From your nervous system's view, our culture is swimming in dopamine. Porn, binging junk food, video games, "retail therapy"—things from the innocent to the insidious light our brains up with dopamine, and we often wind up with more than one addiction. But how does it all work, and how do we detox? Addiction to anything is never easy to unpack, so I sat down with the amazing Dr. Anna Lembke for a deep dive into dopakine; how our brain balances pleasure and pain, how it relates to trauma, and how...
Sep 12, 2021•54 min•Season 1Ep. 351
I try not to wrestle too much with political topics on the show, but there have been a number of men—many of them former military—who asked me to at least say something about the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and the extreme range of reactions to what happened. So here is what came up. If you (or someone you know) served, is struggling, and needs support, please DM me @mantalks on Instagram. Did you enjoy the podcast? If so, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts , Stitcher , or Podchaser ....
Sep 09, 2021•15 min
Creating a healthy relationship as an adult requires a fine balance of intimacy and sovereignty. This can be really tough for men who grew up with maternal enmeshment issues—they've got to untangle a maladaptive relationship with their mother. Dr. Kenneth Adams is an expert on helping people do exactly this. We dive deep into what enmeshment looks like, the kinds of confusion and chaos it creates in relationships, and how to break free. Dr. Kenneth M. Adams began his professional career in 1981 ...
Sep 06, 2021•46 min•Season 1Ep. 350
In this mini-episode, I unpack how there's a kind of resilience and reliability that only shows up when you face what you're afraid of. When you don't, you're unconsciously learning you can't rely on you when things get difficult. Thanks to those of you on Instagram who asked me to clarify this, and don't forget to share this mini-episode with someone you feel will benefit. Did you enjoy the podcast? If so, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts , Stitcher , or Podchaser . It helps us get in...
Sep 02, 2021•10 min
What is real power? Where does yours come from, and what does it serve? Gary and talk about his latest book, his early life as Green Beret, how to create authentic power and alignment, and expanding your emotional awareness to impact yourself and the world around you. He's been in this space for a very long time, and I'm excited to share his wisdom with you. Gary is the author of four consecutive New York Times bestsellers, including the legendary #1 New York Times bestseller The Seat of the Sou...
Aug 30, 2021•49 min•Season 1Ep. 349
I've been asked about this a lot, and I think it's time to answer: how did I move from a high-paying job with one of the biggest companies ever to starting a business helping men be better men? Also, why? Here's what happened. Did you enjoy the podcast? If so, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts , Stitcher , or Podchaser . It helps us get into the ears of new listeners, expand the ManTalks Community , and help others find the self-leadership they’re looking for. Are you looking to find pu...
Aug 27, 2021•15 min
This is a long-awaited reunion! Jason has been a guiding light and inspiration to multitudes of boys and men, and it's an honor to reconnect with him. We talk about the struggles men face in silence, the culture of "grind", intergenerational trauma, and the need for men to develop a comprehensive masculinity. Jason Wilson is the founder and CEO of the Yunion (pronounced union), a non-profit youth development organization in Detroit Michigan. Since 2003, the Yunion has effectively reached more th...
Aug 23, 2021•1 hr•Ep. 348
Accountability is a bit of a buzzword right now, and I’ve been getting a ton of questions on how men can become more accountable to themselves and to others. As someone who used to suck at accountability, here’s what I’ve learned on how it ties into self-esteem, confidence, confrontation, boundaries, and the path to betterment. Did you enjoy the podcast? If so, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts , Stitcher , or Podchaser . It helps us get into the ears of new listeners, expand the ManTal...
Aug 19, 2021•10 min
The role and power of art in self-healing, initiation, and actualization is (putting it lightly) huge. To that end, I sat down with the incredibly skilled Balazs Bercsényi and his colleague-in-healing, belief coach Kjartan Rumpsfeld. We get into the two bridge art and healing in the form of ritualistic “tattoo retreats”, how Balazs and Kjartan met, the artistic process, and how to change the transactional nature of modern art. Balazs Bercsényi is a multidimensional tattoo artist from Pécs, Hunga...
