Mojo for the Modern Man

Charles Sue-Wah-Sing identifies as a West Indian Canadian with ancestry from Guyana, Asia, Africa, and Europe.  "Man of the World" doesn't quite do him justice!As a young teen, Charles built cultural connections over food and felt the impact of growing up in Toronto as part of an immigrant family.Groomed by his father to move toward a career in accounting, he tells the story of a “trade off” that allowed him to follow his heart to design.  He became restless after a couple of decades and pivoted toward leadership and coaching.Charles discusses the blessings that came to him in the form of several great teachers – and shares some of the essential lessons he learned, including planning for the care of family elders.Charles Sue-Wah-Sing is a lifelong learner who has studied world religions, art, culture and ceremonial customs.  His interest in the dynamics between men and women led him to participate in and lead a variety of men’s groups.Amongst his passions you'll find low and slow BBQ, hot sauce, action flicks, and music.  Charles has been a restauranteur, accountant, designer, consultant, and is currently a whole life coach. His personal musical journey includes piano, DJ'ing, guitar, salsa dancing, and now learning the drums.  Of everything he’s done in his life, Charles' greatest gift is his family. You can find out more about Charles at www.suewahsing.com and on LinkedIn.

Act 2 begins with Jim’s clear choice to no longer allow himself to be “should” upon. He takes us into the work he does with men, as well as his passion for bringing improv into organizations.  Jim untangles the many angles from which we may approach intimacy, touches on the wide, rich range of intimacy available to human beings - and the risk and rewards of vulnerability and love.Jim takes us home with the power of purpose, silence and connection, and offers suggestions to gently begin learning practices of slowing down.Jim is a loving Dad, an executive coach, a teacher, a professional comedian, and a man who is always trying to "just love more". He is passionate about helping men solve their burnout problems by developing the relationship skills they were never asked to learn.You can learn more about Jim and his work on LinkedIn or visiting his website, thecenteredcoach.com

In today's act 1, my guest Jim Young tells of how, at the tender age of 9, he was asked to take out the trash – and told he was now “the man of the house.”  For years after, he played peacekeeper and strove to fill shoes that simply did not fit.Jim shares his experience of losing his bunker-mate and doubling down on a litany of “shoulds” intended to help him draw a map that, in adulthood, would prove as uncomfortable as it was unsustainable.Jim’s is a story of extraordinarily bold reinvention in the face of circumstances that, for many, are all too common.Jim is a loving Dad, an executive coach, a teacher, a professional comedian, and a man who is always trying to "just love more". He is passionate about helping men solve their burnout problems by developing the relationship skills they were never asked to learn.You can learn more about Jim and his work on LinkedIn or visiting his website, thecenteredcoach.com

In part 2, Carlo Bos opens with drawing a distinction between being led by wisdom rather than intellect, and how that distinction created an opening for his life to be “less of a march and more of a dance,” which, he notes, proved to be “…terrifying…  And way more fun!”Carlo asks a wildly important question about the rules men make and live by and moves on to take a substantial, satisfying whack at personal responsibility.We circle around to systems, interdependence, complexity – and the seductive, gravitational pull toward simplicity. Carlo leaves us with the wise words, “Spend time around kids!”Since January 2018, Carlo has served as the Co-President of the Co-Active Training Institute and is a member of CTI’s Board of Directors.Under Carlo’s co-leadership, CTI has gone through several transformations that have reshaped CTI’s brand, teams and strategy. These efforts have led to a more agile and profitable business that lives, breathes and experiments with Co-Active Leadership and principles every day.  His current priorities include developing sustainable governance structures and practices while ensuring equity, inclusion, diversity and accessibility are at the heart of CTI’s products, operations and people experience. Prior to leading CTI, Carlo spent 15 years working with business leaders from across five continents as an organizational consultant and coach.  He has worked with “High-Potential” leaders up to C- Suite executives, and in mid-sized organizations through to Tier 1, global brands.  Carlo is a Board Trustee for a leading Canadian independent school, and a community volunteer with Scouts Canada and as a coach for youth soccer.  He lives just outside of Toronto, Ontario, with his wife and 11-year old twin boys.You can find Carlo on LinkedIn and learn more about CTI here.

