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Man Of The Week – Dean Smith

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There are many moments in life where you feel like the rug was pulled from under you, or when someone shares a ground-breaking perspective on life that you’ve never considered. These moments come from the people around us, but also from within. A lot of the time, doing your own personal reflection can also help reshape the way you see the world and how you want to show up by asking yourself the tough questions. For Dean Smith, his tough questions were “What can I create, how can I create it, and how will it serve others?”

Dean is our newest Man Of The Week and boy does he an incredible and powerful story. A man who believes in being of service to others, showing love and support for those around you, and forgiveness being critical to his success. A man who’s weathered his fare share of life’s storms, from having his mother murdered to rekindling his love and bond with his wife Molly, Dean personifies what it means to love and connect with people regardless of their performance. Today he is a speaker, coach and the Director of Executive Coaching for the Og Mandino Leadership Institute. Check out the rest of his story below!

Age: 42 years old

What do you do? (Work)
Keynote Speaker / High-Performance Coach / Minister

Why do you do it?
There’s nothing more fulfilling than helping someone discover a new possibility for their life. For many years I lived “survival focused.” I internally asked, “why me?” My life changed course when I began asking, “What can I create, how can I create it, and how will it serve others?” My purpose, passion, and fulfillment is found in utilizing all my life’s experiences, challenges, and successes to serve others.

How do you make a difference in the world? (Work, business, life, family, self)
I’m grateful to be the Director of Executive Coaching for the Og Mandino Leadership Institute. This fancy title means I get to assist successful professional’s overcome challenges and reach consistently high levels of personal and business performance.

What are 3 defining moments in your life?
– In sixth grade, the day my mom was murdered was a day that changed my life forever. That day birthed my biggest life challenge, but it also was the beginning of the revelation to the deep truth that all things can work together for good.
– 2004 The day that I decided in the inner-most part of my heart that divorce with my wife, Molly would not ever be an option again. I had considered it many times over the first two years of marriage and at one point decided I didn’t love her AT ALL anymore. After taking the divorce option off the table, I was forced to find solutions. I can honestly report that it was the beginning of an intense relational healing process and we’ve never been happier as a couple. We have two beautiful children that are a constant reminder of the rewards of fighting through the tough times in marriage.
– 2009, I stood on a stage in front of hundreds of people, talking about my forgiveness journey. Toward the end of my talk, I invited the man who murdered my mother up on stage (it should be noted that he’d already paid for his crimes with 12 years in prison). That was the day my sister forgave him too. My journey to forgive, reconcile with and help save the life of the man that murdered my mom was made into an award-winning, internationally distributed documentary entitled, ‘Live To Forgive’.

What is your life purpose?
To help other’s know Truth, optimize attitudes, and live in the fullness of their God-given potential.

How did you tap into it?
My journey was founded on a relationship with God.
1) Prayer  2) Listening  3) Make lots of mistakes 4) Repeat steps 1-3

Who is your Role-Model or Mentor?
Pastor Rex Bell. He is my fifth and final dad since age 12. He adopted me after my mom’s death. He mentored me, verbally encouraged me, and helped me to learn about loving people and God. Rex was a very busy pastor but he spent quality time with me daily, imparting wisdom and listening. His love and guidance helped build my character and confidence.

Do you have any daily habits? If so, what are they?
Start my day with lots of intentionally-edifying thoughts, verbal affirmations, prayer, and inspiring music. When I look over all my specific responsibilities, meetings, and to-do’s for the day, I say aloud, “I want to, I get to, and I choose to” rather than “I have to, I should, and I must.” This framing helps keep me inspired and passionate that I am engaging in tasks that are ultimately helping me achieve my goals and live a life of purpose.

When do you know your work/life balance is off?
When my wife looks at me with weary kaleidoscope eyes I know it’s time to refocus from work mode to family mode. I’ve made that mistake so many times that now my inner compass is a bit more developed than a decade ago. For my wife’s sake, I’m always striving to be the “Anti-Kaleidoscope Man.” I’ve interviewed dozens of world-changers and when I ask them what would you do different, a majority expresses regret about not spending more time with family.

