Liam is an actor / model, entrepreneur, business owner, trainer, and all around outdoorsman. He is the perfect ABL Ambassador for his epic beard and love for a healthy lifestyle.
Read more about Liam below, and make sure to follow him on Instagram @fitlikefisher
Q: Being a western Canadian you face a lot of challenges, literally, your face endures a lot of extreme elements. How do you manage your beard and facial hair throughout the summer versus the winter months and what products, styles, or accessories do you like to use?
A:I grew up in Pemberton (Pemby) BC, a little town in the heart of the West Coast mountains known for its extreme activities: backcountry skiing, snowmobiling, mountain biking, rafting, paragliding you name it. Occasionally Pemby tops the charts as the hottest place in Canada getting up as high as 45 degrees Celsius in the summer and it drops down almost as cold with a freezing 30-35 below in the winter. With a nearly 100 degrees spread from summer to winter, and near sauna-like dry air, your hair can take a beating. In the summer I like to use a beard oil. I find it’s a little more hydrating with the extreme temps. In the winter though I switch over to a balm as I’m often wearing my ski jacket and with oils I find they tend to grease up the collar when I zip it up.
Q: Similar to the previous question, your face and beard are put through rigorous training to keep up with your workouts in the gym. How do you tackle and take care of your body and beard to ensure a healthy end result is within reach?
A: No one likes a sweaty, gross beard. At the same time, over wash your beard and you run the risk of drying it out. I make sure to wash the beard with water after every workout and then one or two times a week I do the doo and lather it up with a shampoo and conditioner. Pro tip, let the conditioner sit there for a minute before washing it out to get the best results, a nice soft beard.
Q: What inspired you to pursue your unlikely passions of a model / actor, athlete, coach and explorer? Which of these four passions is your favourite and why?
A: To be honest one has really just lead to the others. I grew up as an athlete playing just about every sport I could. From Hockey to Soccer, Skiing, Snowboarding, Mountain biking, to canoeing and kayaking. Excelling in Olympic Sprint kayaking I eventually had to narrow my focus as I started competing at the national level. To further my athletically ability I wanted to understand everything I could about how the body works, how to train to better, get stronger, and move faster which lead me into studies in kinesiology. Continuing on from my studies, I struggled to find a gym that provided the full comprehensive training playground to be able to keep pushing myself and others in all of the different ways I had studied, and moreover with the goal of performing better in life, not just in the gym. So I opened my own gym: MVMT Academy. At MVMT Academy we provide the tools and environment where you can train the way you want when you want period, with the goal of training for life and everything it throws at you. I’ve always had a creative spark as well, so opening my own business I decided to try my hand as my own branding and marketing expert and it paid off. I taught myself how to use a camera, some basic graphic design skills and I was away to the races. At about the same time between coaching, marketing and running the business, I started getting so busy I initially just ran out of time and stopped shaving. As my content quality improved, other brands around Vancouver started taking note and soon I was being asked to shoot and star in adds for other fitness and fashion related companies. As the beard grew It started gaining more notoriety around Van as well. Before long the two were merged as a casting director saw one of my posts on instagram, and called me down for a background role in a Bearded Viking commercial. From there and an agent from Principals Talent signed me, and the rest is history.
Q: How would you describe your personal style, both internally and externally, what is your favourite part of your style?
A: I would describe my style as fluid. It literally changes day to day depending on how I’m feeling. It’s inspired by my Coast Mountains upbringing, my passion for movement, and love of music. I pull from bits and pieces from the styles I like: urban, street, surf, snow, and the gym. My favourite part about my style is that it keeps people guessing. People are so judgemental about other peoples style. They see a person dressed a certain way and think a certain thing about them. I love dressing like a bit of a Whistlaa ski bum or a grizzly lumberjack, flanneled up and then blowing people away when they find out I’m actually an exercise physiologist with a thesis in molecular responses to training. Moral of a story Don’t judge a book by its cover.
Q: You are clearly a driven leader and have overcome some of the most challenging obstacles anyone can face. If you were to give anyone some advice or guidance on overcoming life’s challenges, what would it be and why?
A: Hang in there, be patient with yourself, learn to rest when you need it but don’t quit. Keep moving Forward. Always in motion, always bearded.
