What Defines Success?

I’ve always loved numbers and logic. In school, my favorite classes were geometry and math. Writing? Not exactly my cup of tea. I started writing newsletters out of necessity to promote my business.

But then something unexpected happened: my ideas began to flow, and I even found ways to mix in humor. The feedback surprised me: “You’re funny”, “I love how you say things”, “You’re so clever in your messages.”

Eventually, I was brave enough to entertain a wild idea: stitch together some of my best newsletters into a book.

When I first started writing the manuscript that eventually became Nobody Told Me That, I wasn’t thinking about positioning or marketing. I wasn’t chasing an ideal audience or trying to define a niche either.

I was simply trying to make sense of the road behind me: the wins, the detours, and the lessons that only reveal themselves in the rearview mirror.

Then my publisher asked a simple question: “Who is this book for?”

Honestly, I didn’t know how to answer that. Because the truth was, I didn’t write it for someone in particular. I wrote it from the heart: from experience, reflection, and a desire to give meaning to the moments that shaped me.

I’m aware that I live an interesting life for several reasons. My work has taken me inside extraordinary homes, working with people whose resources can build things and go places most only see in magazines.

Also, traveling has opened my eyes to how fortunate I am to live in one of the wealthiest countries on the planet. It’s a privilege to compare notes.

But my perspective wasn’t shaped by luxury.

I grew up in a humble family with limited resources and a grounded view of what really mattered.

Moving between these worlds, from where I started to where life has taken me, gave me a unique set of lenses. I’ve seen what money can buy, but I’ve also learned what it cannot.

Along the way, I’ve witnessed success in very different ways. For some, success is the fifth vacation home they just built. Another beautiful space filled with comfort, possibilities, and bragging rights.

For others, it’s far more fundamental: clean drinking water, a roof over their heads, and maybe a hot shower at night.

Standing between those realities reshaped how I define wealth. It reminded me that perspective is everything.

The word “success” carries different meanings depending on where you come from, what you’ve lived through, and what you’re still striving for.

Writing this book became a way to capture those contrasts. Not to compare lifestyles, but to reflect on the lessons hidden behind closed doors.

The conversations that stayed with me, and the quiet realizations that success looks different depending who you ask.

As I sat with the publisher’s question in my head, something shifted.

Maybe the book isn’t meant for one specific type of reader… Maybe it’s for anyone standing at a crossroads: the small business owner struggling to pay bills, the entrepreneur reinventing themselves, the immigrant finding their voice in a new culture, the professional building a career, or the person simply trying to make sense of their own journey.

Then came another question: “What is your goal with this book?”

At first, I didn’t have one. Again, this was never a business plan or a strategy. I wasn’t thinking about sales, quotas, or outcomes. I was simply having fun by capturing stories, connecting invisible dots, and honoring the experiences that shaped me.

But after some deep reflection, I realized that if there’s one thing I want this book to do, it’s to give people fire, inspiration, and hope. In other words, permission to dream beyond limits.

I want these stories to remind someone (and everyone) that it’s never too late to chase their dreams.

That your background doesn’t define your ceiling. That doubt, fear, or outside opinions don’t get to write your ending. Your mind and your beliefs are the real blocks that prevent you from advancing.

I know what it feels like to grow up in an environment with fewer possibilities. To start small, to question your path, and to wonder if you’re allowed to want more.

If those pages give someone the courage to take one more step, to try again, to dream bigger, or simply to believe in their own journey…then the book has already done what it was meant to do.

What started as personal storytelling slowly revealed something bigger: these experiences might not belong only to me anymore.

They might be mirrors where others see their own path and perhaps see the world, and their priorities, through a slightly different lens. Permission granted.

Because the definition you choose will quietly shape the life you build. So, what does success mean to you today?

P.S. – If you enjoy my writing, I invite you to take a peek behind the scenes of my upcoming book, Nobody Told Me That — you can download the sample chapter here.