The eldest of three brothers, Carlo Bos begins by sharing grateful reminiscences of his childhood in Peterborough, Ontario, including the men who most influenced him.  Carlo credits his grandfather, a United Church minister, for his love of the natural world as well as his capacity to see the interconnectedness of things.Armed with his grandfather's wisdom, he neatly tucked it into a drawer and went out into the working world where, as many of us do, he got his butt kicked.On his bounce back in his late 20’s, Carlo learned to be led, to question a reliance on plans and to trust life’s unfolding… And as neat and tidy as all that might sound, as you'll hear, it wasn't!Since January 2018, Carlo has served as the Co-President of the Co-Active Training Institute and is a member of CTI’s Board of Directors.Under Carlo’s co-leadership, CTI has gone through several transformations that have reshaped CTI’s brand, teams and strategy. These efforts have led to a more agile and profitable business that lives, breathes and experiments with Co-Active Leadership and principles every day.  His current priorities include developing sustainable governance structures and practices while ensuring equity, inclusion, diversity and accessibility are at the heart of CTI’s products, operations and people experience. Prior to leading CTI, Carlo spent 15 years working with business leaders from across five continents as an organizational consultant and coach.  He has worked with “High-Potential” leaders up to C- Suite executives, and in mid-sized organizations through to Tier 1, global brands.  Carlo is a Board Trustee for a leading Canadian independent school, and a community volunteer with Scouts Canada and as a coach for youth soccer.  He lives just outside of Toronto, Ontario, with his wife and 11-year old twin boys.You can find Carlo on LinkedIn and learn more about CTI here.

Part 2 of Nic Tovey’s story opens with the process he went through that led him to making a clear choice about how to see his circumstances, then choosing to take charge of his own healing.That decision put him on a trajectory of studies of consciousness, psychology, philosophy and personal reflection, mining for “important bits of gold… that get to benefit me – and that get to benefit others.”Nic shares his perspective on men, emotions and vulnerability as well as the wave of cultural changes currently afoot.There’s an inescapably delicious richness and texture to Nic's storytelling that speaks volumes about a man who has much to share and teach.Nic is an established and experienced Relationship and Intimacy Coach and Psychotherapist, drawing from over a decade of experience counselling and coaching hundreds of men, women and couples. He is passionate about the evolving world of gender, sexuality and relationships and is inspired to be a part of a leading-edge movement to challenge outdated paradigms and make way for a new emergence of love in the world. Nic is the father of 3 daughters, an explorer of the world and is very much in the trenches with you, trying to work out this thing called life!You can find Nic’s book, The [R]Evolutionary Man: The Modern Man's Guide To Life, Love and Enlightenment (Whatever The F*ck That Means!) on Amazon, and you can learn more about him and his work on www.nictovey.com as well as LinkedIn.

Author, Relationship and Intimacy Coach and Psychotherapist Nic Tovey tells his life story of growing up as a sensitive, empathetic kid in a late ‘70’s Margaret Thatcher-era UK industrial town.  An explorer by nature, he shares his early preferences for female companionship, the world of journeying through consciousness via a wide range of substances and joining the British Navy just a week after his 16th birthday.After leaving the Navy, Nic traveled the world, making his way to Australia, then back to the UK where, out for a night on the town, he was brutally assaulted.Caught in a perfect storm of life-changes and trauma, he experienced a psychotic break.  Nic was diagnosed with PTSD and depression and, as he tells it, “what became very apparent as I started to seek support - the world didn’t really want to deal with a man who had lost his shit.  It was uncomfortable…”Nic is an established and experienced Relationship and Intimacy Coach and Psychotherapist, drawing from over a decade of experience counselling and coaching hundreds of men, women and couples. He is passionate about the evolving world of gender, sexuality and relationships and is inspired to be a part of a leading-edge movement to challenge outdated paradigms and make way for a new emergence of love in the world. Nic is the father of 3 daughters, an explorer of the world and is very much in the trenches with you, trying to work out this thing called life!You can find Nic’s book, The [R]Evolutionary Man: The Modern Man's Guide To Life, Love and Enlightenment (Whatever The F*ck That Means!) on Amazon, and you can learn more about him and his work on www.nictovey.com as well as LinkedIn.

