"We wake up when we're ready to" - our organisation's evolution journey into men's work.

This is a story about our creative project going through an important evolution. 

2021 was a journey into the depths. A time to ask some deep questions and to be honest about our direction.

Matt and I spent time with our team, and we took stock of what we've learnt at Live More Perfect Days after four years of creating, testing and sharing Lifestyle Design Tools that support us in our lives and the lives of our community members. 

What was working well, and what needed to be changed or upgraded? We also needed to get honest about our project's financial success.

It seemed that while we were making a difference in the world and people resonated with our work, we were losing money.  "I'm getting paid in other ways" was my story, and that's partly true. But, it's not a very empowering story to hold as a creator and entrepreneur. The broke artist or backpacker is an archetype we can choose to wear, and it can be sexy, but we're consciously not choosing that story this time. 

We want to make a difference. We want a larger stage. We want to create and make magic with other amazing people. We want to create abundance for our project and all those it connects.

When you choose to play a game, it's essential to know the rules of the game that you're playing. One of the metrics that shows a business's health are the numbers. The numbers let you know if you can keep doing the work and supporting the lives of the people co-creating your project. If profitability measures impact, we were mediocre. 

It was a call to courage.

So, we started working with the best mentor we could find that supports digital content projects like ours. It was exactly what we needed, and it felt like we'd been given a map and plan to support our creation. 

It also showed us where not asking for help had held us back. 

We wake up when we're ready to.

Under the guidance of our mentor, we started to refine what we do and spent the second half of 2021 watching as the Live More Perfect Days brand evolved. When we reflect on this evolution, it's as though we were being divinely led. There were so many signs in the world around us. And, recognising these signs created more awareness of where our old stories had kept us stuck. It's frustrating noticing where we get in our own way. 

We wake up when we're ready to. 

Our evolution into men's work:

 "You need to be crystal clear about who you're speaking to online", our business coach said on a coaching call. 

"I've heard this so many times I know this". 

Really? 

"You have to speak to your audience directly to succeed in a busy digital world".

We weren't clear on who exactly our work was for.  

Our coach suggested checking our inbox. Who were we already in conversation with? Who were we already serving? All the signs were pointing to men's work. We were having real and meaningful conversations with other men. 

Both Matt and I have grown so much by spending time in transformational spaces for men. The authentic connections created in these spaces have allowed us to heal and let go of some of the shame and guilt that have held us back at times. There was also a perfect fit for the lifestyle design tools that we've been testing, refining and sharing over the last four years at Live More Perfect Days.

But still, we couldn't do it. 

We couldn't find the courage to say, "we're showing up in service for other men". I'd even had people I love and trust, suggesting I consider men's work. 

"Doesn't a men's community re-create the same problems we see with patriarchal clubs and systems in the world right now?" Self-doubt.

But one word kept overpowering all our limiting beliefs. 

Authenticity. 

The more authentic I am, the simpler and more expansive my life becomes. And when I connected authentically with other men, I noticed we often shared the same struggles. And, we both tried to hide them from each other in fear that we may feel judged. Just knowing that feels like 75% of the heaviness from those stories lifted. When that's combined with a safe space to reverse engineer those old stories together and support each other to write new, more courageous life scripts - it's dynamite.

It was so clear what we needed to be doing! And still, Matt and I took almost a month of "let's sleep on this and chat tomorrow" before we finally agreed and felt safe to say: "We're evolving into men's work!" 

We wake up when we're ready to. 

Where we are at the moment: 

• We have a new brand, a new message and a clear plan. We are "Fathers Sons Brothers", and we're creating authentic spaces for men to connect, to breath, and have courageous conversations. 
• We're clear about how we want to be in service and are excited to create and connect with more authentic men on our journey.
• We've successfully run our Founder's Launch and guided eight men through an immersive 4-week experience. It was rich, powerful and humbling.
• Our "business" is now referred to as an "organism". Dynamic and constantly adapting. Aware that it's connected to everything else in the world. Rather than "employees", we have "co-creation partners" where each person brings a set of skills that help the organism to expand and thrive.
• We're clear that our organism will be built on new models. New technology and new ways to communicate, create, make decisions and share power. 
• We have a clear budget and cash flow projections that we can use to measure the organism's health, trajectory and impact.
• We know how our engagement begins digitally and breaks out into the 3D. For us, in-person connections are important. (Consider the Metaverse with caution). 

Upcoming Fathers Sons Brothers productions:

• The Call To Courage Conversation - A conversation for men about courage and what it takes to show up fully and live a purposeful life. - Already launched, request an invite here.
• The Call To Courage podcast. An interactive audio experience with our community and people we want to connect, co-create with and learn from. - Expected: April 2022
• The Call To Courage Live Workshop. In April, we're running our first 3 part live workshop where we'll be guiding a group of men to define and answer their own calls to courage. These workshops only run twice a year and are the application process for the Fathers Sons Brothers Tribe. Click here to get onto the waitlist.
• The Fathers Sons Brothers Tribe. This is our premium community for those ready to deepen and continue the journey together. Tribe access is only available for those that have completed the Live Workshop. 

That's a 1200 word summary of the last year. While it's felt painful and even scary at times, we're so thankful to be here. We've seen how our previous "failed" initiatives have been the necessary redirections that we needed to evolve. 

Matt and I have deepened in our love and brotherhood. We know that the next phase will require building strong connections with our team, creation partners, and tribe. Thanks to you for being part of this journey with us. The replies, shares, feedback and success stories make this adventure worthwhile!

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Much love, Gareth and Matt.