Brad Hook
on Living your Values to Master Resilience
"Living your values is a valiant act!"
Imagine a knight: calm body, clear mind, embodying vitality and resilience in the face of adversity.
Always a seeker, Bradley Hook decided to embark on Joseph Campbell’s hero journey. He dared to “start with values.” Because there’s nothing braver than committing to protect and cherish what matters most to you.
Growing up in South Africa, Brad faced difficult questions and hardships early on. He quickly learned a cold truth: never blindly trust those in power. His grandfather, a gifted storyteller, was his gateway to the world of values. Through kindness and generosity, he’s been the living proof that values endure beyond our physical form: “Human bodies come and go, but stories and values transcend our fragile existence. His values live through me.”
Bradley’s dream of becoming a photojournalist took him on incredible journeys: going broke in Bangladesh, surfing the Baltic Sea, learning magic in India, and training with Kung Fu masters in Vietnam. Along the way, spiritual teachers and monks helped shape his holistic view of life and time. In every interview, Brad tried to uncover the secrets to sustainable high performance.
On his journeys, he discovered a paradox: high performers often lacked fulfilment, while those with little material wealth seemed deeply content. He couldn’t rest until he found the answer to this mystery: “Values guide us, despite the noise and haste of our lives. Sometimes our values and behaviours align so naturally that values fade into the backdrop of our lives, unnoticed but ever-present, like a heartbeat.”
In his new book, "Start With Values", Brad explores why values are like torches in the darkness, illuminating what’s truly important: “They are the quiet companions on life’s journey, speaking the loudest when we risk losing our way.” As an author, speaker, contributor to Entrepreneur Magazine, and host of the Brad Hook Podcast and Resilience Podcast, Brad continues to bring real-world stories to the table, always with warmth, humility, and humour. Beyond writing, he leads the Resilience Lab at the Resilience Institute, where he blends technology with well-being to promote workplace health globally. His love for surfing is reflected in Surfd.com Magazine, which he founded, and in his documentary Waves of Freedom on the transformative power of ocean therapy.
Read Bradley’s answers for Inspirators and take his kind advice to heart. Live your values because “in the golden glow of a values-aligned life, fulfilment emerges. You’ll realize that the journey was worth it, that every step mattered. You only get one chance, so gather your loved ones, confront your dragon, whatever that may be, and come home to tell your story. It matters more than you know. This is your time. This is your story.”
Thank you, Brad, for being a Master of Values!
#INSPIRATORS QUESTIONNAIRE
Name: Bradley (Brad) Hook
Company / Institution:
Values Institute - Founder; Author; Speaker
Resilience Institute - Partner and Head of Resilience Lab; Podcast Host
Website: https://startwithvalues.com; https://resiliencei.com
LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradleyhook/
Country of origin: South Africa
Country you currently live in: New Zealand
Your definition of Regeneration: Healing the natural world, including humans, while building antifragility.
Main business challenge you face: The use of our tools and programs at scale.
Main driver that keeps you going: Purpose, curiosity, and the potential we have to adapt and adjust course.
The trait you are most proud of in yourself: Curiosity.
The trait you most value in others: Kindness.
Passions & little things that bring you joy: Surfing. Storytime with my daughter. Sunsets. Forests.
The Inspirators who determined you to take the regenerative path:
Kelly Slater
Alan Watts
Benoit Greindl
Ian Hutchinson
A starting point for companies or professionals that are beginning the regeneration journey: Develop self-awareness and consider all stakeholders, not just profit.
Most used and abused clichés in sustainability that bother you: The overuse of negativity. Positive messages, like “We healed the ozone layer, what shall we do next?” empower more than doom-laden headlines that provoke panic and fear.
An honest piece of advice for young people who lose hope: Identify one thing that you can control and do that.
Books that had a great impact on you / Must-Reads for any regenerative professional:
Let My People Go Surfing by Yvon Chouinard
A Theory of Everything by Ken Wilber
Biology of Belief by Bruce Lipton
Altruism by Matthieu Ricard
The Source by Dr. Tara Swart
Movies / Documentaries you would watch all over again: I don’t really watch movies twice but love all David Attenborough documentaries, surf films like Castles in the Sky and documentaries like My Octopus Teacher!
Websites / Podcasts you visit frequently: Modern Wisdom, Huberman Labs, Lex Fridman Podcast, anything by Naval Ravikant, Brad Hook Podcast, Resilience Podcast :)!
Music that makes you (and your heart) sing: “Holy” by Netanel Goldberg; Solomun Boiler Room Tulum DJ Set; “Out of the Blue” by System F & Ferry Corsten; “True” by Spandau Ballet.
Places you travelled to that left a mark on you: India, Nepal, Fiji, Rarotonga, Australia, New Zealand, Cornwall (UK).
Global Regenerative Voices you recommend us to follow:
Lindsey Coffey (Miss Earth 2020, view podcast)
Kelly Slater
Trends in Regeneration we should keep an eye on: AI has the potential to play a governance role by overseeing and optimizing complex systems like supply chains, agriculture, and resource management. This concept involves using AI to continuously monitor, adjust, and improve these systems in real time, ensuring they not only meet human needs but also regenerate the environment.
Events we should attend / Best places for networking (online or offline):
World Resilience Day on 21 November.
Impactful and relevant Sustainable Development or Regeneration courses or certifications: B Corp - Resilience Institute was certified in 2024!
Reasons to feel optimistic about our future in 2030: We have the technology we need to solve many of the world’s most pressing issues - it is just about prioritizing efforts sensibly.
Reasons to feel pessimistic about our future in 2030: Greed, corporatocracy, lobbying, weapons industry growth targets, AI (the dead internet theory).
Regenerative Leadership qualities much needed today: Optimism, transparency, resilience, and values-alignment (integrity).
The Inspirator(s) you are endorsing for a future edition:
Lindsey Coffey
Kelly Slater
The quote that inspires you:
"Make this moment golden and your life becomes a series of golden moments." (Osho)
Your quote that will inspire us:
