About the
speaker.

Max is a speaker passionate about instilling self-respect in young men through thoughtful romantic interactions and personal development. He draws on more than 20 years’ experience and witnessing the mistakes repeatedly made by young men when interacting with women. 

Max has observed women distressed after receiving unsolicited explicit images from fellow students and co-workers, then fear repercussions of reporting them. He has seen women distraught after men bombard them with unanswered calls and messages. Max has witnessed women repeatedly and gently turn men down, only for those men to terrifyingly persist. He knows of sexual assault perpetrators claiming they believed a victim was consenting because she didn’t explicitly say “no”.

Over the years, Max realised that young women frequently discuss these issues between themselves, but they were rarely talked about among young men. Given this divide in education and peer learning, it became clear to him that simply telling young men “no means no” is insufficient in the real-world. Max believes that avoidance of difficult topics and the premise of a well-raised boy “figuring things out” is inadequate. 

Max engages with young men on subjects around romance, better equipping them for respectful interactions. He uses real-world examples and embraces practical advice. Max articulates behaviours to avoid, rather than abstract discussions that don't often resonate with young men. His approach was developed with input from multiple young women, men and mothers of teens.

While many of life’s relationship lessons need to be lived, Max believes simple ones can be imparted through engagement with a relatable figure. This can better equip young men, and potentially help them avoid some clumsy trial-and-error that may descend into abusive or threating behaviour.