I ended most days not by falling asleep but by fainting into sleep at my condo entrance door and crawling to bed when I came to. Some days I thought I was dying. My only comfort was understanding that this
was just “The Stretch”. I had minimal interaction with friends. I lost touch with associates. I was only talking to the people who could make decisions and sign checks, who understood my grind, and who had been
there and done that successfully. I was enthralled with the people who took the time to give me insight on how to get to the next level. I was fascinated with the world of business and enterprise. I was obsessed
with making it out of poverty.