This episode is brought to you by Shopify one of my absolute favorite companies and they make some of my favorite products Shopify is the Commerce platform revolutionising millions of businesses worldwide and I've known the team since 2008 or 2009 but prior to that. I wish I had personally had Shopify in the early 2000s when I was running my own e-commerce business. I tell that story in the 4-Hour workweek, but the tools then were absolutely atrocious and I could only dream of a platform like Shopify in fact it was you
Guys, my dear readers who introduced me to Shopify when I pulled all of you about best e-commerce platforms around 2009 and they've only become better and better since whether you're a garage entrepreneur or getting ready for your IPO Shopify is the only tool you need to start run and grow your business without the struggle Shopify puts you in control of every sales Channel doesn't matter if you're selling satin sheets from shopify's in person POS system or offering organic olive oil on shopify's all-in-one e-commerce platform. However,
You interact with your customers you're covered. And once you've reached your audience Shopify has the internet's best converting check out to help you turn browsers into buyers Shopify Powers 10% of all e-commerce in the United States and Shopify is truly a global Force as the e-commerce solution behind all birds. Rossi's Brooklyn and and millions of other entrepreneurs of every size across more than 170 countries plus shopify's award-winning help is there to support your success every step of the way if you have questions, this is
Ability powered by Shopify so check it out sign up for a one dollar per month trial period at Shopify. That's sh OPI FY Shopify.com Tim. Got a Shopify.com Tim to take your business to the next level today one more time all lowercase Shopify.com Tim.
This episode is brought to you by eight sleep temperature is one of the main causes of poor sleep and heat is my personal Nemesis of suffered for decades tossing and turning throwing blankets off pulling the back on putting one leg on top and repeating all of that ad nauseam, but now I am falling asleep in record time. Why because I'm using a device is recommended to me by friends called the Pod cover by eight sleep the Pod cover fits on any mattress and allows you to adjust the temperature of your sleeping environment providing the optimal.
Sure that gets you the best night's sleep with the Pod covers Dual Zone temperature control you and your partner can set your sides of the bed to his coolest 55 degrees or as hot as 110 degrees. I think generally in my experience my partner's prefer the high side and I like to sleep very very cool. So stop fighting this helps based on your Biometrics environment and sleep stages the Pod cover makes temperature adjustments throughout the night that limit wake-ups and increase your percentage of deep sleep in addition to
it's best-in-class temperature regulation the Pod cover sensors also track your health and sleep metrics without the need to use a wearable conquer this winter season with the best in sleep Tech and sleep at your perfect temperature many of my listeners in colder areas. Sometimes that's me enjoy warming up their bed after a freezing day. And if you have a partner great, you can split the zones and you can sleep at your own ideal temperatures. It's easy. So go to eight sleep.com Tim spelled out eight sleep.com Tim.
A $250 on the Pod cover by eight sleep this winter eight sleep currently ships within the US Canada the UK select countries in the EU and Australia at this altitude. I can run flat out for a half mile before my hands start shaking
the millions of
living tissue over metal endoskeleton.
Hello boys and girls. Ladies and germs, this is Tim Ferriss. Welcome to another episode of the Tim Ferriss show where it is my job each and every episode to deconstruct world-class performers to tease out the back Stories the Frameworks the philosophies the tactics and so on that you can apply to your own lives and my guest today has been in the works for a long time. I'm thrilled to have him and if I'm not mistaken, this is his first long form podcast to ever get laliberte who is the founder of sir.
Sole one drop foundation and Luna Rouge if I'm pronouncing that correctly my apologies for the French which I do not speak. He was named by Time Magazine as one of the most influential personalities in the world and has been recognized as one of the most creative and Innovative Minds by condé Nast and artist entrepreneur and philanthropist. GE is a three-time winner of the Ernst & Young entrepreneur of the Year award which included World entrepreneur of the year. He is a knight of the national order of Quebec and an inductee of the Canadian business Hall of
Of Fame he has been granted the Insignia of the Order of Canada the highest distinction in the country and in 2010 received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame guy now dedicates his time to his company Luna whoosh and his International nonprofit one drop Foundation, which aims to ensure sustainable access to Safe Water Sanitation and hygiene for communities everywhere through Innovative Partnerships creativity. And the power of art this is a wild conversation full of a lot of unbelievable stories.
And we take a few minutes to warm up, but definitely stick around. There's a lot to learn there are many many and negotiation tactics philosophical tenets and more that you can pick up from this conversation. You can find him on Instagram at get laliberte DJ and you can find his new projects which are brand new projects and they will contain descriptions of some different projects that we allude to at the end of the conversation and that is frug 's f
far. Oh, oh, oh gee s.com and you get to the English with / e n so frogs.com /n and without further Ado, please enjoy a very wide-ranging very tactical very hilarious conversation with ghee laliberte.
Be nice to see you. Thank you for making the time. I know you are a man on the road. You are a man on the move which I suppose would be on brand as I did research for this conversation. You seem like a very hyperkinetic man, and I thought we might start in 1977. I might be getting the date right? I might be getting the date wrong a trip to Europe what prompted this trip to Europe and what was your experience
to understand this desire hitting the
I will and engage in that Journey which was a very important moment or year of my life. We have to go back a little bit in my childhood. There's always that famous question that I will ask the kids. What do you want to do when you're an adult? Hmm and my answer back then was well, I want to discover the world and I want to travel and that came from tree very important key moment in my life. The first one was that was the day of when my father brought the first caller.
TV in the house, and the first program would watch was National Geographic program that showcase basically something I've never seen in my life, which was animals that doesn't exist in my own town of my country colors of skin or dressing of people. So I was just like so amazed by this colorful impact that will have on me that I was light trigger my curiosity and it stays that moment at that grows slowly and
See, I was a big fan of those National Geographic every time I was coming it was like yes, I want to see what's more on this planet. Actually at that time. It made me realize and my mom explained me said listen Not only living and CD or a province or in a country on a continent you're living on the planet and that make me realize that the world was bigger than my backyard second things 1967, which was the World Expo in Montreal my mom another
Very curious person that bought for the family passport and almost every day of the summer. She was bringing us to this International Expo and we visit pretty much probably minimum of three time each each Pavilion that was there which again was pulling me closer toward being in touch with the culture that was seeing and the National Geographic. So kind of not where they were but close to me.
No way that again is reinforced as desire of discovering. What was out there somewhere. I didn't know the notion of distance, but I knew it was far away and the third things was I think put the cherry on the sundae was when Neil Armstrong walked the moon. I was in the summer camp black and white TV that time bunch of boys because was a boy's camp and we spend the entire night and that was a long program because it's where they showed up all the process the expectation was there and saw
Suddenly this guy put a foot on the moon and it was very interesting because you could see the reaction of the other kids and even telling wow, I want to be an astronaut I want to do I want to go in the moon I want to do what he's doing and for me my look at that moment was totally different it was like, whoa.
The Little Prince story could be
real.
No it's very interesting and then it trigger my believe that if I have a dream or any things that was dreamy could be achievable. So from that moment, it was really okay. How could I shape my rest of my life to be able to travel and discover that world? So obviously I was about 10 11 at that time and I was still too young to hit the robot myself.
Soon my parents were bringing us more North America and around the age of 1415. We did or first international trip to Cuba and this is why this cover Green Tomato beautiful long legs woman dancing dance that doesn't exist in my place colorful music Happy dancing. So I just like wow and blue-collar the ocean of the the Sea and the ocean and fish that doesn't exist in the
And I was just at yes, I knew it here. It is the beginning of a great adventure. Well at that time, you know, obviously I was a minor. So I really start to engage in discovering my Province it chikan going in the theater Festival music festival in the same time. I pick up the accordion of the family of my father because I come from a family of musician but traditional music and I start to realize that maybe I could activate a little bit this adventure did
Venture using music so I took the time to prepare a little show of myself saying songs storytelling music and then short after connecting with couple of other musician creating a band and that at 43 years permit us to travel around Canada and a little bit of the stage to encounter other musician to play on the street playing music festival. So I realized that a lesson I could have fun playing music I
Discovered through this journey the beginning of the pleasure of entertaining people, but mostly I was able to always go further and further geographically and then obviously after a couple years 18 years old was coming soon and it was just like I'm going to Europe and I have enough money to pay myself Open tickets for a year and about 50 bucks in my family and my pocket but an amazing number of contact that either had met over the previous three years.
Or people that have been in Europe say you should go in this bar to play. You should meet that person. He's an interesting musician and when I hit the road and basically spend almost a year in Europe discovering and the pleasure of playing in the street realizing the impact of making people smile, but mostly I was achieving my dream and I came back with more money in my pocket that I left with
you came back with more money than you traveled there with so eyes.
Um, and please correct me if I'm wrong. That means you're a busking and entertaining and correct running money in that way. What were the keys to good busking? What did you learn about effective busking?
First of all, where do you bossk? Because it's not every corner of the street that you can make your get your bread and breakfast money. So one of them is really too.
Rapidly than defy in a city. Where is the hot spot for people to busk? Okay, and obviously there's already Busker when you arrive so you don't invent the wheel you're just observed thing, but then you have to deal with territorial situation. So you have to way of dealing with that either you provoke and you confront which normally is not the right way to do or you engage engage in the street neighborhood, which is not always Bhaskar, but it's also a lot of different people of all kind.
Very colorful very Mississippi people very disrupting people but also amazing personality because a lot of artists are there musicians. So you engage in the community that belonged to this the city, but what I realize is basically there's two things the busking business and in Europe, it was the permanent people the people will live in that CV that didn't move and there were the the one that was there every day, but there was a traveling people rise rapidly recognized that if
If you play the game, well, if you are socially engaged and and respectful of certain rules that exist and you have to learn about them. Then you engage in the community that is really supporting of each other and then you make friends and then you decide with the traveler went to do I don't know why two weeks with the violin player or week with the belly dancer that icing or the fire breeder person. So to this experience, it's not all late encountering a community that
Much bigger in Europe that it was in Quebec because you know, obviously Quebec we have the climate factor, which is a little difficult to busk at minus Thirty the color Street in Montréal. So the timeline is pretty limited. And also the population is much smaller Paris was my base of the beginning because we're speak French right there and from Paris and then I start met a lot of people and then you start to engage. Okay, where do I go a Ireland or go to that festival and I kind of like organically
IE the Rhythm or the speed of the wind, you know, like okay. I was waking up in the morning. I was like, okay, let's go there. You try kicking again depending the success of a child you could arrive on time or not. So it was this journey of going from one place to the other one with people who are alone and and making friends and engage in jamming making money learning. This is where I learn all my fire-breathing things were a little bit of the performance size of a Bhaskar because there's a music side.
And there's a performing sighs. So this is where that I start to also engage in learning. You know, I never been a special this of things but I always been a very good generalist time after time. I was practicing things and basically my offer to the street was a little wider at the end after a year.
