Episode 4 - Overcoming challenges during turbulent times with David Kollar

It was funny when you walked in and you mentioned, like, this is, this is actually like the second or third time we're actually meeting in person.

Yeah, that's right.

And that's the crazy thing about social media because we've been, I mean, texting, messaging, you know, we've been in connection for, I'd say, the last two years, like pretty frequently. Yeah, exactly, exactly.

Yeah, we have.

Yeah. And it's nice seeing you.

Nice to see you too.

Yeah. So thank you for coming on. I appreciate it. You know, and I'm looking forward to this because, you know, I. I know the David caller from Color is your last name, right?

That's right. Okay, There we go. You said it right, though, because.

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

It's good.

You know, from back when in my clubbing days, you know, I knew about you and your fashion brand and all that.

Yeah.

Just from being around. And I think one of the times we met, I came to your birthday party at like, one of the clubs around here.

Where was it at? It was on King street, though.

Yeah. Yeah, so. So it's, it's, you know, great to sit down with you and actually reconnect here a bit about your story because I actually, you know, we were chatting a little bit before we got started here and you shared a little bit about your journey with me. And, you know, my reason for inviting you to the Pivot to Purpose podcast is because, you know, I know about your journey in the last couple years, being a successful entrepreneur, you know, having, you know, started your brand from scratch, having done it on your own, and, you know, some of the personal challenges that you've gone through, dealing with COVID dealing with some health issues, and, you know, through those, you know, challenges, you've been doing some deep inner work. And, you know, I would love for you to share that story during a conversation because again, many entrepreneurs and many people, you know, in general out there right now are dealing with a lot of these changes, challenges, adversity, and, you know, it's the mindset, it's the practices, the rituals and routines that we practice, embody and use on a day to day basis that help us get through these, you know, challenging times in life. So I would love for you to, you know, first off, tell me, you know, a little bit about how to call or come to be like, you know, how did you become an entrepreneur? You know, what was, what was the path on of your life that led you up to becoming your, you know, your own boss, let's say.

Yeah, nice. Okay, let's See, where do we start here? Okay, so basically, at the age of seven, I moved.

Oh, wow. We're going way back.

We have an hour, I think.

Right, so exactly.

So age of seven. So my mom married my dad in slovakia. Age of 7, moved to Canada. And, you know, when we came here, we're very poor. We're immigrants. And basically my mom became a single mom, so she had me and my sister. And the reason I'm telling you this story at the beginning here is because this is where I started to really focus on working on myself at a young age. So, you know, we were in government.

And it's also during those formative years that we develop certain beliefs that shape who we are as an adult.

Exactly.

Like, you know, I can almost guarantee that your drive to be successful, to be financially independent, comes from the challenges that you experienced 100% with your mom struggling with two young children. Right?

Yeah, that's. It's. It's great you say that because, you know, growing up, I think the first thing was I saw other kids have things I didn't have. And at first, you know, at a young age, you know, you're kind of upset and jealous, like, oh, why is that kid have it and I don't? And we were living in a. Like a government housing, so for Christmas, we would get gifts from the government. And I was super grateful because I didn't know any better. Right. But as I got older and we went to, like, middle school, when I was able to even work, I remember mom doing a lot of garage sales. So I was used to, like, having garage sales. It's funny, I became a clothing designer after my mom, her first job as a kid. Sorry. When she first came here, she didn't have much. She was learning English at the time, and so she learned how to sew and she was sewing in the basement. And I didn't have any passion to be a designer.

Right.

I like sports and Power Rangers and other stuff. But she used to sew in the basement, and I would watch her sew all the time. And the reason she did that job is because she could still take care of her kids. But years later, I ended up being a designer. And it was just funny how it all worked out. But when she was struggling, you know, she always put the food on the table and she. Every time we had good birthday parties, we all get together and it was really good. And I think as I got older, like in middle school, things kind of got harder and we needed more stuff, like school stuff and clothes and I got really insecure in middle school because sometimes I have to wear the same thing. Or if I didn't know how to. I actually don't know how to dress as a kid.

Okay.

So I didn't grow up just good at dressing like, well, now. But it was something I kind of was insecure about.

Sure.

My first job was at no Froze. And I remember at no Froze, this guy named Mario, shout out to him, because if it was for him, I probably wouldn't be an entrepreneur now. But I remember I had my hands in my pocket. It was my first day at the job. I was 15 years old.

Okay.

And I was. I was putting something on the shelf, and I was excited. My first job. And he's like, what are you doing with your hands in your pocket? I'm like, oh, I'm just. This is the way I kind of just put my hands in my pocket. But I'm still gonna work. And I see why he would do that because, like. But then I kind of was like, oh, this guy's kind of an a hole. Like, he. I don't know if you can swear in this podcast, but, like, I was.

Saying, what the fuck you want?

We're good.

Yeah.

Keep it real. He's an asshole. Right? So. So I was. I was really annoyed by that. And then I was like, a week later, he caught me put my hands in my pocket again. So he fired me.

Okay.

Okay. So since then, I started because I grew up with a single mom. I didn't really have a father figure. So a lot of my manhood came from looking up to people in movies and friends. And I realized it's after. As I grew up and did some of the work that we actually did together that I realized a lot of my inner child insecurities came from when I was a kid or who I am now. And basically, as I was trying different jobs, I was a security guard. I was. I worked at grocery stores. I worked at Aldo. No Froze. Sorry, no Froze. Spring rolls, Cinnabon. I pretty much did every job you can think of. I worked at cibc, fraud department. So I worked corporate. And with this journey, I actually learned how to be good at sales. And I think as an entrepreneur, that's the number one skill you should have for sure, because you can negotiate, et cetera, Right?

Absolutely. This emotional intelligence you develop through working all those different jobs that prepares you for becoming an entrepreneur. Because we have to wear so many hats.

Yeah.

As an entrepreneur.

That's true.

Yeah.

And so, you know, working on these jobs, I Guess I just had. It's not bad luck. You know, not everyone. I feel like to be a good entrepreneur, you have to be really focused. You have to want to build yourself emotionally and, like, understand yourself spiritually. And I always, like. It's funny because we let stocks. You look at the owner of the company, and usually, you know, if you study how the. What is the owner's daily habits are, how he thinks, you'll see, like, if there's a trend in his business growing. Right. That's what spirituality. And like, just being mentally focused and.

And having that clarity.

Exactly.

Clarity gives you confidence.

Yeah.

To make choices. And when you're really clear on your path, you make aligned choices, which ultimately result in greater chance of success.

