Man;Kind Podcast

"Ready for some man talk?"My name is Will Small. I’ve been handed stories throughout my life of what a man should be, how they should act, what they aren’t supposed to say or do. And I wonder, what stories are we currently passing on to our young boys and men? Are we satisfied with them?This show is not a set of answers. It’s a conversation with those who want to ask better questions. Live a better story. If that’s you, you’re in the right place. This is the Man;Kind podcast.Presented by the Central Coast Council and developed by Lead by StoryHost: Will SmallCo-Host: Hannah GierhartEditing: Sienna AloisioMusic: Josh Corkill

Fletcher Pilon recently turned 18 - but he already has some pretty solid thinking around the kind of man he wants to be in the world.Fletcher won Australia’s Got Talent back in 2017, performing a song called Infinite Child which he wrote after his younger brother passed in a skateboarding accident.Whether you’re on the cusp of legal adulthood yourself or you’re at the stage where it’d be an epic complement to be asked for your ID, I reckon there’s something in this conversation for you. There definitely was for me.Presented by the Central Coast Council and developed by Lead by StoryHost: Will SmallCo-Host: Hannah GierhartEditing: Sienna AloisioMusic: Josh Corkill

With the right environment and the right people around us human beings can achieve crazy things. Whether that’s climbing the tallest mountain in the world, launching a rocket into space, or being the first one in your family to finish school…What are the conditions that can help us make the changes we need to in order to create the future we want?Who better to speak to about this than a coach of elite athletes? Alen Stajcic is the current coach of the Central Coast Mariners, and prior to that he was the coach of the Australian women’s football team the Matildas for several years. Alen has a wealth of experience drawing out the best in people. And he also has a unique perspective on conversations around our society’s shift towards greater gender equality.Presented by the Central Coast Council and developed by Lead by StoryHost: Will SmallCo-Host: Hannah GierhartEditing: Sienna AloisioMusic: Josh Corkill

When my first son was born, my wife and I decided to let his hair grow until he was at least two years old. He had killer curls and we loved the idea of him being wild and free.As his hair started to get some length, people would commonly say things like “you have a really beautiful daughter.” I noticed that when people thought he was a girl they would treat him differently to when they found out he was a boy.I felt confused by these interactions. I felt weirdly uncomfortable about how often he was mistaken for a girl, while also feeling like it shouldn’t matter. He was a toddler. It’s crazy how early we want to lock in certain identity traits.Take gender out of it - one of the biggest obstacles we all face is becoming comfortable being unique. Being who we are, without caring so much what other people want us to be.I spoke with Grant Molony, an incredibly talented artist and photographer, and I really noticed how important it was for him, this idea of owning himself. It may not happen overnight, but I wonder if it’s a key part of this conversation.Presented by the Central Coast Council and developed by Lead by StoryHost: Will SmallCo-Host: Hannah GierhartEditing: Sienna AloisioMusic: Josh Corkill

I’ve been on this little quest talking to men from different fields, generations and life experiences about their ideas of manhood and masculinity. I’ve shared on previous episodes how for me it’s partly motivated by being a father of two sons. I really want to teach them that there isn’t a one size fits all approach to being a boy or a man. My guest in this episode, Rob Waters, shares this beautiful story of looking up to his own son, and the way he chose to challenge some of the negative versions of masculinity and model a different story.Rob is a uni lecturer, a poet and a storyteller, and he uses this idea of the big story with a capital S, the one that goes back beyond one generation or moment in time. It’s so easy for us to have these conversations and ignore the fact that we come from a bigger story, a longer history, and if we care about the future, it’s worth listening to the wisdom of the past.Presented by the Central Coast Council and developed by Lead by StoryHost: Will SmallCo-Host: Hannah GierhartEditing: Sienna AloisioMusic: Josh Corkill

Change isn’t easy, but it’s inevitable. There are ideas and ways of thinking that may have gotten us to where we are today, but that doesn’t mean they’ll take us to where we need to go tomorrow.How do we create large scale change? How do we encourage new ways of thinking across big groups of people? This is essentially what Tim Silverwood, the founder of Take 3 for the Sea spends his life trying to do. He’s tackling the enormous problem of plastic pollution and in a sense trying to upgrade our thinking about waste and sustainability. There’s a lot of parallels between Tim’s work and my journey to uncover our stories about manhood, in order to affirm what’s helpful and challenge what’s not.Presented by the Central Coast Council and developed by Lead by StoryHost: Will SmallCo-Host: Hannah GierhartEditing: Sienna AloisioMusic: Josh Corkill

The question about what it means to be a man is interesting, but I’m probably more interested in what it means to just be healthy. To be self aware and growing mentally, physically, emotionally. That seems less about gender and more just a question about how to take care of yourself. But in many ways our ideas around gender carry with them certain expectations. And for a lot of guys there’s this expectation around not being too emotional or sharing deeply about feelings. And that can lead to a lot of problems.This episode I thought I’d do something a little different. I thought I’d open up one part of my life that has helped me personally be more healthy, and invite you in.I often feel like my life is a pretty complex juggling act. Maybe you can relate. Between my family responsibilities and my work and leading a pretty full life I know what it’s like to feel overwhelmed. To carry around some weight. So I asked my counsellor, Barney Weir if he’d open up some space to have a conversation about health and manhood and share some of his professional perspectives. And trust me, he’s a goldmine. So, if you’ve never done anything like this, maybe here’s a safe way to sit in the room so to speak and hear some thoughts about ways men can become more emotionally healthy.Presented by the Central Coast Council and developed by Lead by StoryHost: Will SmallCo-Host: Hannah GierhartEditing: Sienna AloisioMusic: Josh Corkill

In November last year we launched the first season of Man;Kind. A lot has happened between now and then. Bushfires, floods, a global health pandemic...In my mind, all of that only heightens the importance of this conversation. A friend of mine shared with me recently the idea that all of these things are like magnifying glasses for what is already there. If we’re healthy, it shows in a crisis. If we’re not, same deal.None of us saw this stuff coming — it’s a reminder that we don’t know what the future holds next. But we can choose to use today as our opportunity to work on ourselves, so that whatever tomorrow holds, we can be calm and courageous as we face it.I’ve been speaking with men and women that inspire me towards greater health and wellbeing, and I hope that these episodes do the same thing for you. This episode features a chat with Barney and Erica Weir about healthy relationships. If you’ve got a partner, maybe grab some take-away food and listen to this for date night. If you’re not currently in a relationship, pay attention, this stuff could make a huge difference for you when the time comes.Help us grow the conversation. Give Man;Kind a rating and review on apple podcasts and share this episode with your friends. Join the Man;Kind podcast community in our Facebook group.Man;Kind podcast is presented by the Central Coast Council and developed by Lead by Story.

It’s not really a secret that we’ve got some problems.On average in Australia, one woman a week is murdered by her current or former partner.85% of Australian women have been sexually harassed. And that’s not even to mention the violence men commit against each other.Those aren’t easy things to hear. They aren’t easy to say.And, people can get defensive when those kind of stats come up. You may have heard people say things like ‘that’s not all men’, or ‘let’s not just man hate’.I kind of feel like that’s missing the point, isn’t it?Of course I want to celebrate good men. But looking at our problems, that actually takes courage. That takes strength. And if you’re a man who still wants to be associated with those qualities, then I think we need to listen really well — to women, to men, to children.You see the thing about statistics is that beneath them there are stories. Names and faces. Mothers and daughters and fathers and sons.And I don’t know about you - but when numbers make me feel overwhelmed, stories make me feel connected.So, on this episode I wanted to chat through some of the problems we face in our culture and have an honest conversation about some of the cycles we need to break. I thought the best way to do that would be to invite a couple of friends to share their stories. And then to have a conversation about how we could do things differently.Join our Facebook group to connect and help shape the Man;Kind podcast.

Last week Jake and Mel shared some of their own stories of surviving violent and destructive cycles. And it’s so important to listen deeply to those kind of stories. But they can make us feel a little helpless sometimes, right? What I love about Jake and Mel is that they actually believe in our power to change and heal and write a new story.So, this episode is a conversation about what that might look like. To not just cope with what has happened to us. But to actually find the pathway that leads to a better version of ourselves.So imagine you’re in the room with Jake, Mel and I — because I’m sure there’s something here for you.JOIN THE MAN;KIND FACEBOOK COMMUNITY: https://www.facebook.com/groups/257962575401298