Vulnerability is a challenge for most men – share a vulnerable moment from your life with us.
I left a successful sales career to pursue an entrepreneurial dream and after 3 years discovered that I had unintentionally left my wife (Molly) behind (figuratively speaking) and our financial situation became dire.  Molly was embittered and our marriage was struggling. To remedy the situation and bring healing to our relationship, I went back to corporate America (which was initially humiliating and humbling) to provide financial stability. Also, I re-prioritized my marriage. Interestingly, I now help other’s avoid this same pitfall during my keynotes and one-on-coaching clients. It was hard to believe I’d made so many unwise choices while trying so hard to do the right thing. In time, I realized that only productive questions would serve my purpose.

What did you learn from it?
If you’re not in unity with your wife, the foundation of personal and business success will be unstable

If you are or were going to be a mentor for another man, what is one piece of advice you would give him?
Look into your life and discover where you are making the same mistakes repeatedly, find the source of sabotaging thoughts that are keeping you in bondage. Learn to transform/change them to work for you.
Forgive and love when the other person clearly doesn’t deserve it. It may be one of the most manly things you ever do.
Pray

How do you be the best partner (Boyfriend/Husband- past or present)
Consciously live in/with Agape love (a heightened sense of awareness). This means I choose to love regardless of performance. I simply love her because I love her. Forgiveness, grace, verbal affirmations are as normal and natural as breathing. It creates an atmosphere of safety and security (for her) and respect (for me).

Do you support any Charities or Not-for-profits? (Which one(s) and why?)
I’m the founder/director of ‘Live To Forgive Ministries’ which helps people unshackle from bitterness, anger, and resentment and experience freedom in their minds and relationships. This freedom usually leads to business breakthrough, too.

If your life had a theme song, what would it be?
The Word by The Beatles

Where do you see yourself in 3 years?
Spending lots of quality time with my wife and kids—oh and speaking internationally as a Transformational Speaker. Also, making Forgiveness University the premier online resource for all things forgiveness.

What legacy do you want to leave for future generations?
I’ve attended several funerals lately of dear friends and family. As I intently listened to the eulogies, I received a deep impression that the greatest and most influential legacy we can leave is a legacy of love. I want to be remembered as someone who loved hard and helped others experience the freedom and fulfillment of doing the same.

What One book would you recommend for any Man?
‘The Greatest Salesman in the World’ by Og Mandino

Who is one Man you think our readers would love to read about in future ‘Man Of The Week’ features?
DAVE ROWE: who listened and reacted to the messages received during a Near Death Experience and now strives to help men make changes in their lives to be the best version of their authentic selves without needing to come so close to death.

Man Of The Week – Giovanni Marsico

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Our newest Man Of The Week is a Giovanni Marsico, a man of many talents, from a connector of driven entrepreneurs, to an author of his upcoming book titled ‘The Gifted Entrepreneur’. Today, Giovanni is the founder and president of Archangel Academy, a coaching and mastermind organization that shares marketing, innovation and revenue-generating strategies with entrepreneurs that aim to give back to the world. By using the concept of “gifting it forward” Giovanni has created a culture of sharing his gifts with people, and for them to “gift it forward” with the aim of becoming the best version of ourselves, and to positively impact those around us every single day. Giovanni believes each and every one of us has the power to change the world, and he helps make this a reality by instilling the same belief in other Gifted Entrepreneurs. To make this dream a reality, Giovanni sets aside half the profits from Archangel to provide micro loans for entrepreneurs around the world.
If you’re in the Greater Toronto Area on April 18th, you won’t want to miss Giovanni speak live at our first ever ManTalks Toronto event, Pursuit of Purpose. For more details, click here.

Age – 39

What do you do? (Work)
I am a talent scout, curator, and connector of superheroes – mission-driven entrepreneurs and leaders that are creating a positive impact for humanity – through my Archangel community and live events.

Why do you do it?
The work I do is the full expression of my gifts completely aligned with my path, my dreams, and my heart. I have the privilege of serving people I love by doing what I love.

How do you make a difference in the world? (Work, business, life, family, self)
It starts with striving to become a better version of myself every day, and positively impacting the people around me every day. I use the phrase ‘gift it forward’ – I try my best to share my gifts with people in my tribe so that they can share their gifts with people in theirs. The impact becomes exponential.