I like that, actually. Yeah, that's great. I'm gonna learn some stuff today too. But yeah, so it's. It's interesting because, you know, when I was kind of going through all the different job shifts, I told myself, you know what? I can't work for anyone anymore. And that's where the first. So even though I was doing this, I didn't realize entrepreneur. Because at the age of. I think it was grade seven or eight, whatever age I was at the time, when I was. I was actually selling fake TTT tickets. Okay, Right. To make money. And I also worked at Staples, so I was like, it wasn't enough money at the time. And I wanted to, like, buy clothes and, like, different things. And. And at that time, I also started burning, like, DVD movies. Okay. But there was a Netflix back then. You had to either go to Chinatown.

And you had all kinds of side hustles.

Yeah. Yeah. So there are these side hustles. And then as I was doing it, I always had a thing for computers. I don't know why. So I taught myself how to do graphic design. Cool. And when I was doing that, I worked for a balloon company, like balloon decorating company when I was in college. So I ended up going to college. So first I dropped out of school. I got kicked out of school twice.

Oh, really?

Yeah.

I got kicked out of high school three times. I left at 17. Yeah. Yeah, you hear about that.

Okay.

But a lot of parallels.

Reverse. I'm have to hear his story.

There's a lot of parallels in our story. I don't know if I'll share all of my side hustles, but I've had my fair share of nice extracurricular activities.

Fair enough. But I guess, yeah. When. When that kind of all happened. Sorry, I'm trying to think where I.

Left off selling fake TTC tickets.

Yeah. Okay. Yeah. So after that, I was working. I was. So I was dropped out of college. Sorry. School. High school. And I finally graduated. And when I graduated, you know, I wasn't really, like. I don't think I was really good with school, but I had, like, street smarts, and I think I just had the. The determination at the time to, like, want to kind of become someone.

Sure.

And it's funny because when I first started building my business, the reason I started was more out of anger and jealousy, actually.

Okay.

Which is very toxic.

Right.

And I didn't know that jealousy, because I was always looked down on because I was poor or I was very insecure. So I wanted to build my name, build myself, so people would actually listen to me.

You felt like you had something, proof to prove. Exactly. You want to be accepted, admired.

Yeah, exactly.

Yeah, I hear you.

Yeah, I hear you, man. So. So basically, that drive was very strong. And I remember when I taught myself, so. So then I started. I opened a web design company. So when I did that, this is where all the, you know, spirituality kind of or just mental toughness came in, I think it was. Yeah, it was a buddy called Steve. His name was Steve the Balloon Decorator. He came up to me and he said we used to drive at different locations in the car. He'd be like, you know, you're actually really good at sales. You're able to get people to do free photo shoots, which is very difficult for, you know, exchange. I don't promote that now. But, like, before, I didn't have money. We had to kind of work. Right. So I guess, like, when we did that, he said he gave me a book. It was called the Secret.

Okay.

And that's what opened up, like, this whole, like, manifestation stuff. At first, I didn't really believe in it because I was like, almost sounds.

Too good be true.

Yeah. Too good to be true. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So at the time, you know, I was living in, like, a government housing area. You know, there was. Was. It was a bad area. Tons of weird stuff was happening in that area. And I remember there was a night where I was bit by bedbugs.

Okay.

Okay. So there's a reason I'm saying this, because when I got bit by bedbugs, I don't know if. If you ever had experienced bedbugs, but that. Because the area lived in, people were taking furniture into their house, and something could have been dirty.

Right.

And it would crawl through different units.

Oh, wow.

Infested apartment.

Okay. And.

And the only way to kill it is to throw all your furniture away or to heat your house up really high. And it was like 4k to heat it up. It's crazy. And the bedbugs know when you're sleeping, and that's when they bite you.

Damn.

So it's like a demon bug. I don't know. But. So the reason I'm saying this is because at the time of getting those bedbugs, I was watching that YouTube video of the Secret.

Okay.

And just for everyone that doesn't know what the Secret is, pretty much, you know, manifesting things in your mind and make it feel like you have it already. Yeah, exactly.

Tapping into that joy.

Exactly.

The emotion. Gratitude.

Yeah, exactly. And what had happened is when I started, when I first started, I didn't think much of it. I just. At the time, I couldn't sleep my own bed because I get bit until I'll be sitting in my computer chair.

Wow.

And then this is when I was really angry and frustrated, and I couldn't get out of my situation. I couldn't cry for help from anyone. I couldn't ask my mom, like, hey, like, at the time, I was living with me and my brother. And so, you know, it was very tough for me. It was. It was either I took care of myself or nothing.

Yeah. You're out on your own.

Yeah. Yeah. So I pretty much, you know, when this happened, I started before I went to college. I actually had a. I discussed this earlier with you. I had a concussion where I lost my memory for four months. Yeah. And when I lost my four months, I was able to, like, I pretty much didn't remember my address. I didn't remember if I met you that week, I wouldn't remember you at all. And I would wake up every day having anxiety. So I'd wake up like, oh, shoot, what day is it today? Like, what am I? Little details. Wouldn't know. And then I remember going. Breaking down in the hospital, and I was, like, in the washroom, and I was. I didn't realize how much emotions I had stuck inside of me, but I didn't really. I always covered it up. And I was always like, you got to be a man.

You got boys don't cry.

Yeah.

Don't be a pussy.

Yeah.

Toughen up.

Yeah, exactly. So but when that happened, I was, like, mentally, I was, like, gone. Like, I couldn't remember anything. I'm like this. I wish this was a dream. I can't wake up. Wow. This is real. And I was, you know, I was Very young. And when this happened, it's very traumatic. And I remember I was looking at pictures of myself on my computer like a few weeks later, trying to understand who I was. So I was kind of rediscovering myself and I didn't like who I was.

Okay.

And that's when. So this is before the clothing started. I was only doing web design at the time.

Okay, and how old were you at this time?

I was 21.

Okay.

Yeah.

Oh, young.

Yeah. So basically, you know, I said to myself, okay, I'm going to change the way I do things and live. And so that's when I fast forward started going to college and meeting Steve, who gave me the book for the Secret or sorry, the video. And he pretty much said, sorry. When I watched the video, I was watching it and there was a couple things that I wanted to do in my life and at the time I really wanted to. At the time I had financial goals just to get out. I was used to making like $10 an hour. And when you come from like a mindset like that, you don't have really a mentor or a father figure unless someone really pushes you up there. It's hard for you to tell yourself that you're good enough.

Absolutely.

