What do you do when your life's work—a recording studio—is robbed clean, just days after you ended your military career to pursue it full-time?

Robert Gaines, author of *Scintilla* and an expert in unconventional business ideas, shares his harrowing "trifecta of disasters." He lost his studio to thieves in the 90s, opened a restaurant right before 9/11, and launched an art gallery just as the 2008 housing crisis hit.

This episode dives into the FailCraft theme of extreme resilience. Robert explains how he went from "Hero to Zero" in 120 days, why he eventually quit drinking to survive, and how he turned his cynicism with the insurance industry into a career as a fraud investigator. Discover his unique approach to generating business ideas out of necessity and why he believes "Success is Freedom".

In this episode of FailCraft, you’ll discover:

* Robert's "Hero to Zero" moment: Losing his studio, house, and career in 4 months.

* The 9/11 Restaurant Crisis: Managing a business when the world stops.

* From Victim to Investigator: How a bad insurance experience shaped his career.

* The "Momentum" Mindset: Why you just need to chip away at the boulder.

* How getting sober changed his approach to business and responsibility.

* The concept of "Geo-Arbitrage" and living in Nicaragua.

* Robert's book *Scintilla*: How to generate business ideas when you are stuck in a cubicle.

* Robert's definition of true success: The ability to say "No".

This episode is for entrepreneurs who feel like the world is conspiring against them, anyone battling addiction while building a business, or those looking for unconventional ways to spot opportunities in a crisis.

Connect With Robert Gaines:

* Book: cintilla (Amazon)

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-gaines-b481372a4/

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Chapters:

00:00 Hook: Hero to Zero in 120 Days

01:23 Introduction: Robert Gaines' Trifecta of Disasters

01:59 The Burglary: Losing the Studio & Military Career

04:58 Finding Grit: Finishing the Album in a Shed

06:44 From Victim to Fraud Investigator

10:25 The 9/11 Restaurant Crisis

13:51 Sobriety & Taking Personal Responsibility

16:05 *Scintilla*: How to Generate Business Ideas

18:12 Spotting Unconventional Opportunities

20:54 Advice for Total Loss: The Power of Momentum

23:05 Robert's Definition of True Success: Freedom

23:58 How to Connect with Robert