Reminiscing about the time I was working the pads with my Muay Thai trainer at Samart Payakaroon Gym, I was asked my name.

“Ken khap.”

I was asked where I was from.

“Canada khap.”

Each response as clear, polite and respectful to my senior padman. “Khap” referring to the polite particle in the Thai language as a male.

“Ahh, Ken-ada! We work.. POWER!”, as he exclaimed.

—

Coming out of school, my first foray started in the technology industry. But along the way, a series of life events sat me down to have a hard conversation with myself. I hit restart and my journey took me down a path - one that as strategic, purposeful with unwavering energy and determination - the same philosophy my head Kru (“Trainer” in Thai) continues to reinforce with me to this day.

With aspirations working in branding and the intersect of culture, sport and entertainment, my 4+ years in the biz has gotten me curious by the day. While I continue dissecting and growing a certain audience within a Fortune 500 environment, the growth mindset feeds my appetite in understanding how the top brands remain competitive in a crowded economy.