Behind The Mask-ulinity

Some people say do what you love and what you're passionate about and you'll never work a day in your life. Other people say nah, go get yourself a good job with good pay and benefits and security, etc. etc. What's your opinion? I recently went with the former thinking--after many years of the latter thinking--and I have not been this happy and fulfilled in a long time. Listen to in to what made me realize I made the right choice.

To join the community and be part of the conversation: Behind The Mask-ulinity Private Facebook Group To connect with me directly: E-Mail Me: BehindTheMaskulinity@gmail.com or Instagram Me ************************************************** I'm happy to announce that I have signed on for a partnership/sponsorship with BetterHelp. BetterHelp is an online portal that provides direct-to-consumer access to behavioral health services. As much as I care about mental health, especially when it comes to men, I am not a licensed mental health professional nor will I ever claim to be (unless I become one someday). But, I do 100% believe in the power of counseling, therapy, coaching or any service that provides you with a knowledgable individual who will be there to listen to you, especially in tough times. I have become a user of BetterHelp myself and have gotten massive benefit out of it by getting paired with my ideal licensed expert who has immeasurably helped me with my own fears and insecurities that I've struggled with. If you feel like you can use someone to talk to, BetterHelp is offering you, a Behind The Mask-ulinity Podcast listener, 10% off your first month if you sign up using this link: BetterHelp.com/BehindTheMaskulinity ************************************************** Gareth Nock has a wealth of knowledge and experience from working in the fitness industry for over twenty years and 15,000 coaching hours, both in-person & online. He has worked globally in the industry as a pioneer in multiple roles, including, fitness management, personal training and group fitness. In 2021 he co-founded The Nock Academy, an online fitness and education community. He runs the day to day operations of the business alongside coaching regular clients. When not coaching and training, he hosts the "We As..." podcast, that he co-founded in 2021. He lives in Stouffville, Ontario with his wife, Nicky and daughter Harlie.

To join the community and be part of the conversation: Behind The Mask-ulinity Private Facebook Group To connect with me directly: E-Mail Me: BehindTheMaskulinity@gmail.com or Instagram Me ************************************************** I'm happy to announce that I have signed on for a partnership/sponsorship with BetterHelp. BetterHelp is an online portal that provides direct-to-consumer access to behavioral health services. As much as I care about mental health, especially when it comes to men, I am not a licensed mental health professional nor will I ever claim to be (unless I become one someday). But, I do 100% believe in the power of counseling, therapy, coaching or any service that provides you with a knowledgable individual who will be there to listen to you, especially in tough times. I have become a user of BetterHelp myself and have gotten massive benefit out of it by getting paired with my ideal licensed expert who has immeasurably helped me with my own fears and insecurities that I've struggled with. If you feel like you can use someone to talk to, BetterHelp is offering you, a Behind The Mask-ulinity Podcast listener, 10% off your first month if you sign up using this link: BetterHelp.com/BehindTheMaskulinity **************************************************  

To join the community and be part of the conversation: Behind The Mask-ulinity Private Facebook Group To connect with me directly: E-Mail Me: BehindTheMaskulinity@gmail.com or Instagram Me ************************************************** I'm happy to announce that I have signed on for a partnership/sponsorship with BetterHelp. BetterHelp is an online portal that provides direct-to-consumer access to behavioral health services. As much as I care about mental health, especially when it comes to men, I am not a licensed mental health professional nor will I ever claim to be (unless I become one someday). But, I do 100% believe in the power of counseling, therapy, coaching or any service that provides you with a knowledgable individual who will be there to listen to you, especially in tough times. I have become a user of BetterHelp myself and have gotten massive benefit out of it by getting paired with my ideal licensed expert who has immeasurably helped me with my own fears and insecurities that I've struggled with. If you feel like you can use someone to talk to, BetterHelp is offering you, a Behind The Mask-ulinity Podcast listener, 10% off your first month if you sign up using this link: BetterHelp.com/BehindTheMaskulinity ************************************************** Mark Greene is a Keynote speaker and author who writes and consults on relational practices, diversity/inclusion and masculinity for organizations world wide. He writes, speaks, coaches and consults on the challenges we face as men raised in man box culture. He is the author of the groundbreaking The Little #MeToo Book for Men which has been called “a blueprint for men's liberation.” As a co-founder of ThinkPlay Partners and as a Senior Editor for the Good Men Project, he has spent over a decade deconstructing our binary-riddled dialogues around manhood and masculinity. He is uniquely positioned to help men, individually and in organizations, create a healthier more connecting vision of masculine culture and identity. He is the founder of the Remaking Manhood community, which is dedicated to expanding the conversation about masculinity. His most recent book is titled Remaking Manhood In the Age of Trump: Collected writings in the battle against dominance-based masculinity. Check out Mark's Podcast!

To join the community and be part of the conversation: Behind The Mask-ulinity Private Facebook Group To connect with me directly: E-Mail Me: BehindTheMaskulinity@gmail.com or Instagram Me ************************************************** I'm happy to announce that I have signed on for a partnership/sponsorship with BetterHelp. BetterHelp is an online portal that provides direct-to-consumer access to behavioral health services. As much as I care about mental health, especially when it comes to men, I am not a licensed mental health professional nor will I ever claim to be (unless I become one someday). But, I do 100% believe in the power of counseling, therapy, coaching or any service that provides you with a knowledgable individual who will be there to listen to you, especially in tough times. I have become a user of BetterHelp myself and have gotten massive benefit out of it by getting paired with my ideal licensed expert who has immeasurably helped me with my own fears and insecurities that I've struggled with. If you feel like you can use someone to talk to, BetterHelp is offering you, a Behind The Mask-ulinity Podcast listener, 10% off your first month if you sign up using this link: BetterHelp.com/BehindTheMaskulinity ************************************************** Have you ever wanted to make a move in your life--in work, in relationships, in physical fitness, in nutrition, anywhere--but were paralyzed by fear? The fear of failure, uncertainty, not being good enough, what other people will think or say. A fear and hesitation that is so palpable that you can feel it and it ruminates in your mind non-top. Have you ever faced that fear right in the face and said "fuck it" and just took that leap of faith anyways? Listen in to this solo episode as I discuss a recent decision I made and leap of faith I took that scared the crap out of me for many months... and what happened when I finally took that leap. It's good to be back recording an episode after a couple months off!

To join the community and be part of the conversation: Behind The Mask-ulinity Private Facebook Group To connect with me directly: E-Mail Me: BehindTheMaskulinity@gmail.com or Instagram Me ************************************************** I'm happy to announce that I have signed on for a partnership/sponsorship with BetterHelp. BetterHelp is an online portal that provides direct-to-consumer access to behavioral health services. As much as I care about mental health, especially when it comes to men, I am not a licensed mental health professional nor will I ever claim to be (unless I become one someday). But, I do 100% believe in the power of counseling, therapy, coaching or any service that provides you with a knowledgable individual who will be there to listen to you, especially in tough times. I have become a user of BetterHelp myself and have gotten massive benefit out of it by getting paired with my ideal licensed expert who has immeasurably helped me with my own fears and insecurities that I've struggled with. If you feel like you can use someone to talk to, BetterHelp is offering you, a Behind The Mask-ulinity Podcast listener, 10% off your first month if you sign up using this link: BetterHelp.com/BehindTheMaskulinity ************************************************** EVERYMAN

To join the community and be part of the conversation: Behind The Mask-ulinity Private Facebook Group To connect with me directly: E-Mail Me: BehindTheMaskulinity@gmail.com or Instagram Me ************************************************** I'm happy to announce that I have signed on for a partnership/sponsorship with BetterHelp. BetterHelp is an online portal that provides direct-to-consumer access to behavioral health services. As much as I care about mental health, especially when it comes to men, I am not a licensed mental health professional nor will I ever claim to be (unless I become one someday). But, I do 100% believe in the power of counseling, therapy, coaching or any service that provides you with a knowledgable individual who will be there to listen to you, especially in tough times. I have become a user of BetterHelp myself and have gotten massive benefit out of it by getting paired with my ideal licensed expert who has immeasurably helped me with my own fears and insecurities that I've struggled with. If you feel like you can use someone to talk to, BetterHelp is offering you, a Behind The Mask-ulinity Podcast listener, 10% off your first month if you sign up using this link: BetterHelp.com/BehindTheMaskulinity ************************************************** Get Greg's Book Greg's Instagram Advocates For Minor Leaguers Greg is an author, editor, and stand-up comedian living in Austin, Texas. He is the author of Clubbie: A Minor League Baseball Memoir, about his two years as a clubhouse attendant for Cal Ripken Jr.’s Aberdeen IronBirds, the short-season single-A affiliate for the Baltimore Orioles. As an editor, his clients' work has been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, USA Today Bestseller List, Wall Street Journal Bestseller List, and more. His own work has been featured on NPR, ESPN, CBS Sports Radio, MLB Network Radio, and more.

To join the community and be part of the conversation: Behind The Mask-ulinity Private Facebook Group To connect with me directly: E-Mail Me: BehindTheMaskulinity@gmail.com or Instagram Me ************************************************** I'm happy to announce that I have signed on for a partnership/sponsorship with BetterHelp. BetterHelp is an online portal that provides direct-to-consumer access to behavioral health services. As much as I care about mental health, especially when it comes to men, I am not a licensed mental health professional nor will I ever claim to be (unless I become one someday). But, I do 100% believe in the power of counseling, therapy, coaching or any service that provides you with a knowledgable individual who will be there to listen to you, especially in tough times. I have become a user of BetterHelp myself and have gotten massive benefit out of it by getting paired with my ideal licensed expert who has immeasurably helped me with my own fears and insecurities that I've struggled with. If you feel like you can use someone to talk to, BetterHelp is offering you, a Behind The Mask-ulinity Podcast listener, 10% off your first month if you sign up using this link: BetterHelp.com/BehindTheMaskulinity ************************************************** James' Website James' Instagram James' Facebook James Addison is a songwriter of 25 years, music healer and creator of Your Song Within: a therapeutic songwriting experience where the emphasis is on your life.  In his practice he helps clients confront fears and trauma, move past self limiting beliefs, recognize behavioral patterns and create actionable goals to achieve higher potential and greater happiness. All of this while creating their own original song.  His song “Highway” was recently featured in the Emmy Nominated Netflix series, Eastsiders. Some of James past projects include Addison Strong and The Battlefield. He’s toured throughout the US and Canada and shared bills with Phoebe Bridgers, Lukas Nelson and The Promise of the Real, Turnpike Troubadours and more.

To join the community and be part of the conversation: Behind The Mask-ulinity Private Facebook Group To connect with me directly: E-Mail Me: BehindTheMaskulinity@gmail.com or Instagram Me ************************************************** I'm happy to announce that I have signed on for a partnership/sponsorship with BetterHelp. BetterHelp is an online portal that provides direct-to-consumer access to behavioral health services. As much as I care about mental health, especially when it comes to men, I am not a licensed mental health professional nor will I ever claim to be (unless I become one someday). But, I do 100% believe in the power of counseling, therapy, coaching or any service that provides you with a knowledgable individual who will be there to listen to you, especially in tough times. I have become a user of BetterHelp myself and have gotten massive benefit out of it by getting paired with my ideal licensed expert who has immeasurably helped me with my own fears and insecurities that I've struggled with. If you feel like you can use someone to talk to, BetterHelp is offering you, a Behind The Mask-ulinity Podcast listener, 10% off your first month if you sign up using this link: BetterHelp.com/BehindTheMaskulinity **************************************************

To join the community and be part of the conversation: Behind The Mask-ulinity Private Facebook Group To connect with me directly: E-Mail Me: BehindTheMaskulinity@gmail.com or Instagram Me ************************************************** I'm happy to announce that I have signed on for a partnership/sponsorship with BetterHelp. BetterHelp is an online portal that provides direct-to-consumer access to behavioral health services. As much as I care about mental health, especially when it comes to men, I am not a licensed mental health professional nor will I ever claim to be (unless I become one someday). But, I do 100% believe in the power of counseling, therapy, coaching or any service that provides you with a knowledgable individual who will be there to listen to you, especially in tough times. I have become a user of BetterHelp myself and have gotten massive benefit out of it by getting paired with my ideal licensed expert who has immeasurably helped me with my own fears and insecurities that I've struggled with. If you feel like you can use someone to talk to, BetterHelp is offering you, a Behind The Mask-ulinity Podcast listener, 10% off your first month if you sign up using this link: BetterHelp.com/BehindTheMaskulinity ************************************************** Q's Instagram Q's Website

To join the community and be part of the conversation: Behind The Mask-ulinity Private Facebook Group To connect with me directly: E-Mail Me: BehindTheMaskulinity@gmail.com or Instagram Me ************************************************** I'm happy to announce that I have signed on for a partnership/sponsorship with BetterHelp. BetterHelp is an online portal that provides direct-to-consumer access to behavioral health services. As much as I care about mental health, especially when it comes to men, I am not a licensed mental health professional nor will I ever claim to be (unless I become one someday). But, I do 100% believe in the power of counseling, therapy, coaching or any service that provides you with a knowledgable individual who will be there to listen to you, especially in tough times. I have become a user of BetterHelp myself and have gotten massive benefit out of it by getting paired with my ideal licensed expert who has immeasurably helped me with my own fears and insecurities that I've struggled with. If you feel like you can use someone to talk to, BetterHelp is offering you, a Behind The Mask-ulinity Podcast listener, 10% off your first month if you sign up using this link: BetterHelp.com/BehindTheMaskulinity **************************************************

To join the community and be part of the conversation: Behind The Mask-ulinity Private Facebook Group To connect with me directly: E-Mail Me: BehindTheMaskulinity@gmail.com or Instagram Me ************************************************** I'm happy to announce that I have signed on for a partnership/sponsorship with BetterHelp. BetterHelp is an online portal that provides direct-to-consumer access to behavioral health services. As much as I care about mental health, especially when it comes to men, I am not a licensed mental health professional nor will I ever claim to be (unless I become one someday). But, I do 100% believe in the power of counseling, therapy, coaching or any service that provides you with a knowledgable individual who will be there to listen to you, especially in tough times. I have become a user of BetterHelp myself and have gotten massive benefit out of it by getting paired with my ideal licensed expert who has immeasurably helped me with my own fears and insecurities that I've struggled with. If you feel like you can use someone to talk to, BetterHelp is offering you, a Behind The Mask-ulinity Podcast listener, 10% off your first month if you sign up using this link: BetterHelp.com/BehindTheMaskulinity ************************************************** Matt's Instagram Tethr Instagram Tethr App The book Matt mentioned

To join the community and be part of the conversation: Behind The Mask-ulinity Private Facebook Group To connect with me directly: E-Mail Me: BehindTheMaskulinity@gmail.com or Instagram Me To become a contributor, supporter and get exclusive perks, benefits and access, consider becoming a Patron of the show. ************************************************** I'm happy to announce that I have signed on for a partnership/sponsorship with BetterHelp. BetterHelp is an online portal that provides direct-to-consumer access to behavioral health services. As much as I care about mental health, especially when it comes to men, I am not a licensed mental health professional nor will I ever claim to be (unless I become one someday). But, I do 100% believe in the power of counseling, therapy, coaching or any service that provides you with a knowledgable individual who will be there to listen to you, especially in tough times. I have become a user of BetterHelp myself and have gotten massive benefit out of it by getting paired with my ideal licensed expert who has immeasurably helped me with my own fears and insecurities that I've struggled with. If you feel like you can use someone to talk to, BetterHelp is offering you, a Behind The Mask-ulinity Podcast listener, 10% off your first month if you sign up using this link: BetterHelp.com/BehindTheMaskulinity ************************************************** Led Zeppelin - Since I've Been Loving You Pearl Jam - Black Alice In Chains - Down In A Hole

To join the community and be part of the conversation: Behind The Mask-ulinity Private Facebook Group To connect with me directly: E-Mail Me: BehindTheMaskulinity@gmail.com or Instagram Me To become a contributor, supporter and get exclusive perks, benefits and access, consider becoming a Patron of the show. ************************************************** I'm happy to announce that I have signed on for a partnership/sponsorship with BetterHelp. BetterHelp is an online portal that provides direct-to-consumer access to behavioral health services. As much as I care about mental health, especially when it comes to men, I am not a licensed mental health professional nor will I ever claim to be (unless I become one someday). But, I do 100% believe in the power of counseling, therapy, coaching or any service that provides you with a knowledgable individual who will be there to listen to you, especially in tough times. I have become a user of BetterHelp myself and have gotten massive benefit out of it by getting paired with my ideal licensed expert who has immeasurably helped me with my own fears and insecurities that I've struggled with. If you feel like you can use someone to talk to, BetterHelp is offering you, a Behind The Mask-ulinity Podcast listener, 10% off your first month if you sign up using this link: BetterHelp.com/BehindTheMaskulinity ************************************************** Mike's Free "Map Your Sensitivities" Training Mike's Website Mike's Instagram

To join the community and be part of the conversation: Behind The Mask-ulinity Private Facebook Group To connect with me directly: E-Mail Me: BehindTheMaskulinity@gmail.com or Instagram Me To become a contributor, supporter and get exclusive perks, benefits and access, consider becoming a Patron of the show. ************************************************** I'm happy to announce that I have signed on for a partnership/sponsorship with BetterHelp. BetterHelp is an online portal that provides direct-to-consumer access to behavioral health services. As much as I care about mental health, especially when it comes to men, I am not a licensed mental health professional nor will I ever claim to be (unless I become one someday). But, I do 100% believe in the power of counseling, therapy, coaching or any service that provides you with a knowledgable individual who will be there to listen to you, especially in tough times. I have become a user of BetterHelp myself and have gotten massive benefit out of it by getting paired with my ideal licensed expert who has immeasurably helped me with my own fears and insecurities that I've struggled with. If you feel like you can use someone to talk to, BetterHelp is offering you, a Behind The Mask-ulinity Podcast listener, 10% off your first month if you sign up using this link: BetterHelp.com/BehindTheMaskulinity ************************************************** Dan Gale Podcast Episode Brené Brown on Hiding

To join the community and be part of the conversation: Behind The Mask-ulinity Private Facebook Group To connect with me directly: E-Mail Me: BehindTheMaskulinity@gmail.com or Instagram Me To become a contributor, supporter and get exclusive perks, benefits and access, consider becoming a Patron of the show. ************************************************** I'm happy to announce that I have signed on for a partnership/sponsorship with BetterHelp. BetterHelp is an online portal that provides direct-to-consumer access to behavioral health services. As much as I care about mental health, especially when it comes to men, I am not a licensed mental health professional nor will I ever claim to be (unless I become one someday). But, I do 100% believe in the power of counseling, therapy, coaching or any service that provides you with a knowledgable individual who will be there to listen to you, especially in tough times. I have become a user of BetterHelp myself and have gotten massive benefit out of it by getting paired with my ideal licensed expert who has immeasurably helped me with my own fears and insecurities that I've struggled with. If you feel like you can use someone to talk to, BetterHelp is offering you, a Behind The Mask-ulinity Podcast listener, 10% off your first month if you sign up using this link: BetterHelp.com/BehindTheMaskulinity ************************************************** Addison's Instagram Tether App The Great Artist

Podcast Show Notes   To join the community and be part of the conversation: Behind The Mask-ulinity Private Facebook Group To connect with me directly: E-Mail Me: BehindTheMaskulinity@gmail.com or Instagram Me To become a contributor, supporter and get exclusive perks, benefits and access, consider becoming a Patron of the show. ************************************************** I'm happy to announce that I have signed on for a partnership/sponsorship with BetterHelp. BetterHelp is an online portal that provides direct-to-consumer access to behavioral health services. As much as I care about mental health, especially when it comes to men, I am not a licensed mental health professional nor will I ever claim to be (unless I become one someday). But, I do 100% believe in the power of counseling, therapy, coaching or any service that provides you with a knowledgable individual who will be there to listen to you, especially in tough times. I have become a user of BetterHelp myself and have gotten massive benefit out of it by getting paired with my ideal licensed expert who has immeasurably helped me with my own fears and insecurities that I've struggled with. If you feel like you can use someone to talk to, BetterHelp is offering you, a Behind The Mask-ulinity Podcast listener, 10% off your first month if you sign up using this link: BetterHelp.com/BehindTheMaskulinity ************************************************** Gavin McHale Instagram Gavin McHale LinkedIn

To join the community and be part of the conversation: Behind The Mask-ulinity Private Facebook Group To connect with me directly: E-Mail Me: BehindTheMaskulinity@gmail.com or Instagram Me To become a contributor, supporter and get exclusive perks, benefits and access, consider becoming a Patron of the show. ************************************************** I'm happy to announce that I have signed on for a partnership/sponsorship with BetterHelp. BetterHelp is an online portal that provides direct-to-consumer access to behavioral health services. As much as I care about mental health, especially when it comes to men, I am not a licensed mental health professional nor will I ever claim to be (unless I become one someday). But, I do 100% believe in the power of counseling, therapy, coaching or any service that provides you with a knowledgable individual who will be there to listen to you, especially in tough times. I have become a user of BetterHelp myself and have gotten massive benefit out of it by getting paired with my ideal licensed expert who has immeasurably helped me with my own fears and insecurities that I've struggled with. If you feel like you can use someone to talk to, BetterHelp is offering you, a Behind The Mask-ulinity Podcast listener, 10% off your first month if you sign up using this link: BetterHelp.com/BehindTheMaskulinity ************************************************** " If we want freedom from perfectionism, we have to make the long journey from 'what will people think?' to 'I am enough.' " --Brené Brown Brené Brown's TED Talk on Shame Daring Greatly by Brené Brown

To join the community and be part of the conversation: Behind The Mask-ulinity Private Facebook Group To connect with me directly: E-Mail Me: BehindTheMaskulinity@gmail.com or Instagram Me To become a contributor, supporter and get exclusive perks, benefits and access, consider becoming a Patron of the show. ************************************************** I'm happy to announce that I have signed on for a partnership/sponsorship with BetterHelp. BetterHelp is an online portal that provides direct-to-consumer access to behavioral health services. As much as I care about mental health, especially when it comes to men, I am not a licensed mental health professional nor will I ever claim to be (unless I become one someday). But, I do 100% believe in the power of counseling, therapy, coaching or any service that provides you with a knowledgable individual who will be there to listen to you, especially in tough times. I have become a user of BetterHelp myself and have gotten massive benefit out of it by getting paired with my ideal licensed expert who has immeasurably helped me with my own fears and insecurities that I've struggled with. If you feel like you can use someone to talk to, BetterHelp is offering you, a Behind The Mask-ulinity Podcast listener, 10% off your first month if you sign up using this link: BetterHelp.com/BehindTheMaskulinity ************************************************** Want to connect with Sam Morris? Instagram LinkedIn Website

To join the community and be part of the conversation: Behind The Mask-ulinity Private Facebook Group To connect with me directly: E-Mail Me: BehindTheMaskulinity@gmail.com or Instagram Me To become a contributor, supporter and get exclusive perks, benefits and access, consider becoming a Patron of the show. ************************************************** I'm happy to announce that I have signed on for a partnership/sponsorship with BetterHelp. BetterHelp is an online portal that provides direct-to-consumer access to behavioral health services. As much as I care about mental health, especially when it comes to men, I am not a licensed mental health professional nor will I ever claim to be (unless I become one someday). But, I do 100% believe in the power of counseling, therapy, coaching or any service that provides you with a knowledgable individual who will be there to listen to you, especially in tough times. I have become a user of BetterHelp myself and have gotten massive benefit out of it by getting paired with my ideal licensed expert who has immeasurably helped me with my own fears and insecurities that I've struggled with. If you feel like you can use someone to talk to, BetterHelp is offering you, a Behind The Mask-ulinity Podcast listener, 10% off your first month if you sign up using this link: BetterHelp.com/BehindTheMaskulinity **************************************************

To join the community and be part of the conversation: Behind The Mask-ulinity Private Facebook Group To connect with me directly: E-Mail Me: BehindTheMaskulinity@gmail.com or Instagram Me To become a contributor, supporter and get exclusive perks, benefits and access, consider becoming a Patron of the show. ************************************************** I'm happy to announce that I have signed on for a partnership/sponsorship with BetterHelp. BetterHelp is an online portal that provides direct-to-consumer access to behavioral health services. As much as I care about mental health, especially when it comes to men, I am not a licensed mental health professional nor will I ever claim to be (unless I become one someday). But, I do 100% believe in the power of counseling, therapy, coaching or any service that provides you with a knowledgable individual who will be there to listen to you, especially in tough times. I have become a user of BetterHelp myself and have gotten massive benefit out of it by getting paired with my ideal licensed expert who has immeasurably helped me with my own fears and insecurities that I've struggled with. If you feel like you can use someone to talk to, BetterHelp is offering you, a Behind The Mask-ulinity Podcast listener, 10% off your first month if you sign up using this link: BetterHelp.com/BehindTheMaskulinity ************************************************** John's Twitter John's Show - The Damage Report

To join the community and be part of the conversation: Behind The Mask-ulinity Private Facebook Group To connect with me directly: E-Mail Me: BehindTheMaskulinity@gmail.com or Instagram Me To become a contributor, supporter and get exclusive perks, benefits and access, consider becoming a Patron of the show. ************************************************** I'm happy to announce that I have signed on for a partnership/sponsorship with BetterHelp. BetterHelp is an online portal that provides direct-to-consumer access to behavioral health services. As much as I care about mental health, especially when it comes to men, I am not a licensed mental health professional nor will I ever claim to be (unless I become one someday). But, I do 100% believe in the power of counseling, therapy, coaching or any service that provides you with a knowledgable individual who will be there to listen to you, especially in tough times. I have become a user of BetterHelp myself and have gotten massive benefit out of it by getting paired with my ideal licensed expert who has immeasurably helped me with my own fears and insecurities that I've struggled with. If you feel like you can use someone to talk to, BetterHelp is offering you, a Behind The Mask-ulinity Podcast listener, 10% off your first month if you sign up using this link: BetterHelp.com/BehindTheMaskulinity ************************************************** Brad Johnson's Website David Smith's Website  How To Be An Ally Website Good Guys Book

To join the community and be part of the conversation: Behind The Mask-ulinity Private Facebook Group To connect with me directly: E-Mail Me: BehindTheMaskulinity@gmail.com or Instagram Me To become a contributor, supporter and get exclusive perks, benefits and access, consider becoming a Patron of the show. ************************************************** I'm happy to announce that I have signed on for a partnership/sponsorship with BetterHelp. BetterHelp is an online portal that provides direct-to-consumer access to behavioral health services. As much as I care about mental health, especially when it comes to men, I am not a licensed mental health professional nor will I ever claim to be (unless I become one someday). But, I do 100% believe in the power of counseling, therapy, coaching or any service that provides you with a knowledgable individual who will be there to listen to you, especially in tough times. I have become a user of BetterHelp myself and have gotten massive benefit out of it by getting paired with my ideal licensed expert who has immeasurably helped me with my own fears and insecurities that I've struggled with. If you feel like you can use someone to talk to, BetterHelp is offering you, a Behind The Mask-ulinity Podcast listener, 10% off your first month if you sign up using this link: BetterHelp.com/BehindTheMaskulinity ************************************************** Harris' Links: Website LinkedIn Twitter Facebook

To join the community and be part of the conversation: Behind The Mask-ulinity Private Facebook Group To connect with me directly: E-Mail Me: BehindTheMaskulinity@gmail.com or Instagram Me To become a contributor, supporter and get exclusive perks, benefits and access, consider becoming a Patron of the show. ************************************************** I'm happy to announce that I have signed on for a partnership/sponsorship with BetterHelp. BetterHelp is an online portal that provides direct-to-consumer access to behavioral health services. As much as I care about mental health, especially when it comes to men, I am not a licensed mental health professional nor will I ever claim to be (unless I become one someday). But, I do 100% believe in the power of counseling, therapy, coaching or any service that provides you with a knowledgable individual who will be there to listen to you, especially in tough times. I have become a user of BetterHelp myself and have gotten massive benefit out of it by getting paired with my ideal licensed expert who has immeasurably helped me with my own fears and insecurities that I've struggled with. If you feel like you can use someone to talk to, BetterHelp is offering you, a Behind The Mask-ulinity Podcast listener, 10% off your first month if you sign up using this link: BetterHelp.com/BehindTheMaskulinity ************************************************** We all know emojis. Those cute (gasp... am I a grown man that just used the word cute to describe something?!) little smiley faces that we use in our text messages, our social media posts, our comments to posts, our emails and in many other forms of our communication. They are a way of adding a little more expression to a message we want to convey to someone. We can type a text to our significant other that says "I love and I miss you" and end it with a period. Or, we can type a text to our significant other and instead of ending it with a period, we end it with the emoji with hearts for eyes, or the emoji with the three little hearts circling around its face, or maybe just the big red heart emoji. We can couple that with perhaps the sad face emoji, or the crying emoji, or the slightly angled down lip emoji to let our loved one know that we're really bummed that we're not around them. Honestly, sometimes my wife and I will communicate with just pure emojis. Sometimes a facial expression (even though it's not technically our faces) can convey more than a thousand words can. She'll send me the dog emoji coupled with the heart emoji that's maybe attached to a picture of our dog, and it instantly brings to mind how much we love our dog Charlie and how happy we are that he's in our lives. It can conjure up all these feelings I have inside without her even having to type out one single word. Now, are emojis a substitute for deep, honest, vulnerable conversations? No way. But they are a nice addendum to a message that we want to convey or feelings that we want to express. And guess what?...... Us men have messages to convey and we have feelings and emotions, too!! Just because we're men and we've been taught to suppress them and bury them deep down inside until we lash out abusively at someone else or drown our misery in drugs and alcohol doesn't mean we have to continue to do so.

To join the community and be part of the conversation: Behind The Mask-ulinity Private Facebook Group To connect with me directly: E-Mail Me: BehindTheMaskulinity@gmail.com or Instagram Me To become a contributor, supporter and get exclusive perks, benefits and access, consider becoming a Patron of the show. ************************************************** I'm happy to announce that I have signed on for a partnership/sponsorship with BetterHelp. BetterHelp is an online portal that provides direct-to-consumer access to behavioral health services. As much as I care about mental health, especially when it comes to men, I am not a licensed mental health professional nor will I ever claim to be (unless I become one someday). But, I do 100% believe in the power of counseling, therapy, coaching or any service that provides you with a knowledgable individual who will be there to listen to you, especially in tough times. I have become a user of BetterHelp myself and have gotten massive benefit out of it by getting paired with my ideal licensed expert who has immeasurably helped me with my own fears and insecurities that I've struggled with. If you feel like you can use someone to talk to, BetterHelp is offering you, a Behind The Mask-ulinity Podcast listener, 10% off your first month if you sign up using this link: BetterHelp.com/BehindTheMaskulinity ************************************************** Reggie Walker on LinkedIn Reggie Walker on Instagram Reggie Walker's E-Mail: RWalker5553@icloud.com

To join the community and be part of the conversation: Behind The Mask-ulinity Private Facebook Group To connect with me directly: E-Mail Me: BehindTheMaskulinity@gmail.com or Instagram Me To become a contributor, supporter and get exclusive perks, benefits and access, consider becoming a Patron of the show. ************************************************** I'm happy to announce that I have signed on for a partnership/sponsorship with BetterHelp. BetterHelp is an online portal that provides direct-to-consumer access to behavioral health services. As much as I care about mental health, especially when it comes to men, I am not a licensed mental health professional nor will I ever claim to be (unless I become one someday). But, I do 100% believe in the power of counseling, therapy, coaching or any service that provides you with a knowledgable individual who will be there to listen to you, especially in tough times. I have become a user of BetterHelp myself and have gotten massive benefit out of it by getting paired with my ideal licensed expert who has immeasurably helped me with my own fears and insecurities that I've struggled with. If you feel like you can use someone to talk to, BetterHelp is offering you, a Behind The Mask-ulinity Podcast listener, 10% off your first month if you sign up using this link: BetterHelp.com/BehindTheMaskulinity ************************************************** What do you think of when you think of an NFL quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys? Tough? Gritty? Lucky? Superstar? Superhero? Talented? Superhuman? God-like? Best job in the world? Do you think of depression? Anxiety? Loneliness? Isolation? Sadness? Suicide? No? Well you might want to consider it. Because that's what Dak Prescott, incumbent Dallas Cowboys quarterback, went through recently. You might think to yourself "Why? This dude is making millions and appearing in Campbell's soup commercials, what's he got to be depressed about?" The sudden death of his brother by way of suicide, that's what's got him feeling so down and depressed. Did you ever have a brother commit suicide? If so, I'm sorry you had to go through that, but you know how that feels. If you haven't experienced that, imagine what it would feel like. Dak publicly shared his feelings and emotions recently and was greeted with disagreement (to say the least) by sports commentator Skip Bayless. Skip shared his comments saying that, although he has compassion for clinical depression, as an NFL quarterback who commands a team of young men, it's not okay to talk about your mental health and to reveal that "weakness" publicly. That it can affect how your teammates view your ability to lead them. Check out this episode to hear my take on how I feel about Dak opening up so vulnerably and what kind of a leader I believe he is.

To join the community and be part of the conversation: Behind The Mask-ulinity Private Facebook Group To connect with me directly: E-Mail Me: BehindTheMaskulinity@gmail.com or Instagram Me To become a contributor, supporter and get exclusive perks, benefits and access, consider becoming a Patron of the show. ************************************************** I'm happy to announce that I have signed on for a partnership/sponsorship with BetterHelp. BetterHelp is an online portal that provides direct-to-consumer access to behavioral health services. As much as I care about mental health, especially when it comes to men, I am not a licensed mental health professional nor will I ever claim to be (unless I become one someday). But, I do 100% believe in the power of counseling, therapy, coaching or any service that provides you with a knowledgable individual who will be there to listen to you, especially in tough times. I have become a user of BetterHelp myself and have gotten massive benefit out of it by getting paired with my ideal licensed expert who has immeasurably helped me with my own fears and insecurities that I've struggled with. If you feel like you can use someone to talk to, BetterHelp is offering you, a Behind The Mask-ulinity Podcast listener, 10% off your first month if you sign up using this link: BetterHelp.com/BehindTheMaskulinity ************************************************** What is empathy? Is it the same as sympathy? How are they different? Is it something you're either born with or not? Is it something you can strengthen? One definition for empathy is: the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner. According to that definition, it goes deeper than sympathy. It's more than just telling something "oh, that sucks... sorry about that... I feel bad for you." It goes deeper by imagining how you would feel if you were in that person's shoes, experiencing their feelings on a deeper level to get a better feel for what they might be going through. Join me for this informative conversation with Michael Ventura as he discusses the importance of applying empathy in our lives--personal, professional, intimate and other areas. Michael is the founder of Sub Rosa, a strategy and design firm that has worked with some of the world’s largest and most important brands, organizations, and startups: from General Electric, Google, Marriott, and Nike to well-respected institutions such as The United Nations and the Obama Administration. Additionally, Michael has served as a board member and advisor to a variety of organizations including Behance, The Burning Man Project, The Smithsonian’s Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum, and the United Nations Tribal Link Foundation. He is a visiting lecturer at institutions such as Princeton University and the United States Military Academy at West Point. In addition to his business pursuits, he is an active practitioner of indigenous and traditional chinese medicine, working with clients in private practice for over a decade. A dynamic writer and presenter, he is frequently engaged as an advisor to entrepreneurs and leaders of some of the largest corporations across the globe. His first book Applied Empathy, which we’re going to dive into today, was published by Simon & Schuster in 2018.

To join the community and be part of the conversation: Behind The Mask-ulinity Private Facebook Group To connect with me directly: E-Mail Me: BehindTheMaskulinity@gmail.com or Instagram Me To become a contributor, supporter and get exclusive perks, benefits and access, consider becoming a Patron of the show. ************************************************** I'm happy to announce that I have signed on for a partnership/sponsorship with BetterHelp. BetterHelp is an online portal that provides direct-to-consumer access to behavioral health services. As much as I care about mental health, especially when it comes to men, I am not a licensed mental health professional nor will I ever claim to be (unless I become one someday). But, I do 100% believe in the power of counseling, therapy, coaching or any service that provides you with a knowledgable individual who will be there to listen to you, especially in tough times. I have become a user of BetterHelp myself and have gotten massive benefit out of it by getting paired with my ideal licensed expert who has immeasurably helped me with my own fears and insecurities that I've struggled with. If you feel like you can use someone to talk to, BetterHelp is offering you, a Behind The Mask-ulinity Podcast listener, 10% off your first month if you sign up using this link: BetterHelp.com/BehindTheMaskulinity ************************************************** Gold. Silver. Bronze. What do those three medals remind you of? If you're like most people, they probably make you think of the Olympics. The Olympic Games, where the best of the best from around the world compete on a global stage for the pride of themselves and for the pride of their countries. An athletic competition that began in 776 BC in Athens, Greece and was revived in 1896AD again in Athens to what we know now as the modern Olympic Games. Some athletes train almost literally their entire lives not just to win a medal at the games, but to simply get the opportunity to participate and represent their countries. If you want to get a taste of what these athletes go through, not just physically but mentally and emotionally as well, I highly recommend watching the HBO documentary Weight Of Gold narrated by one of the most prolific Olympians in history, Michael Phelps. Join me for this deep, intimate and enlightening conversation with Jason Rogers about being a world class athlete and the performance anxiety that can be crippling. Jason Rogers is not just an Olympian, but a medal-winning Olympian when he won a Silver Medal in fencing at the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008. Jason knows what it means to compete at the highest levels.... but he also knows what it feels like to be at the lowest levels. Levels that are full of fear, anxiety, insecurities, doubt, shame and unworthiness. Check out his extremely vulnerable article in Men's Health. Although Jason reached heights that others only dream of, he has struggled with much of the same things as you and I and pretty much every other human being. He may have seemed like a machine when he was performing at his best, but he's just as human as you and I. Now, he’s dedicating himself and his work to the evolving state of masculinity. His work, which focuses on the intersection of sex, shame, and masculinity, has been profiled by the Times of London, Newsweek, and Mel Magazine. He also writes the Mandate Letter, a free weekly newsletter about the strange culture of being a man. Shoot him a text at (310) 299-9363.

To join the community and be part of the conversation: Behind The Mask-ulinity Private Facebook Group To connect with me directly: E-Mail Me: BehindTheMaskulinity@gmail.com or Instagram Me To become a contributor, supporter and get exclusive perks, benefits, and access, consider becoming a Patron of the show. ************************************************** Jason's Community Jason's Website Jason's YouTube Page

To join the community and be part of the conversation: Behind The Mask-ulinity Private Facebook Group To connect with me directly: E-Mail Me: BehindTheMaskulinity@gmail.com or Instagram Me To become a contributor, supporter and get exclusive perks, benefits and access, consider becoming a Patron of the show. ************************************************** For this special episode, episode #50, I sit down with my best friend, my teammate, my supporter, my rock, my salsa dance partner, my adventure buddy, my Office and Parks & Rec watching buddy, my wife and partner for life, Ana Kasparian. Ana Kasparian is the executive producer and host of the largest online news network in the world--The Young Turks--where she talks news and politics, from Democrats to Republicans to the election to social justice issues and everything in between. She has made many appearance on television and radio including CNN, NPR and many more. She has written articles for The Hill and Raw Story. She teaches journalism at Cal State University Northridge. She's an all-around bad ass. But in my opinion, the role she excels at the most is being the best wife any man could ask for. To say I'm a lucky man and husband is an understatement. Join us for this intimate and fun conversation as we recount the story of how we met, how we still haven't figured out who was checking out who in our first encounter, our first date, our time dating, how we became a couple, how we got engaged, and much more.

To join the community and be part of the conversation: Behind The Mask-ulinity Private Facebook Group To connect with me directly: E-Mail Me: BehindTheMaskulinity@gmail.com or Instagram Me To become a contributor, supporter and get exclusive perks, benefits and access, consider becoming a Patron of the show. ************************************************** Do you like baseball? Maybe you don't. Even as a former professional baseball player, I can admit that baseball can be boring at times. Those one to zero "pitcher's duels" that many baseball aficionados rave about can be really boring to the not-so-avid fan, I get it. Especially now with the Covid/Coronavirus cases popping up around some teams in Major League Baseball ever since Opening Day 2020 began, I can see how baseball might deter some people. But maybe you like another sport. Football, basketball, hockey, tennis, golf? Shoot, maybe you're not even a sports fan at all. That's okay. But one thing is for sure, there is someone out there in some profession that at one point or another in your life you looked up to. Somebody that you believed was perfect, was infallible, new all the right things to do and say and seemingly had it made. A person you probably believed was some kind of super human. Who is that person for you? As perfect and God-like as you believe this person may be, they are just as human as you and me. They breathe the same air you breathe, they walk on the same earth you walk on and they experience the same emotions you experience... they just happen to maybe be a bit more famous than you. The point is, they're not indestructible, they're not immune to the every day struggles of life, and they're far from perfect. They're as human as you, through and through. Athletes are some of these supposed super humans that sometimes get attributed these super human qualities and are expected to be perfect, and sometimes they buy into these expectations thrown their way. Their egos get big and they let their self worth be defined by their stats and what others think of them. Join me as I sit down for this deep and philosophical conversation with Brad Balukjian about the struggles that some of these athletes, theses supposed super humans, face when their careers and essentially their identities, get stripped right off their backs. Brad is the author and researcher behind the acclaimed book The Wax Pack: On The Open Road In Search Of Baseball's Afterlife. For his book, Brad took a single pack of baseball cards from 1986 (the first year he collected cards), opened it, chewed the nearly thirty-year-old gum inside, gagged, and then embarked on a quest to find all the players in the pack. Is there life after baseball? Starting from this simple question, The Wax Pack ends up with something much bigger and unexpected—a meditation on the loss of innocence and the gift of impermanence.

To join the community and be part of the conversation: Behind The Mask-ulinity Private Facebook Group To connect with me directly: E-Mail Me: BehindTheMaskulinity@gmail.com or Instagram Me To become a contributor, supporter and get exclusive perks, benefits and access, consider becoming a Patron of the show. ************************************************** Are you married? Do you have a girlfriend? Do you have a boyfriend? Do you have any kind of significant other? Even if you don't, at the very least you have a relationship with yourself. Heck, I'd argue that's the most important relationship in your life. If you can't truly love you and take care of you, then how can you expect to truly love and take care of someone else? Life is all about relationships. We humans are built to bond, to connect, to cooperate, to help each other out, to support one another, to be there for one another whenever the time comes. But, even though life is all about relationships, sometimes those relationships can be difficult to maintain. Sometimes, even the best of us who seem to have everything figure out and seem to know each other through and through, even those relationships go through their trials and tribulations. Such was the case for one of Hollywood's most adored couples recently, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith. You might have heard about Jada's "entanglement" with R&B singer August Alsina on her Red Table Talk show on Facebook. Jada brought Will to the Red Table to open up not just to Will, but to open up publicly about some of the rumors that seem to be flying around regarding this situation. You might think this was some kind of publicity stunt, and I understand why you may feel that way, but the fact that they were willing to open up publicly about such a deep wound and such a tough time in their marriage says a lot about how well they communicate, respect each other, understand each other, talk things out and are willing to be vulnerable, be open, be honest and lay their true emotions and feelings all out on the line in order to work through this pain and struggle and heal their marriage. Join me in this episode as I watch the Red Table Talk with Will & Jada (with the audio edited out) and I share my thoughts and opinions and how some of it relates to my own marriage and relationship with my wife.

To join the community and be part of the conversation: Behind The Mask-ulinity Private Facebook Group To connect with me directly: E-Mail Me: BehindTheMaskulinity@gmail.com or Instagram Me To become a contributor, supporter and get exclusive perks, benefits and access, consider becoming a Patron of the show. ************************************************** Are you enough? Smart enough? Tall enough? Good-looking enough? Thin enough? Strong enough? Tough enough? Good enough? What does it even mean to be enough? Is their some strict marker you need to hit before you consider yourself enough? Is that strict marker determined by you? By your parents? By your coaches? By God? By your friends? By society? By the media? One of my deepest and most limiting beliefs that I have struggled with and had to work hard--and continue to work hard--to overcome, is the belief that I'm not good enough. That belief stems from many things in my life, but mostly from losing my identity as a baseball player and considering my career as an athlete a failure. Join me for this deep, enlightening conversation with J Stamatelos on what it means and feels like to be enough, and what it feels like when you're not. J is a writer, researcher, and a coach who specializes in working with high-achievers who feel like they're chronically "not enough". He is a man who knows firsthand the effects of this feeling, as it almost cost him his life in his mid-20s. J began his career in the workforce in counter-terrorism and emergency response... but he soon discovered that his own internal struggles were shared by practically everyone around him. He viewed this as a far bigger problem than terrorism. So he decided to dedicate himself to discovering why so many of us feel this way and what we can do about it. After years of personal experimentation, working with clients, and digging into the research and behind-the-scenes issues, he has complied his findings in a book succinctly titled "Enough". Spanning everything from how we were raised to economic changes in our society, he outlines why recent generations have experienced a surge in what he calls "anxious insecurity". More importantly, he also outlines what changes we can make to break these cycles in our own lives.

To join the community and be part of the conversation: Behind The Mask-ulinity Private Facebook Group To connect with me directly: E-Mail Me: BehindTheMaskulinity@gmail.com or Instagram Me To become a contributor, supporter and get exclusive perks, benefits and access, consider becoming a Patron of the show. ************************************************************** What does connection mean to you? What does it mean to connect with another human being? Is it eye contact? A simple hello? A handshake? A hug? A kiss? A deep conversation? Sexual intimacy? Connection can mean something to you and something totally different to me, or it can mean the same thing to us both. But, there is one thing that is certain without a doubt: us humans NEED connection. It's how we're wired and how we're built. That's why we formed tribes and communities and we didn't evolve alone. This whole notion of "lone wolf" and "self-made" is such BS. Every single one of us has had some help from some one at some point in our lives. Every. Single. One. No one ever has and no one ever will get through this alone. No one. Join me for this fascinating conversation with Rob Lawless aka "Rob's 10K Friends" that's all about one of our deepest needs: connecting with other human beings. Rob is a man on a mission--a mission to spend 1 hour, 1-on-1, with 10,000 different people (what a mission!) all in an effort to learn about their lives and see what comes of opening doors for no particular reason... other than to let someone in. Since starting his project in November of 2015, he's met over 3,500 people from across 30 different states and 60 different countries, and he's documented all his their stories on his Instagram page. His work has been featured in some very notable TV and radio shows and publications including the Kelly Clarkson Show, Now This, ABC World News Now, The New York Post, ad Ryan Seacrest's nationally syndicated show "On Air with Ryan Seacrest." Going forward, he plans to physically travel for his project internationally, he intends to begin speaking about his work, and ultimately he hopes to teach a freshman seminar on human connection at a local college or university. To contribute to Rob's project or become part of his community, check out his Patreon page.

To join the conversation and be part of the community: Behind The Mask-ulinity Private Facebook Group To connect with me directly: E-Mail Me: BehindTheMaskulinity@gmail.com or Instagram Me To become a contributor, supporter and get exclusive perks, benefits and access, consider becoming a Patron of the show. Have you ever been addicted to something--alcohol, drugs, food, sex, validation? To addicts, it can feel like the substance they're addicted to is no big deal. Like they don't have an issue. Like it's just some harmless habit that they can kick at any time they want to... they just don't want to. Usually, if not always, addiction is the sign of a much, much deeper wound and more than just a harmless habit. Sometimes addiction is a way to cope with a life that doesn't fulfill you, a life that doesn't make you happy, a way to cope with that person staring back at you in the mirror that you don't even recognize anymore, a person that disgusts you just to look at. But, addiction doesn't have to define who you are, you don't have to be just an "addict" for the rest of your life. It is something you can overcome, something you can beat, but it's going to take a lot of hard work, a lot of pain and a lot of self awareness and self reflection. Join me for this deep, vulnerable, tearful conversation with Daniel Diaz, a man who knows firsthand what it feels like to be in the death grip of addiction, overcome it, relapse, and finally beat it once and for all. Daniel is a life and business coach who was once trapped in a long, vicious cycle of addictions, bad habits, poor relationships, and toxic environments. He was living a busy, painful, lonely, empty life. Then he found personal development and began to transform his life and business. Seven years later he took a massive leap when he left his company to pursue his passion of helping others live their Peak Life Now. Daniel is now a speaker, a life mastery coach, and the CEO of Peak Life Now, a mission driven company delivering entrepreneurs and team leaders to their highest level of performance through a heart-centered transformation of mindset and habits. Don't miss this conversation as Daniel shares his inspirational story of how he overcame his personal demons to believe in and love himself like no other.

To join the community and be part of the conversation: Behind The Mask-ulinity Private Facebook Group To connect with me directly: E-Mail Me: BehindTheMaskulinity@gmail.com or Instagram Me To become a contributor, supporter and get exclusive perks, benefits and access, consider becoming a Patron of the show. This episode was a tough one to record and publish. Not because of any technical difficulties, but mostly because of fear, insecurities, hesitation, worry, doubt, unworthiness, not good enough, shame.... you know, all the stuff that has always held me back from being the best man I can be. I've officially launched a Patreon page. This is an opportunity to finally begin to capitalize (monetarily) on the hard work and dedication I've been putting into this podcast and this work for the past year, and more. This isn't just a way for me to make money, it's a way for you to get more out of this work as well. I'll be offering exclusive perks and access while the podcast episodes will still remain free--and they always will. This a way for me to slowly begin transitioning from a 9-to-5 career, to making this my career and life's work. The less time I'm dedicating to a job that doesn't fulfill me, the more time I can dedicate to this work that does fulfill me and the better and more consistent I can make it, the better I can make myself, and the better I can make you. Even if you just remain a loyal listener for years to come, I just want to say THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart. I love this work and I love the people that I've met and impacted because of it. Here's to many more years of doing it.

To join the community and be part of the conversation: Behind The Mask-ulinity Private Facebook Group To connect with me directly: E-Mail Me: BehindTheMaskulinity@gmail.com or Instagram Me You may have an idea of what it means to be a "masculine" man--although it can vary and be subjective depending on where you live, where you grew up, your culture, your religion or your sexual orientation. But what does it mean to be masculine in your relationship? Is it being domineering and demanding? Is it yelling and intimidating? Is it being physical and violent? It showing your partner who the boss is? Is it being a leader? Is it being overly sexual? Join me for this raw and intimate discussion with GS Youngblood as we discuss topics such as: - Masculine leadership -What makes relationships become toxic -How men can deal with their partner's strong emotions -Why a man's heart is so attractive -Sexual leadership -How men can deal with THEIR OWN emotions ... and many more. GS is a former high executive who had a career in Sales and Marketing that spanned 16 years, including founding and selling a tech company. Using the leadership skills and practices he honed during his time in Silicon Valley, he now coaches men in relationships on masculine leadership. He teaches clients how to live, love and lead from their masculine core and specializes in helping "nice guys" find their power. His new book "The Masculine in Relationship: A Blueprint for Inspiring Trust, Lust and Devotion of a Strong Woman" has gotten phenomenal reception from both men AND women.

To join the conversation and be part of the community: Behind The Mask-ulinity Private Facebook Group To connect with me directly: E-Mail Me: BehindTheMaskulinity@gmail.com Instagram Me Vulnerability. Tenderness. Affection. Kindness. Compassion. Tears. Empathy. Homosexuality. Social worker. Single dad. Author of a children's book. Reality TV star. Queer eye. Are these words and phrases you would use to describe a "man"? Well, all these words and phrases can be used to describe our guest, Karamo Brown... and he is a man! Join me as I sit down for this energetic conversation with Karamo as we dive deep into his story about stepping into the man that he was born to be, the man that he truly is, despite what his community, family, society, religion, race and everyone else around him was telling him about what a real man is. You might know Karamo from his Emmy Award-winning Netflix series, Queer Eye, where he is the resident Culture Expert who helps make over the hearts and minds of individuals by helping them to confront and grow beyond internal and external issues. Or you might know him as the first ever openly gay African American in reality television history when he was a housemate on MTV's hit reality series The Real World in 2004. But, Karamo is so much more than that. He is a son of immigrant parents, he is a single father, he is a Christian, he is a real, strong, authentic, loving, openly gay, black man. He is a man who's been lauded for his ease and natural comfort in relating to different types of people and strategically utilizes the strength of his numerous identities to achieve success, and teach others to do the same. He is also a fellow podcaster where he hosts fantastic guests and deep, open, vulnerable conversations about a range of important topics. Check it out!

To join the community and be part of the conversation: Behind The Mask-ulinity Private Facebook Group To connect with me directly: E-Mail Me: BehindTheMaskulinity@gmail.com or Instagram Me What does confidence mean to you? How would you define it for yourself or in yourself? Do you consider yourself confident? In what areas of your life are you confident? Are you more confident in some areas than others? If you're like I used to be, you might believe confidence is something you're born with--you either have it or you don't. Wrong. I wasn't born a confident baseball player, I BECAME a confident baseball player through failure, resiliency and a belief in myself. Sports was something I became very confident in, oftentimes believing that I was the best around. But what happened when that part of my life came to an end? My confidence disappeared along with it. Listen in to find out how I've learned to not only regain my confidence in myself and my abilities, but also redefine what it means to be truly confident.

To join the conversation and be part of the community: Behind The Mask-ulinity Private Facebook Group To connect with me directly: E-Mail Me: BehindTheMaskulinity@gmail.com or Instagram Me Do you know a gay man? Are you a gay man? If so, do you believe that being a gay man makes one any less of a man than a straight, heterosexual man? Shoot, I'd argue that gay men are some of the toughest, bravest, most resilient, most understanding men in the world. Considering all the hatred, vitriol, persecution, judgement, labeling, ridiculing and shaming they've endured for years and years--oftentimes from the people in their lives that are supposed to have their backs and love them unconditionally--they could probably teach a lot of us straight men a thing or two about being a man. Would you ever take advice from a gay man on how to live life? Why not? Just because he's attracted to men doesn't mean you can't relate to him on so many other levels. Join me as I sit down with Britt East for one of the most intimate, deep, vulnerable conversations yet on this podcast. Britt East is an author & speaker who uses his experience, strength, and hope to challenge and inspire change-oriented gay men to get down to the business of improving their lives. With over two decades of personal growth and development experience in a variety of modalities, such as the 12 Steps, Nonviolent Communication, yoga, meditation, talk therapy, and the Hoffman Process, Britt is committed to building a personal practice of self-discovery that he can then share with gay men everywhere. In his new book, A Gay Man’s Guide to Life (available 6/30), he provides a resource for gay men who’ve experienced societal homophobia--at home, in school, in the workplace, and even within the gay community--to put in the work to live their best lives. This isn’t new-age mumbo jumbo or wishy-washy self-help jargon, but thoughtful dialogue that anyone in the LGBTQ+ community will find value in. Heck, even if you aren't part of the LGBTQ+ community, you are bound to find some useful information and guidance in this book.

To join the community and be a part of the conversation: Behind The Mask-ulinity Private Facebook Group To connect with me directly: E-Mail Me: BehindTheMaskulinity@gmail.com or Instagram Me What makes a good leader? Is it sternness? Discipline? The amount followers they have? Their courage? Their success? Their lack of failure? Their professionalism? Their ability to get others to follow? Their ability to yell? Their "don't take no for an answer" attitude? There's probably hundreds and thousands of different opinions and definitions of what it means to be a leader, and millions of examples of leaders in the world. Your opinion of a leader might be different than mine. A leader to one person might just be a bossy authoritarian to another. A follower to another person might be the best leader a company has ever seen. When you think about a leader, do you think about someone who does things outside themselves? As merely the way someone interacts with the world and with others? Do you ever think about how you lead the most important person in the world, the person that matters the most to you--yourself? What does it mean to lead yourself? Is that even possible? If so, what's the best possible way to do that? Join me as I sit down with Travis Fox--psychologist, clinical hypnotherapist, entrepreneur, CEO, former athlete--as we discuss many of these questions and what it means to be a courageous and compassionate leader. Travis Fox is the CEO and founder of The Architect of Being, where he and his team train and teach others his proprietary methodology of architecting sales, marketing, communication and branding. Utilizing his skills for personality profiling, effective listening, focused concentration and rapport building, Travis’ method has effectively helped improve corporations, entrepreneurs, and product messaging, guiding them to the heart of their message. Travis has also been the "head" coach to several top professional players on the professional golf tours, as well as to those competing at the collegiate level. His Methodologies have also crossed over into his coaching of professional football, college basketball, and full contact fighting athletes.

To join the conversation and be part of the community: Behind The Mask-ulinity Private Facebook Group To connect with directly: E-Mail Me: BehindTheMaskulinity@gmail.com or Instagram Me Recommended reading: "Season of Life" by Jeffrey Marx Are you a man? How do you know? What happened? What changed in you? Was it your first chest hair? Was it your first kiss? Was it your first fight? Was it your first drink or cigarette? Was it when you lost your virginity? Was it at 18? Was it when you got married? Was it your first job? Who decided this anyways? Who made the decision as to where, when or how you become a man? What does it mean to be a man, anyhow? Your version of manliness and masculinity is different than mine. Our version is different than many other guys. To different cultures around the world, our version might make no sense at all. And their version might make no sense to us. So where does that leave us? Join me as I sit down with Dr. Ka'eo Vasconcellos (kvasconcellos@punahou.edu) for a conversation on this vital topic as we discuss his work with young men, the varying definitions of masculinity, and how we can help men develop their own identity and sense of manliness. Check out his TED Talk! Dr. Vasconcellos is a Doctor of Philosophy who earned his degree from the University of Hawaii at Manoa in Educational Foundations. He is currently a social studies teacher at Punahou School in Honolulu, Hawaii where he teaches American Studies and Gender Studies. In 2012, he was awarded the Honolulu District Teacher of the Year Award. We dive deep into his incredible and impactful work with young men and the data he uncovered while researching for his dissertation titled “Hawaiian Male Adolescent Students’ Perceptions of Masculinity”.

To join the community and be part of the conversation: Behind The Mask-ulinity Private Facebook Group To connect with me directly: E-Mail Me: BehindTheMaskulinity@gmail.com or Instagram Me Facebook Dad Groups: NEW DADS PLACE  Dadsnet Are you a dad? Do you know any dads? Have you ever thought about becoming a dad? No matter the answer to any of these questions, you probably believe--as many of us do--that becoming a dad is one of those things in life that transform you from just a boy to a man. Along with graduating high school, graduating college, starting your career, getting married, buying a house and so many other situations in your life that have you and other people saying "now you can call yourself a man." NOW you can call yourself a man? So if you don't graduate high school or college, or get married, or buy a house or any of those other things, you can't call yourself a man? I'm sure there are many men in the world that have done maybe one of those "manly" things above, or maybe none of them, that I would consider a man. Why has manliness and masculinity become something that you have to prove? Who do you have to prove it to? Who made up these rules? I'm all for rites of passage and strengthening yourself by facing your fears and pushing yourself outside your comfort zone, but that pressure to prove you're good enough to others and to society creates more harm than good in my opinion. I know because I have fallen victim to that need to prove myself to others, to prove that I am worthy and good enough of calling myself a man. Join me as I sit down with Jeff Cronin a.k.a. Jeff The Baby Dude for a deep conversation about becoming a new dad and the pressures he felt from the world to become a man by finally settling down and doing what a man is "supposed to do." Jeff is a husband and a fairly new dad, with baby boy #2 arriving shortly. Before becoming a dad, he felt the same pressure and fears that many men face: "Am I good enough?... What if I mess up?... What do I do?... Am I a real man now?... What will other people think?" Like many new dads--and parents in general--he had a lot more questions than he had answers. Many of those questions pertained to the plethora of baby products out there that make life so much easier for parents, but that he knew nothing about. He saw many women reviewing products that they found helpful, but didn't see many men out there sharing their thoughts and opinions. He decided to take matters into his own hands--after a challenge from his wife--and this is what sparked his YouTube Channel and website Jeff The Baby Dude. As Jeff The Baby Dude, Jeff reviews many baby products that have helped ease his transition to dad life and shares his honest feedback with other parents out there who may have the same fears and hesitations that he once faced--and still faces. We also dive into a topic that many dads out there find themselves knee-deep in nowadays: how parenting has changed during this pandemic and how to adjust and adapt properly.

To join the community and be part of the conversation: Behind The Mask-ulinity Private Facebook Group To connect with me directly: E-Mail Me: BehindTheMaskulinity@gmail.com or Instagram Me Who doesn't want to bulk up, get shredded or have the body of their dreams? I think mostly everyone wants to be fit and healthy--it's the hard work that goes into it that makes it tough. Being a former athlete and a married man, I like to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle for myself but also to still be attractive to my wife. Is she going to leave me if I let myself go and get out of shape? Probably not. But I'd be lying if I said it didn't make me feel good when my wife checks me out and compliments me when I'm standing around naked at home... which is about 97% of the time. Although my wife is a small motivating factor behind why I like to stay fit and healthy, I also do it for myself because I want to reach the latter years of my life and hopefully still be able to be mobile and do some of the things I love to do... and I've got a little vanity, too. I admit it. Do you like to stay fit? Eat healthy? Why? Do you do it for yourself or do you do it for someone else? Do you do it because our society says that you're supposed to look a certain way? Finding out the answer to this question can be just as important as finding out what workout routine or what nutrition plan is the best for you. So many of us fall into the trap of achieving that "perfect" body that has us doing things--whether physically, mentally or nutritionally--that are doing us much more harm than they are good. Join me as I sit down with Sandra Avila (SAvila@Alliant.edu)to discuss an issue that is a lot more prevalent than you may realize: men with eating disorders. Sandra is a Clinical Psychology Doctoral candidate at Alliant University where she recently penned and defended her dissertation project titled "Disordered Eating in Males: An Unrecognized Health Crisis" which we dive into and discuss thoroughly. In her dissertation, she discusses what eating disorders in men can look like and investigates the factors that may cause them, as well as the factors that keep men from seeking help. Her goal is to help healthcare providers be able to better identify disordered eating in men and to validate their experiences in hopes of normalizing their emotional suffer gin and motivate them to take that critical first step in their healing process. This one was very informative and eye opening.

To join the community and be part of the conversation: Behind The Mask-ulinity Private Facebook Group To connect with me directly: E-Mail Me: BehindTheMaskulinity@gmail.com or Instagram Me Shoot Jed an e-mail & mention the podcast to get a FREE e-book! Jed@MenAlive.com Have you ever gotten really angry? Like really, really mad?? So angry that you just couldn't think straight and all you could feel was that emotion of anger that made you want to rip someone's head off? Me too. I'm a lot calmer these days and can manage my emotions much better, and I've always been a lover over a fighter... but I used to have a temper. Something would set me off--whether in a relationship or in my career--and I would lose it. I would see red and the only thing on my mind was yelling, retribution, revenge, vindication, respect and just making sure that my fears and insecurities were hidden so other people couldn't see them. Anger is something that a lot of men can relate to, you can probably relate to it as well. Actually, if you're human, you know anger. But for men, it's that one emotion that it's okay to show, that's "normal" for us... as opposed to the softer and more feminine emotions. But anger is not necessarily a bad thing, anger can save your life and protect you in sticky situations. There's a reason you have and feel anger, a reason why you're wired with it. It's not a mistake. What is a mistake is when you suppress some of those softer emotions, instead of dealing with them, and instead let them come out as anger. News Flash: sometimes that anger is not even anger, it's much deeper and much more painful than anger. Join me for this amazing conversation with bad ass man Dr. Jed Diamond as we discuss anger and he shows us how we can use the energy of that anger to our benefit. Jed is a psychotherapist with a PhD in International Health and a Master's Degree in Social Work. For 50 years, he has been a pioneer in the field of gender-specific medicine and men's health. He has written thousands of articles and 17 books men's work and men's health, including his latest title 12 Rules for Good Men. He has taught classes at UCLA, UC Berkeley and many other centers around the world. His work has been featured in major newspapers like The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, and he's made appearances on over a thousand radio and TV programs like The View with Barbara Walters, Good Morning America and The Today Show. Shoot Jed an e-mail & mention the podcast to get a FREE e-book! Jed@MenAlive.com

To join the community and be part of the conversation: Behind The Mask-ulinity Private Facebook Group To connect with me directly: E-Mail Me: BehindTheMaskulinity@gmail.com or Instagram Me Are you wearing your mask? Are you practicing social distancing? In these unprecedented days of this pandemic caused by Coronavirus/Covid-19, most all of us (minus the "strong" men who think it's weak to do so) find ourselves wearing masks to protect ourselves. When the CDC and WHO and organizations like that recommend wearing them, I'm going listen to them over some Facebook friend's disgruntled uncle who claims it's all a hoax. I get it, they're uncomfortable, they're hard to breathe in and even if you have the best mask and wear it correctly, you're still not guaranteed to not contract the virus. I get it, who the heck would want to wear one? I sure don't. But if it's for the safety of myself and those around me, I will do so. One argument I've heard around not wearing a mask--mostly from men--is that it makes them look weak. Really? Can you consider yourself "strong" and "manly" when you feel a measly mask is going to emasculate you and call into question your masculinity? Really?? What many don't realize who refuse to wear masks--because it may be construed by others as weakness--is that they are constantly wearing a figurative mask every single day of their lives. A mask of "manliness" that they constantly have to hide behind because they're afraid to open up, be vulnerable and let others see their pain, their hurt, their fear or whatever other "negative" emotion they may be going through because our culture has deemed that a "weakness" for men. Join me as I sit down with Ashanti Branch for a deep dive into why we wear these masks and what we can begin to do to shed them and show the world the real us, our true and best selves. Ashanti is a teacher/tutor/mentor who works to change how young men interact with their education and how their schools interact with them. Raised in Oakland by a single mother on welfare, he left the inner city to study Civil Engineering at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. A construction project manager in his first career, his life changed after he tutored struggling students and realized his passion for teaching. In 2004, during his first year teaching high school math, he started the Ever Forward Club to provide support for African American and Latino males who were not achieving to their potential. Since then, Ever Forward has helped all of its 150 members graduate from high school, and 93% of them have gone on to attend two- or four-year colleges, military or trade school. You can also see him in the award-winning documentary "The Mask You Live In", a film that explores how our culture's narrow definition of masculinity is harming our boys, men and society at large and unveils what we can do about it. Ashanti's TEDx Talk "The Mask You Live In"

To join the community and be part of the conversation: Behind The Mask-ulinity Private Facebook Group To connect with me directly: E-Mail Me: BehindTheMaskulinity@gmail.com or Instagram Me Have you ever gone through a big transitional event in your life? A break-up, a career change, a move of residence, a life-altering accident? Something that either happened gradually over time or unexpectedly from one day to the next. If you have, whatever that event was, it can leave you with certain feelings: fear, doubt, insecurity, loss of purpose, loss of identity, worry, stress, confusion and many others. It can be a really difficult time. These emotions can really do a number on you if you don't take the time to manage them instead of suppressing them or numbing them. Sometimes you have to suppress these emotions when you step into the office because you're expected to "be a professional", and rightfully so. But when you don't properly deal with these emotions and choose to numb them with busy work or some other distraction, they can severely hinder your ability to do your job to the best of your ability. That not only affects you, but it affects your co-workers, your boss, your customers and your company as a whole. Join me as I sit down with men's transformational coach Peter K. Rubin as he openly and vulnerably shares his own struggles with career change and emotions at work. Peter was the valedictorian of his prep school and graduated in the top 5% of his class at Stanford University where he received a BS in Product Design and an MS in Mechanical Engineering, he also became an innovation consultant at IDEO and a lecturer of design thinking at the Stanford d.school. Now, he is a men's transformational coach and a certified Master NLP Practitioner, a Diversity Facilitator and an Energy Work Practitioner. He is the co-founder of the Brotherhood Community where he co-leads the Men's Leadership Intensive. He offers free virtual workshops called Man Upgrades, all centered around helping his clients design their lives and rewire their belief systems.

To join the community and be part of the conversation: Behind The Mask-ulinity Private Facebook Group To connect with me directly: E-Mail Me: BehindTheMaskulinity@gmail.com or Instagram Me What are your values? Have you ever heard someone ask you that or heard it in a book, podcast, or TED Talk? What exactly does it mean? What does it mean to you? In simpler terms, values are things you care about. Not material things and external things, but intangible things like characteristics and traits. What traits do you try to exemplify every day? What traits do you want to exemplify? What do you look for in others? Why is figuring out your core values important? Why does it matter? Because they help you get to know yourself better and function better. It's like getting a physical examination from your doctor, but for your mind. When you get a physical, you may find out certain things about yourself: maybe your blood pressure is a little high, maybe your cholesterol is a bit off, maybe your lungs are a little wheezy, maybe your weight has fluctuated. What do you do? You become aware of these things and you make adjustments to live a healthier life that's better for you and those around you. You eat better, exercise more, reduce your stress and make better decisions that will better align you for success. Same with figuring out your values. You start to realize how you see the world, become aware of your perspective, notice why you think the way you think, say the things you say, and do the things you do. Not only is this helpful to you personally, it's helpful in all areas of your life, including your relationships. And what is life without relationships? When you become aware of these core values, you build your self-awareness. When you build your self-awareness, you start to make  better decisions, you start to create better boundaries and your life starts to look more like the life that you actually want it to look like. Join me in this solo episode as I share my top 10 core values and, why they're important to me, and how you can begin to find yours.

To join the community and be part of the conversation: Behind The Mask-ulinity Private Facebook Group To connect with directly: E-Mail Me: BehindTheMaskulinity@gmail.com or Instagram Me What are some of the thoughts that come to your mind when you hear the word meditation? "It's too woo-woo... it's too 'out there'... it's for hippies... it's boring... I don't have time... I can't sit still... I'm not spiritual... it's for women... it's too feminine"? Trust me, I get it. Those are the same thoughts, along with many others, that I had when I first heard about and was approached about meditation. It just wasn't for me. But, I changed my mind once I gave it an honest shot and put those presumptions in the back seat. What I found that there are some legit benefits that mediation can offer, and not just anecdotal benefits, but benefits backed by science, study and research. Join me in this solo episode as I give you my top five benefits of a meditation practice, a few ways to mediate without sitting in silence, some apps to get you started, and how you may even be meditating already without even realizing it. The key to meditation is not to sit in silence without a single thought entering your mind, that's impossible! The key is to keep coming back to the present moment over and over and over. That is how you build mindfulness, which in my opinion is the best thing that meditation develops.

To join the community and be part of the conversation: Behind The Mask-ulinity Private Facebook Group To connect with me directly: E-Mail Me: BehindTheMaskulinity@gmail.com or Instagram Me Have you ever cried over a girlfriend or some other relationship you've been in? If so, you've probably had someone call you soft, weak, beta male, a girl, feminine, a p***y, or some other form of emasculating term. Have you ever seen a male athlete cry after winning the World Series, the Super Bowl, a gold medal? What do they say about him? He's passionate, he's dedicated, he cares, he let it all out, he gave it his all, and other words of praise. So which is it? Is crying weak or is it strong? I'm not advocating for a world full of cry babies that just cry about anything instead of using other productive ways to deal with emotions, but give us some direction here. Join me as I sit down with former professional baseball player Mike Robbins as we dive into his story from the little league fields of Oakland, to the prestigious confines of Stanford University, to his journey as a professional with the Kansas City Royals, to his premature retirement because of injuries--and all the emotions he encountered in between. Mike used those injuries, struggles and emotions to become the man he is today: a leading expert in teamwork, leadership and emotional intelligence, delivering keynotes and seminars around the world that empower people, leaders, and teams to engage in their work, collaborate and perform at their best. His clients include Google, Microsoft, the U.S. Department of Labor, Harvard University, Coca-Cola, the NBA, MLB, and many others. His work has been featured in New York Times, Harvard Business Review, NPR, ABC News and Forbes. He is the author of 5 books, including his brand new title "We're All In This Together: Creating A Team Culture Of High Performance, Trust And Belonging". You can find it here https://mike-robbins.com/together/.