Episode 2: Staying balanced and taking a stand with Sergio Senatore

On my way over, I was trying to do the math in my head as to how long we've actually known each other, because it's going on, I'm gonna say 21 years.

Which year?

Wow. We probably met in. Well, I guess that would be year 2000.

2000. 2002.

Yeah, something like that.

Because.

Yeah, yeah, I think I was like 20. I think I was already bartending at that time.

Yeah.

I was working nightlife, so I was 23 when I was bartending.

Yeah.

And yeah, we met way.

I think we crossed paths a few times.

Yeah.

During that time.

Yeah.

But I don't think it was around till 2002.

Okay. Yeah.

And I have a vivid story of meeting Zark in 2002.

We're not going to get into that story. It's a good story. Oh, yeah. All right, let's hear it.

So it was 2002, I think, fall. And do you remember Boudo? Oh, yeah, it was the Boudo grand opening. And this place was the place in Toronto for nightlife. It was cool, everyone dressed nicely. The women were beautiful, the men were sharp. And it was the grand opening.

Yeah.

And I remember being there that night and I remember seeing Zark in a beautiful, tailored, grayish silver Hugo Boss suit.

Good memory. All right.

Yeah. And I was dressed nicely too at that time, but I was very intrigued.

I was like, whoa, who's this other guy dressing? Well, who do you think he is?

I was like, this guy's got it together, you know? And you were with a beautiful blonde at that time.

I'm not sure who. I don't know.

Beautiful girl. I remember her as well. And I was just very intrigued. I was very taken back because you were very polished. And as far as style goes in Toronto, you didn't see a lot of that, especially with men, Right.

Mh.

That was the first time.

Yeah.

So you made an impression.

Okay. Yeah, I appreciate that. And yeah, so you're right, I was. That was in the promotional part of my career.

Yep.

So I was hosting the Saturday nights at Budo.

Yeah.

And I think I remember we met at the back lounge, that kind of back elevated vip. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I remember us standing back there having a conversation.

Yeah.

And wow. Yeah, that was a beautiful spot. Yeah, it was a really nice venue. And to your point about men's fashion, you know, back then we didn't have that many options. And, you know, because I used to go to Miami, New York, Louisiana. I would shop abroad. And I know you had also spent some time in New York. So you were aware that, you know, there's a whole world of men's fashion that just wasn't available in Toronto at that time.

You know, the thing is. And you still see it a little bit now, but there was a strict dress code back then.

Yeah.

Guys had to wear a collared shirt, dress pants, dress shoes, and everybody just looked terrible. Yeah. Because, you know, they were wearing those untailored garments.

Sloppy. It was horrible. Yeah.

And then comes, you know, a guy like you in this beautiful designer tailored suit with nice polished shoes, hair slicked back, you know, it was cool.

Yeah. You know, I always used to say like a nice jacket makes an impression. And I've always been into very vibrant colors because, you know, if you're in the room and you're networking, you're only there for 45 minutes to an hour. You want to make sure you make an impression.

Absolutely, yeah. And feel good about yourself.

Absolutely, yeah. Yeah. When you're wearing a nice jacket, wearing something tailored that was made for you, you just show up with this confidence. Right?

Yeah.

And it's funny because a friend of mine were just. A friend of mine and I were just speaking about this last night, looking at what's going on on King street or just Toronto fashion in general. And I mean, this is just specific to Toronto. But, you know, people are in track pants, people are in like thousand dollar sneakers. Women are going out wearing oversized sweatshirts. And King street used to be a place where people would make an effort, get dressed up, like go out. And it was a thing. Women were, you know, nice dresses, heels, you know, and men were, yeah. Wearing nice blazers or, you know, sports coats and just making an effort. And now it's just like, it's interesting what's happening.

Yeah, it has shifted quite a bit. And I feel that all comes from pop culture as well, you know, especially when you, you see the NBA players, you know, they're all dressed, dripped down in designer clothing. And that makes a huge impression on, once again, pop culture, the hip hop world, which is, you know, taken over the music industry. And that sets a lot of impression on. On the younger generation. Right. And I don't dislike it. I still do see some people getting dressed up. There's nights I Dr. And there's nights I want to wear a crew neck or a hoodie for my store, you know, or a pair. A pair of fashion sneakers. And I feel like you shouldn't be refused entry into a venue because you're dressed a different way, you know, because, you know, you, you lived in Miami I lived in New York, and, you know, you would see a guy sitting there in a white T shirt and a New York Yankee hat, and he could have the biggest bankroll in the whole venue. Yeah, it's not about your suit or.

