Ryan’s entrepreneurial journey began in his early teens, when he created and sold Maltese Christmas cards across the island. Initially working through a distributor, he later took a more direct role by visiting stationeries himself, pitching the cards, and building relationships with shop owners. This early venture gave him his first real exposure to sales, distribution, customer relationships, and the persistence needed to turn an idea into income.

Ryan’s entrepreneurial development continued through the launch of a takeaway and bar venture with his father. Ryan was the driving force behind the idea, helping move it from concept to reality by being involved in the setup, equipment decisions, and day-to-day operation. While his father led the kitchen, Ryan took responsibility for the bar, especially during busy seasons and events. The venture also helped raise additional funds for Falcons RFC, combining practical business experience with a strong community connection.

At 19, Ryan made his first significant move into real estate, securing bank financing to develop airspace into two apartments and a duplex penthouse. The project combined investment, funding, design, development, and sales, with Ryan also acting as the on-site project manager throughout the process. This gave him early hands-on experience in the full property cycle, from financing and planning through to execution and sale. The successful sale of the units demonstrated both his commercial foresight and his ability to deliver ambitious projects from a young age.

The culmination of Ryan’s entrepreneurial experience can be seen in SeaHollyGozo, his boutique hotel venture. Ryan applied his property, design, and operational experience to develop and operate the hotel, while also building his first website and introducing automation to reduce the day-to-day workload. By creating systems and building a team to manage daily operations, he shaped SeaHollyGozo into a business that reflects both his hands-on approach and his ability to step back once the right structure is in place.