In the microcosm of my business school environment, I learned the basis of my success. But it wasn't until I launched my real businesses that I realized how brutal entrepreneurship really is. I had to give up my social life, sell my house, and divorce my wife. After years of experience in international business, I can say entrepreneurship has been a medley of guts and glory. There have been highs. There have been lows. Most importantly, there have been life lessons that I will never forget. Ever.

I asked my business partner: “These margins are razor thin, how will we ever make a profit?”

“Keep your eye on the big picture,” he said, “Failure is ok. Don't fear it, embrace it!” Meanwhile I had bailiffs coming and going. “The breakdown in all human relations is unstated expectations,” I told them.

I once lost a million bucks in a fiery blaze of delirium and sheer terror.

Even then, I spent money on clothes and exquisite dinners with important clients. This wasn't to satiate my appetites, but rather to invest in myself and my businesses. I don't fix the present. I create the future.