I grew up in Jounieh, a small town just north of Beirut, Lebanon, where I used to stand on the balcony and tell stories to birds. Over time, the green fields disappeared, replaced by taller buildings and louder cities. The birds stopped coming. So I found a new way to tell stories: I studied advertising and design, and for several years, I created 30-second commercials that told brand stories across Lebanon, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the broader Middle East and North Africa.

In every market, I learned something new — about people, culture, nuance, and the small things that make a big difference, whether in words or visuals.

One of the reasons I left Lebanon — beyond the years of war, corruption, and the constant feeling that no matter how hard I worked, the region’s instability was always stronger than the best of me — was to save enough to move to Canada.

In 2007, I received my Canadian immigration and moved to Toronto with my wife and our two little kids. Starting over on a new continent wasn’t easy (hell no), but it was worth it. We love it here. Every day.