What are 3 defining moments in your life?
1 – March 4, 1994 – The day I hosted my first ever large-scale event and discovered you could make money doing what you love. We had 1000 people attend.  I was 17 at the time.
2 – March 27, 2008 – I call this the darkest day of my life. My marriage had just failed. A few weeks earlier I had a panic attack so extreme I thought I was having a heart attack and had an ambulance rush me to the hospital. A business venture failed because I couldn’t handle the emotional state I was in. I was in complete depression and contemplated suicide. My son (who was 3 at the time) was my angel. I knew I had to fight for him and since then my life has been on an amazing upswing.
3 – February 1, 2015 – It was a few days after my annual Archangel event and I had an experience that I describe as a ‘bliss attack’ – the emotional opposite of a panic attack. It felt as if I was experiencing every positive emotion at the same time coming through me like a bolt of lightning. It was so powerful I had to pull over my car and burst out with tears of joy. I learned that day that our emotions are like tuning forks. When we’re aligned and on the right path, we experience positive emotions. The stronger the emotion, the more aligned. The same occurs with negative emotions

What is your life purpose?
My life’s mission is something I call ’10 billion smiles’ – by the time there are 10 billion people alive at the same time, I want to have positively impacted all of their lives indirectly by up-leveling the people I impact directly through my work, my message, and my tribe.

How did you tap into it?
I focus each day on making it the best day ever – by sharing my gifts with people I love to bring me closer to my dream and bring them closer to theirs.

Who is your Role-Model or Mentor?
My Role-Model is a fictional character – Charles Xavier/Professor X from the X-Men. Xavier is the leader of the X-Men team of superheroes. His role is to seek out ‘mutants’ – humans with extraordinary abilities – and show them how to use their powers to serve mankind.
In my world the superheroes are entrepreneurs with big hearts who want to create impact.

Do you have any daily habits? If so, what are they?
I have a highly structure daily ritual – it has been one of the biggest keys to my success and growth. I wake up at 5am and start my day with a 20-minute workout that is a blend of high intensity interval training mixed in with dancing in between sets. Immediately after I set intentions and goals for the day, followed by reading time. I use my friend UJ Ramdas’ 5 Minute Journal and my mornings are based on my friend Hal Elrod’s book The Miracle Morning.

I have another ritual that works wonders for me since ideation and dreaming are 2 of my gifts – I call it ‘shower meditations’. I spend 30 minutes in the shower where I actively download ideas in complete flow. Right after the shower I spend time writing down 8-10 ideas in my journal.
For a more high-level view of my rituals, the ‘structure’ is the same on every week day. Mondays and Saturdays are for planning, clean ups, and prep work.  Tuesdays through Thursdays are revenue generating work and relationship building. I take Friday’s off as ‘my day’ for fun, play, and rest. For the past 8 years, I’ve had a ritual to watch a matinee movie on my own every Friday as my form of escape and to fuel my dreaming. And Sunday’s are adventure days with my son.

When do you know your work/life balance is off?
I think it’s always ‘off’ to some degree. My friend Billy Anderson makes me laugh with this topic because no one ever says they need to add more ‘work’ to be balanced.
I’ve structured my days so that I’m highly productive during work time and have plenty of space for play time, connection, and fun.

Vulnerability is a challenge for most men – share a vulnerable moment from your life with us. 
Last summer I attended a retreat in Ireland called BraveSoul run by my friend Philip McKernan. I told Philip that my goal for the experience, using an analogy from The Matrix movie, was to take the ‘red pill’ on my life – to see the subconscious programming that’s been invisible to me up to that point.
There was a point during one of our group discussions that the emotions I’ve been holding onto for decades just all released at once and I cried harder than I ever have before in front of the group. It was cathartic and beautiful.

What did you learn from it?
I learned so much from that trip – including how to tap into my intuition, how to be aligned with my heart and my path, and how to remove all the masks I’ve been wearing to be my true self.
I also discovered that being selfless all my life was the most selfish thing I could do.

If you are or were going to be a mentor for another man, what is one piece of advice you would give him?
Happiness, gratitude, confidence, courage, peace, power, serendipity, luck and love are all skills to master and practice every single day. Seek complete alignment in your work and relationships – your intuition and emotions will always guide you.