Your shoes, and it's about the vibe that you show up with. And I learned that working in Miami, you know, because in Toronto, working at Fluid or some of these venues, it was like, you know, you check out what kind of shoes are they wearing, you know, are they looking polished? Are they looking like they're someone who's going to come in and spend, you know, a few hundred bucks? You know, back then, a few hundred bucks was a lot of money. And working in Miami, working the door at some of the venues, you know, I'd see a guy roll up and he's basically wearing flip flops or jeans, white T shirt, but he just hopped out of his, like, convertible roles, like, you know, so in Miami, it was more about, okay, meet someone, have some engagement, get a feel for. Are they the type of person with the right vibe and energy that's going to add to the event? And living and working in Miami, working the door down there really taught me about how to curate a crowd, how to create an experience where it's going to draw in and. And entertain a certain mindset for sure. So. And I know, you know, you learned a lot living in New York as well. And, you know, it's interesting that we're, you know, starting this conversation off with fashion because, you know, you made that transition or part of your journey. You've always been fashionable, but now fashion is actually a big part of your business. But before we get into all of that, you know, we've, I would say, live parallel lives in many ways, you know, and we've known each other for, like, two decades now, which is crazy. That makes us sound really, really old when we say we've known each other for two decades. Vintage. Yeah. Classic OGs. Yeah. And, you know, we've both lived that promoter life, club owner life, restaurant owner life. And. And then, you know, through that, developing different skills and a network and different things that have allowed us to branc and do different things, you know, so.

Absolutely.

I'd love for you to share a little bit about your professional history and timeline. And, you know, one of the things that I find equally intriguing is, you know, some of the choices you've made as far as your own health and, like, I don't know if this camera is going to be able to pick it up, but this Guy's skin is, like, flawless. Like, he's like Benjamin Button. He's like, going back in time.

It's the cycle water.

I drink five of these a day. It has stem cell in it. It has a telomere production. So.

Thank you.

No, you know, you look great. You know, you're. You're so clear and. And I've known you a long time, so I've, you know, I've witnessed your evolution and growth over, you know, last 20 years. So, yeah, I'd love for you to share a bit about, you know, your professional background because, you know, people know you, they see you around. Obviously, you know, you're a staple in the city, in Toronto nightlife. And, you know, you've gone through this transformation, which I've witnessed because of how long I've known you. I'm aware of it. However, I don't know if other people really know the growth and the shifts that you've had, because where you're at is a result of your mindset and your discipline and your daily practice. So, you know, I would just love to dive into all of that and just have you share.

It's a long story.

We got about, what, an hour, 45 minutes. Where should we start? Yes. So, you know, when we met. So you, you got into. When you move back from New York shortly after you got into throwing events?

2005.

Yeah.

So 2005, I was back in Toronto. I lived in New York for many years, and when I left Toronto, I felt like there wasn't a lot for it to offer me. At least that's what I thought. Yeah, I barely finished high school. I didn't go to college or university. And, you know, I started going down the wrong path in life, you know, hanging around the wrong people and just getting myself into a little bit of trouble. And I took it as an opportunity to leave the city. You know, most. You hear most stories about people moving from small towns and moving to Toronto. Well, I'm born and raised in Toronto, and Toronto was a small town to me at that point. So I decided to leave. I lived there for many years and did everything and anything you could imagine just to make ends meet. But one great thing that I learned about living in that city was how to hustle. How to hustle. How to just instill this work ethic inside myself. And it didn't matter if it was a taxi driver I met or someone from the financial district or someone from Broadway. Everybody was working two jobs, right? And so I just got into that mentality of Work, work, work, work, work. Did very well for myself. Made a lot of money invested in real estate at a very young age. And when the time was right, I would, I would visit Toronto periodically and I would see its growth. You know, everything from the Toronto Raptors to the architecture to the condominiums to the nightlife scene. You see guys like you, I would see guys like Charles Caboose, I would see guys like Mike Henry and, and even Billy at that time evolving in the nightlife scene. And because those were the events I would go to whenever I would visit Toronto when I would come home and I, I lived there for quite a while, I moved back and I knew that it was something I wanted to, to get into and myself alongside my business partner at the time, we decided to get into the nightlife game and that was around 2005.

Okay.

And we met some very, very good people. And like I said, there were always a few people that we really looked up to, you being one of them. Charles Cabooth, Mike Henry.

And not Ralph.

Matty, of course, of course Ralph. Maddie, of course Ralph Mahdi.

You know, if you didn't throw his name in there, he'd be like, bro, what the fuck?

Of course Ralph Mahdi. And you know, even, you know, Thanos at that time, there's, there's a huge list, but just to name a few. Of course. And I decided to get into the nightlife game and it was always something that was part of me. Even when I did live in New York, I would work at some of the hotels and some of the bars doing odd jobs and. But Toronto really evolved at that point.

