Leaving Home at 17 With Nothing — The Day the Standard Was Set
I was 17 years old. I had nothing. No safety net. No roadmap. No one handing me opportunity. I left home and made a decision that has defined every year since: I will not accept less than my standard.
What That Decision Built
From nothing at 17 to building Ikon Midstream into a respected Houston energy enterprise. From no college degree at 17 to a Harvard Business School MBA. From 256 pounds and cardiac risk to 186 pounds and the best shape of my life at 50.
The Standard Doesn’t Lower
Every man has a moment when the standard is set. For me, it was leaving home at 17. For you, it might be right now — reading this and deciding that the version of you sitting in that chair is not the final version.
The standard doesn’t lower with age. It rises. The only question is whether you rise to meet it.
Standards Are Built, Not Inherited
Leaving home at 17 with nothing taught a lesson no comfortable upbringing could: the standard you live by is a decision, not a circumstance. That same principle runs through Raise The Standard — the book.
FAQ
Does a hard start guarantee later success?
No — but it can build the discipline and self-reliance that later success depends on, if you choose to carry the lesson forward.
