Men We Admire: Ryan Murdock

Ryan Murdock. If you’ve spent any time field testing fitness programs online, you’ll know this name. Ryan is half of the “Adam and Ryan” Shapeshifter Body Redesign team (alongside Adam Steer) that actively promotes bodyweight exercise, rapid body transformations through strategic diet and exercise programs, and writes some of the most hilarious subscriber newsletters you’ll ever read. He’s also a vagabonding master, having traveled the world on his own terms and for his own reasons in ways that would give Tim Ferriss a run for his money. Follow this man’s advice, and you’ll get where you need to go.

…which, if you follow his advice, is everywhere you haven’t been yet.

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How to Get a Date Before Valentine's Day

by Jordan Harbinger (The Art of Charm)

While it tends to be more of a girlie holiday, you’re no less of a man because you want something to do on Valentine’s Day. In fact, single dudes tend to be the most bummed about being single on Valentine’s Day as compared to any other*. If you’re looking to score a date by V-Day, the good news is you still have time.

Turn Up The Heat

You probably have a lot of single female friends sitting around whining about how they don’t have anything to do for Valentine’s Day. At least one of them has to be attractive. Don’t write off your lady friends, as the best relationships often start with a rock solid friendship. Come on, dude, you know you’ve thought about touching her boobs at least once. Just casually ask “are you doing anything for V-Day?” Resist the temptation to make a cheesedick joke -something along the lines of “har har we’re on a date” -just see where the night takes you.

Go To A Singles’ Night

Valentine’s Day is the best time for single dudes to get their speed-date on. Go with a bro and you two can compare notes or talk smack as the case may be when the night is over. You might even find someone to hook up with, or you can just have an experience to remember for the rest of your life. Speed-dating is surprisingly effective and inexpensive to boot. If worse comes to worse, you’re out less than 40 bucks and have a cool story to tell your friends.

Bring Your “A” Game

One surprisingly easy way to get a date before Valentine’s Day is simply to bring your “A” game to every interaction you have with a woman between now and then. Remember above how we said that V-Day is mostly a chick’s holiday? Do you have any idea how desperate some of these women are to find someone -- anyone -- to be with on Valentine’s Day? You really don’t...no, seriously. You don't -even if you think you do. All you need to be is your usual charming self to the Nth degree and you’re ready to land a date for Valentine’s Day without a whole lot of effort.

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Women We Love: Jasmin Chase

Fans of MMA culture will recognize Jasmin Chase from her work on MMA Overdrive. This sports anchor has a knack for getting the story behind the story, and we were privileged enough to be able to turn the tables and get her in for an interview. As always, what we found was someone incredibly astute, career-focused, and in total command of path ahead. On top of all that, she's just an all-around great personality, always ready with a joke and a laugh. You just can't ask for a better combination than that! 

 

Name: Jasmin Chase

Occupation: Sports Anchor, Producer, Writer and Model

Education: Network Security

How did you get started on your current career track?

I come from an artistic family so I have always been involved in the arts or sports so my transition into modeling/acting felt very natural for me. I officially started when I was 18. I answered an ad in the newspaper, they were looking for an arts model to photograph so they could use the pictures for their drawing class.

What gives you the most satisfaction as an artist?

Accomplishing the goals that I set.

What motivates or inspires you in your work?

Doing the impossible. Kicking down closed doors. Never taking no for an answer. Finding ways to make it happen.

Do you have a personal work philosophy?

If you dream it, it will come!

If you weren't doing this, what could you see yourself doing?

This is what I love! I cannot picture what my life would be without this. If I had to pick though, I’d say designing video games and or computer networking .

What are you working on right now?

I am hosting a web show called MMA Overdrive, where I interview UFC/MMA fighters.

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Steve Baric featured on Amira de Vera

The Man Sphere's Editor-in-Chief, Steve Baric, was featured this week on Pennant Media publicist Amira de Vera's own blog. Check out the interview: 

This week, one of the people I’m featuring is the Editor-In-Chief of the very informative men’s online magazine The Man Sphere‘s Steve Baric. Most recently, he has also added creator and editor of the brand new DurhamEntertainment.ca to his list of projects.

The Man Sphere is devoted to getting the info real guys want, which include health, fitness, and general well being; tips for the home and the backyard; relationship, dating, and parenting advice; cool gadgets, great ways to spruce up the wardrobe, and how to cook great bass.

In short, if guys are interested, they will  want to bring it to them. The Man Sphere also has fantastic and inspirational interviews and has featured many of our clients.

I drilled Steve with ten questions. Get to know the guy behind The Man Sphere! [read more...]

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Femme Fatale Media Recognized for Third Straight Year at 2012 Toronto Nightclub Awards

Event staffing agency in Toronto wins another award for superior promotional service

PRLog (Press Release) - Jan. 21, 2013 - TORONTO, ON – Femme Fatale Media, the award-winning and renowned event staffing agency in Toronto, has been recognized for the third straight year at the 2012 Toronto Nightclub Awards. The agency received top honors for its modeling talent with an award for “Best Promotional Models & Go-Go Dancers.” This recognition comes on the heels of the company’s award for “Top Event Staffing Agency,” by Top Choice Awards earlier in 2012.

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Super easy online dating method (really?)

So, a popular online dating guru just blasted an email that's not quite up to the level of his usual content. This is how it goes:

"New" internet dating method closing at almost 75%: 

1. Send opener message

2. When she replies, PAY ATTENTION
and continue the conversation

3. Exchange phone numbers with the
intent of meeting

4. Meet in person, if its "on", stay or go
home with her.

5. if not, politely end the date and repeat
step 1.

