The guy on the left is my former self.

In 2001, I moved from NJ to DC to start my first nightclub at the age of 21 within a year of both graduating college and my parent's 30-year marriage falling apart. I guess you could say I was in a bit of a transition.

With the newfound-real-life-grownup pressures of building a business and starting a life in a new city, all my Type-A, straight-A tendencies went into overdrive.

I became a workaholic. I ate mindlessly, smoked too much, and developed a messed-up relationship with alcohol. Things got dark.

I eventually made a desperate attempt to settle down. I bought a condo and a sports car, got married, and generally checked off all the boxes of a modern day “successful” guy.

Fast forward to 2010…