PEACE COLLECTIVE

Written by Sarah Eskandarpour Toronto is full of passionate ‘foodies’ who take it upon themselves to spend their days taste testing the best of what the city has to offer. While it may not have a world-class culinary scene quite yet, you don’t have to be a foodie to know when a restaurant is a Toronto staple. You especially don’t have to be a foodie to recognize that La Carnita, Sweet Jesus and Home of the Brave are the crux of the best food, art and music the city has to offer. Last week we sat down with the man behind it all, Andrew Richmond, and his right-hand girl, Camille Borody, at their John street location to discuss passion, inspiration, Toronto, and the art of surrounding yourself with the right people. What drives your passion? A: “When people say “what are you passionate about” it’s kind of easy because I just do what I like to do. It’s the love for what I do and that is music, art and food. It’s so easy to be passionate about it because it’s three of my core values that I live by, with and for. If you like what you’re doing, that’s when good shit comes out.” Where did you draw the inspiration to start La Carnita? A: “I was working in Silicon Valley in UX design and when I saw all this Mexican food in the Mission district, it just inspired me. I had wanted to do something with food and restaurants for a long time because there was always this sort of allure. I remember it hitting me on the highway on my way home. That accessible and relaxing restaurant that I wanted to create, that customers could keep going to multiple times a week if they wanted, was a mexican restaurant. Tacos are kind of like a canvas, you can do so much with them, as with a pizza. The options are never ending.” When did you start all of this? A: “When I was working at OneMethod, I presented my idea for this new Mexican concept eatery to my boss, now my current business partner, Amin. I had always cooked for him and his wife outside of work and the idea of having a restaurant was something we always flirted with but I knew I couldn’t do it outside of the confines of OneMethod because I needed to support a life. We started with a popup outside of our design studio selling art and giving food for free like an art show to kind of skirt the by-laws and be able to do the food thing. This was 5 years ago. Then with the restaurant we sold food and gave away the art. Art doesn’t play as large of a role anymore but it still plays a very big part.” Why were you so interested in Art? A: “I’m interested in street culture in general. I mean, I grew up around it skateboarding and whatnot. I went to art school and it’s just art, music and food that are my three loves. It’s been that way since I was a kid and kind of showcasing it and building my life around that is what’s important to me.” How has the industry changed in your eyes since then? A: “I haven’t really noticed it, to be honest. We kind of just go forward doing what we do. I don’t doubt that we’ve influenced the market - absolutely. I’m confident that what we’re doing is right and ethical and all sorts of things. I’m not saying we’re full of ourselves or perfect I mean, there are places of inspiration all around me. It’s taking those things that inspire you and creating your twist on it that I think a lot of restaurants are doing today.” Do you still get afraid every time you do something new? What really pushed you to go through with everything the first time around? A: “Yeah, I was shitting my pants when this opened because it cost a fortune. But at the beginning what pushed me was me just being done with working in the ad industry. I had done it for 15 years and was just tired of doing the stuff that I was doing over and over. I’m still applying the stuff I learned in that role to this new thing because it’s the same shit just applied differently.” Was there ever a time where you thought ‘no this is nuts, I should stick to what I know’? A: “No, I’m blessed with ignorance to a certain degree. It’s as if some little switch is turned off which lets me kind of just blaze forward. Everything is going alright.” How do you unwind in all this craziness? Do you ever just take a step back and tell yourself you need to take a break and recharge? A: “Spending time with my daughters definitely helps. I have a great team around me - Camille definitely helps. People like my director of operations, Thi; John, the executive chef here and all of the executive chefs in all the restaurants - we’re all good at building teams. I think a lot of people try to do everything themselves or try to be the rock star of the whole operation so they keep it all close to their chest but it’s not scalable. Without teams, you can’t really grow. It’s the only way you can expand and grow and give more people opportunity to do cool stuff.” Is there a moment in the past 5 years that you wish you could redo given the amount of experience you have now and the lessons you’ve learned along the way? A: I can’t really think of anything in particular but I have learned over time that when someone has an opinion, you should listen but still be able to weed through it and still do your own thing. As soon as you get multiple voices in on something, it just becomes watered-down and no one really wants to be a part of it. It’s after you have an idea that needs to be executed that you bring in people who have strengths in what you’re looking for. That’s when you let them be creative and do what they’re best at in the specific aspect of the concept. You have to really make sure your idea isn’t being clouded by any exterior influences.” How do you measure success? Your professional endeavours have been relatively successful, so what do you attribute that to?   