"The Cave You Fear to Enter Holds the Treasure You Seek."
-- Joseph Campbell
Hi, I'm Greg.
I’ve founded, grown, bought and sold more than 20 business across a dizzying range of industries and markets over the last 25+ years. The single thread that ties them together is the love of growth and innovation. Of disruption. Of creating something out of nothing.
I’m a serial entrepreneur at heart and love building, shaping and growing businesses and industries. I’ve had some big successes, and fucked a few things up really well along the way too. Without a doubt, it’s the challenges and setbacks that are the best teachers.
I love tackling market and business problems where a willingness to challenge the status quo leads to breakthroughs. I’ve been involved in numerous industries – radio, software, media production, real estate, coaching, finance, mental wellness, human resources and veterinary among many – and love to be told “you can’t do that”. It creates its share of friction and sometimes leads to people thinking I’m an asshole, but that’s usually where the opportunity lies — when you care less what other people think. .. and care more about really matters.
The past several years, I've been doing the most important work of my life.
And that's the work on me.
After being a driven, ambitious and relentless entrepreneur my entire life, life managed to get in the way, put a stick in my spokes, and threw me figuratively head first over the handlebars. Challenges forced me to slow down and to just feel. To be instead of just do.
It sucks to feel like you’ve lost your mojo. It causes you to question if any success you’ve had is because of luck, or if there was something more to it.
The past five years or so, I feel like I’ve grown more than I did in the first 45+ years of life. Felt more, lost more, loved more and became more. I’ve felt the sense of traveling through a dark tunnel, terrified of never emerging back into the light .. but feeling something deeper, trusting intuition, and letting go of so many of the stories that brought me to the tunnel to begin with.
I finally feel like I’m coming out the other side. And wow, is it ever beautiful.
Perhaps one of the greatest lessons I’ve learned and what now believe as a truth that we all have in common:
Every human being incurs trauma in childhood and beyond.
That trauma forms and drives the direction and quality of your life.
There continues to be a fundamental misunderstanding about the idea of “trauma“. Most people think of trauma as something that happens to you. But that isn’t trauma at all.
Trauma is what happens inside you as a result of something traumatic happening to you.
This is why two people can go through an identical tragic or difficult experience, and each is affected in an entirely different way. Trauma is at the root of so much suffering and struggle in this world.
We all have traumas that have shaped who we are, how we think and it’s more powerful a force than most people comprehend. Yet it’s paradoxical, because the human mind does a masterful job of hiding our deepest traumas and fears away so that we often don’t even know they exist.
Beginning to explore, discover and unpack some of the challenging moments in my life from childhood forward has allowed me to begin to heal some of those wounds, and become a better human being as a result.
It’s also led me to exploring different ways to explore, heal and transform myself, and the world around me.
Psychedelic-assisted therapy and psychedelic medicine is something that few people have heard about, and even fewer have ever experienced. But I believe it’s the salvation for so many people who are struggling to feel settled, happy and peaceful in this often turbulent and difficult world.
Not only did this lead me to co-found a startup in the psychedelic medicine space, it has made me a lifelong student and believer in plant medicine and the extraordinary wisdom and healing that can be found in substances that have been so misunderstood and stigmatized for decades.
The years I have spent learning, experiencing and sharing the incredible miracles that our plant teachers can bring us have absolutely transformed my life, and my view of the world and others.
These days, I focus on loving and being loved, and staying involved in projects and connections that give me energy and make me smile.
It’s a beautiful world out there, and you’re meant to be a beautiful part of it.
A Few Proud Moments In My Entrepreneurial Life Thus Far:
Named One Of Canada's Fastest Growing Companies (twice!)
In 2015, one of my ventures (Vets To Go) was named the 72nd fastest growing companies in all of Canada. 15 years previous to that, in 2000 my first major venture (On Air Digital Audio) appeared in the 65th spot on the list.
Recognized as one of Alberta's 50 Fastest Growing Companies
In 2016 - in the midst of a significant economic downturn - Vets To Go was named Alberta's 15th fastest growing company. This was the second year in a row we earned a position on the prestigious list.
Recognized as Calgary's Small Business Of The Year
2015 was a good year for business, even in a lousy economy -- the Calgary Chamber of Commerce named Vets To Go as the ATB Small Business of the Year in Calgary, in addition to awarding the company the Breakout Business of the Year Award.
And Some Extraordinary Memories of Speaking And Teaching ..
So who am I, really?
Does anyone really care about any of the accolades and photos?
I really don’t. I’ve done a lot of interesting stuff, but the most meaningful part of my entrepreneurial journey is the number of absolutely extraordinary people I’ve been able to meet over the years. A few of them being speakers and personalities, but most of them completely unknown and unfamous people who were clients of mine, friends and unexpected connections that came into my life and walked on a path with me for however long it made sense.
I’ve also lost some amazing people in my life because of unmet expectations, jealousy, greed, misunderstanding and mismatched core values, to name just a few reasons. And I was responsible for more of those than I like to admit. And then of course, losing people I loved to unfair shit like cancer, strokes and the like.
The one at the top of that list is my Mom, who I lost in 2015 – the experience of which taught me a whole lot about what matters, and taught me a lot about myself. Her wisdom, kindness and love continue to bless me, and I work every day to practice what she taught me.
The role I consider my most important in this life is being a Dad, and my son Cooper is a blessing that truly drives me to be a better man. He’s kind, funny, compassionate and ridiculously clever. He’s entered his teenaged years and reminds me every day how important it is to enjoy life along the way – and not take things too seriously. I also have two gorgeous and amazing bonus daughters that came as a package with the most gorgeous and loving woman in the world, Missy. She’s my girl, my ride or die. We saved each other’s lives, and I’m so grateful for her, it hurts.
I’m fiercely unperfect, and I’m okay with that. Just like everyone other human being on this planet.
Just like you.
I believe in my core that’s how every person deserves to feel. And that’s the goal of my life now .. to give everyone the gift of embracing and celebrating their unperfectness, and their awesomeness. And that’s what I’m committed to – finding and developing ways to bring more healing and transformation to myself and others, and having some fun along the way.
Much love,
