Happiness Diaries Episode 2: Geoff

The question, “What makes you happy?” wields the same power as the question “What’s your favourite movie?” – all movie titles vanish from your mind’s eye and you’re left with not a single title. Clearly I know what makes me happy. Yet, the moment the question is posed, rational thought invades and I’m left unable to answer one of the most fundamental questions.

Here is my attempt. I am at my happiest when all the vacancies in my life are filled: tender love, physical health, financial comfort, creative stimulation and deep connections shared with the people I’m fortunate enough to call my friends.

I take profound satisfaction from building my company, Boldly, to greater success and the creative collaborations it allows me to pursue. The freedom that motorcycling, sailing and cycling bring and the adventures they allow me to undertake also fill me with happiness. Yet sitting in a cozy coffee shop with a steaming Americano Misto, an excellent book and Billie Holiday crooning in the background as the weather rages outside, is still another source of happiness.

What makes me happy? It would appear nearly everything. Perhaps the answer is simply being present in every moment, experiencing each moment with uncompromising passion and exercising consideration for those both dearest and strangest to your heart.

Geoff is an entrepreneur, film producer and director. Ever since seeing The Lord of the Rings for the first time, Geoff knew that film was the path that he would follow. After a film degree at Simon Fraser University, travelling Europe at the tender age of 21 with his dear friend Colby, and getting a little spicy in Monterrey, Mexico for a year, Geoff, along with his kid-sister, and a brilliant computer-sciencey-smart-dude-friend, decided to start an ambitious new production company in the over-saturated market of Vancouver, aka. Hollywood North. Go Figure. Geoff is pleased to report that against all odds, Boldly is booming and the future is friendly. He loves producing and directing commercials, using Boldly as a platform to support short filmmaking in Vancouver and thinking of new endeavors Boldly can undertake. Currently he is producing a series with writer Shane Koyczan and director Stuart Gillies and is planning to direct his first short film since university with writer Joe Lawthor.

I met Geoff wayyyy back as an 8 year old. We may not have always been peas in a pod as kids, but I have extremely fond memories of filming ridiculous childhood movies (like a paintball field set Vimy Ridge), playing soccer, and summer skim boarding followed by evenings around his family pool. Once we escaped into the big mean world and began finding our places we ended up brothers, likely stemming from the 3 months we spent side by side (or butt to butt in our tiny tent) meandering about Europe as 21 year olds. I have an unbelievable amount of respect and jealousy towards this beautiful man, as he actively pursues a passion he's had since childhood, film, and has built it into a career. A man with a huge heart, who will always help out a friend (or foe) in need, Geoff is one of the rocks in my life. He's a steady calming influence that is able to help keep me in the right lane, and push me to push myself physically and mentally to be better and expand my horizons and opinions. While we may have a proclivity to getting into a little trouble from time to time, how good of friends could we be if we didn't?

Check out BOLDLY for some of Geoff and his teams incredible work!