Ryan Helzerman

Sr. Research & Innovations Consultant

Ryan

The Conscience of the King

What do you do?

I create immersive experiences that provide access to deep consumer and market truths that fuel big ideas.

What's your background?

My first job in high school was working for the local market research agency located off the “weird hallway” of our local shopping mall.  I would stand in the middle of the mall concourse and “pull” shoppers in for surveys, taste tests, and the like.

Since then, I have spent nearly 20 years owning the learning agendas for some of the world’s most respected brands, spanning multiple categories, tires, and geographies.  It has been a privilege to understand patients and consumers across healthcare, consumer goods, and retail sectors.

I bring a majority of experience working client-side.  This helps me plan and execute research that has immediate impact.  My deliverables are not literature -- they are playbooks to win over the minds and hearts of the consumers you serve.

My first love has always been qualitative research.  The ability to speak, dream, laugh, and cry with humans to draw out the deep insights that build brands is one of my greatest passions.

Favorite book, quote or song?

“I painted my own reality.” - Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo’s artwork was an authentic expression of her unique self.  She painted the world she saw, and the dreams and visions she experienced: she painted her own reality.

Something you’ve found inspiring?

For some reason, I have always felt a connection with music artists like Moby, Beck, and Pink.  They are all highly successful, but slightly outside the mainstream arenas of fame.  Their music is unique to them, often cryptic, but purposeful.  

I found it particularly inspiring when Pink stepped up and offered to pay the fines for the Norwegian Women’s Handball Team when they refused to wear bikini uniforms to compete in July 2021.  She didn’t have to lend her voice (or her pocketbook) to this team’s cause… but she did in a very authentic and respectful way.