So let's talk a little bit about your mom and dad. How did your values differ from perhaps your parents when you got back maybe a different way of looking at that would be asking what?
Our hopes for you were and then what your hopes for yourself were
first of all, my parents were amazing characters to start they were entertaining not knowing they were entertaining my body probably a little bit more. My mom. My father had this way of triggering reaction my mom and it was create that amazing funny dramatic moment that was triggered their own story to be shared with us words the children and my friends they were entertaining us all design. My mom come from a very specific type.
Family and both of them were very poor. My mom worked her ass out to be a nurse hit the road at the age of 18. She had her stud Baker 18 hit the road to California as an adventure with two other nurse workaholic musician piano player. My father come from the other side who is coming from a neighborhood in Quebec which is like a bunch of kids, uh, sling playing tricks having fun and getting away with it by just being what some people would think bad little boy.
Sighs but they were having fun. And actually it was the another winner of the early always made his way God broke so many times because was a gambler but you know, he was the most amazing Entertainer the end of his career as vice president of Alcon company not because it was for me when the school of that but because it was the best person that company when client International client was coming to Montreal he was organizing all the party and all the client was going back.
The contract and whatever in need he was organizing its I learned this things and by the way, and this is pretty special because I not met many people who qualify in that in all my life and many years after I grew up or still now and never heard a bad word about. My father was always guessed how clean amazing guy. My father was always smiling. It was always like humor smiling not
not reacting to things where my mom was that little scorpion things like she was picking be Kings. It was mama controls you and the dynamic was interesting but I grew up in this type of family one brother what we were fire and water together, but now we're best friends were both parents to the bus. I would like last year and then the grand family my father was coming from a family of eight seven sister and him and the grandmother had a twin so together, you know on the Father's Side foul.
There was about over 120 people Uncle loans and things and every weekend.
And one of the house and nobody and money. Nobody was the rich one. The riches one was of an uncle that had a printer company was printing pamphlet and stuff like that. Tell you a little bit how rich we were but every weekend somewhere in one of those there was always from Friday night to Sunday night 48-hour party where I remember which is sleeping on the floor 10 kids pylon odd. They were doing music playing cards. Have fun drinking and getting drunk singing.
Arguing and all my life. I've seen that family supporting each other in terms of when one of them was creating up there was never judgment and you know, this is what I grew up on so my roots is love support is community spirit. It's like understanding that nobody's perfect. So I learned a lot out of that. I didn't understand that at the beginning, you know, because obviously when you grow especially at the teenager mom, and then it's starting to be a little
from tation and there's many story I could tell but I don't think it's relevant more than saying in their heart. They tried to educate you to parents and in terms of what they believe is a good thing for you based on their value. So I'm not time my a childhood being a doctor being a judge or whatever was the consecration. You know, you're an engineer you you get a good salary you have security and I was trying all my life to my teenager moment to try to explain what listen I
I'ma call I was like, I don't like that and everything. I do that. I learned more have fun doing that. I do more money than that now that I'm done. Yeah, it's build up. You know, I want to have long hair. No, you have to shorten it down. You have to go to church of us like all this type of things. So I was very comfortable and I truly they helped me because when they were punished me they were putting me into my room and this is where I learn music this were practicing my music by rage. I was transferring my rage and not being dark. That being said I was in the Darkness.
Amin from 11 to 14 for other reason but when my parents was all of that then I left home at 14 years old. I was enough is enough one amazing moment of my life one teacher moral science because you could have the option of Catholic, you know or small science. Obviously, I was rejecting the religion but that was interesting again in the moral sense. And then one day if true attached to all the student there the text was about Kayla g-button the prophet. Yeah, I have a
Okay at home
the page about the children. I said the children are not your children. I was just like it blew my mind that text was everything. I want to say to my parents. Hmm. So I think within a week or two weeks after I got in Conflict my parents and left only had their own because they want me to cut the hair and there was another things and I took the page and I wrote on the piece of everyone you will understand that meaning of that text will be able to
Communicate that's pretty brutal a 14 years old into a text. I don't know if his father and mother and actually it was a very important moment my relation the first like this is where the first time I stand by my thing before I was arguing. I was screaming I was like bitching but this is really what I said enough is enough. We have to make a point in a relationship because I'm not happy. I'm at the point. I'm questioning if you love me for things like, you know, all the teenager turmoil, you know, this is a very being a teenager.
This is the most fragile time in your life. If you're not being aggressive actually before the event ends or beat up, but if you have a normal life, this is a very fragile moment. So obviously came back. My mom was crying and stuff like that came back like 10 days after and then I sat down and said, let's make a deal. We don't agree a lot of things but I will continue my school you pay for my lunch my clothes, but I want to be having the right of keeping my hair long and second work to earn.
My own money to pay myself what I want because I'm tired dad of every time I ask you something you ask me to do something for it. And I love you know, dick is sometime things could go there because I'm trying to ask you things to be able to achieve things, but it's always a negotiation and you try to bring back in your way of saying so I clear that and it work actually that deal worked pretty good because without supporting everything I was doing it was at least a dialogue that took place.
And there was some up and down but I realize and this is where the first thing I realized is actually at the end all discouraged that I have.
Going and hitting the road taking risks in my adventure. I always knew somewhere. I realized that after and it's maybe that's up conscience or this.
Third eye or six cents or whatever but I realized that I went with it. I knew and I know exactly what they were about. The never told me if you cross that door don't come back first of all, you know, and you know many parents screwed up when they said that to their kids and second. I realized that if I screwed up I will always be able to come back at without a bad food and love and comfort and this sad trigger this enormous wave of
Parades a desire to even engage more they didn't know that at the moment. They think I was crazy because I was doing more that was doing previously and then obviously there was this confrontation about starting to do business and entertainment because it was one thing for them to understand that I was using art or music to live an experience in our conversation always made them believe that I will come back to schools but I was always every year extending the return to school and when they realize when they realize oh, wait a minute, yeah.
That I was shifting and I consciously made the decisions not go to school, but give myself the chance to live out our entertainment. Whoa, that was difficult with my mom. It took the first year of cygnus a lady to realize it and she collapse in blindness. I now I understand my father took three more years because it was still some issue related to reach him a couple times for financial help to help to go through some tough moment, and it was coming back with his old Maura.
Lor condition and piss me off but we had a great conversation in a steakhouse moshe's in Montreal a good bowl of wine and with a big deal Pickle and coach lizallen and we may be there and from that moment. I brought them everywhere in the world with me. We became good friends we had or up and down but it was an amazing connection, you know in the life of a children were any relationship with parents when I was you know, obviously it's not instant, but you always wish that complete connection.
Section of the circle of this relationship is done before one of us die and I did accomplish that when my parents and this is another beautiful gift of life that I am.
I may want to come back to that. I mean, I know a lot of people who have not been able to do that that maybe for a bottle of wine another time, but I want to connect the dots to Cirque du Soleil, but before we get there if you're open to talking about it and we can always cut this afterwards if you want to cut it, but you mentioned that you had a dark period from 11 to 14 and my main question is how you got out of that dark period but
Be willing to say a bit
more I could show you. How could she have been sharing a pretty boy? Yeah, it's part of my life. My close friends know and I have no problem talking about that and that's actually relate to a very big problem in the world that we're living and it's coming out and keep coming out year after year, which is all about this Catholic Church controlling schools abusing children and being excused because they were the voice of God. So the edits and my parents sent me the I School
all in a college in Montreal which I was boarding school and obviously soon I realized with my friends that is once a priest. I don't want to abuse you sexually so I resist that I beat that up without a friend who suicided self and I and so I start to be very very active and it brought me a lot of angriness because you know, what the feeling first you resist not being raped, but I've been they've try it and I got their trick. I resist I fighting back.
But there's some other kids there that 10 I have this courage of reacting and they were my friends and they got beat up in the sense of kill their soul and then one suicide itself. So obviously another is incapable of saying to my parents at that time. Remember, I was 10 years old 11 and knowing my parents were religious. So obviously will I be punished or would that I didn't know I was confused about the information and I guess there was a taboo to change because I see my parents with very religious. I was confused.
I kept that for myself and among my friends. So I build up this desire to destroy to the point a certain moment of the even because of another event later. I left to event a little bit like that. And the last one was just kind of like the add-on of that arrived to a point when I don't want to kill the person until actually I was not feeling that so that dark moment really was present. I was doing things that was not necessarily creative. That was more.
I was doing things that is not how I was educated. It's not what I was feeling but I was doing it by rage and this is where it's super important to understand that what saved me out of that darkness is music and this desire of traveling and actually activating the action of getting out of my city and the yearning out of my environment because that was toxic it was contaminated by what I had live as children and I will not able to see the beauty and I was just seeing the darkness.
And going out of this circle geographical Circle had permitted me to slowly peel this things to a point where certain moment. I remember there was a very precise moment where I have the address. I knew where this person that tried to rape me was living and I kept in My Pocket always the address because I said if I pass by there, I want revenge and I sort of mom and I physically had took the paper rip it off pulling garbage, and that was it. I was leaving my
Future and I Bowman but again, this is how lucky I am the harmony kids the life will be destroyed for things like that. So again what that come from is as I said do love my parents just understanding what your dad is feeling that the way you think is not the way you want to be and overcome that you know, many friends. I have not survived that how many people are being the life have been destroyed by living something like that. So obviously once I overcome that I become
so engage in those type of value and defending that I become very strong about not allowing those type of things in my surrounding combat that fight that not with my fist, but what my creativity for me making people live an emotion because the live a moment of joy and when you're capable of putting down the walls that do people put in general around them to protect because they got heard before
for and you bring them to a point that they put down those walls and open their heart for you to plant a seed and made me realize that part of my job is not only to be a merchant of a penis but a soft medicine healer of the soul. I don't know how you could just outside and then It reversed totally at the moment I start to feel this power that to understand that feed the circle of life it feel you back and I was like very powerful and I was like trying to explain it in the colorful way, but the dynamic is well, I just explained
So it's very interesting because sometimes people tell story.
But they don't tell the source of why you are there and there's many other things that I've learned my lesson out. But this is a typical example that you could reverse - and build it to be even be better. So what do you believe in that? Of course that person those person was wrong because this is not right but on the other side if I didn't live that moment, maybe I will be a different person and not realize very young in my life that way in a minute now, I would not be and I will not use that type of
Power over other people. So it says very interesting we could dog and dogs This Is My Philosophy Cola part of the brain, but those are typical way that I learned out of everything I engage in
key. Thank you for sharing that and I'm sorry that you and your friends experience that and as a spectator as a I guess participant but from the stands someone who's gone to many Cirque du Soleil performances. It's beautiful for me to hear how you refer.
word metaphorically to the lowering of those walls those protective mechanisms because we don't have to spend much time on this but I was very badly abused when I was very young to 24 and I have very well established walls, but when I've gone to Circus Olay performances and there are few places in life where this is true, but it's where I can forget those stories and become engaged with awe and wonder in a way that allows me to Exhale and
Since these things very fully in a very tangible way. So I just wanted to reflect back my personal
experience.
And you'll be surprised because I always said, you know to hit the big seven which is having the privilege on this planet to be born on the right side of the planet having the love of your parents water food not being beat physically before the age of tens or sexually abused. Whoa has a question around I will tell you if it's like there's not many that qualify for the big seven. So this is very important to understand I believe in the society. We're living it.
A lot of creepy and twisted things that happened to human being and that human being to teach other. So again suggest that I am so happy to hear your story because two things my show where about of course the spectacular of it the things like that. This is like this was the big pleasure, but the fundamental satisfaction was coming from two things really having the impression that each of my show was helping to Build a Better World in two ways first and
Exposing because all my show was all about inspired by the culture of the world. We either Intruder music the costume the team and things like that. My artist was a mosaic of all this beautiful people around the world that was performing. So for me, I believe that I was a promoter of one world and by then open the mine of people that there's other people than you and they could do beautiful too and they don't have to think like you that one. The second one is really what I just explained about this wall because I believe strongly
The Power of Love overcome the power of 8 because it's a feeling so when people feel something that extremely profound and deep in the emotion of Joy's well, they will try and they will look into living that again and again and again and the same effect when somebody suffers something and this is why some time one event of aggressivity could provoke a monster why because the emotion is there any
he you want to give Revenge so he's building even more what he had in this so it's like it goes both weight. And like I said, I'm so happy to make that choice of my life that I could have. This tools of this healing tools that I believe is think my job as to the sole of did a lot of things but one of the most important function I has when we create a show
My job was so sure that every my show they could be a fraction of a second that any spectator in a place where said wow, they did that for me, you know, whatever it is. And if I was able in my show to make people feel that I did that for them. That was the most wall was falling down at that moment. So again, as I understand named of psychology the world different way radical acceptance a recognition that nothing is perfect. It's just like this.
Is all came to my journey and sick was the sandbox in which I was able to build that
castle.
Just a quick thanks to one of our sponsors and we'll be right back to the show. This episode is brought to you by momentous momentous offers high quality supplements and products across a broad spectrum of categories, including Sports Performance, sleep cognitive Health hormone support and more. I've been testing the products for months now and I have a few that I use constantly personally. I've been using momentous mag, three and eight l-theanine and apigenin all of which have helped me to improve the onset quality and duration of my
Now the momentous sleep pack conveniently delivers single servings of all three of these ingredients momentous also partners with some of the best Minds in human performance to bring world class products to Market including a few you will recognize from this podcast like dr. Andrew huberman, and dr. Kelly Starrett their products contain high quality ingredients that are third-party tested which in this case means informed Sport and or NSF certified so you can trust that what is on the label is in the bottle and nothing else so check it out visit.
Live momentous.com Tim and use code Tim at checkout for 20% off. That's live momentous L. I ve M om e NT o you s.com Tim and code Tim for 20% off.
Let's track your path to the sandbox because there are many people who bossk. I actually did a very small amount of busking in Paris actually well, but it pissed everybody off because I wasn't asking for money. I just did acroyoga with another woman. Who is there possible? I think we were actually near I'm not going to pronounce it properly but near the gardens. Was it to Larry
something? Well, he's something that really yeah. Yes. It's really something that's
really I was close. I was closed. So we were in
front of the Louvre in front of
the young very exactly and
There are many buskers many people who busk but very few people who create something like Cirque du Soleil so you come back from Europe. Could you describe some of the key decisions or moments leading up to Cirque du Soleil after you return
actually when I came back I was not yet decided if I was going back old school now again, I find another way to extend my a year not going to school to tell my father of all I need to make money now. Could you help me to have a job you had a friend who had a factory to do with?
Though for the RVs and trailer so I worked there for months. Obviously. This was a factory job, but it was bring a little money while I was playing in bars with music and still willing dealing anything that could cells on the
site. What kind of stuff would you be selling on the side? Okay. Well cards anything
anything anything I will find anything. I was able to see important to making a buck on anything.
So it's just like buy a bicycle at a yard sale and and
sounds like something like that or yeah or by.
Old sell a bunch of genes and going things and make him five bucks over the gene. That's cool. Whatever. I was a wheeler-dealer. I was a hustler also, you know, I was a good at by gamma and I was like and stuff a little bit of everything. You know. I always I'd like to put to challenge. I love competition guide same competition amongst people. I think this permit you to it's like playing poker you discover personality of people by being a good chess player. So it's nice and actually something I apply in business later on but but that moment with
Talking about when I come back to Europe. So 1978 79 got that job and then there's another friend my friend father had because at that time the biggest job you could have was to go work on the dam and the note that the electrical down the wages. There was like Hey you were sent there. You have a highest wages extra hours were working 70 hours like you were doing so much money. So my father got me that job. So I go there then three days after I arrived there and my
Syndicate go and strike.
Your Syndicate is like the union of the workers
their Union and the union got in stride three days after I got out. Here we go. My summer is crew in my money though bad timing. Then I come back. They want me to go picking have nothing to do with the things, you know, to be honest. I was is a community that I need even engage with and I was like, I didn't know I didn't felt emotionally engaged to good big thing because they were giving you a check small check, but they were giving you a check.
So what I decide to do I said where did I didn't go and my Province and there was one place Bay st. Paul. Okay, which is a little Village North Quebec which had the reputation. I have one of the coolest youthful stealth there and I said, wait a minute. I have a little check. I'll go there. I'll offer my service to help against a bad than food. That was it and I'll wait. I didn't know when the strike was stopping that but then end up to be all summer. So when I arrived there climb the hill and Valley enough.
I see just think what that is one of the most important person in my life would suggest Sole and another guy Daniel go to you. That was my school friend, which was we left our relationship not a good note. And then I go said, okay, why do we end up with this guy that I want to see but is part of this. It was a nonprofit organization and I arrived at the time where they were shaping the use of cell. So we prepare the things I got the job of animating. So I was in charge of
Artie even charge your parties at the hostel exactly. Okay
parties organizing things and that's what I was good tonight. I always been good at doing those things organizing trips and stuff like to Louisiana at 15 years old running the Mardi Gras and I've many of those mini story there that we could talk for long time. But this one was an important one because first the deal was it would tell me we cannot pay you but because offer you a roof and a bell I said, that's okay with me, but could I have maybe the opportunity of making a little more money?
I said I'll organize your party, but I want to be able to pick up every beer bottle on the site and her and the money of the beer bottle
like the Redemption like you get
the exactly that you sense of the fire stands, but I'm telling you after every day. There was a truck on a 90-pound. Oh, I made so much money going back and selling everything those bottle that I end up having a very with little contract of music and the bar in the cafe. I end up having a pretty decently
And this is where she'll st. Croix which was coming out of was also very interesting Misfits creature was just coming back from experience that bread and puppet in the Vermont. I don't know if you remember. No, I
just heard about bread and puppet or bread and puppets for the first time from some of my family who live in Vermont literally last week. They just told me about it
a because you're probably too young to remember that they're still there. But at that time there was this leader and the bread and puppet movement was aunty.
All right. It came during the Vietnam war and and they had that Farm in Vermont that they shape in the other magic word and every year they were doing this festival and they were the master of still walking and Jill came back of that and said I have an idea let's do it. You know, I'm doing music we're doing a little theater said let's start a theater troupe on stilts. That's the end of 79 then.
In the Falls I got called for but the strikes tail and I go back to work on the dam and Jill in the meantime choose another partner. I said, okay. Well, you're not doing a collective you want to do business find us at but I won't hire you as well. Listen, I'm going in Mexico came back went to the damn a month after Jill said I have the grant of the thing that you want to be an artist and my truth. I said, I don't know.
So a grant this is from the government
the government yada yada. Basically they have those grand that you
Could have enough money to pay salary for the summer, you know in that region of Quebec was very simple 80% of population was working on Grand salary during the summer and get the unemployment check during the winter. This is what that region is about. So basically you need 20 weeks to work to get your check the rest of the year and that's what the life and most of people was living on that pattern, but I didn't know so what I said I said to my employer so listen, I didn't have a house. I said my house just wanted fire could
I have couple weeks ago organizer thing. I don't want to lose my job. Yeah, because if I say quit that's it. I'm done. So I don't even know if I don't worry Simon of that story. I got the permission when they're never went back. But at least I have that back off. It's always, you know, you playing chess in life. I know you just like you make a move but you want to know what's your back move? That was one of them So eventually I accept to be one of the artists in this teeter-totter won't Stills which was
Partnership with this guy's too many at all. We end up to be so bad for the business. So I the end of the season actually we had an amazing experience. It was a summer of my first big love in my life and an amazing Patrick Cole original experience, but bad relationship with the management of especially that guy so everybody was like and we don't like the guy they end up bankrupt at the end of the season Jill said, well, you know, like I make a mistake.
And we all decide to create a nonprofit organization buy back the the assets and started under a new company, which was the original the foundation company that we build secure sole with in the future. So Step 2 of that was to manage and then I was tour manager. I was like a assuming marketing business function was like that. I was able to give my skill and we had an amazing 1980 Summer. This is the year also.
The federal election. I was a candidate at the Rhino service party, you know, there was this like crazy party that promising anything that was a political candidate. We have a lot of
fun click questions. So was the performance at that time still mostly theater on stilts or how to
change the heater on sales music fire breeding by that moment. I really had mastered. I would send an all the skill. I add probably fire was the highest level I was mastering so I had my pyro life.
I sense I was one of the best fire breeder in the world. I was developing device to manipulate fire. I was organizing showed fire. And this was my personal I would said feature and I was very proud about it and I was recognized for being one of the best Quebec fire player or fire master. That being said then we did one season and the winter I was always again 20 weeks of work.
And people were going and they getting their paycheck for the rest of the winter. It was not my style for me was about okay the jobs finished. I was hitting the road all the time. So one time on a motorcycle going to Montreal kiwi as then San Diego and then jumping there but in 1979 1980 and 1979 at the end of the first year, which was my love affair. I discover iye summer was a love of my life like then first big love.
The end of the year was like the broken art of my life. I don't want the first within six months and then man was like I went from wow, this is love and sing at whole heartbreaking is very hard. It's very painful. So I had to take care of somewhere. So I was a friend that was in Hawaii on the big island. Like oh now that's that I passed by and arrived there and while I was discovering a part of the world that I didn't see in my I always want to go away because my parents told me so many good things about it.
And then I was there and it was very interesting. There was an interesting EP communities performer there. They was like the EP side that was you know, nice night life simple life a mellow things, but I was still in pain and I was a very interesting moment in my life. So for the two first week, I was fun get to know people but I was I had this sadness it's out Nene and I was heartbroken and I was getting this little cafe or Jews. I was not drinking coffee, but middle like this little Shake type of things, you know.
The morning the same Cafe in there was always this old EP there. I remember he was a magician. I learned that after that was always the same thing with me understand how many approached me and he said hey, what's wrong with you? Is that what's wrong with you asking the question? What's wrong with me? And I said, well, there's nothing wrong. So you're not own the vibe. So what do you mean not like you're fighting the rate of you know, the guy was throwing me like that like that sitting down didn't even invite himself invited self is a wait a minute.
When my bubble of pain and this is keeps throw me those saying you're not feeling the vibe of the island and he said someone shot. You know, what?
I know I'm disturbing you there, but I will tell you one last thing. I said try to feel the rhythm of the Island the island will bring you on the right side of your soul. Boom. Okay, what is that and another moment and you know, I could be very linked but I listen you have to understand remember child Gibran overfed things like my first philosophy called raining and I've RAM on it everything that make poetic sense or whatever. I was at got my attention after that.
Because when you're capable of reading behind the word and the meaning of it, I start to discover and this is where I start to like words before that it was pain, but now it's time to understanding and I really reflect on that and watching Sunset and then I start to just and this island.
To my life. This is where it starts to get inspired. I connect with a luau troops. I was doing my fire ants I was playing accordion and the Italian restaurant going and nothing of a backgammon and the bar after and you know meaning and realizing that actually so many things at that moment. I'll try to mention all of that. First of all at that time. There was 101 type of religion or spiritual faction. That was um,
they're on the island on the island made me realize wait a minute because at the same time you hear about all those fight about religion and I and you say wait a minute. This is why but is it and then you suddenly see a piece of land on Earth that people live in peace with each other and respect. I do something then you meet all those healer with potion with growing Arabs and stuff like that. And there's this healing Spirit on the island. You see people at a rhythm that doesn't exist on the North
continent there's a base that is more toward the pace of the rhythm of the wave of the island or the wind instead of the subway a rhythm and then you meet a bunch of
Performer that we hang out on the beach every day and perform on the naked bees on the non 19 feet this party their full moon party and then I start to put the first time in my life got to what I believe still today the closest to meditation on my side. I'm not a million guys like and never stop the answer and I had when I watch when I watch sunset, this is a very peaceful things and this Hawaiian sunset. This is where I start to think about
Remember every winter I was coming out of that. That was a second year of the num first year and then second. I went there three years before we did the faithful and we shall talk but the sun was my inspiration moment. So I start to think about the project creating this for my creative mind explode there. Okay. The reason what the name Salette is Agnes I is for two reason the inspiration of the son of the Big Island. Okay Sunset which are amazing and at that time in the symbolic book.
Of symbol son was a the symbol of the energy of Youth so that was this is the name of my company so decided came later. But before that while I was there, every winter was going dad finding my old friends and just having it became my healing Island that for the rest of my life every time. I have a business decision and emotional distress a question about my decision to be made. This is where I find my answers every time was coming there. I was planting the seeds of my
Question and then I knew that when I come out of there the answer will be there whatever decision I made and they were pretty much all good. So this is where the evolution of the theater troupe on stilts. No. No, we're trying to grow and then Jill said, okay, we'll do a winter version on Skate and now they re nice and not for me there. I'm not spending a winter here. I'm a bitch bomber. I'm not ask you bomber and this is where I start to talk about the project of street performing Festival in Bay st. Paul.
And with Jill what we did in 1982, we went into this Village, which is very traditional painting, you know, this place is recognized by all. This is a peaceful place for art is that painting a landscape and things like that. So we were already Black Sheep there that the use or sell people in this Village of wolf mentality, you know, you have to understand this is all the old traditional families that are direct line from the founders of Quebec the you know, the people got troll in the boat by the franchise.
Bell dings and build this country and actually it's very love the swoof mentality because it's all very strong established family. So when you're a stranger coming
there, oh, I see they're just aggressive when you say wolf mentality.
Well, yes, yes. Yes. Yeah and Clan they're very protective and your arrived a bunch of people who were or are you to sell or maybe dancing naked around a fire taking substance and and actually the first
first business that's been opened by our community. There is called a the Mouton wall the cafe. The restaurant was called a black sheep. We made a statement but I will assume the perception that we have so you could imagine and they had that festival at that time, which is an art festival painting very touchy white guy of white glove Festival, you know, I was like an institution and we arrived wanting to close the street and do a street performing Festival so we have to go
You all the political level convinces the and then sponsorship were selling, you know programs any five dollar little business card size in our program to the merchants, but we have to convince the people to give us a chance and it become a success then I was like financially we lost a little bunny but we had the attention of the big city in terms of culture. We brought the merchant was super
happy. So the black sheep go pitching this crazy idea.
In this let's just call it may be conservative Town protective Town. What was the key to the pitch?
I don't know. You know, it's like I guess again it's or condition. Like I said, me and Jill is a Charming human being always pause never raising my mind. I was the Gasser that the gesture the gesture the Speedy Gonzales guy. I'm always like ends up talking like that, but with a lot of passion, but we arrived with something I believe was.
Safe enough colorful enough business-wise, maybe maybe it will have a good economy came back for us. So we got a shot. We got a shot and actually pretty well Vaughan obviously and again the last day the last day of the last show in the arena because all those reform were there there was Workshop people will learning how to do clowning in the wood and the mountain whatever we organized a very nice program, you know, it was not a big budget but
People showed up and mostly a lot of my International friends decide to come and visit us because we were booking cold booking. The big paycheck was from the main Festival in Quebec City, but I got the good deal if I was getting a deal for them for back so that justify them to come and I got them for a good price but we had that closing show in the arena, which was everybody on the scene together and where the last moment is the father is there and I'm blowing fire and
Mom and is a thunderstorm and we're playing that track that's called the Schnabel which mean the person that walk on this on the wire. It's became more Anton attracts and we're in a grand final aeon Sully the storm shut down all the electricity and we just with the flame the can super dramatic and I still have Goosebumps and this there was a big big quantity of the Quebec Street performer. And this is where we look at each other. It was so emotional.
I said, okay. Let's think about maybe would be time to think about creating our own circus. Okay, and this is what inspired me the first flame of inspiration came up. Wow, look at all lost together on stage. Imagine under a big dumb start to share that but obviously starting a serious far more difficult than doing a street performing Festival. So we did a second year 19 and that was 1982 and 1983 would do the the second version of it. And that's
Greater success and then we got the attention of the government because 1984 was a celebration the 450th anniversary of the discovery of Canada both celebrating by the federal side and the prevention side and you have to understand the provincial. We are French Canadian were frogs or french fries handedly into assassin on the other side and obviously the government want to celebrate and both take a position at very political. So there's a lot of money. That is true.
Wrong for cultural shows activities or would think so special money? So I've been invite based on the success of her friend to depose a proposed project. And this is where that moment I said. Well, this is our window. So we build relationship with the director of programming but we're still in the remember. I'm dealing now with the government a cultural Minister that is so in the high-end classy. I'm hanging out with the Stars so
You're thinking about a government where this minister of culture is, totally star system during, you know in all the different department of culture. You have Dan Soper are seeing whatever music street performing circus was not there. Basically you have to understand the social reality. There is in the mentality of whatever Festival Vernon was about pay them a sandwich yell Entertain You for 50 minutes? Okay. So so this is what we
start there are sumption was as
very
little. Oh Brady was down this food chain. Okay, we're way down the food chain, everybody get the money everybody get the contract and thing and here I am with one other friend that was about like who was actually is the real co-founder is not the other one the other one came later, but there's one real co-founder that left after the first year. So we engage yourself of going pitching to the government and then there's different level of contract you could get but there was this artistic director that was
In charge of programming Jacques Renault that really we had connect but I was pushing him to the he was coming read. Sometimes that's not what I'm asking you and you know, we had to fit them in a formula and I'm trying to pitch the first Quebec circus and I'm trying to explain to me believing as I said, you will not be able to sell that to the government. You wanna die. No. No, this is just a time and then slowly by slowly. They will fly us to hire or put in or team somebody that I was working. I jog around
and a friend of mine we play with it, but she is absolutely not a same level but slowly and I will always remember that feeling because it was that famous cap of a million-dollar contract. It's not granting those were contract negotiating and my project that what I want to do with some compromise was casting 127 million, but to have over a million dollar you have to do a minister console so they didn't want to bring a freak like me as a proposed content provider, especially not
Administer that doesn't like street performer. So basically I will always remember you pitch in front of commissary the minister and so I have to document on table one big cover callers and I put a quarter in there and have a black and white one. Okay, and then because he asked me to stay at 999 999. Okay, and one dollar under the million dollar project and I did work. So I present and black-and-white everything of my project represent like a
my wife I said, this is a project and there's one. Of course I've seen the document I said, what is this other document? We call it why I said well this isn't it's not important as like this is the 1.7. You don't want it and I read it and I'm playing the game full on the game. No. No, you're just like this what you get for a million and eventually somebody hey, I'll ask me convince me and it was part of the game. Actually. This is all negotiation colorful negotiation at called that strategic thinking understanding human nature. Okay.
It is very interesting and I learned hold that in the street, you know, because of the streets is basically you have a fraction of seconds to decide if you hit and run if you hit or run fast or talk, but you don't have one minute to converse if the situation there so one of the biggest skill in business I Learned was in the street because of this dangerous environment that were you make friends or your run or you're ready to face a more physical reality. So obviously there was a compromise there where it was.
We cannot give you one point seven million dollar now, but let's start with 1 million and we promise you that over the summer will be able by Exception by Exception by exception to get to your budget. So basically, I have my 1.7 million dollar contract and with all the hard start. We were the star of the summer, you know, everybody was failing huge failure we fell to in the first month of the beauty of it is we were the product that was going in the country. So he didn't die in the countryside. So the first one was a
Disaster we lost our big top it was raining and was like, it was like conflicts that they are just was fighting and like there was a strike that whatever happened at the beginning. We were in the mud up to the throat, but one month after or show was so tight
you were able to prototype it in the countryside as you're able to be a mess, but it didn't matter because you could
refine it. Yeah because they ask us the minister want to keep the big city and the stars of leagues and he they put us on the third row, you know go in the
in the cheap seats on three. Yeah, where were the piece of bread that was thrown in the country to satisfy the to touch everybody with a celebration thing but at the end it become the best thing that I write for us because when we arrived in the big city because we did play in big city where arrives so ready we became the success of the summer press wise public wise and government wise and prime minister was there and he said why don't it those are the type of because you have to understand we're right in the middle of the independent movement.
And the Prime Minister that time was trying to always say we're not done for a little bread coming out from the religious things guy. And then and we lost everything to her the English rest of the Canada in terms of the economy. So just Minister was like believe in the French Canadian creativity business skills and stuff like that. So we became
the symbol.
Yeah, totally and I did love that relationship with that prime minister and he fell in love with that we were is case or the product and the example of what he meant.
So basically the second year like twist the arm of the minister of culture said no you if you want that amount you have to give them so it was a very important things and so obviously your second was more being in the by yourself and the business but this is the beginning of Sir. This is how it came and there's all take
place. So let me pause for one second. So in that meeting you have the black-and-white copy if the color copy, so you're playing on human nature and you're doing it really well because of in part your experience learning lessons on the
Treat still when you walked in I assume that their perspective was that street performing again lowest on the food chain, right? So what else was there in the presentation that made them change their
mind over time because that was a year in preparation for meetings. We saw only got a
lie. Alright, you developed some
relations Financial Officer, which is a big man must match.
You're became more Defender. Then the first person was in love with you later. It's like there was so many that chakra new director creation that was like pushing E1 or project. So suddenly the administration the people at the administration level not at the decision level while middle level decision level start to recommend us as a now you have to have that type of programming and all this. This is the first screen G. They became more Defender and actually and we
Certain alive but it's slowly we convince them by I believe what they believe was a great creative project, but also rent was yes, we were a bunch of kids. You have to understand we were coming from the streets and this was a window and as a wheeler-dealer Devon, this is an opportunity. I'm not giving and the like unless the fish is cutting the line. I'm taking that fish out of the fire. Okay, so I was really always in this like warm. I was on a mission.
And I achieve it and because when I was carrying on my shoulder is the dream of all the community in Montreal or Quebec that for years was talking about the dream of doing a circus but never nobody organize it and I had the credibility of that tribes because I did a street performing Festival. So I was able to rely behind me the entire community and I was the I was giving kind of like the carte blanche to make it happen and without having to go through this Collective process of thing because you know, I believe in
Station of the living collectively but a certain moment, I believe also that everybody in the organization. I have specific responsibilities and mine was to make final decision and I got to respect of that there was not I have to gain it in the first month because it was a lot of challenge related to that. But at the end I got the support of the community and the Press favorable critics and the love of the public. So once you have those three things in front of whoever you have an army,
yeah, you have an Army's and let's talk about
Out maybe influences philosophies I read and maybe this came later so we could also pause this for later. But that your marketing Inspirations were PT Barnum and Walt Disney
PT Barnum, obviously people who know Andre well very complex character, but basically invented modern marketing talk good talk bad, but talk about it was his line. And you know, this is the guy that was bringing a circus in New York and we'll make sure that the
Truck that carried the biggest elephant will have a breakthrough and middle of Times Square. Oh, pray tell how yeah a breakdown and and we'll have the front page of the New York Times a day after that word hundred thousand dollar. Okay, he was a master of that and for people that understand even if people think that he was abusing his Freaks and stuff like that e at the side yes to do business with all the misfit but he gave them a roof and a in a community so that and the other one is Walt Disney.
He well, this isn't my God and I was like this. I don't know. We don't run out on the visually here. But over a napkin it designed the entire vision of all Disney with that things about a disa famous napkin drawing that he did.
Yeah the like the parks the merchandising
exactly exactly. Exactly. So this guy was so creative and so business. It was a perfect balance of the two side of the brain or in person. So obviously this was my other inflation
at the time that you get the million dollars.
With additional like maybe it adds up over time to whatever it was 1.5 million from the government. Then you do another year at that point. What was your
aspiration by the other year was almost killed in the other year. We're technically in bankruptcy. Okay. If you don't know in between say once you have those contract, well, then you have to go and find a bank. It's one thing to converse the government, but I'm telling you it's much more difficult to convince Bank
to help you with your
finances. Yea big.
Yeah, yeah because the government was saying your letter contract but the payment process of government is a little longer than just signing a check every month. So we have to go and finance and find a the bridge which was banker and my God, this was like a hilarious that I don't know. I think we did Avery Banker than a hundred miles around our city we were in and basically we're Entertainer. They all have a smile but they all told us no with a smile saying well, I like your project but us bag we need collateral and
Really? We don't know what we'll do with with the trapeze What tent or a crane truck or a counter of odd dog? If you fell mmm and you didn't listen, this is a contract. Yeah, but so but we end up and it's very very funny. We end up in the last financial institution. We ever thought we could know the not that's was a little bank that was mainly known to finance strikes. So basically, you know, you, you know not have a lot of money thing.
I won't cover every but people won't sides. They need a bank that will manage the strike
budget. How does the bank get repaired if they're funding a strike? They take some portion of the
settlement? No, no, basically the union of a lot of money but they use those Bank. This is where they put their money in. So don't this is the number one Bank in Quebec where the union put their mother has it's their money deposit. So most of their members are union workers.
There's not a business person and business with them. They are all Union. This is a union by get a job that I have. No clue financing a business or whatever and this is where we and this is the one bank that gave us our first bank account with first credit line or Advance the money that the government they try because that's what they get. They used to that. They use that Union would say Okay found give money those people with found that we guarantee the money. So it's in their DNA.
Ah to advance money to people have no money because they have people big bank account. That's a will pave government is the same thing as a union they have big bank account anyway, so so so in this moment this we stablish the first Israel that was not risky because it was all pretty much guarantee and we end up with 50,000 profit out of the 1.7 million couple of equipment but a lot of experience, but obviously it also tell me that we cannot work under the model we did that because it was
Compromise so we had to go to the market and then we were by yourself. There was no more Grand or no more contract from the government. But we had the Prime Minister out there that really loved it and 1985 was the international year of the youth for young people use. So I that that just need me for me the one thing like that for me to build all the next second you have suggested a under the youth banners and here we go. We build a Circus Olay and actually
Even their recognize that we cannot survive with the ambition we had to add when I build only in our Province we were condemned to export on time. I suggest for financial reasons. You would have to agree. Yeah. Yeah. It wasn't on the market. Yeah, not not enough market, you know and told Lies We had on the things was okay. We could do three months four months but to run a circus you have to do 9 months 10 months over a year and because of the climate and the population ratio, we have to export so our first line of exportation was on.
Are you Toronto and Niagara Falls two million visitors whatever and by month of things like that? That's what the government told us you shoe. They are just like the biggest tourist destination my are of all so the way we had no money from heard marketing. I don't understand that we were tied we had a little subsidies we have things but money was always coming at the end and at the end what make the success of entertainment is your marketing campaign, but we all we were always short on money.
For promotion, so we were betting always on the first night or creating a PD Barney event in the downtown City or whatever to get a little press and that year was going. Well, you know, Toronto was going well, but we were so fragile in terms of a general budget that one city, you know, we could afford a little hiccup. But the DraStic failure would create a drastic financial situation. So we're arrived that's almost the last video the tour.
R&i are Falls. We all prepped you know for the opening night this fully people. They're all the politician the local people and then normally
the history tell us that the day after the sells tickets increase and we get around a result second day 10 tickets. Oh s show 65 people in the room and I have 75 worker. Okay, Megan day 20 tickets and went on as I was what happens wrong what happened? And then I ever Revolt of the artist. However, we're not going to play in front of 15 people. This is where the rules of we will never perform.
We made a deal with the artists that we will never perform is a number of public is under the number of artists the moment, we made a deal like that, but it was catastrophic. So then I was like what's going on and we did all kind of thing by Page they things we tried to react but nothing was working and this is where cinnamon is like what's wrong? Why are we that bad or doesn't work to then realize that he has a student even people passing and I are fall but the average of stay of people 45 minutes.
It's and the other one will stay along their honeymoon or and there are in the room having their honeymoon or moment. So we understand that the notion of Market study really but the result of that is we are technically in bankruptcy and we saw that so this specific bang and this is a true story, you know, obviously we were about three quarter million dollars in deficit at that time, but to arrive there we had to survive the end of the tour paid a salary and if we don't do that, that's it. So we have a list of supplier under
Five thousand dollar in over 5,000 dollar. We have a payroll to deliver every two weeks and we have the were minimum will pick scars and we cannot build back, you know, so you have to pay cash and then we have no more cash. We're coming back in Montreal. We know will give a little money and we could reduce that and not overcome everything but we have to survive that because if we cannot bring a little more money to balance a little bit we're done and then whose else we have no money would not sell take it. So the banker.
This Union bang that we have like, I don't know 100,000 that year or two hundred thousand dollar credit line start to allow without approval of this committee first. It was ever shared with doing we went over maybe another 100,000 then he said wait a minute, you know, you're over your line. Yeah, and you know instead of telling ya you can't do anymore said please could you don't do check over ten thousand dollars?
Is it like wait a minute? This is a banker it down here. So we do check on their 10,000 Dennison s called is please could you not do check over 5,000 it went down to $500. So he was in and the last thing we got other than it was I think a 25 or 30 thousand dollar payroll the last payroll of the Season went to their sigh. Listen. I know we way over here just like that and the guy said he looked at me and said I lose my head. I have no Authority.
Ation, I did things that I was not arise to do as a director of the bank. I said if this goes wrong, I'm glad so but I said, yeah, but please you're definitely dead. If you don't help me to pay the payroll and the guy have released another twenty-five thirty thousand dollars to pay the payroll and then we end of season and I might partner has I'm Danielle we look at each other, right? If one and we have maybe 20 thousand dollar cash that we put aside and we said to each other if one supplier car.
And post an action
like like like a lawsuit or yeah claim
was under just just claim just going to court then it will trigger all the things then very soon. But we did is I took all the supplier over 10. I said to the bank. First of all said the bank could I have five six months, you know, we're doing another tour. We have a contract with the explosion night 86 in Vancouver. We have good traction, you know, it's like we're popular but we don't who were totally technically we're broke. So I went
On with my director of administration and me we went to every supplier and made a deal didn't pay none of them except to read and then we use a cash. We made a deal for supposed check eight months in 12 checks all of them. They all except
why do they
accept they loved us? Okay, they trust us. I think they believe in us we were up front, but we had a deal but you know, we are loved.
Eight of eight six months minimum eight months of each of them with possible and check with the promise that if the cash was coming first, we will pay them faster my God, this is and Joel flying and not only one this is like 50 Angela's on that and actually it was about 250 supplier. Whatever for 500 to 10,000. The biggest one I think was 100,000 and the bank.
And the banging the guy you have to go back. So are you so the bank after so this guy is clearly just Breaking All the Rules. It seems like to give you guys this money was he I want to know a little bit more about that. I mean was he just pissed off at his boss and he was going to quit no once anyway, I don't think a bit of a joker. But why would he I mean, he's risking his job. I would think doing this
totally totally but I guess yeah, you have to be there at the origin we came like we were a storm of color of happiness and
We're doing were what people never saw in the circus thing. So we were we were clearly where we Inspire and we were working hard and we were working on a business plan. And we everybody understand if we braid that things it could be a huge success, but were just young entrepreneur that was leaving everything a Young Generation have to face when you do business and solidly every wall of those people are normally would put a wall in front of kids at the side and I didn't interview everybody.
A of it, but I would sell it for the banker point because he became a great great friend. It was just like I just believed. Yeah, and I was ready. I was ready to go battle with my bank committee, you know and say we should and actually this philosophy was Bank should sometime take risk business risk and not only protect themself, you know, he is principal we do so much money that portion of what things should be when we feel it to take greater risks over and above what the rules of Bank peruses.
And that's what he was defending actually was using my case and actually this bank that we stayed until I sold her the sole we were super faithful to him and for him it became the bank at every young cultural Enterprise or young things were to go because they made a model all of that sir, and they had been able to serve as there and I was just like again this was a type of thing and then 86 we went to Vancouver in one year would pay everybody the bank and stuff like that. It was all done and then 87 we
Hit Ali was a live or die in La opening night again at work. Most died that night.
Wait. Did you say you almost died that night?
Wow. Listen that day. Okay. Yeah. I understand. We're going to Los Angeles festival or no Festival super again institutional Things director of programming come. He came ladies about went rested but we have no money to book your survival. If I'm going from Quebec to Canada have to put everything on things and one of my partner was saying, well, let's
Go to Vermont 7-under, wherever the hell I Vermont will tell you everything if we will be successful or not. We have to hit the big city New York or or Los Angeles and we had an unfortunate there. So I made a deal with the Los Angeles Festival I said, okay, I'll go I'll take my own risk, but please could I have the opening night? Okay the of the festival and please could you just at least make sure that the new promotion your generic promotion you put us and I said third could you make sure we have
Good pressed the big name of all the wood on the opening day. But here we are. We're in Little Tokyo, you know where they put out a little Tokyo. Yeah, that's I everybody else is in the Forum of that all the biggest situation. They threw us in the middle of the worst neighborhood. There is Little Tokyo. Okay. Now the town they lay in a site that is the middle of side which basically is The Middle on one side. You have one street gang and the other one you have the other street gang is one of the biggest
Try and Blaze things that is like murder all over they it's just like wait a minute. So we end up having to deal with the neighborhood. There's another we have to out, you know, we have two choices either way of securing things. So we decide I've been able to negotiate kind of a truce between the two gangs saying listen. I'm coming I come from the streets. I put all my street is story behind. I made them laugh, you know, I did the clown of myself. I got their approval. Why because I said your wife your kids. I'll give them job. Okay other than
Selling drugs or killing people whatever were stealing my God two memorable moments and it was a very interesting because people tell us put that 20 foot. Nana. I cannot afford 20-foot things will give job so everybody a job the security parking cars cleaning Usher's was selling up dog, whatever everybody that was iron from the to gang there. And actually I think for a very long time that was the first time they were not killing.
Each other and the same roof anyway, so there's two event that happened that made me laugh one is about that opening day, which you see people arrive the big lie mode a big Mercedes the big Rolls Royce and they give the key to the hood. Yeah, this little kid that usually will break in the winter when the guy was like going part of the place in the worst place you could park a that type of car. So just that things was like wow. Wow. Wow. Wow, just that for me was an interesting mission accomplished somewhere to be able to make
like a but the most freaky moment was the opening was in the afternoon and it was so what so what and people arrive and you know all they would they don't arrive on the dot it fashionably late. Oh my God, as I we were dying just that's like they had people it was like hundred-degree people sweating and then okay, it's not complete and organizers. Oh, wait a minute is this stars coming is only as wait at that. So we decide to send the Clown's to animate the
And you have the Mayor Young likes the governor is like all the big shebang is there and there on time
it's just they're just sitting down waiting until your yeah,
there's and my clown go because we have to give a little animation pre-show. So I said to my my bunch of clowns. Okay, just go don't do the things of the pre-show, but you have enough tricks to make them laugh my one belly clown one of them were slow.
First name is coming. He's coming with a hose and water hose water Hosea water hose open those and start to spread everybody in think I said I'm dying. I'm dying. I said that I will really die in LA and then suddenly the fraction a second because you could see people reacting in Seoul and then you see the first bodytalk but there's suddenly a bunch of people together. Give it more they stand up. It was like give me more water magic moment. Well, we did the show
A lot of ways I could have got right I'm saying I thought he was going the other side. So finally do the show Standing Ovation. And the day after is like celso was sold out and this is there was a beginning of never looking back again. Wow, it did a bumpy road and stuff later. But from that moment. There's only one year the Year of growth crisis and our our growth that we lost a little money. But since then sick except the bankruptcy year, we've been doing money money. Never never
being on the deficit here this interesting
little bit of things. So if you look at our lies, you told a bunch of stories about l.a. You're headed to Vancouver. You do really well in Vancouver. You don't want to repeat Niagara Falls obviously not Vancouver is very different from Niagara Falls, but was there any planning or changes that you made to the preparation before going to Vancouver that made a big
difference now, you have to understand that we start to build. Well, you know, I'm rich station and we're able to do media. So we
To be much more strategic in our communication. Remember the first year was very difficult because we have all the money for the operation but we're very tight suddenly start to generate cash flow in profit. So again, it's support a good campaign. So we're able to buy a full page in the New York Times and and on ahead and create our set attention. We were very famous to ever open a night at that time. It was an amazing party that everybody want to be there and then after that cell was going on and and the model
was click click click click and then we expand to show and then the Breakthrough of a guess. We'll see when it's just like life or the universe and there was presenting us opportunity and we were or highs was enough open to see them and sees them because it goes both ways and I believe this is something that's very important for people to understand how we were thinking is I do
Somewhere in this phase of this Dimension. There's something for us and we have to find it but not only we had find it but it was coming to us. And this is all the notion of the blue ocean concept versus a red ocean environment. We basically create a blue ocean by and so if we were ahead of our time we package we didn't reinvent noting that the hard for Masters were there. We just put color on something. That was very dusty.
And apply a theatrical approach versus a circus show approach and we are in v and we once we start to have money we reinvest for supplying organic growth in the same time that we're building relationship and having access to bank money. So we became great business people and that always related to when at the beginning of sick when I tried to convince Bank put a place in the board where nobody want to be a border. So well now I'm condemned to play business.
I still at play business a lot of fun playing business because it was a wall always about the game and I was like we come from nothing. So what was the rose situation go back to nothing of that and that's where I come from. And while I was seeing successful people failing because they were starting to nurture to not having two more they have today and start to nurture fear and there is like no,
could you explain that a bit
more? I've seen a lot of successful Enterprise. There's many things that
You'll success I the first one I've seen is about once you have success you get a lot of reward financially economy. And then you're starting to nurture to fear of not having tomorrow what you have today, right and then change your entire way of addressing things. So suddenly, you're not the same person. You don't address your business the same way you don't address your vision and things because you're not your fear. Okay. So my sale that is like danger there is
but please evaluate Danger Don't let your fear because of the moment you nurture fear. There's a good chance that you call your fear and the result of the fear. So that's one thing and I've seen a lot of entrepreneur shifting. They will have been shifting or transforming what they are and deny where they come from. So at the end not being themselves and having a business or success changing their soul their way of doing things and become other people which again,
Could affect the real company and the other one is more.
Recognizing or realizing that a certain moment. You're not the person to bring your business or your baby to another level to be able to step out when you realize that your maximize for different reason your contribution to the success of your Enterprise.
So let's talk about the first part of that just a little bit longer because I lived in Silicon Valley for 17 years and have a lot of friends from that period of my life many of them have shifted. I would say into trying to defend
They have or have experienced more fear because they don't know who to trust etcetera. I mean there are many stories
about frosting some big factor
also, so what else would you say to those people there people you care about you. See them may be changing or feeding the fear. What else would you say to them?
You mentioned something about trust there's a thin line between wasting time of Dowling versus trying to see the best side of a person and work toward making a merge of a person that's best site.
And this is a conversation that I still have whatever we might kids when my ex and the actual business is this notion of to which level you trust without compromising the fundamental and this is very difficult to conclude because I've lived the to Spectrum of Van life. I got some of the best reward by trusting people and focusing on their Beautiful Soul versus the dark side and that has been very rewarding that approve.
The observation that people have some time when you have give them trust they will fell in the Trap of felling in the greedy go and power side of life versus the love respect and Trust sight of life, which is what we had built or things with and that brought me a lot of deception to people. I really trust that I believe that we had enough experience together and they fell apart and again, it happened in my own little
Alito's but look what's going on the world in our driven by this tension between the two side of it. And obviously the people are driven by greed a go and power every morning they wake up and then thinking about how they could be better us, you know on the side of the law of peace and love and stuff like that. We get it on the face. We look at the sun we meditate and and we are a little more slow to react of that. So I guess we have to be a little more
organized if I'm understanding you correctly made it sounds like
You're suggesting maybe defaulting to trusting people and expecting. Sometimes you're going to get punched in the face, but that's just the tax you pay for being optimistic or are there other ways that you protect the fundamentals
know I would say at the end. There's more success and failure, but the failure are more touching than the wind of trust because it's usually attached to deception. So I'm talking more about the deception, you know, you're in business you win you lose you make good decisions that decision.
That's part of it. You're nobody's perfect. And nobody's perfect in the choice of who you work with who you trust or not. It's part of doing business. It's more deep than that when I'm saying it's just like so this is why I guess as much honest conversation at the beginning to establish not the contract. This is why my contract I always not put just a legal sparked. I always saw in the first page by the Assumption the spirit of how a deal is done because my wish that if there's conflict before
On the legal battle you look at what the spirit of the deal was and if you have sensitive people intelligent people they will relate to this Foundation version the word of the legal things
and that's actually a page in the document
that has the contact page and the contract it's amazing the contract where the first page is not about legal stuff. It's about the philosophy the spirit of why we're doing the drink what had brought us to that deal. What is the spirit of the deal? Okay, I made.
A mistake to forget that some time and this was the most chaotic things because I'm telling you is like if you don't attach to the spirit and it's just legal we're living in the country. Do not America, especially in the state's hittin me or make me happy make a mistakes and not clear. It's much more difficult for a person to deny the spirit if it's been written down and was the neither say it's not what I say because when you try to bring the spirit in the
Oral conversation they will always find a way to just buy that's not what they say. That's my right. The thing is very difficult for them. Then it's betrayal understand then you know, it's a betrayal it's not a
misunderstanding is that first page? I'm very interested in this is it almost just like regular text like it's paragraphs or
is it bullets? It's understanding that we desire to conquer palette March. We will do everything to you know, it's like very poor.
Take some time. Very philosophy kits very mission-oriented. You know, we all do document in business a mission and vision and so why are we not putting those principle right in the contract when two parties do things because this become a new Mission. This is Bill on you value and I think this is I believe an antidote against persecution or a legal
process. Yeah. That's very smart.
Well, I've not been that smart.
All the time because I mean some days that that I forgot to put it or my family office. I forgot to put it but now I'm telling you this will be from now on even with experience. I did forget to put it because I guess I've entrusted more that I believe that it should not put in another and that became the biggest betrayal in business I ever did so now it's there forever.
See you mentioned a name earlier that I'd love to hear you say more about so I think you mentioned Steve Wynn. So how
how does Steve Owens fit into this
story Game Changer Steve when game changer for me? Oh and I will start seeing the sole always found myself. I going to see as much as possible. So right over here is sick. I would go visit the artists and I will always make a stop in Vegas to see the entertainment that and then suddenly Mirage arrived here and the Siegfried and Roy show is there and is why not the entire show first 20 minutes. It was like mind-blowing is a wow. I was so inspired.
And impactful for me because I realize and make me realize that wait a minute Fay. Yes is as is baby foot of modern entertainment. You know, you have New York on one side London on the other side, but they are still cheesy. They have big production, but still not deep in the hobby called a theatrical the artistic Ruiz very flamboyant. It's big thing and they put a lot of money. You have a volcano you have like
Showers, or whatever hundred dancers, you have the spectacular but when you analyze it in the artistic quality things is Level 1 and then with this 20 minutes. I say wait a minute. I look around it's one two, three, four, five six kids, you know, they don't have to make sure this picture shows being so I saw Ali realizes I wait a minute this city.
I have the potential of becoming the third biggest entertainment city in the world after New York or with New York and London and this is where Cinema I start to put a lot of focus then we have Caesars was the first one to approach us from a vice president entertainment part Caesars location. So we engage in the development of the deal which I had that thought the time to put 300 thousand dollar they put three hundred thousand dollar and we develop a concept of shows called Timeless kiss the Timeless gives
This is the first show which is a but Mr. Okay, he said because your Island but we went through a level present to the board Andre Glock Terry Lani and sensory City in Los Angeles. All those very aged person with a couple of young executive and we pitch and we believe that moment that we did a great pitch for confidence in the show and actually the deal with them was far away from the deal image in the future we see with so I'm back in Montreal waiting the answer received the phone call. I was on my tray.
Hill and this vice president said well, sorry. I have a bad news or what so well the board think that your show is to weasel Tarik for Las Vegas esoteric was the word to explain me why they're not go ahead with the deal Irish. I don't think ever in my life had done so many hours of Step master in my life in the Rye was raging streaming for three hours and then there's wait a minute and that was three hundred thousand dollar investment.
Iseman the moment we talk in 1990 91 beginning of a
success and that was into the concept development.
Yeah. Well, yes. Yes. We were trying to make a deal when one of the casino to put your product there then that felt so we went around next one. Next one is the Hilton where Elvis Presley was there at that time. It was like a Broadway show was there same story pitch pitch whistling around it's too complex.
And then that one I didn't raise because I having received that answer once I said I was expecting and then like a week after I receive a message called Steve wind called you called back. So I called back miss you let your birthday as I desire. It is very more radio voice than me said I heard you were flirting with my competitors. Have you made any deal with my competition?
Send know why our side why didn't you come see me? I said, well you have the best show in town didn't even think you were interesting my brother. You have the best show in town. Well I said I would like to have conversation we had thing. I have some things that we could bring so du Soleil so that you since it was I yeah I've seen in and in Santa Monica and 1987 and why is that we have a new show. It's called will experience. Have you seen no, I want you to see it. So where are you? So what I am
Wrong till now, but I said before we converge I want you to see what I am about now. Yeah, I don't know at that moment that they have is I problem and vision problem. So he said I'll be there Friday with my CEO and one or two board member. So we flow in receiving look at things and then I see the guy we go intermission is I like it. So I would like to bring this show behind the me wragge and we could set up their it turn around. He said deal, okay.
That deal any present is that so we have to negotiate said this guy will make sure that you will have a good deal and I will have a good deal and we'll make it happen. I need to be activated very fast. She can say after make a deal. They bought all the new equipment to build the things behind the me Raj and I didn't know at that time that for him you have something else you have the Treasure Island well as a mine and actually want to lock me down.
He did that time track just to lock me down. So I cannot talk to others because he's in two years after he was building this thing and it costs money and on the top of that opening night my God again all the big shebang of Vegas and Stephen are very powerful and influential friends in the political things. They had done that the business I have this Bankers there and opening night one artist animation again, but this one should have been turn very bad it did.
That 2000 time is lying on the road from the tower over the head of people on the stage. We're about to start the show. I'm seeing from the size of my like the artist fell on the people.
Okay, God,
I think I experienced what it means. And what is the temperature in the feeling to be in the Tomb the sound the sound of the Big Top the CEO Bobby ball and see the same thing and see
Don't see what's going on. What's going on? And CEO said well, there's an artist who fell on the end and you knew that we fell over I think it was a banker and one of the major Banks so you just fell in love
they know
and see see what and dead silence. So thank God it was just kind of like heard on the shoulder. He couldn't break his neck. He's a clean one inches on the side bring the neck and I was it for me. It was done Terry, okay.
So we go to show and you know, it was hard show to start the show and build up success. So the reaction at the end was good, but it was not the Tremec, you know, it was not overwhelmed. I was like everybody was like easy. Okay, and so that we overcome that moment that it could have been crucial and then to three months after they said the real reason what I want to lock you down is because I'm doing Treasure Island. I want you to do the main show of this thing. So the show give us
And became the Timeless case that we made mistakes are we try to explain him or creative process which we need, you know, you give us a theater who design it for show but we need does free and when you time to rear soul and with clowns, we need the audience to test things and supplies. So theoretically get everything the First dress rehearsal not a magic moment with Steven my clown the same Benny by the way, and the same Benny that is my clown. He want to do a satiric.
Clown
number fire hose right the
water. Yes, the same one of them that should believe is one of the best line of work. But you want to do an original clown act, which is about a satiric number of boxing in Las Vegas. And his game is to set up kind of boxing things. They have to equal 1 and Vite an audience member to have a boxing fight that ended up to throw each other Tarts cream tight. Okay, but but the test people are only the worker
Of the casino plus all the executive but you'll see when asked all these topics together. Go check it out first. We don't even call that address real so-called that a lion then cleaning its occasion for lying. She's on the risks were taking their and we just want a little bit normally when white friends and family is smoked Trout. The room is like probably 50% of the exit. They were the tire right there. And the number go wrong Benny Panic the clown panic and start to throw all the tart on the
audience. So, of course, I receive a phone call from Steve winners doing ski in Aspen say where did not use the word happen Zach. What are you doing? What is it to truth Arts to people and the room the new theater and I said Steve is like this was the lion dance and we're testing it the are wrong and stuff like that that company will correct that don't worry that's part of the
process
and I said, yeah and he said,
No F
way you get you can say it on my
shoulders because with all those things anyway, exactly. Well, I didn't say it you say that I just tried to play with the situation. So I said listen I'm flying tomorrow. I want a private view of the show. Okay, and there's no way you will open this show and I will tell you what's work with doesn't work. I am the experience of that in Las Vegas and we're there everybody's freaking out so
I'm cranking because as island is we took months to explain him this process and now he's like treading me do not open the show whatever, you know in the Steve Wynn way, it's not we arrived. I'm not sitting with him. I'm sitting with Bobby Baldwin a CEO because he's my friend and that's the one I made the deal Franco that I gone and just think where the director and the director of Christian with Steve and you could see Steve and you know, those show that I've so much mechanic on it. You cannot put the artists on
So you don't run the show at real speed you run the show in a safe way. So you mark the strap and then you know, it's a process. So I'm obliged to run a show that's supposed to give him the information while the show is about but instead of being 100 miles an hour. It's running at 75. So obviously you don't see the beauty of the race car. You know, it's like it's I it is just safety. Safety safety you mark you take a client lining does the light could affect an acrobat, you know, there's all the hundreds of detail, so
Ously, everything is slowed down. So at the end of the show stand up. We have a meeting with him and he's surrounded Ebola. Look at the doctor say
What the fuck is this show look and feel like a fucking German Opera Krakow Dragon the director turn around say thank you Steve. This is the biggest compliment. You can ever told you about the shark create forgot. This is true. Sorry. I see this is what you see here. I just tell you the show is a piece of crap.
And you're telling me thank you by telling you that by and yeah, and probably expand is like, you know, German Opera is very important in the world of up over Roswell institutions. And Steve is totally disabled eyes. And then he starts to say I like that. I don't like that and I want you to change that after that and then I intervention know Steve I said, I explain you explain what the things were not done yet with the show. This will be a great show. Trust me. And by the way I have
Last war is contractually about what will be the show or not and his reaction. Yeah, but I control the room and they fight decide. Nobody go is infer from you then you'll be in pathology because if I deliver show and I have the right if you don't let people in it's your problem. I would have done my job and then he turned rage because he said you have to understand Steve Wynn always that control and true percent of his narrative. Everybody's at this foot. Here's a little kid from Quebec is like you're standing in front of me and say no when
When people tell him yes three times in a row to make sure he's not understand. Oh, yes, and then he turned and Bobby Baldwin. See you. So what the fuck is that contract? I don't have the last word. That's how about Steve you ask you to make a deal with them and that's what a break deemed. You'd asked me to make sure that it will be with us. I did it that was a condition. It was a break deal. I sign it created a seal to the credit of sealed at the moment. A CEO said this is contractually binding season. Okay, then I will have to trust
I hope you're right and you will prove me wrong. But here it is. I will trust you see you at opening night just like that just like that opening night day after sold-out sold-out soul of we were the hit new show Rock Vegas. Then after that there was a whole show on you know, the story is like banging a starting point that after he sold to MGM. There's a moment of the pentacle things. We were responsible of 6% of
of about 40 million visitor of primary reason why people were coming videos and we were controle almost 39 percent of every entertainment tickets in Las Vegas. Wow. So we did contribute a little bit now Vegas is a total red ocean, but we arrived create a blue ocean and just like squeeze it with beautiful show and they were giving us all the money we want to create the most amazing show and always an example of it. This is my masterpiece as like, that's the perfect.
With somebody who'd believe in you have a lot of money and a team that arrived at creative maturity to do his
Masterpiece. So I'll just mention for people Blue Ocean Blue Ocean strategy. Also a great book worth reading that gets more into this concept,
but which was a test case story is consisted of a case study on it and it's very interesting and people who will read it. It really makes you understand how addressing a red ocean by creating a blue ocean. This could totally be a game changer for an Enterprise and the way of
thing about you're envisioning strategy.
Yeah total Game Changer and I would love to ask you more about Steve when we like come back to it. But I know we're coming up on two hours. So I want to be respectful of your time. But let me ask you this question, which is I would love to get your perspective on maybe what people miss about Cirque du Soleil and why it became successful because I imagine there are many people listening to this who will wonder and I've wondered this to why didn't someone else do this.
Well, we wear a Pioneer but after the success like
Any good success you have impact creative mind will production company some will love the easy reaction a lazy reaction of trying to copy you very bad for them. Very bad for the business very bad for my brand. Why because they will play inspired by they will call that a sick let alone sick of that to try to grab the flavor and I track them by trying to sell that they're the same level, right?
A disaster and this for me is lazy people do that and non-creative people. There's some of that and you have to deal with that some some driver. Usually they don't last long but it does affect your credibility for a period of time but people are not stupid. They will understand. What is the real recipe versus the fake one like where they are original then there's the other one that you inspire. Okay Young Artists and I have a lot I was responsible a lot of new.
Merging entertainment company that inspired himself, but what we did and became the second generation, you know, it's like an art you have the first generation you have the second generation and you have the the other one that door we call the derivative derivative of the bad one, you know that sometimes make money out things, but they just copy and they have no contribution to the evolution of the art. But today we are nurture see this layer nurture dozen.
Of second generation of artists and thing and it's not necessarily always about circus. I'm yeah wolf. For example, I don't know if you know me. I will ya so, for example, we have all without saying there s General but they are because I know the founder of or some of them and you know, obviously we had a huge impact in inspiring cultural or artistic entrepreneur to use us as inspiration and Maya wolf some of them aside. Well, listen, you've been very important in inspiring.
Send many other like that. And when you see this or even circus is being a little truth Circle was sick things are all like babies of cygnus Ale that had defined their own style that inspired and contribute to the elevation of the art of circus and as beautiful and as more of that this failure and actually it's very rewarding to see that type of impact you could have on the Next Generation. So yes, it's people
I'll try but the clever one of the one who don't try to copy the try to make their own
signature so key I want to be respectful of time. Do you want to keep going for like 10-15 minutes?
Yeah. Okay. I would like to talk about the community and I was just again the beautiful 40 years that I live with amazing colorful people that are come from the same environment of work, which is funny then obviously
I sold sick to sell a 2015 many things happened and another story to tell and I'm jumping to the conclusion where when from family office different portfolio explore a lot of things. I don't want to go details rough mom and kavya Diving to you know, I was about to activate new content new project and covet killer doll lost my investors and stuff like, you know, like starting to lose not every year now. It's like at least couple
months friends that are dying, you know make me realize that when a minute I'm not saying clock is ticking but let's say time pass faster and it does have impact and the realize that what became important for lost my parents and then suddenly it was my wait a minute one of my dream because I had some dream alive, but the recent dream was about a I would love to go back with all my group of people or friends invite them on the island all why you were my own whatever.
And spend couple days or night just with a good bottle of wine and just listen what their life was about just to see the people you love what they have all because a lot of them. I always keep contact with them but to some I've not seen for 20 years and we still in contact with just would love to hug or selfie and have a good conversation again. So it changed the last couple of years really and specially from last year about 14 months ago. I really went through this period of whoa
What are my priority first family office type of money management investment? Not my type of I'm an entrepreneur. Okay, I need action. I don't have the patience of most of the things one of my investment was the biggest betrayal of My Life as a wait a minute. I want to be with my friend. I will be the one I loved one. I want to be with my tribe. I want to be with my family. So it shifts and made me the decision that I said I want to do shows again. So the last year of
And I'll send the last time yeah about a year. I've been gearing up and with developing concept and and with some of it with my old friends that we tore some let's do something again and a bunch of young you kids young people that I've defier the drive and that invite to play with us and make sure with all my elders that we use this opportunity of creating thing and transfer the knowledge of what we all are.
Or wisdom or form them and give them and work with them so they could carry on nice entertainment environment. And at the end what does it mean as what is the conclusion of that is like, you know in life you could have all the success you want because I've all that but what is most important in your family your friends your tribe the people that live a life with in the comfort of that is so much important than anything else after which at the end if you realize that and for me this exercise of starting up a new entertainment
You with you showed that I cannot disclose to the but I believe that pretty ass kicker. Also there we have first of all, we have a lot of fun whee laughing her ass out every morning that we riding and create that thing. So we'll live a die from the public reaction. But among the team here, we like cranking up and we have a lot of choice but at the end what all this will permit me is somewhere hopefully to this new adventure engage in which I didn't have to do is maybe end up having achieved.
Eve to one of my goal at the end which is as mentioned before being a good ancestor. And this is all the desire of giving back as much as I could in the time left and I hope there's another 30 years whatever my goal is at least 100 100 years, but I was felt by so much love so much. Joy, so emotionally portunity that well I got was bigger than what one individual have so I'm trying to find a way that how could I give back? All that? True what I know best.
This is creating shows and creating entertainment company. So this is where I am we talked about the Tome one is at home too, and I'm starting to engage tone tree basically
very different and also very interconnected chapters. It would seem and how much of the getting back to performing or shows is the performing in the shows the content versus having a reason or an excuse to get together with your old friends and the
performers well,
There's different Factor on that one is I I realize I didn't do my AP dog. You know, I laugh a Nicole. I visit things. I have a bad result thing for ex reason again another conversation. But what is my EP log in all this amazing creative production adventure and what I'm working now is my ability. The second thing is a challenge as funny as much. I'm very active something. I have the impression that I could become very lazy when
Is there so I always perform the best when I'm on the cliff and it's true. It's true. Yeah and knowing that if I decide to come back on that and I'm risking a lot I cannot do what I did as I just lay have to find different way. I have to address every angle of the artistic experience about to do with a different look at it. And this is intellectually so so challenging and interesting so I'm having a very interesting brain activities with all those
Those ancestors as key rolling the answers are stiffened lie awake in this
bring alive and well dancing on the cliff. Well, gee, is there anything else you'd like to say any request of my audience or anything else you'd like to add before we close this first round.
Yeah about that. If I open my mouth again, it will be five dollar by word that I say from not. Okay.
No problem. No problem. Well, this has been
Incredibly fun. I'm glad that this finally came together and I really appreciate you taking the time and sharing everything that you've shared and hopefully we'll get a chance to do
around here have a good bottle of wine together. Have a
good bottle of wine. Absolutely. Why are you based? I'm based in Austin, Texas. Okay, I travel a lot. So I'm on both coasts. I'm International frequently. So I'm sure there's an opportunity or we can get one
opportunity spend a lot of time in Vegas for surely by activating sir.
And things I would love let's make sure we don't lose contact. I would definitely either good bottle of Saki over good Japanese meal or a good bottle of wine. The red wine Burger knee over a good meal
sounds perfect and really appreciate you taking all the time and everybody listening. We will link to everything in the show notes and more at Tim Da Block / podcast. And as always be a little bit Kinder than is necessary both to others and to yourself until next time. Thanks for tuning.
Hey guys, this is Tim again. Just one more thing before you take off and that is five. Bullet Friday. Would you enjoy getting a short email from me? Every Friday that provides a little fun before the weekend between one and a half and two million people subscribe to my free newsletter. My super short newsletter called 508 Friday easy to sign up easy to cancel. It is basically a half page that I send out every Friday to share the coolest things. I've found or discovered or have started exploring over.
At week. It's kind of like my diary of cool things it often includes articles and reading books. I'm reading albums. Perhaps gadgets gizmos all sorts of tech tricks and so on that gets sent to me by my friends including a lot of podcast guests and these strange esoteric things end up in my field and then I test them and then I share them with you. So if that sounds fun again, it's very short a little tiny bite of goodness before you head off for the weekend something think about if you'd like to try
Don't just go to Tim not blog / Friday type that into your browser Tim dot blog / Friday drop in your email and you'll get the very next one. Thanks for listening. Visit soda is brought to you by eight sleep temperature is one of the main causes of for sleep and heat is my personal Nemesis of suffered for decades tossing and turning throwing blankets off pulling the back on putting one leg on top and repeating all that ad nauseam, but now I am falling asleep in record time. Why because I'm using a device
It was recommended to me by friends called the Pod cover by eight sleep pod cover fits on any mattress and allows you to adjust the temperature of your sleeping environment providing the optimal temperature that gets you the best night's sleep with the Pod covers Dual Zone temperature control you and your partner can set your size of the bed to his coolest 55 degrees or as hot as 110 degrees. I think generally in my experience my partner's prefer the high side and I like to sleep very very cool. So stop fighting this
Helps based on your Biometrics environment and sleep stages the Pod cover makes temperature adjustments throughout the night that limit wake Up's and increase your percentage of deep sleep in addition to its Best in Class temperature regulation the Pod cover sensors also track your health and sleep metrics without the need to use a wearable conquer this winter season with the best in sleep Tech and sleep at your perfect temperature many of my listeners and colder areas. Sometimes that's me enjoy warming up their bed after a freezing day. If you have a partner great you can split this
Zones, and you can sleep at your own ideal temperatures. It's easy. So go to eight sleep.com Tim spelled out eight sleep.com, Tim and sake $250 on the Pod cover by eight sleep this winter eight sleep currently ships within the US Canada UK select countries in the EU and Australia.
This episode is brought to you by Shopify one of my absolute favorite companies and they make some of my favorite products Shopify is the Commerce platform revolutionising millions of businesses worldwide and I've known the team since 2008 or 2009 but prior to that. I wish I had personally had shot by the early 2000s when I was running my own e-commerce business. I tell that story in the 4-Hour Work week, but the tools then were absolutely atrocious and I could only dream of a platform like Shopify in
act it was you guys my dear readers who introduced me to shop fly when I pulled all of you about best e-commerce platforms around 2009 and they've only become better and better since whether you're a garage entrepreneur or getting ready for your IPO Shopify is the only tool you need to start run and grow your business without the struggle Shopify puts you in control of every sales Channel doesn't matter if you're selling satin sheets from shopify's in person POS system or offering organic olive oil on shopify's all-in-one e-commerce platform.
However, you interact with your customers your cover. And once you've reached your audience Shopify has the internet to best converting check out to help you turn browsers into buyers Shopify Powers 10% of all e-commerce in the United States and Shopify is truly a global Force as the e-commerce solution behind all birds Frosty's Brooklyn and and millions of other entrepreneurs of every size across more than 170 countries plus shopify's award-winning help is there to support your success every step of the way if you have questions,
This is possibility powered by Shopify. So check it out sign up for a one dollar per month trial period at Shopify. That's sh OPI FY Shopify.com Tim. Got a Shopify.com Tim to take your business to the next level today one more time all lowercase Shopify.com tip.
