WHAT IF YOU HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE?

What if losing everything was the best thing that ever happened to you? In this episode of UNCHARTED, we dive into the raw reality of hitting rock bottom—whether it's financial ruin, a business collapse, a breakup, or a life-changing crisis. But here’s the truth: every successful person has faced a moment where they had nothing to lose. The difference? Some used it as fuel to build an empire. Others let it destroy them. So, when you're standing at the edge, will you freeze in fear—or take the biggest leap of your life?

We break down why playing it safe is the real risk, how Silicon Valley’s obsession with "predictable success" is killing innovation, and what happens when frenemies, trolls, and even so-called friends start circling the moment you stumble. From Walt Disney’s bankruptcy to Elon Musk nearly losing Tesla and SpaceX, history proves that failure isn’t final—it’s a decision point. The ones who come back stronger? They know that breakdowns are often the beginning of breakthroughs.

But here’s the real kicker—"nothing to lose" is only an advantage if you know how to use it. This episode isn’t just about motivation; it’s a wake-up call. Whether you’re facing your own collapse or just feel stuck, this is your moment to shift into high gear. So buckle up—because while the world watches from the sidelines, you’re about to drive straight into your next big move.

Ready to embrace your financial journey? Subscribe, share, and leave a review to help others find their path too!

FIND LISA N EDWARDS & MORE:
LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/LisaNEdwards
Lisa's Website: https://lisanedwards.com/
Getting Started In Crypto: https://gettingstartedincrypto.com/paid-signals/ref/2001/?campaign=Podcast

Transcript

Lisa: 0:32

Welcome to Uncharted, the podcast that rips the map right out of your hands and forces you to think differently about money, crypto, psychology and success. I'm Lisa Ann Edwards, a crypto trader, investor and entrepreneur with over 25 years in traditional markets. With five multi-million dollar businesses under my belt, I've navigated bull runs, crashes, pumps, scams, dumps, and I'm here to give you the brutal truth about building wealth in a world that never stops changing. But that's not all. Before crypto, I lived in a world where money wasn't real. Hollywood Well, the Australian version. As a former talent agent and now writer and film producer, I've seen firsthand how the power and influence manipulation shape the way we think about success. The game is rigged, but only if you play by their rules. In this show, we go deep into the psychology of money, expose how the system really works and give you the tools to build your own wealth. And because life isn't about numbers, we'll take a few detours into travel, luxury and hacking the system to live on your own terms. So if you're ready to break free from financial lies, trading myths and mindsets that keep you broke, you're ready to break free from financial lies, trading myths and mindsets that keep you broke, you're in the right place. This is Uncharted. Let's get started.

Lisa: 1:53

So what if you had nothing to lose? That's what today's episode is about. So what if I told you that all the biggest traders, the most successful investors and the wealthiest people in the world all started from nothing, that exact same place. But here's a twist having nothing to lose is actually your biggest advantage. I want you to sit with this for a second. So if you had no money right now, no capital, no way to invest, what would you do? Most people would say I'd wait until I had the money to start. That's why most people stay broke. So today I'm going to show you why having nothing to lose is actually your greatest edge in trading, investing and life.

Lisa: 2:38

The psychology of having nothing to lose is fascinating. So there's this old story, one of my favorites, about Hernan Cortes. I probably butchered his name. He's a Spanish conquistador, and when we say his, him and his men arrived in Mexico. The journey was dangerous and the odds were against them. So what did he do? He burnt the ships. No retreat, no safety net. Only one option go forward and win.

Lisa: 3:08

And here's how this applies to you. So right now, you might have nothing no money, no opportunities, no way to get ahead. But here's what you have to do no fear of losing money, no emotional baggage from past trades, no false sense of security. So do you know how powerful that is? Most traders trade with fear fear of loss, fear of missing out, fear of looking stupid. That's why they fail. But you, you're already free from all those fears. If you embrace that, you become dangerous in the best way possible.

Lisa: 3:41

Think about this Money doesn't make a trader, knowledge does. So let's test something. If I gave you 10,000 right now, would you know exactly how to trade it and make profit? If your answer isn't a hundred percent yes, then money isn't your problem. The real problem is you haven't built the skill yet. So money follows skill, skill follows knowledge and knowledge follows action. Most people want to skip to this process and they think they need money to learn to trade. Wrong you don't need money to get knowledge, and knowledge is free if you know where to look.

