Clemson business alum celebrates positive, local news through 6amCity

In today's digital age, when people scroll on social media for hours, often seeing negative news and content, there needs to be a space for positivity. Ryan Johnston '03 saw a need for this and decided to launch of company that would share positive, local news with his company 6am City.

Originally from Greenville himself, Johnston chose Clemson as an undergraduate for its academic reputation and collegiate lifestyle, as well as its close proximity to natural features like Lakes Hartwell and Keowee. "When I was applying and touring schools, Clemson was where I wanted to be. I mean, with all the amazing things at the college, why would you not go to Clemson?"

While enrolled as a business student, Johnston made the most of his time on campus, joining a fraternity and even pursuing a couple of entrepreneurial visions, including starting College Comfort with Clemson classmate, Jay Orders, a company that sold bed toppers at Hendrick Center, and being a founding member of Southern Tide.

Looking back, there were several classes that inspired Johnston, but two, in particular, came to mind. "The business strategy class I took was game-changing for me. The professor, Mike McClelland was great. He was the past CEO of Do It Best Hardware, which, at the time, was the largest national hardware co-op."

"Also, my business class with Jon Wilkin, a former president of BILO. He brought in a bunch of different entrepreneurs, like Stewart Spinks, who owns Spinx gas stations, and Carl Sobocinski, who owns Table 301. I learned so much from them. It was a really unique experience."

After graduation, Johnston joined the corporate world and eventually became the publisher of Upstate Business Journal. Now, Johnston is the co-founder and CEO of 6AM City, Inc.

The idea of 6AM City stemmed from the need for local news. Johnston began noticing the limited reach local companies and businesses were having when sharing events, news and opportunities on social media. He began to think of ways to take the traditional news model and transform it into something innovative, reliable and usable.

"I realized there was still a strong demand for local news and information, and businesses needed to reach their local communities. That's when we saw an opportunity to rethink the model and mitigate the three biggest cost drivers in local media: content creation, printing and distribution."

To solve this challenge, 6AM City uses free digital newsletters sent daily at 6 am that include local, positive news, announcements and events specific to the city that is part of the parent company. Each city, including Greenville, South Carolina, has its own team of content creators, including two boots-on-the-ground editors who interview, write and share local content.

6AM City now has news outlets across the nation. From the East to West Coasts, 6AM City spreads positive, local news.

What originally began in Greenville now spans 28 cities across the United States. Every morning, more than 1.5 million subscribers wake up to an email curated specifically for their local city and news.

"Our mission is simple," Johnston says. "We want to help people feel more connected to where they live by sharing the stories that matter. In a world full of negativity, we aim to be a bright spot in people's mornings."

To learn more about 6am City, visit their website.

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