and is an inductee of the Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. He currently resides in Denver with his wife, daughter and dog.
"One thing we say all the time in our little family is, “keep chopping wood.” As in, no matter what happens, just keep working; keep chopping wood. Keep working. Keep trying to get better and be ready for the next opportunity."
– Ryan Lavarnway
The best organizations in the world are built through the mindset, ownership, and culture of their people.
Through incredible stories and mind-reframing questions, Ryan trains leaders in these three areas:
MINDSET:
WHY NOT ME?
Empower individuals to step up and own their potential. They give themselves permission to be the game-changer
OWNERSHIP:
WHY NOT MORE?
Your organization and your teams have goals–but the goals can be bigger. Challenge everyone to raise their standard of what they think is possible.
CULTURE:
WHY NOT US?
Then, you unite the team around a shared belief that these big goals are possible—and that everyone plays a role in making them happen.
Keynotes and Workshops Tailored to Your Organization
Ryan provides a diverse range of compelling speaking experiences tailored to different audiences and occasions.
KEYNOTES:
The Why Not Mindset™: How winning teams build the mindset, ownership, and culture to do what they previously thought was impossible.
Your leaders and teams will learn how to:
Shift their mindset from self-doubt to self-belief.
Take ownership of performance, even when results are outside their control.
Build a culture of belief where individuals step up, leaders raise the bar, and teams achieve what others think is impossible.
This keynote is both motivational and actionable—designed for leaders who want their teams to think bigger, perform better, and win together.
WORKSHOPS:
Deep-Dive Learning for Lasting Impact
Ryan’s workshops take The Why Not Mindset™ off the stage and into action.
Built for leadership teams and organizations ready to move from inspiration to execution, these sessions are highly interactive, tailored to your goals, and centered on real-world application.
Each workshop is customized to your organization and includes:
Mindset Mastery: Building mental resilience and confidence through real-world challenges.
Ownership in Action: Turning accountability into daily habits and measurable results.
Culture of Belief: Creating shared standards, alignment, and momentum across teams.
Whether delivered as a half-day, full-day, or multi-session program, Ryan’s workshops ensure your people walk away not only inspired—but equipped.
See What The Audiences Are Saying
Organizations Who Work With Ryan Experience:
Teams Performing At Their Greatest Potential
because every individual steps up and takes ownership.
New Solutions Emerge
As creativity, initiative, and accountability become the norm.
Teams Achieve Results They Didn’t Think Were Possible
because belief fuels performance.
Opportunities Appear That Others Miss
because they’re now looking at the world through a lens of possibility.
See What Leaders Are Saying:
Mark Goodman
Baseball Coach, Colorado School of Mines
Engaging, compelling, and charismatic, Ryan is Infectiously energetic. He encourages full participation from his audience, understanding that active engagement over passive listening is key to an enduring and impactful message. Versatile and concise, did the research necessary to tailor his message to our unique objectives, ensuring that the takeaways were both relevant and inspiring. Ryan translated his expertise into practical steps of application so the members of our team can attain their objectives, individually and collectively. Highly recommend him to any team and organization.
John Eichmann
Managing Partner, Virtus Insurance
We recently had Ryan speak to our leadership team, sales
team, and selected guests. His talk "Why Not Me? Why Not
Now?" had all of us thinking "You're right! Why not ME? Why
not NOW?" Ryan is a gifted storyteller who was able to relay
his experiences as a MLB, World Baseball Classic, and
Olympic baseball player to the challenges we face in our
business. Imagine being fired from your dream job 26 times!
That's how many times Ryan was cut and sent back to the
minor leagues. Ryan tactfully compared his experiences in
the world of baseball to the challenges we face growing our
business in the "real world."
Charlie Silverberg
Account Manager - Specialty Sales, New Balance
Engaging, compelling, and charismatic, Ryan is Infectiously energetic. He encourages full participation from his audience, understanding that active engagement over passive listening is key to an enduring and impactful message. Versatile and concise, did the research necessary to tailor his message to our unique objectives, ensuring that the takeaways were both relevant and inspiring. Ryan translated his expertise into practical steps of application so the members of our team can attain their objectives, individually and collectively. Highly recommend him to any team and organization.
