We’re looking forward to introducing you to Michael Brovac. Check out our conversation below.
Good morning Michael, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
1. Hydrate First
I start every morning with a full glass of water before having any caffeine. It’s a simple way to wake up my system and set the tone for the day.
2. Breathing Work
I head downstairs and begin with breathing techniques like box breathing and Wim Hof breathing. This helps regulate my nervous system and put me in a calm, focused state.
3. Light Movement to Activate My Body
After breathing, I move through a series of basic exercises to get my body fired up. This usually includes glute bridges, McKenzie press-ups, push-ups, and trunk-rotation stretches.
4. Affirmations
Once my body is activated, I shift into mindset work. I go through my affirmations to remind myself of who I am, what I stand for, and how I want to show up each day.
5. Coffee + Planning
Then I make myself a coffee, check my phone, respond to messages, and map out my schedule and priorities for the day.
6. Light Fuel
I usually have something small to eat—typically a mix of carbs and healthy fats—to give me a steady energy kick.
7. Shower & Morning Walk
I take a shower, get ready, and finish my morning routine by taking my dog for our daily walk.
This is how I typically start my mornings to set up my day.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am a Speaker, Coach, Trainer, and Entrepreneur from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Across all of these roles, my core purpose is simple: to inspire transformation in others.
My entrepreneurial journey is rooted in my brand CAM-O, whose mission is to help kids in hospitals feel connected, supported, and seen so they can experience a greater quality of life.
CAM-O was created in honour of my brother Cameron, who passed away at just 10 years old when I was 15.
His dream was to join the military one day, which is why the brand carries the name CAM-O a tribute to camouflage and the strength it represents.
My brother’s life, and our shared struggles, ultimately became the source of my purpose.
Growing up, both of us battled countless life-threatening health conditions brain tumours, arthritis, kidney disease, liver disease, pneumonia, lymphoma, diabetes and at one point, I was taking up to 30 medications a day. Hospitals were all we knew.
Everything changed when I met my mentor.
He helped me see that I was more than a kid in a hospital bed, and that the greatest way to honour myself and honour my brother was to change my life from the inside out.
From 2018 to today, that transformation became my mission.
I am now on zero medications, have managed all former health conditions, and I haven’t been in a hospital as a patient for over four years.
This is a brief look into who I am, what I do, where I come from, and the mission that drives me forward every single day.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
The biggest belief I carried as a child and no longer hold today was the idea that “I am not capable of change.”
Growing up, I was constantly in and out of hospitals, and my circumstances conditioned me to believe that change simply wasn’t meant for me.
When you’re stuck in survival mode, you start to accept that the life you’re living is the only one possible.
That belief shaped everything, not just for me but for my brother as well.
Between my 18 years in hospitals and his 10, our world revolved around illness, treatments, and struggle.
There was no vision beyond that, just a belief that this was all life had to offer.
What shifted everything was losing my little brother and meeting a mentor who called out my excuses and challenged the identity I was holding onto.
It shook me to my core. I reached a point where staying the same was more painful than changing, and I had no choice but to transform.
For many people, that’s what it takes:
a moment you’d never choose, but one you’re forced to face a moment that becomes the catalyst for who you’re meant to become.
That’s where purpose is born.
That’s where drive begins.
And that’s where accountability finally takes root.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
One of the greatest lessons suffering taught me a lesson success on its own never could is that to truly feel happiness, you must first experience pain.
If we never knew suffering, we would have nothing to compare happiness to. Without contrast, joy loses its meaning.
For me, this showed up most clearly in sports.
Growing up, my health challenges kept me from playing basketball at the level I dreamed of.
I spent years on the sidelines, watching instead of participating, wanting instead of doing.
So the day I finally stepped onto the court with no limitations, no arthritis, no pain — the happiness I felt was indescribable.
It was a level of appreciation I don’t think I could have reached without the suffering that came before it.
What’s interesting is that many hoopers I play with now have been healthy their whole lives.
They’ve been playing since they were kids with no restrictions yet they still complain about the smallest inconveniences. A missed shot. A call they didn’t like. A bad game.
When you haven’t faced true suffering, you often create your own.
It becomes self-sabotage, not reality.
Another simple example is training at the gym.
To grow a muscle, the muscle must first break down.
It has to endure discomfort. It has to suffer, even in a controlled way, in order to come back stronger.
That’s the analogy I carry with me:
Suffering isn’t the opposite of growth it’s the foundation of it.
It’s what makes happiness real. It’s what gives success meaning. And it’s what shapes the resilience that lasts a lifetime.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
I think my closest friends would say that connection and communication matter the most to me.
I value these two things deeply because, for most of my life, I didn’t have them.
Growing up in and out of hospitals, surrounded by isolation, medical routines, and constant uncertainty, I rarely experienced real connection and communication often felt limited or out of reach.
Because of that, I’ve learned how essential these two elements are in every friendship and relationship.
Without connection, there’s no real bond.
Without communication, there’s no clarity, trust, or growth.
If you’re not trying to connect let alone communicate you’re not truly living, you’re just existing.
In my experience, when these two things are missing, life feels empty.
You’re filled with anxiety, constantly second-guessing your worth, wondering if you matter to the people around you.
Connection and communication aren’t optional to me they’re the foundation of meaningful relationships and a fulfilled life.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
The story or more importantly, the legacy I hope people tell about me when I’m gone is that I was someone who made a real, positive impact on people’s lives.
I want to be remembered as someone who built an empire rooted in purpose, an empire that inspired millions and provided the tools, resources, and hope needed to overcome struggles that my younger self never believed were possible to rise above.
Not for selfish recognition.
Not for status.
But for an honourable exit one where my life stands as proof that transformation is possible, no matter where you start or what you face.
That’s the legacy I’m committed to creating.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://michaelbrovac.ca/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelbrovac/?hl=en
- Linkedin: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/michael-brovac-bb8a7a222
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michael.brovac/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@michael.brovac
Image Credits
@shotbydigitalcaviar
@juanlacentral
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
