How a Kid in a Gang Became a Multi-Millionaire Entrepreneur At age 16 he was facing four years in prison. Now he's a successful entrepreneur, CEO and author.
By Lewis Howes Edited by Dan Bova
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This story originally appeared on Lewis Howes
I fly a lot. And I see a lot of airport bookstores.
Last year I saw a lot of cool orange book covers with the catchy title Nothing to Lose, Everything to Gain.
Naturally I wanted to know who the author was. I was not expecting what I found when I read the book.
Ryan Blair's life reads like an award-winning documentary (which it is):
When he was 13 his dad left his family.
When he was 14 he was in a gang.
When he was 16 he was in juvenile hall facing 4 years in prison.
When he was 19 he started his first company.
Today at 37 he is the multimillionaire CEO of ViSalus, after he sold it and bought it back years later, and a NYT best-selling author living the life in the Hollywood Hills.
How does stuff like this happen? I was dying to know and today's interview on The School of Greatness is one of my favorites so far.
Ryan is one of the most humble, sincere, loving guys I know. We discussed everything from prison to mentors to crazy stalkers.
Not only did I get to hang out with Ryan at his beautiful house, but I got to hike with him up a canyon beforehand. He's that cool of a guy.
If you've ever wondered how someone like Ryan Blair gets to where he is, the answers are in Episode 107.
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Some questions I ask:
- Why do you think you haven't found love yet?
- How did you emotionally handle making that much money that quickly?
- What are your daily rituals?
- What are the things you are working on healing through prayer?
- What's the best way to get in touch with a mentor?
- What does your perfect day look like?
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- The astonishing start to his writing career at age 16 (he avoided going to prison by writing a letter to the judge)
- How he used his federal grant money for college to start his first company
- How taking care of his family fuels his drive for entrepreneurial success
- His philosophy on waking up early
- How he prepares for giving a speech
- How he makes time for working out
- How his Autistic son has affected his life
- Plus much more…
