My Worst Investment Ever Podcast
Welcome to My Worst Investment Ever podcast hosted by Your Worst Podcast Host, Andrew Stotz, where you will hear stories of loss to keep you winning. In our community, we know that to win in investing you must take the risk, but to win big, you’ve got to reduce it. Your Worst Podcast Host, Andrew Stotz, Ph.D., CFA, is also the CEO of A. Stotz Investment Research and A. Stotz Academy, which helps people create, grow, measure, and protect their wealth. To find more stories like this, previous episodes, and resources to help you reduce your risk, visit https...
10
Laurie Barkman - Don't Wait Until You're Exiting to Plan Your Exit
<p>BIO: Laurie Barkman is a Certified Exit Planner, M&A Advisor, and founder of The Business Transition Sherpa®.</p><p>STORY: Laurie explains why it's important to start planning your exit plan five to seven years before and what you need to do during that period.</p><p>LEARNING: Don't wait until you're exiting to plan your exit.</p><p> </p>"Don't wait to do exit planning when you're exiting, it will be too late. Start five to seven years out. This gives you time to make an impact for change, make the business more attractive and ready, and t...
Ep820: Tony Martignetti – A Flattering Binder and $13,500 Down the Drain
<p>BIO: Tony Martignetti is the evangelist for Planned Giving fundraising for small- and mid-size nonprofits.</p><p>STORY: Two years into building his business, Tony convinced himself he could become the nation's thought leader on planned giving fundraising — not just for nonprofits, but for all Americans. He walked into a swanky Midtown Manhattan PR agency, got dazzled by a four-inch binder, and signed up at $6,750 per month. Two months and $13,500 later, his only return was a single bylined op-ed in a free subway newspaper.</p><p>LEARNING: Check your ego. Vet your big ideas with honest, trusted people before sp...
David Siegel – The Agentic Economy: Why AI Agents Will Redefine Work and Wealth
<p>BIO: David Siegel is a Silicon Valley entrepreneur who has founded more than a dozen companies. He has written five books on technology and business, was once a candidate for the dean of Stanford Business School, and is now an AI thought leader leading an AI startup he hopes will pave the way for the agentic economy.</p><p>STORY: Nine months after David's last appearance on the podcast, the conversation has shifted from "what are LLMs?" to agents that act. 60-65% of NYSE trades are already fully machine-to-machine—a preview of where all commerce is headed.</p><p>LE...
Athena Brownson – What Happens When Trust Replaces Due Diligence
<p>BIO: Athena Brownson is a Denver realtor, investor, developer, and former professional skier whose resilience through chronic illness fuels her refined, strategic, and client-focused approach to real estate.</p><p>STORY: Athena lost $130,000 in her first development project when a builder she considered a friend vanished with the upfront funds. Her trust and incomplete due diligence led to a total loss, teaching her that personal relationships can create dangerous blind spots in business.</p><p>LEARNING: Due diligence is non-negotiable. Trust is a liability.</p><p> </p>“A simple conversation with someone that we know, like, and trust is in...
Jon Ostenson – Top 10 Franchise Opportunities for 2026
<p>BIO: Jon is the Founder and CEO of FranBridge Consulting, a 2-time Inc. 5000 company, and a leading franchise consultant.</p><p>STORY: Jon believes franchising remains one of the most effective ways to build durable income, especially when investors focus on operational discipline and unit economics. He shares his top franchise categories for 2026.</p><p>LEARNING: Look for businesses with repeat customers, operational discipline, proven unit economics, and leadership teams that have already made their mistakes.</p><h2>Guest profile</h2><p>Jon Ostenson is the Founder and CEO of FranBridge Consulting, a 2-time Inc. 5000 company, and he is...
David Siegel – A Smart Idea Nobody Wanted
<p>BIO: David Siegel is a Silicon Valley entrepreneur who has founded more than a dozen companies. He has written five books on technology and business, was once a candidate for the dean of Stanford Business School, and is now an AI thought leader leading an AI startup he hopes will pave the way for the agentic economy.</p><p>STORY: David invested heavily in launching a longevity coaching business, believing people would pay to extend their lives through lifestyle change. Despite strong science, personal results, and significant marketing spend, demand proved nearly nonexistent.</p><p>LEARNING: A great idea...
Jon Ostenson – I Built a Million-Dollar Business That Never Made a Profit
<p>BIO: Jon is the Founder and CEO of FranBridge Consulting, a 2-time Inc. 5000 company, and he is a top 1% franchise consultant.</p><p>STORY: Jon co-founded a marketing and call-center business that appeared successful on the surface, growing to millions in revenue and dozens of employees. However, excessive customization and an inability to charge prices that matched rising costs meant the business never became sustainably profitable.</p><p>LEARNING: Profitability is oxygen. Knowing when to admit you’re wrong matters just as much as knowing how to start.</p><p> </p>“Humble yourself and admit when you’re wrong, course...
Edwin Endlich – Early Doesn't Always Mean Right
<p>BIO: Edwin Endlich is the Chief Marketing Officer of Wysh and President of the National Alliance for Financial Literacy and Inclusion.</p><p>STORY: Edwin’s worst investment was buying Tilray stock at $143 during the early hype of legal cannabis investing. Swept up in the excitement of a “new frontier,” he held on as the price crashed—eventually selling at around 30 cents and losing over 99% of his investment.</p><p>LEARNING: The fundamentals always apply, even in new or exciting industries. Don’t let hype replace due diligence.</p><p> </p>“We’re in this AI conversation, let’s not forget the fu...
Scott Alldridge – Hot Coffee, Cold Reality: The $10,000 Drone Delivery Mistake
<p>BIO: Scott Alldridge is CEO of IP Services and President of the IT Process Institute, a bestselling author of the VisibleOps series, and a Certified Chief Information Security Officer.</p><p>STORY: Scott’s worst investment was a stake in a startup promising to deliver hot coffee by drone. Excited by the futuristic idea, he invested before the concept was proven—but the project quickly crashed when the FAA banned drone deliveries and a prototype failed spectacularly.</p><p>LEARNING: Being first doesn’t always mean being right. Due diligence is non-negotiable.</p><p> </p>“You don’t have to jump in...
Dr. Thomas Powell – The One Rule You Must Never Break as an Investor (Even for Friends)
<p>BIO: Thomas J. Powell, founder of The Powell Perspective™, is a seasoned entrepreneur, investor, and advocate for founders, bringing clarity, strategy, and resilience to leaders building at scale.</p><p>STORY: Thomas invested $3.6M in a friend’s cannabis company, where he ignored his own due diligence framework. Because he skipped key governance protections and didn’t document alignment or exit terms, the investment became frustrating, hard to control, and nearly impossible to fix—proving that breaking your own rules is the most expensive mistake.</p><p>LEARNING: Never mix friendship and business. Make sure both you and the founder...