Lisa: 4:22

So how to start trading with zero money, let's get tactical. So if you have no money, here's exactly how you start. Let's go through the steps. So, step one paper trade like it's real money. Open a free demo account on TradingView, tradeovate, interactive Brokers trade like it's real money. If you can't grow a demo account, don't use real money.

Lisa: 4:49

Study one strategy until you master it. Don't chase every indicator. Pick one strategy EMA crossovers, supply and demand, price action back. Test it. Trading View will let you do this. Track your results. Prove how it works before you use real money.

Lisa: 5:08

Build a side hustle that funds your trading. Trading is high risk game, so if you're broke, your first priority is getting capital. Find a side hustle freelancing, flipping items, content creating. Use your first thousand dollars not not to gamble, but to deploy a proven strategy. Surround yourself with traders smarter than you. Join trading communities, like Getting Started in Crypto. Learn from people who actually trade, not just tweet about it. Success isn't built on isolation, so who you learn from depends on how you grow. Only trade what matters.

Lisa: 5:45

Most people think trading starts when you have money, but it actually starts when you make a decision. If you're waiting for the perfect time to start, you're going to be waiting forever. And let's be brutally honest Are you going to sit on the sidelines waiting or are you going to make your first smart trade today? Because here's the truth If you're not serious about learning the game when you have nothing, you won't be serious when you have something. The difference between winning traders and losing traders isn't money. It's knowledge, execution and mindset. You don't need a fat bank account to start. You need a relentless hunger to master the game.

Lisa: 6:24

So when nothing to lose becomes a threat, the most dangerous person in the world is the one who has nothing to lose. So that's by Tupac Shakur. So this quote hits hard because it's both advantage and a warning. So let's flip the perspectives for a second. Having nothing to lose can make you fearless, but it also makes you reckless. Think about that.

Lisa: 6:53

Some of the most desperate decisions in history have been made by people who felt they had no way out. Wars have started, markets have crashed, entire empires have fallen and in trading that same nothing to lose mindset can be a powerful edge or your greatest downfall. So let's have a look at the dark side of nothing to lose. So I've seen too many times someone with no capital, no experience and no patience jumps into the market thinking what's the worst thing can happen. They start gambling instead of trading. They yolo into the latest memcoins, hoping for a miracle. Sometimes they get lucky. They go all in on leverage, thinking one trade will change their life. They don't have a stop loss and they chase losses doubling down after a bad trade and they blow up their account. And the worst part, they don't stop until they have nothing left. Nothing, because having nothing to lose isn't just about money. It's about your time wasted on poor decisions. It's about mental health wrecked by stress and desperation. It's your credibility destroyed when you make reckless moves.

Lisa: 8:07

So this is why desperate traders lose. They don't see losing control is worse than losing money. So history proves when nothing to lose destroys empires. So think of this the fall of Rome wasn't taken down by wealth. It was taken down by economic collapse, debt, desperation. And when the empire started losing power, leaders made irrational decisions inflating the currency, overtaxing people, weakening their armies. And they had nothing left to lose and they lost everything. So, the 2008 global financial crisis, banks started making riskier and riskier bets because they felt untouchable. And when the market started crashing, instead of cutting losses, they doubled down, throwing money at toxic assets covering bad trades and, worse, their nothing to lose mindset crashed the entire global economy. So Lehman Brothers last stand, so they could have cut their losses early, instead of they risked everything on failing mortgage-backed securities. So why? Because they believed there was no other way out. That decision ended their company. So we need to think of the big short here.

Lisa: 9:25

The difference between a risk taker and a reckless trader is the choices. So the smart trader sees nothing to lose as an opportunity to learn, build skills and take a calculated risk. The reckless trader uses nothing to lose as an excuse to gamble, chase losses, ignore strategy. One becomes dangerous in a powerful way and the other one self-destructs. Which one are you? So let's look at how to use nothing to lose in the right way. So if you're feeling like you have nothing to lose, use it as an edge, not as a death sentence. And here's how Think long term, not short term.