This approach has gotten me 17 phone numbers this
month so far, allowed an average guy like me to date
models, strippers and everything in between and has
gotten me as many as 73 phone numbers in a single
month.

My tools are a profile, 3 emails and my mobile phone.
The "trick" is knowing what to do then have the right
tools to do it.

OK, all fair enough. But this isn't "New." It's how you actually conduct online dating. So what's the deal?

I suspect there's going to be a follow up involving the profile and 3 emails mentioned at the end of the otherwise uninformative piece above. Likely an upsell explaining how to do these things effectively. After all, it's not like countless guys aren't already doing this exact order of steps. The trouble is Step 2. What if she doesn't reply? Then the whole system falls apart.

A more realistic view for most guys online goes something like this:

1. Send opener message

2. Wait three days with no reply

3. Send follow up message

4. Possibly get blocked (why do women block guys after a single follow up message anyway?); If not, possibly get ignored again. Either way, wait three more days with no reply

5. IF she replies, PAY ATTENTION and continue the conversation. With luck (LUCK) she'll also continue the conversation.

6. Exchange phone numbers with the intent of meeting. NO! Plan to meet, then exchange phone numbers. Seriously, in my experience if you go for the digits first you'll get nothing but resistance. She has to want to know you or she won't trust you with her number.

7. Meet in person. If it's "on," stay. There's almost no chance of going home with her after one date (and why would you want to?!)

8. If not, politely end the date and start all over again.

Fine, that might be a bit cynical. But really, if it were as simple as message, converse, exchange numbers, meet, don't you think more guys would have more consistent success with their online dating? I'll grant that most guys whose opener message is "hi" probably aren't going to engage much of a conversation. But those who do make an effort to be interesting/interested/funny/engaging/sincere are still often stuck at Step 2.

I hate it when "gurus" make it sound like what they do is somehow magically better than the average guy's results. In this case, he claims this approach has a 75% closure rate ("closing" means getting the date, I assume), and that this exact "method" has landed him 17 phone numbers this month alone.

For what it's worth, I'm batting zero for phone numbers, and 2% on replies to my "opener message." I'll admit I'm focused more on the website and on work than I am on landing dates, but still...

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Ideas to motivate your fitness goals...

At The Man Sphere, we're always interested in looking at people's sources of motivation for self-improvement. Nowhere is this likely to be more important than in the area of fitness and physical health.

I decided to take a look at a few good reasons to get in shape. Here's my list (comment below if you have others):

1. Pick an event. Specifically, pick a sporting event you wouldn't be in shape for in your current condition. I chose the 2014 Tough Mudder.
2. Compete. Nothing motivates you like an impending competition. I, unfortunately, wouldn't do this because I don't like the idea of wearing a speedo for any reason, let alone on stage. A lot of guys do sign up for fitness competitions though, and it seems to be a great motivator.
3. Book a photo shoot. Mine is six months away. I don't have aspirations of being a fitness model. In fact, the first thing on this list is my real objective, with looks being a side benefit. However, if I know I'm in shape to do a great shoot, I'll know I'm on the right track to something even better in my life.
4. Look in the mirror. Then at your kid. Then in the mirror again. Then at your kid. Two things happen here: First, picture that kid crying at your funeral in ten years. Not cool? Good...prevent that from happening. Second, picture your kid in your condition. They're watching you. Teach them how to live their best life.
5. This.

What's driving you? What are you aiming for? What are your fitness goals for 2013?

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Training Protocol: January 2013

I posted on Facebook and on the Transformation Contest today that I'm very quickly progressing toward my next signpost goal of 180 lbs. with a 36 inch waist. Actually, at the rate I'm seeing the changes (posted today at 193 and 37), I'm thinking 36 might be too conservative. But I'll see what happens.

There's been a flurry of activity around what exactly those numbers entail, and how I'm doing them. So, here goes:

Basically, my goals are fitness and training oriented rather than merely weight loss oriented. That means a lot of focus on developing muscle and burning fat, while retaining high mobility. To do this, I'm actually working two routines: TACFIT Commando in the morning, and Prograde's T30 workout after work.

What's interesting about this is that I've been doing morning workouts for the past couple of months, and they go quite nicely. But that second workout is a killer. I firmly believe it's because the morning workout comes when I'm newly rested and recharged, while the second one comes at the point in the day when I should be getting ready to wind down.

Perfect! That means I have something to overcome!

So here's how this is going to progress. Because T30 is recommended as a four-week program, it actually works out quite nicely for alternating weeks. The schedule looks something like this:

WEEK 1:
a.m.: TACFIT
p.m.: T30 

WEEK 2:
a.m.: T30
p.m.: TACFIT 

WEEK 3:
a.m.: TACFIT
p.m.: T30 

WEEK 4:
a.m.: T30
p.m.: TACFIT

That will take me through January. After that I can take a break from the T30 modality. TACFIT's progression for the first sequence is actually 84 days (12 weeks, or 3 months), so I'll keep slogging it out with that for half my workouts while I search for another routine to beast up with. There's certainly no shortage of muscle building routines available (and I have piles of them myself), so with a definite fitness goal I should be looking at a pretty killer year for 2013.

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Self-Improvement Books for 2013

At The Man Sphere, we're always on the lookout for great reading material. This year, with the emphasis on self-improvement (and the impending release of Your Personal Reset Button), we've compiled an essential reading list for 2013.

Check out the 2013 Reading List for the best self-improvement books to get the most out of your goals this year.

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