How do you be the best partner (Boyfriend/Husband- past or present)
The only way to be the best partner is to be your best self and to love yourself first completely. Become your own soulmate. Find someone who is completely aligned with you in terms of path, dreams, values, beliefs, bliss, and growth trajectory – someone who is their own soulmate. Sharing a common future is more important than sharing a common past.

Do you support any Charities or Not-for-profits? (Which one(s) and why?)
I’ve supported countless charities in the past, and I’ve been the president of a Rotary Club. My view has changed lately. I believe that mission-driven entrepreneurs are the key to social change. I’m working on creating a fund that provides micro-loans, grants, and angel investment to entrepreneurs looking to change the world so that together we can literally make a dent in the universe.

If your life had a theme song, what would it be?
Either Beautiful Day by U2 or Best Day Of My Life by American Authors

Where do you see yourself in 3 years?
In 3 years I am in the best shape of my life. I am in a blissful relationship with the woman of my dreams. I’ve built an incredible team around me that allows me to spend 100% of my time sharing my gifts with the world.

What legacy do you want to leave for future generations?
I want to disrupt the current models of education, business, and philanthropy. I want to help everyone discover alignment in their lives. My dream is to find a way to connect every human on the planet through the common language of love.

What One book would you recommend for any Man?
The Four Agreements By Don Miguel Ruiz

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 – James Butler

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This week we get to feature a Man who’s story and journey so far is so rich and powerful that it will send a tingle down your spine! Our Man Of The Week is a champion and mindset coach who acts as a catalyst of change in the lives of others. James Butler was a man who dedicated his life to his career, the Canadian Forces, until a life-changing experience forced him to rethink his life, career and relationships. A true believer of human potential, so it’s no surprise today he is a Head Mindset Coach at Peak Objectives, where he empowers high-performing leaders to better serve their surrounding communities and beyond. A young and accomplished young Man, James opens up and shares vulnerable and moving stories from his past in this week’s edition of Man Of The Week.

Age: 27

What do you do? (Work)
I am the champion’s coach. What does this mean? I am the catalyst of change – the ripple in high-performing leaders’ lives helping them champion their cause to make powerful impact in their companies and communities.

Why do you do it?
I was a man dedicated to my career, family and future. But not long ago, I lost everything. A life-threatening injury and the results left me without my career, partner or physical health. I was at a cross-road: slip into a bottomless abyss or build a life from scratch. I chose the latter and dedicated myself to moving leaders forward – and helping humans realize their true potential.

How do you make a difference in the world? (Work, business, life, family, self)
There are three main ways I make a difference. In my private practice, I help leaders center their personal power and better serve the world. In my wider business community, I train world-class coaches in an intensive program out of Seattle, called Accomplishment Coaching. In my personal life, I put service at the forefront: by volunteering and public speaking, I support initiatives to build stronger, happier communities.

What are three defining moments in your life?
– My first defining moment exploded from nowhere. In 2010, while trudging through an endless Afghani grape field – it was my job to walk ahead of patrolling Canadian Forces troops and clear explosive devices from roads, pathways and buildings – a member of the supporting Afghan National Army stepped on an improvised explosive device (IED), just 15 feet from where I stood. Time crawled like a slow-motion video and I wondered if I were still alive. As the ringing throbbed in my ears, my senses quickly returned. I immediately yelled for everyone to stop and stay still. In war, if there’s one bomb, there are always more. While rockets fired at us, my fellow soldiers stood stalk-still as I examined the ground at their feet; we had stumbled upon an IED ‘minefield.’ Over the next four hours, in 58-degree-Celius heat, I became an artist, locating and clearing bombs with a paintbrush and my fingers. On that day alone, I personally cleared five IEDs that would’ve killed us all. On that day, I learned the true potential of the human mind and our power to overcome anything.
– My next defining moment came from another rather uncomfortable predicament. I’d returned from Afghanistan and had been training for five-years to become a prestigious, sought-after bomb-clearance diver. Essentially, a highly-specialized professional diver who dismantles bombs under the sea – a tradition dating back to WW1. After years of grueling training, I had finally arrived at my ‘dream job.’ Unfortunately, during an advanced course, I suffered catastrophic failure of my left lung, while deeper under the ocean than most have ever gone. I awoke hospitalized, with a chest full of tubes and significant internal bleeding. The doctors didn’t think I would make it and suggested I make peace with my family. Obviously, I pulled through. But on the other side of the scalpel was a long road to recovery: I’d lost 65lbs, had a chest riddled with holes and was unable to walk. This was the wake-up call I needed. This injury was my catalyst to create a life of service – and a company that helps high-performing individuals reach their apex, without having to experience the hardships I’ve faced.
– As I continued my recovery, and embraced my new career path, I discovered the joy of a true client breakthrough. We’d been working together for three months. This client had a really successful life and career. He just wanted to brush-up his skills, develop new insight and perhaps embark on the road to retirement. But one day, we had a phone call and he unlocked something in himself that had always been there, but which he didn’t know how to access. Our call was powered by energy and emotion, but I thought maybe it was just temporary. But, over the next few weeks, he completely reinvented himself. Instead of retiring, he transitioned to a new career and powerfully claimed the life that had eluded him for more than 60 years. I learned that in a simple, yet powerful moment – at any moment – we have the power to change our lives. And I’ve learned to live in perpetual awe of how amazing life can truly be. 

