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Man Of The Week – Chris Unwin

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Our newest Man Of The Week is a Man who believes in the power of connection, community and creativity. More important though is the role these factors play in positively impacting our media, culture and mannerisms as a society. Chris Unwin is the Founder and Executive Director of ‘Free’, a creative studio that promotes collaboration with artists so brands can connect with millennial consumers in person, and across the social web. Chris is a founding member of two national media brand launches- MTV Canada and Dose Magazine. His unique and versatile approach to brand management is illustrated through his work with partners such as Apple, Bell, Microsoft, Nokia, RIM, Rogers, Sony, Virgin Mobile, and all major record labels, to name just a few big brands.

What may seem like a regular agency, Chris has formulated a secret recipe that promotes collaboration between brands hoping to communicate an emotion/story, creative artists who have the experience, but may lack the platform, to produce engaging content that inspires millennials. His work has given previously-unknown artists the space to showcase their talents and blossom into leading figureheads in the community who help shape our everyday culture. Chances are you’ve come into contact with branding that Chris was directly, or indirectly, involved in without really knowing the story behind the man. Check out his story below!

Age – 34

What do you do? (Work)
Founder and Executive Director of Free, and our community-powered channel, The Creator Class.

Why do you do it?
Because I believe in the power of community, creativity and entrepreneurship and that, when given the chance, our generation can positively impact our media and culture.

How do you make a difference in the world? (Work, business, life, family, self)
Ultimately, I see myself as building “sandboxes” – spaces and moments in time that are opportunities for people I value to come together, share experiences, and create together. Though so much of my focus is currently applied to work, I intend to extend such a strategy to my friendships and family.

What are 3 defining moments in your life?
1. Leaving Vancouver in favour of a media/music career in Toronto.
2. Leaving a comfortable, established career path at MuchMusic and MTV.
3. Finding the audacity to start Free. Come to think of it, every defining moment has been borne out of discomfort.

What is your life purpose?
To pursue my passions for a living, and to empower others around me to do the same.

How did you tap into it?
By losing patience with my own complacency, and following gut instinct.

Who is your Role-Model or Mentor?
Role Models – There are a number of careers that have informed my approach such as Stephan Sagmeister, Alain De Botton Jeff Staple, Seth Godin.
Mentors – My mother, my financial advisor and coach Josh Zweig from LIVECA.

Do you have any daily habits? If so, what are they?
I try to maintain “Inbox Zero” daily – the act of clearing out all emails by the end of the day. By assigning tasks, and capturing action items in my productivity apps, I diminish the chance for things to fall through the cracks.

When do you know your work/life balance is off?
If I fail to make my bed in the morning. Failing to accomplish this simple first task of the day is the “canary in the coal mine” for my state of mind. This sentiment was once brilliantly conveyed by Admiral William McRaven.

Vulnerability is a challenge for most men – share a vulnerable moment from your life with us.
I felt like a fool the first time I practiced yoga. I was awkward, tangled, and feeling totally out of my element. However, over time I adjusted and it’s led to balance and positivity at some crucial points in my life.

What did you learn from it?
Embracing being terrible at a new activity can open doors in life.

If you are or were going to be a mentor for another man, what is one piece of advice you would give him?
Establish life priorities, and stick to them. Don’t waste time on anything else.

How do you be the best partner (Boyfriend/Husband- past or present)
Be present. See them, listen to them, feel them consciously.

Do you support any Charities or Not-for-profits? (Which one(s) and why?)
To date, we’ve been fighting to make a very pro-social for profit model succeed. Though our projects have been associated to causes idiosyncratically, we’ve yet to align to a specific charity, which I’d like to change in 2017.

If your life had a theme song, what would it be?
“Now I’m Ready” by Arcade Fire

Where do you see yourself in 3 years?
Instigating collaborations centered around creativity, entrepreneurship, and the future of work with collaborators I admire. Spending my time between Toronto, New York and Europe.

What legacy do you want to leave for future generations?
That one can create the conditions of their own freedom with creativity, intellect, and determination.

What One book would you recommend for any Man?
“Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter” by Liz Wiseman and Greg McKeown

Man Of The Week – David Veshkini

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David Veshkini may be shy, but boy is he a man who is dedicated to his community! He works for vsttawa Victim Services & in partnership with the Victim Crisis Unit at the Ottawa Police Services. Where he supports crime victims in particular females impacted by gender-based violence. His passion for working & helping drives his efforts in positively impacting those around him. It should come as no surprise that he is extremely involved in volunteering where he supports METRAC (violence prevention non-for-profit) & OCTEVAW’s Manifest Change program, which speaks to men about toxic masculinity, sexual violence, and bystander intervention. He has been fortunate enough to help shape conversation at conferences/panels around how all men have a part to play in the prevention of violence against women. In spite of this, David felt there was more he could do and most recently started a solidarity movement called WeCanBeBetter. He believes the movement has potential to empower & educate men to not only stand against gender-based violence but also begin to think about how they can impact their communities positively to address gender issues impacting women. David gets real vulnerable in our interview and we are honoured to have him as our newest Man Of The Week. Read on and check out the incredible work he is doing, you will definitely walk away feeling inspired!

Age – 27

What do you do? (Work)
Currently, I’m the Case Manager at Ottawa Victim Services: a community-based organization that provides emotional/practical intervention to victims of crime. Our organization is fortunate to be in partnership with the Ottawa Police Victim Crisis Unit to make sure all victims in our community receive the proper support they need & deserve. I get to work with some incredible women day-in and day-out.
More recently, I started a campaign called WeCanBeBetter. An Ottawa-based solidarity movement for achieving gender equality. Its goal is to empower and encourage men/boys to become agents of change for ending violence against women and gender-based violence.

Why do you do it?
I truly love working within a field centered upon a duty-to-care & helping others. My work with OVS puts me in an extremely privileged position where I’m trusted with entering people’s lives when they’ve fallen on hard times. It’s special speaking to so many people from different walks of life, as well as being witness to their resiliency. It reminds me to continuously reflect on my own life and privilege.
The WeCanBeBetter campaign is a more upstream/preventative approach to what I do. Unfortunately, almost every day in my personal/professional life I read, hear, and talk to predominantly women who have experienced some form of gendered-based sexual, physical, or emotional violence. The campaign allows me to not only see what I can do to help survivors, but also play a role in creating awareness and preventing VAW & GBV.

How do you make a difference in the world? (Work, business, life, family, self)
Work allows me to make an impact on people’s lives in the aftermath of a tragic and unexpected incidence. I also enjoy doing community-based work, engagement, and outreach. I’ve been fortunate enough to aid in campaigns, projects, research, and committees that address and raise awareness about important issues like Gender Equality on Campus, Racism, Police/LBGTQ relations, Violence Prevention, and Homelessness.
Equally, I think the WeCanBeBetter Campaign may one day reach a place where it impacts lives in my community. WCBB is grounded in the idea that the longer men remain apathetic to the issue, the longer we comprise the gendered futures of our society, institutions, and relationships. I’m not sure when, how, and where the campaign will go or what it might become, but I’m not scared of it failing. Instead, I’d be more disappointed if I never tried.

What are 3 defining moments in your life?
– At thirteen, I was diagnosed with Gillian-Barrie Syndrome. A rapid-onset of muscle weakness that damages your nervous system causing paralysis from the waist-down. Following treatment, the recovery took months: learning how to stand, walk, and run again was an incredibly humbling experience. However, it allowed me to expand the definition of myself and my ability to persevere through life’s challenges.
– At twenty-one, my long-term girlfriend and I split up.  It was my fault. I realized I had to change. I promised I’d become less stubborn, grow emotionally, & continuously reflect on how to be the best partner I could be.
– Last year, my father passed. He played a limited role throughout my life, which made me think about what type of father I’d want to be if I ever got the chance. I vowed I’d do better than him & unconditionally support, care and continuously reassure my own children that I’d always be there for them.

What is your life purpose?
Deciding to do research, work, and volunteer within the field of prevention and awareness of violence against women is ultimately centered upon lending my gender-privilege. That means using my voice & actions to speak to other men about how important it is to stand up to sexism, misogyny, and violence as well as reframe VAW as more than a women’s issue.

How did you tap into it?
At first, accessing predominantly female-centered spaces and organizations seemed difficult. I remember thinking: “what if I say the wrong thing” or “I don’t know how to help.” So I began by listening. Listening to the challenges women face socially, politically, and vocationally by virtue of their gender. Eventually, I knew that silence and inaction was the real problem. I knew this was a human rights issue and wanted to dedicate my life to helping this cause.

Who is your Role Model or Mentor?
Growing up role models were hard to come by. Later in life, my brothers (Ali & Bobby) became who I looked up to. I hope one day I can become half the men they’re!

Do you have any daily habits? If so, what are they?
I love eating candy & drinking coffee! And Wine!

When do you know your work/life balance is off?
Sometimes, when your job and passion overlap, it becomes difficult to maintain a good work/life balance. I think I can start to tell that my work/life balance is off when I’m not calling my mom!

Vulnerability is a challenge for most men – share a vulnerable moment from your life with us.
I didn’t come from a family or culture where vulnerability was particularly tolerated or understood. To be honest, until this day I continue to struggle with vulnerability in my personal life. It’s ironic given the work I do. Sometimes in my personal life, I pretend to be vulnerable, so my family or friends believe I’m open because if I were to be totally truthful, I’m worried how they would react. I know I need to grow in my ability to be all in, risk heartbreak, ask for help, and be unapologetic about failure. So let’s just say I’m working on it!

What did you learn from it?
Every time I’m vulnerable, as men I learn that it’s okay to be hurt & those who love me unconditionally will be there for me.

If you are or were going to be a mentor for another man, what is one piece of advice you would give him?
Don’t get caught up trying to impress anyone with your wealth, power, or success. Great men are known for their heart & what they’ve done for others.

Do you support any charities or Not-for-profits? (which one(s) and why?)
For a few years now, I’ve been volunteering for METRAC, a non-for-profit violence prevention organization which does work on reducing campus sexual violence. More recently, I’ve been a part of OCTEVAW’s MANifest Change. A program that talks to men/boys about masculinity, sexual violence myths, and bystander intervention in schools/detention centers.

Where do you see yourself in 3 years?
Hopefully grow WeCanBeBetter into something that makes a difference. I’d love to get a community of men to stand together to create a bold and viable presence in Ottawa for achieving gender equality.

What legacy do you want to leave for future generations?
I hope I’m seen absent of any titles or positions I might hold in the future. Instead, I hope I’m remembered for what I was able to accomplish while helping others. Saying I’ve done something meaningful, that’s what matters to me. I’d too love to know I contributed, however small, to a world where my baby niece grows up feeling safe & comfortable doing whatever she chooses, unhindered by gender norms.

What One book would you recommend for any Man?
‘Infidel’ by Ayaan Hirsi Ali

If you know a Man that is making a positive impact on the world, we would love to hear from you! Contact us at [email protected]

Man Of The Week – Zach Marcy

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Zachary Marcy, also known as Coach Z, is a Mind and Body Transformation Coach based out of Miami. His entire life he has been fascinated by physical fitness and psychology, and the relationship between the two. It wasn’t too long before Coach Z begun tirelessly working and investing over two decades of time and money into education on the mind and body, Coach Z has created a program that is a hybrid of life coaching, nutrition coaching and physical coaching practice, called Synergize Fitness. His passion is rooted in being able to help inspire others to transform their lives to one they can be proud of, but he keeps them all grounded with the gentle reminder that the journey of transformation is not a short one, but a life-long one that takes commitment and dedication day in, day out. From the moment you meet Coach Z, his hunger to have a positive impact on everybody around him is apparent from the way he talks to the passionate miniature rants (often referred to as Reverend Zach) he goes on when there is room for growth.

