Episode #5 Zarak Fatah | Total Life Transformations (From Toronto Night Life To Digital Nomad )

Zarek. Welcome back to Toronto, Mark.

Thank you. Good to see you again.

How's Costa Rica treating?

Costa Rica treating me quite well. Yeah, it's, it's a big, big change.

Like big change. One of the, one of the architects of what is now King West. You know, you and Ralph and there's a few names in King west that really are the reasons for why King west is what it is. Yourself and Ralph, Peter, Fried Brad Lamb. Right.

John. Unique. Matty.

Yeah, for sure, for sure. Now you're in Costa Rica. Tell me about a day in the life of Zar down in Costa Rica these days.

Yeah. You know, I often joke and say my life down there is very much like Groundhog Day. There's a real predictability and routine to it that I love. Typically I'm up around 6am first two hours, breath work, meditation, stretching, beach walk with my dog. Usually start working around 9am I work from about 9 to 3. After that go to the gym, take my dog back to the beach for sunset. By 6:30 it's pitch blackout. By 9:00 clock you're knocked out, you're in bed and yeah, maybe some reading and rinse and repeat over and over again. That is the Nosada lifestyle, really. You know, it's a town built on surfing, yoga retreats, plant medicine.

How big is it?

It's a population 5,000 people and growing, you know. No, Sara, it's been called the New Hamptons. During the pandemic, lots of people moved down there and they discovered, wow, there's this like spiritual conscious little beach town where people from all over the world are moving to really become the best version of themselves. Yeah, it's a magical.

Many, many people from Toronto.

Lots of people from Toronto. Yeah, because direct flights, because the winters here are brutal and there's just a core of Torontonians there. My Instagram post during COVID didn't help. You know, people were like wondering, how are you having dinner parties for 20 or 30 people and dancing on the beach? It's like life is pretty normal here. So a lot of friends have come down all my retreat, discovered this magical.

Little town fully masked on the beach.

Right. Yeah. So yeah, there's been a big exodus of Canadians coming down there. A lot of people from New York and LA as well. And now we're starting to see more Europeans in Nosada.

Nice. And where do you fly into for Osada?

Liberia. Liberia, Liberian. That's about two and a half hour drive. And there is a Nosara airport so you can actually fly right in and you're like, literally eight minutes from the airport to the beach. Yeah, yeah. It's a special town.

You staying there for a while.

You know, I love living there and I love leaving there. So this is my fifth year being down there. This was the shortest season I've been there with only being there for four months. It's where I'm going to have my family. It's where I want to raise my children. Kids really get to be kids there, you know, which I love. They have such a high level of emotional intelligence, and it's just such a family community. That being said, I am looking for my partner. I am single, and that's why I'm going to Miami for a couple of months. So I do plan on living there. I plan on building my dream home there, raising my kids there. For now, I'm in Toronto for a little while, be in Miami for a bit. And then, of course, with my work, I get to travel a lot. And I do believe that somewhere along the way, I will find my beautiful, conscious goddess and bring her back to the jungle with me.

Amazing. You speaking about being amazing spot for kids. I remember, like, I've done a lot of time in Costa Rica and actually haven't hit the. That area of Costa Rica probably covered about 80% of it backpacking back when I was younger. But I remember hearing a stat. It's like 60% of the world's types of species are in Costa Rica. Like, it's incredible.

Yes. So it's not quite 60. It's 4% of the world's biodiversity is in Costa Rica. And obviously it's a very small country. So for it to have 4% is huge. Like, it's high. And like, you know, like, Costa Rica inspired the movie Jurassic Park. When you go into the southern part, it is. It is paradise. It is really beautiful. Massive waterfalls and the jungle is just so vibrant. And, of course, wildlife. It is a very, very special place.

Amazing.

Yeah, Amazing. I love it.

I'm excited to have you here. Right. Like, one of the points of me getting this podcast off the ground is the exploration of the entrepreneurial mindset. And we've talked about this a few times now. But what it takes to be an entreprene, oftentimes the sacrifices that you have to make in order to be an entrepreneur, not always great sacrifices. Right. Sometimes it's friendship, sometimes it's family, sometimes it's health.

Right.

So having you on here and knowing what you're doing now is huge for me. So I want to start off by reading a paragraph from your website, word for word. If you're already. Sure, give me a second here. I know what it feels like to wake up and not love your life anymore. I know what it takes to start all over again. I know this because I have done a complete 180 degree shift in my own life and had to start from scratch. I'd like to share my knowledge and support you in creating the life you truly want to live. I know how incredible it is to live a healthy, balanced, fulfilling life. I wholeheartedly feel that I am living the life I once dreamed of. You deserve to feel this way too. And you can. I hope you change your life. If you're already. If you're ready to do the work. Yes. So, you know, I watched your transformation. You know, I knew who you were back in the King west days. Like I said earlier. Tell me how you went from your partnership with Ralph and all the entertainment establishments you owned and the restaurants that you owned to living in Costa Rica and this transition. Focusing on this now.

