EP. 79 Success means different things to different people. You create your own definition of success, and it has nothing to do with the type of car you’re driving or the brand of watch you’re wearing.
When this episode’s guest hit 40, he realized something had to change.
Despite spending 15 years in the entertainment and hospitality industry [where he’d launched a dozen businesses], Zark Fatah didn’t have the life he wanted.
His success felt superficial because it was based on material possessions. He felt lonely in love, he didn’t jump out of bed to get to work, and because he had a habit of spending more than he earned, he was hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt.
It was a wake up call.
Surely there was more to life than this? The man in the mirror wasn’t the guy he wanted to be. So he let go, deconstructed his life, and redefined himself – beyond recognition.
And in this episode, you get to hear what Zark did and how his life has changed as a result.
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As humans, we are all curious individuals. It’s just in our nature to wonder about things. The difference is how we act on those curiosities.
It’s never too late to start a personal development journey and you can reinvent yourself whether you’re in your 20s, 30s, 40s, and beyond.
As Zark’s story shows us, it’s all a case of mindset. It’s a choice and a decision to walk away from what you don’t want and take action towards the things that will bring joy, passion and love.
Today, Zark’s life couldn’t be more different than his ‘nightlife’ past. Through ALIVE Experiences, Zark is creating curated travel experiences for people who want profound breakthroughs. It’s a business and a life that fills Zark with joy – because it’s a reflection of what he’s passionate about.
But how did he get to this point? In this episode, you’ll find out! That’s because we talk about:
- Why you can use your story to empower and inspire others
- How to NOT get to 40 until you realize you need to walk a different path
- The difference between superficial success and ‘real’ success
- The powerful link between giving and success
- How curiosity unlocks a life you love
And much, MUCH more.
Zark is an inspiration to me. He’s a beautiful human who infuses his life with joy, passion, and love. His story is reminder that you can start from scratch and reinvent your life – and you can start that today.
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It’s important to decide for yourself: What is your purpose? What impact do you want to create in the world? What difference do you want to make?
Time Stamped Show Notes
[5:17] Something that fascinated me when I met Zark was his passion for learning and his perspective – he looks at things from many different angles. In doing a deeper dive into his story, I learned that he’s had a number of different careers, businesses, passions, and initiatives. I ask him what’s the source behind all that he does? Zark believes that life is “wild, weird and wonderful.” There’s so much to learn from our experiences and he stays in the pursuit of growth, expansion, and education. He seeks experiences that are outside of his comfort zone and things that he can learn from as they spark new hobbies, passions, and interests.
[16:19] I came across something Zark said about how he’s lived and died around 5 or so times. Naturally, I was curious as to what that meant: was it the death of his ego? Changes in his career? Growth and transformation? He says that while there has been some ego death, however, it has a lot to do with his journey: his childhood, dropping out of high school, his first job (he reveals a bit of a secret), working in night life, leaving Canada to live in Miami and bringing everything that he learned back home to start a career in nightlife promotion. Each of those experiences brought different identities, careers, and lifestyles. It was at age 40 when he woke up to the realization that there had to be was more to life. He wasn’t where he wanted to be, had to make some changes and needed to deconstruct the identity of the person that he didn’t want to be. There had to be a death of that identity to get to his best self.
[21:52] Zark talks about the expectations of success; how so many of us equate success with what we have and believe that the more we have, the more successful we are. He says success means different things to each of us. We create our own success and it has nothing to do with the car we have, the house we own or the things that we can buy. It’s a personal meaning and, usually, when we do get all of the “things” we look around and realize that we made a lot of sacrifices for something that we didn’t really want.
[32:50] I talk to Zark about my belief that most people don’t become the person, that they know that they can be, because they don’t realize how much being their best can impact others. People aren’t always aware of the power of connection: how much of an impact their words can have on an audience, how much of an inspiration their story could be, how much their presence could motivate, etc. The ripples that come from being your most authentic self and gifting people that experience is mind-blowing. It’s one of the most fulfilling experiences there is, for both you and those on the receiving end.
[43:50] Zark stays grounded by constantly, daily, asking himself if he’s living in alignment. Is he staying true to the impact that he wants to create in the world? Are the decisions he’s making aligned with the highest version of himself? Is he staying true to the service that he wants to provide to others? He also stays grounded by constantly reminding himself of the difference he’s making for others and by living on purpose.
Zark Fatah