You know what I mean? And Steve was someone that was kind of like, even though he was a stranger working for me, I'm still friends with him now. He was older than me at the time. He was like in his 40s at the time and became good friends in the car. He was always driving, telling me, teaching me stuff. And he's like, you know, you should start this business. But I want you to watch his video first. And he's always practicing gratitude. And I'm very blessed to have met him. And what had happened is after watching, I was dating this girl at the time, and she was really into this stuff too. So we both kind of were into it. And some of the things I had was, I want to drive a car, because at the time I drove a Honda Civic that would always break down okay everywhere I went. And so I want to drive a car doesn't break down. And then I said, okay, I want to make my first 100k. Right? And then I said, I want to move out of this apartment. So I'd have to do bedbugs, bed bugs and stuff. And. And also I put, I want to meet friends I could be long term friends with.

Right.

Like that are. That are not just about money. It was more about like just experiences because I grew up always like working so it's hard for me to. I didn't party that much younger, and I kind of did in my mid-20s, but when I was in my 18, 19, 20, 21, I was, like, just working because I was in a weird situation.

Right?

But yeah. Anyways, fast forward. I remember first week, two weeks, I created this company. It was a web design company, and I posted on Kijiji. And at the time, you could advertise Kiji for 100 bucks. And first two weeks, I'd wake up and I'll close my eyes to visualize. I'm like, okay, I'm going to. I'm going to make or. So someone's going to call me. And no one called me. I was like, shit, this thing's garbage. It's not going to work. A couple of days later, I did every day. And then two weeks later, I called Steve, like, dude, this thing is bs, man. I don't know if it's going to work. He's like, dude, you got to keep going, man. Just keep going. And then I'm like, you know, I have nothing to lose. And a month later, I get my first call. But while I'm doing this, I'm also doing the work of, like, studying the competition at Kijiji. But I'm also visualizing to a point where I'm, like, getting goosebumps, like, this is gonna happen. And I was so desperate at the time, and someone calls me and goes, hey, I want a website. Like, oh, nice, okay. And then he's like, I'll be like, okay, 500 bucks for this website. And at the time, you know, 500 bucks. I could probably make that website in three days. So that was good money for me. And he said, okay, that's fair. And then after the first job, the phone started ringing. I started getting all these calls to a point where I had to start making the jobs more expensive. And I remember when I had. I studied the Honda Civic. At the time, I would have to park behind a Civic at another plaza, and I'll have, like, a pee coat on. I have to walk over to Starbucks. And I didn't have an office, so I'd tell the client, like, hey, I'm just leaving the office now. Let's meet at Starbucks. I didn't want them to see the car, so I do what I had to do. But, like, I really know what it's like to struggle from the beginning, and that's what I used to do. And then I remember this one job. It was like a $30,000 website. He wanted to build something very similar to a kijiji site. And I had some other guys that were doing all the development, and I had a really good eye with graphic design, and that's how it led to fashion. But what we did was I would visualize him shaking my hand and sign the contract. This is the biggest job I've seen. And. And so I'd visualize it. And then the next day, so when we left that Starbucks, he actually shook my hand and we signed it. And that was my first big job.

Wow.

And then, since then, I really did web design. And I'll tell you something, it's really funny because this is all the good stuff, and then all this bad stuff happens because I didn't follow through with stuff. So.

Okay.

So basically, you know, with the website stuff, I. What I do. Okay. So. So when that happened at the end of the year, I got everything I wanted in my list. I forgot a new car. I actually made 98,000, which is still close to 100k. That was. And I've never done anything like that in my life at that age. I was. I was shocked, right? And I moved to young Davisville. It was like a nice, like, apartment condo and.

No bedbugs.

No bedbugs. This time. I travel time. Even when I travel now and I go to Airbnbs, the first thing I do is look up the reviews for Bedbugs. I'm so scared of bedbugs.

Traumatized pts.

Yeah.

Like.

But anyways, you know, what had happened after that is I became really cocky. I was like. I'm like, man, I could manifest anything I want in my life.

Okay.

Started partying, started going out. I was like, you know, I'm not this poor kid anymore. I got some cash, I got a nice car. I live in a nice place. So I started being cocky. But I was. I was still, like, I was buying my friends food. Like, oh, dude, no worries. Dinner's on me tonight. And like, so it was. And I was like. I was, like, really, like, excited. This and that. Stop. I stopped visualizing. Stop being grateful.

Okay. Start. Take it all for granted.

Exactly right. A year later, phone stopped ringing.

Okay.

And, yeah, phone stopped ringing. And basically I was like, okay, it's not a big deal. And then my cash running out, right? And I had about, I think, 5k left. 5 to 10k, sorry. 5. 10k. And basically he sorry. What had happened is I was, okay. Something's got to change because I'm going back to where I started. And I've always loved clothing. And I was like, you know what? I'm going to follow my passion. Web design was fun, but it wasn't my passion. It was to make money.

Okay.

And I've never traveled anywhere before that. Only Buffalo, which we would drive over here and there. But that was it. So I didn't know what traveling was like.

Right.

And so a year later, I saved some cash, and I started putting all these new vision boards up. I put. I want to open up six new retailers. I want to go to the trade show in Las Vegas called Liberty Fairs, and I wanted to become a fashion designer.

Okay.

And so when I was putting all these things up, you know, I started visualizing everything the way I did before and start. And then I went to trade show in Vegas, and basically everything I visualize also came to life. And I was like, this thing really does work.

No, you're a powerful manifesto. Yeah.

Yeah. But it's. It's. It's interesting because you take it for granted. After you get a certain level of, like, things you achieve, you forget about it for sure. And you have to get knocked down a few times.

Absolutely. And, you know, if you're taking the gifts from the universe for granted, then.

Not gonna get it.

Oh, yeah. Then you're gonna learn a hard lesson, you know, and that's why, you know.

I'll go through some of that in a bit too. Yeah. But that's when I met you, actually, and we reconnected. But, you know, I got into six stores, and that's kind of how I built up Caller to where it was to where is now to. I went to a point where we'd be at the trade shows. We were in 300 retailers at one point.

Wow.

Yeah. So we're in Simon's, the Bay, Europe, Japan, Canada, US Pretty much every store. And I was like, the highest I. I was getting with caller, and then I was, okay, what's next? I want to do New York Fashion Week. So I went to New York Fashion Week. I did that, and then all these things happened, and I started taking everything for granted because I was like, after. Because I feel like it's an entrepreneur, you're always working, that you don't stop to be grateful for what you have. You don't stop to be like, oh, wow, I can't believe I did that.

And even when we have a goal, by the time we get to the goal and achieve it, we've already got our sights on a new goal.

Exactly.

So we don't even take the time to pause, celebrate, enjoy.

Yeah.

This moment that we've been working towards because it's like our goal and our happiness is a moving target.

Exactly. Yeah. Yeah.

