The Truth About Going Viral: Ryan Burton on Success, Anxiety & Growth

In this episode of We’re Out Of Time, Richard Taite sits down with viral creator Ryan Burton to unpack the real story behind online success, mental health, and personal growth in your 20s. Ryan opens up about building a YouTube career from the ground up—going from 13,000 subscribers to over 5 million, eventually reaching 10 million subscribers across platforms and 50M+ likes through relentless experimentation, consistency, and creative risk-taking.

Ryan shares how he began earning $4,000 a month at just 18–19 years old, and why early success didn’t protect him from anxiety, panic attacks, burnout, and depressive waves. The conversation dives into the mental toll of being online, why you can’t thrive with poor mental health, and how physical movement, real connection, and discipline became essential tools for stability.

The episode explores emotional intelligence and relationships, including why men often want to fix problems while women want to feel heard, and how pain is often the catalyst for real change. Ryan reflects on internal dialogue, explaining how the “good voice” represents your healthiest self while the opposing voice stems from your inner child.

As the conversation deepens, Richard offers life advice for people in their 20s, touching on financial lessons, purpose, and responsibility. They discuss the concept of “failure to launch,” why so many young adults feel stuck, and how growth can happen rapidly when guided by the right teacher. The episode closes with reflections on meaning, faith, long-term fulfillment, and the importance of leaving the world better than you found it.