It was 2019 and my life was chaotic…

I had a newborn daughter who was starting to walk. I had a 3 year old son who was starting to run. I had a loving wife who got bits and pieces of me. I had distant parents and a brother who occasionally got my attention with a text message or a FaceTime call. I had friends who usually figured I was too busy to hang or make time for a chat, and in hindsight they were right. I held the labels of father, husband, son, brother and friend… yet I didn’t serve them well.

I also had 3+ businesses, which consumed my thoughts and energy. I had a packed schedule and equally packed mind with an endless task list. I was waking up at 3am and passing out at 8pm. I held the labels of entrepreneur, leader and CEO… but again, I didn’t serve them well.

In summary, I was fine, but not okay. I was around, but not present. I was alive, but not awake.

I had no space.

And shortly after… I experienced burnout for the first time. It hit me like a ton of bricks. I recall the day it happened.

I was riding the train home from my office with a zillion things racing through my mind. Everything from specific technical coding problems to larger strategic initiatives. I got home, floated through the motions of dinner and Netflix with my family, passed out… and then BOOM.

The next morning I was completely off. I remember sitting on the couch feeling nothing. For 3 days I was a static being that had no desire or drive to do anything.

You might think that would have taught me something. You might think I would have paused and made some changes. Nope. A couple months later it happened again. I still had no space… and was operating under stress at max bandwidth. On the outside I looked great but on the inside I was in complete turmoil. I knew something was off but couldn’t quite put a finger on it.

Then one day I heard a podcast with a guy named Jon Vroman who was talking about Front Row Dads, a community he founded. Their tagline was “Family men with businesses, not businessmen with families.” That piqued my interest and I started creating space for their podcast every week. A few months later I joined that community and started creating space for other things I was learning or hearing about.

Little did I know that this would also be the start of my own purpose journey that’s led me right here, to founding SPACE.

I started to create space for my family. I started to create space for my true priorities. I started to create space for my questions.

And then things started to shift…
  • I immersed myself in learning more about the human mind, why we do things, and how we think.
  • I dove into philosophy about self and became relentless in pursuit of my truth.
  • I studied leadership from a powerful group who’s breathing consciousness into the world.
  • I sold two of my businesses and continued to simplify my commitments.
  • I started a podcast (for fun), which has lead to fascinating and inspiring discussions.
  • I found an amazing coach who understood me, challenged me, and supported me in walking the path back to my authentic self.
  • I took an extraordinary retreat led by one of the most gifted humans on the planet.
  • I stepped out of my comfort zone, started coaching others, and found a calling that lights me up.

Fast forward to today and I’m a completely different version of myself.

I’m fully present and more aware than ever. I show up in my family and marriage as a leader. I cultivate relationships that matter. I have a sane work schedule with great team members. I prioritize experiences that align with my values and challenge me in healthy ways.

I’m intentional about the life I live and design.

Now I have space.

And I continue to create more of it…

I’m more alive and awake than ever.

I’m creating things in the world that reflect my unique gifts.

I’m connecting with people that match my energy.

I’m doing work that gives me purpose and fulfillment.

I’m living my best life as my authentic self.

That’s the whole point of my story. I took space for granted, learned how valuable it was (the hard way), and then did my work to get it back.

Now I’m ready to help others on their journey. I’m ready to share everything I’ve learned. I’m ready to give people the gift of creating space.

That’s why SPACE was created.
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Ali Jafarian

Ali is a creator and coach who's passionate about guiding people to their truth. That's a fancy way of saying he wants to help people realize their most authentic life. He's a family man, entrepreneur, conscious technologist, explorer, podcast host and many other things that inspire him to stay curious and learn. He's also a huge advocate for nature, hiking, adventure, testing physical limits and experiencing the natural world.