Coach Z, along with two others, will be speaking about ‘Overcoming Adversity’ at the very first ManTalks Miami event on Monday, August 29th. You can expect to hear moving stories from individuals who suffered from low self-esteem and the manner in which they tackled this head on to emerge victorious and successful.
Topic: Overcoming Adversity
Date: Monday, August 29  6:30pm (Doors open) 7:00pm (Event begins)
Location: Ariete Restaurant, 3540 Main Hwy, Coconut Grove
Note: the restaurant is being used as our event space and will not be serving food or drinks this evening.
Tickets: $30 – early bird and $40 regular**

Age: 40

What do you do? (Work) 
I am a Mind and Body Transformation Coach

Why do you do it? 
I chose this line of work because I can make a living doing what I love. I have drawn upon all of my life experiences and developed a unique model for success that is literally changing the lives of everyday people. There is no better feeling in the entire world. My model for success is creating a world wide Transformation Revolution making the world a better place.

How do you make a difference in the world? (Work, business, life, family, self) 
I am bringing new inspiration to people who had given up on finding their way into a lifestyle of a healthy mind and a healthy body.

What are 3 defining moments in your life? 
– On each day my two children entered this world I felt a huge combination of gratitude and responsibility. Each birth was a defining moment for me, because all of my motivation transferred from self-interest to their interest.
– The third defining moment was the day I realized every hardship I’ve ever been through is actually a blessing. I  changed my own story by simply repositioning the narrative. My story is one of being sexually abused around six years old to be my tale of triumph.

What is your life purpose? 
My life purpose is to inspire others to experience a healthly mind and body transformation. Transformation, as I define it, is the constant and never ending pursuit of being the best version of yourself everyday for the rest of your life. This pursuit includes every aspect of life: personal, professional, physical and psychological.

How did you tap into it? 
I found my purpose when I realized I had the power to bring the kind  of positive changes to other people’s lives that I have had in my own life. I educated myself in the best ways to connect with others, and I found joy in teaching and coaching about the things I’ve learned.
Originally, I wanted to become a psychologist, but I knew the formal school setting wasn’t for me. Nevertheless, I branched into a field of psychologically called Neuro-Linguistic Programming, and I taught seminars to others on how to practice it. At the same time, I also became a bodybuilder. Once I blended all of my fields of study together, I realized how powerful the combination of the mind and the boy was. I  saw how people were getting lasting and permanent change in their lives.

Who is your Role-Model or Mentor?
My father is my mentor as well as my clients who I learn as much from as they learn from me.

Do you have any daily habits? If so, what are they?
This is a quick summary of my daily routine:
Morning MAVIM: Meditation, Attitude of Gratitude, Visualization, Intention and Movement
Mid-Day Mindfulness: I check-in with myself every three hours when my alarms go off to see if I’m on schedule, acting from my highest self and living out my day’s intention.
Evening MALP: Meditation, Attitude of Gratitude, Lessons I learned and Plan the next days MAVIM

When do you know your work/life balance is off?
I know something is off when I feel tired waking up. I generally have so much energy and plan out my time so well that if I’m feeling a bit off everything gets restructured. My personal success depends on me being a high performer in life.

Vulnerability is a challenge for most men – share a vulnerable moment from your life with us. 
At around six years of age, my parents brought a few foster children into our home who had been removed from an abusive environment. One of the children proceeded to mimic the abusive behavior with me that he had experienced at the hands of his abuser. Although I reported it to my parents, after a few weeks of abuse a lot of life altering patterns in my life started to appear. I had moments of guilt, questioning my sexuality, homophobia, depression, anger issues, self confidence problems, bouts of misusing bodybuilding drugs and alcohol and food abuse, plus many failed relationships with women.

What did you learn from it?
I learned that you are not your problems and that you can either define your story to serve you or enslave you.

If you are or were going to be a mentor for another man, what is one piece of advice you would give him? 
I would tell him that vulnerability and power do not contradict each other; in fact, they are directly tied together. You will only ever be as powerful as your biggest short comings and your willingness to face them without excuse.

How do you be the best partner (Boyfriend/Husband- past or present)
I put as much time and effort into improving my relationship with my wife as I do on my own personal development and my business.

Do you support any Charities or Not-for-profits? (Which one(s) and why?)
I support any program for our United States Veterans because I know their service allows me to reach my full potential each day.

If your life had a theme song, what would it be?
Cliché’ song… Jump by Van Halen
Actual song… It Was All A Dream by Jay-Z

Where do you see yourself in 3 years?
In three years, I envision myself running a large international business helping people around the world accept Transformation as a way of life. I’ll be speaking at large conventions, I’ll have written two best selling books written and I’ll be presenting programs online to help people achieve the best versions of themselves.

What legacy do you want to leave for future generations?
I want my legacy to be that I helped the world to understand that in order to be a whole human being that reaches his full potential, you must work on yourself everyday for the rest of your life personally, professionally, physically and psychologically.

What One book would you recommend for any Man?
I would recommend Way of the Superior Man, but the book that really changed my life was The Alchemist by Paulo Cohelo

If you know a Man that is making a positive impact on the world, we would love to hear from you! Contact us at [email protected]

Man Of The Week – Jermal Alleyne

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Jermal Alleyne is our newest Man Of The Week and boy does he have one hell of a story! Today he is the Co-founder of a non-profit called Next Gen Men that is dedicated to building better men through youth engagement, education, and empowerment. Like many in his generation, Jermal never had a mentor or group of friends as a young boy where he could be taught about the expectations and responsibilities of being a ‘man’. It was this struggle and losing his teenage brother to suicide that drives Jermal’s passion for impacting and equipping today’s youth. Jermal opens up and gets real personal in this weeks Man Of The Week, you’ll definitely want to check out his humbling story.