Yeah, there was a turning point where Toronto went. This went from the being this sleepy 1:00am last call place to oh, now it's got BO model service. And now celebrities and athletes are starting to discover. Wow.

Well.

And you would see a lot of beautiful women in Toronto, you know, and.

Obviously Vince Carter helped that. Yeah, quite a bit. You know, the music scene was taking off as well. And fast forward to where we are today. It's just, it's, it's, it's become a world class city.

Yeah. Yeah. It's crazy to see because every year I come back for summertime to enjoy the beautiful best season in Toronto. And I'm blown away at how year after year it just keeps expanding and evolving and the city, I almost don't recognize parts of it anymore because it's growing so quickly and it's interesting to see what a melting pot it's become. Especially you know what I'm noticing now is, like, a lot of the immigrants that moved here from India, from Africa, from Arab countries in the 80s, you know, the children that they had are now in their 30s. And you go out, you just. You see it like, Toronto's always been multicultural, but it's very, very evident now that Toronto is actually the most multicultural.

City in the world. Yeah, without a doubt.

And it's been. And it's. It's reflective in the. In the music, in the food, and just even in the art scene, you know, so it's beautiful to see this melting pot that it's become. And, yeah, it's. It's interesting how things are shifting and evolving. And, you know, for you, you have. And you're still involved in nightlife. I know you're doing, you know, a couple of different events a week. I was actually at your event on Friday at Bishop, which was. Which was a lot of fun. And, you know, so I've always known you to be very disciplined, very focused, you know, very driven. How have you managed to remain healthy, remain so committed and dedicated to your personal health and just evolving while being in what some people would consider to be a very, you know, toxic industry?

Absolutely. You know, you have to find balance in whatever you do. It doesn't matter what position you have in life. Balance is key. And that's something I learned a very long time ago. I would say around five years ago, I really started putting my health first before anything else.

And was there anything that happened that kind of was a catalyst for that choice?

You know, when you. When you're. When you start to become successful and you start to see success, some demons can come in for sure. And. And I would see that.

And you would see that in yourself or in others?

I would see it in myself and others, and I put that to a stop immediately. You know, you really need to know who you are as a person. And needless to say, I started putting myself first. And I said, whatever I'm going to do, however I'm going to go about my day, it starts with me and my happiness and my inner peace. You know, you're not going to wake up happy every day, but, you know, you have to do your best. And fitness has become a huge part of my life. And.

I mean, you've always been in shape. You've been, you know, training from the time that I know you. So what's different about fitness for you now than it was say, 15 years ago?

When you, when you and I were growing up, it was all about having big biceps And a big chest. Fitness to me is, you know, it's your heart, it's your cardiovascular, it's your brain. You want all of those to function and to be strong as well. And that goes along with your diet. About five years ago, I became plant based as well. And that changed my life completely as well. It's probably why I have nice skin and a lot of water. A gallon of water a day.

I need to up my water content. That's the second time it's come up cycle water. Need more cycle water. Did they make large format?

Okay, we need a gallon can. It's, you know, listen, the nightlife can be toxic, but it can also be extremely pleasant as well. I've met so many great people like yourself.

Yeah.

Throughout, throughout the years, people that have inspired me. Without nightlife, I would have had the opportunity to open up my store.

Right.

You know, to buy real estate. I wouldn't have been able to do any of that without nightlife.

Yeah.

And the position I had in nightlife. So I'm very grateful. I'm very grateful for the good people I've met and I'm also grateful for the bad people I've met because without those people, I wouldn't have been able to grow. Yeah. You know, and I feel like growth is so important to all of us and it's something we strive to do every day.

Yeah. And to your point about, you know, nightlife and the perspective that you choose to have on it, you know, some people fall into nightlife because they're just kind of at an in between place in life and it just seems like fun and it's quick money. Okay, sure. Let's, let's just do this. And you know, they're in, in for a good time. Not a long time.

Sure.

Whereas I think where you and I, you know, share the same experience is when I discovered nightlife at 18, I dropped out of high school at 17, after getting kicked out of my third high school, I'm like, I don't think school is for me. You know, I got a job in nightlife. And when I realized after I started promoting in my early 20s, like, wait a minute, I can get paid really good money to throw parties to do what I love, and there's a demand for this. I realized, oh shit.

And have a great time.

And have a great time. I'm like, I can get paid for doing what I love. And this is like, this can be a real thing.

Absolutely.

For me, any of my experimentation with drugs was more in the rave scene. You Know, before I got into the industry and never been a big drinker because, like, you want to get up, hit the gym, go for a run and feel good. So I didn't fall into those vices that many do in this industry. And I saw that, wow, this is my ticket. Like, I'm getting on this train and I'm riding it as far as I can. And we both saw that, like, okay, we had the work ethic and we found something that was lucrative and we gave it 110%. And for me, nightlife as well. You know, like, being a high school dropout from Scarborough, from immigrant parents, like this, this was my shot. And, you know, it's. It's something that I look back on with fond memories, even though, you know, there's some choices I made that might have been a little questionable. You know, it's. It's all part of, like, anybody in life. Absolutely. Yeah. So it's. It's.

And you. You. You killed it. Like, you. Zark was one of the original trendsetters and tastemakers in Toronto. You really were, like, a local celebrity in the city, and you inspired a lot of people, like myself, and you inspired a lot of people you probably don't even know.

Yeah, well, yeah, it's. It's interesting to bump into people now that I've made the shift and I'm doing something different. You know, at first, I think a lot of people didn't know if. I think at first, a lot of people were questioning whether, like, okay, is this for real? Like, you know, you went from being the King Street Club restaurant guy to, like, some spiritual guru living in Costa Rica, like, what's going on? You know, but now that's been, you know, a few years, people are seeing, like, okay, it's.

Actually, I always talk about this. You know, there's many chapters in life, and we weren't put on this planet to do one thing, you know, Absolutely. Do many things. Try new things. Even if. Even if you fail, who cares? Yeah. You know, I look at some people that. And there's nothing wrong with this, but they've been doing the same thing their whole life, and they'll continue to do the same thing their whole life. Once again, there's nothing wrong with it. But if you're doing it just because you're comfortable, that.

And it's safe and secure, that's when.

You start to resent yourself and have regrets in the future.

Absolutely. And to your point, about the challenges you've been through, like, that's where the greatest growth and learning happens. And, you know, I'm friends with a doctor who works in the er, and he spends time with a lot of people that are at end of life. And he says that when he speaks to them, they never talk about regrets of what they did, their regrets about what they didn't do. You know, and for any of those who are watching, who, you know, are questioning your new path, questioning changing it up, you know, like you said, you just got to step forward, just do it, just try it. And look, if you fail and there's a reframe, I'd like to, you know, share about failing, you know, failing if we start a restaurant. Because I've. I've opened a restaurant that you could say failed, you know, Doku, at the Cosmopolitan Hotel.

I DJ there one night.

Oh, yeah, it was fun. Yeah, it was fun. While I lasted. It only lasted a year and a half, and then we just couldn't keep up. So some would consider that a failure. Right? And the failure of the restaurant is not the failure of me. The restaurant failed to meet the expectations that I had for it. Now, does that mean I was a failure?

No.

No. Because I did everything I could to try to make that restaurant success. However, I now know that there were things beyond my control that I just didn't have an understanding of. And I often say you learn more from your failures than you do from your successes. Because closing that business, losing a lot of money, and looking back and really questioning why did it go down that way? I learned some very, very profound, important lessons that helped me to be successful in the future. So just because you have made, Done a project, created something that has failed, understand that it wasn't you that failed. It just failed to meet the expectation. It didn't meet the expectation that you hoped for. And there's knowledge and wisdom that you can take from that to apply to be successful the next time around, that you. You step forward to do something. But if you. If you fail and you give up, then you've actually failed.

Absolutely.

You know, because what does Wayne Gretzky say?

You.

You. You. You miss every shot. You never take something like that. Some hockey quote. Yeah, so. Because I know you opened that restaurant.

Harlow Hudson Kitchen.

Hudson Kitchen. Right. And that had a run.

But so we. Yeah, we opened Hudson Kitchen on Dundas West. And it's so crazy. So we opened it film festival weekend.

Yeah, I think he had, like, Brad Pitt dying there the first night or something.

We had Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. This is when they were separating. No. Jennifer Aniston Okay. We had Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston in the restaurant, dining at different tables because they couldn't be together every night. We had George Clooney. We had everybody at this restaurant opening week. My phone was blowing up for reservations. It was killing it. One year, you couldn't find a way to book a reservation at this restaurant that I was happy to be part of at the time. And then after that.

Yeah.

Same scenario as Doku.

Yeah.

You know, it didn't last long. At that time, I invested with a few people, and sometimes too many people in one project isn't a good thing.

Yeah. You know, too many chefs in the kitchen.

Too many chefs in the kitchen. And I learned the hard way.

So what were some of the important lessons you learned from that business? Not succeeding. I'm not gonna say fail. Not succeeding.

You know, for us. For me at that point, you know, I didn't know too much that was going on on the back end. I guess I was considered, you know, a face of the project, as, you know, if I were to get into a business now, I need to know everything. I ask a million questions about one thing, and, you know, I need to know it all.

