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70th out of 80 books
—
79 voters
Nothing to Lose, Everything to Gain: How I Went from Gang Member to Multimillionaire Entrepreneur
by
Ryan Blair
The incredible story of a gang member who became a multimillionaire CEO.
Ryan Blair's middle-class upbringing came to an abrupt end when his father succumbed to drug addiction and abandoned his family. Blair and his mother moved to a dangerous neighborhood, and soon he was in and out of juvenile detention, joining a gang just to survive. Then his mother fell in love with...more
Ryan Blair's middle-class upbringing came to an abrupt end when his father succumbed to drug addiction and abandoned his family. Blair and his mother moved to a dangerous neighborhood, and soon he was in and out of juvenile detention, joining a gang just to survive. Then his mother fell in love with...more
Hardcover, 240 pages
Published
August 4th 2011
by Portfolio Hardcover
(first published January 1st 2011)
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Nov 12, 2011
Lisa
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
all teenagers/young adults--at least read the first half!
Shelves:
nonfiction,
biography-memoir
Ryan Blair started his life in the middle class until his engineer Dad got hooked on meth and started beating his Mom. Previously Ryan had always been enterprising, taking on paper routes and other jobs. When his life was disrupted by poverty, Ryan got caught up in the gang life all around him. He was arrested numerous times and seemed destined for a life in and out of jail. Then his mom started dating a successful businessman who took Ryan under his wing and reignited Ryan's own entrepreneurial...more
Apr 04, 2013
Lita Browning
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anyone that is interested in owning thier own business
Recommended to Lita by:
Ryan Blair
I started reading Ryan's book the evening I received it. I start reading and have a hard time putting it down. Most amazing book so far on Entrepreneurship that I have read to date. One of the most difficult things that I have done is try and figure out which one I desire the most. "Independence, Wealth, Recognition & Fame, or feeling of contribution" I had to write down what drives me. The biggest driver for me is Independence, I have worked myself out of so many positions by giving 100 to...more
I spent quite a bit of time pondering what I wanted to say about Ryan's book, and the impact it had on me. That's mainly because there are so many things I found helpful and inspiring. It was hard to narrow it down to one specific thing, or even just one generalization. It's true that the book offers lots of insight into the world of entrepreneurship, gives lots of practical advice about running a business, and teaches some important life lessons. The thing that kept coming to mind though, as I...more
Ryan Blair used to be a crook and a gang member, but now he's a millionaire creating and selling companies for a small fortune. The story would make a great movie, but will the lessons help YOU become a millionaire?
Despite the fact that Ryan's affluent step father essentially rescued him and his mother from poverty in his late teens, he still had to put forth the effort to exercise resourcefulness and maximize opportunites - which only 20% of people do. He learned that there are four drivers whi...more
Despite the fact that Ryan's affluent step father essentially rescued him and his mother from poverty in his late teens, he still had to put forth the effort to exercise resourcefulness and maximize opportunites - which only 20% of people do. He learned that there are four drivers whi...more
This one literally turned up on my doorstep. Twice! The book fairies don’t visit often, but when they do it’s a fantastic surprise. (I still don’t know who sent me this, but thank you – whoever you are!!!)
Looking at the cover, the first thing that sprung to mind was The 50th Law – a book I intended to dislike but was somewhat blown away with by the time I finished the last page. Hard, edgy lessons from a life I have thankfully never lived.
I guess I was spoiled first time around because I didn’t...more
Looking at the cover, the first thing that sprung to mind was The 50th Law – a book I intended to dislike but was somewhat blown away with by the time I finished the last page. Hard, edgy lessons from a life I have thankfully never lived.
I guess I was spoiled first time around because I didn’t...more
Dec 09, 2012
Sharon Carroll
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
All Youth, Young Adults, those who can effect change
Recommended to Sharon by:
Audible.com
Shelves:
audio-book
OMG!! This has to be if not the most, it's definitely in the top three of the most profound autobiography's I've ever read. Actually, I listened to it on Audible.com which made it even better than reading for me. His story is freakin amazing! Every young person needs to be introduced and made to read or listen to Ryan Blair's story. What he did was nothing short of a miracle and guess what, they will see they too can over come anything! Any labels or titles that society has placed on you, any mi...more
Can wait to Read this book... received it on Sunday from Ryan :)
The second part of the title in Ryan Blair’s book is what struck me. “How I went from Gang Member to Multi Millionaire Entrepreneur” seems like other great American rags to riches story. I was a little disappointed however when I read that his transformation from gang member was because his mother married a wealthy real estate magnate when Ryan was a young teenager. Then his step-father dragged him from “the streets” into a very hospitable and pleasant existence.
