Lessons You Can’t Learn Without Losing

The Playbook With David Meltzer

In today’s episode, I sit down with Ross Mandel, a longtime Wall Street executive and entrepreneur, for a conversation about resilience, rebuilding, and the lessons that only come through adversity. Ross shares how losing his father at 16 shaped his worldview and his drive to create lasting impact. We talk about growing up with nothing, recovering from major losses, and why values matter more than appearances. I open up about my early years as a ball boy, my journey through wealth and bankruptcy, and how the teachings of Think and Grow Rich continue to shape my mission to help others stay grounded in intention and consistent action.