The Fabio Podcast (00:01.154)
Hi Sebastian, my name is Fabio from the Fabio Podcast, success stories, how are you?
Coach.Sebastian.cv (00:05.544)
I'm doing absolutely fantastic, Fabio. Thank you for asking.
The Fabio Podcast (00:09.27)
very good so i will say before i'm in the netherlands so let's continue so i'm in the netherlands and i know that you are from cape world correct okay
Coach.Sebastian.cv (00:15.82)
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
Coach.Sebastian.cv (00:22.584)
Yes, exactly. I'm sitting right now literally 15 meters from the beach.
The Fabio Podcast (00:30.254)
oh it is so beautiful you know that my fiance is half dutch and half capeford yeah uh honestly is uh mindello mandello mindello yeah and i tell you something uh the family the surname of the family is la cruz so not cruz but la cruz so yeah
Coach.Sebastian.cv (00:31.998)
Yeah.
Coach.Sebastian.cv (00:37.809)
Okay, do you know from where to what island?
Coach.Sebastian.cv (00:43.804)
Okay, that's exactly where I'm sitting. That's exactly where I'm located.
Coach.Sebastian.cv (00:54.42)
La Cruz, okay. It could be relatives, who knows?
The Fabio Podcast (01:00.422)
Who knows? All right, so who is Sebastian Carlos Cruz? So Sebastian has served as a celebrity coach for icons like Madonna and Mohamed and correct me if I'm wrong, yeah and He took that stage as a speaker on Vision Zero Suicides, but before this Sebastian Carlos Cruz was just Sebastian
different challenges. So this child, who was this child, right? So before being cool, coaching famous people, Sebastiano, who were you? So from now on, I leave the word to you. Go on.
Coach.Sebastian.cv (01:43.204)
That's a great question. Before being cool, who was like, listen, Fabio, I'm going to tell you right now, I was born cool, brother. No, I'm joking. And that's it. That's it guys. Thank you for this episode. No, but so I'm, I'm born and raised in Sweden. I am, my father is Cape Verde and my mom is Swedish. So I was raised on the both side of the fence. So to say, I got to see a lot of.
The Fabio Podcast (01:50.654)
Right, right, well then we can really close the episode, that's it!
Coach.Sebastian.cv (02:10.352)
A lot of good things on both sides, a lot of tough things on both sides. And somebody who was growing up in Sweden with a colored father, I faced different difficulties growing up, but also as everything from like Nazis to a lot of racism in Sweden, but also had a very idyllic upbringing in the sense of Swedish. Swedish summer is absolutely incredible. I had friends. I did. Did a lot of a lot of.
amazing things, but I always had this eagerness to fit in and I always wanted to do my own thing. But that's essentially how my journey started in Sweden. And after I turned 19, which is when we graduate in Sweden, me and my best friend decided to travel. So we traveled all across the world, we traveled to Australia, we ended up in Asia, different places, a bunch of different places in Europe. And then after some time, I ended up in Norway. And in Norway...
The Fabio Podcast (03:01.646)
Alright.
Coach.Sebastian.cv (03:08.688)
That's when I'm starting to be cool.
The Fabio Podcast (03:10.626)
All right, all right. Okay, so you liked, you definitely liked to travel as understood. Okay, but so this was your comfort zone, but I mean I like to hear the precise moment you felt you had to change. Okay, so what was the negative feeling before that, if something happened in your life and what was the positive feeling after that? So especially when you fell in love
Coach.Sebastian.cv (03:16.869)
Yeah, definitely.
The Fabio Podcast (03:39.85)
with dancing. So what was the trigger in your case, Sebastian?
Coach.Sebastian.cv (03:43.372)
So I was always, I was always searching for... I was always searching for Cape Verde. I was always searching for my roots, a place where I could fit in, a place where I could be myself. Because naturally if you are born in Sweden and you are coming from, you think you're Swedish, right? But you understand you have an African heritage, but like Swedish is all I know. And then from you starting to not be accepted by people around you, and you start the older you get, or in 12 to...
The Fabio Podcast (04:02.198)
Yeah.
Coach.Sebastian.cv (04:12.32)
to 17, you start to understand, OK, wait, puberty, I'm different. I look different. We eat different. I talk different. I believe different things because that's been installed from you, from my family. And as a result of that, I was again faced with Nazis. And I started doing martial arts, and doing a lot, a lot, a lot of martial arts in order to defend myself. And that was it. I was going to be a fighter. That was my goal. I did it for seven years, like very intensely until I was 17.
The Fabio Podcast (04:29.998)
Okay.
Coach.Sebastian.cv (04:41.204)
whole thing was just like, I'm gonna go pro. This is what I'm gonna do. Yes. And then once I had a friend of mine who went to a dance class and he said, Hey bro, I'm not sure about training and getting kicked by men all the time. But our dance teacher, she's so hot. And and I didn't need to hear more brother after that I was sold.
The Fabio Podcast (05:03.099)
It always starts in the way truly.
Coach.Sebastian.cv (05:08.468)
So, but so joke aside, like that is definitely part of the truth, but it also comes to the point of I found a place where I could express myself and I was accepted. I found Twisted Feet Dance Academy in Gothenburg, which is a, it was a huge part of my upbringing in my late teens, so to say. And so yeah, that was definitely one of those first moments when I'm like, whoa, that's when I found dancing. And I just started to go.
The Fabio Podcast (05:13.851)
Yeah, I believe it. I mean...
Coach.Sebastian.cv (05:37.452)
all in on dancing. So then from becoming a professional fighter it's like no I'm gonna be a professional dancer that's what I'm gonna be. Go all in, do that for a couple of years, move to Australia, stay in Australia, get to Norway, end up in Norway and in Norway live with my dance crew. That's when I'm really becoming a professional. That's when I'm starting to work as a professional, I'm doing tours in Norway, I'm starting to model at the same time.
I'm traveling internationally as a model, as a dancer. I'm going to all these events. I'm getting booked. I'm getting paid. I'm making big money. And then from nowhere, I run into this wall. And then that wall is panic anxiety.
The Fabio Podcast (06:19.998)
Well, you know, it's truly like, I'm thinking about something, right? So a couple of years, no, more than a couple of years ago, maybe four or five years ago, I started salsa for the same reason, right? No, but the start was truly for the same reason, like, hey, there are girls, it's beautiful, so let's flirt, etc, etc. But then I liked it. So it's not so much far.
Coach.Sebastian.cv (06:33.269)
Nice.
Coach.Sebastian.cv (06:40.766)
Let's go.
The Fabio Podcast (06:47.294)
Truly. And okay, well, beautiful, beautiful. And tell me, have you... how can I say? Have you never had a crisis? Like, would you mind sharing a moment when maybe you felt you weren't good enough for the world of dancing and stage or everything was nice, smooth? Tell me.
Coach.Sebastian.cv (07:15.208)
Yes, so many times, brother, so many times. I was really struggling with my with my with my self confidence for a while there. I always had a good self belief. So I believed in myself. I believe that I could make it. I just had bad confidence in my ability when I was doing it. Right. But I always had this belief in myself. But I remember so many times like I've done I've done two knee surgeries where I've where I've.
The Fabio Podcast (07:17.426)
Yeah, right.
The Fabio Podcast (07:22.914)
Hmm, okay.
Coach.Sebastian.cv (07:40.844)
It was pretty big surgeries because of dancing. So I couldn't do choreography very well. I wasn't good in taking choreography. And where there was a moment in my school, or in the dance school, in the dance community, where everybody was focused on choreography. And I really didn't want to do that. I really wanted to become a freestyle dancer. At least that's what I told myself. But truth is that I really wanted to become a, or one part of me really wanted to become a choreographer dancer, so to say.
to be able to dance behind artists. But I couldn't do that because of my knee, because it hurt every time I took somebody else's class, because they moved in ways I couldn't. So I had to find a way. First it was obviously like, wow, this might not be it. I might not be able to do this. But then back and forth, back and forth, finding my way. So my journey is a journey about constantly turning an obstacle into an opportunity. And that's what I had to do.
