09/02/2025
This past weekend I (Jon) celebrated a milestone I never imagined I would celebrate—10 years in business. The first five as JM Films, and the last five as Ryval Studios. As many know, my entrepreneurial journey began in an unexpected way: after being laid off from my first and only job. On September 1, 2015, I started what I thought was going to be a small corporate video company in St. Louis. But little did I know God would grow into one of the fastest-growing sports production companies in the country. To look back now and say I not only started, but built, a business from scratch—with no experience, no formal plan, and plenty of uncertainty—is one of the greatest achievements of my life.
Over the last decade, I’ve achieved some of the highest of highs—big wins, national awards and dream projects. But I’ve also walked through some of the lowest of lows - taken on business debt, worked two or three jobs at one point, and even risked everything I have just to keep the dream alive. So, needless to say, entrepreneurship has been the most humbling journey of my life. Yet through every season—high and low—one truth has remained constant: God is faithful, and His plan is perfect, even when I can’t see or understand it. True faith is refined in fire, not comfort.
So if you’re reading this and need encouragement—keep going. Keep fighting. Keep believing. Keep grinding. Keep hustling. If there’s still a chance, take it. If there’s still a dream in your heart, chase it with everything you’ve got. You’ll never know how far you can go if you give up when it gets hard. I once heard overnight success are 10 years in the making - I learned this couldn't be more true.
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Also, there are still a few RSVPs to the Ryval anniversary bash this Thursday if any clients, coworkers, friends or fans want to join --> https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ryval-10-year-anniversary-bash-tickets-1499228054469?aff=oddtdtcreator