From £23k Bankrupt to Building Wealth from Rock Bottom
My recent chat with Jill Hart on why having no money is actually your biggest advantage.
Recently, I sat down with Jill Hart on the You World Order Showcase Podcast, and we got into the raw, unfiltered truth about my business journey.
If you’ve been following my Substack or hanging out in our Skool community, you know I’m heavily anti-guru and absolutely hate the fake “blueprints” that are sold online. To understand why I am so passionate about helping people build businesses using the skills and resources they already have, you have to look at how many times I got it completely wrong.
In this episode, we talked about a few things I don’t always broadcast:
The £23k Bankruptcy Lesson
Back in 1996, I went bankrupt for about £23,000. The problem? Sitting in a courtroom and being told your debts are wiped clean doesn’t actually teach you how to manage your money. Because I hadn’t learned the real lesson, I immediately got myself another £15,000 into debt right after. It wasn’t until the receivers were scrutinising my every purchase that I finally had to take responsibility, stop spending money I didn’t have, and learn to be super creative.
The £5k Loan Mistake
I also shared the story of getting a £5,000 loan from the Prince’s Youth Business Trust. To a kid with nothing, it felt like a billion pounds. So, what did I do? I promptly wasted it almost immediately by buying a £3,000 car and a bunch of the wrong gear. The money vanished, but the real value of that program was the mentor they assigned me, Peter Lakey. His guidance and belief in me taught me the true value of coaching.
My “Zero Capital” Experiment
When I retired a few years ago in my late 40s, I got bored quickly. I wanted to give back and help people start their own businesses, which is why Startup With Adam was born. But to prove to you just how easy it is to start a business today, I intentionally started this current coaching business with absolute zero. I used affiliate links to recommend communities I actually believed in, made my first $300, and immediately reinvested it back into the tools I needed to grow. No loans, no investors, just leverage.
Your Greatest Asset During the interview, Jill asked me what the ultimate hidden asset is for someone starting out today. It isn’t funding, and it isn’t a magical strategy.
It is your brain!! All you need to succeed is your idea, your passion, and action. The greatest goldmine is right there sat on top of your shoulders!
With the AI tools available to us today, you have the cheapest, most efficient assistant in history right at your fingertips. There has literally never been an easier time to start a business than right now.
It officially goes live on ’s podcast on 9/7, but You can watch the full podcast episode right here.
If you are ready to stop buying courses you definitely don’t need and want to figure out how to build something real using the skills you already possess, come and join the conversation over in our free Skool community, How to start a business with No Money at:
https://www.startupwithadam.co.uk/community.
Time to take what you already have and turn it into what you really want. 🛠️