Jermal, along with three others, will be speaking about ‘Confidence’ at the upcoming ManTalks Toronto event on Monday, August 22nd. You can expect to hear moving stories from individuals who suffered from low self-esteem and the manner in which they tackled this head on to emerge victorious and successful.
ENTRY IS FIRST COME FIRST SERVE
Topic: Confidence & Connection
Date: Monday, August 22 6:30pm (Doors open) 7:00pm (Event begins)
Location: 174 Front St West, Toronto ON M5V 3K2
Tickets: FREEIMG_20151118_013543

Age – 28

What do you do? (Work)
I am the Program Director and lead facilitator of Next Gen Men, a nonprofit focused on building better men through youth and peer engagement, education, and empowerment.. I lead an after-school program for boys aged 12-14 years old that disrupts the prevalent ideas and misconceptions about what it means to ‘be a man’ today. We move beyond the stereotypes and empower boys to be men who make a positive impact on their communities.

Why do you do it?
I do this for two reasons. Being a man myself, I wish I had had something like this when I was growing up – a place that I would feel safe with my friends while learning some about the expectations of “being a man” that probably would have helped me to make fewer mistakes in my early adulthood. Secondly, I lost my brother to suicide when he was 13 and that always sits with me. I love that now, I have a chance to educate youth on the dangers of bullying, the importance of mental health, and teaching these young men that asking for help when you need it isn’t a sign of weakness, but strength.

How do you make a difference in the world? (Work, business, life, family, self)
I believe the work that we are doing at Next Gen Men can one day make a huge difference in the world. Through engaging, educating, and empowering young men at an early age look at our work as prevention to reduction in all form of violence, with an emphasis on violence against women, and a reduction in male deaths by suicide due to an increased knowledge of mental health supports.

What are 3 defining moments in your life?
– The passing of my bother in 2007. It was an eye opener to appreciate family. Also, to make the most of the time you have on this world – I do that by helping others.
– Tearing my ACL. This is a pretty common injury, but for me the rehab process allowed me to expand the definition of myself. I wasn’t just Jermal, a great athlete anymore, I learned to be so much more.
– Getting engaged. The time since I met my fiancé has been the happiest consecutive years of my life and I know they will only continue with her in my life.

What is your life purpose?
I think my life purpose is to help. I know it is so vague, but I have always found a sense of peace when I know that I am helping someone. Whether it is young man who needs positive words of encouragement in program, to help with school work, or and an adult who just needs someone to listen to I like helping people work through the battles big or small.

How did you tap into it?
Giving can sometimes be difficult, I have heard some stories and things that people have gone through that just break my heart, but I know how important self-care is. I generally like to do solitary things as part of my self-care. When I was young that was practicing soccer by myself, as I got older that was basketball, now it is golf and writing.

Who is your Role Model or Mentor?
When I was younger, Tiger Woods was my role model. I loved his laser like focus. Now I would have to say it is my father. When I look back on my life and realize all the sacrifices he made for me, my brothers, people in my family to put them in a better position in their lives, it blows me away. His patience to see the big picture is a quality that I admire the most.

Do you have any daily habits? If so, what are they?
One of my self-care techniques/hobbies has to be included. Whether it is the gym, writing, or just reflecting, it helps me tackle the day ahead and coffee, definitely coffee.

When do you know your work/life balance is off?
I generally just feel like garbage. Whether I haven’t got enough work done, I feel bad about myself if I am working too much and don’t make time for me for a couple of days. I have a guilty feeling either way.

Vulnerability is a challenge for most men – share a vulnerable moment from your life with us.
The most vulnerable moment in my life was going to see my mother while she was incarcerated when I was twelve. My father didn’t want me to go, but I knew it was something I had to do. It was scary, I was nervous and I went asking for love. It was the most vulnerable I have let myself be to this day.

What did you learn from it?
Well, the experience didn’t meet my expectations so it was disappointing. From it I learned to be strong, that putting yourself out there when asking for love doesn’t kill you, and most importantly, hope. I knew there would come a day where my expectations were met and I can say today they happily are.

If you are or were going to be a mentor for another man, what is one piece of advice you would give him?
There comes a time in your life where you have to stop making your circumstances an excuse for why you should fail, and take responsibility of those circumstance and make them the reason you succeed.  I can say that I have had many moments in my life where shit was just hard, personal relationships, school, and circumstances that you just thought you’d never be in. I, many times let my circumstances be my scapegoat but there came a day when I just stopped doing that and life started to turn around slowly I might add, but it did and I would want that young man to know it will be YOU that made that choice.

How do you be the best partner (Boyfriend/Husband- past or present)
I think I am the best partner to my fiancé when I am just as giving in my outside life as in my relationship.

Do you support any Charities or Not-for-profits? (Which one(s) and why?)
I can’t say that I actively do through money consistently, but since Movember’s push into mental health and well being for men. It’s an organization that does such great work.
I have been a recent supporter of Movember, not only have they funded Next Gen Men, but I truly they are offering a holistic approach to men’s’ health. Especially on the Mental Health on the Mental Health approach. I am an advocate for youth mental health and I volunteered in my community as the youth mental health advisor.
Next Gen Men is so important to me because I have the opportunity to talk to young men and breaking down the old definition of a man that doesn’t need help. I share my personal stories to inspire them to understand that asking for help is not a sign of weakness and we need more men to help us in this effort.

If your life had a theme song, what would it be?
Not sure

Where do you see yourself in 3 years?
With work, that’s looking forward and seeing how accomplished Next Gen Men has become. In my personal life, I’m looking forward to being married in 2017 and starting a family.

What legacy do you want to leave for future generations?
I guess the legacy I would like to leave is that I was instrumental in reducing suicide rates and violence against women by co-founding Next Gen Men. Though we are small, I know that our reach can be huge and exponential if the young men that come through our program can influence on friend with our message. ‘Wolfpack’ is a new initiative we are launching shortly in Calgary, Toronto, and Vancouver. It is a unique “brotherhood” of men focused on facilitating social supports with depth. We are looking to engage with men aged 25-45 to not only encourage them to be more socially connected but to draw from these connections when they go through tough times and transitions.

What One book would you recommend for any Man?
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

If you know a Man that is making a positive impact on the world, we would love to hear from you! Contact us at [email protected]

Man Of The Week – Aaron Phillips

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Here at Man Of The Week, we seldom get to highlight and recognize Men in the technology field. Recently we were introduced to Aaron Phillips, who is the CEO of AP1 Inc, and he shared with us his vision of leveraging technology to further engage society in their current physical environment. The uses are endless, from sending out amber alerts to sharing historic information about the part of town you are in, beacon management allows for greater communication between different facets of your environment. As a person, Aaron is kind, positive and dedicated to creating a legacy that leaves the world in a better place but also reminding us that we each have that responsibility to positively impact the world around us. Aaron has faced his share of hardship and today believes that life is full of ups and downs, it is up to each and every one of us to decide what to make of it, and how we want to react to it. Only then can you act with true clarity and intention.

Age – 35 years of age

What do you do? (Work)
I am the founder and CEO of AP1 Inc.
We have become leaders in beacon management infrastructure, specializing in offering proximity-based solutions through our strategic partnerships and beacon-agnostic management platform. Our solutions are designed to enhance the utility of mobile applications to provide mobile engagement in a physical environment.
The platform enables organizations to remotely manage beacons, scale deployments and address numerous levels of security. In addition, the platform offers access to proximity-based capabilities, capturing real-time data on user activity, providing relevant information in location and context aware-engagement that transcends from online to brick and mortar.
The solutions are designed to enhance the utility of existing mobile applications and can be integrated with additional data sets to ensure business intelligence is accurate and comprehensive.
From activation to loyalty, eCommerce to POS, AP1 delivers solutions to optimize branding and enhance the consumer experience.

Why do you do it?
I have a passion for all technology, communication and culture. I believe that beacon and proximity based technology is game changing. Our goal is to reduce complexity and cost, making it more accessible to businesses on a global scale.

How do you make a difference in the world? (Work, business, life, family, self)
One person at a time. Try to stay positive no matter the obstacle and at the end of the day aim to inspire people to fulfill their own individual goals, to make a small difference in the world.

What are 3 defining moments in your life?
– My grade 6 teacher inadvertently helped me realize that I was not going to pursue a traditional educational path. I felt that it would stifle my creativity, cap my passion, and limit my ability to critically think.
– I seriously injured myself while living in Whistler, pursuing a professional sports career, where it was truly a defining moment how fragile life can be, how one should nurture and take care of their body
– Starting this company, having to pivot along the way, and being a serial entrepreneur, entering into start-up land.

What is your life purpose?
To affect change, and leave a legacy for the world to be a better place for all those that exist now, and those who will come after.

How did you tap into it?
I always have had a passion for learning, history, technology, and politics. I have always been driven to get involved in this space.

Who is your Role-Model or Mentor?
Nikola Tesla, big time, for all the ground work he laid for humanity, and Elon Musk for how he is leveraging that foundation.

Do you have any daily habits? If so, what are they?
I try to spend at least 1-2 hours reading – to learn something new every day.

When do you know your work/life balance is off?
That is a tough question. The nature of running a start up and going the entrepreneurial route, at some capacity you give up a lot of your time, your freedom. You understand that what you are working towards, is something much grander than you.

Vulnerability is a challenge for most men – share a vulnerable moment from your life with us.
Becoming a CEO of a new and growing company and having to manage a large group of very intelligent people. Giving up control over aspects of the business and having faith as to what needs to be done and delivered. Having everything on the line for what you believe in.

What did you learn from it?
You got to do it. You can never give up. The nature of growth is to give up control and step outside of your comfort zone, and trust your intuition. Do the best that you can, every day.

If you are or were going to be a mentor for another man, what is one piece of advice you would give him?
You never fail, until you give up. Stay focused on your goals. The light is there, at the end of the tunnel. You are not in control of what happens to you in life, but you are in control of how you think and react.

How do you be the best partner (Boyfriend/Husband- past or present)
Be unconditionally positive, loving, understanding and kind. Good things and bad things happen all the time. Life is a series of challenges, but you should never hold on to the past.

Do you support any Charities or Not-for-profits? (Which one(s) and why?)
There are no major associations I support at the moment. I am a philanthropist at heart and very much look forward to the day to shift my energy on giving back.  When I do, I see myself focusing on conduits that will affect more of a direct change in people’s lives than specifically supporting existing organizations.

If your life had a theme song, what would it be
“Don’t worry, Be happy” by Bobby McFerrin

Where do you see yourself in 3 years?
I would like to see AP1 Inc. mature into a successful global brand, making the impossible, possible.

What legacy do you want to leave for future generations?
I would say that my answer would be similar to number six.

What One book would you recommend for any Man?
As a man Thinketh – James Allen

If you know a Man that is making a positive impact on the world, we would love to hear from you! Contact us at [email protected]

Man Of The Week – Zeeshan Hayat

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Our newest Man Of The Week is someone who’s faced his fair share of hardships growing up, from seeing his mother pass away right before his eyes at the age of six, to moving from Pakistan to Canada at the age of nine, Zeeshan Hayat never let his determination to succeed in life dampen. Zeeshan has never known any other career than entrepreneurship, and from the young age of 22 he took the bold step to launch his first company without any prior work experience or funding. A man that doesn’t shy away form the tough decisions in life, Zeeshan’s perseverance and determination, along with support from an incredible wife Karina, have helped grow his business into a multimillion dollar organization that medically serves millions across North America. Today, Zeeshan is the CEO of Prizm Health, which he co-founded with his wife Karina. A man driven by passion, Zeeshan’s desire to leave a legacy that inspires future generation is well-balanced with quality family time and exercise. As many serial entrepreneurs, his desire to give back to the community is ever-present, since 2007 the initiatives he has led with Prizm Health, they have successfully donated over 40,000 meals and supplies to those in need in Vancouver and the Downtown East Side.