Got it.

And at that point, I didn't.

You know, because you're so caught up in the excitement of, oh, I own a restaurant. You're standing at the front of the.

Restaurant, this successful guy with this successful guy. How can this go wrong?

Yeah. The identity. The ego takes over.

The ego took over, and it was a shame. It was a great restaurant. Great food, but.

Yeah, nice space too.

You know, it probably ahead of its.

Time because it was on Dundas Street. If it had opened now.

Absolutely. I probably wouldn't have dined there anymore because I'm vegan.

Yeah.

It would have been a failure anyway.

Yeah.

You know nightclubs as well. I opened up a nightclub, and that was. Was a bust as well. You know what I mean?

Which one was that?

Cinema.

Cinema, Right. Right before Morrow.

For morrow or aftermorrow.

Okay.

But learned a lot of things through that project as well.

That was a big venue.

It was a big venue. Killed it. Had fun. Yeah. Yeah. But you learn.

Yeah. So tell me about your current business, because as I said, you've always been involved in fashion, always been a man of great style, and now you're. Now you're helping others.

I was in Paris Fashion Week with my business partner, Jacob, and this was many, many years ago. He was a buyer at another store at the time. And we were just walking down the streets of Paris summer Night. And we were just talking about how we should open up our own store one day. And we kept it under wraps for a very long time and we just started working behind the scenes and creating something that I felt the city was missing. And we created area +001, which is our men's fashion boutique on Ossington and Queen. And we're in our third year.

Congrats.

Thank you. And it's, it's going great. It's going great. Like we're having record breaking months. The brands that we're bringing, Boar. Are all high level. And we didn't start that way. It was, it was a challenge as well. It was very scary, you know, and the, and you have this thought in the back of your mind, is this going to be a failure? Is this going to last?

Yeah.

You know, and so how did you.

Like, you know, having two businesses that weren't successful and now you're getting into a new business which you've never owned a retail store before. What were you telling yourself? Like what, what had to shift within you to, to go ahead and step into something else you've never done before?

Because just like I said, you have to just go for it no matter what. Try what, you know, if some, if you're passionate about something, you have to go for or you're going to regret it. And even though I had those two businesses, one was not a complete failure because I made all my money back.

Perfect.

But one was a big failure. The restaurant.

Yeah.

And I lost a lot of money. But that being said, I always had nightlife. I always had the promotion game where I was making a killing. I was able to make that money back.

Yeah.

And I didn't stop until I did.

Yeah.

And then when I did, okay, it's time for something new. And that's when we created the store. And it was a very, I would say it was very challenging few years, especially when a year and a half later you go into the pandemic.

Yeah.

And now you're closed.

Yeah. How long were you guys actually closed for?

Well, during the first lockdown, we shut down. And then things started to open up, open up again, like they did in the nightlife, like they did in the hospitality industry. Retail opened up and then, you know, we got slammed with another lockdown again in, in November.

Yeah.

And at that point, I, I, you know, we went to our landlord and we said, we're not locking down, we're going to stay open.

Wow.

Good for you guys. And he said, go for it.

Amazing.

He said, Doug Ford.

Yeah.

Keep your doors open.

Yeah.

You have my support and you have support from your landlord because, you know, there's a lot of places that don't have that luxury. Maybe they're going to have their doors locked or have their, their licenses taken away. We remained open and we, we remained open for our VIPs and some, some, some clients. And, you know, not to say we were thriving.

Right.

Because we weren't. We were able to make ends meet and get through the pandemic.

Yeah. Yeah. And, you know, following your posts and what you share, it's really inspiring and I love the stance you take, the information that you post and bring awareness to, because so much of what's going on, especially here in Toronto and in Ontario, you know, the restrictions and the, these ever changing policies and mandates that are being enforced really make no sense. And especially, you know, kudos to you being a small business owner who's managed to survive through the pandemic to say, you know, fuck it, I'm going to open and have the support of your landlord. Like, I know who your landlord is, but he's awesome.

Jeff Hull.

Jeff Hall. Props to you, Hallmark. Oh, cool.

They own everything on Austin.

They're in Queen. Yeah. They're a big company.

You know, he's not a, he's not a small fry.

Yeah.

But he's, he's awesome and he helped us a lot through the amazing. The pandemic and just a great team player.

Yeah. And I wish more landlords would take that stance as well because, you know, we, we had to close Everly because of, you know, our landlord still wanted rent from us, wasn't looking to extend our lease. Yeah. So that landlord. I'm not gonna call you out right here. Thank you. But we had to close early because we weren't gonna keep paying dead rent, you know, and as a result, that space is empty for the last year and a half.

