Pursuit 365 Day 165: Zach Mansbridge-Fafard

Zach Mansbridge-Fafard is passionate about having a positive impact entrepreneurially in sport, wellness, mental health, and mentorship.

If you could give your past self some advice, what would you tell yourself?

Being in the moment is not analyzing every aspect of the moment to make sure you are performing to the best of your abilities. That type of thinking can be useful for some scenarios that require higher-end thought; however, it is not necessary or optimal in many situations. It is great to plan and set expectations yourself, yet to truly be in the moment you must trust yourself and just enjoy your time.

When you first started your career, how did you know you were ready and what made you start?

I didn’t know I was ready. I just knew I was more afraid of feeling like I left potential on the table and didn’t go after my dreams than I was afraid of failure.

Who or what has been your greatest influence?

There are too many to pick just one. Someone who influenced me greatly is Bruce Poon Tip. I always knew that I wanted to run businesses that help people, however, I expected that not centering profits may make it difficult to grow my business’ impact. I read Bruce’s book ‘Looptail: How One Company Changed the World by Reinventing Business’ while starting my business. I love the socially responsible way that he goes about business, right from the first day of operations. It really resonated with me to see how successful Bruce is while not sacrificing his values. Values he and I share. I believe having a positive impact is paramount, income is merely a consequence.

What is your number one business goal to accomplish this year?

I would like to create partnerships with other institutions and schools to grow my reach and impact.

What do you have going on that you’d like to share?

According to The Council of Canadians, 73% of First Nations’ water systems range from medium to high risk of contamination. Some First Nations haven’t had access to clean water for 25-plus years. That is unacceptable. Visit https://canadians.org/fn-water to find out more. Select the link under the heading ‘Take Action’ to send a letter or message to government officials, it only takes a minute or two. I have no affiliation with The Council of Canadians.

Where do you see yourself in five years? How do you envision your future?

I see myself teaching kids all over the world how to play sports while sparking excitement about being active, healthy, and becoming the best they can be. I also see myself speaking to audiences at conferences and conventions about a plethora of issues that are meaningful to me. Long-term I see myself growing my platform so I can turn attention to and tackle as many issues as I possibly can.

What is your favourite thing about what you do in your career and why?

Watching people become confident in themselves. Self-confidence leads to happiness and a feeling of security. Which in turn often leads to those people passing on positivity.

Do you have a mantra or phrase you live by? What is it?

Every day that something tragic hasn’t happened to my loved ones is a day to be happy and grateful. There are many reasons to be down. However, traffic, rude comments, or a rainy day are not included in those reasons.

I also intend to live by the belief that the greatest gift one can give to the world is to strive to be the best version of themselves. I heard something like this somewhere and liked the sentiment.

What is your number one priority when it comes to your career and daily work?

Always learn and improve while enjoying the journey not just the destination.

What keeps you motivated on a daily basis?

Changing the world is possible not as a lone fire but as a spark. The good you do; will multiply exponentially through those that you help. This excites and motivates me because I know that my impact is not just on those who I am face-to-face with but also with those that they come face-to-face with.