“Don’t fear your competitor; they’ll never send you money. Fear your customer.”

Not everyone seeks inspiration in a diverse group of thinkers that includes Charles Darwin, Sun Tzu, Jeff Bezos and Jay-Z. But author/business leader Ryan Blair's path to success has hardly taken a conventional route. In his book "Nothing to Lose, Everything to Gain", Blair reveals how he went from living an idyllic life in an upper-middle-class neighborhood in Southern California to joining a gang and then shuffling in and out of juvenile detention centers. Through a life-changing mentorship, he focused his energies on entrepreneurship, going on to create and sell three companies for hundreds of millions of dollars (the first of which he started at age 21). In "Nothing to Lose," Blair shares thoughtful, motivational quotes from famous people both current and historical&#151reflections that can benefit CIOs and other leaders. Here eight highlights&#151including one from Blair&#151 plus takeaways on how these translate to your life as CIO: