Why I'm Happier Broke: A Millionaire's Revelation.

A Broke Millionaire
14 Jul 202428:03

Summary

TLDRThe speaker shares his journey from a broke university graduate to a millionaire with a clothing brand, Modres, which experienced rapid success but faced ethical dilemmas in the industry. Disillusioned by the lack of morals and integrity in business, he sold the company and sought a more fulfilling life. He moved to Baja, Mexico, where he found happiness living sustainably and inexpensively, focusing on creating with integrity and enjoying life's simple pleasures.

Takeaways

  • ๐Ÿ  The speaker is currently staying in a house in Todos Santos, just north of their property, to avoid the hot season and enjoy a more comfortable environment.
  • ๐ŸŒก๏ธ The hot season in the speaker's area typically lasts from July to October, with temperatures reaching up to 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit).
  • ๐ŸŒŠ The speaker is considering installing a geothermal air conditioning system in their camper for year-round comfort.
  • ๐Ÿ’ก The speaker started their entrepreneurial journey at a young age, focusing on designing clothing and logos, which eventually led to the creation of a successful clothing company called Modres.
  • ๐Ÿ’ผ After graduating from university with a business and political science degree, the speaker initially worked for a lacrosse clothing company before launching Modres.
  • ๐Ÿ“ˆ Modres experienced rapid growth, going from a negative $770,000 in the first year to $10 million in sales by the fifth year, and was featured in various business magazines and newspapers.
  • ๐ŸŒ The speaker faced pressure from major retailers to manufacture their products in China to reduce costs, which conflicted with their values and commitment to manufacturing in Canada.
  • ๐Ÿ’” The speaker became disillusioned with the fashion industry, feeling that it lacked morals, ethics, and integrity, focusing solely on profit and not caring about the impact on workers or society.
  • ๐ŸŒณ The speaker moved to the West Coast of Canada to pursue a more sustainable and environmentally friendly lifestyle, but found the industry and people to be unappreciative and negative.
  • ๐ŸŒž The speaker eventually relocated to Baja, Mexico, where they found freedom, low living costs, and the opportunity to build a life with integrity, focusing on personal fulfillment and community building.

Q & A

  • What was the speaker's educational background?

    -The speaker graduated from university with a business and political science degree.

  • What was the speaker's first business venture?

    -The speaker's first business venture was designing clothing and starting companies in the clothing industry.

  • What inspired the speaker to start his own clothing company?

    -The speaker was inspired by the excitement of Nike shoes and wanted to design shoes, which eventually led to starting a clothing company.

  • What was the name of the clothing company the speaker started?

    -The speaker started a clothing company called Modres.

  • How did the speaker's company perform in its first year?

    -In its first year, the company had a negative balance of $770,000.

  • What was the company's financial status by the fifth year?

    -By the fifth year, the company was doing $10 million in sales and was featured in business magazines and newspapers.

  • Why did the speaker eventually leave the clothing industry?

    -The speaker left the clothing industry due to disillusionment with the industry's lack of morals, ethics, and integrity, as well as the pressure to manufacture in China.

  • What was the speaker's reaction to the idea of manufacturing in China?

    -The speaker was against manufacturing in China due to ethical concerns about the treatment of workers and the nature of the communist system.

  • What was the speaker's motivation for moving to Baja and starting over?

    -The speaker moved to Baja to find a better way to live, to build something with integrity, and to live a life that was not solely focused on making money.

  • How does the speaker describe his current lifestyle in Baja?

    -The speaker describes his current lifestyle in Baja as being relatively poor but incredibly happy, with the freedom to enjoy life, build his own house, and engage in activities he loves.

  • What is the 'Hero Formula' the speaker mentioned?

    -The 'Hero Formula' is a program the speaker is working on to help people build something with integrity and purpose, not just for the sake of making money.

Outlines

00:00

๐Ÿ  Transition to a New Chapter

The speaker begins by setting the context of their current situation, having relocated to a house in Cabo Santos due to the upcoming hot season. They mention the cost-effectiveness of living in this area and their plans for a geothermal air conditioning system. The speaker also alludes to a significant event they heard on the news about Trump but chooses not to delve into it. Instead, they express their intention to share their personal journey, starting from their university days with a business and political science degree, through their entrepreneurial ventures in clothing and the creation of the brand 'modres'.

05:00

๐Ÿ‘• The Rise and Fall of a Clothing Empire

The speaker recounts their journey from founding a clothing company called 'modres' to its rapid success, achieving $10 million in sales within five years. They describe the company's growth from a single employee to 40, their personal recognition, and the challenges faced with large retailers pressuring them to manufacture in China due to lower costs. The speaker expresses their disillusionment with the fashion industry's lack of ethics and the pressure to compromise on quality and manufacturing location for the sake of profit.

10:01

๐Ÿ›๏ธ Battles with Retailers and Ethical Dilemmas

The speaker details their strategic efforts to get their clothing line into stores despite initial rejections, by leveraging student interest and demand. They discuss the power dynamics and demands of large retail chains, which eventually led to a pivotal moment where a retailer suggested making lower-quality products to increase sales volume. This incident, along with the broader industry's disregard for ethical manufacturing practices, led to the speaker's decision to leave the business.

15:02

๐ŸŒ Disillusionment with the Fashion Industry

The speaker reflects on their growing disillusionment with the fashion industry, highlighting the moral bankruptcy and lack of integrity they witnessed among executives and large companies. They express a deep-seated desire to create and contribute positively to society, rather than being part of a system that exploits people for profit. The speaker's values, shaped by their education in business and political science, led them to reject the industry's practices and seek a different path.

20:02

๐Ÿš€ Pursuit of a Life with Integrity

The speaker shares their aspirations to build something with integrity, motivated by a desire to improve lives rather than solely focusing on profit. They discuss their personal journey, including dealing with their father's illness, divorce, and a move to the West Coast of Canada. The speaker also mentions their attempts at sustainable clothing and the challenges of operating within a market that demands cheap, disposable products. Their narrative culminates in a realization that they seek a life of adventure, creativity, and contribution to society.

25:05

๐Ÿ–๏ธ Embracing a New Life in Baja

The speaker describes their move to Baja, Mexico, as a conscious decision to live a life aligned with their values. They appreciate the freedom, low cost of living, and the opportunity to build a self-sufficient lifestyle. The speaker contrasts their previous life as a millionaire with their current, simpler existence, highlighting the happiness and fulfillment they now experience. They express gratitude for the community they've found and the ability to pursue their passions without the pressures of the Western lifestyle.

๐ŸŒฑ Creating a Sustainable and Fulfilling Life

The speaker concludes by emphasizing their commitment to living in harmony with nature, building their own home, and enjoying the freedom to pursue their interests. They reflect on the importance of community and the joy of sharing life with like-minded individuals. The speaker's narrative is a testament to the power of prioritizing personal fulfillment, creativity, and sustainability over material wealth.

Mindmap

Keywords

๐Ÿ’กEntrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship refers to the process of designing, launching, and running a new business, which typically involves risk-taking and innovation. In the video, the speaker discusses their entrepreneurial journey, starting businesses from a young age, and eventually creating a successful clothing brand called modres. This concept is central to the video's theme of personal growth and the pursuit of meaningful work.

๐Ÿ’กGeothermal Air Conditioning

Geothermal air conditioning is a type of HVAC system that uses the earth's stable underground temperature to provide heating and cooling. The speaker mentions plans for a geothermal air conditioning system as part of their new living arrangement, illustrating their interest in sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions, which ties into the broader theme of seeking a better way of life.

๐Ÿ’กTariffs and Duties

Tariffs and duties are taxes imposed on imported goods, designed to protect domestic industries by making foreign products more expensive. The speaker talks about the impact of such tariffs on their business, leading to pressure from retailers to move production to China, which is a key point in the narrative where ethical concerns about manufacturing practices come to the forefront.

๐Ÿ’กManufacturing in Canada

The term refers to the process of making goods within the borders of Canada. The speaker expresses a fondness for manufacturing in Canada, highlighting the benefits of supporting local workers and the economy. This is a significant aspect of the video's message about valuing local communities and ethical business practices.

๐Ÿ’กFast Fashion

Fast fashion describes a retail approach that emphasizes quick production of low-cost clothing to meet rapidly changing fashion trends. The speaker criticizes fast fashion companies for their poor quality products and unethical manufacturing practices, contrasting this with their own values and the desire for sustainable and quality production.

๐Ÿ’กCommunism

Communism is a political ideology that advocates for a classless society where the means of production are owned and controlled by the community as a whole. The speaker uses the term to describe their objection to producing goods in China due to the country's political system and its implications for worker rights and freedoms, which is a central part of the ethical dilemma faced in the video.

๐Ÿ’กWealth Gap

The wealth gap refers to the disparity in the distribution of income or wealth among different social classes. The speaker reflects on the negative impacts of the wealth gap, expressing a desire to contribute to a more equitable society by supporting local employment and sustainable business practices, which is a key element of the video's message on social responsibility.

๐Ÿ’กSustainability

Sustainability generally refers to the ability to maintain processes or states into the indefinite future, often in reference to environmental, economic, or social aspects. The speaker's interest in sustainable living and environmentally friendly practices is evident in their new lifestyle choices and is a recurring theme in the video, emphasizing the importance of living in harmony with nature.

๐Ÿ’กCommunity

Community refers to a group of people living in the same place or having particular characteristics in common. The speaker discusses building a community in Baja, which is part of their new life's purpose. This highlights the importance of social connections and shared values in creating a fulfilling life, as depicted in the video.

๐Ÿ’กIntegrity

Integrity is a moral principle that involves being honest and having strong moral principles. The speaker repeatedly emphasizes the importance of integrity in their new endeavors, contrasting it with the morally bankrupt industry they left behind. It is a fundamental concept in the video, underpinning the speaker's quest for a meaningful and ethical life.

๐Ÿ’กFreedom

Freedom, in this context, refers to the personal liberty to make one's own choices and live life according to one's values. The speaker values the freedom they found in Baja to live life on their own terms, build their own home, and pursue their passions without the constraints and pressures of their previous life, which is a central theme in the video.

Highlights

The speaker discusses the context of their current situation, including their relocation to a house in To Santos due to the upcoming hot season.

Mentions the plan for a geothermal air conditioning system as part of a new living arrangement.

Reveals the low cost of living in To Santos and the speaker's intention to get a sense of the community.

Shares the journey from university graduation with a business and political science degree to starting various clothing businesses.

Details the creation of the brand 'modres' and the initial financial struggles of the business.

Describes the rapid growth of modres to $10 million in sales within five years and the recognition in business media.

Highlights the grassroots marketing strategy involving traveling to universities and colleges to promote the brand.

Reflects on the transition from one employee to forty and becoming a millionaire before 30.

Expresses disillusionment with the fashion industry due to unethical practices and a lack of integrity.

Narrates the story of a licensing deal for shoes made in China that fell apart, leading to a lawsuit and the decision not to continue with shoes.

Discusses the pressure from major retail customers to manufacture in China due to lower costs.

Recalls a pivotal meeting with a store owner who wanted products to wear out faster to increase sales volume.

Describes the moral and ethical conflict with the industry's disregard for human welfare and environmental impact.

Shares the personal journey of moving to the West Coast, struggling with the industry, and seeking a more fulfilling path.

Talks about the desire to build something with integrity, not solely for profit, but for the betterment of society.

Explains the move to Baja for the freedom, low cost of living, and the opportunity to live a life aligned with personal values.

Conveys the happiness and fulfillment of living a simpler life, being part of a community, and pursuing creative projects.

