Hey it’s Yusuf. To me Dads are the unsung heroes of today’s knowledge based economy because they quietly live their lives for others. What was true for me and what I’ve found is true for a lot of corporate Dads is that in a long list of stakeholders, we rank ourselves last — if at all. The sad irony is that by ignoring our own needs we end up depriving the very people we’re trying to serve, most importantly our families.

My Story

After dedicating long days to a corporate boiler room, adding inches to my waist, losing lean mass, zapping my energy level, and wrecking my posture, I made an important realization:

Everything that matters in my life relies upon my body being there for me, especially giving an outstanding childhood to my kids.

I grew sick of returning home from work exhausted watching my son’s eyes and shoulders sink when I would turn down his requests to play with me. My wife would dutifully come to my cover explaining,

“Kids. Baba needs to rest when he gets home from work.”

But that was weak. Real weak. My kids weren’t buying it and I wasn’t either.

If I want to hope to continually guide my kids, I reasoned, I had better work to stay the most admired person in their lives. My kids don’t care about my ability to drive a sales call. They look to me as their protector.

And it’s not words which reassure them I’m worthy of this role.

I realized this stature I sought is communicated and reinforced at a physical level. They want me rough housing, teasing, tickling, swimming, swinging, throwing, running, jumping, and laughing with them. It’s not just about the amount of time I spend but my ability to be playful and create magic moments for them.

Finally, I made a decision to get back my vigor and ditch the soft flabby exterior I had been making excuses for. After making this firm intention, I was blessed to connect with decorated personal trainer and professional MMA fighter James Terry.

I was a bit hesitant to approach him at first because I saw him as a real badass and I didn’t see myself like that. But I felt I could certainly use a little injection of badass so I mustered up the courage and sought his tutelage.

James took me under his wing and introduced me to the principles of functional fitness, teaching me the key components of a successful fitness program for someone who cares about more than just looking good, but wants to also perform better in the sport of life.

In just three months I lost four inches off of my waist without long hours in the gym. He taught me efficiency. After six months I had lost over 20lbs of fat, was getting called “skinny” while increasing my  strength, power, agility, coordination, and overall athleticism.

This led to a transformation so profound, showing me just how rich life can be and ultimately propelling me to uncover my mission in life:

helping men become the Dad their child brags about.

As I’ve served this mission it’s brought me fulfillment to no end confirming the authenticity of this path. So that is my commitment to you and to the world by extension. Strong Dads mean secure and happy kids without complexes. Healthy and happy kids ensure a bright future for our planet.