Ryan Larson is the founder and CEO of Scottsdale-based FirstLine Financial, LLC. His job as a firefighter gave him a sense of purpose and a lifelong desire to make the world safer. In his new business book, Ladder to Leader: My Journey from Failure to Fire to Financial Freedom (Calling Card Books, May 2022), Ryan describes his journey from a troubled youth to a successful founder and CEO, and the life and business lessons he learned along the way. Ryan's mom pushed him to join the Fire Department Explorer Program, where the entrance exam changed his mentality and gave him confidence.