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

by Ryan Blair, Don Yaeger (Contribution by)

Overview

Like many entrepreneurs, Ryan Blair had no formal business education. But he had great survival instincts, tenacity, and, above all, a "nothing to lose" mindset. His middle-class childhood ended abruptly when his abusive father succumbed to drug addiction and abandoned the family. Blair and his mother moved to a rough 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 guidance, Blair started his first company, 24/7 Tech, at age twenty-one. He has since created and sold several companies for hundreds of millions of dollars. This is an inspirational guide full of powerful stories and lessons and a road map for entrepreneurial success.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781591845997
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	03/26/2013
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	714,009
Product dimensions:	5.45(w) x 8.35(h) x 0.64(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Ryan Blair is a self-made multimillionaire and serial entrepreneur. He established his first company, 24/7 Tech, when he was twenty-one years old and has since created and actively invested in multiple start-ups. As the CEO of ViSalus, Blair turned the company around during the 2009 recession and, in three years , took it from $600,000 in monthly sales to $600 million in annual sales. He lives in Detroit, with his son, Reagan. 

Visit www.NothingtoLose.com

Table of Contents

Foreword xiii

Read this First 1

1 Where I'm From 9

Welcome to Poverty 15

You're Not My Father 17

2 The Nothing-to-Lose Mind-Set 23

3 Hustlers, Charlatans, … and Tony Robbins 27

4 Philosophies from the Jail Cell to the Boardroom 32

Golden Rules 33

5 Seize the Day 49

6 Honor Your Deals 66

7 Smarten Up 73

Who's Your Mentoren? 77

8 First Things First 84

Watch Your Wallet 89

9 What's Driving You? 91

You're Not a Stereotype 96

10 Tap Those Assets 101

11 Risk and Sacrifice 108

Get Really Uncomfortable 114

12 Million-Dollar Mistakes 120

13 I Hate Business Plans 135

Your Business Name, Not Your Porn Name 138

Game Theory 140

14 Pros and Cons of a Home-Based Business 146

It's All About Recruiting 154

Choosing a Home 156

15 Launching Your Business 159

That's My Story, and I'm Sticking with It 162

Sell First, Ask Questions Later 165

16 Raising Money 168

Venture Capitalists: Swimming with the Sharks 174

17 Growing, Hiring, and Firing 178

The Connect Four Technique 184

18 Cashing Out 194

Lawyer Up 200

19 Told U So 208

Epilogue: On to the Next One 211

Acknowledgments 221

Special Acknowledgments 223

Index 225

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"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

Editorial Reviews

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

From the Publisher

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.)

Publishers Weekly