Yeah. Thank you. Being an entrepreneur is a choice. Every day we have many options. How do we choose to invest our time, our energy, our focus? And with those choices come repercussions. So I'll go back a bit. So Ralph and I created 12 companies over 15 years. Award winning restaurants, amazing nightclubs, music festivals, spa, hair salon. We had an amazing run on King West.

I'm still upset about Blowfish.

Yeah, me too, at times. And we were having so much fun doing it because we created Capture Group and our businesses because we love seeing people celebrate life. We love seeing people eating great meals and dancing and taking care of themselves and just really enjoying their fruits of their labor by celebrating life. That's really what our intention was. And we have always been great at it because it came from a place of passion and it was a lot of fun for many, many years. But then it got to a point where it was like, okay, what's next? What else is there for us to do? Because really, when I moved back From Miami in 1999, I had this vision of creating a club like Meads. So once I had achieved that in 2010, I was like, okay, well, now what? And it was really my 40th birthday where I took a step back and realized, okay, I've had an amazing life and I've done a lot. I've did way more than I ever thought I would. Well, what do I want the next 40, 50 years of my life to look like? You know, my friends were married with children. With businesses that were growing that they really loved, and I was still single. I was repeating a lot of patterns in relationships, and I. Lots of passion for what I was doing because I had really done it all. So then I took a step back and said, okay, if I don't disrupt these patterns, if I don't change my ways, I'll wake up at 50 and I'll be doing the same thing and feeling the same way. Actually, I'll be feeling worse than I did in that moment. Now, at 40, it's not that I was disappointed. I just knew there was something else for me, and I didn't know what that was. And I had to look beyond myself. I had to look beyond my own perspective, because I saw myself as, I'm a high school dropout. I'm a nightclub guy. I've been doing this for 25 years. What else can I do? And it was when I discovered the world of personal development and started to discover who I am beyond the layer of Zark, the King Street Club guy. Like, who am I really? And why was I so drawn? The entertainment, hospitality space. Why did I need the fancy car, the designer clothes, and that whole lifestyle? So when I start to unravel that identity and really learn, like, who am I beyond the role that I play, I got to meet this new guy, this different person, and my values changed, the type of lifestyle I envisioned for myself had changed. And I started to work with coaches, I started to go on retreats. I started to learn more about who am I really and what am I about and what is the life that I want to create. And that's what put me on this path of personal development. And through that journey, I started sharing what I was going through with people. And a lot of people were, like, shocked because, you know, I lived a lifestyle that many people admired. And, you know, when I told people, yeah, I'm not really. I don't love what I do anymore, and I want to change, people were quite surprised. But then they were also reciprocating with their own vulnerability, sharing that they're also not happy and they're not feeling fulfilled as well. And I realized that my story was having impact on people. And as you know, I share very publicly on social media. And vulnerability was something that I tried for the first time. Like, I took off the mask and moved beyond the facade of, hey, look at my Instagram reel with my beautiful life, and actually started sharing with people that, yeah, you know, I'm. I'm in debt hundreds of thousands of dollars. I don't love my businesses anymore, and I want a partner, and I can't quite figure this one out. And that story resonated with people. So people were asking me, hey, what books are you reading? What coach are you working with? What was that retreat you went on? And being a natural promoter, I want to share this work with people. So much so that I'm like, okay, well, how can I share this work in a more meaningful way? What would that look like, knowing that my nightclub days were coming to an end? Like, what am I going to do now? And I thought, how cool would it be to take people to Costa Rica and get them off their phones and get them into the jungle and have them doing breath work and meditating and just sharing my journey with them, with the coaches that have been so helpful for me. So I did that. In March 2018, I hosted my first retreat. And on that first retreat, I knew this is what I want to do. This is where I want to put my time and energy. And even though I was owed over a million dollars at Blowfish, I was a majority owner. We had just shut down to begin renovations and had new investors, new lease, new menu, new design. I was going all in on another 10 years. And in that moment when I felt that passion, I felt that thing within me that just said, like, none of this matter. I pulled out my phone, I emailed my partner, Tack, and I said, I'm done. I said, I'm closing the restaurant, I'm selling it for what we can, paying off our debts, and I'm walking away from my money because I had found something more purposeful. I had found something that really felt very aligned with who I was becoming and. And the difference I wanted to make in my Life. So in 2018, I closed Blowfish. A couple of months later, I hosted my second retreat in Whistler. And in November of that year, I moved to Costa Rica. So I've been down there for five years. I've hosted 14 retreats. Now, obviously, the pandemic threw things off for a little while there. When the pandemic happened, I made the transition to full time coaching. And coaching took off very quickly for me because people had been watching my journey and. And I was embodying the change that they wanted for themselves. Many people would like to leave Toronto or leave the city and move to Costa Rica and start all over again. So they wanted to know, well, how did you do it? Like, how are you? How are you living with less but being more happy, you know, because some people, they just can't fathom that. Because what we are conditioned to believe living here in the city is more stuff, means more happiness. And we know that's all a bunch of crap, right? So coaching took off quite quickly. And then it's been an evolution of my coaching. After a year of coaching men and women and even some of their teenage children, I switched to only focus on men. And part of the reason I did that is one of my new clients, who I'd only been working with for a few weeks, committed suicide. And he was a male entrepreneur, police officer, real estate investor on the outside, looked happy, fit, lots of friends, boats, you know, had all of it. But inside there was a depression that he just couldn't shake.

