Antonios Assaad: Pro Soccer, a Five-Year Ban, and the Week That Rewired My Life

Ten years chasing professional football across Lebanon, Germany, and Mexico. A five-year ban at 15 for spitting on the ground. A coaching job with Club América, the biggest club in Mexico. Then, sitting on a bed in Dubai with a new contract on the table from the Prince of Abu Dhabi, Antonios Assaad got a call from an old teammate: come to Costa Rica and do the week. He turned the contract down, flew 15 hours, and came out the other side a different person.

We grew up on the same Ottawa soccer fields, and this is the most honest conversation I've had on the show — the double life behind the athlete, the ego of going from player to coach, what ayahuasca actually is (and isn't), how Antonios went from guest to working at Rythmia Life Advancement Center, why he thinks Canada is allergic to big dreams, and the one piece of advice he'd give every Canadian entrepreneur: look at who you're surrounding yourself with.

⏱ Chapters
00:00 Two Ottawa Soccer Kids, 20 Years Later
01:25 "What's Your Identity Right Now?"
02:53 The Double Life Behind the Pro Footballer
03:45 A Contract From the Prince of Abu Dhabi, and the Call That Changed Everything
06:19 A Career of Failed Contracts, Then Club América
08:04 Banned for Five Years at 15
09:18 Lebanon, Germany, and Driving a Forklift to Keep Playing
13:29 "I Was a Terrible Teammate": Everything Is Energy
14:36 When the Medicine Calls, You Have to Listen
16:34 What Ayahuasca Actually Is
20:23 Inside the Week at Rythmia
24:34 Seeing Himself Through God's Eyes
25:58 Scarcity, Abundance, and Giving Money Away
29:47 The Download That Became a Job
33:35 Beach Every Morning, 15 Sales Calls a Day
36:41 "People in Canada Don't Have Big Dreams"
37:31 Sitting at Tables With Billionaires
41:55 Getting Over the Fear of Judgment
45:26 Why He Stopped Drinking
48:19 Advice for the Canadian Entrepreneur: Who You Surround Yourself With
51:07 The Sticky Note

🔗 Connect with Antonios Assaad
Instagram:instagram.com/antoniosassaad/

📬 Get in Touch with David
Instagram: 📸 instagram.com/davidrdinardo
LinkedIn: 💼 linkedin.com/in/davidrdinardo
Website: laidoffto8figures.com
Email: me@daviddinardo.com

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Educational purposes only — not financial, tax, legal, or medical advice. This episode discusses plant medicine and mental health; speak to a licensed professional before making decisions about your own care.

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