Growing up in Independence, Missouri (Kansas City metro area) I enjoyed a plethora of places to go, eat, and sports teams to watch.  I guess that is one of the many reasons that I enjoy living in Columbia, Missouri now.

I grew up in a musical family.  My mom is a private piano teacher and my dad plays trombone annually for the No Name band at the Deepwater Labor Day harvest Picnic.  This music immersion helped train my ears to appreciate and enjoy music.  That's why I decided to play the clarinet for 4 years, until the start of my sophomore year at Truman High School.  However, that energy to play the clarinet ultimately had to be put aside for playing high school basketball.  I still pick up and play some b-ball from time to time, and I always enjoy watching a good basketball game.

As I graduated from high school and moved onto college I decided that computers were the way to go and started pursuing a computer information systems degree.  As the college years went by I learned that computer programming wasn't my cup of tea, but marketing was right up my alley.  So I switched my major to marketing my senior year.  This decision to change my major literally changed my life and I went on to graduate from the University of Central Missouri in 2003.

After college I pursued different marketing jobs and came across the insurance business from a friend of a friend who had just started working with MMG, Inc. as an insurance salesman.  I talked with him about his new job, prayed about it, moved to Columbia shortly thereafter, and have been working with MMG, Inc. ever since.  I'm very thankful the Lord worked things out, especially since Columbia is where I met my lovely wife Crystal whom I've been married to since May 31, 2008.

One thing I try to live by is doing what I say I'm going to do.  I hope you find me following through on this.

Thanks a bunch for checking out the SMS website.

Email me at Ryan@smsteam.net