The gym was dark and cold. I stood alone in the centre of the massive empty space. The air smelled of iron and rubber. No lights were on. No music played. Just silence, concrete and the sound of my breath. It was early, earlier than usual, before the birds had even begun to sing.
For a moment, I felt the weight of everything I had built – and everything I still had not. I grabbed the pull-up bar, not to train but to think. To breathe. Because even after building multiple businesses, rebranding entire organisations, expanding into new industries and slaying a five-year opioid addiction, one question still lingered: what kind of leader do I want to become now?
It's a question every builder eventually faces. After the momentum fades, after the crisis is over and survival mode ends, who are you, really, as a leader?
That morning, in the stillness of that cold gym, I realised I wasn't chasing success anymore. I was choosing standards – and not just for my fitness company, my insurance group or my rooftop restaurant. I was choosing the standard for how I would lead, how I would build and what I would protect in the future when no one else was watching. That's when the idea for this book was born.
From the beginning, I knew this wasn't going to be a memoir. I didn't want to list all my achievements or recycle stories from a highlight reel. I believe in moving forward, not living in the rear view. What I wanted was something real. Something built to serve. Something that would meet builders where they were – not with theory but with tools. This had to be a book for those who were building or wanted to build something exceptional, doing so with clarity, systems and execution.
As I stood in that empty gym, the title came to me with absolute certainty: Slaying the Standard. Because in my world, this phrase isn't just some meaningless motto. It's a way of operating –a mindset, a muscle and a system – that has evolved through every business I have ever built and every failure I have ever endured.
Once I started writing, I quickly realised that every lesson I wanted to share was anchored in what I now call The Standard System™ – a framework built on seven non-negotiables: standards, systems, rhythm, alignment, ownership, clarity and builders.
At the peak of the system you'll find vision, a directional force supported by five operational pillars – execution, culture, systems, scale and impact – that shape how I lead, execute and scale.
In my experience, most people don't fail because they aim too high. They fail because they tolerate too low. They compromise. They settle. And eventually, they stop building for excellence and start surviving for safety.
This book is about rejecting that mindset. It's about leading sharper, executing cleaner and building stronger. It's about setting a standard that cuts through noise and mediocrity and about introducing and embedding systems that work – consistently.
It is about designing a culture that lasts, leading without ego and taking ownership of what you build, not with hype but with precision.
Everything you read in this book is anchored in The Standard System™, the framework that has shaped how I build, scale and lead. You'll see it running through every chapter, whether I'm speaking about brand, operations, culture, setbacks or growth. This is not an abstract book. It is tactical, practical and battle-tested.
Inside, you'll find systems that scale, habits that sharpen, audits that expose blind spots, cultural blueprints, execution principles, stories from the trenches and the hard questions most leaders avoid.
You can read this book from start to finish or one chapter at a time. At the end of each chapter, you'll find a section called “Raise the Standard” – a set of reflective questions and prompts designed to help you apply the principle immediately. Highlight it, share it and train from it, but most importantly, use it. Because Slaying the Standard only works if you work it. So, if you are ready to lead with intent, build with precision and protect what truly matters, then come with me. Let us slay the standard together.
Because once you do, you will never lead the same way again.