Nothing to Lose, Everything to Gain: How I Went from Gang Member to Multimillionaire Entrepreneur

by Ryan Blair, Don Yaeger Narrated by Johnny Heller

Overview

Ryan Blair knows about building a business from the ground up. Like many entrepreneurs he had no formal business education. But he had great survival instincts, tenacity, and, above all, a "nothing to lose" mindset.



Blair's middle-class childhood came to an abrupt end when his abusive father succumbed to drug addiction and abandoned the family. Blair and his mother moved to a bad neighborhood, and soon he was in and out of juvenile detention, joining a gang just to survive.



Then his mother fell in love with a successful entrepreneur who took Ryan under his wing. With his mentor's help, Blair turned himself into a wildly successful businessman. He started his first company, 24/7 Tech, at the age of twenty-one, and since then has created and sold several companies for hundreds of millions of dollars.



Now Blair teaches listeners how to start and grow their own profitable businesses by following his often contrarian philosophies. For instance:



-In juvenile detention, if you let someone take your milk the first day, he'll take it every day. The same is true in business.



-When you're dealing with an investor's money, you have to act as if God Himself wrote you the check.



-Most business plans aren't worth the paper they're written on.



-Efforts don't pay the rent. Have no sympathy for employees who talk about how hard they're trying.



-Entrepreneurship is great because you can set your own hours-any seventeen hours of the day, seven days a week. But if you're doing what you love, it doesn't drain you as much as the nine-to-five death cycle.



This is an inspirational guide for people who are willing to put in the hard work, time, and dedication needed to see their vision through to the end. Blair shares lessons from his mentors and advice from his own life-changing experiences and provides a road map for entrepreneurial success.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

Bad boy makes good in this energetically recounted rags-to-riches success story. Blair's placid middle-class family was abruptly disrupted when his father became hooked on drugs and abandoned the family. Blair got involved with a gang, and had multiple and violent run-ins with the law, but salvation came in the form of a successful and encouraging stepfather, who started him working and became his first real mentor. The survival instincts he earned in his scrappy adolescence became his greatest asset as he created his first company, and Blair tells the story of his rise to success in the hopes that readers might benefit from his philosophies, from the jail cell to the boardroom. His failures and successes, along with a little input from his gurus, coupled with his solid commonsense advice and entrepreneurial life lessons offer an inspiring and helpful story. Readers will find the "nothing-to-lose" mindset and his optimistic, do-anything attitude both charming and encouraging. (Aug.)

From the Publisher

Ryan Blair’s story proves how success is a choice—and finding the right mentors can change your life and destiny. Devour this book and share it with someone young you love and mentor—today!”
—David Bach, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Automatic Millionaire and founder of FinishRich.com
 
“Ryan is one of the most innovative and enthusiastic young men I’ve met. He is always one step ahead of others, which means there is much we all can learn from him.”
—John Wooden, UCLA Hall of Fame head coach
 
“I can think of no better person to offer advice on how to handle a ‘nothing to lose’ moment than Ryan Blair. He has absolutely made the most of those times in his life. Anyone who is considering tough career decisions needs to grab hold of his book and these lessons.”
—Dale Brown, LSU Hall of Fame head coach
 
“We all seek excuses to keep us from greatness. Ryan Blair takes your excuses and punches them in the mouth. This book grabbed me by my shirt collar, forced me into a chair, and wouldn’t let me up until I saw how it ended.”
—Chris Brogan, coauthor of Trust Agents and The Impact Equation

Product Details

BN ID:	2940171183660
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Publication date:	09/30/2011
Edition description:	Unabridged

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