My 1st Gig: Ryan Brown on Saying Yes, Showing Up, and Finding Your Lane
“Raise your hand. Ask. Do it anyway.”
That’s the through-line of Ryan Brown’s early career — from Grand Rapids to Sunday mornings at Meet the Press, and now into leadership and community-building roles that fit him like a glove.
In this episode, Allie Walker and Ryan Gajewski welcome Ryan back to his old stomping grounds (yes, the red couch lives on). At the time, he was serving as Community & Partnerships Manager at The Dispatch, where he managed community engagement and podcast production. Before The Dispatch, Ryan spent nearly two years at NBC’s Meet the Press, researching interviews, crafting panel segments, and producing episodes of The Chuck Toddcast. His path started with the John Carroll–Russert Fellowship at Meet the Press…and, even earlier, a formative internship right here at Truscott Rossman.
The First Gig Energy: Find Your Door, Then Walk Through It
Ryan’s first big break came via his alma mater, John Carroll University (Cleveland), which shares deep roots with the late Tim Russert, legendary host of Meet the Press. After encouragement from a trusted professor, Ryan applied for the Russert Fellowship — even though he worried he didn’t tick every box.
Lesson 1: Apply Anyway
Requirements matter — but so do initiative and fit. Ryan threw his hat in the ring and landed a nine-month fellowship that launched everything that followed.
Once in D.C., the “real life” learning curve kicked in: finding housing, mastering bus routes, and showing up on day one in a full suit during a sweltering September. (Blisters, sweat, and a mortified first handshake with a senior producer were all part of the story. Still…he made it.)
Inside the Engine Room: Research that Rises to the Top
During the week, Ryan lived in LexisNexis, transcripts, and policy backgrounders — building hefty research packets for producers and the host. The job sharpened two muscles that still serve him:
Clarity under pressure: surface what matters, fast.
Context as currency: know the quotes, the record, the stakes.
On Sundays, he shifted from research to people: guest greeter — welcoming the morning’s lineup, escorting them to hair and makeup, moving VIPs from studio to studio. It was a front-row education in protocol without the playbook: be respectful, be ready, learn the forms of address, and keep the trains moving.
“No one tells you how to do anything, frankly. Ask when you need to — people will help.”
Most Memorable Mornings:
Anthony Scaramucci — funny, larger-than-life, and working the room like a parade route.
Former Vice President Dick Cheney — a low-key arrival on a high-stakes broadcast morning (the passing of President George H.W. Bush). Ryan walked him between studios and left with a gracious, personal story that Cheney later shared on national TV.
Say Yes (Responsibly)
Advice from a past fellow stuck:
“You’ll be asked to do a lot — say yes when you can.”
That “yes” got Ryan into podcasting early: from running cables to producing full episodes of the Toddcast. The thread carried forward to The Dispatch, where he spanned community, partnerships, and production — the connective tissue between audience and content.
Ryan’s “Yes” Checklist:
Can I realistically deliver without dropping other balls?
Will this teach me a tool, a workflow, or a relationship I don’t yet have?
Does it bring me closer to the work I want more of?
Life Moves, Career Moves
Between that first fellowship and now, a lot changed beyond the résumé. Ryan and his family moved from D.C. to Kentwood, bought their first home, welcomed two kids, and built a rhythm that fits. Professionally, he’s leaned hard into the roles where his strengths compound: connection, curation, and conversation.
Full-Circle Moment: Coming Home to Truscott Rossman
After this conversation was recorded, Ryan’s story came full circle.
He returned to Truscott Rossman, the place where he once interned, as the firm’s Vice President of Business Development.
In this new role, Ryan helps shape the firm’s growth strategy — connecting TR’s communications expertise with organizations ready to lead bold conversations. Now, he is stepping behind the mic as host of My 1st Gig Season 2, bringing his journalist’s curiosity and Midwest warmth to every interview.
“I love these conversations — real, reflective, human. If you’ve got a first-gig story and want to share, reach out.”
Listen to Ryan’s episode of My 1st Gig wherever you get your podcasts.