A: “Maybe I’m being humble and I could be wrong but I just don’t think about it. I keep building teams of people that make cool shit. I’m only as good as the people around me so I like to surround myself with people that are as good if not better than me at what they’re supposed to be doing. Most of them are better. We’re expanding so much with the Leslieville opening and this opening so that’s obviously a good sign but this could all come crashing down tomorrow.” What does a regular day look like for you? (Both personally and professionally) C: "You can expect his day to be busy and things to change up last minute. It's making sure you're hitting all the meetings that you need to and planning ahead as much as possible. There are many different people that make this run, and it works because through all the craziness Andrew makes time to foster real and valuable relationships with his team.  I don't know many restauranteurs that know all the names of their employees but he cares to." How have you juggled being close to the team at all the locations while still playing the ‘boss’ role? A: “The first location that opened was true family and now,160 employees later, it takes longer than it would have before to get to know everyone and form relationships but I never want to lose that. If a staff member can text their boss and invite them to come out with the team, then that’s a good thing. I never want to be the guy ruling with an iron fist that this industry is tainted with because that’s detrimental to any brand. The customers can feel it and the team can feel it. It’s just, don’t be an idiot, you have to be cool. These guys live and breathe the energy of the space and if you can achieve that dedication then that’s half the battle. Forget the food.” Is there something you make sure every restaurant has, be it as tangible as a certain ingredient or as transient as the energy of the space? A: “They do have a continuity for sure and that comes through probably with the people that work there. Sweet Jesus kind of has its own thing going on but through osmosis in being attached to this one, they’ve kind of become similar. When I’m thinking about creating a space I’m thinking holistically. It’s the smell, the food, the people, the sounds, the texture. It’s a very holistic approach. Everything is curated and even though it all kind of looks loosey goosey and chill, there’s a lot of curation that goes on. It’s organized chaos.” Where do you draw the inspiration for all of these small things that make up your restaurants? A: “Working in the ad industry has really taught me when is the right time to bring in people so that you can build a plan and build an experience for someone so I know who the artists are and who the people are who work with these concepts. We always travel quite a bit to get inspired by different drinks and dishes. The team has recently gone to New York. We’ve been to Mexico, Chicago, Boston. We’re going to St. Louis. We have all the restaurants we want to go to, all the bars we want to go to and all the art galleries we want to go see. We have them all lined up. Otherwise, it turns into a shitshow and we just end up in a dive bar. But really, inspiration through travel is one of the best things in the world” Through all your travels, what seems to set Toronto apart? A: “It’s just its own city unlike anywhere else. I get inspired a lot by the states, I mean there’s this huge Latin community so La Carnita makes a lot of sense going there. Their bar scenes are different, they’re a lot more lax and their creative execution is just a lot more different. It’s kind of cool to go to different regions and just see what they’re doing there according to their history and their populaces. You can go to Chicago and Miami and all sorts of places and have an [Americanized] Mexican experience without having to go to these other countries. Toronto is like that in its own way. I like the ethnocentricity but I also like the assimilation in the city of all these different ethnicities and cultures. There’s just multiple influences. What we’ve done is ‘Gringofied’ mexican food, out of respect for the culture. We just do what we think is gonna be best for everybody.” Authenticity is something you cannot fake - when you have it, you just have it. From accidentally introducing us to his head bartender, Aldo, twice to agreeing to do an interview amidst a busy Blue Jays home opener lunch rush, there’s no questioning the sincerity of what Andrew does. His authenticity can be seen in the people he surrounds himself with, in the energy of the restaurants he builds and in what drives him to do what he loves. The Toronto food scene may not have hit the global ranks, but thanks to Andrew and his team, we’re getting that much closer. For that, we could not be more proud to enjoy the art, music and food that he enjoys and to be part of a city that he calls home.   Interview by Sarah Eskandarpour and John Molina    

