At the upcoming Vastly Sage Men’s Breakfast, a curated gathering that explores modern manhood beyond titles and status, Brandon Fairweather will take the stage to share his insights on resilience, mental health and the transformative power of adversity.
With more than two decades of experience in wellness, sports nutrition, and consumer health, Brandon currently serves as Brand Manager for Biogen South Africa and Health Category Marketing Manager for Dis-Chem Pharmacies. But his professional expertise is matched only by the depth of his personal story – one that includes open-heart surgery at 28, two strokes, a near-fatal bleed-out and a successful battle against cancer.
These life-altering experiences have profoundly influenced his passion for mental health and holistic wellness, culminating in his powerful book, The Hell Inside Our Heads – a raw and moving account of his journey through severe anxiety and his determination to transform suffering into purpose.
We spoke with Brandon to discuss the moments that shaped him, the people who carried him through, and what it truly means to be strong.
YLA: Looking back at a tough season you have been through, what was the one mindset shift or small daily habit that helped you keep going when you felt like quitting?
Brandon: There is some context to this answer, but for me, it came at an all-time low, when I was experiencing the worst kind of anxiety I have ever faced. In that moment, or over that period of time, I made the decision that my suffering and anguish had to be for something. I decided then that this needed a purpose and a meaning, and that shift was a game-changer.
YLA: Who was someone, perhaps unexpectedly, who showed up for you during a difficult time, and what did they do that actually helped?
Brandon: There were a few. Ironically, it was actually a friend who needed my help with something in their life. In that moment, the feeling of being needed gave me purpose and was a nice distraction from my own struggles. This also cemented a view I have now, and that is this: when things are not going well for you, do something nice or good for someone else.
YLA: What is a time when you had to redefine what strength looked like for you, when being strong meant admitting you were struggling?
Brandon: When I received my cancer diagnosis on the very day of my 40th birthday. For me, it wasn’t as much about an admission of struggle, as I am quite an expressive person. The strength needed was more about letting go of the need to control every outcome, knowing that life will play out the way it was always intended to.
YLA: When things fall apart, some men isolate while others reach out. What has helped you know the difference between needing space and needing connection?
Brandon: While I do enjoy my personal space and some level of isolation, I must be honest and say I’ve never struggled to reach out when connection was needed. I have been blessed with three brothers, a loving family and a very small circle of close friends.
You need to manage and read your own mental state and determine what is best for each moment and where you are at.
For me, community – or, in this framing, connection – has become one of the key tools for enhancing mental health. In my experience, however, that community or tribe should remain small and be restricted to a trusted few. Those people will also know when to give you space and when to pull you up and out of isolation when they see you need it.
YLA: If you could go back and give one piece of advice to your younger self after a major failure or loss, what would it be, and why do you think you would not have listened to it back then?
Brandon: Don’t try to avoid hard things. Life will throw curveballs at you anyway, and the biggest losses, failures, or hardships will teach you as much – and, I would argue, even more – than your successes.
Rather, embrace those times, expect them, and equip yourself with the tools, resilience and, ultimately, experience to navigate those storms with the calm, clarity and respect they deserve.