Emphasizes the importance of living in harmony with nature and building a sustainable lifestyle.

Shares the joy of daily life activities, such as surfing, biking, and spending time with friends, made possible by the change in lifestyle.

Transcripts

play00:01

so how did I get

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here that is what I wanted to talk about

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today now about 20 minutes ago uh Trump

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was uh shot uh on the news and uh I kind

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of expected it um I won't get into that

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but I just want to give you some context

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of what I'm making this the other thing

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is you probably notice the background is

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a little bit different it's because I am

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in a uh a house in too Santos which is

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just North of my property and it's

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because we're about to come into the

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uh pretty crispy hot season which is

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typically like July August September and

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then into October as well where it gets

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in the uh in Canadian like 40ยฐ close to

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40 degrees 38 to

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40ยฐ um or 35 to 40 degrees really in

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American uh or Fahrenheit uh 100 Dees

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now I'll also say that I talked to a few

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friends uh who are in BC and there's a

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heat wave there and it's way hotter

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there than it is here so but I I haven't

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built out my camper yet for full air

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conditioning and I have a plan for that

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which is a geothermal air conditioning

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system but that I'll tell you about in

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another video because there's a whole

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new Arrangement I'm going to sort of

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whole new living arrangement I want to

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build this this year so that I will be I

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will be uh able to to live there

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comfortably and I think that's the real

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key here comfortably uh for uh all year

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round but the cool thing is is that uh

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to rent a beautiful place I'm on the

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beach as well uh is very very

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inexpensive here I did it so that I

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could uh have some AC be comfortable and

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also get a sense of Toto Santos which is

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a I don't even know the population I'm

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going to say it's 15,000 maybe the most

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great little town though good little

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Community here as well so so but what I

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wanted to really talk about was how I

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got here and the gradual sort of steps

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that it took and I'll start

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from I won't start from the absolute

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beginning but I'll start from when I

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graduated from University and uh I

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graduated with a business political

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science uh degree and before that and

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during that time I had been starting

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businesses of my own and all those

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businesses were actually clothing

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companies because I was good at

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designing

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clothing and at drawing and designing

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logos and stuff like that so starting

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when I was a kid so I I had since I was

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15 years old been doing various sort of

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art business things uh to make money and

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I enjoyed it I liked it and so I came up

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with an idea when I was in university uh

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in an entrepreneurship course to uh

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create these sort of casual pants hos

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kind of like Hospital pants with buckles

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and stuff like that came with a brand

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called modres but originally when I

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graduated from school I was completely

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broke and so I had to go get a job I got

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a

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job designing clothing in in for

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lacrosse in that realm because I had

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started a uh a company in just going to

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tournaments in the Summers and selling

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lacrosse related clothing and it did

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very well and then this company hired me

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out of out of school and then they fired

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me within 10 months but I had brought to

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them this idea of these pants and that

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University and college students would

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love them and they were inexpensive

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about 20 25 bucks and I thought it was a

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great idea the company I was working for

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didn't and I had a little bit of an

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issue with uh one of the owners and sort

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of at the same time that I was like I

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think I might be done with this they

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were like you're fired and so I started

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this company called modres and to give

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you the the the short version of the

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long story I started it and uh first

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year was uh negative $770,000

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and by the fifth year we were doing $10

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million in sales being featured

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on all of these Business magazines and

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all these newspapers it was a runaway

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success and for a number of reasons a

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lot of the reasons were I would travel

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to concerts and events all over Ontario

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and all over parts of Canada to promote

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this and it was an under underground

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thing and I went to universities and

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colleges and promoted it as well anyway

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I went from one employee in the first

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year to 40 employees by year five and uh

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and I was a millionaire before I was 30

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years old and famous within the Toronto

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realm and people knew about the company

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and everywhere we went it was uh I was

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hailed as some kind of genius and things

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like that so and then eventually I just

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dumped the company I quit and I left it

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and then moved across the country

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but part of the reason why I started the

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company because I I had dreamed of like

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Nike shoes came out when I was 12 years

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old that was the first time I'd heard of

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Nike shoes and I was excited about all

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these colors and these cool shoes and it

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was just really very a very cool thing

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and Nike inspired me and I was like I

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want to design shoes one day and so I

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started with clothing and then

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eventually we actually did Design shoes

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funny enough though they designed them

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they was a licensing deal they made them

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in China and they got in here and they

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started to fall apart so I told all the

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customers to return them and then the

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licensed people sued us for me saying

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that and then we

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won and uh and I didn't do shoes but

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that is probably the microcosm of why I

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left quit the business we made

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everything in Canada you know I loved

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manufact 400 sores I loved Manufacturing

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in Canada really I would go to I lived

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in the factory I rented office space in

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the factory for the first year loved it

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got to know the manufacturer Nick Russo

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became like family the all the sers

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there was a various people Chinese

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Filipino Italian Portuguese like

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Koreans um you know all these ladies

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that were sewing all these people I

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worked with and it was great it was like

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um it was like a really family

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atmosphere and the growth and Tra

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traveling to all these events and

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meeting all these people and it was just

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a really amazing amazing time in my life

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and I got to design a whole bunch of

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stuff and really do some cool stuff that

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I I'd always dreamt of doing when I was

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when I was a kid but what happened and

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what started to happen well actually the

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the big thing that happened was in the

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year 2000 in Canada uh there were

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tariffs and duties that they put on

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Chinese import goods and they were

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around 30% so if you brought stuff in

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from China you would have to pay an

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extra 30% let's say something cost $10

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You' pay the government an extra $3 on

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that garment in order to level the

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playing field for manufacturers in

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Canada because we paid workers well they

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had health care they had benefits you

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know they just breaks like it was

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reasonable whereas in China as you are

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probably aware of uh it's pretty much

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slave labor the cost to produce

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something is very very low the communist

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government subsidizes companies so that

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they can gain a comp competitive

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advantage in other countries and grow uh

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the business and so what happened in in

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Canada at that time is and it was a

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bunch of multinational companies like

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you know H&M and Old Navy and GAP and

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Zara and all the ones that you can think

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of now the big multinational fast

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fashioned companies it's all crap that

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fall apart um and they sell cheap it's

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all made in China or It's Made in India

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or Bangladesh or whatever so what

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happened was the company started to grow

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started to grow really uh quickly we

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started to deal with major retailers and

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started to with deal with big businesses

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and um they started to be more demanding

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and when the uh when the duties and

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tariffs changed around China they said

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you have to go make your stuff in China

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you need to shut down your uh plants and

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uh or your plants your

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factories in Canada because we want the

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stuff cheaper so that we can sell it for

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less and so there was a lot of pressure

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from our major major retail customers to

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do that and they weren't nice about it

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and so what started to happen as we got

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bigger and we started to be exposed to

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uh you know the larger companies what I

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started to

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see and started to be become very very

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aware of is that these the people the

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buyers in these larger companies they

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did not give a about humans they

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didn't care about me they didn't care

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about my company they didn't care about

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where the stuff was made they didn't

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care

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about if people were hired locally all

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they cared about was the bottom line and

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um and getting Trends they also did not

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like our brand and they didn't like it

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because we were not part of the industry

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and the industry in Canada is basically

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whatever the US says whatever comes out

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of the US fashion wise that's the that's

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the channel of information and you sell

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what is popular in the US to Canadians

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and what happened was we were popular

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with Canadians and so I had to really

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like

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strategically

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outmaneuver the entire IND industry in

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order for us to get into stores in

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Canada and I did that by doing things

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like I would show up at a uh University

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or college in in in the in like selling

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things over the table like this is

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pretty ghetto this is pretty and the

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students were like oh my God and and I

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was I graduated a year before so I they

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were like you make this I'm like yeah I

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make this in Canada and they're like we

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love this stuff they like we're super

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excited and then they were like I'm like

