Learning Success From Failure

Henry Ford ran his first car company into the ground...

In August 1899, Ford founded the Detroit Automobile Company in Michigan. It took about five months for Ford to deliver the company's first vehicle – a gas-powered delivery truck...

But the truck was unreliable and complicated to build. The Detroit Automobile Company was a failure. It dissolved in January 1901.

Then he tried again. Less than a year later, Ford – and several of the Detroit Automobile Company's original investors – started the Henry Ford Company. This time, Ford and his investors couldn't agree on the types of cars to build, and he quit the company (which later became Cadillac).

On his third try, Ford finally got on the right track. The Ford Motor Company released its first Model A in 1903 and sold 215 cars within two months.

But it took another five years to release the car that separated Ford from the scrum of turn-of-the-century startup carmakers – the Model T.

Engineered for quick, easy mass production, the Model T was cheap, sturdy, and relatively easy to drive. And Ford eventually sold 15 million of them. It was so popular that, in the early 1920s, half the cars on the road worldwide were Ford automobiles.

Despite years of failures, Ford refused to give up. It led him to become the most successful automaker of his day. And his legacy continues more than a century later. The company bearing his name remains one of the largest car manufacturers in the world.

Like Ford, investors often suffer through lots of failures before hitting a winner. Losing is inevitable. Even the world's best investor – Warren Buffett – reported losing nearly $18 billion on the Dexter Shoe Company. Buffett wrote in his 2014 letter to investors, "As a financial disaster, this one deserves a spot in The Guinness Book of World Records."

But one investing strategy makes you an instant loser, guaranteed... keeping your money on the sidelines.

My friend Marc Chaikin, the founder of our corporate affiliate Chaikin Analytics, agrees. That's why, earlier this week, Marc sat down for an "Ask Me Anything."

He answered questions about the dollar, gold, the Federal Reserve, the bond market, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and so much more.

Marc also shared a critical update on his outlook for stocks for the remaining months of 2025.

If you missed it, click here to catch up.

Now, let's get to this week's Q&A... And as always, keep sending your comments, questions, and topic suggestions to feedback@healthandwealthbulletin.com. My team and I read every e-mail.

An Unconventional Way to Stop Motion Sickness 

Q: My brother-in-law has bad motion sickness but we're trying to plan a family vacation (where we'd all have to fly) and he swears the nausea stickers don't work. Any help? – A.B.

A: Around 33% of folks experience nausea in planes, trains, and automobiles...

There might be a simple solution for your brother-in-law, A.B. Ripping open a couple of alcohol wipes and sniffing them can relieve nausea even better than a prescription-strength medication.

Several small studies have shown the effectiveness of this odd form of aromatherapy, with most of them taking place in a setting where nausea is a common complaint: the emergency department.

• A 2021 survey of emergency-department nurses who treated 104 patients over several months found that giving them isopropyl-alcohol swabs decreased their need for antiemetic (that is, anti-nausea) medications like ondansetron and metoclopramide.

• And a 2020 study that surveyed 231 certified registered nurse anesthetists found that 92% of nurses used the isopropyl-alcohol trick for postoperative nausea and vomiting.

• A 2018 trial found that emergency-department patients (most of whom had gastroenteritis, or a bad case of the stomach flu) who inhaled isopropyl alcohol reported feeling better than the patients prescribed ondansetron in 30 minutes.

• A 2016 randomized controlled trial showed that inhaling isopropyl alcohol worked better than a placebo, a saline-soaked swab, to relieve nausea in 10 minutes.

The mechanism is still unclear, but scientists have a couple of ideas... Isopropyl alcohol could affect how neurotransmitters activate the part of your brain that controls nausea and vomiting. Other theories include that the controlled, slightly deeper, and slower breathing method or distracting yourself with a new scent could be the reason why this works.

So skip patches and nap-inducing Dramamine. Instead, suggest your brother-in-law try alcohol wipes. Having a pack is not only handy for sanitizing small surface areas in a pinch, but it could also keep his nausea at bay.

Just don't go overboard. Alcohol wipes can cause a headache or nose and throat irritation. And for folks super sensitive to isopropyl alcohol, I recommend ginger chews.

What We're Reading...

• Did you miss it? Debt is dragging down Americans.

• Something different: There are new restrictions on this year's COVID-19 vaccine.

Here's to our health, wealth, and a great retirement,

Dr. David Eifrig and the Health & Wealth Bulletin Research Team
August 29, 2025

Editor's note: Our offices will be closed on Monday, September 1, in observance of Labor Day. Look for your next issue of the Health & Wealth Bulletin on Tuesday, September 2.