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Ryan Blair
BornJuly 14, 1977 (1977-07-14) (age 46)
NationalityAmerican
OccupationEntrepreneur
Known forNothing to Lose, Everything to Gain: How I Went from Gang Member to Multimillionaire Entrepreneur

Ryan Blair (born July 14, 1977) is an American entrepreneur and author.[1] He is the former co-founder and chief executive officer of the multi-level marketing company ViSalus Sciences, a subsidiary of the publicly traded company Blyth, Inc.[2][3]

In 2011, he wrote a book titled Nothing to Lose, Everything to Gain: How I Went from Gang Member to Multimillionaire Entrepreneur which reached The New York Times Best Seller list for hardcover business books.[4][5] Ernst & Young named Blair as Entrepreneur of the Year in 2012.[6]

Early life

Blair was raised in Southern California. A product of a broken family, at the early age of 13, "he was already heavily 'involved in stuff' after his father succumbed to drug addiction," Blair tells Business Insider in an interview.[7] He dropped out of high school in the 9th grade, left home, and became a gang[specify] member in his home-town of Los Angeles.[1][7]

When he was 18, Blair's mother began dating a successful real-estate entrepreneur who became Blair's mentor and gave him his first job at Logix Development, a computer technical support provider.[5][7][8] At age 21, after serving as vice president of Logix Development he founded the technical-support firm 24/7 Tech.[7][8]

Business and writing

In 2005, Blair became the CEO of the multi-level marketing company ViSalus Sciences.[9][10]

In 2008, ViSalus was in debt and facing bankruptcy.[7] That year the company was acquired by Blyth Inc., with Blair remaining as CEO.[how?][why?]

In 2010, Blair won the DSN Global Turn Around Award "when he actually turned the company around from a $6 million debt in early 2008 to $150 million in revenue 16 months later."[7][11]

In 2011, Blair released an autobiography, Nothing to Lose, Everything to Gain: How I Went from Gang Member to Multimillionaire Entrepreneur. The book was ranked 3rd in The New York Times Best Seller list for August 2011 and was a number one New York Times Hardcover Business Book bestseller in September of that year.[4]

As of 2012, ViSalus was valued at $600 million.[12] Revenue subsequently declined and the company operated at a loss for 2013 and the first two-quarters of 2014.[13] In 2012, Blair sold ViSalus for $792 million.

In 2016, Blair released his second book, titled 'Rock Bottom To Rock Star.'  The book focuses on teaching individuals how they can become rock-star entrepreneurs, by redefining what rock-star means. "It isn't the celebrations that make you a rock star, it is the hard work" says Blair.[citation needed]

Philanthropy

The Blair Foundation, a nonprofit Ryan Blair founded, donates to programs that support at-risk kids and families. Through the Blair Foundation, he works closely with Urban Born, a non-profit company that helps at-risk youth and teens put an end to drug use and avoid gangs, while promoting education and healthy living.[citation needed]

References

  1. ^ a b Duff McDonald (November 30, 2012). "Business Lessons From a Former Gang Member". Bloomberg Businessweek. Archived from the original on December 3, 2012. Retrieved February 25, 2013.
  2. ^ "40 Under 40 – Ryan Blair". Crain's Detroit Business. 2012. Retrieved February 25, 2013.
  3. ^ Issie Lapowsky (June 28, 2012). "Why I Carry This Reminder". Inc. Magazine. Retrieved February 25, 2013.[self-published source]
  4. ^ a b "Hardcover Business Books Best Sellers September 2011". New York Times. Retrieved February 25, 2013.
  5. ^ a b Scott Fummer (December 1, 2011). "Road Warrior: Ryan Blair". CNN Money. Retrieved February 25, 2013.
  6. ^ "MNWO 2012 Award Winners" (PDF). EY.com. 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 7, 2013. Retrieved February 25, 2013.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Giang, Vivian. "How This Guy Went From Gang Member To Multimillionaire Entrepreneur". Business Insider. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
  8. ^ a b Laurent Belsie (February 5, 2012). "The job-shifters: people who reinvent themselves mid-career". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved February 25, 2013.
  9. ^ "Blyth, Inc. Completes Third Closing of ViSalus Acquisition". Reuters. January 16, 2012. Archived from the original on February 10, 2013. Retrieved February 25, 2013.
  10. ^ "Blyth delays completion of ViSalus purchase to 2014". Reuters. October 1, 2012. Retrieved February 25, 2013.
  11. ^ Dan Schawbel (August 8, 2011). "Entrepreneurship: Nothing to Lose and Everything to Gain". Forbes Magazine. Retrieved February 22, 2018.
  12. ^ Janean Chun (March 2, 2012). "Ryan Blair, ViSalus: My First Million". Huffington Post. Retrieved February 25, 2013.
  13. ^ Walsh, Dustin (September 14, 2014). "ViSalus co-founders buy back stake, launch new product line". Crain's Detroit Business. Retrieved September 23, 2014.
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