Somebody once told me the world would chew me up and spit me out. She never recognized my intelligence—but her condescension and arrogance made a fool of her. I hit the ground running after that, and as the years go by I’m more convinced than ever that I was right to go my own way.

Listen—it doesn’t make sense not to live for yourself. Maybe you’ve honed your common sense, but it can dull your edge if you’re not careful. You’ve got a lot to do, so who cares if you’re navigating the back roads for now? You’ll never reach the top if you don’t start somewhere.

Go do your thing, and make sure they pay you for it. You’ve got to be like a shooting star—shake up the status quo.