Meet The Innovators: Yan Martin, Transformational Coach
It’s not often that you get the opportunity to become friends with someone who has succeeded in the places you have been (and failed often in), and done many of the things you dreamt about doing when you were young. As I’ve gotten to know Yan Martin over the past few years, I’ve learned that he is easily one of the most inspiring and authentic people I’ve ever met. It’s an honor to introduce him to you as he launches his new business of transformational coaching (Yan’s website here)!
When I was around 10 years old, I had the opportunity to visit Montreal on a business trip with my father. As would always happen with anywhere international I visited, I became obsessed with the city and its language and culture. I became an instant Montreal Expos and Canadiens fan, started trying to learn how to speak French and began dreaming and scheming up ways that I could go to college and work there. (All of this was forgotten once I visited Austria and Germany later, where I ended up living / working for many years, but I was lucky enough to go back a lot while working at Reebok and starting our collaboration with Cirque du Soleil and still love the city).
Yan is a native Montrealer who has lived the life that I dreamt of when I took that first trip to Montreal. Not only growing up in an amazing city, but doing some great things with global ad agencies, CCM Hockey and at Reebok / adidas. I’ve gotten to know him over the past few years as our careers have converged in the Boston area. As he has decided to go his own way and build his own thing, he is one of the most inspiring people in not only the Boston area, but the entire space between here and the Laurentians.
1. What are you doing now? Tell us a bit about your day job (and other pursuits / side hustles).
“Well, I guess the right term I should use for what I am doing right now is “transitioning”… After spending the last 20 years in the sporting goods industry in various executive roles around the world, I’ve decided to pull the plug, re-evaluate things and launch my own leadership development and corporate culture consulting company. Something I’ve wanted to do for many years. My days are filled with networking, developing my brand proposition, writing, reading and working with a few very passionate start-up founders who need some help. Priorities also include a daily dose of working out with my children and meditating.”
2. What led you down the path that you’re on now? How did you get to where you are?
“That is a loaded question….I never really had a plan and have mainly followed my instinct. I grew up playing competitive hockey in Montreal and that lead me to work in the hockey industry early on in my career, which then led to the fitness industry, two things I love deeply. I am driven by passion and purpose, and that first professional phase was clearly something that kept me stimulated and energized daily. As I moved up the “corporate ladder” and started leading bigger teams, I developed a profound interest in creating highly collaborative teams and helping people make the most of their potential. That naturally lead to my current career re-orientation. I am a big believer that personal holistic well-being (physical, mental, social, spiritual) is essential to someone’s happiness and ability to impact the world positively. Furthermore, I also believe that leaders need to be able to lead themselves before they can lead a team.”
3. What was your career plan when you started out? (How often) have you had to change your career path?
“I’ve always embraced change and new opportunities. I make a point of telling people at the start of their journey that they should put a premium on experiencing different roles and cultures. That’s where the focus should be in the early years, not on money… that part will take care of itself over the years if you put in the work and you are open to new opportunities. Over my first 20 years, I worked in Canada, Europe and the US and had roles in marketing, sales, product management, development, strategic planning and creative direction. I might not be what they call a “specialist” in anything, but I like to think the sum of my experiences creates a unique proposition and allows me to adapt to any situations easily. The biggest change is actually happening right now… starting your own company clearly puts you outside your comfort zone.”
4. How do you deal with change? How have you dealt with personal challenges?
“I use to have a fair amount of difficulty dealing with change. It actually lead me down a road where I had to battle depression and anxiety. Over the years, I’ve come to embrace change and see it as an opportunity to continuously explore and discover new parts of my personality. When you see things for what they really are in the present moment, you stop making scenarios of what the future holds and you can make the most of “what is”. Increased mindfulness through meditation played a big role in helping me deal with change, so did committing to a fitness lifestyle. I’ve also learn to surround myself with people that give me energy and spend more quality time with my family (I have four beautiful children and an amazing wife). Life is too short to deal with “energy-sucking” people.”
5. What are your Superpowers and how have they served you over the years?
“I (humbly) believe I have 2 superpowers. First, an ability to see the big picture and boil things down to what really matters, to the essential. I quickly discovered this in my early advertising years. Developing creative briefs that quickly went to the essential of what the challenge was and what needed to be communicated was something that came natural to me. It served me well over the years in navigating complex situations as well as making my public speaking opportunities more impactful. Secondly, I think I have a natural ability to connect with people at a deep level. It might be a by-product of the fact I hate small talk and that when I engage in a discussion, I like for it to be a meaningful one. Over the years, this allowed me to build strong and authentic relationships that are still going strong today.”
6. What Superpower(s) do you wish you had?
“I wish I had the power to cure anxiety and depression. Mental health is not talked about enough in our society, maybe because it is not as visible as other diseases… I am alarmed by the rise in mental health issues (amongst teenagers and young adults particularly). Having dealt with it myself (and still do sometimes today), I know how it can become a hindrance to living a fulfilling and joyful life. For me it is a reflection of where we are as a society; the chase for performance, the need for comparison, the rise of technology and the decline of human connection. It is time to ask ourselves how we can act more human again and set up future generations for success (mentally, physically, socially). I do see some progress on the topic, but we have a long way to go to eliminate the taboo around discussing mental health issues openly, especially in corporate settings.”
7. What is your Kryptonite? How do you manage your weaknesses?
“I believe my Kryptonite is a lack of self-confidence. This might seem odd when you look at my career so far and also how I come across in public. But deep down, I’ve always battled an internal voice of self-doubt and a feeling of not being enough. We are often our own worst enemy…early in my career, this created a desire to please others first and look for recognition. It also was key contributor to my “hitting the wall” episode. Over the years, I’ve learn to be more compassionate with myself and find energy and joy through doing things to please myself first (mainly working out…). Funny enough, I believe I have a more positive impact on the world around me since I’ve put myself first. It’s not about being selfish. It rather goes back to the idea that you can’t fully impact the world around you if you can’t lead yourself to start with.”
8. What keeps you up at night?
“Everything. I am a very bad sleeper… but jokes aside, my main priority is to be able to provide for my four children. Not so much from a financial standpoint, but rather in giving them the environment, habits and tools to become great human beings and one day fully live up to their potential, no matter what it is they want to do. I try to set a good example day in, day out.”
9. What gets you going in the morning / everyday?
“The simple fact that I actually get to get up and breathe. I am very grateful for the life I have and want to make the most of it every single day. Coffee also gets me going. Lots of it.”
10. Who inspires you most in work + life?
“Anyone who follows their true calling and purpose no matter what.”
11. What do you consider your greatest achievement?
“This is always a difficult question to answer, but ultimately I am quite proud of the life I’ve lived so far in general and the family that sits at the center of it all. As someone once told me, you overestimate what you can do in a day and underestimate what you can accomplish in a lifetime. Looking back at my first 45 years, I am sometimes amazed by all the great experiences I’ve had. On the professional side, I do have amazing memories developing Reebok’s “Be More Human” campaign. Powerful, inspiring and insightful. That being said, leaving the corporate world after 20 years to start my own business is something I am really proud of.”
12. Fun fact about you that would surprise people to learn?
“I never had a life plan. Although I like planning when it comes to day-to-day tasks and specific projects, I never really planned anything as it relates to big life decisions (professional or personal). I believe life is too unpredictable to make big plans. Do your best every day, invest in long term relationships, health and wealth, trust life, and good things will happen. Trust the process.”
LIGHTNING ROUND:
1. Title of your biography?
“In Fieri”, Latin for “being in the process of accomplishment.”
2. Mantra you repeat to yourself when you need motivation?
“Just keep moving”
3. Hero(es) in real life?
“My wife, She is the foundation of our family. Strong, thoughtful, mindful and caring.”
4. Companies / brands you admire the most?
“Most brands with a strong social purpose.”
5. Blogs, websites, podcasts, books, shows, etc…that you go to for inspiration?
Podcasts: “Up First from NPR (first thing in morning), Tim Ferris, Making Sense with Sam Harris, Big Questions with Cal Fussman and also Beyond the Grid, I just think the world of F1 is fascinating.”
Books: “So many options…My daily read is a single page of Ryan Holiday’s “The Daily Stoic”. Good self-reflection to start the day. The one book I believe everyone should read is “Man’s Search For Meaning” by Viktor Frankl.”
Music: “Anything goes, I am a true music lover. It is part of almost every moment in my day. The Foo Fighters are frequent companions to workouts.”