Even though that goal that you wanted was a huge dream at one point, by the time you get there, it's like you've got a bigger dream.

Exactly. Yeah. That's funny. Yeah. I just, you know, I didn't learn this to, like a few years, like probably a year, two years ago, even doing your course. I was more grateful after that. But I feel like, you know, I was always moving on to the next. I'm not a patient person. And I guess that's a good thing and a bad thing. It's bad if you're going fishing, but it's good, I guess, for business because you want it done right away, but then it. You're going to burn out at some point. And it took me a bit to burn out.

And sometimes in that rush to make things happen, we also push past.

Push.

Through the resistance, where sometimes when there's resistance, it's. It's happening for us to stop, pause, and reevaluate.

Yeah.

Because.

Yeah.

Often when we're facing resistance, it's because there's something out of alignment. And if we continue on when things are out of alignment, there are repercussions to that. Which.

Exactly. What happened?

Which I know. You know well about.

Yeah, no, I. I've always had mentalities like, you know, if I did it when I was young, I could do it again. And, like, just kept going, going, going. And if you could fight through it with your mind, at some point your body's gonna be like, okay, now it's time for the body to show it. Right. And. But basically, you know, so I was. I was in, like, I was building all these things with caller and all these.

While you're building all these things and now you're in 300 stores, how are you feeling about yourself? You know, that. That inner child, that little David who didn't fit in, who was getting picked on, who just wanted to be admired and accepted.

Yeah.

How is that little David feeling now that you're in 300 stores?

Yeah, so at that moment, I felt way more confident, for sure. But it's funny because at the time you think you're confident because of all these things. When you do the inner work, you realize those are not the things that make you truly.

For sure. Because that confidence is based on external validation. Exactly. You know, it's based on things and accomplishments which are temporary.

Exactly. Yeah. You're saying exactly how. And at the time I felt, you know, I felt amazing. All these things that I thought I could not happen. All the things, all the people, all the people that just looked down on me and all the people that said, oh, you wouldn't be anything. I was able to, to change your minds about that. And it's funny because even though the goal was to prove them all wrong, at the end of the day, they'll probably. They'll see it and they're like, okay, I'm just gonna move on with my life too. And it's like, who do you prove after that? All right. Like, you've proved everyone you needed to your family. At the beginning, when I was growing up, like, my, my. Because I was like a bad kid. Mom's like, oh, like, you know, you're. You gotta go back to school and this and that, like, no, I'm gonna do this. And, you know, my family's really happy for me now. But after you kind of do all these things, you're kind of like, it becomes very empty because then you, you're not doing it for someone else. And then you're kind of feel empty that, you know, if you got all these things. It's funny because when we did that inner child breath work with Sandro.

Yeah.

Something happened that had. That. That made me wake up what I was feeling with Caller.

Okay.

Because I was getting exhausted with. With Caller a little bit. Because I've news for years and I would. And because it's my last name, for years I would associate whatever Caller is, is what I am. All those parties I throw.

Yeah.

Is who I am.

So your identity and your self worth were completely wrapped up in the success of your brand.

Exactly. Yeah. If Caller fails. No one wants to be my friend.

Right.

No one's gonna put me, like, hook up that free entrance at a club, whatever. I don't care about it now. But when I was my 20s. Yeah.

For sure. I'd still hook you up, bro.

Yeah, thanks. But it's interesting because, you know, I just. It was funny because, you know, when we knew each other and we would see each other and we didn't really know each other, I knew you for your successful business. I knew who you were, and you knew me for my brand. You know, that was when I was like, in the mindset of, like, oh, I need to like, be the, the biggest brand in the world, whatever, right. And the way I thought was much different. And even though, you know, you'd be like, oh, you have 300 retailers, you should be the happiest, you could ever be. Until you go through a bit more things in life and really do that deep work, then you start realizing, like, what real happiness could really be. And, you know, after achieving all these things, I became really content and bored. I was like, okay. So I got. I did New York Fashion Week. I got those stores. I want to be in those stores. I got celebrities to wear it.

Yeah.

I went to all the parties. I've been backstage with celebrities, concerts, Everything I ever thought I want to be like, do. And then I'm like. And you keep chasing it, but then it becomes boring or dull. It doesn't feel real anymore.

You checked all the boxes in your outer purpose, and, you know, but nothing.

Was being worked inside.

Exactly. And. And yes. So, you know, Eckhart Tolle, I believe it's in the New Earth.

He.

He talks about our outer purpose and our inner purpose. And he says that, you know, when we are in pursuit of our outer purpose, which is accomplishments, money, possessions, external validation, you know, we hustle, we work hard and grind to get all those things, especially for men, because, you know, we grew up with this mentality that, you know, to be a real man, you gotta have money, you gotta have power, you gotta have women, cars, you know, and all the other stuff. And a lot of people think that if they work hard enough, then they're gonna have those things and they're gonna be happy. But many people, they work for years and decades, they finally achieve and acquire all these things. But where's the happiness? And that's when often people turn to vices, Drugs, alcohol, sex, gambling, because they didn't find happiness in all the stuff that they worked so hard for. They try to find not even happiness. It's like numbing themselves from the boredom of the pain. And it's when you accomplish or you achieve those things that you desire in your outer purpose that you then realize that the real good stuff is on the inside. And that's when we make that shift to look for or to discover and look within for our inner purpose. And it sounds like that's exactly the shift you made from checking all those boxes and like, okay, there's got to be more life than. Than this.

Yeah. Yeah. That's funny. Yeah. So it's interesting because right after. So I did New York fashion week in 2020, okay. And that was kind of my last milestone. I'm kind of like. And I was like, what I do after this? Like, I've done everything I wanted to do, Right? And then Covid hit so fast. Show was in February. Covid hit around March, April. So when Covid hit, first thing I thought was like, oh, crap, I might lose my business. I might lose my identity if I lose my business.

Right, right.

So then.

Then who's David?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And this is the same year that I did your program too. Yeah. So I'll talk about that in a second. But with the. With. With COVID happening, first thing I thought of is, okay, I got to. How do I. How do I shift? Because people are gonna lose their jobs. Do people actually want clothing? You know, and I guess for whatever reason, maybe because of Serb. But sales weren't doing too bad for Caller during COVID because I feel like when people are stressed, they want to buy stuff.

Sure.

And I switched to a lot of loungewear.

Okay.

So it still did good. But then what had happened is I started. Look, even though the company was doing really good, I'm good at building a business, and I'm good at making brands, good at making money, but I'm terrible with my money. Not the best guy when it comes to saving.

I could relate, but I know how to make it.