Canada is highly respected around the globe and regarded as one of the most amazing countries for a variety of reasons. As one of the most multicultural and diverse nations, we welcome everyone with open arms. The beauty of the landscape is unparalleled; from ocean to ocean, East coast to West coast, the magnificent Rocky Mountains to sprawling Prairies and to our rapidly expanding urban centres. Canada may be considered an infant in terms of history but we have laid a pretty solid foundation for the future. The citizens are deemed polite, friendly, and welcoming and who wouldn’t want to call a place like that home? With individuals moving from all over the world to build a new life for their families, whether it is a personal choice or a political choice, Canada is never the wrong option. Which raises the question, why leave such an amazing place? Travelling has become an entire industry in the past decade, gradually growing from an extravagance reserved for the affluent, has now transformed into a hobby for the masses. Everyone has a different reason for travel, whether it is for a relaxing getaway, the possibility for adventure, or personal growth; one thing that everyone does share from travelling is the experiences gained. The desire to travel has been growing at an exponential rate; with the rise of social media we are able to see what we may be missing out on. A destination not originally known has now been added to a bucket list and the desire to leave home outweighs the comfort. Now people are venturing out to explore more than ever.  I’m Amanda Schroeder, and I work at Peace Collective as the Peace Foundation Lead, which deals with our charitable endeavours. I just recently moved to Toronto after spending the past three years completing my Undergraduate Degree in England. I have been an avid traveller for most of my life, being apart of a family fortunate enough to travel we took advantage of what the world has to offer. The purpose for each adventure varied each with its own objectives, leisure, adventure and study. Travel is a crucial aspect in my life and the part of my life I am most passionate about. During my time across the pond I took full advantage of my close proximity to the rest of Europe and the cheap travel costs. Currently having a total of forty-five countries checked off, some have left more of an impact than others. Every voyage adding a new perspective to my view on the world, both positive and negative gaining an education through experience unparalleled to any class you could take. After being abroad for a long period of time, you can’t help but feel slightly homesick; not necessarily for the reasons you may think. People pointing out your ‘accent’ becomes less amusing, people not speaking the same language as you, or the overall feeling of being a noticeable foreigner. One thing that can relieve this feeling is finding someone who is going through the same thing. I know that I am not alone in this philosophy, no matter the never-ending urge of travel, need for adventure or just something new to add to a normally menial life, comfort sometimes outweighs adventure. One of the best feelings I have come to know is meeting someone half way around the world who is also Canadian, and being able to share that pride. Equally understanding the necessity of travel in ones life as well as the longing of such an amazing home. Being Canadian has a sense of inclusiveness; which may be because of our small population in regard to the rest of the world. When we finally find a fellow Canadian its as if you won an imaginary scavenger hunt in search of one another. The pride exuded when a fellow traveller asks where you’re from and you have the privilege to say Canada cannot be compared. Travel isn’t a means of escaping or avoiding where you’re from, but a way to appreciate and love it even more. Distance truly does make the heart grow fonder. When far from home it causes you to consider Canada and your current destination, comparing the similarities and differences to home. Some differences make you never want to return, the hot weather, the exotic food or your luxurious hotel. Jealousy sinks in and you think of ways you could carve out a new life in this perceived paradise. Conversely other differences provide an appreciation for Canada, the quality of life witnessed shocks, and the scenes of destitution are a permanent memory. Canada’s diversity can be mirrored in almost every destination you travel to. The multiculturalism within Hong Kong’s energetic metropolis, the quality of life in Scandinavia or the extraordinary scenery atop a mountaintop in Tanzania; pieces of Canada can be found everywhere you go. Which can make you appreciate the culture you have in your very backyard. People should not be expected to stay in the place they were born, where their loved ones are, or where is most comfortable. We should all explore the world as it allows for personal growth and for the confines of traditional education to be broken, where a new method of learning can emerge. After fulfilling your travel dreams and fully immersing yourself in another culture, there will always be a twinge of homesickness; you never want to be gone too long. Home is a term that resonates differently with everyone, but is a place everyone can identify when asked. No matter how far away you go or for how long, home is always Canada.  

Episode 1 of our new Canadian Built video series is here!  We'll be travelling across the nation featuring Canadians doing amazing things for our country. The 6dad Norm Kelly graces our first episode showing us the city from his perspective and what it means to call Toronto home. Accompanying the video will be a limited edition capsule with 100% of proceeds going towards WoodGreen. WoodGreen is one of the largest social service agencies in Toronto with programs dedicated to helping refugees in need with the resources to find a new place to live, jobs, childcare, after-school programs, etc. Peace Collective's contributions will support Woodgreen's Newcomer Youth Services Program. This program is focused on the needs of youth who are new to Canada. The program supplies individuals between the ages 13 to 24 with a variety of settlement services. Woodgreen has been at the forefront in assisting with settling of Syrian refugees and we are excited to be doing our part to help. For more information on the work that WoodGreen does you can visit: www.woodgreen.org

The  first stop in our Canadian Built video series is Toronto and we’re featuring none other than the 6dad, Norm Kelly.  We sit down with Norm and get his thoughts on how Toronto has changed throughout his lifetime. We also examine what "Home is Toronto" means to Norm and dive into a deep discussion on Toronto's role in accepting immigrant families in need into Canada Episode 1 of #CanadianBuilt will be released on March 28. Enjoy a snippet of the video below. Limited Capsule Collection  Accompanying the video will be a limited edition capsule with 100% of proceeds going towards WoodGreen. WoodGreen is one of the largest social service agencies in Toronto with programs dedicated to helping refugees in need with the resources to find a new place to live, jobs, childcare, after-school programs, etc. Peace Collective's contributions will support Woodgreen's Newcomer Youth Services Program. This program is focused on the needs of youth who are new to Canada. The program supplies individuals between the ages 13 to 24 with a variety of settlement services. Woodgreen has been at the forefront in assisting with settling of Syrian refugees and we are excited to be doing our part to help. For more information on the work that WoodGreen does you can visit: www.woodgreen.org Images from the capsule are available below and will release on the 28th.

We’re proud to announce the launch of our new video series called Canadian Built releasing March 21st. We’ll be travelling around the nation featuring amazing Canadians doing amazing things for our country. We’ve always had a passion for celebrating the hard work of our community so we created this platform to do just that. We want to tell a person’s unique story and perspective of what home means to them. Our first stop is here in Toronto to explore and find the movers and shakers of the city. Can you guess who we’re featuring first? Watch the trailer below:

Peace Collective is back at it again with our monthly mix. Listen to our new sound in collaboration with DJ Royale here:

Toronto is in the midst of a cultural movement. The spotlight has shifted to our city and is now shining bright on its Toronto artists, illuminating a well-worn path for upcoming acts. There are more eyes on the city than ever before, with a growing interest in its hip-hop community. New artists are making their way to the forefront as opportunities to collaborate with other Toronto mainstays present themselves – Canadians who, rather fiercely, have flexed and honed their skills on the international stage. One artist in particular, by the alias TripSixx, has recently dropped his new EP ‘We Own the Night,’  garnering community-wide praise. We sat down with TripSixx to discuss his budding career and stance on Toronto's growing  hip-hop scene. “I feel like once you have your heart set on something life does a bit of the work for you” How do you perceive Toronto’s newly spotlighted hip-hop scene? Do you think artists such as Tory Lanez, The Weeknd, Drake, PND have paved the way for emerging artists? I get pretty stoked thinking about the music scene in Canada in general. It's pretty obvious that all the artists mentioned above (as well as many others) have really laid down a foundation for artists all across Canada, at the same time giving Toronto its own musical identity. Toronto’s pretty rich in culture and I'm happy to see that culture being brought to the spotlight.   What sparked your interest in music and how have you moved towards fulfilling this dream? I can't really remember a time when music didn't play a role in my life. It's always been a large influence and I feel like part of me is just musically inclined or naturally drawn to music and the culture. I think my pursuit of music was always bound to happen in one way or another. How I began to move forward was by recognizing music as a definite goal and then slowly putting myself in a position or in the right atmosphere to accomplish the goal I had set for myself. I feel like once you have your heart set on something life does a bit of the work for you by sending opportunities across your path or connecting dots you didn't see previous to setting out to accomplish said goal. The rest is just execution and repetition.     What does the concept of chasing your passion mean to you? Just doing what you want and disregarding what people say or staying within the bounds of social norms. You should further yourself and achieve whatever you set your mind to. As long as you're not hurting yourself or anyone else in the process you should be living your life the way you want at all times. That idea could change later down the road but at the moment that's how I see it. What are your general goals entering the new year? I just wanna keep killing shit and keep pushing myself and the norms as an artist. This really ain't nothing to me, it's cool and all but I got a lot more in me and a lot more work to put in. It was a wonderful experience getting to sit down and chat with an artist like TripSixx. He’s fairly new to the game, and is already backed by heavy hitters like OVO-signed Roy Woods. Through our conversation he has allowed us an insight into the inner-workings of Toronto's hip-hop scene which is  mind-blowing, Canada-strong and inspiring. Listening to the latest home-spun tracks evokes a national pride; this, undoubtedly, is our time to shine. TripSixx has a very calm and collected demeanor about him mixed with a hint of quirk. He has a love for anime and Japanese culture, which you can find in some of his work. It was a pleasure to peak into his world, and as Canadians we couldn’t be more proud. Get ready, you’re going to be seeing his name everywhere, very soon.

This month we are delving into the world of music. Partnering with the talented duo who make up the Grand Groove DJs, we're creating a platform to feature Canadian talent and other great artists. This opens an avenue to highlight the budding music scene here in our amazing country, and also a way to share our favourites with the community. In our first mix we focus on Toronto’s growing hip-hop scene. The mix blends emerging artists like Jahkoy and Jazz Cartier, and is reminiscent of heavy hitters such as Drake and Tory Lanez. We find a range of new and established talent mixed perfectly for our hip-hop fans.  Last week we were lucky to sit down with OVO-affiliate TRIPSIXXX for a chat. Look out for the full interview discussing the huge success of his new EP ‘We Own The Night’ and his stance on Toronto’s evolving hip-hop community.  Home Is Toronto Vol. 1 - Mixed By DJ Big Jacks by Peacecollective on Mixcloud

It’s been about a year since the birth of Peace Collective and what a year it’s been. We never realized how all of this would turn out and a lot of it still feels like a dream. To walk around and see people in our community supporting this project is so heartwarming. It was never just about creating a cool Canadian brand, Peace Collective strives for more than that. It’s about igniting a sense of fellowship married to philanthropic ideals. Our aim is to promote Canadian pride and build up our community by combating child hunger. Every nation struggles in the fight against child hunger - even in highly developed countries like Canada. While on a volunteering trip in Morocco, Peace Collective founder, Yanal Dhailieh, felt moved by the lifestyles of the children he was there to help. Most would skip school to accompany their parents to panhandle on the streets - all because they did not have enough money to eat. His experience while volunteering, coupled with the one-for-one business model he found while reading Start Something That Matters by Blake Mycoskie is what sparked his drive to create Peace Collective. We know Canadians can make a huge impact in not only minimizing child hunger, but also eliminating it altogether. Investing in our children is investing in our collective future and through this program, we can ensure children have an equal opportunity to chase their passions and one day attain their dreams. As a proud Canadian brand, we focus our efforts by drawing awareness to and creating change in Canadian poverty and hunger. Through this understanding we have integrated a charitable aspect to the brand, and we’re so ecstatic that this has resonated so immensely with the community. When someone purchases a garment a child is fed school meals for a week through our partnership with Breakfast for Learning. We recognize the invaluable tools education can give to someone and through Peace Collective, we can all do our part to ensure no child has to choose between eating and getting an education. We are proud to share that in our first year we have raised and donated $47,500 towards child hunger (Breakfast for Learning program and World Food program). From the bottom of our hearts we want to thank everyone who has supported Peace Collective. The extent of our happiness is indescribable, and in turn we want to celebrate our supporters and the amazing individuals pushing our country towards a brighter future. We've been hard at work planning projects for 2016 and we're very excited to share what's to come. In the new year we are releasing a series of videos titled Canadian Built where we highlight Canadians creating a better world for everyone - whether within the arts, science, politics and everything in between. This is a project we are so proud to be creating. It gives us the avenue to showcase a person’s drive and passion while inspiring those around us. We want to do our part in encouraging a nation where we help and support one another. This is our first year and our very first step towards doing our part. The upcoming year looks bright and we are thrilled to have you along for the ride as we continue to say Home is Canada.  To celebrate our 1 year anniversary, use the code 'HAPPYBIRTHDAY' for 15% off your order valid until January 7th!  Meet The Team What does it mean to chase your passion?        Yanal Dhailieh   @therealyd For me, personally chasing your passion means working hard to create the best possible version of yourself - the person you were put on this Earth to be. For some strange reason though, people seem to associate following your passion with expecting a life of luxury without having to put in much effort. But that isn’t the case at all. It doesn’t mean laying in a hammock and reading a book on the beach, or sipping on lattes in some exotic location. I believe that chasing your passion boils down to two ingredients: (1) do what you love and (2) add value to the world. As long as you’re doing those two things, regardless of what anyone has to say, you’re probably on the right track.              