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oh but I'm leaving in a week to go to

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tour to another school and they're like

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where do you sell in any stores and I'd

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have to tell them in the beginning I

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don't sell any stores because they don't

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they kick me out of their stores they're

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like get out of here no one wants this

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stuff who are you we don't care it

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doesn't matter we get you know sort of

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our selling orders from somewhere else

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and so what I would do was I started to

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do was I would Target a store that I

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wanted to sell in in a city that I was

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in and so when I went back to that

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University and the kids were like you

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know where do we get this stuff when

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you're gone I would give them the phone

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number to that specific store and I'd

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hand out like a hundred cards that had

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their phone like call this guy and ask

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him and then I would leave and then I

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would call that guy back in a week and

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he would be very angry with me because

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he had been inundated with phone calls

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to from from people who wanted to buy

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modres our pants and uh and it was just

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non-stop bringing the phone and so and

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so I would just say to him well it just

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shows you that people want the product

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so do you want me to come in and I'll

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show you the product and so you can put

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them in your stores and and uh the r

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retailers were mad most of them and

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reluctantly agreed to uh bring the our

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our pants into their stores and they

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sold really well and people loved them

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and they did really really well but

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there was still this little bit of

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like we we don't really like you because

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you're not doing things the way that

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they we are used to them doing being

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done and this was kind of the whole

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thing with the industry and the bigger

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companies that you got to the more that

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they were like we will tell you what to

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do we will dictate to you what um our

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terms for you selling in our stores even

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though we were really popular and they

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were like they kind of had to carry us

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to be relevant it was this powered game

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that they were always trying to play and

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so one of the

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um you I I was 29 years old so I was uh

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relatively naive to this stuff and I was

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and I you know I thought that you know

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my life would be great I thought oh I

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got I would have a clothing company it

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would be cool I would be it would be you

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know I'd have lots of money so I would

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be happy and everything would be great

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I'd be successful and you know it would

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be this wonderful dream this American

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Dream Canadian dream whatever you want

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to call it that's you know that was

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being pitched to me CU I grew up very

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poor and not having a lot and uh and

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struggled

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um and so I thought that this this

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lifestyle I'm like I'm going to work

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really really hard to get this lifestyle

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but I'm also going to do something that

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I really love doing I'm not going to do

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something just for money I'm going to do

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something that is uh it feels good and

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it is part of what you know I want to do

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and what I value and

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so so that was the clothing

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company and it

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was It was kind of one I remember one

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particular incident where we were there

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was this one store and it was called

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Gene machine and they had 30 three

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stores uh in Ontario and so and they had

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made a deal with us though that they

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would buy a million dollars worth of

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product a year uh and so they were a

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huge part of our business and uh the

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owner I got a message that the owner had

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called and he wanted me to come up and

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see him right

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away uh and he was like an hour away

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from where our office was and so I got

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in the car and I was like okay I got to

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go see this guy and see what because

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there was some kind of issue and so um I

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went there went into his office sat

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around for like 45 minutes waited for

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him um and then he called me in sat me

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down and said you have a

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problem and I was like okay um what's

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the

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problem and he said your pants last too

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long

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and I was

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like

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actually that's intentional I built them

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out of a polycotton fabric that get

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softer every time you wash them so that

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they get softer every time you wash them

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and they last like 10 to 15 years so you

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have them and you have you're getting

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good value out of

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them and he said that's your

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problem they don't wear out fast enough

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you need to make them amount of material

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that wears out faster so that we can

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sell more volume of

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them and you know previous to this point

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I had been very respectful to this guy

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and I and I I kind of thought of him as

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like you know someone that like I looked

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up to him because I was like oh he he

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owns 33 stores very very wealthy man

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seemed very in control was very like did

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his operations and took care of his

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business and was there all the time like

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he really like it's it felt like he

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spent a lot of attention and to detail

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and really

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um uh you know took care of his business

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and so I thought oh this is potentially

