The Art of Succession

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Welcome to The Art of Succession Podcast. Host Barrett Young, CPA, talks with Ryan Steuer, Author of PBL Simplified & CEO at Magnify Learning and also a Project-Based Learning Keynote Speaker & Author, about building an education company focused on project-based learning and real-world student engagement. Ryan shares how he transitioned from engineering and teaching into entrepreneurship, grew his business through teacher training and community partnerships, and developed systems to scale across schools nationwide. He also discusses leadership transitions in education, strategic growth through acquisitions, key person risk, and how business owners can build stronger systems for long-term success.

Ryan Steuer shares his journey from engineering and teaching into building Magnify Learning, a company focused on project-based learning and real-world education experiences for students. He explains how working with schools, teachers, and community partners helped grow the business from a small operation into a national training company. Ryan discusses creating systems to train educators, developing leadership programmes for school administrators, and expanding through partnerships and strategic growth opportunities. He also highlights the importance of succession planning in schools, reducing key person risk, and building a strong team and culture to support long-term growth and future transitions.

Join Ryan Steuer, founder and CEO of Magnify Learning, as he shares lessons from moving from engineering and teaching into building a national education training company. He explains how project-based learning, teacher training, and community partnerships helped grow the business while creating stronger systems, leadership support, and long-term opportunities for schools and students.

Episode Highlights
[00:00] - Teaser
[01:49] - Introducing Guest Ryan Steuer
[02:17] - Why succession planning fails in schools
[04:11] - From engineering to teaching 8th-grade English
[07:02] - Real-world example: 8th graders redesign a museum's curriculum
[10:55] - Early growth: sending a teacher to Arizona for $3,000
[13:50] - Key lesson: leadership changes can wipe out progress
[16:29] - How projects align with state standards (genetics & Hemophilia Society)
[22:46] - Shifting from doer to leader: "85% as good as me is fine"
[26:25] - Biggest growth barrier: leads and introductions
[27:47] - Evaluating acquisitions in the charter school market
[31:01] - Risk of acquiring solopreneurs: loyalty to the individual
[35:48] - Coaching agents through industry changes with honesty
[39:04] - Putting a retention clause in his acquisition contract
[41:38] - M&A advice: who controls employee benefits after a deal?
[46:06] - Using the natural cushion between merger timing and plan renewals
[48:49] - Letting go: you don't have to do everything
[51:35] - What Ryan wants to be remembered for
[52:09] - Where to find Ryan & Magnify Learning