What is your life purpose?
My life’s purpose is to be the conduit for human potential. And, as a result, foster a culture of growth and love not greed and fear.

How did you tap into it?
Every great coach has a coach; by delving into my own ‘self’ with my coach, I’m consistently reconnecting with my life’s purpose.

Who is your Role-Model or Mentor?
Rich Litvin, a high-performing LA-based coach. This man coaches with heart-centered power. He’s impacting world leaders and revolutionizing the coaching industry. Power over Profit!

Do you have any daily habits? If so, what are they?
I strictly adhered to a morning ritual, which includes meditating, affirming and visualizing the life I want, as well as exercising, reading and writing. Check out the Miracle Morning for a strong example of what this looks like.

When do you know your work/life balance is off?
I know my balance is off if I’m struggling to connect with my tribe – and am so focused on my clients I forget to look after my own well-being. When this occasionally happens, I dial it back and schedule more time for myself and the people I love.

Vulnerability is a challenge for most men – share a vulnerable moment from your life with us.
I was recently gave a keynote to the University of Minnesota’s Division 1 football team. As I was presenting to 200 of the biggest, best athletes the school could recruit to their top-tier organization, a player asked what inspired me to believe in the impossible. I told him, almost regretting my vulnerability as the words escaped my mouth, that I’d had a reading disability my entire life – and the day I stopped using that as a crutch and began searching for solutions, my life changed. Confessing to 200 professional athletes that I’d always had trouble reading was… crazy! But, my vulnerability – this defining moment – had an incredible result: it humanized me and created a safe space for valuable conversations. (And, since you’re wondering, I have a rare visual disability that makes words dance on the page.)

What did you learn from it?
We all have a story, a ‘dirty little secret,’ we don’t want others to find out about us, because fears tells us our secret will sink us. I learned that’s simply not true.

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 be a dick. You can have money, power and all the influence in the world… But if you’re a dick, all the money in the world can’t save you from yourself.

How do you be the best partner (boyfriend/husband – past or present)
When you’re in a relationship with the right person, for the right reasons, it’s a lot easier to put your best foot forward. I’m in a relationship that a) supports me in my life goals and b) allows me to express love, joy, admiration and companionship. If you’re in a relationship for the right reasons, you can, for the most part, be the right partner. Oh and that whole not-being-a-dick thing… Kindness and mutual respect win every time in my books.

Do you support any charities or not-for-profits? (Which one(s) – and why?)
The main non-profit I support now is Lifetime Networks – an organization partnering positive influencers with members of the disabled community. Almost like a Big-Brothers-and Big-Sisters for people with disabilities. This non-profit helps disabled people continue adventuring, exploring and living a vibrant life, despite their physical and mental limitations. In a materialistic world that glorifies the pursuit of ‘more,’ working with this incredible group of people helps me live in the moment, stay humble, laugh often and never forgot to help those in need. One day, I may find myself in need too and would be thankful for people willing to step up.

If your life had a theme song, what would it be?
‘Lean on’ by Major Lazer – “it hits me just right”

Where do you see yourself in 3 years?
I see myself on a stage in front of tens-of- thousands of people, creating a movement of champions.

