Before They Were Stars: Life-Changing Moments

Suze Orman, The Suze Orman Show

"My biggest break in life was losing all my money. I was working at a bakery in Berkeley, and my customers pooled $50,000 so I could open my own restaurant. I invested it at Merrill Lynch, where it was mismanaged; in four months, it was gone. I was devastated, but I had to rise to the occasion. So I learned all about finance and investing, went to Merrill Lynch's training program, and became an executive there. Every loss leads you to a gain, and every no takes you that much closer to a yes. "