How David Meltzer Lost $100M and Rebuilt Wealth with Think and Grow Rich Principles
Release Date: 11/17/2025
The Roth Conversion Strategy the Wealthy Use for Tax-Free Growth and How AI Is Changing the Game
Money Ripples Podcast
Start making passive income here: Could your 401(k) or IRA actually be costing you more in taxes than it’s saving you? In this episode, I dive into a powerful Roth conversion strategy the wealthy use for tax-free growth and how artificial intelligence is changing the game for tax planning and long-term wealth. I’m joined by Kenner French, founder of Vast Solutions Group and Vast Asset Defense, a pioneer who started using AI for tax planning back in 2010, long before it was trendy. He’s been recognized by Kevin O’Leary (Mr. Wonderful from Shark Tank) for his innovative use of AI...
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Could a 50-Year Mortgage Be Smart or a Trap? The Real Pros & Cons Explained
Money Ripples Podcast
Start making passive income here: Everyone’s talking about the new 50 year mortgage, and a lot of people are either hyping it as the key to homeownership or condemning it as a debt trap. In this episode, I break down the math, the myths, and the reality so you can decide if a 50 year mortgage actually moves you closer to financial freedom or quietly keeps you stuck. That’s why I don’t just react emotionally to headlines; I run the numbers. Today, I compare a 50 year mortgage to the traditional 30 year mortgage and even the 15 year mortgage that gurus like Dave Ramsey often push....
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How David Meltzer Lost $100M and Rebuilt Wealth with Think and Grow Rich Principles
Money Ripples Podcast
Start making passive income here: A lot of people have heard of the book Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, but very few actually know how to apply it in real life, right now, in the 21st century. In this episode, I sit down with David Meltzer, the chairman of the Napoleon Hill Institute, to break down how to truly live these principles so you can create real wealth, real impact, and real happiness. If you don’t know David’s story, it’s powerful. He made over $100 million, ran the iconic sports agency that inspired the movie Jerry Maguire, and then lost it all....
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The 0% Credit Card Funding Hack: How to Get $50K–$250K Fast (and Even Get Paid Interest)
Money Ripples Podcast
Start making passive income here: What if you could access 0% funding from $50,000 up to $250,000 and strategically use it to grow your business, invest in real estate, and even stack rewards so the money effectively pays you? In this episode I sit down with Ari Page, owner of Fund&Grow, to unpack how 0% business credit cards and a smart card-stacking strategy can create real, usable liquidity when traditional banks say “no.” Ari’s story starts in 2007 inside a mortgage company as LTVs shrank overnight and deals collapsed. The workaround they found business credit cards that...
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Why Investing in Mutual Funds Has a 99% Failure Rate (and What Actually Works)
Money Ripples Podcast
Start making passive income here: Everyone tells you mutual funds are the “safe” bet for retirement. But what if I told you they carry an almost 99% failure rate when it comes to actually creating financial freedom? In this solo episode, I separate risk from failure and break down what really works if you want your money working harder for you so you don’t have to work so hard for that money. I start by defining terms most people mix up: risk is the chance of loss, while failure is the likelihood you’ll hit your goals namely, sustainable income that makes you work optional....
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1,000 Episodes Later: The Hard Truth About Money, Freedom, and What’s Coming Next
Money Ripples Podcast
Hitting 1,000 episodes is wild, and I wanted to celebrate it the right way: by flipping the mic and letting you ask the questions. In this special, unscripted, zero-rehearsal episode, I bring two Money Ripples listeners, Jeff Holbrook, a physical therapist and father of five from Salt Lake City, and Jen, a Montana farmer and rancher, straight onto the show to ask the questions so many people quietly carry around. If you’ve ever wondered how to apply these strategies when you’re living paycheck-to-paycheck, how Infinite Banking really compares to my Max ROI System, or how to mentor teens...
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Profit First Saved Businesses + New Money Habit Book Will Change Your Personal Finances Forever with Mike Michalowicz
Money Ripples Podcast
👉 Pre-order your copy here: Ready to build your Money Habit? - Pre-order The Money Habit today and take the first step toward mastering your finances and creating lasting wealth. What if one simple change with a credit card could free up hundreds of dollars in cash flow every month? In this episode, I sit down with my friend and bestselling author Mike Michalowicz (Profit First, The Pumpkin Plan, All In, and now The Money Habit) to unpack a deceptively powerful tactic you can implement today and the money psychology behind why it works. We start with Mike’s ultra-practical...