Part 2 of Mark Wasson's amazing story takes us deep into the world of addiction, where, as he puts it, "lie, cheat and steal" kept the illusion of safety in place while simultaneously threatening life itself.  Mark shares a litany of losses that led to hitting bottom, where a dream of his cat, Tigger, finally began to turn the tide.Mark tells his story with open-hearted generosity and grace in a matter-of-fact way that invites us to witness the vivid pain of addiction...And the equally vivid path of acceptance, humility, love, recovery and embracing life and sobriety with purpose and resolve.Mark's is nothing less than a real-life hero's journey.With a long history of addictions fueled by loneliness, isolation, and lacking self worth, Mark's recovery journey began with him reaching out for help after dreaming that his cat wanted to leave him.  Now, he acknowledges over 17 years of continuous recovery and is experiencing a connection with life beyond anything he could have imagined.Mark is a professional and personal coach who works with people in recovery who are seeking “What’s next?” in living a fulfilling life beyond sobriety.  He holds that people in recovery are worthy of connection and authentic, deeply intimate relationships with themselves and others.Mark can be found adventuring around Washington, DC with Zell, his partner and love of his life.Learn more about Mark Wasson and his work on his website: mawassoncoaching.com, on LinkedIn, and Instagram.  You can email him at: mawassoncoaching@gmail.com

Part 1 of Mark Wasson's story takes us into his descent into addiction - and it's as profoundly human as it is harrowing and deeply revealing.Mark shares his history in a remarkably matter-of-fact manner that calmly speaks volumes about the frightening paths he's traveled as well as the honest, heart-full truth that can only belong to one who's been there, lived to tell the tale and, most importantly, found healing.With a long history of addictions fueled by loneliness, isolation, and lacking self worth, Mark's recovery journey began with him reaching out for help after dreaming that his cat wanted to leave him.  Now, he acknowledges over 17 years of continuous recovery and is experiencing a connection with life beyond anything he could have imagined.Mark is a professional and personal coach who works with people in recovery who are seeking “What’s next?” in living a fulfilling life beyond sobriety.  He holds that people in recovery are worthy of connection and authentic, deeply intimate relationships with themselves and others.Mark can be found adventuring around Washington, DC with Zell, his partner and love of his life.Learn more about Mark Wasson and his work on his website: mawassoncoaching.com, on LinkedIn, and Instagram.  You can email him at: mawassoncoaching@gmail.com

Leonid kicks off part 2 with a discussion of the importance of family and tribe, his fascination with language and simultaneous translation - and how falling asleep at a particularly inopportune moment turned out to be a life-changing wake-up call!Born and raised in Soviet Russia, Leonid Frolov earned a bachelor's degree in geology, went on a number of geological expeditions and returned to university to pursue a masters in linguistics.  With a focus on English, he went on to train as a Russian/English simultaneous interpreter.An English language professorship provided Leonid's first steady job and, after losing both of his parents to cancer 6 months apart, depression led him to visit friends in the US, where he "accidentally" landed a job that kept him in the USA for 27 years working as a translator and interpreter for an aerospace company.He received a "wake up call" (after falling asleep during an interpreting gig!) and found his way to the world of coaching and the CoActive Training Institute, where he serves as coach training and Certification faculty.Learn more about Leonid on LinkedIn and Facebook!