The Founder

Father Abandons Family

I come from humble beginnings as many others do. My childhood was tumultuous and was for a long time difficult to live with. My memory of my childhood begins with my biological father abandoning our family. At 5 years old, my mother met and decided to marry a Military man with undiagnosed PTSD. He came with his own pain and unresolved trauma that would very quickly translate into abuse, teaching me fear and anger when I hadn’t even begun kindergarten.

Near Death Experience

At 5 years old, I became very ill and eventually required what we thought was a routine tonsillectomy. When the anesthetic created complications, my lungs collapsed causing my heart to stop, and I flatlined. By the time the doctors and nurses had resuscitated me, I had lost my memories of most of my formative years. Although no permanent damage had been caused by my near death experience aside from my memory loss, the school system eventually recognized and diagnosed me with a learning difference (ADHD.)

Living in Poverty

As a child, we experienced high levels of financial trouble. When I would tell my mom that we were poor, she would correct me and call us working class. All that I remember from that time is that she kept food on the table, but the table was broken, the toilet was flushed using a bucket of water, you could hear wild animals in the attic of our inner city home, and I could see outside through holes in the walls.

Adolescent Assault

As I entered high school, I struggled to fit in. I was highly social and outgoing but used those traits to cover the fear, anger and insecurity. During this time, I experienced bullying that eventually turned violent. After a late shift walking home from my job, I was assaulted by a group of boys. The attack caused serious bodily harm resulting in multiple surgeries and physiotherapy.

Morgan the Magician

When Highschool finally ended, I took the route of most young adults and enrolled in university and received instant gratification when I received a 3.8 GPA in my first year. During this time, I discovered sleight of hand magic. When I wasn’t doing school work, I was practicing. That’s when I decided to start my first business, ‘Morgan the Magician’. I paid my way through school doing magic shows and eventually got my degree in Psychology from Trent University.

Path to Success

After my formal education had ended, being a professional magician didn’t offer much of a resume for your typical 9-5 career. While having a resume done at an employment center, I was offered an opportunity to apply for a contract job. I was offered the job and spent nearly 3 years helping people on their career path. It became clear very quickly that I was talented at helping people find work and prepare for an interview. When that position came to an end, I went to work for an insurance company. I was successful and won awards. This led to me working in business development, helping others on their path to success.

The Beginning of Black Sheep Thinking

After the outcome of TP the Town, my mother called to congratulate me. What my mother said during that phone call changed the trajectory of my life.

She said, “You have always been a black sheep.” I challenged that label, arguing that a black sheep is an outcast.

She kindly responded, “No, Morgan, black sheep have very rare wool. Because of that, they never get killed for their meat. They live long and luxurious lives. Your mind is your wool.”

I realized that the concept of a black sheep as an outcast was outdated and that this modern take on black sheep defined those that wouldn’t settle for average.

However, throughout my life, being the black sheep didn’t always feel special. At times, success felt like a failure, and the barriers I faced caused deep mental anguish to the point of having suicidal thoughts and actions. I was often misunderstood in work or with friends, and not having the proper guidance on how to manage those things led to destructive behaviour. I started to do a deep dive into solving me, and thankfully, I came to understand that I wasn’t alone.

Many people started sharing their stories with me of their own struggles in “surviving” greatness— the haters, the self-hate and the instability of a road less traveled. I realized that there were other black sheep out there that needed help, and I started to create a framework. It didn’t make sense that I was struggling emotionally when I was living a life that many would say was a life of success and greatness. Emotional intelligence isn’t taught in school, and we hardly know how to talk about it. It is no wonder anxiety, depression and suicide is on a severe rise.

Family Life

In 2013, I married my wife, Nicole, and became a stepfather to two amazing kids. Shortly after, we had our son, and I became a parent to three, with a 17 year age gap between oldest and youngest. I applied my life lessons, knowledge and information I had gained and eventually began working with my coach, Andrew Mckee. Through this work, I gained understanding and began to open to the truth of who I am, and my world changed. The anxiety and deep depression I had experienced my entire life faded. I became more successful than I could have ever imagined and began to create a group of people around me who were self identified black sheep.