The Fabio Podcast (08:16.951)
Hmm.
The Fabio Podcast (08:35.85)
And how did it happen? How did you hurt yourself? It was also in the stage or for?
Coach.Sebastian.cv (08:41.192)
So first surgery was I had knee problems since I was a child. I had hyperextensions in my knees or in my knee joints. That's number one. I had to do rehab when I was as young as probably 13, 14, something like that. So it was always there, so to say. But again, you do martial arts. You get your knees kicked. You become a dancer.
You're just reckless. I'm doing like split jumps onto concrete for no other reason than just because I felt like it. So that's the first time. And then what I, so this is a sad, but true story. So when I'm doing my first knee surgery, I'm dating this girl where I'm living together with my ex at this time. And she is the queen of Bachata sensual, literally.
The Fabio Podcast (09:31.16)
right?
Coach.Sebastian.cv (09:35.944)
And what ends up happening is that we are doing a festival. And I'm starting to get a name during that time. So I'm starting to get it. So I ran the world's first Afro Latin festival that was focused on mental and physical health for dancers. And after the first or second year, first year, I'm getting a name. So now I'm booked. Now I'm getting booked internationally. But I've just done my first knee surgery. So then I faced with a moment, I'm like, okay.
Should I travel to China, Japan, Shanghai, New York, and multiple countries in Europe as a professional dancer or should I do a knee surgery? And so I said, I'm going to do both. And there was a question. Okay. Should I, should I then wait and do, should I wait after my knee surgery?
The Fabio Podcast (10:16.141)
Mm-hmm.
Coach.Sebastian.cv (10:30.456)
And maybe miss this opportunity or should do the opportunity. And worst thing that happened is that I can just do the surgery again. So I said, fuck it. Let me, let me do the, let me just go on, let me go on world tour. So I went on tour with an injured knee. What I didn't know is that caused me to get arthritis. So now I have arthritis in my knee and I had to do a second surgery. But, but again, like, like I said, totally, totally early, my journey is a journey about turning obstacles into an opportunity. And that's what I've been about since back then.
The Fabio Podcast (10:51.346)
All right.
The Fabio Podcast (10:57.371)
Yeah.
Coach.Sebastian.cv (10:59.536)
And as of now, I'm turning 33 and my knee is stronger than it's ever been. I'm, I'm stronger. I'm more flexible. I'm stronger. I'm mentally stronger. So all good.
The Fabio Podcast (11:06.811)
Right.
The Fabio Podcast (11:11.714)
Yeah I believe it yeah I know I definitely believe it I believe it you are uh I believe that you are strong and I also watch something and I'm not an expert but you are very good but at the same time I you know I like to be focused on the surgery period time especially because there are people around us right that they
Coach.Sebastian.cv (11:27.025)
Thank you, brother.
The Fabio Podcast (11:40.67)
They have a dream and maybe something happened to them, right? And they feel discouraged, you know what I mean? And it's beautiful that the people around us listen that you did it. I mean, you had two surgeries, right? And you are here, you are big and you also train Madonna, as understood. So...
So I mean, if you did it and you had two surgeries, and also I know that you had some anxiety, right, for stage, in a stage or something. Correct me if I'm wrong. In Panic Inside, I mean, we are all human, but at the same time, we can overcame and transform ourselves to heroes. And this is the most beautiful thing, I think.
Coach.Sebastian.cv (12:18.684)
Yeah, exactly. I had panic anxiety.
The Fabio Podcast (12:35.754)
about it you know it's very good very nice and um so and about this actually about uh surgery and everything uh have you never thought something like uh um okay uh maybe i'm not gonna become big as i wished maybe i'm maybe i'm not gonna realize a bigger dream as i thought have you never thought something like that
Coach.Sebastian.cv (13:03.964)
So many times, so many times was entertaining myself. And I think that's a part of the journey. But I was, yeah, but I was always very attentive and I paid a lot of attention to what other people in that have done, what I had to do, what they said. So I listened to a lot of people that had been through injuries. I listened to people like a lot of sports stars, a lot of athletes that had to go through a lot of different surgeries and...
