Movember: How One Man Turned the Moustache Into a Movement

This month, men around the world are sporting horrendous moustaches and documenting every hair’s growth – all in the name of helping to stop prostate cancer. It's no exaggeration to say this is a worldwide phenomenon: Movember is now in 21 countries and has raised $385 million USD so far. It's the kind of movement and international spread that global companies can only dream of. Which makes its humble beginnings even more impressive -- two guys in a bar in Australia. I talked to Adam Garone, the co-founder and CEO of Movember, last week about the origins of his idea and what lessons he has learned.

The Day November Changed Its Name

Garone's brother and his mate were in a bar in Melbourne, Australia in 2003. They dared each other to bring back one old-fashioned ’70s style: the moustache. Thirty guys including Garone took up the challenge that year. The following year, they wanted to find an excuse to get away with having a ‘stache for a second time, so they wondered: What’s the male equivalent of women’s breast cancer? And there it was. They would grow a “mo” – Australian slang for moustache – every November to raise money for one very important cause: prostate cancer. Movember was born, and the rest, as they say, is history. 

There are two ways to face a venture: having a big dream and working out a carefully detailed plan; or having a small idea, and being naïve enough to believe it’s possible to make it huge. In the second case, most small concepts evolve into something that not even their creators thought was possible. 

What’s always amazing about how big companies, organizations or movements begin is the fact that it tends to include three ingredients: passionate characters, strong beliefs and persistence. Garone fits the profile.

Starting With The Man in The Mirror

I spoke with Garone and found the same approachable person who spoke at the TED Talk he gave one year ago in Toronto. Here he is, the man behind the “mo.”

Q. When did you first realize that Movember had turned into a big movement?

A. We started in Melbourne in 2003 and by 2005 we already had a lot of organic interest. But it really was in 2006. We really got significant momentum behind the campaign. We took it to New Zealand because we always had a lot of interest from there, but we also thought we could learn a lot by launching it in another country.

Q.  You were working in marketing for a web company at the time. What made you quit your day job and focus full-time on Movember?

A. Prior to 2006, we were doing Movember on our weekends and on our spare time. We were funding all of our costs, and it got to a stage when it was just too big. We really struggled for a little while on how to fund an organization to raise more money for men wearing moustaches. You can’t get a loan from a bank. So we focused on sponsorships. Fosters (the most popular beer in Australia) was our first partner, and that allowed me to quit my job in 2006.

Q. How many people work for Movember now?

A. We now have 90 people around the world. We have 6 offices, including Melbourne (head offices); Los Angeles, where I’m based; London and Toronto. We also have individuals who help.

Q. November is when the campaign takes place, but what do you do the other eleven months?

A. The year runs in two parts; October, November and December are what we call the campaign period. I’m very busy with promotional responsibilities. Then we analyze how the campaign went, how we could do better, and we focus on new programs. I’m already looking at Movember 2013. It doesn’t seem to stop.

Beneficiary Partners and the Livestrong Scandal

Q. As you mentioned before, it’s all about keeping up with the momentum behind the movement. What steps do you need to follow when deciding to launch Movember in a new country?

A. The first stage is seeing the organic interest in Movember. We look for very passionate ‘Mo Sistas’ and ‘Mo Bros’ on the ground that are already doing Movember. We now use social media tools to raise awareness. The second stage is to look for what we call beneficiary partners. In each country we have a local partner, and that’s where the funds go.

Q. What happened with Livestrong after the Armstrong scandal?

A. In the US, we have two beneficiary partners: the Prostate Cancer Foundation and Livestrong. We partnered with Livestrong because they provide the very best free support service for men and their families going through cancer. When the scandal happened in October, we certainly had some people calling us asking about our partnership with Livestrong, and our view had never changed. We didn’t partner with Livestrong because of Lance Armstrong or what he did during his cycling career. We partnered with Livestrong because that was the best organization in the US to provide support and solutions for men and their families going through cancer.

The Next Steps

Q. So far you’ve managed to project that Australian feel to your participants. What’s next for your Mo Bros and Mo Sistas?

A. Well, three key things have made Movember so successful. First, the people and the team we have. Second, our focus on technology. We chose to develop our own tech platform, which allows us to integrate it with other platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc. And, third, our brand. We’re very protective of it. We want to inspire our Mo Sistas and Mo Bros with inspirational images.

Q. There’s less than a week to go until the end of the month. What can participants do in these last few days?

A. Hang in there. Don’t shave yet. What’s really important is to have one conversation with someone that they haven’t had yet about men’s health. And then really celebrate the journey. However you want to, just celebrate it.

Q. Do you keep your moustache all year?

A. For the vast majority. I shave it on late December, but then I have to grow it back. I’m giving interviews and people except me to have it.

Q. So that’s it, you’re stuck with your mo forever…

A. (Laughs) I know. When guys tell me that they can’t have the luxury to grow a moustache for 30 days, I tell them: ‘Well, I’m gonna have this for ten months through the year.’

Don’t Stop Believing

Q. What advice would you give to people who’re trying to build something from scratch, but still have a full time job?

A. It’s a really good question. What it comes down to is: truly and really believe in what you’re doing and creating. That passion becomes infectious when you talk to people about it. The other thing is patience. Whatever it is you’re doing, that’s probably going to take much longer than you expect. Surround yourself with really great people that share your vision and passion. And then what I always say is never underestimate the importance of a room full of people. Movember founders were just four people at the beginning. And then we inspired 20 more that first year. Now we have 1.9 million Mo Bros and Mo Sistas registered and participating. If you can inspire that room full of people to get your story, that’s how you build that momentum, and it grows and grows and grows.

Are you changing the face of men's health? Share your Movember stories by commenting below, and donate today by clicking here. Help raise awareness, day-by-day, and mo-by-mo.

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Photo credits: Movember & Sons www.fuzzy-ink.com/