The Inspirational Mr. Griffis

“The Voice” updates its readers on county native’s encouraging journey

By Eugenia Jones

Ryan Griffis, a McCreary County native, continues to inspire millions through his social media platforms.  “The Voice” spotlighted Griffis in a November, 2021 feature article after the McCreary Central graduate accumulated more than 30 million views across YouTube, surpassed 5 million views on various Instagram sites, and garnered more than 50 million views and one million followers on TikTok.

When a billboard promoting Griffis and his social media success recently went up in Whitley City, “The Voice” felt it timely to update our readers about Griffis’ ongoing quest to provide hope and inspiration to others.

Sponsored by Pins&Aces, The Ridgewallet, Old South, & Black Rifle Coffee, Griffis continues to grow his social media following and has reached 1.4 million followers on TikTok with over 12 million likes.  He will soon travel back home to McCreary County from Colorado to complete his next exciting project-the filming of a documentary video showcasing McCreary County.  The video will be available in late July and published on all of Griffis’ social media accounts.

“After being in several podcasts and interviews, I’ve had a lot of questions asking where I come from and what motivated me to pursue this path,” Griffis said.  “The documentary video will showcase McCreary County and my upbringing.  Key individuals from McCreary County who have helped me along the way will be featured.  This video will showcase the small town vibe and hopefully let individuals know it doesn’t matter where you come from because, with a little bit of drive and motivation, you can achieve anything you want.”

Additionally in July, Griffis’ social media platforms will release an original song written by Griffis and Conor Priest with vocals by Griffis’ wife, Amber.  The song, “All We’ve Been Through,” details the couple’s journey and the struggles and sacrifices faced in life during Ryan’s military service.  The music video showcases McCreary County and such places as Buzzard Rock, Rock Creek, and McCreary Central High School.

Amber, who is a registered nurse is also originally from McCreary County.

Griffis noted his goal with social media is to act as a vessel for individuals who are struggling.

“I want to provide guidance, motivation, and hope to people and help them understand that they are not alone,” Griffis explained.  “With my voice, I am trying to break a stigma within the Military to show everyone that it is all right to NOT be all right at times.  I won’t stop until I am heard around the world.”

Due to his military service, Griffis is passionate about helping others-particularly veterans.  His passion and desire to help resulted from the struggles he faced after returning home from his deployment to Iraq.  Upon his return, Griffis had difficulty adapting to “normal” life and desperately wanted to break the typical stereotype of military personnel who have difficulty adapting to life once they return home from service.  Griffis began using TikTok to spread awareness about mental health and build a positive social media community as a way to inspire others who might be struggling with similar issues.

Ryan and Amber currently live in Colorado with their two children.  He is completing a master’s degree in engineering.

To follow Griffis, visit “mrgriffis” on TikTok. 

Ryan Griffis has garnered many followers with his motivational TikTok videos.