But I still know how to. So basically, I. So Caller was making X Amount. Right. And when I was seeing that, I was like, oh, we're doing great. And I trusted, you know, the financing department.

Yeah.

And. And things keep coming in.

Right.

And I want to focus on just having fun. Yeah. And doing the things I want to do. And what had happened is, when Covet hit, we had to. At first, sales are very slow because all the factories are closed, so we couldn't ship anything. We can sell anything. Near the end, we started making money again. But what had happened is, oh, crap. Like, how am I gonna pay my employees? And this and that. And what had happened is we. I looked at the finances, and I realized how much debt I had. I'm like, shit. Like, there's enough debt to go bankrupt. Wow. And so this is when I started doing the Manifestation again. This is very recent now. And during the time, you know, Caller was still doing the X amount of money it was supposed to do, but at the same time, I didn't pay attention to the. The finances properly. And I remember I couldn't get a mask. It was at the time, everyone was like, you gotta wear a mask or you can get Covid. And my mom couldn't get one. So I decided to make a mass company. And just. It wasn't for the money. It was just. Just for fun, because I was like, I'm doing on the side while I'M building collar because I'm not sure how many people want clothing right now, but I know people want masks.

Like a true entrepreneur saw.

Yeah, yeah.

Avoiding the market.

Exactly.

Hey, I'm gonna do a mask my own way.

Yeah, y. Why not?

It'll be fun.

So it was funny because I was one of the first guys to make a mask with a filter, and it had a thing in it. And so we provided masks for city of Toronto, city of Ottawa.

Wow.

We provided. So I provided masks for a couple companies, and then I found a way to advertise on Facebook.

Okay.

When Facebook's blocking the mask.

Okay.

And I was the only one able to advertise on Facebook, so we pretty much took over the whole mass market the first four or five months.

Wow.

And that paid off all the debts for Caller completely. I just. I don't know.

Power of manifestation. It's a real thing.

Yeah, yeah. But. And then, you know, once I paid off the debts, I had to. You know, at the time, I had a lot of partners in my business that were two partners that were a little paranoid with what. How fashion was going to go. So I cashed them out. So I got the company back to myself, and basically, I was able to kind of be like, okay, now I have the. Now that I realize I was being too much of a party animal and I wasn't looking at the finances, I can kind of refocus on how do I make Caller a brand that has longevity and that's more simplistic in terms of how I run things and not such a crazy internally. It was all crazy. It was messy. So I kind of simplified it, and. And, yeah. So Caller now is a strong company, and it has no debt, and everything's great. But I had to. As an entrepreneur, everyone, you know, most people would have went. Just folded. And I guess for me, I was like, you know what? I'll do this one last thing. And I did the mask thing and then just kind of worked out. But it's. It wasn't really about that. I think for me, it was about realizing, you know, the power of your mind, how. How powerful it is if you. Even at the lowest times. Because when that. When that was happening, I was actually very depressed. I was, like, thinking about, you know, what if Caller actually gets bankrupt? Am I gonna. Our people still want to be my, like, friend? Are people gonna hook me up at the clubs or this and that? And it's just a stupid thought, because at the end of the day, it doesn't really matter, because if they, if they do care about that stuff, you don't want to be with them anyways. But at the time I realized I had such an ego that I always thought I didn't have an ego. And then when I would think like this, like, oh, you still do have an ego because you wouldn't think like this if you had one. And, and so basically, you know, for me that's when, you know, I always told you this. I kept seeing all these weird numbers, like 11, 11, 222, 333. I didn't think much of it. I was like, okay, it just happened to be that number. And then my personal record of my peloton was like 333. And like, okay, I'm like, that's a weird. And I started seeing weird numbers. And then all these shifts started to happen. So first in 2020, you know, I had, I almost went bankrupt. And then I started seeing all these numbers and then the first thing I thought of was I wanted more to life than just building business and making money. Like I was. Even with the money I made for the Mass brand and paying off my debt, I still wasn't truly happy yet. You know what I'm saying? So I think like for me, the main thing I wanted to do was figure out more about what can make me happy. So I started reading more books, I started meditating. And that's when I saw your course online actually. And basically your course online was remote at the time because of COVID And you know, I had a little experience in what meditation was and what like visualization was, as I told you, with manifestation. But there's little things that I didn't look into. I didn't know like different chakras you talked about. I didn't know there was something called breath work. I didn't know you can, you can get into a state that's, that's your almost an out of body experience, which is breath work. Right. And so I remember, you know, the 12 week course was life changing for me. So I appreciate that you helped me a lot during that time because very down and just. It's funny because just when I thought the worst was over in 2021 more things happen, which I'll get into after. But 2020, I was like, yeah, great. I got everything's back to normal with business, but I still wasn't satisfied in life. I was very content and bored with life and I wanted more. And then at first I started drinking again and doing this like drinking and like trying to go out. But Nothing was closed. So nothing was open. And then I did your course and I started meditating more and I started seeing these weird angel numbers when I looked it up and I kept saying, when I googled it, it kept saying like, you're in the right path. Just, just trust your the guides or the universe. And I remember I kept seeing these numbers and I didn't think much of it. And then all these people I started meeting were spiritual, which is weird. So first I reconnected with you and we haven't reconnected for like years because the last time I saw it was on my birthday.

Yeah.

And I was partying. I think you were partying too. But it's funny because all so much has changed and I then it's like meeting certain people that told me about their DMT trips and they would talk about their experience with inner child and like, just like, just like different things. And I started like really seeing all these things and then I kind of just said, okay, you know, it's very interesting, but I need a break. I'm gonna. California. And this was in 2021 now. Right. So California. And again, I'm not a patient person. I'm very like, I would do like 10 kilometer runs, 70 kilometer bike, like just always moving and. And I would be fasting, always trying to see how far I can go.

And where do you think that comes from? The need to constantly push yourself to see how far you can go?

I don't know, I never thought about that. If I had to think about it, like maybe when I was a kid, maybe because I want to see if I can prove myself that I can get to another level. I do enjoy the sweat, but no one needs to sweat that hard. I really don't know where it comes from, to be honest.

What is, what is getting to that other level?

There's actually no level. It would just be how, how stronger or how better can you get? And there's no actual finish line. Same when I started my business. There was no finish line. And I guess I still had that habit of no finish line and just doing it for the sake of doing it. Okay, but you got. What do you think?

I'm just curious because you know so much of what you've shared. You know, there's many parallels between your story and mine. And then I also, I am a manifester and I am a doer. You know, if I've got a, if I've got a goal in mind, I do it to 110. Many of my friends say, you know, I'm very extreme in that sense. You know, if I start competing, I go to the Canadian national, you know, and. And if that's crazy, by the way, I get into personal development, I move to Costa Rica and start hosting retreats. You know, like anything I do, I go 110. And, you know, one of the things that I've learned, you know, over the last few years, and a lot of it has to do with, you know, being alone and living in an environment where things move a lot slower, is that there is no finish line and there is no one checking how fast you get there. You know, it's like the journey to heal, the journey to grow, the journey to discover yourself. It's. It's not a race, you know, it's. And often when you take things slower and you give yourself the time to really be present and to savor and enjoy every moment of the journey, that's what actually makes it worthwhile. Because, you know, we're rushing to this goal, we're rushing to this destination, but then when we get there, we rush past it. We don't even get to enjoy it. And it's actually not, you know, the destination that makes the journey worthwhile. It's the journey itself. So it's something I've had to learn coming from Toronto, being a serial entrepreneur, you know, like you being very much a doer to slow down, pause, take some breaths, look around, enjoy it, and know that there is no rush. There is no finish line. And. And often in that rush, we skip past some of the most beautiful parts of the experience, you know, and. And for me, I. I can look back and see that, you know, I kept myself busy, and I kept myself always moving on to the next thing because I didn't want to be in the moment. I didn't want to be present. I was just so focused on having a good time and wanting to prove myself and have that next thing that I didn't. Yeah, I just didn't give myself the time and space to really enjoy myself along the way. And. And obviously, when you're going that hard and you're pushing yourself beyond what maybe your. Your mind or body can handle, ultimately things break down and, you know, our body will give us clues, the universe will send us signs. And if we don't listen, if we don't pay attention because we're so distracted and so focused on the next thing, then those signs get stronger and stronger as. As I know, you know, So I would ask you to share about that.

No, that's great, man. I think everything you said really aligns with, you know, how I felt. And. Yeah. So I think, basically, where did I leave off?

You're in la, here in California. Yeah.

So again, not a patient person running.

10K, riding 70k, not stretchy.

So my best friends, his name is Ronald, and we went. He's a. He's one of my good friends, and he always teach me about adventure. So I've known him since I was. When I was younger. And he's a flight attendant, so he works for Air Canada, but he constantly travels, and he constantly. He's in Africa right now, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. Yeah, exactly. So I'm always. I always look at him like, man, I want to live a nice adventure like him. And we went to California together during COVID And he likes to work out, too. So second first day of landing, we went. Sorry, second day after landing, the next day, we slept, and then we woke up and was like, hey, listen, let's go for a run. I'm like, dude, get this on Instagram. I'm gonna go for this. Sunset looks nice.

Do it for the gram. Gotta do it for the gram.

And it's funny because I actually have the video. So he's getting the video, and I'm running, and I hit a ditch, and my full foot just, like, literally looks like my foot is, like, completely off. Wow. So I think I twisted or sprained it. I didn't go to doctors, but.

Because that would slow you down. Yeah.

Yeah.

Why would you want to do that? Tell you not to run anymore.

You can't do that.

Yeah.

But. Yeah, a week later, or. Sorry, two weeks later, it started to feel a bit better. So I started kind of, like, putting a little bit weight on it. Not too much. And we went a lot of hiking in California. We're in San Diego at the time. And he's like. He's like. He was going fast. I'm like. In my head, I'm like, I can keep up with him. I'm not gonna be this guy. I don't know why I want to compete with him for no reason. So we started competing.

Yeah.

And then to a point where I was like, full running again, even though I was in pain. And we're doing a turn, and I realized I had those shoes that looks like a sock with no laces.

Okay.

And because it's wearing that, it didn't grip properly. And now I wear shoes with laces to make sure I can when I'm running.

Smart move.

Yeah. But anyways, I twisted My right hand, my right leg.

Okay.

So now I'm like, okay. And the left leg started to get better. So now I'm limping on the one leg now. So it switched, and I feel like the universe was like, okay, you know what? Like, slow down. And I still didn't want to learn. And then me and my buddy were, like, trying to work out at the gym, and we were seeing. We do more reps, which was the worst idea. And we started doing squats, and we're doing squats like crazy. And then my lower back started hurting to a point where my whole leg felt numb. Like, that's weird. So I sound like, dude, like, I'm done competing with you. Like, I go to. I go to the hotel, and I'm just, like, relaxing. I'm like, dude, I'm out for, like, a couple days. I can't move. I started to feel better. A month later, we go back to Toronto. So this is like March, April. Sorry, this is May. So back and two weeks, you know, I was. I was seeing someone at the time, and for two weeks, I was just like, you know, hanging out, skateboarding, just chilling, you know, I was like, life's good. Like, having fun. And then one day, I was on a bike ride, and I fasted this morning. And I'm very used to these bike rides, but I was. I did 70 kilometers. It was a three hours. And then all of a sudden, my left arm went numb. And basically my left arm went numb. I didn't think much of it. I was like, maybe my hand was on the handle too long. Went home two days later, one of my peloton, and I was like, it's fine. The right hand went numb. And then I didn't know what was wrong with me. So I was like, okay, my hands feel really numb. It felt like needles everywhere. And so I went to physio. She did some. I think, what was it? Just some massage on me. And then it got worse. And then to a point where I couldn't lift a laptop, I couldn't lift garbage bags, and certain things. I'm like, okay, what's going on? And I would have the worst back pain. So wait a month, and I get an MRI done, and it shows I had a C4, C5, C6, and C7 herniated disc. And after the MRI was done, the next day, I kept hearing this here beeping like. Like it wouldn't stop. So now I developed tinnitus.

Wow.

That gave me anxiety because I never had tinnitus before. So I developed Tinnitus in my ears. So I had this beeping that was non stop. The pain was crazy. Doctor gave me painkillers and said, hey, you got to take these painkillers to numb your nerves. And I'm very holistic. I don't like taking, like, medicine and stuff like that. And the doctor's like, hey, listen, you're. You're probably not gonna ever be normal again, and you're going to have to do surgery. And the wait is a year. I'm like, I got a year to wait. I might just try to heal myself. And I actually messaged you at the time too, and I was like, you know, do you have any tips and meditation, stuff like that? And you gave me some courses as well. I remember that. Yeah.

It suggested Dr. Joe Dispenza.

That's right. Yeah, that's. That's when you did. Suggested. And then, I'm not gonna lie, I went through a whole grieving process as if someone died.

Right.

And that's. This is the most. And. And then, so 2021, I kept seeing these angel numbers again. So I know there's something happening here. The universe is telling me you don't understand it now, but you will at some point. And I think I'm getting close to what I'm trying to figure out.

