Today we’d like to introduce you to Gabriel (Gabe) Rye.
Hi Gabriel (Gabe), it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Anything is Possible: My Journey in Grit, Growth, and Giving Back
If you had told me years ago that my career would take me from the disciplined halls of an Air Force ROTC program to leading celebrity-driven brand campaigns in Los Angeles and New York, I might have laughed. Back then, I was focused on early morning drills, earning my degree, and figuring out where I belonged. But looking back, it’s clear that every step—from military training to waiting tables to marketing high-profile national campaigns—was part of building the grit and grind that define my career today.
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Laying the Foundation: ROTC and College
I was born and raised in Memphis, but from a young age, I wanted more than what I grew up seeing. I dreamed of building a life for myself beyond the boundaries of my hometown, one filled with opportunities, travel, and experiences that would challenge me. That’s why I signed up for the military and earned a coveted ROTC scholarship to the University of Alabama. I wanted to do anything to escape my hometown.
The Air Force ROTC program gave me thisopportunity, and the skills of discipline, leadership, and a sense of purpose. I was honored to receive my commission, but a training accident led to a medical discharge. While it was a difficult detour, the Air Force taught me how to adapt, pivot, and keep moving forward even when the path changes unexpectedly.
I threw myself into my studies and extracurricular involvement, building relationships and taking on leadership roles that honed my organizational and communication skills. Alabama became more than just a campus; it was a launchpad for the person I was becoming—a person who knew that hard work and service were the way forward.
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Finding My New City: Returning to Memphis
After college, I had my eyes set on living somewhere new, specifically backpacking Europe. But then COVID-19 happened, upending plans for millions—including mine. I found myself back in Memphis, the very place I once thought I’d leave for good and couldn’t imagine going back home to.
At first, it felt like the opposite of progress.. I had done everything to get away and build a new life for myself, how could this be my life now. But then I made a choice: instead of seeing my return as a setback, I decided to grow where I was planted. I would turn Memphis into my own dream paradise—a place where I could build the career and life I once thought I’d have to leave town to find.
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Hustle Mode: Two Jobs, Side Gigs, and an MBA
In the early days, I worked two jobs—sometimes more. My first role back in Memphis was at a call center, a far cry from the dream jobs I envisioned or from the world-traveling military career I was after. But I knew every job was a stepping stone. I waited tables, worked fast food shifts, and took on every legal and ethical side hustle imaginable—yes, even wrapping my car with advertising—just to pay off my student loans and stay financially afloat.
And I didn’t stop there. While juggling multiple jobs, I was also pursuing my MBA. It meant even longer days—work in the morning, class in the evening, studying late into the night—but I knew that investing in my education would accelerate my career. Completing my MBA while holding down two jobs and side hustles is still one of my proudest achievements because it proved to me that no circumstance is too overwhelming when you’re committed to your goals.
It wasn’t glamorous, but it taught me the value of resilience and resourcefulness. I learned that no work is beneath you when you have a bigger vision in mind. Those years were full of long days and late nights, but every bit of extra effort brought me closer to financial freedom and career growth.
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Saying Yes to Every Leadership Opportunity
Beyond the jobs and my studies, I made it a point to invest my time in leadership and volunteer work. I believed—and still believe—that service and professional growth go hand in hand. Whenever an opportunity came up to serve, lead, or represent a cause, I said yes.
That meant volunteering for community events, taking on marketing and leadership roles for local organizations, and using my growing skill set to make a difference. The connections I built in those years would later open doors to bigger roles and higher-impact projects.
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Climbing the Ladder: From Entry Level to Brand & Advertising Manager
Slowly but surely, the seeds I had planted began to grow. I moved from my call center job into a blog role that was to only be 3 months long just to get marketing experience. I was always searching and trying to expand my marketing skills where I could combine creativity, strategy, and leadership. I worked my way up, gaining experience in everything from campaign planning to media trafficking docs to creative production.
Today, I serve as a Brand and Advertising Manager for a large home services company. I lead brand commercial shoots and awareness campaigns that span across major cities, sales and brand partnerships, and overall brand awareness and category research to improve a brand and how a consumer perceives a brand and its product to increase sales. My favorite part of my job has been collaborating with talented teams in Los Angeles and New York and working with celebrity talent on production sets. The scope and scale of the work still feel surreal sometimes, but I know it’s the direct result of the grit and grind Memphis taught me.
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Giving Back: Boards, Councils, and Advocacy
While I’m proud of my career growth, my deepest sense of fulfillment comes from giving back and staying engaged with my community. I currently serve on multiple boards and councils, each one reflecting a part of who I am and what I value to help better the Memphis Area:
• West Cancer Foundation Young Professionals Board – Serving as the Marketing Liaison, I help promote awareness and fundraising for cancer research and support programs.