The same old story. Right.

And that's the thing, unfortunately. And that's why I chose to focus on men, because one of the highest segments for suicide are men over the age of 40. And in that moment, I decided, you know, I'm. I'm going to do everything I can to make sure that men are supported and that men feel like they have someone to talk to, because that's what happened to this young man. He felt so isolated. He felt like, I can't talk about my problems. I can't speak to my friends. He didn't know who he could share it with. So he just went down a very deep, dark hole to a point where it was too little, too late by the time we started working together. And it's not an uncommon story. No. So that's why I focus on working with male entrepreneurs specifically. But I do also coach men and women on my retreats, and then I have some group programs launching for men and women as well as. So that's kind of like the trajectory of how I went from Toronto, unraveling that life and identity to hosting retreats, to moving to coaching, and now expanding with many other, you know, ventures that we. I'm sure we'll get into.

I remember watching it at the time because, you know, you and I were never close. We were acquaintances in the neighborhood and say hi and chat every now and then at the different venues that. That we would see each other at. And I remember seeing it at the time. And you're just completely divesting.

Right.

I remember you hitting Facebook on a daily basis. Yeah.

I was selling my belts on the outside.

Not being part of your inner circle, it looked like, oh, this is a midlife crisis. Yeah. You know.

Yeah.

But then as I watched you over the years.

Yes.

And continued to follow you.

Yeah.

It wasn't crisis. It was A transformation.

It was unraveling. It was letting go. It was letting go, letting go of those clothes, those items, all the things that were attached to that old identity, that truly. Why would I buy a $4,000 Tom Ford Blazer? Because I needed you to know that I could afford a 4000 Tom. $4000 Tom Ford Blazer. And when I was clearing out my closet, I kid you not, Mark, I did the math. I had a Turbo S Porsche in my closet in clothing that I could sell for a fraction of the price because I knew I'm not going to wear this stuff again. And it's not me anymore. And I'm sure, just like you, many people watched what happened, what I was going through, and they thought I lost my mind, you know, And I did lose my mind. I had to lose that mind. I had to lose that way of thinking. I had to lose those beliefs that had developed over 40 plus years because that's not who I wanted to be anymore. So I chose to let go of as much as I needed to, to wipe the slate clean, to be lighter. So I can really start from scratch. But with this new level of consciousness. And that's where I think a lot of people really get stuck. Because they're so rooted in their beliefs and so attached to their identity, they can't even imagine what it would be like if they didn't drive that brand of car anymore. They didn't pull up to their office or they didn't live in that neighborhood. Because, you know, we really, we look for that validation from the external. But when you can go deep within and you can get to know yourself and really accept and love yourself, you don't need the validation from the people, the brands, the status or any of that anymore. And that's why I speak a lot about authenticity. Because it's about letting go of all the parts that aren't you. It's about dismantling the false self that you created along the way to help you feel better about who you don't think you are. Because we grow up, we are born. These beautiful little bundles of light and love. And when you held your first child, you know, any of you, and you look at them, could you ever say, you know, son, I don't quite know if you've got it. Like, you know, you're. I'm not sure how this is going to go for you, but you know, good luck.

We are at first sight like it's just instant love.

And we are pure potential. We are pure potential, capable of anything. But along the way we go through experiences, we experience trauma, we are told we can't do this or we should be that. And we develop these beliefs and we go through these moments that shape us. And ultimately our beliefs create our behaviors, our behaviors create our personality, our personality creates our reality. And until you recognize that I don't like my reality, I don't like the way my life looks, I don't like the way I look, I don't like the way I feel. Are you willing to do something about it? And I knew in that moment, on my 40th birthday, if I don't make a change, I'm going to wake up 10 years from now, and things are going to be, I don't want to say worse, but things won't have changed, and I will have felt even more defeated and unfulfilled. So it's about choosing to make that change and then committing to letting go of everything you need to in order to just let go and be free to be that person that you truly desire.

