We were lucky to catch up with Michael Allen recently and have shared our conversation below.
Michael, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?
Surrender Your Hate was given (spoken) to me by God! During the George Floyd murder by Minneapolis Police Officers on May 25th, 2020, as I was watching this tragic event unfold on national television, I became overwhelmed, upset, angry, heart-broken and full of tears. I went to get a drink of water and as I opened my refrigerator, still extremely upset, I heard God’s voice telling me to Surrender Your Hate! It was then that I knew He was directing me to learn to forgive, surrender and let go of my anger. I asked Him if He wanted me to do these things and I believe He said yes and that I was to lead a global movement to help inspire people to learn to stop hating and killing each other. I began writing my business plan and I filed for a corporate status (LLC) with the State of Georgia. Surrender Your Hate came to life as George Floyd was losing his. Surrender Your Hate. LLC was officially formed in June of 2020. A few weeks after Mr. Floyd was killed. The short answer to this question is, God gave me the name Surrender Your Hate!
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I was born in Leesburg, Florida in 1963. Leesburg is a small town in the heart of Central Florida. My mother raised me and my two sisters to love God and people. She stressed the Golden Rule (do unto others as you would have others do unto you) as a method to show respect for humanity and to live as God intended – peacefully and with the love of God in our hearts. Leesburg, like many other southern small towns and counties in the area, have a history of racism, bias and hatred by some members of the police force and the citizens of the surrounding areas. So, I developed an understanding that in order to live peacefully with others and they with me, that I had to show myself as peaceful and respectful of life. Faith and education were two of my mom’s big emphasis. I completed high school and went on to earn my bachelor’s degree in journalism and public relations from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University in 1985. After College, I found myself in the corporate world as a pharmaceutical sales professional. I spent more than 30 years in the industry and participated in numerous development programs. Some of which spoke to the need to learn skills that would help resolve conflict, understand and listen to the needs of my salespeople, customers and employers. Over the years, I was laid off a few times and during those times, I became an entrepreneur. I’ve developed and owned several businesses, including a men’s clothing store (Zachary Christian’s Men’s Clothing – named after my son) and Maximum Health Outcomes, Inc (a home healthcare service). During my professional career in pharmaceuticals and as a business owner, I continued to recognize the need to help people increase their level of respect for humanity. After relocating from Atlanta, Georgia back to the Orlando, Florida area at the end of 2020, due to the eventual death of my mother (Alzheimer’s/Dementia) and my near death experience with Covid 19, I resigned from the pharmaceutical industry and have been full-time in the development of Surrender Your Hate, I’ve also incorporated again and have developed a non-profit organization called Let Life Live, Inc. (as of March 2023). During the development of these two entities, my move to Florida, the death of my mother, the official ending of my pharmaceutical career, I’ve dedicated myself to the missions of both of my organizations. While coming out of my Covid experience, God gave me another message, which is now a part of my mantle for Surrender Your Hate and Let Life Live. That message is the Surrender Your Hate Pledge, which says: “I pledge to surrender my hate in any and every form. I make this pledge to God and humanity. I will let life live, regardless of differences, and I will choose to live in peace every day with my fellow human. I believe love conquers all hate.” The surrender your hate website contains pledge and an online store where I invite people to join the movement and help extend the conversation of peace and love. Both organizations offer trainings and workshops on three main needs that will help us all behave better and get along with others, without killing each other via different forms of violence (particularly gun violence). These workshops and trainings focus on Conflict Resolution, De-escalation strategies and Relationship building. I target a wide audience. SYH is more focused on professional organizations (across industries), while LLL is focused on reducing gun violence and the resulting trauma at the school aged child and parent levels. LLL focuses on at-risk youth and their parents, ranging in age from 8 to 18 and younger parents under 45 years of age. All of this has recently led me to write my first book called “31 Days of Surrender: Respecting Life Every Day.” The book is divided into two parts. The first part of the book is filled with 31 words/phrases that invites the reader to reflect, positively, on virtues that uplift and direct them and their children to gain a deeper relationship with each other, other people and God. The second part of 31 Days…. offers some guidance on how to manage anger, that leads to conflict and requires a strategy to de-escalate potential violent encounters. The book is designed to address the goal of improving the national and global public safety crisis of violence (guns, domestic, wars) committed by and during human-to-human contacts. I believe we should all be allowed to leave our homes and come back home safely, each day, to begin again the next day (this is what letting life live looks like). Surrender Your Hate, Let Life Live and 31 Days of Surrender: Respecting Life Every Day are Peace and Love initiatives that can help all people get along better, without the urge to kill each other! I realize much of this can be considered idealism, unrealistic and not gonna’ happen. While this may be true on a global scale, this should not stop us, who agree with the mission and movement, in our belief (and efforts to make such a world possible) that living in peace, without unnecessary violence can be possible if more people adopt a more caring, peaceful, loving approach to life itself – without gun violence, hatred, biases, and prejudicial behaviors toward humanity.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
I’ve often shared with family, friends, co-workers and bosses that the book that I read the most and that has had the greatest impact on me is the Bible! Each of the 66 books within the Bible not only tell the historic story of our existence and God’s supreme sovereignty, but it also gives direction on how we are to live. How we are to co-inhabit this planet, this time as living, breathing creations of God. I am a fan of John Maxwell, Steven Covey, TD Jakes and Joel Osteen. These authors and the authors of the Bible have helped me learn to look within first. As a leader of people, as a father to my son, as an entrepreneur, the principals, throughout the Bible and from the text of these authors, have developed my approach to working with others. Leaders/Managers/Business Owners have a unique responsibility to help build up others, not tear them down. Again, the do unto others golden rule drives my behavior. While I’m not perfect and am a work in progress, the message of respecting others, loving others, being a servant leader while offering correction and direction with care guides my approach as a child of God, a father, a family member, a friend, a neighbor, a business owner, a man!
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
Corporate America is a vibrant, dynamic and important growth engine for the entire country and much of the world. Unfortunately, profitability, performance and philosophical differences have led to several layoffs and career changes for me. The loss of a job, due to layoffs or mutual decisions to move on from my pharmaceutical positions have come at a tremendous financial price. Losing a job, resigning from a well-paying job presents many challenges. Questions like, “what am I going to do now, where else can I find a job in this industry, should I go to another industry, or should I start my own business.” I’ve asked and answered each of these questions during my work life. My family (Grandfather, uncles and cousins) have all been entrepreneurs of some sort. With this “I can do my own thing gene” in my DNA, I decided, several times after a layoff, job loss or resignation to pursue my own opportunities. This story recently played out when I resigned from my last company in the biotech industry. After several years of challenges and disagreements, I reached a relatively mutual agreement to leave that company and go full force with Surrender Your Hate, Let Life Live and now as an author of 31 Days of Surrender: Respecting Life Every Day. The decision to resign under uncomfortable circumstances, has turned out to be my greatest opportunity to offer the world a decision – the decision to be kinder, more peaceful, more loving and more respectful of life itself. This will be my legacy. While in the pharmaceutical, device and biotech industries, I thought my great contribution was to help heal a person’s body, increase revenue for my company, help my team achieve their career and performance goals. While all of these things have driven me and fulfilled me for much of my life, the opportunity to do more of God’s work in the area of helping to “heal” our souls and eternity, far exceeds anything I’ve ever done as an employee or employer!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.surrenderyourhate.com and www.letlifeliveinc.org
- Instagram: SYHLLC@instagram
- Facebook: Michael Allen – https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100058350923784
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-allen-b9552429
- Other: Emails:
