Behind substance abuse are real people, people with real stories of struggle and triumph. Most alcohol and drug stories are usually overshadowed by short, useless segments on the news and fail to deal with the actual human aspect of them. The truth is that there is so much more to an addiction story than we often hear. People who fight through their darkest times are no less than actual heroes. They not only recover from their addiction but also rebuild their lives from scratch despite how terrifying the journey might seem.
Addiction is hard to beat and can lead to an everlasting stigma, but one person who fought through this is none other than Cole Luis DaSilva. Today, this 28-year-old entrepreneur owns three businesses: Amarok Aesthetics; a start up clothing brand, Iron Energy; a gym and PT Domination; his primary business, where he and his business partner, Brian Mark, help personal trainers and online fitness coaches grow their online businesses. Cole makes a seven-figure income yearly and is living his dream life. However, it was not always like this.. Growing up, Cole fought the hardest battle with his family & substance abuse but eventually realized that he wanted a better life for himself, and that is when his journey towards his transforming his life began.
Cole Luis DaSilva had a strained relationship with his family; he suffered both physical and emotional abuse at home. At the age of 15, he decided he could no longer deal with his situation and chose to couch surf with his friends as much as possible, which gave him an opportunity to run away. He wanted to get as far away from his family as possible, but little did he know that this would be the start of even greater problems. For years all Cole was focused on was drinking & drugs, as time went by, Cole decided to move to Calgary, Alberta. “I thought it would give me a fresh start,” Cole shared.
Unfortunately, things did not go as planned. Cole went from being a Walmart overnight worker to a full time ironworker but it lead to extreme pain/injuries in his forearms. After going to the DR & reviving no help Cole turned to other means which unfortunately lead to him developing a Percocet addiction to the point where he would rely on 4-7 Percocets a day.
His addiction spiraled out of hand; it not only affected his health but also his relationships/finances. After reaching a point where he had no friends, no relationships & a pile of debt he turned and focused on the only thing he could control which was his fitness. “If it weren’t for fitness, I wouldn’t be here today. Not only did it help me better my own life and health but it also led me to become a personal trainer and business coach so I could help others,” Cole explained.
Though Cole Luis DaSilva does not hold a fancy business degree, he has years of experience that makes him stand out from the rest. He initially worked an ironworking job for three years before he became a personal trainer by acquiring two group-training certifications online. He worked at Fort Mac as a personal trainer for three months but could not help but think how incredible it would be to start his venture.
Cole was tired of his lack of direction. He was tired of people making fun of him and seeing him as someone who could not be trusted. However, going the route of fitness helped him beat that. Currently, among his other ventures, PT Domination is the one Cole takes the most pride in. “We teach personal trainers how to start and scale their online businesses so they can escape the rat race of 9 to 5 jobs that they are currently in,” he explained. His partner, Brian Mark, is one of his biggest inspirations and the reason he became an entrepreneur. Together with Brian, Cole teach personal trainers their three pillars to growing a business: attraction, conversion, and delivery of an amazing program.
From running away as a teenager to becoming a drug addict and finally getting his life together, personally and professionally, Cole Luis DaSilva has lived a rollercoaster of life in just 28 years.
He has a long way ahead and makes sure that each moment counts. His biggest strength has always been his resilience because when life punched him in the gut, he punched back harder!
