Elevate your environment
Environment matters. It dictates the choices you make, what you're exposed to, and who you ultimately become. Picking the right place is the most important piece in any puzzle. Once you've picked the place. Then you pick who you surround yourself with. Your surroundings dictate your future. So, don't take this lightly.
If you are young and ambitious, then you're putting yourself in a hole by not being in a Tier 1 city. You need exposure to the best in a variety of arenas. When you start connecting the dots between the arts, sciences, business, and athletics. Magic happens. You develop a strong, flexible, yet sturdy mental model of what success looks like, and the steps you should take to achieve your goals.
The friends who aren't supportive of your ambition, and don't cultivate their own, should be cut out. You don't have time to waste. Ambition is contagious. Find ambitious people and spend as much time around them as you can. Elevate yourself by elevating your environment.