So I've heard you say it a number of times, and you just brought it up, so I'm going to kind of skip ahead on my agenda here. But you know the. The idea of finding your thing, authentic self. I've heard you say that a number of times now. What. What is that process for your clients? Right. How do you. How do you approach them, and what's the process for them finding their authentic self? Like you. So you do yourself.

Yeah. A big part of it is understanding. First off, where is your life out of balance? What parts of your life are you feeling? Any guilt, any shame, any frustration, any resentment? And understanding what is the root cause of those feelings? Often when we're living out of alignment with our values, we are doing things that are not supportive of who we truly are at our core level. Now, most people, they don't know what their core values are. People understand the concept of values, but they don't actually know what their five core values are. Now, your five, five core values really are the pillars as to who you are as a person, what matters most to you, and when you know your values and you can choose to honor those values, you're living in alignment with who you really are. And your world, your work, the people in your life are all a reflection of your values. But if you don't know your values, how do you even know to live in alignment? It's like getting in your car. Car and knowing there's somewhere you want to go, but you're driving along streets that have no names. You're driving along roads that have no guardrails or boundaries. You're just moving forward in life aimlessly to some degree. Your values help you to set boundaries, help to keep you in alignment. And they are what really allow you to have clarity on what is a hell yes and what is a hell no. Because you can use your values to really choose what's true for you. And authenticity is about being the most real, raw, honest version of yourself. Even though it can be painful, even though it can be scary to be vulnerable. It's so important to let yourself be seen and to speak from the heart and not the head. Because our head, it's logic, it's rationale, it's ego and fear based. And when we speak from the heart, we're speaking from a place of love, compassion, empathy. It's our soul speaking through our heart. And often people are scared to speak from their heart because they don't want to be hurt, they don't want to be exposed, they don't want to put themselves out there. And being your authentic self really means just taking off the mask and allowing people to see you speaking from the heart and at the same time really honoring what's most true for you, even when it can be uncomfortable.

It's funny, you've kind of alluded to this earlier when you were talking about when you start putting yourself out there and being vulnerable, people around you started opening up as well. Yes, I've always found that to be right. When there's a strong person in the room being shown vulnerability and open themselves up, there's a chain reaction. It's a bit contagious. Right?

You're giving people permission, you're leading by example and you're showing them like, hey, I can be raw and real with you and I know you're not going to judge me because that's what people are most afraid of, to allow people to see them. Or what if they don't like what they see? What if they reject me? You know, our greatest fears as humans is I'm not lovable and I'm not enough. And we have that fear of rejection. But when you're vulnerable and you're sharing from the heart, I see you, I hear you, I connect to you. I can feel your story because I'm going through something in my own way. And your courage gives me permission to now step into the space of vulnerability. And that's why retreats or group programs or men's groups, women's groups, are so powerful. Because healing in the Collective happens when three things happen. When someone feels safe to open up, they feel that they'll be seen and heard. When they are received without judgment and criticism. And people go through a transformative experience, experience together. That dynamic is deeply healing. Because often, especially with men, we go through things in our life and it could be painful, it could be traumatic, and we push those emotions down. We don't want to cry, so we don't want to look like a wimp. We don't want to complain because nobody wants to hear our crap. We got to be tough, we got to be strong. So we push it down and we push it down and push it down. But just like a pressure cooker, you can only have so much pressure in there until it explodes. And when it explodes, it's not pretty. And when men have an outlet to speak and share, I mean, you, you had joined one of my calls. The minute someone speaks, everybody now wants to talk because they get to say what they don't get to share in front of their best friends, in front of their colleagues, sometimes in front of their wife. They get to share things that have been pushed down. And, and that's how we heal. Through expression, through releasing those stuck, blocked emotions, we're able to move the energy of those emotions and let them out. And that's why crying, yelling, screaming, dancing, punching a bag, whatever you need to do to move that energy, you gotta do it, you know? But again, a lot of us men, we're so numb to our feelings, we don't even allow ourselves to feel that we've become emotionally numb. And we can only do that for so long because the body keeps the score. And those emotions, we push them down and push them down. But those low vibrational emotions, the frequency of those, the energy of those emotions creates disharmony in the body. And the disharmony in the body will ultimately lead to disease and illness. That's a whole other topic we can spend another hour on. But to your point about expression and sharing and being in a container where you can really open up, it could be a breathwork class, it could be an online course, it could be a men's group or whatever. It may be, sharing and allowing yourself to be seen and heard is how we heal.

Yeah, yeah. It's funny, just back to that call that you just referred to that I was on. You had a group of, you know, strong, for the most part, I think, entrepreneurs, I didn't get to know them intimately because it was a very long call, but strong guys, that. And I think that's a testament to the way you ran the call. Right. Like, everybody in that call probably knows you the way I do from the past and what you used to do as a serial entrepreneur and what you're doing now. And I think that you shown the vulnerability that you did on that call and open up about your story. It really knocks down those barriers. Yeah, right.

Like.

