Welcome to another amazing episode of luxury unplugged podcast, where luxury meets spirituality. Today, we explore people's success stories who have faced ups and downs and yet managed to live a life full circle. In this episode, neeti keswani sits down with a man who went from running one of the world's largest underground testosterone labs to becoming a leading voice in hormone optimization and men's health.
Today's guest is a biochemist, ex-felon, and founder who transformed his life completely. He ran the world's number three steroid lab. Then, prison changed everything for him. In the late 2000s, he built his supplements into a multi-million dollar empire. But when the DEA came knocking, he lost it all. Instead of giving up, he studied, he mentored, and he planned inside prison. When he walked out, he had a blueprint to turn his knowledge into two brands redefining TRT, HRT, and peptide therapy.
This is a story about resilience, redemption, and rebuilding from ground zero. Today's success story is of a former underground steroid kingpin turned hormone optimization expert. This is Ryan's real story.
Understanding Low Testosterone Symptoms and Why Men Suffer in Silence
Ryan's journey began long before the money and the empire. It started when he was just 13 years old, getting picked on for being skinny. He started lifting weights, but something was wrong. He had to work twice as hard as his peers to get half the results.
Looking back, Ryan now knows he had low testosterone symptoms his entire life. He was small, fatigued, and lethargic. He struggled with depression. Adults even called him a lazy piece of crap because he needed to take naps every day. He lacked motivation and ambition. He could not even grow facial hair until he started taking testosterone.
This is a reality for many men today. Testosterone men over 50 often experience these same symptoms, but younger men can suffer too. When Ryan was 23, he knew something was wrong. He went to his doctors and asked about testosterone replacement therapy. They refused to even test him. They said there was no way someone in their early twenties could have low testosterone symptoms.
This experience highlights a major problem in men health care tips. Most doctors do not understand hormones. They are not trained properly. They rely on outdated information. Ryan had to take his health into his own hands. He started a regimen of testosterone on his own. The results were dramatic. He put on 34 pounds of muscle and added 100 pounds to his bench press. But more importantly, his energy came back. The brain fog lifted. He felt confident for the first time.
The Science Behind Testosterone Benefits
When we talk about testosterone benefits, most people think only about muscle growth. But testosterone therapy does so much more. Muscle mass is actually very important for health. Muscle is the most insulin-sensitive tissue in the body. This means having more muscle can help reverse diabetes. Muscle is the only tissue that can grow and actually increase your metabolism.
The testosterone benefits go far beyond the physical. Ryan explains that testosterone promotes the production of dopamine. Estrogen promotes serotonin. Both hormones increase receptors for oxytocin. These are the neurotransmitters that give us a sense of well-being. They make us feel love and emotion. When your hormones are balanced, you feel better mentally and emotionally.
Another incredible testosterone benefit is how the world treats you differently. Ryan noticed that after optimizing his hormones, people suddenly respected him. They wanted to be his friend. He would walk into a bar and every head would turn. Even his boss at his plumbing job gave him a raise for no reason other than he stood there looking stout and confident. When you stand tall and confident, the world treats you differently.
From Helping Friends to Building an Underground Empire
Ryan was studying biochemistry in college. He was fascinated by hormones and read everything he could. Soon, people noticed the dramatic change in him. They asked how he did it. He started helping others. At that time, there was no way to get testosterone replacement therapy legally through doctors. The medical community had become gatekeepers to one of the most beneficial medications in history.
So Ryan helped people through the black market. He found supply chains and started providing testosterone and its derivatives to people who needed it. When he saw the gratitude and appreciation from people whose lives he improved, it drove a passion in him. Dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, endorphins – these neurotransmitters create what we call passion. Ryan had found his purpose.
One day, a client told him about an online forum where people were selling testosterone and derivatives. The client said Ryan had better prices and more knowledge. He should check it out. Ryan researched and realized he could do this. He created a website, which was difficult because he did not know how. But he persevered and became an official source on the forum.
He started with just a duffel bag full of testosterone and a laptop. There were a thousand other sources on the forum. But Ryan implemented good business practices that nobody else was using. He stood out. Within six months, he went from hoping to make an extra two or three hundred dollars a week to making $21,000 a week. Then $30,000, $40,000, $50,000. Towards the end, he was making $100,000 a week. Some weeks, he made $500,000.
He scaled the operation massively. He had operations all over the United States. He had shipping operations and chemists who made the product from raw material. He ran one of the largest underground testosterone and derivatives operations in US history.
The Fall: When the DEA Came Knocking
In 2015, Ryan was indicted by Operation Cyberju. The investigation had started in 2014. He was living in a penthouse in Manhattan when the DEA raided his home. They pointed guns at his head and arrested him. He was sentenced to 78 months – six and a half years – in prison.