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a guy that I would

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emulate but I couldn't

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believe

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what I

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heard

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and it just

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completely shocked me and I and I

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and I like I said I still remember to

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this day of one of the key moments in

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business where I was just

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like you're a piece of

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like that's not what business is

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about and that's not what it should be

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about so I left that

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meeting yeah I was really just

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disillusioned I was

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like I like I have no respect for this

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person anymore uh and he's one of our

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largest customers uh and then we would

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get in more meetings where it was like

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go make this stuff and in China and I

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was like China is a communist country

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and they don't treat their workers well

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and communism doesn't allow you to have

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freedom and so because I was you know

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was like I said I graduated in business

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and political science I was very aware

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of how different societies operate and

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different countries operate and I was

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like wo communism is pretty bad way to

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operate it limits Freedom people suffer

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uh they have no uh control you can be

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killed quite easily you can lose your

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job like you really the lack of freedom

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is just is horrific to a certain extent

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what it was in Russia what it was in

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China under ma Stalin all this all this

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political history that I'd studied and I

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was just like this is a horrible

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horrible um system uh to be in so I was

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I just I'm like I can't I'm I can't do

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that

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there's um there's just no way and

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so I quite quickly started to look

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around and realize

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that all of these people in these

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Executives these top levels all these

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companies

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um they all had this similar mentality

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and I would call it like

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a lack of morals or a lack of Ethics um

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and a lack of integrity and just a lack

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of care or concern whatsoever at a deep

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level it just made me angry it made me

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uh pissed off and I was like these

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people I don't want to deal with them I

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don't want to work with them uh I don't

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want to be part of uh this system this

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business

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model and really it only took me a few

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months before I was just

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like this is an empty morally bankrupt

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industry and um you know I wanted to be

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creative I wanted to you know do my

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thing but I also wanted to employ my

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fellow countrymen and help the society

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that I was in and

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not promote and give my money to

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societies that were bad for

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people and the more that I this started

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to sort of ruminate the more I started

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to look at everything around me all of

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the stuff that I was involved in and I

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was just like and especially in business

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and I was just like everyone is doing

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this why are we farming all this stuff

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out to China you know why is no one

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concerned with their neighbors and that

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their neighbors could have a job and

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that if their neighbors don't have a job

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then they're going to struggle and if

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you're making a lot of money and they're

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not making money then you're going to

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spread this wealth Gap and these people

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are not going to be happy and they're

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going to come back at you um in some way

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shape or form um and

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so you know the best way to do it is

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to employ your neighbors uh help the

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people in your country make it so that

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people around you are doing well so you

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share the wealth and you involve them

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and then everyone

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prospers you're not just taking

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advantage of people just for the extra

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money and what I started to realize is

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was that was our whole system and I was

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like this is this is disgusting and this

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is disturbing and I was completely

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disillusioned and so I just said it

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I'm going to shove my company I'm not

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going to do and play this game anymore

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in this system and uh and I went on a

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tear to tear it apart and shut it

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down

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um and then a lot of things happened in

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my personal life uh my my father got

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cancer and died uh I got divorced I

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moved across the country in Canada to

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the West Coast to chill and try and find

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a better way to live I tried to do

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sustainable stuff um it was more

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environmentally friendly clothing but

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those people were miserable bastards and

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just were not appreciative of a

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sustainable uh clothing offering no one

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really wanted that and I was just like

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you know

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what I just got to get out of this

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industry and find something else to

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do and then I just struggled because I

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was raising my son and uh been divorced

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and really just was like got into a

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whole super negative head space um and

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really couldn't find a way to think

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about it in a positive way and it was

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years and years I got involved in doing

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like personal work and Shadow work and

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men's work stuff and got and stuff like

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that and that sort of helped me process

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that sort of thing and then I just

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realized that uh um I just eventually

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over time and raising my son I got to a

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point where I was where I was just like

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I just don't I don't want to be involved

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in a society like this

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anymore um I want an adventure I want

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something that has Integrity I want to

