Mike Riddle - Losing it All and Building it Back

In this episode of From The Ground Up, Mike Riddle shares the unfiltered story of giving up his teaching career to start and construction company only to watch his construction business unravel during a market crash, navigating bankruptcy, and making the difficult decision to start over from scratch. Mike walks through the hard lessons learned, the mental toll of rebuilding after failure, and what it really takes to regain momentum when experience is the only thing you have left.This conversation dives into resilience, risk, humility, and the long road back—offering practical insight for entrepreneurs, builders, and anyone who’s had to rebuild their life or business when the odds were stacked against them.If you’ve ever faced loss, uncertainty, or the fear of starting over, this episode is proof that success isn’t about avoiding failure—it’s about how you rebuild from it.#Entreprenuer #Construction #FromTheGroundUpShow #Bankrupt #SelfEmployedTHE WEEK'S CONVERSATIONS, IN ONE EMAILChoose the depth that fits your time: the full conversation, a roughly 20-minute CONDENSED edition, or a focused Topics episode.Join the From The Ground Up Show newsletter: https://fromthegroundupshow.com/newsletter/WATCH & LISTENWatch this full episode: https://youtu.be/C4ea8HnaBQ0Subscribe to From The Ground Up Show on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FromTheGroundUp-k9pListen in your podcast app: https://pod.link/1846907140SHORTER EDITIONSFrom The Ground Up Show CONDENSED — a roughly 20-minute focused version of the full conversation.YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLa9BVKGD64tAPodcast apps: https://pod.link/6806079674From The Ground Up Show: Topics — complete 3–10-minute episodes built around one useful question or lesson.YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVzToS_5Hj6oPodcast apps: https://pod.link/6808750058GUEST & RESOURCEShttps://riddleconstruction.co/ABOUT FROM THE GROUND UP SHOWReal stories. Hard lessons. Stronger foundations. From The Ground Up Show delivers honest business and leadership conversations and practical lessons for owners, operators, tradespeople, entrepreneurs, and leaders building something that lasts—with hearts, hands, and hustle.Hosted by Erick Loden, a former commercial roofing company owner and business advisor. From 2014 to 2025, he owned and ran his roofing company, growing annual revenue more than eightfold and operating profit nearly fifteenfold before completing a successful internal sale.Website: https://www.fromthegroundupshow.comHave a question for Erick or an upcoming guest?https://fromthegroundupshow.com/ask-a-question/Have a story built through hearts, hands, and hustle? Apply to be a guest and tell your story:https://fromthegroundupshow.com/be-a-guest/