Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Ware.
Hi Ryan, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
From a young age, I was certain I knew exactly who I would become. I was fascinated by buildings, bridges, and the way a space could make you feel the moment you entered it. I chased that passion into architecture, believing my purpose was to create the kinds of places people would remember.
But once I was in the profession, something unexpected happened. I began noticing the people behind the work more than the work itself. I saw the disconnect between architecture and construction, the pressure teams were under, and how challenging it was for people to adapt as the industry evolved. In 2013, I made the difficult decision to leave the architectural path and step into construction to help bridge that gap and support innovation.
Over the next decade, that shift revealed something even more meaningful: innovation wasn’t the real struggle, change was. And no amount of new technology or new processes would succeed if people didn’t feel supported, understood, and equipped to navigate change as humans, not job titles.
That realization changed everything for me.
In 2024, I returned to Ohio and launched my business with a clear purpose: to help people build a healthier relationship with change. Because when we understand ourselves better, our fears, our resistance, our curiosity, then we lead differently. We show up differently. We grow differently.
Today, through coaching, speaking, and conversations on the Activating Curiosity podcast, I help leaders and teams approach change with more compassion, courage, and curiosity. My work is no longer about designing buildings that people experience, it’s about supporting the people that design and build them.
And looking back, every step, even the unexpected detours, was preparing me for the work I’m meant to do now.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It certainly hasn’t been a smooth road, but looking back, each challenge became a turning point that helped me grow and move closer to the work I’m meant to be doing today. I didn’t always know where I was going, but I did know when a chapter was complete, even when it was hard to accept.
After graduating from Kent State, I left Ohio for what I thought would be the start of my architectural career. Within a year, life brought me back home, and I found myself facing early financial struggles as the economy shifted. There were moments when I was earning far less than I had worked for, and it was discouraging and stressful. But those years also taught me resilience, resourcefulness, and the importance of community. I gained new experiences, built relationships, and learned more about the business side of the profession than I expected.
Leaving architecture in 2013 was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made. I had spent years working toward that identity, but something inside me knew the chapter had run its course. Stepping into construction and innovation felt like starting over, but it also opened a door into the work I was truly meant to do, helping people through change, not just projects.
Life continued to nudge me forward in ways I couldn’t have predicted. I moved across the country to California, took on roles that stretched me, and helped build something new during a time of great uncertainty. Leading a business through COVID in the Bay Area brought its own challenges, and when the work environment became unhealthy, I had to once again choose what was right over what was comfortable. Those moments reminded me that success isn’t just about titles or achievements, it’s about alignment, purpose, and well-being.
By 2023, it became clear that the common thread through all these experiences was change, how people experience it, struggle with it, and grow through it. That clarity led me back home to Ohio to start the next chapter: one focused on helping the humans who design and build for others.
Every difficult situation taught me something important. And while I didn’t always know where the next step would lead, trusting when a chapter was complete has made all the difference me to remain true to myself.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Connective Consulting Group & Connective Coaching (dba)?
Connective Consulting Group and Connective Coaching exist for one reason: to help people build a stronger, healthier relationship with change, in their careers, their organizations, and their lives.
My own journey through the industry taught me that change isn’t just a strategic or operational issue, it’s a deeply human one. I kept seeing the same pattern in the AEC industry: people were expected to keep up with constant change, pressure, and innovation, yet weren’t given the space, support, or tools to process it as humans.
Beneath deadlines, project demands, and a growing wave of mergers and acquisitions were real people feeling overwhelmed, stretched thin, disconnected, or unsure how to navigate what was shifting around them. In an industry that has talked about labor shortages since the 1970s, we’re now facing a cultural challenge and struggling to attract younger generations while experienced talent heads for retirement or seeks something better.
At its core, my work is about helping people stay curious, especially when change feels uncomfortable. I support clients through:
• 1:1 Executive & Life Coaching:
For leaders and individuals who want personal support with career growth, confidence, mindset, burnout, or life transitions, whatever matters most to them.
• Organizational Development Coaching:
Helping businesses build healthier cultures, improve communication, strengthen emotional intelligence, and develop leaders who can guide people through change with empathy and clarity.
• Change Management Consulting/Coaching:
Partnering with organizations to plan and implement change in a way that reduces resistance and increases adoption and sustainability, through strategy, communication, training, and supporting people throughout the change journey.
• Keynotes & Curiosity Building Experiences™:
Interactive speaking engagements and the Activating Curiosity podcast, designed to help groups rethink their relationship with change and shift from defensiveness to curiosity. The podcast highlights people moving the AEC industry forward, without adding another sales pitch to an already solution-fatigued audience.
What sets my approach apart is that it isn’t about “fixing” people or forcing change. I don’t show up with a script or one-size-fits-all framework. I meet people where they are, with empathy, compassion, honesty, and curiosity, and help them explore who they are within the change they’re facing. After my own career path, I genuinely want to help this industry, one person and one business at a time.
I’m proud that the Connective brand feels safe, real, and human. I want clients to feel seen, heard, and understood and to be honest about what they’re experiencing and walk away with a stronger relationship with change, along with the belief that they have what it takes to lead change in their own lives and organizations.
If readers take one thing away, I hope it’s this:
You are allowed to grow, learn, question, and not have it all figured out. Change doesn’t have to be something you brace for, it can be something you explore. And whether we’re talking about your career, your leadership, or your life beyond work, you don’t have to navigate it alone. I want to be here to support the whole person, not just the job title.
What are your plans for the future?
Looking ahead, I’m excited about the growth still to come, both personally and for the Connective brand. As my client base continues to expand across the country, I’m open to relocating in the future to a place that fits both my lifestyle and the next chapter of my work. New England has been on my heart for a while, possibly Boston or Portland, Maine and Charlotte, North Carolina always remains a meaningful option for me as well.
Professionally, I plan to deepen and expand the Curiosity movement. Over the next few years, I hope to complete my first book, growing my speaking business, and further developing the Activating Curiosity podcast. My goal is to build a larger media platform around Curiosity-Building Experiences™ once the trademark is fully registered, creating more ways for individuals, teams, and organizations to engage with this work in accessible, inspiring formats.
I’m also continuing to invest in my craft as a coach. I’m currently working toward my PCC credential through the International Coaching Federation and look forward to completing the exam and becoming fully accredited. This journey isn’t just about business growth, it’s about continuing to grow myself, so I can better support others in their own chapters of change.
No matter where curiosity leads next, Ohio will always be home. It is the place that shaped me, my values, and the foundation of my purpose.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://connectiveconsultinggrp.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/connective_consulting_group/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryankware/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ConnectiveConsultingGroup
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/connective-coaching-cleveland
- Other: https://activatingcuriosity.buzzsprout.com
