Hey, my name is Steve and I am from the small Northern Ontario city of Sault Ste Marie. Yes, this does mean I played a lot of hockey :). I moved to Toronto Ontario two years ago with hopes of finding my purpose in life and meeting others on the same mission. Toronto revealed more opportunities than I ever could have hoped for and I learned a lot about myself along the way.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

If a city in the same province that I grew up in could help me grow so much then I know there is even more to be discovered by meeting world travellers. I want to share my experiences with other travellers and learn from those in the places I visit. One of the greatest joys is meeting new people, sharing stories, and learning about their perspectives on on the world. I am excited to see what the future holds.

Interests

• technology
• anthropology
• entrepreneurship
• psychology
• sociology

Music, Movies, and Books

My favourite music is a bit difficult to define. Growing up my favourite band was Blink 182 and my favourite artist was Eminem. If I was not listening to rappers like Lil' Wayne in high school then I would be transfixed by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Before football or hockey games I would listen to band like Rise Against and Billy Talent. In University I listened to EDM from a variety of different artists, most of which were likely one hit wonders that I cannot recall. Avicii is one name that comes to mind. Currently I spend most of the time I used to listen to music listening to Podcasts, my favourite of which include The Joe Rogan Experience, Waking Up with Sam Harris, The Tim Ferriss Show, and Ear Biscuits.

My favourite movies are heavily influenced by the age and state of mind I was in when listening. The movies that I loved and watched more than are others are The Dark Knight, Ocean's Eleven, Django Unchained, and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. My favourite documentaries include Transcendent Man, Inside Job, and The Union.

If I could read one book for the rest of my life it would be Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari, a book that I could not recommend more highly. I spent four years acquiring a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree and few if any courses were more beneficial to my entrepreneurial career than the book SCRUM by Jeff Sutherland. The Biographies that stand out most in my mind are Scar Tissue by Anthony Keidis and Elon Musk by Ashlee Vance. And of course, my favourite work of fiction would be the entire Harry Potter series.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

In a small, blue collar, Canadian city there is approximately one career to aspire to: professional hockey player. The only other jobs I was even aware of were Doctor, Teacher, and whatever it was that my parents did. Despite all of this, by tenth grade I knew that I wanted to start my own company. At least, I thought I knew that. I had no great idea, no unique skillset, no knowledge of how to start a business and no money to start one! I didn’t have the Charisma to rally a group for a party let alone a world-changing mission. I guess clichés exist for a reason because this journey truly would have to begin with a single step.

Fast forward eight years and I am graduating from University in the same small city I was born in. Ambitions of pro hockey careers are fading but the reverence for those once at top was as strong as the irreverence for those with different ambitions. I landed myself an office job where the misery of cubicle life coupled with my entrepreneurial aspirations were enough to make me abandon a decade old fear of becoming a social pariah. I started a YouTube channel to remove the geographical contraints of starting up and I was met with surprisingly positive reception. I gained the courage that was required to quit my job. I packed up and moved across the province with no concrete plans and only a vague idea of how I would sustain myself.

This decision has impacted my life more than any other. Since moving I have been in a reality TV show and several commercials. I met new friends, entrepreneurs, skilled technicians and created company. Together we started up, failed and pivoted with hopes to trend back upwards. But before that, I want to experience the world.

Teach, Learn, Share

If you want freedom or independence from a traditional career or just want to express yourself creatively then then I can definitely help guide you. Even if you don't think it's possible, I rarely, if ever, find someone who doesn't have a unique combination of skills, knowledge, and life experience that can be applied to a creative, entrepreneurial endeavour. Thanks to the internet, these venture can be started very quickly and I can help kickstart the journey. I have experience from brainstorming ideas to launching a final product and can teach you all of the tools and steps that are required along the way.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I love helping people begin creative ventures that can turn into careers and can help in many ways. I find that even if people don't think they have something to offer the world there is almost always an opportunity available.

I have helped many friends and colleagues create YouTube channels, Live Streams, and Websites. I can help you come up with a unique idea and teach you the basic skills to get started in any of those domains and it would be my pleasure to help you get started on the path to financial freedom doing something that you love

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, Cayman Islands, England, France, Jamaica, Mexico, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada