In a recent episode of the Real Vancouver podcast, hosts Andy and Mike Zaremba started off their "Vancouver Survival Guide" with a bang. They sat down with Connor Beaton, founder of Man Talks, to discuss how local businesses and entrepreneurs could be leveraged to make their communities a better place. Beaton talked at length about the origins of Man Talks and how personal and professional development for men should always be a priority.
Beaton passionately discussed how, after meeting many successful local business owners, one quality they all seemed to share was a sense of responsibility that extended beyond just their own survival and into the real service and value they could provide to others. This is something that stuck with him in a profound way.
According to Connor Beaton, too many people take the term "networking" far too seriously. He said that the purpose of networking events shouldn't be just to pass around as many business cards as you can - this typically ends with the creation of a group of contacts who are all asking "what can you do for me?" instead of what it should be, which is "what can we do for each other?" "What are you looking to build?" "What are you looking to grow?" "What resources and other support can I give to you to help you achieve that?" It's a small but essential shift in perspective that creates something much more powerful than any one person or business.
Beaton and Man talks are challenging men - not just in Vancouver but everywhere - to do exactly that. If they truly feel a sense of responsibility to others around them as they claim to, then it is their duty to lay the foundation of a mentorship community upon which the success of not just themselves but of everyone can be built.
Benton and the Zaremba brothers also discussed Man Talks Masterminds - local groups designed to create challenging-yet-supportive and accountability-holding environments where men could develop a deep and connected community of like-minded individuals, work on all aspects of their business, improve both personally and professionally and develop the habits and systems of success they'll need to build local organizations that will stand the test of time.
Connor Beaton is the founder of ManTalks, an international organization focused on mens health, wellness, success and fulfillment. Connor is also an international speaker, podcast host and lifestyle entrepreneur. Before founding ManTalks, Connor worked with Apple leading high performance sales and operations teams. Since founding ManTalks, Connor has spoken on stage at TEDxStanleyPark, with Lewis Howes, Gary Vaynerchuk, Danielle LaPorte, taken ManTalks to over a dozen cities internationally and has been featured on platforms like Forbes, Huffington Post, HeForShe, The Good Men Project, UN Women, CBC and the National Post.