The Fabio Podcast (13:08.796)
is part of the journey.
Coach.Sebastian.cv (13:32.072)
And I listened to what they said and I said, hey, look, you will feel this. You will feel that. But, and then again, I like to get my ego to work for me, not against me. So I'm using the fact that, okay, but if this human can do it, he's human. I'm human. If he can do it, then I can definitely do it. Like there's no way he's better than me.
The Fabio Podcast (13:41.592)
Yeah.
The Fabio Podcast (13:48.416)
Yeah.
And you overcame, I mean, you overcame the, with the surgery and the anxiety as well. And would you like to say something about it? How did you do? How did you overcome, especially the anxiety, right? Because I know that the surgery, maybe it's more maybe physical thing and the therapy, but the anxiety, it's more something more psychological, I think.
Coach.Sebastian.cv (14:12.556)
Yeah, it was way tougher to go through the anxious part. And my tip to whoever is dealing with it is that you have to come to an understanding and an acceptance that whatever you're dealing with right now is 100 percent in your control. And I understand how crazy that sounds when you are in the bottom. I've been there. I've seen the darkness. I was just looking at a different angle than you are right now. But I'm in right next to where you've been. I've been right there.
at the bottom contemplating suicide. But the only difference from the man I am today with all the success, all the things I've done versus the person I was in that moment is just my mindset. That's it. So you have to understand that your, your journey is extremely unique, but it's so unique that other people have walked it before you. So follow what they're saying. Talk to people, share.
If you're suffering, it's probably because you're suffering in silence. Share with people. Don't label yourself worse than it is. You're going through a really tough time right now. And I hear you hear this all the time as of, as of right now, what people are saying. Uh, I have, I have anxiety. I have anxiety. I have a test tomorrow. I have anxiety. I'm going to go on a date to have anxiety. You don't have anxiety. You're anxious. It's a big difference, but you're labeling yourself and semantics matters. So pay attention to the words that you're using about yourself.
The Fabio Podcast (15:34.349)
Mm.
The Fabio Podcast (15:40.078)
Hmm, all right, all right. Yeah, it's true. Sometimes we use words to force Something about that doesn't exist yet. You know what I mean? Yeah
Coach.Sebastian.cv (15:49.204)
words creates your reality. Yeah, most certainly because you're these are thoughts that you're having and now you're speaking them into reality. So that will become your tongue is shaping your reality. So you keep saying to yourself, I'm anxious, I'm anxious, I'm anxiety, I'm anxiety, I'm depressed, I'm depressed. Yes, you are. It's gonna it's gonna portray it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
The Fabio Podcast (16:11.802)
Right. And how many years took to recover totally with the surgery and to have a confident to be totally yourself on the stage?
Coach.Sebastian.cv (16:25.668)
So I'm still doing rehabilitation. It's just I don't call it rehab anymore. I call it prehab. But I'm still damaged. My knee is still not full. My left knee is still not as good as my right knee. But the point was never to become 100% correct. The point was to understand, how can I keep doing what I love with what I have? I have this body. I can't change it. This is what I got. How can I let this work in my favor? I can improve my dance style. I can change my dance style.
The Fabio Podcast (16:51.837)
Right.
Coach.Sebastian.cv (16:54.652)
I have this mind, I cannot change it. I can change the brain I'm having. Okay, how can I use this to optimize who I am, what I do, what I want? So you have to look at it, look at the tools that you have and be objective about it. Okay, this is what I have. Is this in my control? My body is not in my control. I have this, like, it's not in my control to the extent of which body I got. This is the body I got. Let me do the best with it. What does that mean? Well, for me,
It means that I have to do mobility exercises every day. I have to do stretching exercises every day. I have to do workout. That's how I keep my, my legs and my joints mobile and strong. So it's more about working with what you have and making sure that you're a hundred percent confident in that you fact that you have done the work.
