Mahlon and Austin relax on a couch
Meet the dynamic duo and co-founders of Friends of Felix, Mahlon Head and Austin Penrose, both 2019 graduates of UBCO’s Bachelor of Management program. At UBCO, they discovered a community and laid the foundation for their future endeavours. Mahlon thrived in the cohort system, which led him to co-found Friends of Felix, a clothing brand raising awareness for men’s mental health, and to work in Sales & Marketing for a fitness app. Austin gained invaluable real-world experience at UBCO, becoming the Director of Marketing & Business Development at Banch Marketing while also co-founding Friends of Felix. Drawing from their experiences in the Management program, Mahlon and Austin advise students to engage beyond the classroom, attend social events, connect with peers, and get involved with the Management Students Association. They emphasize the importance of doing what makes you happy to achieve long-term success. Looking ahead, Mahlon and Austin envision Friends of Felix becoming internationally recognized and launching mental health initiatives across Canada.
Q: What drew you to the Bachelor of Management program at UBCO?
Mahlon: I had heard nothing but positive things about the Management program. Being able to live in Kelowna while getting the Management degree was a strong incentive, as the lifestyle here is unmatched. The reputation of the Management program spoke for itself, so it was an easy choice.
Austin: The thing that drew me towards the Management program at UBCO was the city of Kelowna and the ability to attend UBC outside of my hometown of Vancouver.
Q: What have been your biggest takeaways from the program?
Mahlon: I particularly enjoyed the social aspect of the Management program. Being in the cohort system made it easy to create strong connections and lifelong friends. My biggest takeaway is how important those connections are – a lot of what I do today can be attributed to that!
Austin: The biggest takeaway from the program is the real-world experience I got from the countless group projects and presentations that we had to do during my third and fourth years of schooling. While working in a group isn’t always easy, it truly prepared me to enter the workforce and collaborate efficiently with co-workers and clients.
Q: What has been the most rewarding part of the program so far?
Mahlon: I found the relationships that were formed during my 4 years to be the most rewarding part. This program emphasized collaboration, not only with other students but also with faculty, administrators, and many local businesses.
Austin: The most rewarding part of the program was being able to apply our knowledge in real-world case studies. In addition to this, we were also able to work with local businesses during our time in the program to help them solve the real problems they were navigating.
Q: What advice or insight would you give a prospective student considering the program?
Mahlon: I’d highly recommend it. Work hard, enjoy yourself, and use the many resources you have available to your advantage.
Austin: My advice for prospective students would be to participate outside of the classroom. Go to program social events, meet your peers in your program, and strongly consider the Management Students Association in some capacity.
Q: What is your current occupation and how did you get there?
Mahlon: I am the Co-Founder of Friends of Felix, a Kelowna-based clothing brand on a mission to raise awareness for men’s mental health, alongside my friend and fellow Bachelor of Management Alumni Austin Penrose. I also work in Sales & Marketing for a fitness app. How did I get here? Cold emailing local entrepreneurs to show that I was eager!
Austin: Currently, I work as the Director of Marketing & Business Development at Banch Marketing and am the Co-Founder of Friends of Felix, a local clothing brand. My journey involved furthering my learning post-university, as things are ever-changing in the field of Digital Marketing. Continuous development after graduation was crucial.
Q: Do you have any career advice you’d like to share?
Mahlon: After university, I recommend travelling! Don’t rush into a career, you have plenty of time to do so. See the world, learn about other cultures, and soak in rich experiences that cannot be replaced. Also, try a variety of different jobs. You won’t know what you truly enjoy doing until you try.
Austin: Do something that makes you happy. It might sound cliché, but if you don’t enjoy what you do day in and day out, you will eventually burn out.
Q: What are your future career goals?
Mahlon: There may be too many to write down…. But honestly, my goal is to be fulfilled. I find a lot of that through helping people and using my own experience to help others live better lives. In a direct sense, one goal of mine is to scale our current business in a way that will make a significant positive impact on the lives of men around the world.
Austin: Eventually, we’d like Friends of Felix to become an internationally known brand. With this in mind, we’d like to be able to launch Mental Health Initiatives for men across Canada.
Mahlon and Austin looks at something on the phone together