For a long time, I was driven by survival. When my parents divorced in my early teens, our financial world collapsed and I turned to gangs and drugs to cope. I got clean by 16 and shifted into overdrive, becoming a star student, getting into UC Berkeley, and chasing a version of success that looked impressive on the outside. But underneath, I was still operating from fear, anger, and the need to prove my worth. In my 20s and early 30s, I kept achieving professionally but felt emotionally stuck. The success I had built was rooted in pain I hadn’t yet faced. It wasn’t until I became a father that I started to truly slow down and question what was driving me. I realized I didn’t want to just survive anymore, I wanted to be whole. That meant revisiting old wounds, letting go of perfectionism, and learning to lead my life with intention instead of fear. Today, I’m still a work in progress, but I’m no longer pushing from that survival edge. I’ve helped other high performers, founders, and friends recognize their own patterns, and I’d be honored to support you as you shift from surviving to truly living.