What a joke.

You know. You know, good for you for continuing to push on and, you know, stand up for your, you know, for your rights and for your business. And, you know, the, the content you share is very much appreciated. Like, I'm sure you get tons of comments and posts and reshares. You know, you really are, I would say, courageous with what you're putting out there. And I think what you endorse and the stance you take is something that many more entrepreneurs could consider doing it as well, because until enough people stand up and push back, they're just going to keep enforcing these mandates and policies and restrictions that are Ultimately going to shut down the small businesses while Walmart and Amazon and the large corporate businesses thrive. Which I think is completely.

Games. You know, you can go to a Leafs game or a Raptors game and go to any one of the restaurants and they have full capacity, but the restaurant that's outside of the stadium is at 50%.

It's ridiculous.

How does that make sense?

Yeah, I feel for our boy, Maddie, you know, owning Borrow Myth Dasha petty cash. You know, owning all these amazing properties, paying hundreds of thousands of dollars of rent a month. And ACC's or not the ACC, the Scotiabank arena is, is packed. It's Guy Rogers Center. You know, I'm old when I call the sky millennials. Yeah. You know, and it's. I feel, I feel for them, you know, and selfishly, I'm also very happy that closed blowfish in 2018, because it's like, wow, it's just, it's. It's hard, you know, So I just want to give you props, acknowledge you for what you're sharing, what you're putting out there. And, you know, like, it takes balls to do that. You know, it takes courage to stick your neck out, you know, and, and share.

So, you know, I, I started, you know, sharing content and just speaking up and asking questions during that second lockdown. Of course, you know, when the pandemic started, we were all afraid, we were all cautioned, but something didn't sit right. When the second lockdown happened, you know, I felt like small businesses and entrepreneurs are really getting the short end of the stick, and it didn't make any sense to me. And I mentioned this on another podcast. There was one day where I just said, you know what? I'm not going to do this anymore. I'm getting a little bit of backlash. And people would reach out to me. I'd start getting DMS from other small business owners saying, you know, we need you to continue to post because we don't have a voice. Yeah, we don't have a platform. So you're our guy.

Yeah, you're the voice for small businesses because you do have a large following and you have been posting consistently. So I look forward to your post. I actually learn a lot from your posts because I don't have time for my posts. I don't have time to follow a bunch of these people. But you cherry pick the most relevant, I would say, important things that Toronto business owners or people that want to support Toronto business owners should know about.

And, you know, I think there's a big, big misconception about sharing content that you're an anti this or an anti that. No, I'm pro small business, pro entrepreneur, pro Toronto, and pro everyone that's working hard in the city to make ends meet. You know what I mean? And we've all had a rough two years now, and people want to start thriving again. People want to start living again, enjoying life and enjoying what they've worked so hard for.

And if we don't support the small businesses, then in a couple years, you're just gonna have big box chains, retail stores, big commercial restaurants, and the smaller, more unique individual places are gonna be gone. And then people are gonna be like, oh, you know, I really miss that cute little cafe or restaurant on the curtain. Well, you fucking should have been there.

Absolutely.

Instead of, you know, supporting the big.

The big change, it's so important to. To. To support your local small businesses on the daily. Yeah, in my opinion.

Yeah, absolutely. And. And, you know, it's. It in. In an area like Ossington, there are so many cool, smaller independents, you know, so. And I'm not knocking like, Earl's or Cactus Club or any of these other. I mean, they're great establishments, but it's important to think about the little guy or little gal who, you know, is. Is literally working their restaurant, serving food and owning and operating, because that's how they got to make it work, you know, so supporting local is super important during times like this. And, you know, for any of the local business owners who, if there is another lockdown and they are enforcing new, you know, mandates and policies like it, stay open, go for it, you know, speak up. Like, I could honestly say, if I was still in the restaurant industry, I'd be like, you know what? I'm staying open. Yeah, I'd rather take the tickets, you know, because until we start pushing back, you know, they're just gonna keep. Keep doing this to us.

Many people would always say to me, you know, because I lost a few friends, I lost a few family members too, you know, saying, well, why are you speaking out so much? You're gonna lose your job. And I'm like, what are you talking about? We're in a lockdown. I've already lost. Like, what are you talking about? Plus, I'm an entrepreneur. I own my own business.

Yeah.

Who's gonna fire me?

Yeah. And it's not about losing your job. It's about taking back what's yours, you know, because the more we give, the more we give. Like, once they take it, they're not giving it back. You know, so you got to fight back for it, you know, so. And when I say fight, you know, obviously I mean being a stand, you know, like, annoying. Knowing you're right, trusting what feels true for you and not backing down, you know, because until enough people back down, it's just. It's just going to keep happening, you know, And I really admire the way you've, you know, chosen to use your platform. And look, you could be just pushing your parties and just promoting all the stuff you're doing. And you've chosen to, I'd say, make a pivot with your platform to share information that's valuable and purposeful because again, those small businesses, they don't have a voice. And there's many people who look at your content and what you're sharing to educate themselves so that they know, like, what they can do. So, you know, for any of the business owners out there, you know, what advice would you have for them to, you know, thrive during this situation, during these times?

Well, don't give up. Definitely don't give up. First and foremost, never give up. Ask questions, Call your local mp, Call them every day, call her every day until they pick up their phone, you know, and just get involved with the community.

Yeah.

Get involved with other small businesses. Reach out to them.

Yeah.

See if they need any help or support and help one another.

Yeah.

Because, you know, our numbers, as Doug Ford likes to say, we're all in this together. Yeah.

Yeah. And, you know, community and being able to have that support system of other entrepreneurs and people who are facing similar challenges is super important. Are there any communities, any groups that you're a part of that have supported you through this?

You know, I. I linked up with Roman Baber, who was a former MP who worked directly with Doug Ford, and when he spoke out against the lockdowns, he was removed from office.

Yeah.

And he's someone I've become close with over the last year and continue to speak with and learn from. And he continues to. To speak out and speak up for. For the little person. Right. And right now, he's speaking up for all the nurses that are being terminated from their jobs, the ones that were with us throughout the whole pandemic, fighting and helping people that were in need. Those same people are losing their jobs because they chose not to be vaccinated, and a lot of them chose not to be vaccinated because they might have a condition. It's very, very unfortunate, but.

Or they may have seen some of the adverse side effects that have happened and they've been like, yeah, maybe it's.

Not time for me to have this. Yeah, maybe it's not time.

Yeah.

You know, and I talk to people every day about vaccines. And like I said, I'm not pro this or anti this. Do what's best for you. Sure.

Yeah.

And do what feels right.

That's it. Whatever your choice, honor what is true for you. Don't do it because you feel pressured, you know, don't do it because obviously a lot of people are. Their jobs are being threatened, you know, their family events are being threatened, you know, and if that's, if that's important enough to you and you're willing to make that choice, go for it, you know, but. But I hear some people say that they made a choice to do it because they wanted to go on a vacation or, or they want, you know, want life to resume back to normal. And again, whatever your choice is, you know, stand in that. But if there's some resistance, if there's something inside you that's telling you, you know what, I don't want this, then you got to listen to that voice.

100.

Yeah.

Especially if you have a condition.

Yeah. So, you know, you're an entrepreneur. You pretty much work two jobs. You know, you got your day job, your night job, you deal with a lot, and you're, you're thriving in a pandemic. You mentioned earlier, you know, you've got your, your practice, your routine.

Yes.

What are some of the things that you do to start your day in a way that no matter what comes at you, you've got it covered because you're always very calm, cool, collected, grounded. For the entrepreneurs out there who are freaking the fuck out because we're living in unparalleled times, what advice or guidance could you give them to find their.

For anybody, entrepreneur or not, wake up with a positive mindset and go have a kick ass workout.

So physical activity, whether it's going for.

A run or lifting weights, deadlifts, whatever, yoga, whatever, focus on yourself first and your body and your mind will thank you. And the rest of the day is just gonna be in cruise control.

Yeah. And your morning routine that you practice, you know, for me it's meditation, breath work, journaling, take my dog out for a walk.

Yeah.

You know, it's so important for that first, you know, 45 minutes of the day. Take that for yourself. You know, make sure that you're filling your own cup before you go out there and give to everybody else. You know, so before you turn on your cell phone, you know, before you get into all your emails. It's so important to do something, whether it be going for a run, lifting weights, yoga. Do something that has you feel an elevated emotion.

Absolutely.

You know, and then bring that vibe into. Into everything else.

The best reward you can give yourself.

Yeah.

Drink a lot of water.

Yeah. Yeah.

That's a game changer. Yeah.

People are definitely going to think we're sponsored by cycle water. I don't know.

We just check cycle.

Neighborhood just left these out for us. We just started drinking them. But, you know, now we're like the cycle ambassador. I know what they do now. I know why they left them out. Smart thinking. Yeah. You know, man, I've. I've been wanting to sit down and catch up with, with you for a while. You know, we've known each other for two decades.

It's been incredible.

Yeah. And it's been really, it's been really nice watching your evolution growth from the sidelines.

Let me ask you a question.

Yeah.

What were some of your favorite venues in Toronto? Nightlife.

Yeah. So for me, Fluid will always have a special place in my heart. You know, it just, it's where I started my first Sunday night party. And.

