Leadership is Not a Title, it is a Body of Work
Updated: May 7
Phil Edwards is a Leadership Educator and Foster Care Advocate, and the creator of the CARE Leadership Framework. He focuses on trauma-informed leadership, foster parenting, and youth development.
There are priceless moments in life that remind me why I have such passion and humility in all my endeavors. At the turn of the century, a wiry 9th grade student entered the gym and with a puberty challenged voice he exasperated “Is basketball season going to start yet?” This man was determined, destined for greatness, and would not accept “No” for an answer. That young man became the most accomplished player in the history of my 32 years of coaching. Today, he is the feature of my leadership article, so tune in and learn what Kevin “FREE” Francis has to share about leadership!
I don't lead from a podium. I lead from the floor, from the work, from the body. That has always been the foundation of what I do, and it is the only kind of leadership I know how to offer.
My name is Kevin Francis. I am a former professional basketball player from Toronto, Canada, a movement trainer, a body worker, and the founder of Ggod Body. My path started on the court. I played professionally in Canada, Argentina, China, Finland, and Saudi Arabia, and I represented Canada on the national junior team in three international tournaments. Sport gave me structure, resilience, and a deep understanding of what the body is truly capable of when it is trained with purpose.
It was the years I spent working directly with the body that changed everything. Movement, healing, pain, confidence, and performance are all connected. Once I understood that, I could not go back to training people the old way. Those years of lived experience became Ggod Body. Not a program designed in a conference room. Something built from the inside out, through the work itself.
Functional movement is at the heart of everything I do. Training that does not just make you look better in a gym, but changes how you walk, bend, recover, carry yourself, and show up in daily life. Real strength. Real freedom. Real longevity. That is what I am always working toward with every person in front of me.
A major piece of the system is the liquid protocol. This supports recovery, internal reset, and a level of discipline that most people have never experienced. I do not teach this from a book. I have personally completed over 100 days of liquid fasting. That process taught me that transformation is not only about exercise. It is about creating the internal conditions for healing. When the body is nourished and rested correctly, it responds in ways that nothing else can produce.
I built this work in Canada. I developed it in The Gambia, West Africa. And in June, Ggod Body is making its next move into Bali. This is not just expansion. It is the next evolution, bringing the full system into one of the world's great wellness environments, where movement training, private sessions, retreats, and the liquid protocol can come together at a higher level. Bali is where the work will breathe in a whole new way, and I want people to come experience it firsthand.
That is my definition of leadership. Not ideas on paper. Real transformation, guided by someone who has lived it. From Canada to West Africa to Bali, Ggod Body is proof that if you do the work, live the process, and stay committed to the truth, people will follow. Not because you told them to. Because you showed them it was possible.
About Kevin Francis
Kevin Francis is a former professional basketball player from Toronto, Canada, a certified movement trainer, and the founder of Ggod Body, a performance and wellness system built on functional movement, biomechanics, and intentional recovery. He played professionally across five countries, represented Canada on the national junior team, and holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication from Cleveland State University. Over the past decade, Kevin has developed Ggod Body across Canada and The Gambia, West Africa, working with athletes, adults, and wellness seekers who are ready to transform how they live in their body. In June 2026, Ggod Body will expand into Bali, bringing movement training, private sessions, and the liquid protocol to a global wellness audience.
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Read more from Phil Edwards
Phil Edwards, Leadership Educator and Foster Care Advocate
Phil Edwards is a Leadership Educator, Foster Care Advocate, and creator of the CARE Leadership Framework. With 30+ years of coaching experience, 20 years of foster parenting, and 15 years in post-secondary education, he writes and speaks on trauma-informed leadership, foster parenting, and youth development.
