EP. 017 - MARK

Son. Friend. Ex-businessman.

MARK HEDSTROM

'CONVERSATION IS THE CURE'

Age: 46

Location: Los Angeles, California

IG: @mdhedstrom

Mark is the executive director for the United States at the Movember Foundation, a leading global organization committed to changing the face of men's health.

I’m a 46 year old white male. I come from privilege. My parents come from large families and both worked hard to go from nothing to something. Their rise to success taught me the importance of hard work and challenging oneself, but more importantly, it taught me to always consider others, to always give back. While I haven’t had to face a lot of adversity, Ihave had to ask the question central to every human experience: How do we cope with things that come out of the blue?

I had a friend pass away from cancer at 36. My mother is a two-time cancer fighter who is currently battling ovarian cancer. Two years ago, my father had a stroke that left him largely speechless. He will probably never develop the ability to speak again, but that doesn’t stop him from trying. Being so close to tragedy has helped me recognize that life is fleeting. What matters most is not if we’ve run the most successful business, but if we’ve helped make another’s journey lighter.

Changing the face of men's health.

Men haven’t been given the vocabulary to express themselves. Because of this, we’re often left mute, wanting for the words that can lift us out of our dis-ease. One of Movember’s core missions is to get men to a space and place where they have the language to initiate life-saving conversations.

I know my father may never get his words back. But I am fulfilled every day knowing my work, in some small way, helps another man find his.