And I remember that story. Because you moved to Miami to bartend.

Yeah.

And you lived in South Beach.

Yeah.

And you stayed there for how long?

I was there over two years. I was there for 10 months.

Two years. And I remember hearing that story about how you came back to Toronto and you started South Beach Sundays at Fluid.

Yeah.

And that was, that was. Was that the birth of zrf?

Yeah. So I had started that Sunday night event and about six, seven weeks into it, Ralph Matty started showing up with his crew and he really liked the music and the vibe. And I remember he said to me, yeah, you good little party you got going on here. And I see you got half the club closed. And at the time, I didn't really know Ralph. I just knew him from government, because my bartender there, he was a promoter and he was like, you know, what do you think about me bringing my dj, Aubrey Marcus? And he'll play on that side, I'll host that side, you host this side. Wow. And, you know, we'll take the numbers from 3 to 400 to 7, 800. I thought about it for maybe a whole 10 seconds and I was like, yeah, cool, let's do it. All right, sure. Sounds good. And in that moment, I chose to work with Ralph, not knowing that that would evolve into a 20 year partnership. So Sundays, just like Ralph said, went from 400 to 800 long weekends, we do 1400 through the doors Sundays. That Fluid is really what put us out there because for the first time there was a curated event in Toronto where you needed to know someone to get in. And the music and the whole experience was really designed just to offer people something. Uni and having lived in Miami and traveled to New York, like, we were able to bring a new flavor to Toronto.

So that was. That was a story that stuck close to me because I was coming from New York at the time. I'm like, wow, this guy.

Yeah.

You know, he brought what he learned from Miami and brought it to Toronto.

And, you know, talking about failure. Yeah. And fashion as well, you know, with bringing the whole white dress code and all that, you know, I remember. And you'll laugh at this because, you know, Carl, big man Carl, who is an icon in, you know, Toronto nightlife scene, he was working the door at Fluid. And I remember standing there and I was so, you know, present to who was walking in because I was really curating the crowd. I remember this group of like three or four big dudes with leather jackets walk in and, you know, they definitely weren't the Sunday night crowd. I ran to the door. I'm like, carl, what? Who are these guys? Why did you let in these big Geno looking dudes? And. And he was like, oh, bro, bro, bro, relax. You're here to buy bottles. Relax. I'm like, look, I understand the bar needs to do sales and they gotta make money, but letting guys like that in are gonna throw off the vibe.

Yep.

He's like, bro, I gotta make sure this night makes money or it's, you know, or they're gonna shut it down. I said, that's okay. If it shuts down, if it fails, let it fail on my terms. I don't want it to fail because you let in a bunch of guys who didn't belong here just for the money. And we literally had like a face off. And, you know, Carl's a 6 foot 4, big man, large guy. And. And then the numbers started going up week by week. It went from 200 to 250 to 300 to 350, and it became Sundays. Sundays were an institution at Fluid. And Carl then became my biggest supporter because he saw I had a vision. I was relentless. I was going to make it happen. And years later, Carl was our head doorman at Maison. We've worked together for so, so long. So just a story about choosing to do it your way and not being afraid to fail because at least if you your way and you fail, you failed on your own terms. You haven't failed because you gave into fear. You gave into the pressure of others, for sure. So I would say fluid, definitely one that's very special to my heart. Obviously, Century Room was legendary. You know, it was the first time bottle service was really introduced in Toronto. And I think we really brought something special to King street and to Toronto in general.

I love Centurum. I really enjoyed working there.

Yeah, thank you. And atelier, you know, atelier, even that was only open for three or four years. You know, it was a very small venue. Something unique, something. When it's that small, you could really play around and experiment. So, yeah, that's. That, that's. That's. I would say it was my top three. And of course, you know, blowfish. I mean, always and forever, you know, that, that for me was my number one venture in 2003 and that one really changed my life. So, yeah, I love each one in a different way. But yeah, that's. That's of. Of the 12 companies I've created, I'd say those are kind of the ones that stand out the most.

Amazing.

Yeah. Well, look, man, I. I thank you so much for joining me for this. I'm so happy we got a chance to sit down and just drop in and, you know, go down memory lane.

Absolutely.

20 plus years down memory lane. And I look forward to continuing to witness your growth and evolution. And you as well. And thank you. And would love to have you come down and visit me in the jungle.

I'm coming.

All kinds of vegan restaurants.

Amazing.

You know, lots of mango and fresh fruit and. Yeah, man, it's awesome what you're doing. Please keep doing it. Keep being that voice for the small businesses. And if I could support, help in any way. I got you.

Amazing.

Yeah, thanks. Yeah, man.

Appreciate it.

See you.