What legacy do you want to leave for future generations?
That this world can work for everyone. We can all have a life of joy, peace and abundance while taking care of others.

What One book would you recommend for any Man?
The Motivation Manifesto, by Brendon Bruchard.

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 – Jonni Pollard

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This week’s Man Of The Week is a Man who has spent years investing his time in really understanding his connection to himself, nature and the people around him. From a young age, Jonni Pollard learned that he had two options: to be bold and stay true to himself as a person or to conform to society’s mould so the people he liked would reciprocate the same feelings. The times he picked the latter, his plan backfired and he soon realized being somebody else served him in no way at all. Being a vulnerable young man, Jonni began to accept that he had no choice in society’s ostracizing of those who are different, and that it was a reality he had to accept. Refusing to conform, Jonni found meditation as a gateway to escape the common issues we see in society today (i.e. stress and lack of fulfilment) to connect directly with the self. He shortly found that a greater connection with the self led to a feeling of empowerment in overcoming challenges in life, and a sense of caring, openness and love regardless of the ridicule he may encounter. In this digital world, Jonni took all of these life learns and decided to present them to the world in a manner where every single person has the tools to enable a connection with the self, all that is required is to download a free app! Have a read to see how Jonni and his not-for-profit ‘1 Giant Mind’ are leaving the world in a better, more connected, place.

Age- 39

What you do you do?
I’m a Meditation teacher, life consultant and Co- Founder/ Executive Director of 1 Giant Mind, a not for profit that empowers people with free learn to meditate programs to reduce the negative impact of stress and to experience greater wellbeing.

Why do you do it?
It’s my perspective that the greatest challenges humanity faces right now, find their roots in our disconnection from ourselves and nature as a whole, experiencing high levels of stress and distress, feeling deeply unfulfilled, addicted to temporal pleasures in an attempt to satisfy an insatiable need.
Meditation is the gateway to the direct experience of the true self, uninhibited by fear, doubt and insecurity. Our experience of fulfillment derives from the intimate relationship with our very being. Regular practice of meditation awakens the minds potential to have a direct experience of our being and enables the body to recover from stress and fatigue. This gives rise to an energy and vitality. This vitality sufficiently empowers us to meet the challenges of life with bold creativity. Life ceases to be a series of inconvenient obstacles and difficult personalities to negotiate and becomes a playground to creatively express our dynamic nature and ride natures wave of progressive change. When we master this capability to live fully from our true self and flow with life, we experience fulfillment. This magnificent sequence is stimulated and reinforced by the regular practice of meditation.

How do you make a difference in the world?
First and foremost, I feel I make the biggest difference by dedicating myself to confronting and resolving the condition and habits that inhibit my awareness of my deepest nature and the flow of my highest state. Each day see’s an elevation in artfulness and sophistication in my capacity to do this. The result is ever increasing states of happiness and greater effectiveness in influencing others to have the same experience within them selves. Then taking it to scale to inspire millions to do the same.

What are 3 defining moments in your life?
My birth, meeting my teacher and realizing that fulfillment was not dependent on anything happening outside of me, that fulfillment is fundamentally an internally sourced phenomenon.

What is your life purpose?
To sense nature’s unrelenting force of evolution flowing through me as a continuum and completely surrender to it and then fearlessly move in the direction it moves me. When I do this I find myself in situations that provide me with the opportunity to express the very best of myself almost all the time. It doesn’t matter so much what I’m doing to be fulfilling my purpose but how I do it.

How did you tap into it?
It taps into me. When I accepted that everything in life is governed by an underlying intelligence that flows through me, I realized that resisting it was the root of my suffering and confusion. Whenever I try to force to make something happen, I immediately lose sense of the subtly of awareness and flow. So to answer the question, I tap it by simply surrendering to ‘what is’ in any moment with full acceptance and openness to change, without rigid attachment to outcomes. This is the formula for flow. At first it can be scary as shit and as you continue surrendering to the now with full acceptance of what is, you realize that there is an extraordinary order and intelligence governing all life and that it is conspiring to your greatest happiness.

Who is your Role-Model or Mentor?
My role models are all the great masters both ancient and modern, whom have embodied the fullness of life and dedicated their lives to teaching others how to experience this.