Lisa Diep   @_ldiepDreams and passions are an ever-changing, personal concept that evolves as we grow and progress in our lives. They are not end-goals but rather interim goals that we strive towards at every point and milestone in our lives. I strongly believe that the act of chasing passions is the journey towards those goals and the feeling of accomplishment that we get when we reach them. Passion is the enjoyment and feeling of fulfillment in doing what we love. It is something that is so personal that it can't be clearly outlined by a single definition. It is something that we truly want to do and will do with no hesitation whatsoever. I think one of the greatest struggles in life is blurring the line between our responsibilities and our passions. When you're working and doing something you truly love and are passionate about, I think that's when you've made it.               John Molina   @molinayadiggChasing your passion means everything. Without it, life becomes less meaningful. It’s the foundation of a person’s happiness and it’s what helps you get out of bed. I’ve experienced what it’s like to not know where you’re going, to feel lost and without hope. But when you find your passion, things get brighter. It’s one of the most exhilarating things in the world. Taking the time to discover and learn what ignites you is very important and is at the core of a person’s well being.            Roman Hessary   @romanceeeThere is probably something that you’d much rather be doing than whatever you’re doing today. We all have dreams, thoughts of what we’d like to have in our life or things we’d like to do. However, most of us remain complacent and let those dreams be just that, dreams. We fill out heads with doubt and excuses on why we can’t achieve something - convince ourselves that we’re too young, too old, too busy, not smart enough, etc.. But do you remember when you were a kid and all those dreams seemed all too possible? Were you just naive or did somewhere along the line you lose sight of what you actually wanted and settle on what pays the bills? Chasing your passions to me means taking that step towards doing what you truly love and removing yourself from your comfort zone. It means having a vision of what you really want out of life and setting goals to get yourself there. Personally, I used to underestimate the power of goal-setting until I actively took initiative to incorporate it in my own life. Before long, things that I had written own that I wanted to achieve with steps on how I was going to achieve them were starting to come to fruition. I challenge you to do the same and you’ll be pleasantly surprised at what can happen.            John Yoo   @johnysyooFor me, my passions lie with Leadership, Music, Lifestyle, and Sports. I'm lucky enough to be directly involved with 3 of these in my career, and also pursue the other outside of work. With that being said, this means that I love what I do, which is the most important part of chasing my passions. What's important to note is that this didn't happen overnight. You need to surround yourself with thing's that make you happy which in return will allow you to succeed. There will of course be times where you go through rough patches, but this will help build your love for your passions even more, and also build your own character. You will find that through these times, your passions will follow you in return, and will only help you grow as a person. By chasing your passions, I find that you are not just enjoying your work, but more importantly enjoying life and truly being one with yourself. Follow your passions, cause they will follow you.               Jordan McDonald   @justcallmegordI am a big believer in goal setting and when it comes down to it, I think before you can chase anything you need to figure out what it is you want. For some it may be money, other may want to change the world, and some may be passionate about something as small as being a good friend or family member. At the end of the day, I think the most important thing is to define what passion means to you and I don’t necessarily think you need to limit yourself to just one thing. Passion is an interesting word and something hard to define because it means something different for everyone. I think you need to figure out what you want in life. The key word here is “you”. We all need to be able to look in the mirror and define the things that we love and want, and not what others tell us we should want. Now I know this is a lot easier said than done but I truly think you can’t chase anything until you have defined what it is that you’re chasing. Once you can determine the things you are passionate about, and the things that truly make you happy, then you can develop a plan and roadmap to chase those passions.