Mark Pierce – Set a Stop Loss With Your Startup to Protect Your Downside

<p><a href= "https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-pierce-70185725/"><strong>Mark Pierce</strong></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">is an attorney, an accountant, and the owner of Cloud Peak Law. With over three decades of experience, Mark has truly “seen it all” - at least from a legal perspective, from bankruptcy and estate planning to oil/gas and securities. He’s not only a lawyer but also a CPA and a serial entrepreneur.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></p> <p><strong>“When you find yourself in a hole, quit digging because it never gets better.”</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mark Pierce</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></p> <h2><strong>Worst investment ever</strong></h2> <h3><strong>Looking for a new venture</strong></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In 2004 Mark was living in Florida when he felt that he needed a break from practicing law. So he looked around for his next venture. Considering the aftermath of 911, Mark felt that anything involving military or government services was going to be a booming business. So he bought into this trucking company that provided moving services primarily to the military in Florida.</span></p> <h3><strong>Gold turns into dust</strong></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mark grew the company from $4 million to $20 million in a little over six years. And just as he was getting the hang of it, the world was hit by the financial crisis of 2008. Additionally, the US was hit by government shutdowns that were perpetrated by the tea party movement that went on at the time.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mark believed that his business could power through the crises, and so he kept soldiering on. Unfortunately, the company could not beat the two disasters.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">What had turned out as a smart investment went on to become Mark’s worst investment ever. He went from having a net worth of around $9 million to have a net worth of about one million dollars.</span>