Lisa: 10:07

Don't chase get rich quick schemes. Build sustainable trading strategy. Turn desperation into discipline. So set some rules for yourself risk limits, stop losses, trade size caps, how you're going to trade. If you can't control yourself now, you won't when you have money. So use the time wisely. Study the markets obsessively Like your life depends on it. It probably does. Treat every trade as a learning experience. Surround yourself with successful traders. Stop taking advice from people who are just as broke as you and get into communities and focus on real strategies.

Lisa: 10:47

If you had nothing to lose, how would you use it in that moment? Every successful person has had that moment where they felt they had nothing to lose no money, no stability, no clear way forward. It could be business relationship. Some turned into that moment the foundation of an empire and they took an upgrade package, like when you see leather seats on your new car. Don't just accept the breakdown. They rebuilt with better parts. Maybe they got a business coach therapy. They used failure as a fuel for the setbacks as strategy and losses as lessons. They came back with more power, more resilience and a sharper vision. So others let it break them. Don't let that be you. They saw failure as the end and not as the reset. They let fear keep them parked on the side and while the others sped ahead. So they stayed stuck because they had no way out. But because they not, because they didn't have a no way out sorry, they refused to take.

Lisa: 11:54

Take the wheel. Nothing to lose is the moment you decide put it into high gear, like this thing has six gears. It's a manual. I'm driving it and I'm living the life I love. Sorry, gen Z, most of you will never get that because you don't know what a manual car is. You live in an automatic world. It's push button, instant results. Turn up the sports event, you know, get a participation medal. What is that? Ask AI. Get an answer. You have to shift, you have to grind the gears, you have to know when to downshift and when to put the foot to the floor. And right right now, if you're at nothing to lose, at that moment you're sitting in the driver's seat. So get driving. What's it going to be? Stall the car horns blaring at you to move, or you're going to take control of that steering wheel and start driving.

Lisa: 12:53

So if you're listening to this and it feels like your world is crumbling, whether it's your finances, business relationships or even your health, pay attention, because this might be the most important part of your life. Will you take calculated risks and turn this into a breakthrough, or will you make these reckless moves that cost you even more? Nothing to lose can be your greatest weapon or your biggest downfall. The choice is yours. Is rock bottom a place of destruction or creation? You, and only you, get to choose.

Lisa: 13:27

Ever notice how some people hit rock bottom and never get back up, and while others rise from the ashes more vigorously than ever, getting tongue twisted? Same situation, same pain, same sense of nothing to lose. So why do some turn disaster into a launch pad for success, while others get trapped in the wreckage? Because rock bottom is a place of choice, do you let it bury you or do you use it as the foundation to build something new? So your business is going into bankruptcy. What do you do right now? So here's something most people don't want to hear Failure isn't always the end. It's often the beginning of something bigger.

Lisa: 14:14

Think about Silicon Valley. For years, the biggest tech breakthroughs came from people who took insane risks Steve Jobs, elon Musk, jeff Bezos. These were people willing to fail massively and did so because they understood something most don't Playing it safe kills innovation. But lately the startup world has become obsessed with safe, predictable incremental returns, staying in their lane, likely now to have a board of old dinosaurs looking after some rich investors. And what has happened? A decade of stagnation, fewer truly transformative companies, fewer groundbreaking innovations, all because the fear of failure is now greater than the hunger for success. That sounds like it should be a podcast or a little bit, and maybe I'll do it that later down the track.

Lisa: 15:10

But now let's bring this back to you and your business. If you're facing bankruptcy, if your business is on the verge of collapse, ask yourself were you playing it too small? Did you take the kind of risks that could actually change the game, or did you play it safe and get stuck in the slow death of mediocrity? Because, let's be honest, big failures often lead to the biggest comebacks. So if you survive a moment, you'll be forced to innovate, pivot, evolve. This could be your chance to build something 10 times bigger than what you just lost.

