My first deepening of spirituality came when I was 6, when I was moved from my grandmother and sent to live with my mother - whom I really did not know - who had moved to Milwaukee. Something inside myself knew that I was never going to see my grandmother again - I would be wasting my time to live in that space of wanting that.

What I know for sure is that the only way to endure the quake is to adjust your stance. You can't avoid the daily tremors. Don't fight them. Just find a different way to stand.

I think education is power. I think that being able to communicate with people is power. One of my main goals on the planet is to encourage people to empower themselves." Another "I was raised to believe that excellence is the deterrent to racism and sexism. And that's how I operate my life." And another "It does not matter who you are or where you came from. The ability to triumph begins with you. Always.

If I lost control of the business I'd lose myself - or at least the ability to be myself. Owning myself is a way to be myself.

Failure is just a way for our lives to show us we're moving in the wrong direction, that we should try something different

I still have my feet on the ground, I just wear better shoes.

Improving your life doesn’t have to be about changing everything – it’s about making changes that count.