Carry Proudly Who You Are Now That Movember Is Here.

I watched Gene Kelly for his smile, for his energy. Vittorio Gassman for his movement. Clark Gable for his mustache. And I watched Lassie who was happy as a dog.

Jean Dujardin

When I was in my early twenties, I was handed my first big project to run and supervise. I was cocky, I was hungry, and I was desperate to prove myself. So when everyone in my team viewed me as “The Kid,” assuming that my age invalidated my comments, I got furious. But instead of simply complaining to my supervisor how my team didn’t respect me, I decided to take a hard look as to how I was promoting that very “Kid” image. 

That’s when I realized I did look like a “Kid,” and that usually translated unconsciously in acting like one. That’s when I started growing my mustache and started dressing a little more professional. And it started to reflect in my attitude and in my team’s behavior. I would treat them with the respect I expected from them, and they stopped treating me like a “Kid.” After a while and without even noticing, “The Kid” had turned into “The Man.” I had their back and they had mine.

Ironically, that all started the day I decided to grow a mustache…

I am not saying that you should grow one, but sometimes the easiest way to change how a person treats you is to change how they view you. Now that Movember is here, it might be a good opportunity (have a valid excuse) to try out a mustache, if for nothing else, for a good cause.

For those unfamiliar with Movember, it’s an annual event involving the growing of mustaches during the month of November to raise awareness of men's health issues, such as prostate cancer and other male cancers, and associated charities. The Movember Foundation runs the Movember charity event where the goal is to "change the face of men's health."

By encouraging men to get involved, Movember aims to increase early cancer detection, diagnosis and effective treatments, and ultimately reduce the number of preventable deaths. Besides annual check-ups, the Movember Foundation encourages men to be aware of family history of cancer and to adopt a healthier lifestyle.

So, Gentlemen. Let it grow, spark conversation and raise funds. A mustache is only as powerful as the man behind it.