I never met Ryan in person, but I did speak to him over the phone once or twice when I briefly did publicity for Smoke’s nearly a decade ago. Ryan and the Smoke’s brand were an absolute joy to write for. It was also relatively easy to book interviews for Ryan. It was probably the only time in my life where the line, “He’ll probably show you his plaid underwear,” was a selling point. Anyway, I always admired him as an entrepreneur and a person. He spread joy wherever he went. May his memory be a blessing.