Lisa: 15:47

And here's the part no one warned you about the trolls. Anyway, the moment you fail, the vultures come out. The moment you're down, the people who never built anything themselves will be your loudest critics. They're going to be here Social media trolls, ex-business partners, even people who once called friends. They're all having something to say or they will secretly judge you. Why? Because they were jealous of your success and that failure made them more comfortable. I knew that would happen. You made them more comfortable. I knew that would happen. They were never that smart to begin with. You've heard it all. So do you ever notice how the first people to speak up when you fail are the ones who were the quietest when you were winning?

Lisa: 16:36

Think about those people in your life frenemies, fake supporters, people who smiled at your face but they never really clapped and they stabbed you in your back, and they were gossiping about you. You probably heard it. I guarantee they were gossiping about you. These are the ones to watch. Do they deserve front row seat in your life? Let's be real. Your wins made them insecure. Your ambition reminded them of everything they weren't doing, and now your struggle makes them feel comfortable. It justifies their decision to play it safe. They could celebrate. They couldn't celebrate when you were rising, but they'll gladly whisper when you fall. But here's what they don't realize Failure isn't unless you quit. That's why one of my favorite quotes is you never fail until you stop trying. So ask yourself are you giving up or are you trying again? Let them talk, let them judge, let them feel comfortable being average, because while they stay stagnantant, you're about to rebuild bigger, smarter, stronger than ever. And here's what you need to remember the people talking behind your back are most usually the ones who have done the least.

Lisa: 17:53

You don't see billionaires on Twitter I mean like on X replying mocking people who fail. You don't see entrepreneurs dragging others through the mud because people who build don't have the time entrepreneurs dragging others through the mud because people who build don't have the time to hate. They are busy creating, innovating, pushing their limits. They are busy failing forward, learning from mistakes and making their next move. They are busy turning setbacks into comebacks, while critics stay stuck in the same place. I love let's go back to failing forward, because failing forward is a lesson in disguise. Failing forward means you're still moving. It means you're learning, adapting, getting stronger. It means every single misstep is just another step closer to success. So people who fear failure stay stuck, people who embrace and fail forward until they win.

Lisa: 18:45

This isn't just about business way of living. It's about thinking, relationships, because if you don't grow and evolve, they die. They stay stuck and that's why people always look outside. Remember the loudest voices in the room are rarely the ones doing the work, because real builders are focused on building only the ones who've never taken risks, obsessed with laughing at those who do so. If you're facing business collapse, remember your trolls won't build your comeback. You will. Your haters won't fix your mistakes you will. Your next move isn't about proving them wrong. It's about proving yourself right. So most people see bankruptcy as the end. The smartest entrepreneurs see it as a reset. The real question isn't what have I lost, it's what do I build next? Let's look at some of the powerful, most richest people in the world, the CEOs who lost it all and came back bigger. This is going to inspire you if you're in this situation. So I don't know if you need to hear it, but these biggest names went broke before they became billionaires.

Lisa: 19:54

So take Walt Disney. Yeah, the guy who built the biggest entertainment empire in the world. You know, before Disneyland, before, before Mickey Mouse, before he became a global icon, he lost everything. His animation company, laugh-o-gram Studios, went bankrupt in 1923. So most people would have given up right there. But Disney, he took loss as a lesson. He packed his bags, he rebuilt from scratch.

Lisa: 20:18

And here's where it gets interesting. So I learned a story while living in Denmark and visiting this magical place. Disney just didn't dream up Disneyland out of thin air. He actually visited Tivitli Gardens in Denmark, one of the oldest amusement parks in the world and he saw what worked and he saw what didn't. And instead of copying it, he took the core idea an immersive, magical experience and he made it bigger and better and uniquely his own. And that's what visionaries do. They don't just bounce back, they innovate. They don't just rebuild, they create something the world has never seen before. So next time you think losing everything means you're done. Remember this Disney went bankrupt before he built an empire. Your biggest setback may be the setback before your greatest comeback.

Lisa: 21:07

Then let's jump to Elon Musk. Look at him now. Do you remember after he sold PayPal? I can't talk PayPal. His next business was Telstra and SpaceX. So Telstra was on the verge of collapse. Spacex had three failed rocket launches burning through hundreds of millions, and Musk had to borrow money to pay rent. So most people they would have walked away. And Musk had to borrow money to pay rent. So most people they would have walked away played it safe. But he bet on himself because he had nothing to lose. Now, tesla is worth over $600 billion. Space exchange, space industry forever Same story, different mindset.