That being said, Ryan still prope...more
That being said, Ryan still prope...more
I’d say I’m lukewarm on this one. Ryan certainly has a compelling story (which I like) but the book seemed to focus a lot on start-ups from the venture capital-backed world, rather than simple start-ups like mine. That world doesn’t hold any interest to me so I didn’t really find reading about it very interesting. The most interesting things to me were when Ryan talked about his life growing up, how he now recognizes the lessons his parents taught him and how he uses them in business.
This book is mostly a memoir of a millionaire, although it does have a bit of business advice worked into it. It's an interesting read but it doesn't seem to really know what it wants to be. I'd like it more if it were more focused either on being a memoir (because reading about how other entrepreneurs succeeded is inspiring) or being a book filled with advice culled from Ryan's experience. It's a little too disjointed in trying to do both.
Feb 16, 2013
Anaiya
added it
I really liked this book. He had a ton of good tips, quotes and references for further understanding about starting your own business. He breaks the process down and remains relatable the entire time. I marked all over the book LOL! I wasn't expecting anything ground-breaking and a some of the things I already knew but I def recommend the book for anyone thinking of starting their own business. If you already know a lot you won't feel like you wasted your time and if you are an absolute beginner...more
As a recent MBA graduate, I have read countless books, articles, HBR studies, etc, regarding business. One complaint I have had is the lack of entrepreneurial conversation in business studies. This book helps rectify that. It is a well writen, clear, concise melding of Porter, Hill, Carnegy, Gladwell and the like.
This book will be my Christmas gift to my friends and peers.
This book will be my Christmas gift to my friends and peers.
An interesting look into Ryan Blair's someone who came from wealth, lost it all, struggled an ultimately thrived in the world of crime and gangs -> then turned it all around to become a multi-millionaire in his twenties.
Blair offers his advice based on his hard learned lessons on things you need to consider in starting and successfully running your own business.
This book is an easy and entertaining read. Highly recommended for aspiring entrepreneurs!
Blair offers his advice based on his hard learned lessons on things you need to consider in starting and successfully running your own business.
This book is an easy and entertaining read. Highly recommended for aspiring entrepreneurs!
This book started out with a good story. It got kind of slow during the "how to start your own business" chapters (since that is not necessarily why I picked up the book to begin with).
The epilogue was great though. He tells about how the struggles and trials make us all stronger and ready for the next adventure in life.
The epilogue was great though. He tells about how the struggles and trials make us all stronger and ready for the next adventure in life.
Incredible and inspiring story. A good shot in the arm for anyone who thinks they can't accomplish much because of their background or circumstances. Should be required reading for every high school aged student.
I enjoyed a few of the earlier chapters, got a few tidbits out of the book and enjoyed learning about how Ryan "did it."
But overall nothing ground breaking.
But overall nothing ground breaking.
Great read, full of great information and a lot of insight into a fascinating entrepreneur's life. Tons to learn from in such a short book.
Ryan Blair is one of my biggest inspirations, this even before I read his book, but once I read it I was humbled even more at how he's gotten to where he is. He managed to turn his entire life around and has become a leader of leaders. The advice he gives the reader is second to none, being transparent and candid he manages to give us a glimpse into what makes him stand out as an entrepreneur. He most definitely deserved to win the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year! He leads from the he...more
Apr 23, 2013
Kayla Marie
marked it as to-read
Can't wait to read this book!! N to think I'm under him in his business!!! Amazing!!
Thought that the book lacked useful advice for the start-up entrepreneur.
The book is fluff, much like the businesses built by the author.
Awful: proof of the love of money leading to nothing.
Aug 08, 2011
Fred
marked it as to-read
just received this book as an anonymous gift
Read 10.10.2011
somewhat inspirational...not a profound one but definitely a motivator; good starting point for small business newbies like myself; easy reading, i.e. not too complicated, not in depth...in a good way...so that even you are not an expert you get the ideas. I'm not in par with some of his visions but like his solid philosophy and strive for fairness and high ethic.
Pretty quick read. While you may question the validity of the multi-level marketing business model, you should come away from this book having a good sense of what being an entrepreneur means. He speaks frankly about sacrifice,reinvestment and being a guardian for your investors. Many business owners should learn the lessons from this book.
An amazing book about being an ENTREPRENUER and about Ryan's personal background.
May 17, 2013
Malvin Tan
marked it as to-read
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“The only difference between you today and a year from now are the people you know and what you have learned.”
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Feb 04, 2012 07:35pm