Chris Curtola is a man set on conquering his objectives—as varied as they may be. At 26 years of age, he is currently a one-third owner of Dante’s Bistro, a laid-back restaurant, pub and lounge. His past is an eclectic mix of job choices and goals. He was a sales representative for an Internet pipeline group, a marketing representative for a nightclub, owner and manager of his own properties, and the list continues.

“My passion lies in all different aspects of business,” Curtola says. He is the son of two very musical parents—his father is the Canadian legend Bobby Curtola—but he has made a life distinctly apart from music. His self-proclaimed reason for this is a very poor singing voice.

Curtola isn’t like the hard-nosed driven person his accomplishments would suggest. Instead, his high energy and love of life keep him laughing, talking and moving. Always moving.

He graduated from a Spruce Grove high school with a scholarship to the University of Calgary, but chose a different path. In fact, despite enrolling in university six times, Curtola never managed to make it to the classes. At the tender age of 17, and no stranger to working hard, he decided to take a high-ranking advertising position with a company in Toronto.

Curtola admits he changed jobs around every two years, lured by new opportunities and challenges. Choosing to join Dante’s was unlike everything else he had done before—and he had to leave a six-figure job to try it.

“You have to jump off the ledge and hope you’re okay,” Curtola says with a smile and a shrug. “I think this business is consuming. It’s not a nine-to-five job, but I really don’t want to be anywhere else.”

He’s non-committal about where he might be and what he might be doing in the years to come. Finding something to do has never been a problem.

“There’s always something staring at me saying ‘What’s next?’”