The Fabio Podcast (17:45.218)
Hmm maybe better like that I mean you know when someone is totally good on something from the beginning right so it doesn't really improve itself so after a while it just accepts who he is like yeah all right I'm good I'm good I'm good
but in a long period of time, then it's not enough. But in your case, it's more like, well, I accept the fact that my body is not perfect, so then I'm gonna become better than anyone else around me. So it's very good mindset, I love it.
Coach.Sebastian.cv (18:35.412)
Thank you. Yeah. And it's about because it's the only mindset that serves you. Any other mindset won't work. It's a fallacy. The only thing you can focus on is what is in your control. And you can only control the things that you have. So I can control I can control the effort I put in. I can control that with what I have. I'm going to going to squeeze out every part of life, whatever it gives me. Right. This is why I travel so much. This is why I do so many things. This is why I'm involved with charity. This is why I go out and I dance with kids.
This is why I go to SOS Children Village. This is why I'm doing public speaking, because I really want to experience life.
The Fabio Podcast (19:12.674)
love it. And well, today you are in a better place, so tell me about today finally. So who is Sebastian Carlos Cruz? Who are you?
Coach.Sebastian.cv (19:23.82)
That's a good question. As of this October 26th of 2023, I am a public speaker. I just finished my first TEDx talk, one of many. I'm heading to the capital and I will have my keynote speak for the parliament within the next week. I'm a celebrity coach. I am somebody who really loves my family.
I'm extremely proud over my heritage, both of my Swedish and my Cape Verdean side. I'm somebody who absolutely loved my mother and my father and my siblings. And as of now, I'm doing a lot of charity work. I'm making sure to adding as much value as I possibly can to Africa and making sure that I'm like we like I want to leave.
The Fabio Podcast (20:02.395)
Ah, that's so beautiful.
Coach.Sebastian.cv (20:19.712)
this world better than as cliche as it sounds right like I really want to when my time is up. I know I pushed it. I know I pushed it. I want to live your life to the fullest. So that's the man I am today.
The Fabio Podcast (20:29.982)
I feel you so much. I feel it. I hear you. Yeah. Like I mean, we're here in this world, right? And, um, but we are here for a reason. That's what I think every time. And it's beautiful if any of us understand we are here to leave a mark in this world. So you're doing and, uh,
some of us do but not unfortunately most of the people don't do enough they don't realize their dream they don't unfortunately they don't vision enough to go through you know and it's pity because there are so many talent people in this world and yeah and i just i just wish that with this talk that you are having with me today
Coach.Sebastian.cv (21:14.385)
Exactly.
The Fabio Podcast (21:28.606)
people around us understand that That you can become whatever you want to be if you really go through, you know
Coach.Sebastian.cv (21:36.672)
Literally. And that's the thing you have to respect the process. You can become anything you want to be, but you can't become everything at the same time. That's not how things work. You have to respect the process. Things takes time. And we are so focused right now in a in a quick fixed society. We want to Instagram fame right now. One million in 30 days, six minute abs. That's not how things goes.
The Fabio Podcast (22:03.714)
No, no, no
Coach.Sebastian.cv (22:17.98)
So for anybody who is listening right now and you are in a place where you want to elevate yourself.
You will feel imposter syndrome. You will doubt yourself. You will think that you're not enough. That's part of the journey. That means you're pushing yourself. Don't worry about it. Do it anyway. Get out there. Live life to the fullest. No matter what other people, what the people in your closest circle think. If your people in your closest circle are shitting on you, get a new circle. If there is nobody around you.
join communities online. Don't let anybody else hold you back. And most definitely don't let yourself hold you back in becoming the best version of yourself. And if you want to connect, you can find me at meetcoachsebastian.com. That is M E T coachsebastian.com or on any social media at coachsebastian.cv as in
The Fabio Podcast (23:25.25)
I love it. And with this we conclude the episode. Thank you Sebastian for being here to the Fabby Podcast and thanks to my community for always being here. A hug and see you next Wednesday. Cheers.