Like, it's funny. A bunch of quiet guys listening to you talk were pretty willing to share once you started.

Yeah.

Asking and asking about their lives. Right?

Yeah. And. And that's why, you know, I know that men see my lifestyle, the career I've had, the things I've done, and they admire it. And I want them to know that, yes, I'm proud of what I did, and yes, I was very successful, have been very successful. And it was all a bunch of bullshit. It was a hurt little boy who got picked on and got bullied and didn't fit in, who wanted to open nightclubs and restaurants. So, hey, look at me now. I'm the cool guy now. But it was all coming from a place of pain. And when I could be open and make light of it and just say it for what it is, I give you permission now. Hey, what do you got to share? I shared my shit. Let's hear yours. You know, and it doesn't have to be something you're ashamed of, because, yes, it happened, but that's not who you are. It's just what happened. And I often say that I have no regrets, and I wouldn't change a thing about what I've been through, because everything I've been through has allowed me to become the man I am today. And I love who I've become. And that's why, for me, I will step forward and I will speak first and I will share my shit in front of a group of strangers. Because it's all good. You know, we all go through our situations, and when we choose to learn from those and we choose to be. Choose to have gratitude and see the blessing in it, then there's no harm in sharing it at all. And. And I love seeing guys open up and talk about things. Sometimes on my calls, they'll say, this is the first time I'm ever saying this out loud, and I want to share it with you guys because I've been holding it in for years. And in that moment, I'm just like, this is why I do what I do for these moments, you know? And it's beautiful to see what can. What can evolve out of that space.

You know, I understand that you're a bit. What's the word? Disappointed or. Yeah, disappointed, I guess in the way you lived your life back then. And the superficial aspect I think is the way you see it of the way you, the person that you're trying to be. But I think you think you have to give yourself a lot of credit for what you achieved back then as an entrepreneur. Right. Like the establishments. Like I said, you're one of the architects of King west, among the other people that I named. But there was some huge achievements and when you hear people say no regrets. Yeah, well, there's such a learning process during that, that whole era for you. That is why you are this person and also why you're a good person to be doing this type of coaching and this type of work that you're doing. Yeah, right.

I just want to jump in. So I wouldn't say there's any disappointment.

Yeah, I was trying to word that properly.

Yeah. So when I reflect on my life and what I did, you know, often I'm asked if you can give your 30 year old self any advice, what would that be? The one thing I wish I was, don't buy that person just more present. I just wish I was more present because I've lived such a blessed, fortunate life. As I think about it, like all the hair on my arm stands up. I just wish I was there more in that moment where like opening night of Maison, there's 1200 people in the club. I wish I would have just taken some breaths and looked around and just taken it all in because that night would never happen again. I would be on the most amazing trips. I'm in Paris for Fashion Week or I'm in Turks and Caicos. I'm already planning my next trip. Be there, squeeze the juice out of every moment. You know, that's what I would have told my 30 year old self. And I've blown a lot of money. I've done some silly things along the way, but on my 40th birthday, if I wasn't hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt, if I wasn't single and lonely, and if I wasn't unmotivated and unfulfilled, I don't know that I would have said, enough, I'm ready. If I had millions of dollars in the bank at that point, I might have been like, meh, I'll fly to Miami tomorrow, I'll go to Louis Vuitton, buy myself some and just Band Aid. Because that's what people do when they're financially abundant and they're feeling a little down. They do whatever they can for the dopamine. I'm so grateful for everything that happened. For the landlord at Blowfish who screwed me on my lease, for any of my business partners who didn't do me right, for any of the relationships that didn't work out. I wouldn't change a thing, because every one of those was a beautiful lesson that I needed. To be sitting in this chair right now having this conversation with you.

Amazing.

Yeah, that's great.

So let's get on to your. Your clientele.

Yes.

We start talking about the demographics of your clientele. Tell me who your clientele are, what they're, what they're not. Names. Yeah, but who the people are coming to you seeking your help, and what type of things are they dealing with? Sure.

So I like to say that I work with men who are financially abundant and spiritually bankrupt. And when people say, well, what does that mean? I work with guys who are doing really well. They're in a good place. They're married, they're with kids, with children. They have homes, cars, boats, cottages. You know, they're doing well, and they know something's missing. And they know they could keep doing what they're doing for the next 20, 30, 40 years, but they know that there's something else out there for them. And when you're unfulfilled and you're almost trapped in a company or a role where you're doing really well and you have homes and all these liabilities, you almost feel like you're in your own prison that you've created. So then the drinking starts, the drugs, the cheating, the gambling, the. Whatever it might be, just the overeating or just the lack of joy in their life. It's now starting to cost them something. And they know that they can't keep going the way they are. And they know that they don't know how to figure it out for themselves. So they see my lifestyle, and I'll be 49 in a couple of months. I'm in the best shape of my life. I've gone through this major shift. I know what it feels like to have a company with 300 employees. I know what it feels like to wake up feeling anxiety. And I share with them the processes that I've learned that's helped me to have this balance, to help me help the vitality and the success that I've created. Now, you know, I don't have a problem sharing some names. I work with a lot of realtors, actually. You know, one of my best clients, Nick Regina from Spark Financial. He is a prime example of what happens when you go from good to great to freaking spectacular. His company is booming, scaling. I'm about to begin coaching the entire Spark Financial team. That's great because he's made such a difference.

Good for him for seeing the.

And that's the thing. And Nick and I, we knew each other from the scene, but we didn't really know each other. But he said, I see what you've done, and I don't know what you've done, but I want that for myself. And he gave 110% into the work, and he still does. And as a result, people are just calling him. He's like, hey, man, like, can I come talk to you? Like, deals are just falling into his lap. Because when you're in a high vibration, when you are the embodiment of integrity and people can feel your happiness and your joy, they just want to be around you. And see most entrepreneurs, we work by the model of hustle, grind, chase. When I work harder, I'll have more. I'll be happy. That's the old paradigm. And what I teach my clients is, how about you be more yourself, you be more authentic, you do what you love, you do it in flow, and you'll have everything you could possibly dream of. So it's a different paradigm as to how to operate. So I teach my guys how to take care of yourself, first and foremost, before you turn on your phone, you have your coffee, you start answering emails, what do you need to do for yourself so that by the time you start work, you're in such a high vibration, you are in a state of attraction. Now, a lot of people, they can't wrap their heads around that because we grow up in a society in a paradigm of hustle, hard, no pain, no gain. The guy with the most toys wins, you know, and that's the mentality, and that's what's freaking killing men, because that's what we think we need to do, do to survive and be successful in this world. And it's not so. I work with men who know they're not tapping into their full potential. These are men who know that they have a next level of life to enjoy and that their habits, their beliefs, the patterns that are running in their life could possibly cost them everything they've been working towards. And why I really do what I do is because the men I work with, their children, are different humans. They will be different humans in this world because of the work that me and their dad get to do. My clients show up as better husbands, better fathers, better community members, better leaders. And that's why I do what I do, because I'm blessed and fortunate to have been able to create this transformation in my life. But it's meaningless if I don't share this with other people, because people like Nick now and some of my other clients, they're now turning around and they're coaching their teams. They are now helping people who are dealing with their own issues, saying, hey, man, like, I see the change you've made. Like, what are you doing? Just like, people came to me six, seven years ago, ask me, what books am I reading and what coaches am I working with. That's now happening for my clients. So the roi, the ripple of impact that I'm creating with this work is my legacy. And each and every one of the men I work with, they are their own leaders. They are their own coaches in their own communities, and it's beautiful to witness and see. Yeah. And that being said, I also, I'm launching a new coaching program for men of all ages. You know, because my coaching is, you know, it's four months, it's 20k, it's not cheap. But again, the ROI is unlimited. You know, I have one client who called me up a couple weeks ago. He made $10 million in a week. Now, he's a very successful entrepreneur who's made a lot of money his lifetime. But he said, I made $10 million in a week, which is not uncommon. He said, I've made it in a week easier, with less stress than ever before. And he's like, it's because you taught me what breath work is. You taught me how to reset myself. By the time I pick up my phone, I'm so clear, I'm so focused, that that deal came together seamlessly. And that's because of what you taught me.

It's very rewarding, and I think, you know, you just said it. But the impact on kids, Right. Like, we're products of our environment. And if children grow up in a household with someone that's wounded, tight and having issues, that is brought on by the stress. Absolutely. Of entrepreneurship and, you know, business in general. Yeah. They're products of their environment.

Children are so sensitive to energy.

For sure.

Children pick up on everything, you know, so when you come into the home stressed, anxious, frustrated, your kids pick up on that before you open your mouth. And again, between 0 to 6, a child is developing their belief system. So if you come home angry or frustrated and you neglect your child, not intentionally, but just because you're on the phone, that develops a belief in that child. I'm not worthy. I need to yell or scream to get daddy's attention. And that belief then develops into someone needing to prove themselves in life to get validated, you know, so these beliefs that develop that young, formative age will shape your child's future. And that's why, say, the work that I do with my clients plays a huge role in who their children become because they're just more present, they're more aware, they're more loving with their family.

That's an incredible thought.

Yeah.

So you, you have, you have one on one coaching.

Yes.

Clients, you have group sessions now, right? Tell me about the benefits of each. And yeah.

