Building a business around helping seniors navigate Medicare isn't just about insurance for Ryan George. In today's Wantrepreneur to Entrepreneur Spotlight, we're featuring the founder of Part C. Ryan's journey from struggling student to successful entrepreneur shows that conventional paths aren't always the right ones. With memories of his grandparents fueling his mission, he's built a business that makes a real difference in people's lives, helping them access crucial healthcare coverage regardless of their income level. His refreshingly honest approach to business and willingness to share both successes and failures makes this interview particularly insightful for aspiring entrepreneurs.
Hi, Ryan! Thanks for joining us today. Tell us about your business. Who do you serve, how do you serve them, and what's the impact that your business and work makes?
Part C is a national health insurance brokerage firm, specializing in Medicare. Although we do all things health insurance with individual health insurance, group insurance, ICHRA's, and Medicare. We're located in Western, Pennsylvania which happens to be the number 1 Medicare network in the country due to age. My grandma and grandpa were two of the closest people in my life, and sadly they passed away at a relatively younger age prior to me getting involved in the industry of Medicare, so any time I get a chance to do a meeting at someone's kitchen table it always brings me back to thinking of if I had the chance to deal with them. Medicare, and the health insurance industry in general, is great because regardless of income we can be of help to everyone.
Tell us about the moment you finally felt like you went from wantrepreneur to entrepreneur.
This is a tough one, haha! I still don't quite feel/think I am there, but I always work towards it. I was a horrible student and in 6th grade, my report card had just come out, and my mom and dad were flipping out on me per usual about my grades. My dad asked what I wanted to do when I grew up, I said "Be in the NBA" (he smirked and said I don't see that happening, maybe, but what else), and I said be the owner of Sony and ever since then I was off to the races envisioning how I could own and operate a business. I remember being at driving age (this would have been the mid-2000s, maybe 06) and I think it was Real Housewives reality franchise had just started, and one of the husbands was getting made fun of for being an "entrepreneur". This was before the wave of it being cool and then ultimately back to being made fun of to say that's what you are or do, I had to look up what the word entrepreneur meant and I remember that very moment thinking "I don't know how, what or when, but that's what I want to be". Again, still working to perfect it!
Describe the moment or period in your life/career that motivated you to make the entrepreneurial leap.
I've always been interested in business/operations/investing in businesses, etc... and I was not any good whatsoever at being in school or at a "real" job. I always knew I wanted to own or try to own businesses. My first job out of college was with a logistics company, basically cold calling trucking companies to move freight. It lasted MAYBE 3 months, my team leader said he wanted us there at 7:45 am, we started work at 8. I showed up at 7:46 the next day, he said I was late (to his credit we had a good relationship, so he wasn't being demanding) and I laughed. He told me he was serious. I went home that night, couldn't sleep and at 3 or 4 in the morning emailed them that I was quitting, without a clue of what would happen next. I don't recommend doing that, but it worked for me, haha.
Describe a tool, service, or software that has been a game-changer for your business. How does it contribute to your success?
I know this will be boring, unpopular and probably skipped after I say this, my iPhone, or cell phone in general. In 2025, you have no excuses if you want to make something happen, you're able body & mind and you live in a modernized society (especially in America) to not be able to generate business of some sort with the help of your phone in your pocket. Especially with Google, let alone adding in AI such as ChatGPT, DeepSeek or Gemini.
We know that success is very often a non-linear path. Tell us about a failure, pivot point, or lesson that changed your course or direction and helped to get you where you are today.
Brian and I discussed it briefly on the pod. My first company I attempted to start was called Party U. It was similar to the premise of Barstool U, of Barstool Sports, but before Barstool had really blown up. Did that for a little, was able to generate some buzz but ultimately it didn't pan out and quite frankly I ran out of money, haha. Then I got back into the sales world and all my clients were business owners, so I invested or so I thought, into a property, casualty and commercial insurance agency. It was a disaster. I was 25 when I did this, I used every penny I had, to the point my famous story with my friends is my credit card got declined when I ordered a Pizza Hut 10-dollar dinner box for myself (it was a dark time then, don't ask). Pizza Hut's 1-800 number had to call and tell me it was declined and they needed another card. While that was a brutal 2 years, I wouldn't trade it for anything because I learned so much and realized even at your darkest hour, it's temporary.
What unconventional strategy did you employ that significantly impacted your business?
This is a weird one, and we did touch on it, but being brutally, transparently honest. It's almost become my marketing strategy. If you are genuine in your response, it shines through. When people see you are being honest and are totally OK with the outcome, even if it isn't in your favor, it goes a long way.
What’s something you wish you knew sooner that you’d give as advice for aspiring or newer entrepreneurs?
I'd say two things - One, no one cares as much about you as you do. So whatever you want to try, do, etc.. do it, but understand you have to have the stomach to ride the wave of the ups and downs. If you don't or can't (and I will say I think you can develop this), don't bother. No one remembers your failures, every major company ever has them, and we forget about them within days. Apple hasn't had a banger of a product since Steve Jobs died, so try things, do things and make sure you're truly happy with your decisions. It's your life, trust yourself.
Two - I can't stress this one enough, and it's mentioned in books, pods and videos, time and time again. If you're not at that age, you may roll your eyes, but it's 1000% true. You have to end up with the perfect significant other for YOU. While it's a grind on you, it's a grind on them too. I say all that to say, I've had relationships in the past where these people didn't want to go on the entrepreneurial ride and that's fine. However, you need a person in your corner to help you weather the storm and be there to support you emotionally during it. So again, shout out to my lovely, wonderful wife Karley, without her love, support and (honestly, for whatever reason) blindly trusting and believing in me, I don't think I'd be where I am or going to where I hope to go.
Want to dive deeper into Ryan's work? Find out more in the links below.
- Visit Part C's website needpartc.com
- Connect with Ryan on LinkedIn: Ryan George
- Email Ryan directly at ryan@needpartc.com
