Ep. 1 | Get Out from Behind the 8-Ball: A New Journey
In the very first episode of the 8-Ball Podcast, Ryan Prutsman shares his story of moving from nearly seven years in marketing and SEO at Sound Relief Tinnitus & Hearing Center to launching his own business, 8-Ball Consulting.
Ep. 1 | Get Out from Behind the 8-Ball: A New Journey
Ryan talks about what it takes for small businesses to succeed in today’s AI-driven search landscape — from online visibility and credibility to building trust and community. He explains why being in the top three search results matters more than ever, and how reputation can make or break growth.
This episode also sets the stage for what’s to come: practical marketing strategies, free audits for businesses looking to improve, and the introduction of the four pillars of business growth. Along the way, Ryan promises to keep things real — sharing both business insights and personal experiences (including adventures with his dog, Poppy
Listen on Spotify / Apple Podcasts / YouTube
🧩 Key Takeaways
Ryan’s background in marketing, SEO, and reputation management.
Why online visibility and trust are critical in the age of AI search.
The importance of showing up in the top three results.
An open offer for free audits to help businesses improve.
Future episodes will explore the four pillars of business growth and practical tips you can actually use.
💬 Transcript
What's up everybody? Welcome to the very first episode of the 8 Ball Podcast or Get Out From Behind the 8 Ball Podcast. I'm coming to you live from Crested Butte, Colorado. I finished a mountain biker ride yesterday. The colors are poppin', fall is in full swing, and I'm here with Poppy.
see if we can get some good views back here and then here's poppy over here I'm actually doing this outside in crested butte the hotel rooms walls are paper thin so I attempted doing it in the hotel room and that didn't work out because I felt like everyone in the hotel room could hear me but that's not an issue because all you guys are hearing me but I just couldn't do it so I thought it'd be better out here it's beautiful
Anyway, I want my first episode to feel real, just me outdoors and sharing a little bit why I'm starting this whole thing. So a little bit about me. I spent the last six and a half years at Sound Relief Hearing Center running marketing, SEO and online reputation management for Sound Relief Hearing Center and I'm blessed to have worked there. I've learned so much and it's kind why I'm jumping off.
and doing my own thing, I saw firsthand how much of a difference it makes when a business gets found online and when its reputation is solid. It really moves the needle when you grind over years to get the work done. Because you do see a difference it makes and it doesn't happen overnight. It takes hard work.
So over time, I realized that ⁓ I'd been getting them out from behind the eight ball, sound relief that is, grinding hard to build visibility and credibility. That's where the tagline came from, get out from behind the eight ball. And actually shout out to my brother Patrick. He's the one who came up with the name eight ball consulting. The second I heard it, I knew it was perfect.
Now the game has changed even more and I want to talk for a second about AI search. AI search is answering people's questions directly so fewer people are clicking over to websites. But here's the flip side. And I'm sure you guys have seen these AI overviews when you search why is the sky blue. It'll give you a black box with an AI overview giving you the answer. It might be white depending on what mode you're in if you're in dark mode or light mode anyway.
I'm sure all of you guys are aware with the AI overviews. They've been out for a year, maybe over a year now. So the flip side of that is the people who do make it to your site are usually ready to make a decision. They've done their research thanks to AI overviews. That means your website has to convert. That's where search everywhere optimization comes in. It's not just SEO anymore.
It's making sure you show up everywhere people look and that you're ready when they land on you. And just to give you a real life example, last night I was booking a hotel for this trip to Crested Butte. Before I even started searching, I thought to myself, what's the best way to find this? So I did what most people do. I Googled pet friendly hotels in Crested Butte. Google gave me three solid options.
The first had around 750 reviews. The second had about 150 and the third around 110. Naturally, I started with the one with the most reviews. I called, they were booked. I tried the second one, also booked. So I went to the third and not only did they have room, but the lady at the front desk actually shuffled things around to make sure it was pet friendly for Poppy. Who knows if she shuffled things around. Usually all the hotel people say, oh, let me do.
to see if there's any rooms. Anyway, she was very nice and got me and Poppy in and the hotel is amazing. And even going around getting coffee this morning and food last night, I'm going to the places that accept dogs of course and then that have the highest reviews and the most amount of reviews or the highest rating in the most amount of reviews. And it's worked out great. Every place I've gone, I'm super happy with.
So that's how you get business, being in that top three map pack on Google when you Google search a business. You want to be in the top three. And perfect example of looking at hotels. I I only looked at the first three. And a perfect example of why showing up online and building reputation matters. I'm one person, but I'm sure there's a lot of other people that do that.
Here's one thing I've learned. People like to do businesses with businesses they know, like, and trust. That's why I'm trying to build, that's what I'm trying to build with 8Ball Consulting. And now I've got friends out here starting small businesses. And part of my goal with this podcast is to provide value. If you need me to take a look at something, help with your marketing, just give me a shout and I will. You know, I'll usually just.
audit your stuff for free, no charge. I wanna see what you're doing and I wanna provide value to you. So I wanna look at your business and see where I can help improve things. I wanna grow together with you so we both win and that's the whole game here is to help each other so that we're both growing.
So, this is how, but this show isn't just about business, it's also about my life, weekends like this one in Crusted Butte, Time Outdoors, and of course Poppy. She's an energetic pit bull, fearless and kind of a mascot of my adventures. She's been awesome this trip. So right now I only got a few clients I'm working with, which means I've got the time to put the energy into this podcast. So at the start.
You might see me dropping episodes every few days. And just so you know, now...
Just so you know what this show is all about, it's a series on marketing, especially online marketing. In this new era of AI search, I'll be sharing tips, tricks, and real strategies to help you market your business better. As I get busier with more clients, the pace might slow down a little, but the focus will always stay the same, bringing you practical ways to get your business seen, trusted, and chosen. And any valuable insights I can bring to this podcast.
Thanks for tuning into the very first episode of Get Out From Behind the 8 Ball podcast. This is all about helping you and your business get out from behind the 8 ball. If you stick with me, we'll figure it out together. And this and here's a quick teaser. In my next episode, I'm going to dive into four pillars of business growth that I live by. Visibility, credibility, authenticity and availability. So make sure you check that next one out. I'll catch you guys next time.
You guys have a good weekend and me and Poppy will continue killing it out in Crested Butte. Thanks. Say bye Poppy.
📈 Related Links