Lisa: 21:50

So, because I'm me, let's look to relationships, breakup, divorce, where nothing to lose is everything to gain. So let's talk about something most people don't talk about in podcasts. Yes, relationships, and this is because I'm purely fascinated about it. Have you noticed that some people completely lose themselves after a breakup, while others see it as a stepping stone and becoming the best version of themselves? Divorce, heartbreak, betrayal. It feels like your entire world is ending, like you've lost time, trust and the future. And you thought the future, you thought you had so, but here's the truth. Sometimes it's the best thing that can happen to you.

Lisa: 22:30

And losing someone who was holding you back, here's the twist. What if they weren't the toxic one? What if you were? How many people stay in a toxic relationship because they're afraid of change or, worse, refuse to change themselves? Okay, light bulb moment.

Lisa: 22:48

This works both ways. Some people cling to the wrong person out of fear of being alone. Others sabotage the right person because they face their own demons. They refuse to do that, not, they do. What if the problem wasn't that your partner was holding you back but you weren't ready to grow. What if you're the one who was emotionally unavailable, reactive and pushing them away? If you don't get therapy and you don't do the inner work, if you don't take accountability, you'll keep repeating the same cycle, no matter who you're with. This happens in business as well, because healing isn't just about cutting off toxic people. It's about making sure you're not the toxic one walking into somebody else's life or business. Maybe they weren't the right person, maybe you weren't ready to be the right person for them, and until you fix it, you'll never break that cycle. So apply this to both relationships and business. How many people never chase their dreams because they're trying to please a partner who doesn't believe in them? So the pain of losing someone that can either break you or push you to that next level.

Lisa: 24:02

Because you've probably heard Jeff Bezos right, the Amazon founder. He was richest man in the world at one point, but do you know what he did after his 25-year-old marriage? 25-year-old marriage, 25-year marriage. Apart from getting a really young girlfriend, he reinvented himself, started new ventures, doubled down on his vision. He didn't let it destroy him, he let it fuel him and in a health emergency facing near, near death.

Lisa: 24:31

We hear people say you know you've met somebody in a major health crisis or a scare and they've come out completely different. You know cancer, heart attack, drug overdose, near death experience. It's wild how many people say it wasn't until that moment that I actually started living. They quit jobs they hate, they stop wasting time on people who drain them and they finally pursue their passions, invest in themselves and take risks, because once you face death, everything seems small. I'll never forget when I had my appendix moved last year, like it wasn't a massive life or death situation.

Lisa: 25:12

But let me tell you, lying in that hospital bed feeling helpless, watching the world move on without you hit me. You can't afford to waste your life waiting for the perfect time. You can't keep playing small because of fear. One day you're going to run out of time. Nobody knows how long they've got. So here is my podcast, which I started and gave up on, and it's back.

Lisa: 25:36

So you were going to wait. Am I going to wait until life forces me to change, or are you going to choose transformation on your own terms? Because having nothing to lose doesn't mean you should throw everything away. It means you have the power to make the smartest move of your life. So what's that going to be? Sometimes, the best thing that can happen to you is losing everything you thought you needed. Losing money, losing a job, losing a relationship, losing the version of yourself that played it safe. Because when you have nothing to lose, you have everything to gain, and if you make the right moves, you're going to win.

Lisa: 26:16

But here's the truth no one talks about. It's not just about cutting out toxic people. It's about making sure you aren't the toxic one. It's not just about bouncing back from failure. It's about learning the lesson so you don't repeat it. It's not just about starting over. It's about choosing to do things differently this time. If you're in a place right now where it feels everything is falling apart, good, this is your reset button, your launch pad. But the question is will you use this moment to build your next empire or will you let it bury you? That choice is yours. So if this episode hit home and don't just sit there, take action. And if you're ready to jump into crypto, check out gettingstartedincryptocom. And if you want more of these deep dives into trading, wealth, mindset and the hidden forces running the world, make sure you've subscribed to Uncharted. Thank you for listening, and this is only the beginning. Now get out there and make your next move, the smartest one you've ever made.