So, you know, obviously with one on one coaching we get to go really deep. I have a four month framework that my clients and I go through and obviously massive transformation doesn't happen in four months. The first four months are really about studying the foundation and one to one we can go really deep and we can talk about all kinds of stuff because I'm, excuse me, because I'm a serial entrepreneur. We can talk about business strategy and new projects or we could talk about deepening the intimacy with your wife. It can go really any way. The group program I'm launching is going to be for both, for men of all ages. I have guys that are 19, I have guys that are 55. And it's a, it's a group program for men who have reached out, who want coaching, who necessarily can't afford the one to one coaching. And they'll be learning the same framework that I teach the one to one clients, but in a group setting. Now why group coaching is so powerful, first program I ever did was with 160 people in a room for three and a half days. You can sit there quiet, not say a word the entire time, but the stories that you hear, the shift in perspective that you're going to experience by learning from other people is going to create a difference for you. And as you said before, having container where people can open up and share and have the space and permission to really just express what's needed is hugely healing. So it'll be a powerful group container of men of all different ages and backgrounds to share, to learn and grow and connect with one another. So that program starts June 5th. And then I have the Spark Financial. I'm going to be coaching a team of 14 for four months. We're going to be doing an in person event in Toronto and then we're ending it with a three day retreat in Muskoka and I would like to do more of that because obviously being able to help transform a company and help them elevate their company culture and the opportunity, the synergies that are going to come out of that, I can't even imagine. So it's a bit of an experiment which I'm really excited about. I host retreats and the retreats are for men and women. I've hosted retreats in Bali, Muskoka, Tofino, of course, Costa Rica. I usually about two to three a year. I host my next one is going to be in Costa Rica focusing on life, longevity, biohacking and really just learning how to cleanse the body. I do offer psilocybin on the retreats and those it's done in a ceremonial context to really help people to release what has been bubbling up through the week as we go through the workshops and activities. Retreat is designed to let whatever's there in your energetic field, in your belief system bubble up to the top. And then the psilocybin ceremony is really about releasing that energy and really helping you.

Sorry to interrupt, but is the psilocybin ceremony in a group format?

It is group format, yeah. So 12 people, two to three facilitators, space holders, and it is a four hour journey with psilocybin sound baths. It's done in a ceremonial context to again to allow people to release what's been suppressed because psilocybin stimulates neuroplasticity. So you are developing, you're letting go of old beliefs and your learning, you're discovering, you're exploring new possibilities for your life. And it's a very powerful way to rewire your brain, literally. And you know, there's lots of studies and data out there now on the benefits of psilocybin, whether it be microdosing or macrodosing, and the positive impact it could have on depression, anxiety, addictions. And I feel that within the next year or two, psilocybin will be legalized. It is the new medicine. And then I'm launching online courses. So for people who want to just, you know, do it themselves, you know, buy a program, do it online at their own pace, that'll be launching later this year. You know, my, my vision is really to reach as many lives as possible, whether it be through retreats, one on one coaching, group programs or online courses. It's really, I just want to share what I've learned and what's been helpful for me with as many people as possible because truly there are not enough coaches and therapists on the planet to support the mental health crisis that we're experiencing right now. You know, the pandemic really amplified the existing mental health crisis and people now are ready to ask for help. They're. The stigma of mental health and coaching and therapy has changed. You know, I was at other ship last night and it was a men's night with 30 guys and it was so beautiful to see 30 men open up and share and be vulnerable and lean in to that discomfort five years ago that not that wouldn't have happened in Toronto. So it's beautiful to see that there are places like other ship and people who are willing to step into a group container and just be open and say, you know what? I'm not. Okay. I'm dealing with this. And I don't know what the answer is, but I just want to say it out loud right now and it's beautiful to see.

So yeah, I think you're right. Like the barriers have been, there's been a lot of work Right. Over the last few years on mental health and just breaking down that stigma. But I also, like I said earlier, when you're in a group session like that and it just takes one strong leader.

Yes.

To open up and it's amazing how contagious that is. Yeah, people just feel like it's almost like they just want to get it off that they've just been bottling up for so long and, and you know, we witnessed the other night on our call. Right. So yeah, kudos to that. What the, what's your, your end goal with this? Right, where, how far do you want to take this?

Yeah. So ultimately, because I love building community, you know, from throwing music festivals to parties. I love bringing together like minded people. I could see ultimately me having, I would say, not just a retreat center, but almost like a community, like a residential development where what I teach and the ethos of my work is really how the community lives and operates by truly in living with intention, living consciously supporting one another in a very high vibrational environment. So, you know, that could look like something in Costa Rica where we're eating healthy organic food, we're close to the ocean, you know, our children all play together, we, we support one another and you know, we're really just honoring the land and really just living our best lives and having people come to the retreat center, teaching them that you don't have to live that way if you don't want, you can learn from what we've created and bring that back into your life. Because a lot of people say, oh, it's wonderful that you can live like that in Costa Rica, you can live like that here in the city. But you have to first learn the process and choose to really practice that each day. So I, I'm a big fan of what Mindvalley's created. I was recently at their event A Fest in Cartagena a couple weeks ago and I would love to do a wellness personal development type festival, whether it be two or three days.

