Welcome to this raw and honest episode of the Extraordinary Millionaire podcast where hosts Nicholas Wallwork and Martin Foster go right back to the beginning and share their personal rock bottom stories.

In this full episode, Martin reveals his rock bottom was a steady buildup over three to four years, starting with the sudden loss of his father, which he didn't have the tools to deal with at the time. COVID destroyed his business where he held a high position, leading to the breakdown of his marriage and family unit. Nicholas shares his rock bottoms, including building a seven figure revenue business in under a year, only to watch it collapse overnight during the 2008 credit crunch with 17 staff to support. More recently, his father passed away, his mother was diagnosed with the same condition and fell into a coma for 10 days, all whilst he was moving countries and feeling like he was abandoning his family.

The conversation explores the critical tools for overcoming rock bottom: accepting where you are, understanding that grief isn't weakness, reframing "why is this happening to me" into "why is this happening for me", the concept of positive selfishness, self acceptance and self love, the power of gratitude and forgiveness, taking responsibility versus blaming others, and recognising you can't control other people, only your response to their actions.

Martin and Nicholas explain how The Rock Bottom Paradox takes readers through accepting loss and building a solid foundation, whilst The Extraordinary Millionaire applies the same tools towards entrepreneurship and wealth creation. They discuss how rock bottom is normal, can sneak up quickly or take years to develop, and ultimately becomes the solid foundation upon which to build your future success.

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"I remember turning around to my wife Louise, and saying, don't I do not know what's coming next. But all I can tell you is that I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders and this is the best thing that's ever happened."

Scott Marshall's journey from engineering failure to building Roma Finance demonstrates that success often comes through embracing failure rather than avoiding it. Having been sacked four times, made redundant five times, and watched his family's 53-year engineering business collapse, Scott understood that putting customers first - not assets - was the key to revolutionary lending.

The transformation from "property pawnbroking" (where only asset values mattered) to relationship-based lending where good borrowers can create value from bad assets, whilst bad borrowers destroy value in perfect assets. This customer-first philosophy, combined with the mantra that "borrowers pay our wages," created a lending business that genuinely loves to lend.

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Buy my life changing new book "The Extraordinary Millionaire," here - https://amzn.eu/d/bpycPlB

"There is always space for people who are good" - the BBC head of radio advice that launched ‪@MartinRobertsPropertyTitbits‬ extraordinary career.

From joking about phosphorescent yellow lemon meringue pie in a BBC canteen to becoming one of Britain's most recognised TV presenters with 1860 episodes of Homes Under the Hammer, this is the remarkable story of random opportunities and making your own luck.

Martin reveals how his granny predicted he'd be on television, why successful people never feel successful, and the three words that changed his perspective on happiness: "Be more dog."

Career Highlights:
22 years of Homes Under the Hammer starting this week, originally commissioned for just 10 episodes. The show has aired internationally and made Martin recognisable from Australia to Holland.

The Random Break:
Standing in a BBC cafeteria queue, Martin joked about glowing lemon meringue pie with a stranger who turned out to be the head of television. That conversation led to his TV career.

Beyond Fame:
Martin's passion for making a difference through the Hendri Hotel project, working with excluded young people aged 15-17, giving them construction experience and qualifications. One mother called to say her son, who hadn't left the house for three years, cycled to his granddad's grave to tell him about his work.

The Mindset:
"For me it's not money, for me it's making a difference." Martin discusses the law of attraction, taking risks, and why visionaries are essential for positive change in the world.

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