Founder Spotlight: Ryan Naylor & AvaHR

From Shark Tank Setback to Culture-Driven Hiring Platform Most founders fear failure—but for Ryan Naylor , a Shark Tank rejection became the spark for a mission-driven comeback. That night, he sat in a hotel room and wrote down what truly mattered. One word stood out: family. That value went from journal entry to north star for his entrepreneurial path. Before AvaHR, Ryan founded LocalWork.com, which helped over 100,000 people find jobs — a testament to his early commitment to connecting candidates and businesses. He also shared openly about his Shark Tank experience, noting how it forced him to rebuild purpose into his work ( Entrepreneur ). That clarity gave birth to AvaHR , a hiring platform designed to help small businesses compete for talent without enterprise-level complexity or cost. Its mission is simple: “ We built AvaHR to provide a simple tool for small businesses to compete for talent against big companies , without the burden of high costs and unnecessary features . ” AvaHR’s culture is woven into the product itself, grounded in values like Always Balanced, Be a Playmaker, Create Lasting Relationships, Believe!, and Accountability OS. These aren’t just internal mottos—they shape how the company helps clients hire better, faster, and with purpose. Lessons for Founders Lead with purpose . Without a guiding principle, you risk building something hollow. Tell your story . In Ryan’s EOFire interview , he explains that companies highlighting culture in job postings saw a 500% increase in applicants. Hire with clarity . Use a“job scorecard” with 3–4 key metrics to define success in the first 90 days—and tie it to your core values. Ryan’s journey is a reminder that failure isn’t final. With AvaHR, he’s proving that Arizona founders can turn setbacks into scalable innovation—and help small businesses build stronger teams along the way. 🚀 Stay ahead of Arizona’s innovation frontier.

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