Do you have any daily habits? If so, what are they?

  • Remain with myself constantly
  • Orientate my self awareness and activity toward the greatest need
  • Meditate twice a day
  • Eat well
  • Laugh regularly
  • Don’t get too serious about anything
  • Fearlessly follow charm and inspiration
  • Confront the propaganda of fear and doubt with action and decisiveness
  • Prioritize finer feelings for rational thinking
  • Listen to and be concerned for others
  • Be generous with my time and insight
  • Remain open to change with no rigid attachment to outcomes

When do you know your work/life balance is off?
When I can’t string my sentences together well and find myself being a little short or less generous with my responses. It generally means I’m really fatigued and need some down time.

Vulnerability is a challenge for most men – share a vulnerable moment from your life with us.
Vulnerability is the noblest challenge for us men. I spent most of my early life being vulnerable. I am incredibly sensitive to others and I am choice less in my devotion to who I truly am. Being unapologetically myself while growing up wasn’t always an easy thing. However the alternative was to conform to the norm and the few unsuccessful experimental attempts to do this always backed fired. At times I found myself being fiercely judged for being me. I was resented and ostracized by people I liked and wanted to be liked by. Being choice less meant I had to just deal with it. Over time I realized that my vulnerability was only an under developed recognition and understanding of the beauty of myself. The more time I spent with myself with out trying to be anything but me the more I became assured that who I am is all I need to be.

What did you learn from it?
I have learnt that vulnerability, when completely surrendered to, evolves into power.
We can remain sensitive and be immensely powerful. We can live unguarded, free with an entirely open, caring and kind heart, susceptible to others judgments, ridicule, prejudice and remain entirely empowered with certainty of the self. This power must be cultivated by remaining open unconditionally regardless of what you are confronted with. This is conscious vulnerability. Over time this develops certainty of the true self. I have witnessed on countless occasion how the warmth of certainty with humility can melt the most fearfully defensive hearts.

If you are or were going to be a mentor for another man, what is one piece of advice you would give him?
I give him 3:

  • Meditate twice a day non negotiable,
  • Commit yourself in every moment to confronting and resolving the condition and habits that inhibit you from living the biggest version of yourself ie: fear, doubt, addiction etc
  • Get out of your head. Surrender to your feelings, seek options that scares you and challenges you to grow.

How do you be the best partner (Boyfriend/Husband- past or present)
Being the best partner for me is by seeking creative ways to sustain unity with her. Most of the time, this is likely to just naturally happen spontaneously and joyfully. However in any relationship, differences in opinions and perspectives emerge and it makes it invariably challenging to sustain the blissfulness of unity and agreement.
The key for me is to be willing to surrender preferences for her own. This demonstrates that our relationship means more to me than having my way. This causes her heart to open and for love to flow. Invariably she will want to reciprocate and the unity game is back on track.

Do you support any Charities or Not-for-profits? (Which one(s) and why?)
Yes! I run one. Its called ‘1 Giant Mind’. We deliver a free world class meditation program via a smartphone app. We recognize that the answer to all the world’s problems is humanity awakening to its potential and fulfilling it. Stress and fatigue inhibit our ability to access our highest state.  Meditation enables us to uncover solutions to problems that otherwise would remain shrouded by a chronically stressed state.
Mental health world wide is rapidly on the decline, depression anxiety and stress related physical illness an disease is rampant. In fact world health authorities are now saying that 90-95% of disease, illness and chronic conditions are either directly caused by stress or severely aggravated by it.  Our organizations mission is to inspire millions around the world to learn to meditate and make it a daily habit. If this happens stress drops, creativity rises and shit gets sorted!
If you are interested in learning to meditate download our free app here

Jonni Pollard - 1 Giant Mind
Jonni Pollard speaking at 1 Giant Mind

If your life had a theme song, what would it be?
The hills are alive with the sound of music by MC Mary Poppins

Where do you see yourself in 3 years?
here and now

What legacy do you want to leave for future generations?
A culture that embraces it’s responsibility to live fully now.

What One book would you recommend for any Man?
‘The Art of Living the Science of Being’ by Maharishi Mahaesh Yogi (Pre 1969)

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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