More to share
Thank you for your interest in learning more about my career and personal endeavors. In this section I share information on the various companies I’ve created, as well as my passion for philanthropy, fitness, photography and travel.
My interests have always been very diverse, and I can now see how all of the personal and professional projects I have taken on, has prepared me for this exact moment.
The Fly Life
For more than 2 decades I was completely immersed in the Toronto nightlife scene. Working in nightclubs 3-4 nights a week till 3AM was the norm for me. Over the years I’ve hosted thousands of guests at our clubs and restaurants. Many of those being A-list celebs, athletes and other bold faced names.
I lived a fast paced, glamorous lifestyle that provided me with the opportunity to travel the world, jet-setting from one hot party or festival to another. These experiences provided me with the knowledge and understanding of event creation, production and most importantly, client hospitality.
Century Room, Atelier, Maison Mercer and The Everleigh were my nightlife venues in Toronto that had great success for many years. I also co-founded the Digital Dreams festival with Live Nation and a team of local nightlife promoters. This was the first mass festival in Toronto with over 60K attendees with headliners like Kaskade, Tiesto and Afrojack.
Blowfish Restaurant
In 2003 my partners and I opened an innovative Japanese fusion restaurant and my career took a major turn in a new direction. Blowfish was a concept Toronto had been waiting for, and it was a massive success from day 1.
I owned this restaurant for 15 years and am proud to say that the Blowfish team and I truly brought something very unique to the Toronto dining scene. Blowfish has and will always be one of my proudest accomplishments. I’ve enjoyed many incredible memories there and helped many others create new ones as well.
Giving back
One of the most powerful lessons I’ve learned, is the importance of contribution. In 2011 I was asked to join a new charitable initiative called ARTBOUND. This was an organization composed of people in the arts and entertainment industry who were getting together to share their talents and resources to help raise funds for those in need. Since its inception we have raised over $2 million dollars and have funded and built 2 schools, supported orphanages, delivered bunk beds to homes and paid for new class rooms, teachers salaries and art supplies in Kenya, India, Nicaragua, Guatemala and Haiti.
Looking back on these experiences, I remember feeling quite proud and noble for taking the time to help others in need. Ironically, each one of these experiences has given me so much more than I could ever give. These trips have filled me with gratitude, taught me humility and have allowed me to develop a deeper appreciation for everything that we are so fortunate to have living in North America. These people who have absolutely nothing and face a very challenging future, taught me so much about life and gave me back more than I ever could have imagined.
It is my personal belief that if you are in a position when you can afford the time, money and energy, needed to help those less fortunate than yourself, then you are morally obligated to help in anyway possible.
In this video I share why I believe that contribution and giving back is so important and absolutely essential in living a truly fulfilling life.
ARTBOUND will be hosting more impact trips and supporting initiatives in the Canadian Aboriginal communities. If you would like to know more about how you can get involved visit www.artboundfoundation.com
Fitness
I discovered what the words commitment and dedication meant when I discovered weight training at the age of 18 years old. Growing up I didn’t play any sports and was far from athletic. It wasn’t until I started lifting weights and pushing my physical limits that I discovered the joy and benefits that a healthy lifestyle can bring. Over the years my fitness routine and exercise has evolved and diversified. I’ve developed a passion for hiking, running, mountain biking and am always looking for new ways to train and stay fit.
At the age of 40 I decided to enter my first fitness competition. I was feel stagnant and complacent and knew that committing to a competition would be a great way to step up my fitness. game. Most importantly, I also knew that getting ready to step on stage would have me reconnect to the commitment and dedication that they gym taught me as a teenager. It worked. I competed in 4 shows over 2 years and placed 3rd at the Canadian Nationals in the Masters Mens Physique category in 2016.
Living a healthy lifestyle, eating well and staying active has played a major role in my success. I believe it is part of the solid foundation that’s required to live a long life that is truly ALIVE and vibrant.
Photography has changed my life, and allowed me to impact other lives in a positive way
I’ve always appreciated the art of photography, and admired those that are able to capture a rare moment. What started as a fun way to document my trips and adventures, evolved in to a full blown passion when I purchased my first Canon DSLR in 2010.
Photography has truly changed the way I see the world as well as myself. Traveling has a new dimension to it when I have a camera in my hand. The places I now choose to visit are often influenced by my desire to shoot. I’ve never considered myself an artist and when I hosted my first photo exhibit in 2014, I realized that there is another side of me that I still have to discover and explore.
Over the past 10 years I’ve had amazing opportunities to shoot some incredible locations. During my travels I visually document my travel experiences, capturing the culture, the landscape and the energy of the people in each destination. I’m often told that my photos create a real visceral sense of the authentic experience.. Landscape and wildlife are always fun to shoot but my true passion is capturing a split second of someones life in a candid, natural moment. From the Playa in Burning Man to the markets in Jaipur, I always find my vantage point to observe, shoot and share real human moments.
Photography (or as I like to call it, Fatahgraphy), has provided me with a way to give back and help others as well. I’ve hosted several charity photo exhibits to raise funds for ARTBOUND. Through these events I have been able to create greater awareness for our impact trips and initiatives, as well raise thousands of dollars for donation.
Another important lesson that my passion for photography taught me is, we all have secret talents and skills that we haven’t quite discovered yet. I only started shooting at the age of 35, and I truthfully never thought that I had an artistic side and never imagined that I would ever hold an art exhibit of any kind. Discovering and pursuing this passion has added so much to my life in many ways. I believe that we all have our own unique talents to discover if we are willing to try something new and step out of our comfort zone.
TRAVEL
Travel has been my ultimate teacher. Although I only started traveling at the age 25, I’ve been fortunate enough to visit over 40 countries in the past 20 years. Some of my favorites locations include; New Zealand, Australia, Kenya, South Africa, India, Fiji, Patagonia and Alaska. The more remote and immersed in nature, the better. It is through travel that I have learned about culture, traditions, various perspectives and social paradigms. In nature I’ve learned about myself on a deeper level and what’s truly important to me. Traveling is one of my greatest passions and I have an insatiable desire to see as much of our beautiful planet as possible. With every trip I come home a little different, a little more me.
Sand surfing in South Africa
Hiking in Denali
Glacier trekking in Alaska
Hiking on Fogo Island
Hanging at the Berlin wall
Cruising to Alaska
Hiking in Whistler
Alive in Queenstown NZ
Hanging in Oaxaca
Hiking the Inca trail
Machu Pichu