"The CEO's feedback on my latest project was true to his nature - "this is utter (obscenity)." The project would go on to be a huge success. But the boss was the alpha dog. He wanted everyone to know who was in charge, and he did this by pushing everyone down. I walked back to my office, passing a VP in the company. She was fraying around the edges. It wasn't the healthiest workplace. Every morning I entered the office with the thought, "why am I not as rich as Mark Zuckerberg? I need to work harder." I had ludicrous self-standards back then. Perhaps that was why I accepted the brunt of the CEO's bullying - I saw it as a step along my career path, and the money wasn't bad. But the stress was building. I suffered stomach pains and backaches. Sought out physical and mental therapy. Eventually I turned to more primal coping mechanisms. When I used the office restroom, I'd write the CEO's name on a sticky-note, toss it in the toilet, and relieve myself over it. That helped."-- Provided by publisher.