Who I Am
I’m Dan VanHook — a Human Performance Coach, Communication Studies professor, and founder of MARS Collaborations, LLC. My work integrates communication, neuroscience, psychology, and wellness into a practical framework for coaching and consulting across multiple contexts and disciplines.
My Background
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Professor of Communication Studies with a research focus on the connections between communication, stress, and learning.
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Certified Personal Trainer with a focus on functional fitness and self-reliance.
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Self Defense and Martial Arts Instructor with a focus on personal safety, interpersonal ethics, and practical technique
My Philosophy
Wellness is built on physical health, meaningful relationships, and the resilience to face adversity — and together these form the foundation of a safer, happier, and more fulfilling life. I have pursued mastery in three disciplines that converge to support this outcome: communication, martial arts and self-defense, and fitness.
Communication is more than words; it is the biological, psychological, and social process through which we solve problems, build relationships, and manage conflict. Martial arts and self-defense contribute personal safety, ethical codes, and discipline and focus — qualities that also make us more trustworthy and effective communicators. Fitness strengthens the body, builds confidence, and equips us to cope with stress — capacities that improve composure and effectiveness in both communication and martial practice.
Developed together, these disciplines reinforce one another: the discipline and codes of conduct from martial arts strengthen how we relate to others, fitness amplifies our confidence and resilience in communication, and communication grounds all of it in relationships of trust and fairness. This synergy leads not just to skill in each area, but to greater well-being and life satisfaction.