The universe gave you multiple signs. Your left ankle, your right leg, your lower back, your hernia discs, and now you're in bed for two months.

I was stuck in bed for two months. And when I say stuck in bed, I couldn't sleep on my side. I couldn't sleep my. My stomach. I would only sleep at this position. If I do one bad turn, I re. Herniate.

Wow.

So I had to wear, like, a neck brace. This was during the summer. So everyone's going out. I'm having fomo. I'm like, man, like, is this. How many is the rest of my life gonna be like this? I had a breakdown. Like, I was like, man, like, I'm. I'm so depressed. And I was like, honestly, I was depressed. I wouldn't want to go too far as saying suicidal, but I was like, having really dark thoughts. And because I'm like, I lost everything. I couldn't go to work my. My business. I was a write off my friends, you know, I would see some friends, but, like, majority couldn't do things that they want to do. They want to go drinking or, like, just go to hang out or do something fun. I couldn't do that. I could walk for 10 minutes. I would run Back to bed because it hurts too much. And I would be laying in bed and my hands were messed up because the spinal cord would squeeze. The. Sorry, the. The disc leaking out would squeeze the spinal cord and connects to your hands. Most people have heard any disc in the lower back. It goes to your legs. You can't walk. For me, it was my hands. And so I couldn't type on the. On my phone. I couldn't. I couldn't start on a computer. I couldn't type my phone. So I do a lot of voice notes, but even the voice that would hurt me because I can't hold it up. I couldn't watch anything. If the TV would have to be in the roof because I couldn't look up, Pillows had to be flat.

Okay.

Anyways, I'm not going too much details with that, but for two months, I was negative. My mind was like, I'm not getting better. I just kept getting worse. And I was on Facebook, groups of other people that herniated discs. All them were like, I've been living this for years. It's not getting better. Just accept the pain. All these people were telling me this and it. And for, you know, even though I was great at manifesting, like, when you're slowed down like this, like, I stopped caring about everything I thought was important. And all I cared about, the one thing all I wanted was my health back. And the doctor's like, you're not going to be able to ride a bike again. You're not gonna be able to run again. You can't work out again. I love working out. I love running. Like, these are things that are part of me.

Sure.

I felt like, you know, I was gonna be this person that can't do anything. Even the time I was seeing a girl, like, she would have to lift my grocery bags for me.

Right.

She would have to do everything for me. And, you know, you. You feel, like, so sad and, like, upset with yourself. And you're like, man, like, how do I get better? And you. You force yourself. And even when I'm doing the meditations for like an hour, two hours, telling my body it's healing. You don't feel. You see results right away. So.

So how did you get better? What did you do that allowed you to now be walking and into, you know, physical.

Yeah.

And mental state that you're in now?

Yeah. So it's about five months in now from the injury. And again, the doctor said I would not get better. And if you did surgery, they would cut your throat here. Put your Spinal cord to the side, put a plate in it and it's 50, 50. Most people don't get better. So five months in, about 75% better. Now we'll do another podcast. I'm 100. But, but basically how I got better was after the grieving process of accepting my situation, you know, I, I started transform myself into like a different person. So here's the thing. When I'm stressed at work, first I do is go to gym and I'm better and better. I couldn't go to gym, right? I go back to my bed, I'm just laying there and you go crazy, right? And so first thing I did was I said to myself, so I had, I had this guy named Cyrus who was, who meditates well. And he was a good friend of mine. And every day he would just do an hour with me. He would do guided meditation and he. And to a point, I remember I had some sessions where I felt my whole body almost like had goosebumps and I felt this energy.

Okay.

And I really, truly believed. And I had to. And I kept telling like, yeah, I'll be. When I was talking to people, like, yeah, I'll be better in a few months. And my buddy's like, dude, don't say that. I'm like, why? He's like, you're, you're attracting, that you're gonna be better a few months, say you're gonna be better. Maybe tomorrow, you don't know. Yeah, and you say it sooner. Don't, don't manifest as me. Takes months or years.

Sure.

And I kept telling myself that I'm better and every time that I was feeling pain, because you'll get like, you'll feel better and all of a sudden you'll feel pain again and go right back down to where you started, right? You're like, off. I'm starting over again. I actually say thank you. I'm like, thank you for showing me this pain because now I know to be grateful. So some days I'll have like flare ups and I would like feel really down about it. But then as soon as I accept the pain and I feel it, I'm like, you know what? This pain's here. It's going to go away soon. It goes away again. So I've been doing, you know, acupuncture, osteopath, physio, this and that. Those have been helping. But I've met two other people during this thing that also had herniated discs. They're fully better. He, he, he's, he did A Iron man, actually. Wow. And he did. What was the other thing? And he teaches people now on how to heal and do certain things. And so when I met him, he inspired me that you could hear yourself and the same thing. I'm like, how did you hear yourself? They did acupuncture, they did physiothere.

Yeah.

They all say the same thing. I said. I told my mind that I was gonna get better.

Absolutely.

And I meditated every day that I visualize myself being better.

And our. And our body reacts to what our mind creates. Like, if we can. If we believe it, we can conceive it and we can receive it. So when you have that vision, when you have that belief and you see yourself running again, working out again, and you tell yourself, every morning, I'm getting healthier every day. My back is healing itself. The body, your energy, responds to that.

Yeah.

So you've gone through, you know, this journey of multiple physical injuries, you know, the ups and downs of business. You know, a couple of years ago, you started this path of personal development and deepening your understanding of spirituality. And having come out of this last.

Yeah.

Episode, we'll call it, you know, Challenge, what have been some of the biggest lessons that you've learned from it? And how has the knowledge and, you know, all this new information that you've received over the last couple years impacted not you, not just on a personal level, but your company? Because, you know, I feel that you're now operating from a different level of consciousness, and, you know, you have this new awareness of yourself.

Yeah.

And how is that impacting how you show up in life as. As an entrepreneur, as a boss, and just as the new evolved version of David College.

Yeah. It's a great question. I think for me, the main thing was I was able to. Now, when I wake up since injury, first thing I think about when I open my eyes is even if I'm in pain or I'm not in pain is I'm alive. I'm so grateful.

Yeah.

And I've heard that so many times, like, be grateful, be grateful.

Yeah.

But it's. You forget after a week, you're like, okay, let's start the day. Yeah, let's go work out. Let's do. Let's have that coffee. But because I lived through the pain for, like, a few months, it was something that I thought about all the time. And it. And it's a blessing. I feel like the universe literally gave me this injury from what I think it is, at least to make me a better person. To enjoy life more. I. I take like, I do four, four walks a day to clear my mind. Never did that before. I take my time to look at the plants, the flowers, the air. And you're actually doing it. When you're doing it without even knowing it, you're being present.

