President of Stoked Oats Simon Donato joins us in this episode and shares his story of success and how he fell in love with calgary.
Reach out to Simon through the following
w.stokedoats.com
e.simon@stokedoats.com
#STOKEOATS
Simon a welcome to the show, Calgary living, real, state, and lifestyle. What a pleasure to have you here. Thank you very much. Good to be here. As I was preparing for the, um, as I was actually Simon, you and I met you don't remember, but. In Newfoundland on a race called I think it was a raid the north something extreme five or seven days of adventure racing in, in Newfoundland, probably about 2001.
Or was it 1999, 2001 kayak guide back then. I was yeah. On the east coast as well, prince Edward island and all over Atlantic Canada. But, um, at that time, for whatever reasons you had already maybe been on eco challenge, or maybe you were going, I knew about you and you did very well at that race, you and your three other teammates.
That's right. Yeah. That was a red, the north extreme 2001, uh, would have happened in what June or July. And, uh, yeah, we had a good race there. Uh, I finished a little [00:01:00] outside of the podium spot, but, uh, Yeah, that kind of set me up for eco challenge that year. And that was in New Zealand in, uh, October of 2001.
Oh, okay. Good. And how many, uh, how many of those sort of equal challenges have you done? Was it just the one or did you do more, uh, two official legal challenge races, and then, I mean, many, many adventure races, but, uh, uh, Mark Burnett stopped running. For about 20 years after 2000, 2002, when did they resume?
They ran one in, uh, 20, 19, 20 18, I think. And in Fiji. So, you know, there was a pretty substantial pause there, but I did, you could challenge New Zealand that you could challenge. Cool. Um, so I mean, how would an elevator pitch, how would you introduce yourself? I mean, it's still goats fuel the fire within, I love it from everything I've known about you since I guess it's been [00:02:00] more than 20 years.
Um, you live that lifestyle. I saw that on your, uh, your email kind of, uh, secondary fuel fire within tell us a little bit about your current situation you're in Calgary and, um, and, uh, Tell us what's going on in your life? Yeah, the elevator pitch is it's a tough one. It depends on who I want to be on that day.
But, um, you know, I've, uh, live here in Calgary with my wife and son are in Parkdale. Beautiful, beautiful location. They're close to the river, right on a park. Um, really, really great spot. And we're loving it. Um, You know, outside of that, uh, what pays the bills is stoked outs started this company, uh, some buddies back in 2011.
It was when we had the idea and incorporated the company. We started selling oatmeal blends in 2012, and now we sell a superfood oatmeal, like granola. Uh, across the country, just launching our granola library now. And so that's [00:03:00] exciting. We're selling in the U S as well. So yeah, we've, uh, we've had a good run and still have some, some pretty sizeable goals ahead of us that, uh, we're chasing down teams growing.
Uh, we operate out of an office space in a part of town, uh, just a little sofa Inglewood. So, you know, that's kinda my professional life, uh, for awhile there, I had the television show boundless, so I was a professional ultra endurance athlete, television host, and producer. That was an idea that I created with another buddy of mine.
Um, we sold back in 2012 and that still on the air. Um, so that was pretty exciting. I ended up writing a book following that called the boundless life, which kind of encapsulated a lot of learnings from, you know, my years doing the television show, um, other expeditions and, uh, what I had learned about business, um, circuits in particular.
And then, uh, for kicks when I can squeeze it in right now, is it venture science, which is our non-profit [00:04:00] organization. And essentially that, that kind of marries all my, uh, my extracurricular passions, which it's, you know, about geisha in geology. So there's, there's the exploration, uh, and science piece of it.
And then there's the endurance portion where. Adventurescience puts athletes and researchers together to accomplish a difficult field-based projects in remote locations. So that is the extended elevator pitch. Otherwise I just, just the Calgary and doing my best. I was trying to like chase you down a little, not really tasting on too much.
You were pretty, uh, pretty, uh, okay. Getting on. But, um, I was, uh, I had a chuckle a couple of days ago. Maybe it was Saturday. It was Sunday when I saw on Strava, uh, our. Common friend Myron, um, posted on Strava, uh, you know, 25 or 20 kilometer run or something. And, uh, he titled it. I'm stoked old Oaks board meeting.
