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Who is Ryan Barthel?
A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away...
Welcome to my website, my name is Ryan Barthel. I'm a web designer based in the Houston area... Sugar Land to be precise. Here's a little bit about me.
I was born in New Orleans and grew up in the suburb of Metairie. My family and I moved to Wichita, Kansas when I was 13 and we lived there for seven years. Next, we moved to Sugar Land. After a short time there, I flip flopped back and forth between Sugar Land and New Orleans. In 2005 I moved to Chalmette, another suburb of New Orleans, where my dad and step mom lived. I was only there for a few months, and then, unfortunately, Hurricane Katrina hit. It was a complete disaster! Chalmette was devastated and my dad and step mom lost everything. I stayed for a couple of years to help and try to get things back together. I still have some family in New Orleans and I'll admit it, I miss the Cajun meals and being around family.
As for my schooling, I attended the Art Institute of Houston for Computer Animation & Design. I received much support from my mom, who lives in Katy, and I graduated in 2002 with honors and won 1st place in the portfolio show that year. Originally I wanted to do animation work for a company like Pixar, which is part of the reason why I had a short stint in California for two years with a couple of friends. We loved the weather, but it was a little too far from home for all of us. I eventually had an opportunity to utilize my knowledge and skill of animation for web design.
I was saved when I met Jack Arnold. He offered me a design job with his web company in Houston. I worked with Jack for 3 years, and quickly learned all about the web and the opportunities it possesses. I developed a love and passion for the web and social media and I decided to start my own company. I teamed up with John Sanchez to form Holla, a web company based in Sugar Land. It's a great experience and I love forming relationships with new people and clients.
In late 2010, I started another company, with a local partner, call Only Fort Bend. Only Fort Bend is an online advertising site for local businesses in Fort Bend County. So far it's been going very well. We have been signing new businesses up on a weekly basis. Check it out and enjoy the deals.
Overall, I'm in a great place in my life right now. I have a wonderful girlfriend, a great family, and a business that I love. Thanks for coming by my site and learning a little about me! Feel free to contact me or Holla anytime.
