Nothing to Lose, Everything to Gain

How I Went from Gang Member to Multimillionaire Entrepreneur

De: Ryan Blair, Don Yaeger

Narrado por: Johnny Heller

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

Reseñas de la Crítica

"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)

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.

Amazing

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

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

Uplifting! Positive! Tons of Wisdom! Inspiring!

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

great listen!

enjoyed listening. I have a feeling that I will listen many more times to come.