That's right. So, um, [00:05:00] yeah, Myron is, uh, you know, he's a, he's a member of our. Chairman of our board had stoked outs. He's been with the company, uh, as an investor since 2015, I believe. Um, and, uh, one of the other board members, Brad is a, is a co-founder as well. So, you know, when the schedules align, we will just get together and, uh, hit the Calgary pathways, run down by the river for a little catch up a little bit of life and, uh, some business as well.
So, so we like to do our board meetings a lot more fun than doing it. Indoors activities. That's awesome. And, um, so you come from this kind of, uh, you know, like sort of geology and kinds of education. It seems like around the earth and obviously a real love of the, uh, the adventure and, uh, you know, the outdoor experiences.
Um, and, um, and now you have this dope, dope business. And I, that, that business, I assume, uh, ran out of, or started out of find your own nutrition [00:06:00] and, uh, for, for D to power yourself. And, um, you know, it seems like now it's a, you know, uh, in my perspective, maybe, you know, is, is a fairly big brand you're in Costco.
And I think you can be found in lots of great stores. What was it like being like from, you know, that, I guess you're an academic, you're an adventure and now you're running a food business. Um, how does it often, you know, with a young family, right? How old is your boy? Three? I'm guessing there's three. How has that, uh, you know, Or you're living your stoke and it's all working out it's, uh, you know, did you ever think that, that this is the direction where you always going to be an entrepreneur, even with all that education kind of in degrees?
I think so. I think it was always a part of my DNA to chase follow my own path. Um, I mean, I remember God. Seven eight years old. This was back in the day when kids could just wander around the neighborhood without adult [00:07:00] supervision and they're generally safe to do so. This is in London, Ontario, where I spent most of my years growing up and, uh, it was Halloween and I wanted to make a few bucks.
And I made these little tissue paid or ghosts, you know, juice Myers on it, tied a little string around and, uh, just below a cotton ball under the anyways, nothing fancy something to hang up on around it. So the pure dimer and nickel or whatever it was, but, um, you know, it was always, uh, I always had my head.
I want to do something. I want to create things. And, uh, typically I wanted to create things that didn't exist if they existed, I wouldn't have needed to create them. So, yeah, I've got a track record of, uh, of entrepreneurial projects for sure. When I was 18, uh, started a mountain bike center beyond my house.
So we backed onto a ski hill, Columbia ski club bull around in London and, um, built that, uh, mountain bike center out of nothing with help from the management. Um, At the club, um, and that paid for university for me. So that was pretty exciting. And then adventure racing, [00:08:00] what would it, that'd be early nineties and guessing midnight.
That would have been 1993, I believe. 93, 94. Wow. Yeah. So, uh, early days of mountain biking and I fell into it with my buddies, we loved it. Every spare moment we could have we mountain biked and bull mountain was 110 acres, mostly forested, and you weren't allowed to use it. And it just seemed like so strange to me.
You've got this beautiful park land, uh, Ruby on your house. I mean, of course we walked there all the time, but we're allowed to ride a bike. So put a proposal together to get to the GM and said, Hey, this is a great spot. We can make some money doing this update tickets, give rental, uh, and lessons and things like that, and built out into something pretty awesome and still runs to this, uh, to this day.
So that's, that's exciting. Um, then got into the adventure racing, uh, Game and realize that, you know, it was a little bit of a wild west with whoever wanted to put [00:09:00] on a race or do whatever. There were no guidelines. There was no, uh, Safety charter environmental charter. And, um, you know, I, I led that initiative.
We created the Canadian adventure racing association and that's still around as well. Uh, the big benefit now is that it still has its legacy charters and it provides, uh, a really great group rate for instance. 'cause. I mean, these races are expensive to put on and back in the day in the late nineties and early two thousands, uh, race insurance was, was prohibitive for race directors.
So I built, built out a group policy that, uh, you know, provided the barista director signed on and agreed to follow, you know, the safety charters that, uh, we had produced in cooperation with, uh, insurers and, uh, legal team. Um, you know, now. Pennies on the dollar kind of thing. So, uh, it's, it's brought the barrier down and [00:10:00] made racing a little safer and more consistent, uh, across the country.
So yeah, those were all there before, uh, before stone goats and, uh, before adventure science. So I had, I had the inkling for sure. Um, but you know, you take the academic path when spits you out at the end, you've got a few options and, um, you know, you can try and continue on in academia. And at that point I had a little bit of a.
