If you know me well, chances are you know I am a fan of mustaches. I have never seen my father’s upper lip bare. He rocks a handlebar mustache that is almost mandatory as he works in law enforcement. I have been growing a mustache off and on since my early college days, and the only mustache I have been known for is the handlebar mustache, so all my friends nicknamed me BARS.
Let’s just say, mustaches have been part of my life for a long time. I have relatives who are long gone that had mustaches. I don’t know what has happened since the 1970′s that made mainstream mustaches out to be creepy – for pedophiles or porn stars – but regardless of the popular opinion of mustaches, I like them. A study conducted by the American Mustache Institute and Quicken says men with mustaches make 8.2% more money than those with beards, and 4.3% more than those with clean shaven faces.
Michael Halvorsen eating Altoids for Movember (credit Reuben Yau)
Last year, I helped set up a team at Manta for Movember. We raised some money and helped bring about awareness. I have been trying to talk every man I know into participating in Movember because it is truly for a good cause. For those of you who are not aware of what Movember is, it is a month long of mustache growing in support of men’s health. All funds raised for Movember go towards funding the Prostate Cancer Foundation and Livestrong. While the risk of testicular cancer is roughly 1 in 250, the risk of prostate cancer is much higher as 1 in 6 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer! So for me, it’s a no brainer to grow a mustache during the month of November in support of Movember. Women can also participate by donating and telling their friends and family about Movember.
It’s easy as hell to participate in Movember. On November 1, men start with a clean shaven face – that means no beards and no pre-existing mustaches allowed. Throughout the month, you shave the rest of your face daily and grow the mustache from scratch. And to do more for the cause, you can register your team over at Movember.com and begin collecting donations both online and in person. Last year, the team I set up at Manta raised money and was also featured in the Columbus Dispatch newspaper.
This year while at SMX Advanced, I talked to both Matt Cutts and Duane Forrester together about them participating in Movember. I asked them to participate again on Twitter and they both agreed to.
Talking to Matt Cutts & Duane Forrester about Movember (credit Thomas Ballantyne)
Matt Cutts and Duane Forrester Agree to Participate in Movember
Will you be participating this year? You should! For men, our mustaches are our pink ribbons. When someone asks you, “Why the creepy mustache?” You can answer, “Cancer.” If you don’t want to grow a mustache and set up your own team, you can donate in my honor.
The Distinguished (look of) Michael Halvorsen
UPDATE 10-28-2011: Duane Forrester made the official announcement on the Bing Webmaster Tools blog.
Photo credits: Reuben Yau and Thomas Ballantyne of Bullwark Pest Control.
