I know what it’s like to have people judge you by the worst decision you’ve ever made. When I was younger, I made a mistake that followed me for years. It ended up costing me opportunities, changing the direction of my life and eventually shaping the leader I am today.

The truth is, I was 20 years old and naive. I saw an underground, unregulated industry doing things wrong and thought I could do it better, which is how I began running a gray-market peptide and steroid company.

Even though I introduced strict operational standards, like batch-testing, the reality was that it was an illicit industry. The business was shut down; I was handed a federal indictment and eventually received a felony conviction. I lost everything.

I took full responsibility, paid a heavy price and spent the best part of the next decade rebuilding my life and career. What I’ve realized is that the experience changed how I think about myself and how I treat others. I know exactly what it costs to cut corners, and I know what it means to need a second chance.

After my conviction, banks wouldn’t touch me, and institutions flagged me. I was left with a choice: I could either let my past define me or spend the rest of my life proving I was better than my worst decision.

When I began building new companies, I knew they had to operate to the highest standards . Because of my past, being “good enough” was never an option.

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