Uh, deep in school for so long. And what year did you graduate for your final degree? PhD with I'm thinking of late 2010 ish or something like that in 2008. I'm looking at what? And did you come to Calgary at that time? When did you move to Calgary? Yeah, I came out here, uh, just ahead of Valentine's day, 2008.
Um, I received a job offer from a pure loyal, probably around October, November that year, and, uh, took that and it was, it was interesting. Cause I also had a job offer from the Toronto fire. Uh, at the same time. So it was like two [00:11:00] very different paths. And, you know, Imperial was, I'm using my degree. It's obviously a very well paying job.
Interesting work fire department, you know, 24 hour shifts, you're working eight days a month, then a lot of free time to do fun things that some buddies who were working there. So anyways, yeah, I made the choice to come out here in oh eight and you lasted there for how long. Taking the full on leap into entrepreneurship and stoked.
Well, last that is a, is a funny way to put it, but, um, yeah, I, it was, it lasted or because you love your work. God, it depends on the day. Um, but you know, at the end of the day, my, my true passion, he was chasing down adventure science and boundless, uh, stoked goats though. Wouldn't have started if I didn't, if I didn't take the job or from period or when it came out, I decided, I mean, amazing pathway system in Calgary.
Uh, like I said, we're not been in Parkdale for a long time and a perfect distance [00:12:00] to a fifth avenue place, which is where the job used to be. So I'd run a bike to work every day. And consequently, uh, eating cereal at home before I ran in just didn't excuse me, sit well in the stomach anymore. So, uh, uh, I started looking for, for things to help me when I got to the office and some that could make there.
And so I used to mess around with oatmeal recipes and. That's the recipes that I liked became the oatmeal guy on the floor. Uh, people started asking me to bring them the mixes that I was wandering around was adding greens plus powder, protein, powder, seeds, nuts, fruit, whatever. So I've literally filled my backpack.
Ziploc bags of oatmeal for people. I was kind of strange time, but that's, that's really what, uh, what launched oats for me. And then I met up with, uh, Brad it's, you know, a long time buddy of mine now. And, uh, together we started stoke dotes back in 2011, so that if it wasn't for [00:13:00] a corporate job and Imperial loyal, Stoke don'ts wouldn't exist.
And, uh, you know, we would never created a number of jobs and opportunities for various Calgarians and, um, people across the country, as well as provide, you know, what I think is best a superfood Oak based product on the market. So it's, it's pretty thrilling when you look back on it. It is awesome. And so, um, what strikes you most about Calgary?
Any thoughts come to mind? Oh, I, I love Calgary. It's uh, it's such a beautiful city. Um, You know, I, I love being near the core for me. That's, that's the heart of the city. I'm certainly less a fan of, uh, of urban sprawl anywhere. Um, you know, to be, uh, you got to avoid that as farms, wherever you can, but Calgary it's, it's, it's a beautiful city.
It's a clean city. Um, like I had mentioned a pathway system is, is remarkable. Uh, you can get anywhere quickly. I love the climate out here. Um, certainly the accessibility. To a [00:14:00] fantastic terrain in the mountains. And, you know, I've just been able to meet so many like-minded people like yourself. Obviously we met through sport again, out here.
Um, you know, it's just, it's such a wonderful spot for it. I like the idea of sales tax regime that was here. And, um, um, Calgary's Calgary has been good to me, so I, um, I have a lot of good feelings for the city. As I think of your time that you moved here. I think I mentioned around Valentine's day 20 2008.
So in October of 2008, we had our market crash all over north America, but certainly in Calgary as well. I'm wondering how you've been affected or I sort of suspect your mind. Has it been affected too much by the boom bust cycle of Calgary, because you're like so focused on your, you know, your things that you're doing, whether it's boundless or vendor science or, you know, your own business.
Am I right? Or have you noticed, do you notice the boom bust cycle? I mean, I noticed it cause I'm in real estate and I see homeowners affected all the [00:15:00] time on our boom-bust cycle. Do you notice that Simon. I, uh, I've noticed it. Um, it's, uh, it's something that we pay attention to. It's it's the reason that we went Ms.
Stoke goats as a food commodity versus something else. So, you know, we wanted to create something that. And it was essentially recession-proof, um, people need to eat, uh, there's actually still goats or a craft brewery back in, uh, 2011. No matter if we had hit craft brew, then we probably would have beat everybody else to the punch by about three to five years.