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Why Car Washes Might Be the Best Alternative Investment to Real Estate
Money Ripples Podcast
Start making passive income here: Buy our book: Is investing in car wash businesses the best thing to add to your real estate portfolio right now? In this episode, I sit down with Chris Larsen of Next Level Income to unpack why “operating real estate” (assets with both land + business components) can boost returns if the operations are rock solid. Chris shares his journey from a Virginia Tech engineering grad and Category 1 cyclist to building financial independence through rentals, multifamily syndications, and now car wash roll-ups. A pivotal moment losing his best friend...
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The Secret to Creating Tax-Free Passive Income That Never Runs Out
Money Ripples Podcast
Book a call here with our Infinite Banking Specialist: Buy our book: We’re seeing cracks everywhere right now real estate pressures, stock market volatility, AI disruptions, tariff threats, and a whole lot of uncertainty. If you’ve been asking, “Is there anywhere I can put cash where it’s truly safe, accessible, and still produces dependable passive income for life?” this episode is for you. I’m Chris Miles, your cashflow expert and anti-financial advisor, and today I break down exactly how I create guaranteed, tax-free income using my Max ROI Infinite Banking...
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Gold Has Nearly Doubled... Could It Still Go Higher
Money Ripples Podcast
Start making passive income here: Buy our book: Gold and silver have been on a tear this year but is the run finished or just getting started? In this episode, I bring back David McAlvany of the McAlvany family/McAlvany Group a team with roots in precious metals all the way back to the 1970s, when they helped push for U.S. gold ownership to be re-legalized on January 1, 1975. With more than 50 years across gold, silver, platinum, and palladium and experience managing hard-asset equity strategies David joins me to separate signal from noise so we can make smarter moves right...
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A lot of people have heard of the book Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, but very few actually know how to apply it in real life, right now, in the 21st century.
In this episode, I sit down with David Meltzer, the chairman of the Napoleon Hill Institute, to break down how to truly live these principles so you can create real wealth, real impact, and real happiness.
If you don’t know David’s story, it’s powerful. He made over $100 million, ran the iconic sports agency that inspired the movie Jerry Maguire, and then lost it all. Bankruptcy. Starting over from below zero. What changed everything for him was coming back to the timeless philosophies of Napoleon Hill and learning how to engineer wealth instead of just chasing money.
In our conversation, David and I dive into how to move from “I’ll be happy when…” to living “for the sake of what.” We talk about what it really means to define a definiteness of purpose, why so many people drift without clarity, and how your behaviors what you consistently think, say, do, believe, and feel either move you toward your potential or away from it.
David shares how mentors like Bob Proctor, Sharon Lecter, Greg Reid, Jack Canfield, and even the work of Wayne Dyer helped him reframe his failures, rebuild his life, and apply Hill’s principles from books like Think and Grow Rich, Three Feet from Gold, and Outwitting the Devil. We dig into his concept of “a thousand steps” and why 90% of the time it takes to achieve anything meaningful is spent on the first 250 steps right where most people quit.
We also tackle why people struggle to ask for help, and how the fastest way to get where you want to go is to help someone else get where they want to go. David explains why comparison is the thief of joy, how social media has created a generation of “virtual Great Gatsbys,” and why chasing an image of success keeps you broke, frustrated, and exhausted.
If you’ve ever felt like you’re three feet from gold, this episode will give you a new way to interpret pain, setbacks, and “failures.” David explains how to see them as promotion, protection, love, and perfection, not punishment. That shift alone can completely change the trajectory of your financial life.
We wrap up by talking about David’s mission to empower over a billion people to be happy by teaching them to make a lot of money, help a lot of people, and have a lot of fun. He even shares how you can get a free signed copy of his book, straight from him.
If you’re serious about passive income, financial freedom, and building a rich life with purpose, this conversation will help you connect the dots between timeless wisdom and modern application. You’ll walk away with practical ways to align your mindset, your habits, and your money with the person you’re truly meant to become.
David's Links:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/davidmeltzer/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/davidmeltzer11/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidmeltzer/?hl=en