• University of Alabama Alumni Association – Memphis Chapter – As an active board member, I connect local alumni and strengthen the Crimson Tide community here in Memphis.
• Alpha Gamma Delta Alumni Chapter – Memphis – I’m honored to serve as Vice President, fostering sisterhood and service among our members.
• Junior League of Memphis – As a member of the Communications Council, I support impactful community projects and initiatives.
• Diversity, Inclusion, and Allyship – Within my company, I serve as the LatinX Chair, working to foster a culture of belonging and representation for all.
These roles allow me to blend my professional skills with my personal mission of service and advocacy.
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Why Memphis Means So Much
Memphis isn’t just where my career happened—it’s where I transformed my life. The city I once wanted to leave behind became the city I chose to invest in. The people here, the culture, the history, and the resilience of Memphis have shaped my approach to leadership and life.
I often think about the girl who once dreamed of escaping Memphis, then came back during a pandemic, working two jobs, earning an MBA at night, just trying to get ahead. If I could talk to her now, I’d tell her that the dream didn’t require leaving—it required growing, building, and creating right where she was.
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Looking Ahead
My journey so far has been a whirlwind, but it’s only the beginning. I want to keep pushing boundaries in my career, leading meaningful campaigns, and giving back to the city that has given so much to me. I want to keep serving, mentoring, and using my platform to make a difference in diversity, inclusion, and community engagement.
The Air Force cadet in me still believes in service before self. The young professional in me still remembers the late nights, side hustles, and MBA coursework that kept the dream alive. And the leader in me knows that grit, vision, and the right community can take you farther than you ever dreamed.
Memphis has been the backdrop for my transformation—from call center employee to Brand and Advertising Manager, from restaurant shifts to national campaigns, from paying off loans to serving on multiple boards. It’s proof that if you plant yourself with intention and nurture your growth with hard work, you can turn any city into your dream paradise.
And as I look at where I am now, leading brand shoots, collaborating with teams across the country, and representing causes close to my heart, I know one thing for sure: this is only the first chapter of what’s possible when you combine grit, growth, and gratitude. Here’s to Memphis’ grit and grind spirit and to the opportunities to come!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has not been a smooth road by any means, but the grit and grind spirit stays with you even on those hard days. Some days I look at my life and still think this isn’t what I imagined. But then I remember that gratitude and being happy is a choice and I have to be grateful for the growth and opportunities I have been given. It’s so easy to compare your life to others or to what “could have been” but I have to remind myself of a key point: Everything happens for a reason, and that God has a plan for me.
We’ve been impressed with Energy Drinks & Emails Podcast, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
While I work full time for a home service company here in Memphis as a Brand Advertising Manager, which is a dream job in itself, I also am launching a non-profit podcast. Energy Drinks & Emails podcast was founded with the mission to spread real-world advice and learnings on how to climb the corporate ladder, ins and outs of business 101 to marketing 101, and sharing the secret to getting work done–consistency and showing up–and maybe an energy drink or espresso. It also touches on work life balance, giving back, and how to find your purpose while navigating the corporate grind, and life obstacles and struggles. This is my fun creative passion and outlet to continue my marketing and creative skills and talents, while also being able to help others face their own struggles, overcome obstacles and continue to climb and grow in their career and their personal lives.
What sets this podcast apart from others is I am not in this to make a profit, I’m not a celebrity or trying to sell anyone anything. This all comes from a servant leadership of trying to provide free resources to others through my own stories and experiences to help make the world a better place. Maybe someone finds a tip helpful and lands an interview: THATS A WIN. Maybe someone relates to working two jobs and climbing out of financial debt? THATS A WIN. Maybe one of my stories opens someone’s mind to be more open and receptive to others and different ways of thinking? THATS A WIN!
I am most proud that no matter what I have going on at work, in my personal life, in my voluntary leadership positions and community involvement, that I continue to think of ways to give of myself to the community and to the people I love, and giving back and improve the Memphis community.
While Energy Drinks & Emails is a podcast launching soon with a strong mission in providing free business resources and advice, it also has the potential to grow and evolve so nothing is off limitless for where this podcast might take us. With the focus being in helping others through work and life experiences and best practices while being Memphis based, I am confident this is another passion project that can help continue the grit and grind spirit.
How do you define success?
Success, to me, is the ability to take any circumstance—good or bad—and turn it into an opportunity to grow, lead, and give back. It’s not about where you start or how many detours you face, but about staying committed to your vision, showing up every day with grit, and making the most of the place you’re planted.
True success means creating a life you’re proud of—one that blends professional achievement with community impact, personal fulfillment, and the courage to lift others as you climb. It’s when the dreams you once thought required “getting away” are built right where you are, and when your story becomes proof that hard work, service, and gratitude can turn any city into your dream paradise.
Contact Info:
- Email: gabearye@gmail.com
- Instagram: @gaberye
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielrye
