Le Center man’s lifestyle advice, ideas earn him national attention – Southernminn.com

Ross Sveback went from almost no friends to more than 100,000 likes on Facebook and over 15,000 followers on Twitter.

“I think ‘Is this real?'” Sveback said during a recent interview. “Am I really doing this?”

Sveback went from someone who didn’t fit in in his hometown of Le Center to being a lifestyle expert who makes regular appearances on TV and in magazines. He’s a guru of fashion, design and cooking advice. Sveback’s reach extends globally — his name has become a brand — and he was voted one of the top-100 most influential people by Minneapolis-St. Paul Magazine. 

Though he is now rubbing elbows with the movers and shakers, Ross Sveback has had a long journey to where he is now — and no shortage of obstacles in his way.

Sveback grew up in Le Center and was virtually ignored among his peers.

“I was nobody here,” said Sveback. “I was not in the ‘In Crowd'”

But while other kids had their friends, Sveback had his grandmother, Ellen Sveback, who taught him everything he knows. 

“She was a product of her generation,” he said. “Everything was homemade. I was fascinated by that.”

He spent time with her learning how to make everything from scratch. She taught him the value of making homemade meals and working with his hands, appreciating the value of making something himself.

It wasn’t until years later when those skills saw the light of day. 

Blessing in disguise

For those who see Sveback on TV dishing out recipes and lifestyle advice, they may be surprised to learn that he started out in field that couldn’t be further from what he does now. Sveback owned a mortgage company.

What seemed like a crucial blow to Sveback ended up changing the course of his life, making way for a successful career. The economic crash had Sveback’s investors jumping ship, forcing Sveback to look elsewhere for work.

That is when a friend suggested Sveback start a blog. He thought the idea was bit crazy, wondering who would want to read his blog, but he started a blog anyway.

“I just did it to kill time,” he said. “I never expected any of this. I just thought I was killing time before getting back into the corporate world.”

That is when people started to notice him. His online presence grew. He started by sending an email newsletter to about 1,000 contacts he had built up over the years, and six months later, Sveback had 45,000 subscribers.

“I just popped,” said Sveback.

His recipes started to draw the attention of the local TV stations, and Sveback began making a name for himself. But he didn’t stop there, he expanded his expertise to design, entertaining and life advice. Now he is the lifestyle expert for various organizations like NBC, Fox and WGNTV.

But getting to where he is now was no easy task. A lot of the work he does is for free, just trying to get his name out there. He estimates that 90 percent of what he does is for free, which means he has to love what he is doing. One day he would be making cupcakes free of charge in hopes that someone picks up on what he is doing, all the while he would be wondering how he was going to fill up his gas tank.

“I’ve worked really hard,” he said. “It is a lot of hustle, but I love what I do.”

Turning rejection into success

As he expanded his repertoire, he decided he would make soap. After he learned how to make soap, he pitched his product, which was rejected. The next day he received an email from Vogue magazine, wanting to feature his soap in its 2012 Summer Beauty Guide.

Not all rejections were met with such quick validation, and he had to deal with rejection on a constant basis. He said growing up being unaccepted made him more resilient; gave him a thick skin. It was this that made him continue on when so many others had failed.

And not only did Sveback survive, he began to thrive. His recipes have been featured across the country, with one of his cakes earning a spot as one of Oprah Winfrey’s much-heralded Favorite Things.

And as he grew his brand many began to take notice of the small-town man who made it big. One such person was Tony Lipp, who represents Hollywood A-listers like Stanley Tucci and Helen Mirren. 

Lipp, a talent manager, quickly noticed Sveback’s potential. Though he does not represent lifestyle experts like Sveback, he has been a champion of Sveback’s brand and a good friend to the Le Sueur County Native.

Lipp said that Sveback has a talent for creating and that his authentic and down-to-earth nature create a perfect mix.

“He is incredibly relatable to the everyday consumer,” said Lipp. “That accessibility gives him an edge.”

Sveback’s genuine nature is something unique that he brings to the table, Lipp said, and could be due to his small-town upbringing.

“He has total Midwest flair,” Lipp said. “It just bleeds from him. He is very authentic.”

It has been a long journey for Sveback, going from an outcast in a small town to a lifestyle expert that is his own brand. Though he is self-made, he knows that he would not be enjoying the success he is today without the love and support of those close to him.

“I say this lovingly. Growing up, I could have never made it out of this town without my grandma or my sister,” said Sveback. “I’m standing on the shoulders of people who believed in me.”