My son Hamish is really embracing those 3 words that were up on the screen
Peace
Respect
Contribute
On the way home I asked him to tell me what he thought that’s meant
He said a calm environment
Respect everyone in the house and I need to contribute by doing what I am asked straight away
I then asked
Buddy why does it take an outsider to make you see what I’ve asking for the entire time.
Response - mum I’m a kid, all kids their parents are harsh until they start talking to others or hear it from others.
I left it there, I was happy with that response
So far so good
My son turned to me straight after the event and said "that was really good". He said he thought his younger sister should go too.
He also said in the car ride home: "John knew what you were going to ask, didn't he mum?" after your suggestion that we don't ask what our boys thoughts are on the night immediately afterwards. We had a laugh about that.
I'm not sure if it was your talk, or a combination of things, but my son does seem slightly happier these weeks after the event. We've made some big changes recently and it's been hard watching some of our decisions play out in a less than ideal way for our son.
He's brought up your talk and 'backstory' a couple of times and connected with your words about being balanced. I think the discussion probably helped with some context and having a broader view of situations.
As for me, I spoke about your talk to my husband and he said he wished he had gone along after all. One of the things that stood out for me was a link between depression and purpose. I also thought I should be more accepting of my son's strategies. He has some good ones in place and although I have been hoping for different outcomes, due to your talk I can see it is a way he is coping with new experiences.
So thanks very much and we wish you all the best in your future talks/presentations.
In the world where gentle parenting screams that punishing kids, raising your voice, acting stronger than the rest, enforcing rock solid boundaries is wrong, what you are teaching is refreshing. We don't need to be friends with our kids, we don't need to raise them like their shit don't stink - that's if we don't want them to grow up thinking that the world will bend to their needs and wants. Also the concepts of delayed gratification and setting goals for longer than "I want it right now" are very valuable.
You do an amazing job we have only attended one session with our two daughters ( who didn't want to go at the time) and I can say we all left better for it.Keep doing what you're doing. Thank you
Last Wednesday night was met with I don't want to go, why? Exactly as you know it does. And we all know being a teen can suck at times, but my girl has the double whammy she's losing her dad to cancer. Her spirit, confidence and sense of adventure has mostly gone. I'm doing anything I can to put her in front of people who just may help. And you John are one. After your event our half hour drive home became an hr going into the city to sit under the harbour bridge and talk, and cry and laugh. She said your words were reminiscent to things her dad and I already say to her. She knows her confidence is fading in most areas except school work, which is great but she hyper focuses on exams and being good enough for two parents who just ask to do her best. She now says out loud competence =confidence and her catch phrase, "it's a John thing" lolSo thank you for putting yourself out there to do these nights, it is soooo worth it. You may have seen her sad, seemingly not interested but she listened. You may have seen me tearing up that's because you hit home. We will look at online ones in future and one day I hope to bring a healed girl to your event.We thankyou from our hearts
50min before the event at home my daughter screams from her room “I’m not going mum and if you make me go, I’ll hate you for it. This is so unfair, you didn’t even ask me if I wanted to go”. Then to make things worse she starts with the tears as well. But I was determined as you said in the email not to let any words or facial expressions and objections get in the way of coming to the event.
In the car immediately after the event “mum that was really really good, so much he said made sense to me. “Can we please go get something to eat and talk”.
My 16yr old daughter Kelly & I came to your event in west Sydney last week and this is just what happened before and afterwards. I’ve been wanting to come for so long but there’s always been something on. And to be honest she’s been against it and anything I suggest. I ignore it most times, but she was super nasty on this occasion. I said nothing on the way out, but we got in the car, and we ended up talking for 45min. Thanks for having the courage to do these events John, they are very important.
My daughter & I attended one of your workshops in Rockhampton last year. It was raw & real & to be honest I think it was better because you were a male!Thank you for all that you do for our beautiful young people!
Thanks heaps for the session last week, both my daughter and I got a lot out of it. Here's what Jess wanted to feed back to you and others looking to join: Jessie E "It was great, it really made me rethink, I've learnt to brush things off. I'm focusing more on myself and not whether people are judging me. It really helped me with improving my mindset, knowing in any situation there might be someone who might try and push me down, but I can ignore that and just do what's best for me." Sandy (parent) "I wasn't sure what we were getting into, but I'm so glad we came to this session. Rev combined empathy and first hand experience with a touch of tough love for both parents and kids, and practical things we can implement at home together. I think all of us can benefit from this message and highly recommend! If you come back to Canberra, we'll be coming back." Thanks again, you're doing fantastic, vulnerable important work and wishing you every success in reaching as many people as humanly possible :) (no pressure)
Good afternoonI’ve really taken my time to process and think about what I would like to write. Firstly, wow! What a spectacular event! It was eye opening and really helped to see things through a different lense. Although I work with children every day, I am still learning and the biggest thing my daughter and I have taken away from this night is a newfound level of respect. Coming home from school now my daughter stops, gives me a hug and asks about my day before continuing with her own. This doesn’t in any way feel forced and for a 13 year old - it’s nice to be able to hug her again without being “cringe”.
My 12 year old daughter didn't really want to come and acted disengaged the whole workshop but I want to report a win:
When we got in the car I told her I would honour not asking her takeaways for 72 hours. Mic drop - she WANTED to talk to me and rattled off all the things you had said. We then spent the whole hour drive home chatting about stuff. She asked me to do a vision board, researching jobs to apply for and wants to watch my Tony Robbins videos docos with me. Thanks again - even though she acted like she didn't enjoy it, her actions tell me otherwise.
Won't forget that one anytime soon! (and we discussed how it works both ways).
Thank you for an amazing night.
While Ashleigh hasn’t voiced much about the night, she has been a dream at home. Bedroom door had been open, blinds up, coming out and talking to us.
So we have definitely seen some changes since your seminar. Thank you!
Ashleigh was bashed badly by a local girl in June last year.
She has been very isolated since then but thanks to your event she seen she isn’t alone.
Hi John,I just wanted to say thank you for the seminar, it was a real eye opener and both my daughter and I really got a lot out of it.
My daughter remarked on the way home that it felt like you had been watching us for the past couple of years as you captured her life and challenges so well. We are excited to use the skills taught moving forward and we can already see a change in the way she is approaching life.
Thank you again and we will be recommending you to all our friends.
Hi John Thank you for bringing your insightful and refreshing presentation of Savage Angels to Ballarat. My daughter got so much out of it, as did my husband and I. “Savage Angels was a great experience for me and I realised that my parents might be having a bad day too. This was a great thing to do” – Lara 11yo.
We loved the no nonsense approach, the honesty, the humour and the content that was covered. We hope that these messages stay with our daughter as she begins to navigate the trials of teenage-hood! She’s even asked us to remind her about Savage Angels if she ever speaks to us with disrespect or starts to head down the wrong path with her group of friends.
Highly recommend this to other parents who are looking to give their daughter some great coping tools to help navigate the tricky teenage years.
Hi John,
Absolutely LOVED the session last night. I wish your program was around when I was growing up. Thank you for doing what you do, I believe you will change many lives, young and old. I have recommended you to our local primary school for the older classes.
I wish I had known about your boys talk the night before, my 18yo and his dad would have got so much out of it.
I didn’t take enough notes and feel like I’ve forgotten all the important things you said.
Anyway you were brilliant, it was brilliant and I will definitely see you at your next Ballarat event. Thank you
We have done a lot of work as a family & individuals on mental health challenges. I just wanted to thank you for giving some truth bombs and clear strategies to dealing with some of these issues & the accountability required
My wife and I took both of our daughters to listen to Rev when he was in Mackay last. An absolutely brilliant night, Rev even took time after the event to talk directly with our youngest and us about ways she could deal with some toxic friends at school. This directly led to a change in her friends circle that she was able to initiate. Definitely going again.
Wow what a night! I not only took away tips for becoming a better, more understanding mum, but also took a lot away that I can use for myself, my anxiety and my self-esteem. Stevie was struggling at school socially which led to struggles with her own mental health. She has come away from the night feeling so passionate about not needing to please those not so nice friends and that being on her own at break times is not as bad as being with mean people. Being 1 of the ushers, helped boost her confidence with meeting new people. Giving Stevie the opportunity to speak about her head shaving and fundraising at the end of the night was also a real confidence boost and having so many girls and parents come and acknowledge her for this and to say hi, made her realise that there are some really awesome people around, it made her feel very loved. Thank you Rev, we will be back next year!Bec Wilson (mum of Stevie) I LOVED it, and when i say LOVED i mean it! Rev has helped me and my mum become better at understanding each other! I have started standing up for my self more at school. I feel happier at school and have recently started think ''hey maybe it's not that bad being at school on my own, it's better than being with fake friends who gossip about me behind my back and are mean to my face", and Rev has helped me to realise that I don't need to put up with crap anymore. Rev helped me with my self-esteem and that I am worth more. I loved being part of the opening and meeting all the Savage Angels walking through the door. Thank you so much!
Thank you for coming to Shepparton, everything you said we could both relate to and some things really hit home with my daughter Lily. You gave her the tools to help her begin to overcome her daily struggles at school but you also helped me understand my daughter on a different level and how harmful negativity can be, no matter where it comes from. Thank you again.
Straight up the guts..... helped me and my daughter learn about each other all the best to those who attend
This night meant so much to me and my daughter. To see other girls similar ages to her that have also been bullied verbally and cyber!
Called hurtful names and made to feel worthless! I think it was good that you involved the audience if they wanted to share anything. It was real and I only wish my husband was able to attend. You hit the nail on the head about everything.
It felt like I was getting my 13yr old back. I look forward to the boys one next.
Please keep spreading your message - you are changing and saving lives.
As a parent of a 14yo girl I thought it was fantastic. I got so much out of it but one of the best things was seeing that all the other parents are going through the same things.
I am not the only parent that lives with a princess who can turn into a fire breathing dragon at the drop of a hat.
The princess is still processing the night as lots of your messages cut very close to the bone.
I really appreciated your direct and honest approach…no mincing of words…making the girls aware of how their behaviour affects family life.
How some simple actions can help them navigate school and home.
I found the event to be great and the opportunity for Hope to assist with showing others in was a great opportunity for her and really helped her to do something she would not normally do.
Hope is on the spectrum (ASD2) and I was amazed at how she stepped up and also willingly put her hand up to answer questions - this is not typical for Hope.
I really liked to section on what parents want (peace, respect and contribution) and also the 3 things to look forward to (now, medium term and long term). These two have been things that we have already started to chat about.
Thanks again for a great and valuable night.
We thoroughly enjoyed the event, it put perspective and onus of our actions and accountability on owning our thoughts and values of ourselves. After speaking with our daughter and revisiting what was spoken about, what we can extract from the experience and how we will implement it, this was the core of our interpretation and experience1. OWNERSHIP - of our actions - of our thoughts of ourselves - of our enabling others opinions, thoughts, judgements to derail us. 2. PEACE - To ourselves, stop speaking negatively to ourselves and letting those thoughts be the front runner. Negative thoughts will pop in to interfere - thats okay and normal- but letting them reign is not. - to our home. If I want peace I must contribute to that. Big one for the grumpy teen in the morning . No more excuses, find ways to keep the peace we ALL want 3. RESPECT - ourselves with our thoughts - each other, especially the ones closest to us - learning to dismiss the unkind words of those who don't even respect themselves and what value those words even hold. We had a great night, it was engaging the whole presentation and we are very appreciative that these events can be offered to the community - it is imperative in the world we live in today.
Thank you for your kindness and time to come to Mareeba and talk to the community ), the event was a big success. What our family got out of this was the ability to reinforce the basic skills and respect can get you a long way in life.
It brought me a lot of mixed emotions, that I had to deal with and face up to and shape the future for my daughter. And gave me the encouragement to make changes.
I saw an ad on Facebook for an upcoming event in Newcastle & felt to write this.
I attended this a few years ago with my daughter. I didn’t think I’d even get her to attend It was truly amazing. We got so much out of it, but completely different things than each other.
It opened the door to so many conversations not only that night but in the days and weeks that followed.
Highly recommend.
Thankyou so much for doing what you do! As we were getting in the car after your talk, I was thinking about how to bring up certain topics to my daughter. Well I didn't have too, She burst into tears of relief and hope. She resonated with so much of what you said and saw how she could overcome certain challenges. We followed the strategy plans and wrote down her dreams, and her small, medium and large things to plan and look forward too. Unbelievably, not one but TWO mentors have come into her life this past month, one a complete stranger we met on our dog walk! Both have offered so much time and their own life skills to educate my daughter in her dreams and goals as well as boost her self esteem and confidence. She admires, and respects both women which helps hold her accountable and responsible for her goals. I highly recommend Rev to all of those with teenage daughters (or sons) to come and hear him speak. Although my daughter and I have a great relationship, the age brings so many new feelings, fears and worries, for both of us, but Rev has helped us to take control, plan and focus on the facts, not the doubts and worries!
Great event!!
As a single mum with a 15 year old daughter – I do know that I am pretty lucky with the girl I have. So far, we have the most amazing relationship and friendship and I know she respects me.
We both took a lot away from the event and we were both really happy to have come along.
My daughter is currently working on her ‘dream strategy’ and we have talked about mentors.
Great event – both of us have been spreading the word about how great it was.
Thank you!!
My daughter and I talked about strategies the whole way home. She has decided to implement them when she is not being treated nicely by so called friends at school.
Kayla (11) said that going to your event gave her a better understanding of things than before. I also learned a lot and have been more present when at home and on my phone less, trying to model better behaviour for my girls.
Thanks for being truly inspiring and we would definitely come to an event again when you're next down this way.
Thank so much for doing what you do rev. Last Thursday night was an eye opener for my husband & i to say the least.
We can now see a few key areas where we’ve allowed our authority & respect to be worn down. Not being prepared to pay the price that consistency requires (as you say) is the biggest reason for the situation we are currently experiencing.
We have both been guilty of this in different ways and have been paying the price for it. But that’s changing as of yesterday. What will make this a little easier is that our daughter is on board. She actually thanked us for bringing her & apologised for her nasty text msgs beforehand. See actually took more notes on her phone than me on the night.
We know it’s going to be a long road ahead but how it’s been is not an option we will allow to continue.
Thank you so much for tonight.
We are grandparents who have had custody of our now 12yr old for the past two years.
Your session has touched on so much of what we have gone through and I feel this will improve our relationship immensely.
Remarkable! An amazing night, so much passion, raw and real life.
Highly recommend
Rev, you have such a positive impact on your audience, your words and presentation is like the turning point for so many effective, passionate, real and from the heart it just hits home.
Your words have stayed with us ever since we saw you.
We are grateful that you offer these events and share your experience and commonsense to our teens and us parents ❤️
Thank you so much for an amazing event last night! My girls (12 & 11) and I really enjoyed it. I believe that we can use your strategies to help alleviate some of the pressures of high school and bullying and I am really hopeful that it will be a success ❤️
You have an amazing ability to speak to people (even if your mind is distracted by a passing bird 😜) and the words you speak have a lot of volume 😍
Thank you again, we highly recommend and hope you’ll be back in Penrith again soon 🥰
Took my 13 yr old. So helpful. We had to pull over on the way home for some amazing chats. She'd been going through so much and I was worried sick but this opened a beautiful dialogue between the two of us. Can't recommend enough.
Parent who described the session as practical, encouraging and highly valuable. Gemma highlighted the positive influence Motov8 has on boys and families, praising the genuine connection, honesty and guidance provided throughout the event.
A 14-year-old attendee who came with his brothers. Max reflected on the impact the event had on his family, saying it helped him and his brothers better appreciate their mother and work towards treating her with greater respect.
Attended the Gold Coast event with her son Leon. Kyla shared that the event reinforced important life lessons, helped Leon identify areas for personal growth, and led to significant improvements in respect, responsibility and behaviour at home.
Parents who attended the Bokarina event with their son Toby. They praised the way Motov8 connects with both parents and boys, reporting noticeable positive changes in their family within just 36 hours of attending.
Mother of a Year 8 boy who struggled with severe bullying, low self-esteem and school refusal. Catherine said Motov8 provided practical strategies, confidence and guidance for both her son and their family, with positive changes still being noticed days later.
We drove 700km’s yesterday just to see Rev. What an absolute champion. If Revs story didn’t leave a lump in your throat or a tear in ya eye than nothing will. Such a raw, uncut story of his life as a child, the trauma and wrong paths, followed by the amazing way he’s turned his life around and created Motov8. His passion for helping our young boys absolutely shines through in his seminars. I’m sure all 300 people in that room took something away from it last night. We arrived early to help set up and sell some merch, stayed late to help pack up, then enjoyed a fantastic breakfast this morning with Rev before driving home. Our whole family got so much out of this trip as individuals and as a family unit. We 100% recommend Rev and MotoV8. Worth every cent! Cheers Rev
Took my son to this event, drove 11/2 hours there & 11/2 back was well worth it .first ones there & had a choice of seats, my son is 11 years old & has massive anxiety, watched him put up his hand when asked a question (which is totally unlike him ) on the way out asked if we could come back again & thanked me for bringing him . He relished that he is not the only on going through this . He told me tonight that when he grows up he wants to be a motivational speaker just like Rev. You are a super hero that helps kids with your super powers of words . Thanks , can't wait to see you next time
We went as a family to last nights event in South Morang. My 13 yo was being challenging before we left home and the 11yo wasn’t really interested. I’m so happy to say they were both engaged the whole time. Got a little fidgety toward the end but that’s understandable. On the way home they both declared this guy is better than seeing a psychologist cause he’s lived it and that makes him more qualified and believable. Thanks Rev. oh and they want you to come to their schoo
Took my 14 year old son along to the event tonight... "I don't really want to go mum", but he went anyway.... Rev spoke with genuine energy and passion and from the heart. My son engaged, listening and answering group questions as Rev spoke with great eye contact and connecting to the boys. His message was very clear and was happy to rearticulate himself so he was understood. Rev addressed parents also with humor and great advice. From son:. Was informative and felt really personal as he spoke eye to eye with me, Answered all the questions that we had, and included the parents. Thumbs up from us
From our son 'This talk was inspiring to me, it made me feel like there were more kids like me struggling to deal with these emotions that have started appearing out of no where and with no reason too.' As parents one of our biggest concerns has been finding a way were we can best communicate our concerns and if we were doing the right thing for our son. This talk was very reassuring that we are heading down the right track and just need to keep fighting and engaging and challenging him to commit to doing better for his own personal health and wellbeing. And a great reminder that we don't always set the best examples at times, the kick in the pants we needed with brutal honesty too.
Rev was totally engaging the whole time, and I can't thank him enough for putting himself out there and say it simply so the boys get it! Conversations were flowing on our way home, as my boys reflected on their take of Motov8, and told stories of their own achievements, when they pushed through their own boundaries and felt proud of themselves! I hope to see more changes as my boys connect back with each other, and realise what they can do to bring love, peace and respect back to our home. Even though my nearly 17 and nearly 20 year old boys were typically reluctant to go, they both thanked me for taking them at the end! Highly recommend!! Thanks for giving us hope Rev!!
RevGreat night tonight. The boys and I thoroughly enjoyed. Got them thinking! For us, they are both good kids, good at school and kind at heart. However, both are locking themselves away with devices and being lazy AF. It's about getting out there, spreading the competence therefore gaining the confidence in a range of activities of interest. Not isolating and being a recluse. The elder (14) is dealing with anxiety and non belief in himself, although his peers and coaches around him do! This seems to create stress, doubt and the onset of depression. As much as we try to get him to face up to the demons, don't listen to that voice of doubt and gain the competence. It’s not about the win, it’s also about the loss and all between. We believe he needed to hear it from others. The night was exactly what he needed to hear!Love your work!
We parents seeking answers and more tools to improve our parenting listen to parenting speeches of all kinds. This one is different and worth going to if you can with your son. We attended Rev’s MotoV8 talk in Whangarei NZ.My 11yr old son unprompted said on the way home “that was awesome mum”! He felt special helping out and sitting up front with his mate. He loves motorbikes. I am sure even at his age something landed for him, that was more than I expected from him. He sat through the whole 90min listening, which is not something I have not witnessed unless he is on a device. So kai pai Rev. Thank you and looking forward to your return and bringing my daughter to your girls event one day. Kia kaha.
After having attended Motov8ing Boys with my husband and son last night, I can recommend attending one of Revs workshops with every ounce of my being.This man speaks a truth I believe we as parents, AND our sons need to hear.It's raw, it's honest and it's admirable.Myself, hubby and son all took so much away after Revs talk last night and I know in my heart of hearts that these will be things we hold on to and carry through for as long as we need to. And something hubby and I will hold on to for when our younger 2 boys hit adolescence too.Rev, I admire your honesty and your depth, and truly appreciate your time.Thank you so much
Great messaging tonight, thank you so much for bringing practical, value based reason to light.Our teen has had a lot to manage with dealing with difficult situations and your effort has really resonated for her. In this scary world where children are not always coming from healthy family environments and mental health is thrown around as the excuse your words bring great clarity. Thank you so much Rev and we will definitely see you again with our son when he’s the right age!
Wow, what a great informative and passionate speaker with a great intention. Thank you! Your story is incredible and touching! My boy and I are grateful!Thank you!
I went to the Dunedin event, highly recommend getting your son/s along to see the Rev. He speaks some honest truths and let’s himself be vulnerable so the kids know they’re not alone. Really enjoyed by both my son and I. Thanks Rev!
Fantastic seminar. Great story about perseverance and the power of just one person that believes in you to make a difference and shift in a young persons life. Highly recommend. Great tips for helping young teen boys and parents.
Rev, you are an amazing human being!We attended the Tauranga seminar, both parents and both step parents for our 13 year old boy! So much of what you shared we can relate to all our kids, not just the boys and last night has given us some new tools to work with that we're already seeing a return from!I was surprised at how much of what you shared related to us as adults too. We even picked up Some massively helpful life skills. Thank you for taking the time to sign our boys skateboard at the end of the night. That small act of kindness solidified the whole evening in our boys mind and made him really feel apart of the whole experience! THIS IS SO WORTH IT!DO IT! GO ALONG! LISTEN WITH AN OPEN MIND AND HEART!YOU WONT REGRET IT!Thanks again Rev!
I attended Motov8 event with two of my boys, aged 13 and 15 years old in Edinburgh. I was a bit dubious about going as had heard lots of negativity on a local Facebook page about the event possibly being religious / cult based. I decided I wouldn't be small minded and judge someone from things i had read on social media so went along. John was very open and honest about what had led him to run these events and why he wanted to try and help kids make the right choices. I know that what he said has already made a difference to how my 15 year old sees his life in the future. He is slowly beginning to recognise how he can make things better by changing his attitude / friendship group. He has already talked about coming up with different goals to aim for and how he will reach them. So if you have teens and are struggling with them, I'd highly recommend this. An inspirational person who doesn't deserve to be judged as harshly as he was. keep up the good work. I would love to see you in our High Schools soon. The kids desperately need relatable role models.
Firstly, thank you so very much for tonight. We are on our 1hr trip home, and we had a great time at the seminar. Both boys, and husband were sceptical, and thought tonight was probably going to be boring and hard to sit through. At the end of the night, all 3 of them said it was not boring at all, and they were genuinely surprised.
My nephew said all boys should attend your seminars. In his words ‘it was a banging mad night.’ We all took something away from tonight. At times I thought you were directly talking to my stepson and other times I thought you were talking directly to my nephew. Both have very separate issues…. You hit a cord with both of them.
My husband and I also walked out inspired and motivated. Thank you! If you ever come to Tamworth, please give me a yell. We are moving there, and would be happy to help you set up an event.
Insistent impact! As our daughter was discussing the depression strategy, as we left the building.
Found a lot of value in the topics that were discussed, helpful for both daughter and parents.
Planning on attending future events when you’re back in Townsville.
“I didn’t know that when I brought my 14 year old daughter to Savage Angels, that my inner wounded 14 year old self would get so much out of it.
You’re speaking not just to the current generation of girls, but to the girls past, present and future. As I’m now over 40 I certainly didn’t expect to be impacted as much as I was.
On behalf of my 14 year old daughter, and my 14 year old inner self, thank you.”
Hey Rev we met at your Auckland talk and with my girl straight afterwards we had open conversations about a lot of things. My hubby who couldn't attend noticed a fabulous turn around in asking us mum n dad how our days were and being present while we spent time together as our family unit. loved your talk and will recommend you to anyone with boys or girls and parents navigating their ways through life. Thanks for the Tuff love I agree with you every single time!! You're awesome and are doing amazing work keep it up as we need you
I just wanted to say thank you once again for last night. I didn’t come with any expectations but I was blown away by how much Michael and I took away.
He related so much to your teenage years and the experiences you had at school. His experience isn’t exactly the same but he’s experienced bad teasing about weight (he’s recently dropped about 20kg for himself but also because of how much their words and grabbing at him hurts). There’s also the other daily grinds, the repeated go to’s of the awful few and their “offsiders”. You reached him with that stuff.
The teachers who only see his reaction and don’t hear his pain or give consequences to those delivering the pain. He heard you and you made him understand that he is not alone. You spoke in his language and you were raw and real and true. You’re a successful, cool, adult doing things you love to do who also helps others. He saw all that and that he could be like that too. I too felt your stories deeply. It’s been a hard road helping guide him through this stuff on my own often not knowing if I’m being the right support for him. Not always doing the right things or getting it right and beating myself up when I don’t. I’m not a boy, I try my best but men need guidance from men at times too. I laughed a lot, and almost shed a tear a couple times, there was a lot to unpack in what you gave us. I don’t know what will stick and what won’t. Time will tell it’s all a work in progress but man, I am so glad we came.
Thanks also for letting him volunteer at the start. Was a real buzz for him - confidence, responsibility - he felt good about himself after doing that and I’m super grateful you gave him the chance.
I found the advertisement for Motov8 like it was a sign!
It came up on my feed, caught my eye and after just reading it I booked VIP tickets for my 13 year old boy, hubby and myself.
Then I looked at some YouTube footage and was so looking forward to the event.
My son is in Year 8. He had the worst time in Year 7 with bullying which destroyed his self-esteem and along with it his willingness to go to school.
I was devastated and so worried and being our eldest I was seeking help anyway I could. I got him a counsellor at school, then a psychologist, then medication.
Then the other night we went to Motov8.
Rev managed to cover everything we had experienced and needed guidance and advice on.
Through his own personal experiences and his delivery of the information he was able to tap into my son's mind and keep it brutally real, but this also kept over 100 boys that night engaged and thinking.
Two days later my son is still coming away with more strategies and confidence from all he learnt in just 2 hours from Rev.
Us parents were able to relate to his experiences as well.
He's not a preacher, he's not a psychologist, he is one of us. A parent, husband and a man who lived through a tough adolescence to turn his life around and change thousands of lives for the better.
I highly recommend you go. He touches on all different issues you may be experiencing raising a boy in this world today.
Absolutely brilliant, loved your talk and my son was engaged throughout, which is unheard of.
Thank you for sharing your gift of motivating, inspiring boys.
As a father of a 14yo son and 12yo triplet girls, I genuinely took quite a bit away from listening to you speak.
It wasn’t so much that I walked away with brand-new ideas, but more that what you were saying gave me reassurance that I’m on the right track.
I do agree that we don’t let our kids sit in guilt for long enough anymore, and that’s something I try to work on as well, alongside positive reinforcement.
We took our boys to this last year, very engaging and we all came away with something to think about and reflect on.
Worth going along.
Fantastic presentation for all the family at North Brisbane last night.
We realise we all need to make changes so we can all be and do better in the future!
Great to be reassured we can and should say NO to teenage boys when appropriate.
Thank you.
I just wanted to take a moment to thank you.
You met my son in September in Perth, and the impact you had on him has been far greater than you might realise.
While he still has a journey ahead with his mental health, he took so much away from your session.
Since then, he’s been setting small goals and slowly working towards them, which has been incredibly encouraging to see as a parent.
He’s even started talking about returning to Muay Thai next year, after stepping away during a difficult period, this time with a fresh start and a healthier mindset.
He often mentions how much your words and time meant to him, and he’s already said he’d love the chance to see you again next year and tell you in person how you helped and show you how far he’s come.
Thank you for the care, encouragement, and impact you had. It truly mattered to our family.
Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and all the best for the year ahead.
Hi, I just wanted to reach out.
We came to your show a couple of years ago in Auckland NZ. I was at breaking point with my son.
He used to beat me up. He gave up on schooling etc.
Fast forward since coming to your show, he is now regulating his behaviours himself, he hasn't laid another finger on me and he is acing school.
In fact he just got an honours award at high school last week.
So thank you, thank you, thank you!
Hey John, it was great to go to your event.
I bought my 2 step sons. I thought they'd complain that I dragged them along but both of them said the event was good.
We've had a lot of trouble with the oldest boy and girl with negative family influence creeping into our home.
The kids were told not to follow our rules and to ignore what we say.
Since going to your event I've seen a lot more respect from the boys and more engagement with me and my partner.
The boys will now sit and talk with us and are following rules a lot more.
I'd love to know when you're having a Savage Angels event. I think it would be good for our daughter Molly.
Love to talk more.
I wanted to come up and speak to you on Monday night but it was very hard to keep the tears at bay.
You hit on the words and actions of disrespect that boys show towards their mums and dads. We had our 13-year-old son Max sitting between us.
In the last 4 months my husband and I have had things said to us that only 6 months before we could not have imagined. His daily explosive rants and physical outbursts have had us on edge all the time.
We didn’t tell him we were coming to the event until he was in the car and on the way for fear of what could happen.
We were called every name under the sun, my seat thumped the whole way there and then threatened that he would run away.
We walked in the door and his eyes lit up when he saw your bike and the dirt bike image on the screen.
You came over to where we were seated and said hi and complimented him on his hoodie. You shook his hand and made him stand up and do it again because he didn’t look you in the eyes and only gave you his fingers to shake.
Then you got him up on your bike and spoke to him for a few minutes about your bike and the ride you had done to Cape York.
You were not to know this but Max loves the bush and Cape York is his favourite part of Australia.
Max then sat through the whole event and didn’t say a word to us. He watched and listened like I have never seen him focus before.
At the end of the night he asked if I would come up to say hi to you but I was a mess so his dad came up with him.
He was very quiet in the car on the way home but when we got home he told us that he’s ashamed of his behaviour and that he is very sorry.
He said he wants to use the same strategy you got the other boy up to work through so that he can stop things before they get any worse.
Rev, we’re under no illusion of the work that’s yet to be done but want to say thank you from the bottom of our hearts for coming to Ballarat.
Hey Rev,
Thank you so much for tonight it meant the absolute world to me.
If you forgot who I am, I was the young boy last night who helped you with your bike and trailer and sitting on that 450 just made me realise how it means if my parents say "if you don't ask you don't get".
Your story is so inspiring to me and I just love how everything you do is my dream to do.
At school I've been struggling with bullying and not being able to speak to people because of social anxiety. Doing that job at the door to check the tickets really helped me learn that speaking isn't that hard anymore and all it takes is just to be yourself.
Your speech last night really helped me and I wrote down notes that I might need to help me.
I've always wanted to own a dirt bike so I could ride with friends and my uncle and cousin. Seeing that boy get your old dirt bike made me really, really want that to happen to me but I know it just won't which is why I'm starting to save for my own Yamaha YZ250F or anything really.
Thank you so much for last night, it really made me happy and smile to see you get up and speak about your life.
Never, ever did I expect that last night would have an instant impact on Leon.
Don't get me wrong, there was "hope" but to see him relate to the things you spoke about, not just at school but the impact his choices have on me as his mum.
I wasn't even sure if he'd be able to sit through the first 5 minutes, let alone the entire night.
Having the opportunity to help, gave him more than you know. He felt valued, understood and important, even just for that moment.
We both took a lot away from the experience and I'm excited to rebuild our perspectives and responses to life's challenges moving forward.
Awesome work up there. So much resonated for me with the OCD, ADHD, overthinking/over analysing, social anxiety etc.
As I was leaving my boys, both told me it was great and had fun which they weren’t expecting. I think they (particularly my 12yo) ‘heard’ a lot in what you touched on over the course of the night.
As we drove away they both kept talking to me about it so I trod carefully as I didn’t want to do the whole pressing thing.
We agreed that those words are going on our fridge and the reference to CPR is that they are like the lifeline in a household and if you work on those things together, then you should be ok.
Thank you for the evening. Not expecting miracles but certainly some things to work with.
OMG, thank you so much for doing what you do. We have just gotten home from your Newcastle seminar. You are amazing. As a mum of 4 boys 25, 21, 15 and 12.
We have taken so much from tonight and can't wait to work on what we have learnt even as parents. The way you put shit made so much sense.
Much love to you for what we have learnt as a family tonight. Charlie and Tommi (the mic runner) both will benefit from listening to you and working to change their view of the world.
Fantastic event.
We really enjoyed it and we saw a noticeable difference in our two boys' actions and attitudes in the following days.
Thank you!
I attended one of these events, definitely recommend it.
This guy is real, passionate and relatable.
I can imagine he has impacted many in a positive way.
Great work.
Attending Motov8 with John McMahon last week was an eye-opening experience.
John's energy, straight-talking approach, and ability to connect with the audience made for an engaging and impactful session.
He didn't just deliver motivation; he delivered a wake-up call—challenging limiting beliefs, encouraging resilience, and pushing for real action.
His stories were relatable, his insights were practical, and his delivery was refreshingly no-nonsense.
Whether you're a teen looking for direction or a parent wanting to inspire your kids, this event was a powerful reminder that mindset and choices shape success.
Highly recommend!
I recommend this to any teenage boy and their parents.
It helped me deal with my son better and gave me better ways of dealing with my own emotions and mental health.
Hey dude I just wanted to say thank you so much for tonight.
You probably don't remember me, I was sitting at the back in a black jumper, but I just wanted to say I think what you do is really good and you made me realise that there is more to life than just video games.
Keep up the great work dude.
Tonight I took two of my grandson's to see John at Ipswich in Qld.
They only found out where they were going about two days ago so instantly didn't want to go. Like they even had a choice.
They both learned something tonight. I just hope they start to use what they learnt.
John, I would like to thank you for using your life's experiences to help the youth of today and hopefully tomorrow.
You help the boys but also the parents. There were a few stories tonight, other than yours, that broke my heart. I was actually in tears when one of the fathers got up to speak at the end.
Parents and children now know they are not alone with the issues they face.
Thank you so much John, tonight was very enlightening and you are amazing.
Kind regards, Pennie Chalupa.
Thanks Rev for sharing your stories and your wealth of knowledge last night.
I traveled from north of the Sunny Coast to south of the Gold Coast to attend your event last night with my 14yr old son as I just knew we needed to attend one of your events (gut feeling).
I can’t begin to tell you how my parenting will never be the same again. I have been inspired, motivated and grounded as a person and more so as a parent.
My son heard some hard home truths last night and so did I.
You have given me the motivation and confidence to carry on parenting him with love and conviction as I now have direction.
Keep on doing your great work.... the boys need it as do we parents.
Respect, Mare.
Many thanks Rev attended your Deakin University - Burwood Seminar event last night.
Yes, you got it in one our boy didn't want to attend but it was so pleasing to see him shake your hand and say thanks afterwards.
It was a great presentation and I love that you don't hold back, it certainly gave our boy some thinking so thank you - highly recommend!
Hi Rev, I am your friend in the salmon shirt from Townsville!
I am 11 years old and I loved your speech last night. It was very powerful and motov8ting!
I hope you are having a great day. And especially hope you had a great ride at Douglas and Smithfield bike parks! I love to ride MTB and have been peddling since I was 2 years old!
Once again your presentation was wonderful and you have definitely inspired me with some powerful messages for my future.
Thank you so much!
Keep shredding on the bikes!
We went along to Motov8 Nelson with our 11 year old son in hopes it might inspire some positive changes that are much needed in his (our) life.
We enjoyed your straight talking, no nonsense approach which really engaged the boys in the room (and the parents). You talked with real authenticity which is a rare thing these days.
We learned a lot and although our boy didn't talk too much on the way home he did say he identified with some of the stories you told.
Fingers crossed some of the advice gets taken on board.
I love your vision and good luck with your UK tour.
Thank you John for all that you do.
I subscribed to your online events because I couldn't make it in person to check it out, and I'm so glad I did. Really practical tools in no bullshit language.
Who doesn't want that! I didn't have to be there to feel a connection because you shared your experiences from the heart. That is really powerful. Having parents and kids together is so important too.
I think everyone can get something helpful from your sessions, especially about calling your own bullshit, goal-setting and better decision-making.
Thanks for the honesty and also really digging into topics about life choices and just loving yourself. We need to talk about this more and all of the time.
I will definitely recommend your online and in-person events.
What an absolutely incredible night. My husband and I both walked away feeling inspired and honestly pretty emotional.
The way the speaker connected with the boys, but also with all the parents in the room, was something really special. It was raw, real and so relatable.
You could tell every person there took away something different from the night, and that's what made it so powerful.
We'll definitely be attending again next time he's in town because there's always something new to learn and reflect on.
Massive thank you for putting together such an important event for our community! God bless.
Hi John,
Thanks so much for last night. Your presentation was fantastic and we all got a lot out of it.
You are a very engaging speaker and I think hit a note with most people there.
Thanks again and good luck with the girls seminar tonight.
I want to say thank you for tonight's event. It really was an eye opener for me as a mum, and for my partner (step dad to my kids). But most importantly, my sons felt encouraged and uplifted tonight.
Both of my sons were hesitant about coming along, but they were grateful they did. My youngest, who struggles through schooling with ADHD and impulse control, said he found it very interesting and related to much of what you talked about, especially your struggles with emotional regulation in your younger years.
He too experiences hard times at school with getting in trouble through reactive behaviour and impulsivity due to feeling targeted, misunderstood and incompetent. I was surprised how well and still he sat through this event.
As soon as you ended the event with your closing statement, both my sons said "That was actually really good!"
I could see his posture shift from "uninterested" to "fully engaged".
As a mum, who battled through 6 years of single mum life with two very different minded boys, I can honestly say that this was needed. Not only for my boys, but for myself. To put things into perspective for me to do better for my kids.
I applaud you on your growth and admire your dedication to help our youth and families. Raising teenagers is certainly not for the weak! A heartfelt thank you for your time and effort in making a change, especially in today's society.
What can I say…… IT WAS BRILLIANT!!
My son really identified with you and your story.
I highly recommend.
I brought my two sons to your event in Adelaide a few weeks back and they absolutely loved it and have taken so much away from it!
My eldest son Jamison sent you an email off his own back to thank you and let you know how much he enjoyed it!
And my youngest son Riley asked a question at the end and was very brave (he is autistic and ADHD and suffers with anxiety) and loved that you said he had cool hair!
Mum - My takeaways from the information you shared were having a well-rehearsed strategic plan, having small, medium and long term goals to combat depression, and the way you showed the kids that it's ok to be vulnerable with your truth sharing.
My son has been showing me more respect in little ways - thanking me for the things I do for him, making me cups of tea to show me kindness, listening without a million reminders and when he doesn't, I can openly say how he is making me feel by not listening and he takes notice.
Also, his accepting that I might know a little more about things than he realised, maybe it opened his eyes to think of me as a person and not just a Mum.
Thank you for your honesty, your vulnerability and the information. The takeaways are going to help so much to build a better relationship with my son and open up the conversations that will need to be had in the times ahead.
This is the first time my daughter has ever attended a personal development seminar and I think she was pleasantly surprised by it.
Her biggest take away from what we have discussed, "There are good men in the world." She was referring to you. Since then I have noticed she has opened up a wee bit more, has become more engaging at home and enjoying her drama class at school.
Thank you for showing our girls there are fathers who do love their daughters and who want to help others too.
We really enjoyed the session. Lots to think about and your story was inspirational.
The one thing that Hamish took away from everything was when you were talking about going around a corner on the bike how you don't look at the apex, you look at the exit. He said that this made him think about how he can plan his next move in life, not worrying about the current position he is in.
He also really liked that at the start you were open about the things you need to get through the night. The executable plan. He said that gave him confidence because he saw you deal with anxiety, OCD etc using your plan, and Hamish has said to me that it takes courage to do that and that he can do what you can do.
Thank you very much for the event, I thought it was amazing.
Hamish just came over and said I have to write something about what I thought of the event (honestly having that event has given us some really deep and insightful discussions). So I will agree with the perspective part of your talk, I think that really hits home for me. It's not about comparing, but rather reflecting on how my life is right now.
Most of the time you will go into a seminar thinking yeah I might get one point of relevance to me out of this.
I have never sat in a room and felt that the information shared was more real, more honest and so relevant. It was extremely emotive, you touched our hearts and our minds and brought a lot of talking points and food for thought to us as parents as well as our 12 year old son.
I honestly felt like you were a fly on the wall and heard that conversation because that's exactly what you addressed with him last night.
My husband and I can't thank you enough for all that you spoke about last night with humour, heart and conviction.
I took my girls to this tonight and the boys to Motov8 last night. They were both awesome!
The girls were really moved with the speakers and felt sad for how much they have struggled through life to get where they are now. A little eye opener for what other families deal with and how bullying and lack of self worth affects peoples lives.
For parents, Rev gave some golden tips on how to deal with conflict, tough conversations, when to stop nagging (and so much more!) and most importantly how to be Savage Angels and Motivated Men!
Highly recommend!
Thank you for your kindness and time to come to Mareeba and talk to the community, the event was a big success.
What our family got out of this was the ability to reinforce the basic skills and respect can get you a long way in life.
It brought me a lot of mixed emotions that I had to deal with and face up to and shape the future for my daughter. And gave me the encouragement to make changes.
Hi my name is Jamison and I am 13 nearly 14.
I was at your show Monday night with my 12 year old brother Riley and mum and in the car on the way there I was thinking this is going to be terrible and boring but as soon as you started making jokes and telling your story it got really interesting.
And I found the event a real eye opener and very useful so thank you for the really good event.
I had a fantastic night with my boys at this event.
My oldest didn’t want to come to the event initially, but when we entered the venue and Rev began talking, I could feel his demeanour change.
Although my boys are different ages, they both got a lot from the program. I found that purchasing a VIP ticket and sitting in the front row helped my boys stay engaged.
As a single mum, it has helped me to gain some perspective on raising my boys, and maybe even some more patience. It was well worth it, and brought us closer together.
Thanks Rev, you’re a true legend. Respect.
I just want to say that my 12 going on 13 got more out of it than what he wants to let on. Kobe has an amazing ability to be pretty good at most sports etc he does, but he doesn’t care, has no competitive spirit in him.. drives us mad!!
But on the weekend he had a shift in mindset from playing to competing and went out and won his golf tournament.
My partner wanted you to know as a father, and someone who is not one for things like this, who came along because I booked it as a family, he said he got so much more out of it than he expected.
He was super impressed in the little things that you flagged where we as parents can be better to help our son, but on a personal level with him, you struck a few cords as he has been feeling useless as a human lately and had a few dark days, but now he knows most go through it and there are positive ways to overcome it.
Awesome mate. We loved it!! Keep up the amazing work you do!
Hi Rev, I dragged my 12yr old son along to hear you @ Bunbury tonight not thinking much would sink in or that he would get a lot out of it.
BUT I just wanted to thank you, as after you finished up my son turned to me and said "mum can we wait a bit so I can say hi? I want to shake his hand and say thank you".
Now anyone that knows Thomson would know THIS is huge!! You see my son is both Autistic and ADHD and rarely ever willingly wants to meet new people let alone go out of his way to talk to them.
I was so proud when he came up, took his hat off, introduced himself, shook your hand and said thank you.
Then to top it off when we got back to the car he said to me "mum I think that's the first time in my life I've ever felt compelled to look someone in the eyes and shake their hand, there was just something about that bloke".
I took away so many ways how to approach things rather than shout when no one is listening, but what really took me back on the night was you mentioning the family around the kitchen table all having fun, then someone would spoil it and the fights and name calling would start.
And I'd lose my shit and say I'm off…. it all rang so true to me on the night, it made me cry.
My son Seth 14 who was there on the night said he has a different kind of respect for me after listening to you and when I say no its final not like before.
Can't wait to see you again.
Firstly I want to thank you for sharing your story with us it really touched me, the thing that I took away from your night was getting answers from Ben not just a "I don't know" all the time.
You're an amazing man and we are lucky to have you doing what you're doing for our young men that need a man that will take charge and say hey its not ok to do what you're doing like what you did on Wednesday night in a kind and respectful way.
Thank you John.