BARGAIN-BASEMENT BAD ADVICE
Kensington Market man offers odd tips at $1 a pop, and people buy it
If you’re looking for some good advice, don’t bother asking Ryan Sadler. He’ll sell you bad advice for $1 if you spot him around Kensington Market, where he’s been catching attention with his kooky sales pitch for the past few weeks. The Star caught up with Sadler, who has a background in finance, to find out why he’s flogging crummy advice. In case you don’t heed Sadler’s warning not to follow his recommendations, take ours — his advice is really bad!
Where did the idea to give bad advice come from?
I . . . was sitting on the couch, watching YouTube clips. I’m a huge Ronda Rousey fan and I was just listening to her give this quote. . . . Her basic critique was a person doesn’t get to be an active participant in society, you don’t actually get to be a critic of situations around you, unless you are actively doing something. It occurred to me I was doing absolutely nothing, so I whipped up a chalkboard sign, came outside and that’s been it.
What are some of the pieces of advice you’ve given out?
I will say anything, from ‘Get a tattoo of Stephen Harper on your butt’ — it’s a topical tattoo, people like topical tattoos. I’ll tell people to interact in strange, but very friendly and non-aggressive ways with police. I’ll suggest that people ruin their lives in obscene decadence by consuming everything that is put around them . . . There was a young gentleman who wanted to know what he should do with his college career. He wasn’t sure he was following the right path. He wouldn’t be happier as a physicist or an artist. I suggested he pursue something more naive and simple, something he wanted to do as a child. Apparently, though, he really wanted to be a dinosaur rider when he was 3 years old. He could be the first and therefore best dinosaur rider. He was pursuing the wrong career path.
Why bad advice? Why not good advice?
I’ll do good advice and I always charge more for it, but everyone is free with good advice. Everyone will always tell you what you should do. Very few people are willing to go out on a limb and tell you what you should absolutely not do.
You carry a sign that warns, “Advice giver is not liable for your bad decisions.” Do people ever take your advice?
It happened exactly once. The advice was that he wanted to know what to do with his love life. I suggested he give up on it, so I suggested that he streamline the process, close your eyes and walk into traffic . . . Then I told him repeatedly and emphatically: Just don’t do it, it’s bad advice. He started shouting, “This is all me” and walked into traffic. He was not hurt, but he quite nearly was. One of his friends grabbed him. I get the impression if I hadn’t have been there he would have made an equally bad decision one way or the other.
You plan on donating a portion of your earnings to Sick Kids Hospital, but do people ever ask for their money back?
Only ever jokingly. I tend to give really good bad advice. People say my success rate is disappointingly high. I am advertising exactly what I deliver.
What made you want to donate to Sick Kids?
Traffic is down. I need some easy way to get attention. I am really doing this just to do it. The money is secondary. With the weather that has been going on, people are less inclined to stop, but I thought, OK, I could double the number of people I do if I give half of it away. I did it, and sure enough, I am getting the same traffic I did a couple of weeks ago, and frankly, I get to give money to myself and Sick Kids. I am an ardent capitalist.
What do you make on average per shift, selling advice?
I am making an OK amount.
Could you live off what you make?
Middle of the summer, yes. This time of year, not even slightly. At this point, I am picking up the extra hours wherever people are offering them. I have changed the gimmick up a few times, trying to see if people are receptive, and they generally are. I have held the sign up and, (for) $1 people can write things on it and $2 they can erase something. I was surprised, because there were more people erasing than writing things.
What do most people who pass by think of what you’re doing?
First week, I got some heckling, but I am really used to bantering with people. I love to talk, obnoxiously so. I love my voice. Most of their criticisms are very sensible. For example: I’m wasting my time. Yes, I thoroughly am. I’m trying to make money off absolutely nothing. That is true too!
Do you plan on doing this for much longer?
To be honest, the next couple of weeks will probably be the last little bit of it. I might go out again during Christmas. Next summer, I’m going to be out and out early, because I realize how enthusiastic people can be once the sun hits.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.