Wow. That could have been a good story too, but we, Brad and I both dove into the research and looked at the market opportunity and, um, anyways, I'm getting off topic, but, you know, point being. Uh, you certainly see it with it with Calgary. Um, but that said, uh, I think if you have a business that know is removed from the, from the resource sector, a little bit is a little bit more national in [00:16:00] scope, then, you know, Calgary's a phenomenal place to do business for us.
In particular, um, it's, it's worked to our favor, you know, we've, uh, we've purchased, um, how this was here, uh, since, and, you know, it's, it's a very fair market to do business in. Um, you know, there's still good demand on both sides. Um, so it doesn't seem to be any, any falling off there. I mean, in Calgary is a major metropolitan city.
I was literally just explaining this to my wife. Who's from Florida, just a little bit north of Miami. And she's like, God, sometimes I'm like, I live in Calgary. Like I didn't even know about Calgary. And it's it's top five, top 15 cities in north America in terms of size, like it's over a million people. I mean, that's just biased education.
That's not because you know, we're a little, a little off the grid city here. I mean, real legit player. And, um, you know, so I don't know, it's kind of a small guy syndrome maybe, uh, being in Calgary, but, uh, You know, [00:17:00] I think in, in my world, it's, it's been pretty steady and, uh, I've, I've appreciated that. And Calgary is still our stronghold for, uh, hotels.
Um, even though we just spread out across the country, Yeah. So, you know, I, I don't know on the real estate side, I think it's, it's obviously a little bit different, but excellent. Well, Simon, I wanted to have you on the show and I wanted to respect your time in our listeners time. Just a couple other questions.
Um, Let's see, um, if you had a billboard, it could be in Calgary or Miami or anywhere in the world, what would the billboard say in my area? But, uh, If I had a billboard, it would be, it'd be talking about stoke goats and a big breakfast, a bowl of oatmeal there. And have you eaten your breakfast today? Yes.
Stoke does fuel the fire with it, you know, it's uh, [00:18:00] I think, I mean that's yeah, my heads, my head's in the business right now and it's, uh, it's feeding people, uh, some, some Olsen when I already, but yeah, if it was about me, It's definitely chase the stoke and feel the love it fueled a fire. Okay. I can't, I have to ask you one more question.
You seem like the kind of guy ever since I've known you more than 20 years now and following you and, you know, watching what you've done and the cool things you've got you really follow your hurt. Um, if, uh, if you w what advice would you tell your younger self?
Uh, very good question. You know, Boy, I think, I think the big advice is, you know, continue to follow your heart and follow your gut and almost unreservedly it's, it's never proven me wrong. And, um, I got some advice a few years ago that it's going to sound negative, but it's still in the same vein. And it was when I had to make a difficult decision at work.
And, um, [00:19:00] it was, you know, you've. In hindsight, we've never, we've never, uh, let somebody go soon enough. Right. Um, and I took that to heart more than just like the business situation, but it's like when your gut is telling you something and you just, you wake up with that feeling day after day, you really have to act on it.
And, you know, I know we can all get complacent in our daily lives and you know, there's a little bit of a fear of change. Um, But, uh, you know, I think it's incumbent on us to face those spirits fears head-on and, you know, make that decision every single day in terms of like, are you gonna, are you gonna listen to what your guts telling you?
Otherwise time, time moves pretty darn quickly. And you know, the, the regrets that I have in life, There are, there are some for sure. And it's really not, not acting on that gut instinct soon enough typically. And I don't think it would have steered me in the wrong path. It probably would've taken me places sooner rather than later, [00:20:00] but, um, feel, feel your belly got the guts, the drugs.
And you're feeding it well assignment with your stoked dope. Listen, thank you so much for being on the show. We look forward to a further connections and trail runs. Well, I was going to say, yes, you've got to get out on the trail. I know you've been in ski mode lately and I'm just really, haven't been touring much.
So, uh, I'll have to change that up in the next month or two. Yeah, maybe I can convince you on the I'm hitting the Canadian Rockies 11,000 footers. There's a 58 that we can do 58, 11,000 waters. I do have to work that into my schedule. I mean, it's, it's the big shift, right? From just running for fitness and like specific race goals to now, Hey, there's a hell of a backyard, 45 minutes away from us that we should explore.
So let's do it Simon. Thanks so much. [00:21:00] We'll talk. My pleasure. Thank you. See you now. All right. Take care.