What kind of phrases come to mind when you hear the word man? Or manly? Many of us probably think of things like muscles or tough or…I dunno lawn mower.And there’s nothing wrong with that necessarily.But are there other words you wish came to mind?I recently posted a question on facebook, asking what kind of words people would want to be associated with the word man? And there were so many good answers. Things like:Resilient.Courageous.Vulnerable.Comforter.Warrior.Strong.Soft.Many of these words might not often be seen in the same list. And to be honest I love that. Who says you can’t be strong and soft?What if our words could hold more meaning and not less?This episode is about compassion. One powerful word. That can look many different ways.Dr. James Kirby is a researcher and senior lecturer in clinical psychology at the University of Queensland. His main research area is compassion. And he generously gave me some time, to chat about manliness and compassion and all the different ways they can both look.There is so much gold in this conversation. Maybe it could change the way we think about some of these words?

Few things will dramatically change your life the way becoming a parent can. For a lot of new Dads, the joy of fatherhood can also be mixed with a sense of isolation and challenge.Tom Docking, Founder and CEO of Dad's Group joined me for a chat about the importance of Dads connecting and getting support to be the best they can be for their children and partners.Special thanks also to Jamie, Lance and Dan for adding their voices to this episode.Find out more about Dad's Group at https://www.dadsgroup.org/Join the Man;Kind podcast community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/257962575401298/Man;Kind is presented by the Central Coast Council and developed by Lead by Story.

Recently I was doing an imaginative creative exercise and thinking, if manhood was a brand...what colours would it be, what would be the slogan or messaging? And if we wanted to do a rebrand how would we approach something like that? To have a conversation about that I had a chat with a mega creative....Israel Cannan. He's a singer-songwriter, film-maker and helps organisations build their brands. This conversation also features the voices of Melinda Gonczarek, Bronte Hughes and Olivia Wolfe.Continue the conversation with us in our Man;Kind facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/257962575401298/

One of my deep convictions is that a conversation about manhood is actually not just for men. Because how we live has an impact on all of those around us. Our children, our partners, our colleagues, our friends. So, we need many voices at the table when we talk about who we are and who we could be.This episode highlights the impact we can have on others, without even realising it.It is not a comfortable listening experience. But it is a deeply important one. My friend Jack grew up as a boy, but from very early on didn’t feel like the mould fit. Jack’s journey of embracing who they are is a powerful picture of both courage and pain. Jack shares experiences and statistics that are really troubling and unjust, and when I listen to stories like Jacks I want to do what I can to help create more acceptance and inclusion for people who are pushed to the edge of our society. This episode does contain some especially heavy content, including us touching on suicide. Please take care of yourself while listening and reach out to Lifeline or Beyond Blue if you need to talk to someone.Stories like this can change how we live. So make the space to listen well.(If you make it to the end of the episode you'll get the joy of hearing my 4 year old drop some classic child wisdom).Here are some of Jack's recommended instagram accounts to follow to learn more about gender non-binary experiences and perspectives:@alokvmenon@enbyspokenhistories @lavernecoxJoin the Man;Kind community through our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/257962575401298/Man;Kind podcast is presented by the Central Coast Council and developed by Lead by Story.All music by the super talented Josh Corkill.

Father Rod Bower is an Anglican priest, known for the iconic sign out the front of his church on the main street of Gosford. You’ll see it if you drive past, but it also gets heavy traffic online, proclaiming justice for the marginalised and calling out power in short, simple sentences. It’s kind of like the original Twitter.But, there’s a lot more to Rod than the sign. He opened up his personal story to me and we spoke about loss and trying to fit in, and the pathway towards a deep sense of identity and belonging.Also, if you listened to season one of Man;Kind, you may have been missing hearing my friend Hannah on these episodes. So I gave her a call to check in, and get her thoughts on the state of the world as well as some reading recommendations. The back third of this episode is that conversation, so make sure you stick around to hear that.Also, if you're a fella like me who is committed to becoming a better man by listening more widely and deeply to the experiences of women, here is Hannah's recommended reading list referenced in the ep: Annabel Crabb’s ‘The Wife Drought’ & quarterly essay ‘Men At Work’Roxane Gay’s ‘Bad Feminist’Clementine Ford’s ‘Fight Like a Girl’ and ‘Boys Will Be Boys’Lindy West’s ‘Shrill’ & ‘The Witches are Coming’‘She Said’ by Meghan Twohey and Jodi Kantor‘The Hate Race’ by Maxine Beneba ClarkeTim Winton’s ‘The Shepherds Hut’Join the Man;Kind community through our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/257962575401298/Man;Kind podcast is presented by the Central Coast Council and developed by Lead by Story.All music by the super talented Josh Corkill.

