Travis Makes Money

Make Money from Over $1 BILLION in Exits | Ryan Blair

Listen Later

Ryan Blair is a serial entrepreneur, bestselling author, and one of the most remarkable comeback stories in business. With over $2 billion in sales and $1 billion in exits—including a $792 million exit as CEO of ViSalus—Ryan’s journey from poverty, gang life, and juvenile hall to New York Times bestselling author and Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year is nothing short of extraordinary. His books, Nothing to Lose, Everything to Gain and Rock Bottom to Rockstar, have inspired countless entrepreneurs worldwide. Ryan’s unique perspective comes from having lived in poverty, middle class, and wealth, making his insights on entrepreneurship, risk, and resilience especially powerful.


On this episode, we talk about:

  • Ryan’s early days hustling for his first dollar and how his father used incentives to teach him about money
  • Growing up in a turbulent environment, falling into poverty, and the impact of a life-changing mentor
  • The transition from illegal entrepreneurship to building legal, scalable businesses
  • Ryan’s first tech ventures, his early exit at 24, and the mindset shift from cash to equity
  • Acquiring and scaling ViSalus, the lessons (and controversies) of network marketing, and the value of teaching entrepreneurship
  • The debate around network marketing, compliance, and why leadership and values matter more than ever
  • The skills sales and entrepreneurship build—and why Ryan would support his own son joining a network marketing company
  • What Ryan would do if he had to start from scratch today
  • The importance of authenticity, empathy, and building real relationships in business

    • Top 3 Takeaways

    1. Resilience and Risk-Taking: Ryan’s willingness to take risks was forged by adversity—he literally had nothing to lose, which freed him to pursue entrepreneurship with relentless drive,
    2. Sales and Equity Matter: Mastering sales and understanding the value of equity (not just cash) are critical for wealth creation. Ryan’s first big win shifted his beliefs about what was possible.
    3. Leadership and Authenticity: Success in business, especially in network marketing, hinges on authentic leadership, strong values, and genuine care for people—not just maximizing profits.


      4. Connect with Ryan Blair:

      • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanblair/
      • https://www.instagram.com/realryanblair


        • Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

        ...more
        View all episodesView all episodes
        Download on the App Store
        Travis Makes MoneyBy Travis Chappell
        • 4.3
        • 4.3
        • 4.3
        • 4.3
        • 4.3

        4.3

        374 ratings

        More shows like Travis Makes Money

        View all
        The Clark Howard Podcast by Clark Howard

        The Clark Howard Podcast

        5,408 Listeners

        Stuff You Should Know by iHeartPodcasts

        Stuff You Should Know

        77,754 Listeners

        The Joe Rogan Experience by Joe Rogan

        The Joe Rogan Experience

        225,684 Listeners

        The Amy Porterfield Show by Amy Porterfield

        The Amy Porterfield Show

        4,584 Listeners

        The School of Greatness by Lewis Howes

        The School of Greatness

        21,093 Listeners

        The Model Health Show by Shawn Stevenson

        The Model Health Show

        7,366 Listeners

        Pod Save America by Crooked Media

        Pod Save America

        86,595 Listeners

        The Daily by The New York Times

        The Daily

        110,602 Listeners

        Huberman Lab by Scicomm Media

        Huberman Lab

        28,563 Listeners

        On The Market by BiggerPockets

        On The Market

        900 Listeners