Age – 36

What do you do? (Work)
I am the CEO and Co-founder of Prizm Health. My drive and vision has taken the company from a small college venture to a multimillion dollar business that serves some of the largest mail order durable medical equipment and pharmacies across US and Canada.
Prizm Health started as a lead generation firm, called Prizm Media that connects consumers suffering from chronic conditions with healthcare companies at their point of need. While building Prizm with my co-founder and wife Karina Hayat, we looked for a solution to further help people with pre-diabetes and diabetes which led us to develop our E-Health Ecosystem. Now we are transforming people’s health outcome and ultimately their quality of life through personalized interventions.
Before becoming a serial entrepreneur, I competed at a national level for Taekwondo. Learning Taekwondo gave me the discipline, ethics, and integrity needed to lead Prizm Health.
I also blog for the Huffington Post where I share my expertise in how technology is changing the healthcare industry and what the future will bring.

Why do you do it?
Because I love it. If I didn’t love my job and what I do than I would look to build a company that reflected my passion.

How do you make a difference in the world? (Work, business, life, family, self)
For Business– I help make a difference in the health industry. At Prizm, we are making a change in people’s lives by connecting people with healthcare providers they desperately need to achieve their optimal health. Through our app Kudolife, we are personalizing people’s health.
Health, nutrition, and fitness should not be categorized. There is no one size fits all when it comes to people’s health. Our bodies are all different and through Kudolife, we hope to give people the personalization they need to reach their health and fitness goals. Kudolife uses machine learning and AI to give users personalized meal plans that will help optimize their health for the long term.
Personal side– For me I enjoy giving back to the community. I do this by giving back to the people closest to us and who need help- the Vancouver downtown eastside. It is important to give back to those in need and doing what is necessary to help them get back on their feet. Wether it is by giving them food, basic toiletries or by having a conversation.
Family- Giving back to my family by being present and not always being away or distracted by technology is vital. When you are around family or friends, it is important always to be present, or else life could just pass you by.
Self- Taking the time out of my day to go on a bike ride is important. By taking care of my physical, I can continue to stay fresh and be motivated to lead Prizm Health.

What are 3 defining moments in your life?
– When I saw my mother pass away infront of my eyes at the age of 6
– Moving to Canada at the age of 9 with my grandparents from Pakistan
– Starting my own family and company

What is your life purpose?
There have always been three main things I focus on. Number one and the most important one is to to provide a good life for my family. The second is to build a legacy that provides a service to help improve and individualize health. The third one is to continue to support the community around me and to help people who are in need.

How did you tap into it?
For me, it was about prioritizing and understanding what is important for me personally. My family felt the most important since I have no siblings. I receive that satisfaction of what I missed in my childhood by seeing my children grow.
I have never had any other career in my life besides being an entrepreneur, and I want to see it grow where we make a real difference in a person’s life. Building your own company and seeing it take off is the real legacy of an entrepreneur. When I first started Prizm 15 years ago, I would have never foreseen where I would be today. Now looking forward and seeing us become a global leader might be hard to imagine but I know if can become a reality. Being able to grow Prizm Health into the success it is today is proof that we can achieve the future.

Who is your Role-Model or Mentor?
It would be prophet, Muhammad. As a Muslim, we are supposed to look up to him and care for the people around us. In that sense, I would say he is my role model.

Do you have any daily habits? If so, what are they?
Staying on schedule and being organized is my daily habit. Also, no matter how busy I am I make sure that I spend time with my children every single day. As a family, we all get together to have breakfast with each other every morning. Another important daily habit that I try to be consistent with is stretching every morning. I struggle with this, but after a morning stretch, I noticed that I started to become more flexible and felt more energized and ready for the day ahead.

When do you know your work/life balance is off?
I like to exercise at least 4-5 times a week. If I don’t workout, I begin to feel frustrated and over worked.  Taking the time to exercise helps me relax and gives me time to feel fresh again. As for family, if I had to choose between a bike ride or to spend time with kids. My kids are always the first choice. It is all about prioritizing and understand what will make you happier.

Vulnerability is a challenge for most men – share a vulnerable moment from your life with us.
Going all in and taking the leap to start my own business at 22 years old with no experience or funding.

What did you learn from it?
The biggest lesson learned is that you can do anything if you put all of your energy and minds into it. My motivation was that I saw others starting successful businesses. I thought “If they can do it then we can too.” We had to give it our 100% and learn how to make the best possible decisions in the process.

If you are or were going to be a mentor for another man, what is one piece of advice you would give him?
Never Give up. Once you set your mind to something do whatever you can to get there.

How do you be the best partner (Boyfriend/Husband- past or present)
Having a good understanding of each other and being supportive is one way.
My co-founder/wife and I share a family together and for us, it is important to know how to support each other when things don’t go as planned.  When we come across a problem, we can apply our entrepreneurial skills to find the solutions. We never just talk about the problem we both actively work hard together to seek its solution.

Do you support any Charities or Not-for-profits? (Which one(s) and why?)
In addition to pledging 2.5% of Prizm Media’s after-tax profits to charity, I also spearhead several initiatives and donate to causes close to my heart. The charitable campaign “100 Meals a Week” is a weekly initiative led by myself and Karina that supports the less fortunate on “Skid Row” in the Vancouver Downtown Eastside. We have motivated friends, family, and the Prizm Health team to provide over 40,000 meals and necessities since 2007.
More recently, my wife and I are sponsoring a Syrian refugee family. We are currently preparing to help the family assimilate to life in Canada.
Other activities we are a part of include partnering up with Homeless on Hastings organization to help give out meals to homeless youth. We have also recently started going to local high schools to teach courses on entrepreneurship and help students develop their leadership skills.

If your life had a theme song, what would it be
I don’t think I could think of just one.

Where do you see yourself in 3 years?
Professionally I see myself as a market leader in healthcare digital and marketing and innovation.