This is where the story of TRT explained becomes a story of redemption. Ryan went into prison and made a conscious decision. He was going to use his time wisely. He was going to prepare for the future. He read voraciously about business. He found a mentor in prison, someone who had built many successful businesses. Together, they spent about 18 months writing a business plan. They planned to do everything legally and legitimately this time.
The prison system is difficult. For non-violent drug offenders like Ryan, there is little education. There are few programs that teach people a different way to live. This is why the rate of recidivism is so high. People go back to what they know because they do not see another option. But Ryan made a different choice. Every book he read was about business. Every conversation with his mentor was about building something legitimate.
How Prison Became His Turning Point
When you go to prison, everything is ripped from you. Your freedom, your wealth, your identity. Ryan felt like the lowest of the low. Thinking about life outside was painful because he had so many years ahead. He did not know if he would ever be able to do anything again.
So he focused on the now. He got into a routine and just did the work every day. He did not think too much about what the future would look like. He just focused on building a business plan, learning, and preparing. His ego was smashed, but that allowed him to rebuild from a place of humility.
When Ryan got out of prison, he executed the business plan. He started a legitimate HRT clinic. His past, which could have been a liability, became his greatest asset. Because of the stigma around testosterone, most doctors have no real experience with it. They do not study it. They do not prescribe it. They rely on outdated information.
But Ryan had guided over 20,000 customers through the use of hormones. He had seen how different people responded to different protocols. He had learned from blood work and adjusted treatments. He had accumulated more real-world experience with hormone optimization than almost any doctor in the world.
Why Most Doctors Get Hormone Optimization Wrong
This is a critical point in understanding TRT explained properly. Testosterone has been demonized and stigmatized unfairly for decades. There is a massive misinformation machine that has created fear around one of the most beneficial medications in history.
Testosterone is not dangerous in therapeutic doses. Every single risk factor that has been associated with testosterone has been debunked. The risk of cancer? Debunked. The risk of prostate cancer? Debunked. There used to be a black box warning saying testosterone could increase cardiovascular disease. That has been completely debunked. In fact, the opposite is true. Testosterone is cardioprotective. It reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease.
How did this stigmatization happen? Several factors came together. In the late 1980s, politicians were running on the war on drugs platform. They made people afraid and offered solutions. Anything that looked like a drug got controlled. Testosterone got wrapped up with heroin, cocaine, and ketamine. It was pushed into the same category, even though it is the only controlled substance naturally found in your body.
The 1990 Steroid Control Act made testosterone a controlled substance. This made it difficult, if not impossible, to research. Scientists could not study it on humans. Providers faced extra scrutiny for prescribing it. The stigma grew.
Then there was the steroids in baseball scandal. In the 1980s, Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson won a gold medal and then tested positive for steroids. The whole world was outraged. Steroids got labeled as cheating elements. The negative stigma spread globally.
But Ryan points out something interesting. During the time when baseball players were using testosterone and other compounds, baseball was incredibly exciting. Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds were fighting for home run championships. The entire world was riveted. Nobody watched baseball more than during that time. Baseball was better with steroids. After they cracked down, viewership dropped.
The Truth About Hormone Therapy for Men and Women
Another massive piece of misinformation is that testosterone is a male hormone and estrogen is a female hormone. This is completely wrong. Women have ten times more testosterone than estrogen in their bodies. It just looks different on blood tests because the units of measurement are different.
Testosterone is vital for women. It is their most dominant sex steroid. Women need testosterone for energy, libido, bone density, and overall well-being. When we talk about HRT for women, testosterone should be part of the conversation.
For men, testosterone replacement therapy can be life-changing. Ryan has seen it get people off blood pressure medications. He has seen it eliminate the need for cholesterol medications. He has watched people reverse diabetes and metabolic disorder. People lose massive amounts of weight. They get off SSRIs because their dopamine and serotonin levels balance naturally. They get off pain medications because testosterone is systemically anti-inflammatory and improves joint pain.
Testosterone benefits are real and profound. Yet most doctors remain afraid to prescribe it because of outdated notions and fear of scrutiny.
Understanding Peptide Therapy and Modern Biohacking
Once you have your foundational hormones optimized, peptide therapy can take your health to the next level. Peptides are signals that tell your body to do certain things. They work synergistically with hormones.
If your hormones are low, peptides will not do much. The hormones are the foundational metabolic and neurochemical signals. You need that base first. Then peptides can enhance everything.
Some peptides help clean up individual cells so mitochondria work better. When each cell functions better, the whole body functions better. Other peptides, like those used for weight loss, signal your body to reduce appetite or drive metabolism.
