Some people teach what they know. Others live what they teach.
Coppola spent years in the first camp before making the jump to the second.He was Phil’s first coach, back when Marc was running events and masterminds for entrepreneurs chasing freedom. But something shifted. The man who once taught others how to build businesses decided to stop talking and start building. Not another course. Not another coaching program. An 88-acre permaculture farm outside Montreal where people can touch, taste, and experience what living differently actually looks like.
This conversation cuts through the usual entrepreneur playbook. Marc doesn’t have a funnel to sell you into. He’s not promoting anything. He’s too busy learning how to be a handyman, build houses, and grow food. That’s the story.
[00:00] The Long Winding Road
Marc knew he was an entrepreneur at 18, but not for the reasons you’d expect. He hated traffic. Hated the idea of everyone leaving at 9 and coming home at 5. So he bought into a failing indoor skate park with $15,000 monthly rent while still in school.
Most people would call that insane. Marc agrees. But it worked. Over three years, he learned more about business on the ground than he ever did in finance and accounting classes. The real world felt more empowering than textbooks. It made him solution-oriented in ways school never could.
[05:40] The Documentary Phase
After getting bought out at 21, Marc traveled and watched a documentary a week. He didn’t want formal schooling to steal his education. That habit changed everything. He started seeing patterns. Systems. The bigger picture of how things connect.
Those documentaries planted seeds that wouldn’t bloom for years. But they shaped how he thinks about business, community, and what it means to build something real.
[12:15] From Teaching to Living
Marc built Superhero Academy, ran masterminds, hosted events. He was good at it. But something felt off. He was teaching people how to live differently while living the same corporate-adjacent lifestyle himself.
“I started asking myself, am I actually living this or am I just teaching it?” The gap between what he knew and what he was actually doing became unbearable. So he bought land and started building Valhalla Farms.
[25:30] Be Both Batman AND Bruce Wayne
Here’s where Marc drops the framework that explains his whole approach:
Most entrepreneurs hide behind their business. They’re Batman in the mask but won’t show you Bruce Wayne. Or they’re Bruce Wayne trying to seem relatable but never actually deliver the Batman-level results.
Marc’s insight? Your customers need both. They need to see the person living the dream (Batman) and the human building it (Bruce Wayne). They’re not buying your products. They’re buying access to the life you represent.
At Valhalla Farms, people don’t just buy eggs or honey. They’re buying proximity to someone who actually made the jump. Someone who isn’t just talking about regenerative agriculture or alternative living. Someone who’s doing it.
[36:45] The Infrastructure Before the Audience
During COVID, Valhalla Farms exploded. They were the only place people could go. An essential service. The community ballooned overnight.
But Marc wasn’t ready. Not enough infrastructure. Too many people showing up with questions and enthusiasm. So he did something most entrepreneurs would never do: he stopped promoting. Stopped telling people to come. Walked away from growth because the foundation wasn’t ready.
“I realized we literally did not have enough infrastructure to deal with that many people showing up.”
Most people would’ve just taken the money and figured it out later. Marc chose patience over profit. Spent the next five years building: greenhouse, coffee shop, washing station, deck, outdoor kitchen, house. Piece by piece. The right way.
[42:10] Three Pieces of Advice
Someone asked Marc what he’d tell entrepreneurs trying to build something meaningful. His answer wasn’t about strategy or tactics:
First, understand your story. Really understand it. Not the version you tell at networking events. The real one. The one that actually drives you.
Second, live your story. Don’t just teach it. Don’t just talk about it. Actually do the thing. Show people it’s possible by being the proof.
Third, have someone else help you rewrite your story. You’re too close to see it clearly. You need outside eyes to help you articulate what you’re actually building.
Key Quotes
“The truth was that being in the real world, actually going out there and realizing it and doing it felt so much more empowering. It felt so much more real.”
“I started asking myself, am I actually living this or am I just teaching it?”
“We’re Bruce Wayne in our mind, but to them, we’re Batman. Because we’re living the dream that they have.”
“Understand the story, live your story, and have somebody else who can help you rewrite it.”
Where to Find Marc
Marc’s on Instagram and YouTube, though he’s not actively building community digitally right now. He’s learning how to build houses, grow food, and scale patience. The Valhalla Movement podcast will relaunch at some point, but for now, he’s doing the work that matters most.
If you’re in Montreal, you can visit Valhalla Farms, pick up a shovel, or buy eggs, honey, and garlic. The infrastructure is being built for larger entrepreneurial retreats and events, but that’s down the road.
What This Means for Your Business
Most of us are teaching things we haven’t fully lived yet. We’re sharing the strategy before we’ve proven the system. We’re Batman without ever showing Bruce Wayne, or Bruce Wayne without ever delivering Batman.
Marc’s story asks a harder question: What if your breakthrough isn’t about better marketing or a new funnel? What if it’s about closing the gap between what you teach and what you live?
Your business isn’t just a revenue stream. It’s a mirror. It reflects who you are and who you’re becoming. The question isn’t whether you can teach it. The question is whether you’re willing to live it.
P.S. If you’re building a business that requires you to become someone new, the Sacred Business Harmony Map can help you identify exactly where your breakthrough is waiting. Then, Book your Integration Call to explore what’s actually blocking your growth.
