People of Asuwere - Zane Munro
Every once in awhile you meet people going out of their way to make the world a better place. Zane Munro is one of those people. 5 years ago Zane started For all the Brothers (FATB), a platform to help change the way men approach talking about mental health, something which has for a long time been taboo and certainly something we all need a little help with.
From an operations manager, to fatherhood and now a chippy, Zane has spent countless hours over the last few years dedicating his own time to helping the FATB community open up to one another and talk about the struggles and challenges they are going through. The trade and construction sector loses one man a week to suicide and FATB want to change that by helping start the conversation. Just last month Zane was recognised by New Zealander of the Year and received a local hero award.
We are incredibly proud to have Zane onboard with Asuwere and caught up with him for a chat to hear more about FATB.
What made you start For all the brothers?
Growing up I struggled with my mental health, depression and anxiety were two things that took hold of my life especially in my late teens and early 20s. All I ever could have wanted in these times was a brother or friend to lean on, to chat to, to ask for advice or just to share my hard times with, without judgement or being made to feel less. Someone who looked, spoke or resembled me in some way to make it normal. A place I struggled to find so instead I decided to create this space, to normalise mental health among the every day male of New Zealand. I guess a place of hope, of conversation, of open topic, of brothers being there for each other and most of all a place of change for all men, men who like me just need a brother or friend.
Being acknowledged as a local hero in the community by New Zealander of the year is an incredible achievement and a worthy one for all the amazing work you are doing. What did this mean to you?
It was huge, an achievement I would never have dreamed of receiving. It's not only an honour but a privilege to be seen on such a scale among all of the other greats of NZ. Most of all it meant that all the hard work, long hours, events, conversations and most importantly the change I wish to create is being seen, acknowledged and celebrated. For me it will never be about the awards but this is something that has made me proud, a feeling like no other.
It can be hard to know how to open up to mates or even know how to check in with a friend to see how they are doing. Do you have any advice on where to start or a simple first step?
Check in and then check in again, the simplest of first steps, but often the hardest and a pretty scary thing to do for us as men. Often we are afraid of saying the wrong thing, of not having the answers or of making it worse in any way but the truth is as men we often don't need answers, we don't need someone to fix our problems we just need someone to be there, to listen, to sit with or just to chat about what is on our mind without judgement.
It starts with taking the time to text, to follow through with a phone call if needed, to voice up and check in. Over the phone or through text can sometimes be little hard so this is where we follow through and we take the time to get your brother out for a chat, be it over a coffee, a meal, going for a walk, a game of golf or anything else. Being out in nature the conversations seems to flow a lot easier, our mind seems a little clearer and we can begin to chat with a brother. Most important thing to remember that a check in can happen in any way you feel best, but being there for a brother is the best thing we can do.
It's important to take time to work on yourself, what do you do to keep your mind and body in check?
Spending quality time with loved ones or friends and movement for me are top of the list, be it the gym in the morning before work, going for a run in nature or simply having a coffee and a walk out at Piha Beach, these are the things that really make me feel amazing and help clear my mind. Something that took me a long time to grasp but often when we slow down and give back to ourselves we begin to find the answers we need and fill our own cup
How does Asuwere suit your lifestyle?
With working full time, being a partner and father and running ForAllTheBrothers I often have very little time spare to shop. Asuwere's subscription service takes the stress off shopping and making decisions, they offer a huge range of clothing from beach wear to professional wear. The team have been hugely helpful with reinventing my wardrobe and always keeping me up to date with the latest styles. It comes down to this - When we look good, we feel better and Sam and the team at ASUWERE have made this possible for me. Legends
Thanks for being a legend Zane and all the epic work you do for so many people. Check out ForAllTheBrothers on Instagram and keep an eye out for their talks next year.
https://www.instagram.com/forallthebrothers/
Shop Zane's looks
Learn more:
