We’ve all heard, “put your own oxygen mask on first,” and yet, we still all struggle to do so, and to make space for others to do so too. Choosing yourself sounds self-centered. So why does it allow us to step into service and reverence with so much more presence?

Hakeem Bourne Mcfarlane is a speaker, coach, and storyteller focused on harnessing his story of resilience, honesty, and accountability to help others recognize their power and choose themselves before life chooses for them.

Hakeem isn’t worried about growing pains, questioning authority, or getting real. He confronts life’s challenges with humor, raw truth, and practical frameworks that empower himself and others to be self-centered, in the most Coherent sense of the word!

In our conversation, we dive in to Hakeem’s story as an only child living inside addiction, inst ...