The Truth About Weight Loss Medications
Recently, medications like Ozempic and Mounjaro have become incredibly popular. Celebrities use them. Regular people use them. They are truly miracle drugs in many ways. Hundreds of millions of people worldwide are reducing their risk of cardiovascular disease because they are losing weight.
But Ryan explains there is a better way to use these medications. The problem with using these drugs alone is that they do not fix the root cause of obesity. When your testosterone is low, your body goes into a catabolic state. This means it uses muscle mass as a primary source of energy before it uses fat stores. People taking Ozempic often lose weight, but they become what is called skinny fat. They lose muscle along with fat.
Muscle is important for metabolism, energy, and sense of well-being. If you stop using the weight loss medication while still in a catabolic state, you will put the weight right back on. You have just covered up a symptom of obesity. You have not fixed the underlying problem.
If you get your hormones optimized first, your body switches to an anabolic state. This means you preserve muscle mass while your body uses fat stores as the primary energy source. Now you can use weight loss medications and lose mostly fat. When you come off the medication, your metabolism is fixed. You feel good and energetic. You can keep the weight off.
This is the approach Ryan takes with his company, H4M Hormones For Me. They use genetic testing, blood work, and personal medical history to create customized protocols. Everybody is different. The same protocol will produce a thousand different results in a thousand different people. The key is developing a methodology to figure out what yields the best results for each individual.
Biohacking Men Health: What Destroys Ambition
When asked about biohacking men health and what single hormone imbalance destroys ambition in men, Ryan's answer is clear: testosterone. Testosterone levels have been dropping since the 1960s and 1970s. Men today have the level of testosterone that their grandfathers had at the same age.
The reason is environmental. Endocrine disruptors are everywhere. BPAs, phthalates, pesticides, herbicides – they are in the food we eat, the water we drink, the soaps we use. They are even in the ink on receipts. You cannot completely avoid them. These chemicals disrupt our hormone balance.
Low testosterone leads to lack of motivation, depression, fatigue, and loss of ambition. When Ryan talks about TRT explained, he emphasizes that testosterone is not just about the gym. It is about quality of life. It is about waking up energized and ready to take on the world.
Lessons on Wealth Building and Rebuilding Trust
Ryan has experienced the highest highs and the lowest lows. He has lost millions. He has rebuilt from nothing. His advice to founders and entrepreneurs is simple but powerful.
Motivation and perseverance are essential. Building something meaningful will be the hardest work you have ever done. But if you do it right and stay with it, it will be worth it in the end. His business partner always says turn square corners. This means do not take shortcuts. Do everything the right way.
When you have fallen and you need to rebuild trust, authenticity is everything. Ryan's story actually helped people trust him because he was honest about his past. He did not curl up in a corner and hide from what he did. He addressed it directly.
"I made this mistake, but I learned from it." That message resonates with people. Admitting you are accountable for your actions, then presenting what you learned and why you are a better person today – this is how you rebuild trust. People resonate with second chances. They are surprisingly willing to overlook your past if you are authentic and accountable.
The Role of Dopamine in Motivation and Success
Ryan's scientific mind adds another layer to understanding motivation. Dopamine is the motivation neurotransmitter. Passion, drive, willpower – these are all words that essentially mean you have dopamine uptake.
We produce dopamine and other neurotransmitters every time we do something that helps our own survival or the survival of our species. It is an evolutionary reward system. When you help people, you get huge uptakes of dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin. This feels good. Then dopamine tells you to go do that action again.
When Ryan was helping thousands of people and making millions of dollars, he had huge amounts of these neurotransmitters. When he lost everything, his body still remembered what that felt like. His dopamine system kept telling him to go do the things that would get him back there.
This is why people who have never experienced success struggle to find motivation. They do not have the dopamine memory. They have never been there, so they do not know what it feels like. Ryan had been wealthy and successful. He had experienced helping 20,000 people. He wanted to get back there. The only difference this time was that he would do it legally and legitimately.
The Identity Shift: From Underground Kingpin to Legitimate Expert
Ryan's journey is not just about business. It is about identity. He went from being an underground steroid kingpin to a respected voice in men health care tips and hormone optimization. This required a complete identity shift.
When you have seen it all, done it all, and lost it all, you have to rebuild from ground zero. Ryan chose to embrace his past rather than hide from it. He tells everybody his story. He shares his plans openly. Many business people think they have to keep their ideas secret. They think if anyone learns their secret, they will steal it and make millions.
Ryan believes the opposite. Ideas are cheap. Execution is everything. Bringing an idea to market is incredibly difficult. Most people cannot do it. Ryan is confident in his ability to execute. He believes nobody can execute better than he can. So he is an open book.
This confidence comes from experience. He has done this before on a massive scale. Now he has the added credibility of having paid his debt to society. He has the knowledge from guiding 20,000 patients. He has the business acumen from building and losing an empire. He has the humility from prison.
Practical Advice for Men Over 50 Considering TRT
For testosterone men over 50, the decision to start testosterone replacement therapy can be life-changing. As men age, testosterone naturally declines. But the decline is often accelerated by environmental factors and lifestyle.
If you are experiencing low testosterone symptoms – fatigue, depression, loss of muscle mass, weight gain, low libido – it is worth getting tested. But do not just accept a cookie-cutter protocol. Your treatment should be customized to your specific genetics, blood work, and medical history.
Ryan emphasizes that testosterone therapy is not about reaching a specific number on a blood test. It is about how you feel. Some men feel best at levels that would be too high for others. Some need different delivery methods. Some need additional support for estrogen balance.
The goal is to get your foundational hormones optimized. Then you can build from there with peptide therapy and other interventions. This layered approach yields the best results.
The Importance of Muscle for Healthy Aging
One of the most important testosterone benefits for aging men is muscle preservation. Muscle mass is critical for metabolic health. It is the only tissue that can grow and increase your metabolism. More muscle means better insulin sensitivity, which means lower risk of diabetes. More muscle means higher metabolism, which makes it easier to maintain a healthy weight.
Muscle also provides structural support for your joints and bones. It improves balance and reduces fall risk. For testosterone men over 50, maintaining muscle mass is one of the most important things you can do for long-term health.
The Future of Hormone Optimization
Ryan's company is at the forefront of hormone optimization. They are incorporating health tech and genetic testing to provide truly personalized care. They can look at your genetics, your blood work, and your personal history. Then they wrap all that data together to create a protocol customized for you.
This is the future of medicine. Not one-size-fits-all solutions, but individualized approaches based on your unique biology. The days of putting everyone on the same protocol are ending. We now have the technology to do better.
For peptide therapy, the possibilities are expanding rapidly. New peptides are being discovered and studied. They offer targeted approaches to everything from muscle growth to cognitive function to cellular repair. When combined with optimized hormones, the results can be remarkable.
Final Thoughts: Authenticity, Resilience, and Second Chances
Ryan's story is ultimately about being authentic through and through. He tells his story very authentically, and that really helps people connect with him. It is not just about building a brand. It is about being real about where you came from and what you learned.
For anyone facing a downfall, Ryan's advice is clear. Address your mistakes. Admit you are accountable. Then present what you learned and why you are better today. People resonate with second chances. They are willing to overlook your past if you are authentic.
The luxury unplugged podcast with neeti keswani has explored many success stories. But Ryan's journey is unique. He went from underground empire to prison to legitimate million-dollar business. He used his time in prison wisely. He studied. He planned. He found a mentor. He executed.
Today, he is a leading voice in TRT, HRT, peptide therapy, hormone optimization, biohacking men health, and men health care tips. With over 20 years of real-world hormone experience, he offers insights that no medical degree can provide.
Key Takeaways for Men's Health
If you are interested in testosterone replacement therapy, start by getting proper testing. Do not let doctors dismiss your low testosterone symptoms. Find a provider who understands hormone optimization and will work with you to find the right protocol.
Remember that testosterone benefits go far beyond muscle growth. Optimized hormones improve energy, mood, cognitive function, metabolic health, and cardiovascular health. They can help you get off other medications and improve your quality of life dramatically.
For weight loss, consider combining testosterone therapy with medications like Ozempic or Mounjaro. This approach helps you lose fat while preserving muscle. It addresses the root cause of metabolic issues rather than just covering up symptoms.
And finally, remember that it is never too late for a second chance. Ryan went from prison to building a million-dollar empire by being authentic, working hard, and turning square corners. His story proves that redemption is possible. You can rebuild your health, your business, and your identity from ground zero.
🌸 About Neeti Keswani
Neeti Keswani is the founder of Plush Ink and host of the Luxury Unplugged Podcast, where luxury meets spirituality. As an author, storyteller, and self-improvement coach, she helps conscious creators and professionals align with purpose, identity, and abundance through mindset transformation and emotional healing.
Her mission is to empower people to live with intention, authenticity, and joy — blending inner work with outer success.
Connect with Neeti:
🎙️ Luxury Unplugged Podcast — https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/luxury-unplugged-podcast-where-luxury-meets-spirituality/id1551277118
📖 Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/luxuryunpluggedpodcast/
💼 LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/neetikeswani/
🌐 Plush Ink — https://www.plush-ink.com/