What legacy do you want to leave for future generations?
I would want to be looked at as someone who was helpful to its community, as well as someone who worked hard to grow wiser. I would want my children to look at me as a role model.
For my company, I want to grow it into a huge cooperation that is driven towards making a difference in people’s health. In the end, I want to be looked upon as a leader in the MHealth field.

What One book would you recommend for any Man?
The autobiography of Steve Jobs. I look at him as a leader. As a business man, I look up to him as a role model, but I do not look up to him for his personal life. He couldn’t support his family, but I admire his ability to give it all to his company.

If you know a Man that is making a positive impact on the world, we would love to hear from you! Contact us at [email protected]

Man Of The Week – Horrasias Balabyekkubo

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For those of you who have attended our events in the past, you may have heard about this week’s ‘Man Of The Week’: Horrasias Balabyekkubo. Horrasias is an incredible human being with a wealth of talents ranging from a being loving father, a successful entrepreneur, a visionary philanthropist, an author and a motivational speaker, to name a few! From the age of 14, Horrasias began taking steps to plan his future, sought out mentorship from community leaders and making his dream a reality. Having lived on three continents, Horrasias has a wealth of stories that will send tingles down your spine, inspire you to find your purpose, live in integrity with it, and to help lay the foundation for future generations.

  1. Age: 32

  2. What do you do? (For work)
    Brand Ambassador and Distributor for Enagic Canada, Project Director at a Primary and Secondary School in Uganda and an Author.

  3. Why do you do it?
    I do it because it gives me the opportunity to give back in a life giving way to the current society I live in and across the globe. As a director it allows me to continue to build the vision of the school as well as set it on a higher trajectory for greater impact in the community we serve and the nation as a whole. I write because what I have found is; my sharpest weapon to dethrone mediocrity from the lives of young people and my greatest tool move this generation forward is my pen.

  4. How do you make a difference in the world? (Work, business, life, family, self)
    I make a difference in the world remaining constant, consistent and determined to see every man, woman and child meet their true self. By writing words that inspire, teaching the practical steps to attain fulfillment and speaking in motivational tones to ignite passion and determination in the hearts of my listeners. By staying open and vulnerable before the people it shows that the only way forward for any individual is to find that harmony and balance in the shared experience mankind by recognizing the heart of another human as significant as their own. With my children, it is simple, blow their mind daily with showing them anything is possible with determination and hard work and a lot of imagination. Setting them on a foundation of joy and compassion goes a long way to help them realize their true potential. At work the balance comes to me in delivering superior quality service and discipline in my own individual effort thereby shifting the culture among my colleagues to present our excellence to the market place. We set the standard high.

  5. What are 3 defining moments in your life?
    1. At 19 I realized, that at 6 years old I had known all along and I had delivered with precision the oracles of God with out fear and with reckless abandon, I knew who I was and why I was here; from that moment I was determined and walked with discipline to bring forth that same vigour and excellence to whatever I would do in my life and vowed never to forget my purpose again nor dim its light to “fit in” with the masses of men.
    2. My first trip back to my homeland after 12 years of being away was one of those defining moments in my life to set me on course to reaching and attaining my destiny. I was in college and had bought the marketing plan of North America: go to school, get the degree, get a job at a reputable organization, work 40 years, retire well. But it was landing into Entebbe Airport, seeing Lake Victoria and the vibrant colours of the soil and greenery, the red tile roofs mixed in that told me there was something more for my life. You see North America has a way of lulling one to sleep, or choosing the safety and complacency of mediocre exploits over the grand design and purpose for ones life. It was those 37 days in Uganda changed everything. From leaving my chosen field of expertise to enlisting in battle against injustice and poverty, choosing that my life would be spent in defence of the widow and the orphan, the last, the lost, the least and the nearly dead. I knew that this was the raging desire of my life, the constant purpose to carry me through the darkness and the fog. This was to be my magnum opus.
    3. When my son was born. August 25th, 2009 changed everything. It was the culminating event of my young manhood. I had dreamed of being a husband and father for so long that on that day, I was in heaven, the whole earth faded away and all at once I was one with the divine as I opened my mouth to speak the first words he would hear from his father, his defender and protector; I looked into his blue eyes and spoke, “you are my son, in whom all my life has found meaning, I will dare to embolden you to reach for your greatness, I will never leave you, I will defend you against the perils that life will bring, but most important I will love you for all time. You are born of fire, to be fire and to breed fire. A man of the horse and spear. Defender of the realm. You will arise, you will stand, you will conquer.” I sang to him the songs of my father in Luganda, and we became One soul. My Daughter was born May 24, 2011. I was speechless. my heart stopped and danced with rapture. I was now a King among men, I was now to raise these two to the light of their purpose. Life’ Song was worth dancing again. From the first, Fatherhood has been the crowning achievement of my life. Everything else is noise.

  6. What is your life purpose?
    My life’s purpose is to inspire young men and young women to live at their optimum level of impact. Teaching them to marshall their faculties to achieve their chief aim and ultimate purpose in life. To build an army of like minded individuals who want to build great and thriving communities so the generations to come will be living in balance, moving with clock work precision towards maximum impact, disciplined in thought, excellent in conduct, noble in deeds.

  7. How did you tap into it?
    I went back to Uganda when I was 21 and it was on the mountains of Rwanda that I got the spark and it was in the valley of Tyler, Texas where the blueprint was found. I then spent the next 11 years learning, tweaking, and masterminding the plan that will culminate in Operation Trailblazer Dec 31,2015. It took going back to my roots, going off the beaten track and off what I thought my purpose was, questioning what was handed to me as my chief aim by my family, friends and teachers, that I was able to see the signs, the writing on the wall and the omens that would guide me to my greatest treasure.

  8. Who is your Role-Model or Mentor?
    My greatest role model is my father, John Deogratias Balabyekkubo, a Son, Brother, Father, Husband, Friend, Activist, Pioneer, Author, Musician, Playwright, Disciple, Apostle, Preacher, Missionary,Philanthropist, Leader, Visionary, Luminary, Revolutionary, Maverick, the list is endless. He is my father, my friend, confidant and constant north. Defender of my dreams, preserver of my virtue, he is my best example of what a man looks like and what a father loves like, what a husband acts like, what INTEGRITY sounds, tastes, feels, looks, smells like. Oh and he was the sharpest dressed man I have ever seen. He loved God and he served his people.

  9. Do you have any daily habits? If so, what are they?
    Daily Method of Operation is crucial to attain your best from yourself. It demands discipline to achieve any success in any venture. Even if the venture is relaxing, you must do it in a disciplined way so you can maximize the benefit of it. For me that means Reading two hours a day, then studying or mastering your craft gets an hour and a half daily; Physical exercise gets an hour and fifteen minutes, then work on your necessary projects such as income generating activities, networking and building relationships. The bulk of my time however is spent in fostering the seeds of excellence and epic-ness in the imaginations of my two glorious children.

  10. When do you know your work/life balance is off?
    I know my life and work balance is off when it starts to feel like there is not enough time to do the “joy” activities. You get so excited sometimes about a particular project that you begin to get consumed by its manifestation. Which often relegates the important things to the side for the time being, now don’t get me wrong there are seasons when you have to put priority and importance on said projects but for me I always try to include my two top priorities in whatever I do so I never neglect preserving the wonder in their lives. So the moment I am to “IN” to a certain project that I have to say no to any of the requests I normally would gladly do with the Royals. I stop and reassess the plan and rectify it, because they are never going to feel second to any mission, person, or goal. It’s all for them.

  11. Vulnerability is a challenge for most men – share a vulnerable moment from your life with us.
    Vulnerability is the wellspring of creative growth. I truly believe that when you lay bare your heart and soul you can look at and live your life in front of you. I was honoured and blessed to be apart of a ManTalks event that was based on mentors and fatherhood. I was blessed to share the stage with great men and even more humbled to hear their stories. I spoke on my father’s influence on my life and the way I parent my children; as I was speaking I felt this great opening in my heart to really love the people present there in the room, to really show them that I was a man who was unafraid of discussing life, liberty and the pursuit of epic-ness. I spoke about wounds that I have thought had healed and fresh scars from recent events that have sought to un-man me. The experience was exhilarating and educational both for the audience and myself. I felt as if I had let the world see me for the first time unafraid to be seen.

  12. What did you learn from it?
    I learnt All my life, after my father’s death I have sought to lead a life of polish and poise; but it was this unmasking in front of two hundred plus new friends that helped me see that I could be free to lead my life to the full again. It taught me to go with ‘Plan A’ every time, show your fullness. I am going to quote a t.v show Friday Night Lights, the football team had the team mantra: “clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose.”

  13. If you are or were going to be a mentor for another man, what is one piece of advice you would give him?
    If I were to mentor any man; I would simply tell him “find the honesty within you again. Look inside and be really real with yourself, pull back every layer, peak into every crevice and find your humanity, what makes you authentic is not just being sincere, its being truthful about your motives, intents, and core value. So it is vital you know what they are and how to deliver them into the market place of ideas and life.” Teachability says, I may know it already but there may be another way to do it. Let me seek it out. Learn, Learn, Learn, then Implement the knowledge.

  14. How do you be the best partner (Boyfriend/Husband- past or present)
    The key to being the best partner is simple; be willing. Willing to learn from each other, Willing to hold your partner at their absolute worst and celebrate them at their best even when you don’t “feel” like it. Willing to communicate your needs in a way that can actually get the result or desired end you have in mind. Be willing to Love for loving’s sake; not for a pat on the back, or to get something, just simply to Love your partner in a way that would inspire them to rise to their greatest self. Be willing to show yourself at any given moment to reassure your partner that they have free access to your heart especially when you want to close off and run. Be willing to admit wrong, be willing to be still and listen, be willing to grow. Be willing to show up consistently.

  15. Do you support any Charities or Not-for-profits? (Which one(s) and why?)
    I work with Bavubuka Foundation and Cleft of the Rock Foundation which use the arts, education and social entrepreneurship to impact various communities in Uganda and in the diaspora. Working with youth to influence their communities at large. The reason for my continued involvement is I believe in equipping the next generation to step into the halls of power fully armed with reason, a sense of equality and justice for all as well as the self discipline and governance within that will keep them on the path of high moral values, integrity and service to the communities they work in.

  16. If your life had a theme song, what would it be?
    Like a Rock, Bob Seger

  17. Where do you see yourself in 3 years?
    Three years from now I will be finishing phase one of Operation Trailblazer, I will be based out of Uganda, East Africa, building infrastructure projects in rural areas. I will be leading two thousand young people and developing training schools and other entrepreneurial pursuits to bolster the robust plan in phase two . Also at that time I will be balancing out all that legendary stuff at my farm at Kilindi, Uganda as a gentleman farmer.

  18. What legacy do you want to leave for future generations?
    Love, Loyalty, Legacy. These three principles are at the core of my being and my compass home. The Legacy I want to leave for future generations is Love God, Love his people. We are all human, we are all endowed by our creator with greatness. If we serve one another and help one another on the path to our greatness we will surely get to that desired better world we have all been taught about all our lives but have never seen. I want to go there with you. Therefore it is left to us in this generation to lay the ground work afresh with fresh zeal and purpose, so that our children and their children would benefit greatly from our sacrifices. I love people. Love them. Understanding that it is this gift of loving others that frees you up to attain self actualization, to reach fulfilment is power beyond measure. the Legacy is to ensure that every man woman and child can dream and realize that dream whilst they have breath in their lungs; life, liberty and the pursuit of epic-ness is our charge. Dare to dream and allow others to benefit from its goodness.

  19. What One book would you recommend for any Man?
    The Book of Proverbs

If you know a Man that is making a positive impact on the world, we would love to hear from you! Contact us at [email protected]

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