Bringing mind values.

Mindvalley, yeah, Mindvalley is the number one personal development company in the world right now. It's like the Netflix of personal development. They do 100 million a year in sales. They have their A fest event, they've got master classes with like the best of the best coaches in the world. They have group containers like masterminds that Vishen runs and it's a really beautiful community. So I look at Mindvalley as inspiration as to what I'd like to create. Of course, doing it with my own flavor. However, I do see myself doing a two or three day festival in a beautiful destination with the coaches and the people that I work with, sharing this work with others. And I'm starting something now. There's an event I have this weekend called the Path and I'm bringing together kind of my hospitality background and my love of getting people together for a great meal and good music and socializing, but in a non traditional space, working with beautiful venues and offering talks and workshops about personal development, spirituality, about, you know, the different principles that I speak about, but in an approachable way, in a way that's fun and engaging and offering breathwork and giving people like a little taste of this is what you would experience if you went on a retreat or this is what it's like to be in a room with 40 or 50 like minded people who all want to be the best version of themselves. So this event called the Path, I have one in Toronto this weekend. I intend to do one in Montreal, Vancouver, Miami, Louisiana. As I travel, I want to host these events and just introduce people to the work and let them know like, hey, it doesn't have to be so serious and it doesn't have to be so intimidating. You know, you could have fun with it and, and just make it more, I would say, approachable.

Where, where is the event this weekend?

This weekend it's on the third floor of borrowing in their event space and by the time this airs it probably will have already happened. However, I will host Another one in September. That one will probably be about five or six hours because I'm going to have an ecstatic dance element. I'm going to lead two exercises which will be very helpful for people in beginning their journey or diving deeper in. And then we'll end it with breath work. There'll be a culinary element to it as well. So, yeah, I just want to bring good people together who are ready to learn and have fun and connect. Yeah.

And where do people see these events? On your site, I assume.

Yeah, on my site. But typically, you know, I share mostly on my Instagram, so I'm sure you'll put my handle down below. But people can follow my Instagram. I send out a newsletter that updates people on what I got going on. And, you know, for anybody in Miami, I'll be doing breath work there all of June and July, hosting some workshops down there. So.

So sorry, what's your site? If you don't want to say it so people hear it.

Yeah. So my personal site is just my name, zarakvata.com and then my Alive Experience site, the URL is changing. It is right now thealive experience.com but it will soon be the Alive life. Yeah.

And Instagram handle.

My name is Ar. Fata. Yeah. Z A R A K F a T A H. Yeah.

Okay.

Yeah.

So wrap up here.

Yes.

For some reason, everybody gets stressed with these. This, this is the question.

Yeah.

What's your favorite neighborhood in Toronto?

I. I really love the beaches. You know, it. It's important to be close to the water for me and taking my dog down there. I love that it's very family friendly. I love that people make eye contact in the beaches. You know, that's one thing I've noticed being in downtown Toronto, people don't want to make eye contact. But like people in the beaches, they're like, they're like, they're ready to see you and smile and my dog loves it down there.

It's the Vancouver of Toronto.

Yeah, yeah, exactly. And I grew up not too far from the beaches, you know, growing up in. I grew up in Scarborough. I used to call it Upper Beaches, but it was Scarborough. And so it's. I have a lot of history there and a lot of amazing restaurants and cafes there. And I, I also, I stay in the Ossington area and I like Ossington because it's just hip and cool. Cool and kind of quirky and always bump into lots of good friends around there.

It's such a great restaurant scene.

Yeah.

Really, really great and then speaking of restaurants.

Yes.

Your top two favorite restaurants in Toronto. This is the stressful question.

Yeah, no, well, I mean, the stressful part is I have like 50 favorite restaurants, right. But I really miss sushi, you know, now that Blowfish is closed. And Akira Back is fantastic. I really love Akira Back. That's the one of of my favorites, for sure. And Casa Madera, I had dinner there for the second time this weekend. And I love the fact that they just, they bring together all the elements to make it a great meal, but also with a really awesome vibe. And yeah, I love Mexican food. You know, I also, I love pizza. You know, I love Toronto and Libretto and I love Toronto Beach Club. I love Amal or. Or. Yeah, Toronto has so many amazing restaurants now. And. Yeah, and I gotta catch up because after this Michelin star rating thing, there's all these amazing restaurants that have got Michelin stars I haven't even heard of, you know, So I think on my next trip, when I come back in September, I gotta try experiencing some of these newer places.

Amazing. That's great. Well, really pleasure having you on here. You've been very inspirational. So thank you. I'm really looking forward to talking to you in the future.

Yeah, looking forward to diving deeper and continuing the conversation, for sure.

Awesome.

Thanks for having me.

Thanks, Eric. Take care.