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build I want to be creative and build my

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own thing um but I do not want to

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contribute to A system that takes

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advantage of people that is only

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transactional it doesn't care about

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people that only cares about money I

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don't want to be around people who only

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care about money um I don't want to be

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in Canada if you're American and Canada

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where you're taxed to death as well they

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want to do that and you know to do

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something that

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uh is uh it has a lot of integrity

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that's good for people especially in

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Canada because there's only 30 million

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people it's a very small Market spread

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across a big country um you have to do

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something that appeals to a wide swath

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of people otherwise you'll fail you just

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won't succeed and to do something with

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Integrity like a market like the us

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could do that but it became extremely

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possible for me to get into the US

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market and to be able to do something as

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a Canadian uh and to make it

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work and I just thought you know what

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when my son graduates from school he's

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going to be on his own he's into his man

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years I'm out and I'm going to go and

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build something that I'm proud of that

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has Integrity that is my creation um

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that is not built for the purpose of

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only only making money but it's built

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for the betterment of humans the

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betterment of us and uh and so I've been

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working on a uh a program to help people

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do that to help them individually and

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that's what I went through as well like

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it's almost like self- demelant to a

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certain extent um you may see if you fly

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around uh in any of my different uh

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websites whatever that I'm doing I call

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it the hero formula so that was a big

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part of my move here was I got here and

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I knew that I was like there's Freedom

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here there is the opportunity to live so

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inexpensively that I could do the things

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that I really really wanted to do and

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live a good life at the same time I

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wasn't pressured to make an incredible

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amount of money just to survive just to

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pay taxes just to pay for my house just

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to pay for my mortgage just to to drive

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a car just to get a license just to do

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all to have employees and do all these

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business this business stuff and then

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try and like make money all the time and

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so that it would steer me off of the

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thing that I really really wanted to do

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that wasn't about money it was about

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making the world just just a slightly

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better place before I

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die and that is what Baja is is allowing

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me to do and it's also allowing me to

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really really enjoy my life on a daily

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basis so that not only can I have this

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purpose make a little bit of money

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survive that I can also enjoy my life

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and part of that enjoyment for me is

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being able to be on a piece of property

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that I can build out myself that I can

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build my own like plumbing and toilets

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and shower system and I don't have a

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bureaucracy and I don't have to go to

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the government and get what do you call

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them like permission to do anything at

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all on the property I don't need

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permission to do anything but I could

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build it in a way that also works with

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nature and is more sustainable and is

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more

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intelligent and really live within

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nature and um be part of it and create

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my own way of living build my own house

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um and bring you know and invite people

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down to stay out and hang out and and

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enjoy uh the beautiful nature that it is

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this and have the time to do

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it and

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so that's how I got from being a

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millionaire to essentially being

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poor and that's how I went from being a

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millionaire and being

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miserable to being relatively poor

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and being incredibly happy and loving

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what I'm doing and excited about what

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I'm doing and meeting people that are

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excited about what they're doing and

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they're doing the same things and we're

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building a community here those people

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and it's a it's an amazing

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wonderful life and I'm so glad I came

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here

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and

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uh yeah every day

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is just has the potential for me to do

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work and not have the over overwhelming

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stress of the pressure of this

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fabricated life that is put on top of us

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in western

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civilization

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um yeah and not have to worry about that

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stuff when I don't want want to I can go

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surfing I can go play in the ocean I can

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go bike down a trail I can go walk along

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the beach uh I can relax I can make a

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meal and take my time and have meals

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with my friends um I can I can make a

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really really good chai now that I've

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learned to make chai and I don't have to

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drink coffee with jacks me up um and

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enjoy those with my friends like I did

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this

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morning and uh that's kind of life I

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want to live

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and that's why I love it here

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Related Tags
Self-DiscoveryCreative FreedomBusiness JourneySustainable LivingPersonal GrowthEntrepreneurial PursuitCommunity BuildingSimplicity in LifeEthical BusinessBaja Lifestyle