Absolutely. Right.

And when I have a problem with business or issue, I actually do that now.

Yeah.

I've never done that.

Take a walk in nature.

Exactly. Yeah. Walk in nature.

Yeah.

And when I wake up grateful. Nothing in life that is stressful to me before was very stressful, is stressful to me now. Like, I'm very stress free now. Like, something could go really bad tomorrow into my business and I'll still be very calm. Yeah.

So let me ask you, would you say that you're grateful and appreciate what happened to you?

Yeah, I actually am happy. It's funny because if you asked me that a couple months ago, I would be like, I would never want this to happen to me.

And. And if you could, would you go back and change that incident so that it didn't happen?

I wouldn't.

No, I wouldn't. Yeah. And.

Okay, keep going.

And it's important to hear that because, you know, there are people out there who may be bedridden right now. You know, there are people out there who might be dealing with some debilitating.

Yeah.

Illness, injury, you know, some setback. And they're sitting in bed like you were for those two months, having dark thoughts, you know, thinking, oh, my God, is my life going to be like this for us? My life.

Yeah.

For the rest of my life. You know, and you're on the other side of this right now. Like, Even though you're 75, better. You're going to be 100 better soon. Yeah, very soon. Exactly.

I feel it already.

Yeah. Yeah, totally. So for. And that's important that you feel it, you know? Feel it. Yeah. Like Dr. Joe says, feel it, touch it, feel it.

Sure.

And you know, for anybody watching and listening, if you're going through something similar, you know, here is a living proof that it doesn't last forever. And on the other side of this, you have a new awareness. You have new appreciation and gratitude. And most importantly, you've evolved. You've transcended that next level because you know what you're experiencing now and how you feel. This is why the universe kept giving you signs.

Yeah.

You know, this is why the universe, you know, put you in that position so that you could have this conversation. You don't want to slow down. I'll show you how to slow down.

Yeah.

And in slowing down and having to, you know, going through the process of healing and recovering, you, you had these realizations that have now helped you to develop this perspective and.

Exactly.

Awareness. So yeah, yeah, it's, it's beautiful to, to hear and to learn about your journey and you know, I'm excited to see what else you create as this new evolved version of you and you know, with this new awareness, with this, you know, deeper connection to yourself. How has it impacted your company? How has it impacted your team? Like how is caller different now because of who you are?

Yeah. So I used to be like a guy that was fast, fast, fast, making decisions without really planning it. And now that you know, again, I take my time with everything. I'm very patient now. I'm trying to be more patient. I wouldn't say I'm 100 patient, but definitely more patient before I make better decisions. I try to take the time to really listen and understand my employees perspective and how they're feeling and why things are happening the way they do. And I think I'm able to be more empathetic in a way because I can understand. I didn't understand real pain yet. I understood pain of being broke, but there's other pains out there for sure. And then I started understanding pain of not having anything at all, not being able to do anything.

Yeah.

And when I started understanding that pain, I started seeing when I talk to different people that have pain, I'm able to relate better because I'm like, I kind of know what it's like to be that low.

Yeah.

You know, and when you can relate to someone, at the end of the day, I think in life the purpose of life is receiving and giving love and connecting with people and all these adventures that happen in my life and in your life and everybody in the world, I feel like is just little lessons. And like you said, you got to enjoy the journey. And even though for everyone that's in bed right now, even if they're bedridden or they're injured or they're going through an obstacle in life, if it's not health issue related, but when you're in it, you feel like there's no finish, there's no happy scenario, but it's if you can tell your mind to really grasp that, you know, it's dude, I used to meditate to a point where I'd be laughing by myself because I was so happy even though I was fucking injured. But you got to feel that way. And when I was laughing. That's when I felt the chemicals and stuff.

And I was like, yeah.

And I felt like a crazy person.

That's amazing, dude.

And that's when I started truly healing.

That's from the healing attitude.

And then I attracted, you know, certain things. And it's funny, I didn't even, like, know I was gonna be in this podcast till a couple weeks ago. And I didn't start feeling better until recently.

Okay.

Like, this happened maybe four weeks ago, dude.

Okay.

That started feeling better. And then you. And then you messaged me if you hit me up a month ago, before this.

Not ready, man. Yeah.

Not a good mood. But it just happened that all of it kind of aligned, but definitely in business, I'm more calm by having more. I have routines now that I really hold sacred to myself. So being grateful, I always heard of it, but I didn't really understood what being grateful was until I actually experienced losing my health. Got it. And, you know, losing money or business, you can always build that back up when you lose your health, depending on severity of it. You know, at the time, I felt like I was never going to be myself. I lost. I lost David Collar, whatever that was. I wasn't going to be able to do the things I love to do. Run, hike, whatever it was, run a business. I'd just be a guy that couldn't even lift his own grocery bags. And it was sad because. But then, you know, again, like I said, if your mind can change everything in your body and the chemicals and. And you become this person that is healing naturally, you just see the world differently.

Absolutely.

Yeah. Yeah.

And we have all the medicine we need inside of us. We just have to believe that, you know, we have the ability to heal ourselves. So, you know, I just want to acknowledge you for, you know, all the work that you've done over the last couple of years. You know, when. When you did my group course a couple of years ago, I know it was kind of new for you, and you were even hesitant, you know, after, I think, second you tried to bail. I'm like, no, dude, that's not happening. You're not bailing.

Let me.

Actually. I'm not going to let you off like that because that. That's often what happens. Begin the journey should start to come up when we start to look for a way out. But, you know, you stuck with it. You know, you've continued to do the work and, you know, you've developed some solid practices and routines that have allowed you to, you know, evolve to where you are now. So, you know, I just want to share that. You know, I'm proud of you for doing. For doing the work. You know, you're. You know, for someone who's 32 to. To have this level of awareness and to be, you know, deepening your spirituality, it's. It's beautiful to witness. And I know in no time, you're going to be at 100% for sure. And, you know, I just. I'm just. I'm grateful for you to come on this podcast, share your story and, you know, for other entrepreneurs and CEOs and founders of companies out there, you know, when we do our work at the top, it trickles down and impacts our entire company. You know, when we raise our vibration, it's felt throughout the organization. So thank you for doing the work. Thank you for, you know, continuing to wanting to better yourself, and I look forward to seeing, you know, what happens next. I look forward to hanging out with you in Costa Rica this winter.

Yeah, for sure.

Yeah, man, I appreciate you coming on and sharing your journey. It's been beautiful to get to know you better.

Yeah.

And, yeah, man, just keep manifesting, bro.

Thank you. You too. Yeah.