Losing Everything Taught Me How to Win

At 18, I stood at my parents' funeral left with nothing but their debt and the brutal truth they’d loved alcohol more than me. That’s when I realized… no one was coming to save me. Losing my parents that young left me with nothing except a choice: repeat their story or rewrite my own.

I chose the latter. While most kids my age were at college parties, I was working 12-hour shifts in a German crane factory in a country where I didn’t even speak the language, saving every cent for a chance at a better life. Eventually, I scraped together enough to get into college. Lectures by day. Waiting tables by night. I became the first in my family to go to college, graduated top of my class, and made my grandparents proud.

In 2018, I landed an account manager role at Cisco in Switzerland. For the first time, I made real money. Enough to breathe and enough to dream. A year later, a friend introduced me to penny stocks. That conversation changed everything. I realized if I ever wanted true freedom, I had to learn how to invest.

My first year in the stock market, I grew my portfolio by 800%. I thought I was a genius. Turns out, I wasn’t. The market crash that followed showed me I’d just been lucky. That’s when I discovered Bitcoin and the wild world of altcoins. I cashed out what I had left in stocks and went all in on crypto.

In 2021, I made $400,000 in a single trade. I was sure I’d cracked the code to riches. So, I deployed all $400K into even riskier plays. No system. No risk management. Just just pure emotion disguised as analysis. When the markets turned, I watched that $400K evaporate, years of progress, gone. But what hit hardest wasn’t losing the money. It was realizing…I was my own limit. I had the capital. I had some wins. But I didn’t have a system to make any of it last.

I discovered that 90% of my wealth came from 3-5 big moves a year. I finally stopped doing what 99% of investors do: managing 40 positions, reacting to every dip, and stressing daily. Most investors confuse activity with progress. They think more trades mean they’re “working harder” on their wealth. To achieve 5,000% growth in 5 years I mastered one principle: Every year gives you 3-4 opportunities that actually move the needle. The rest is noise.

The market doesn’t reward effort, it rewards correct positioning at critical moments. After coaching over 2,000 high-capital investors, I saw the same pattern over and over. The difference between those who reach $10M+ and those stuck at $1M isn’t intelligence or luck.

‍If you’re managing serious capital but still feel like you’re guessing, making emotional decisions or following advice that keeps you comfortable but not wealthy, I’ve been exactly where you are. The difference between where you are and where you want to be isn’t more information. It’s a system that works especially when emotions run high and markets turn against you.