Your circle is your ceiling.
Something I think about constantly.
I have always had bold and aggressive ambitions. Might sound crazy but I want to change the world. I want to inspire people, lift others up, and leave something behind that actually matters.
I think most people who start their own business have this desire, or at least a version of it. That's why I started my own company. Not for the exit, or the respect, or the recognition. None of that. Because I believe I'm supposed to build something bigger than myself.
The biggest thing about setting out to do this... you can't do it with the wrong people around you. You can have the vision, the discipline, the drive. But if the people around you aren't moving with intention, none of it reaches its potential.
You need to constantly evaluate your circle and ensure you are surrounding yourself with the builders... the creators... the ones who move differently and think differently. The ones who don't just inspire you... they reflect your potential back to you.
They hold you accountable to your own greatness. They challenge you in ways that feel uncomfortable at first, yet undeniably right. They protect your path because they know if you choose any other one, you won't fulfill your mission.
This is the standard I hold in my life, especially as I've grown and matured personally and professionally. In my friendships, my relationships, in every single person I bring into the business I'm building. They are people who aren't threatened by excellence... they demand it. From themselves, and from you.
Average is gravity. It pulls quietly. And if you're not intentional about who you let into your world, you'll drift there without ever noticing.
The mission is too important for that.
Find the people who make you see what's possible in the world. Receive these people, and be these people for others trying to do big things.
Keep playing the long game.