How to start a movement | November Project | TEDxBeaconStreet

This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. Bojan and Brogan have figured out the way to motivate people of all ages and athletic backgrounds to wake up early, train their butts off, and meet new friends, all for a very affordable price of a hug or a high-five. This talk will give you an insight into the fastest growing fitness phenomenon and how it's changing the notion that staying in shape should cost money.

Bojan (pronounced Boyan) Mandaric, born and raised in Serbia, made his way across the pond in 2002 after being recruited to row for Northeastern University Men's Crew Team. After winning accolades at the national and international level, Bojan decided to turn his interests to running and cycling. Living in Allston, MA with his wife and a 100lb German Shepard, he promotes FREE fitness and off-line human interactions across North America and soon the world. His shaved head and Eastern European look can sometimes project a scary or arrogant personality, but that misconception is gone when he delivers a massive bear hug.

Brogan Graham, brought up by hippy parents and raised FREE-range in Madison, Wisconsin. This basket-balling trash-talker jumped into D1 boat racing with Bojan at Northeastern University and BOOOOOOM! he became a racing athlete and city-boy all in the same oneway ticket to Boston, Massachusetts. A world traveler and a promoter of friendly vibes, "BG" is known to be the louder of the two leaders of the November Project. You can plan on seeing this community driven personality building new tribes and new athletes while inspiring racers who are looking for something new. Prepare to hear the F-word a few times and know that this man is a hugger, not a shaker.

About TEDx, x = independently organized event In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

[mountain]

It's just 18 months later and we've gone from 16 cities to 30 cities!
Baltimore, Boston, Calgary, Chicago, DC, Denver, Edmonton, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Kelowna, Los Angeles, Madison, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto, Vancouver, Victoria, Virginia Beach, Winnipeg, Worcester...and now Serbia and Iceland! #TheTribeIsStrong :)

[hugo]

value starts at 8:26 before it's only bragging

[meir]

Inclusiveness
And the mass will push you forward
Setup so more ppl --> better for all.
Strong culture
Unwavering commitment
We Missed You page
Fierce
Heartfelt powerful intensity
Pursuing your goal no matter what
Fun, new, creative

[layspeed]

This is great video. I'm just a little over 2 years in the Edmonton, Canada tribe and it's only gotten better and more fun!

[awattysiu]

Great talk guys. Really proud of you for getting up in front of the world to do this. Much love from Chicago. Hope to see you soon.

[ceciliavernes]

And now the count is 49! This is a movement and in every city new communities are being built.

[BrandonWardleActor]

The movement is real. The tribe is strong. World Takeover is inevitable. Well done you two. That crowd surfing was the stuff that legends are made of!

[bumpytoad]

I would love to start a social movement around Flamboyant Self-expression through Appearance and looking any way we want no matter how different, and ending bullying, judgment, abuse, harassment, discrimination, etc. and yet self-promotion is very difficult. How can I make better use of social media in order to attract more followers? Acceptance of flamboyantly non-traditional self-expression through appearance, as well as different identity perceptions and ways of being and living which are often related to the flamboyant self-expression is a worthy cause. So many of us are still verbally abused in public and even physically abused in some cases, denied employment and educational opportunities, and generally viewed through a lens of negative stereotypes and also viewed and treated as less than other people. We have been called freaks, as though being different, even vastly so from these completely arbitrary norms, is a bad thing. Those who are extravagantly Gothic and/or Darkly-inclined, such as myself, are given looks of intense disgust, as though we are so offensively distasteful. Very flamboyant makeup and face paint in particular are things that are extremely important to me and that I particularly love to do activism about and self-advocate for, considering how meaningful this form of expression is to me and how I always love to wear it in public places, because it makes me happy to present myself this way in the world. Any helpful suggestions about how I can best start a social movement will be much appreciated. Thank you so much in advance for your suggestions.

[deaddropsd]

San Diego. Mon Pacific Beach and varies. Wed Balboa Park fountain. 0629. Great fun. Good energy. Nice people. Amazing leaders !!!

[JaneDoe-zrpx]

GREAT idea and movement but they need to work on the intro big time. They didn't make it clear what the movement/subject of this video was till like 4 minutes in. And even then, they sort of snuck it in. I know it's tempting to have a memorable opening like the crowd surfing, etc. but all the coolness/"let's wake the crow up & make them remember us" stuff in the world is meaningless if no one gets your actual message.