There was this poet in the 1600s named John Donne who wrote a poem called ‘no man is an island’. If you’re out of school you probably haven’t been subjected to any poems from hundreds of years ago in a while, so let me quickly hit you with the last couple lines:"...any man's death diminishes me,because I am involved in mankind.And therefore never send to know for whomthe bell tolls; it tolls for thee."Clearly it’s in ye olde English and John wasn’t very gender inclusive with his language, but the underlying point remains true — you can’t really be you on your own. We need community.Do you know those people who seem like the glue in your local community? The ones who stop in the street and talk to any old stranger like their best friend? Trent Brailey is one of those people — and he’s an absolute legend. So I had a chat with him about building community, and the importance of mates, mentors and listening.Connect with Trent on instagram: @forrestbuddyBig thanks also to Lewis, Craig and James for sharing their voice on this episode. Join the Man;Kind community through our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/257962575401298/Man;Kind podcast is presented by the Central Coast Council and developed by Lead by Story.All music by the super talented Josh Corkill.

Is anything more stereotypically masculine than sharing your scars? Funnily enough, there’s a gnarly scar story within this episode, but it’s not about bravado or showing off. It’s tied up in a bigger conversation about health and money and listening to the little niggles in our gut when something doesn’t seem quite right.My guest on this episode is Glen James. He is a retired multiple award winning financial adviser and one of the co-hosts of the hugely successful My Millennial Money podcast.Beyond all that, Glen’s just a great guy and this conversation is probably a little bit different to a lot of the podcasts and speaking gigs so I’m super grateful that he was up for it.We spoke about a whole bunch of stuff, including the money stories we grow up with, some money attitudes that men might display more frequently and really what it means to be healthy in a holistic way that includes how we think about our money.This was a fantastic chat and like I mentioned - it features a scar story. So if nothing else, stick around and you’ll find out what that’s about.Follow this link to get $30 OFF Glen James' Spending Plan.https://sortyourmoneyout.teachable.com/p/setting-up-your-spending-plan/?product_id=1293765&coupon_code=MANKINDConnect with Glen and the M3 Community: https://www.sortyourmoneyout.com/Join the Man;Kind community through our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/257962575401298/Man;Kind podcast is presented by the Central Coast Council and developed by Lead by Story.All music by Josh Corkill.

Welcome back to Man;Kind or welcome for the first time if your new around here!My guest on this episode is Michael Sanford. If you see a picture of Michael you might be tempted to place him in a particular box in your mind — he rides horses, lives in a rural setting and pretty much looks like a cowboy. If you’re anything like me, your first thought wouldn’t be that Michael is a specialist domestic violence counsellor, who uses a range of alternative therapies to help children and young people work through their trauma.Which is kind of the whole point, isn’t it? We put people in boxes really quickly and we make assumptions constantly without consciously thinking about it. One of the key ideas Michael talks about in our chat is that of a blueprint — and the need for some of us to create a new blueprint when the one we were given isn’t actually that helpful.Michael has such value to add to this conversation because he brings both a very powerful personal story as well as many years of professional practice supporting others to rewrite their own. By the end of this conversation I had such respect and appreciation for Michael, and I’m sure you will too.Join the Man;Kind community through our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/257962575401298/Man;Kind podcast is presented by the Central Coast Council and developed by Lead by Story.All music by the super talented Josh Corkill.

Gus Worland from Gotcha 4 Life talks on the importance of mental fitness to tackle male suicide.

Alex Lee from The Glen talks on rehab and running untramarathons for complete transformation.

Damon Gameau from 2040 and That Sugar Film talks on the big issues and how to create change in society.

Nicole Rogerson from Autism Awareness Australia talks on shifting gender expectations and the new way of working from home.

Mark McGinnity the Director of MSC Education talks on the importance of male education and teaching the next generation.

Gary Wardlaw from Fire & Rescue NSW talks on resilience and balance while fighting on the front line.

Matt Grimwood from Anxious Adulting talks on the importance of honesty and the key to living well.

Amanda Lee talks on the importance of forgiveness and survival for a second chance at life.