Nothing to Lose, Everything to Gain

How I Went from Gang Member to Multimillionaire Entrepreneur

By: Ryan Blair, Don Yaeger

Narrated by: Johnny Heller

Length: 6 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

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 21, 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, In juvenile detention, if you let someone take your milk the first day, they'll start taking 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 17 hours of the day, 7 days a week. But if you're doing what you love, it doesn't drain you as much as the 9 to 5 death cycle.

©2011 Ryan Blair (P)2011 Tantor

Critic reviews

"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." ( Publishers Weekly)

I wouldn't read it again

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Would not recommend to a friend. It's truly inspirational to hear how he went from having nothing to everything. However, strictly from a story perspective, I was not engaged.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The narrator's voice was also not authoritative enough for this story.

I recently listened to "Business Stripped Bare by Richard Branson", which I would recommend to a anyone in a heartbeat. Both the story and the narrator are excellent for that book.

Jumping around...

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I would have liked it to be more timeline sensitive rather than jumping around. It was a little odd to hear a thought then go back to his childhood then back to his adult life.His lessons are more common than he may believe.

What do you think your next listen will be?

Good to Great

What does Johnny Heller bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He was a little entertaining in his voice but over all was monotone.

Who do you think would benefit most from listening to Nothing to Lose, Everything to Gain?

A person that has never had a business or someone that is selling a million dollar company. These are to of the two points in this book that are given strongly.

Any additional comments?

I find it unusual that he does not go into how he came up with initial funds to start his company and how his dad helped him make it (funding, contacts,etc). It is more like he is saying he jumped into business and just like that he was successful and only when selling did he run into issues. Tell the truth who helped you, who funded you at the very beginning etc. also to say you have a perfect formula then to be vague about it is funny and shows he is not as bright as he believes. I enjoyed some of his book but overall just a lot of hot air.

Uplifting! Positive! Tons of Wisdom! Inspiring!

Now I understand why I had to go through pain to become a greater person

Hardships are your greatest assets

Through personal experience, Ryan was able to bring home the idea that the hardships of your past is what became a your greatest assets and what builds the story that is your unique proposition to the world.

Thanks for the great reminder Ryan

Two Years Later

I came across Ryan's documentary on YouTube two years and was led to this book. I didn't buy it at the time I just added it to my wish list. As circumstances would have it. I wanted to hear something uplifting, something hardcore I could relate to. And this audio book was a great purchase. Straightforward and down to earth. Definitely something to lift you a little higher if you take the lessons learned seriously of course.

It's Was Okay

Honestly this book was cool but it was like a Blend of life and business, based on the preview I though it was going to talk about how he made a come back with Vi.

It really didn't have anything to do with that it's about the business lessons he learned and how though of nothing to lose from being in a gang help him to be successful in business.

Like I said it's a okay book, it's not something I would listen to again, honestly it might be a little to much truth for me, with his life and background.

At some points I wasn't sure how the story related to business, but I get it- he wanted to remove all excuse from people not being able to build a business and letting their past get in the way.

That's why I gave it a four star and would still recommend this book.

From Gangsta to Stardom in Giving

What an example of true determination and now showing others that persistence is key to accomplishing one's goals!

You can't get anywhere with the wrong perspective

Most business books will explain how they did it, but they never approach the frame of mind. Ryan did an excellent job putting his vulnerability out there and allowing us to see what it really took to start and run a business.

Amazing

Very thorough book and relief and relatible. So much advice on the upbringings and how strong mindset 2nd effect someone success

Finally a entrepreneur without all the get rich quick hype

Ironically I heard of Ryan Blair on a daytime reality TV show my wife just happen to have on while on lunch break at our home. It was a real estate show where Ryan met with the realtor to sell one of his houses. For the 5 minutes I watched this entrepreneur talk with the realtor about listing his house I was intrigued on how he made his money. Seemed like a down to earth guy. I looked up his net worth that day and biography and had seen he wrote two books. Curious, I read about his books and the reviews then purchased the book that day. I read a lot of business and entrepreneur books. Being an entrepreneur myself I’m intrigued how these people build their businesses and make their money. Unfortunately, most all books I read are a bunch of hype and selling their own product within the book. I always get something out of them, however this book was different. Ryan Blair is a down to earth guy with true stories of success and failure. Not about a bunch of hype on getting rich fast. Just honest and true hard work your way to success. If you don’t want any sugar coat hype and the hope of getting something out of business success book then this is one you should read. This book is the real life on how to start at the bottom and work your way to the top with ambition. Like Ryan says it’s not for the faint of heart entrepreneur. If your afraid to loose it all then maybe being an entrepreneur is not right for you. But what if the reward is greater than the risk then would you risk it all? I’m definitely keeping this book in my top favorites and excited to start his other book!