Aug 16, 2021•40 min•Season 1Ep. 347
As a man, your reputation is a vital piece of the development puzzle. Full stop. In this mini-ep, I dig into why reputation is important, my own experiences in repairing a reputation as a lazy man, Conor McGregor, and what you can do to start examining and repairing your own notoriety. Did you enjoy the podcast? If so, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts , Stitcher , or Podchaser . It helps us get into the ears of new listeners, expand the ManTalks Community , and help others find the sel...
Aug 12, 2021•9 min
I've been looking forward to this one for a long time. This is a wide ranging discussion on how power (and the desire for it) shapes everything we do—from how we use social media to how we shape our identities. We get into how power is used and misused, misinterpreted, and of course, why we need to define our relationship to power. Robert Greene is the author of several New York Times bestsellers, including The 48 Laws of Power , Mastery , The 33 Strategies of War , and The Laws of Human Nature....
Aug 09, 2021•52 min•Season 1Ep. 346
You ask, I answer. I'm not a big fan of silver bullet answers, but I gave this a lot of thought after receiving several requests. If there's ONE thing you should be looking for in a woman, it's this. Like, sub, share with someone who needs the listen! Did you enjoy the podcast? If so, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts , Stitcher , or Podchaser . It helps us get into the ears of new listeners, expand the ManTalks Community , and help others find the self-leadership they’re looking for. A...
Aug 05, 2021•11 min
Easily one of my favorite conversations this year. The depth of Bayo Akomolafe's wisdom is pretty much limitless. Listen in and be blown away. Bayo and I cover a lot of ground here, digging into the importance of ritual, the role of stories in our growth and how those stories are influenced by what's around us, the "atmosphere" of trauma, the microbiome, cripestimology, and looking for (as he calls it) the cracks in human agency. Dr. Bayo Akomolafe is a globally acclaimed lecturer, speaker, and ...
Aug 02, 2021•46 min•Season 1Ep. 345
That's it, that's the title. If you're looking to get better or change in any way, shape, or form, you're going to face resistance and rejection. From your own bad habits, your inner critic, your shadow, and maybe even friends or family. And there's not really any way around that. But how else do you learn to weather the storm? Did you enjoy the podcast? If so, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts , Stitcher , or Podchaser . It helps us get into the ears of new listeners, expand the ManTal...
Jul 29, 2021•13 min
Truth, whether in men’s work or politics or science, is crucial . Sophie Zhang was fired from Facebook in 2020, and her farewell memo was leaked to Buzzfeed, went viral on Reddit, and revealed (in her words) “multiple blatant attempts by foreign national governments to abuse our platform on vast scales to mislead their own citizenry, and caused international news on multiple occasions". This is just the tip of the iceberg. We dive into what happened, the consequences of doing nothing about it, i...
Jul 26, 2021•48 min•Season 1Ep. 344
This is a short but important one. So many men out there are facing a crisis of meaning. From what I’ve seen, finding meaning in your life and becoming a man of value are connected. But value is something you’ve got to curate and develop in order to execute on. Here’s how. Did you enjoy the podcast? If so, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts , Stitcher , or Podchaser . It helps us get into the ears of new listeners, expand the ManTalks Community , and help others find the self-leadership ...
Jul 22, 2021•10 min
This. Was. Awesome. Want to better understand how testosterone affects everything from psychology, physicality, and even your neural circuitry? Put this in your ears like, now, and empower your knowledge. Evolutionary biologist Carole Hooven is my honored guest this week, and we dive deep into the science and stories in her incredibly well-researched book T: The Story of the Hormone that Dominates and Divides Us. Carole Hooven, PhD, is lecturer and co-director of undergraduate studies in the Dep...
Jul 19, 2021•55 min•Season 1Ep. 343
If you just want to take a break from porn, or it feels like porn is running your life, this episode is for you! Listen in for a straightforward breakdown of how our porn habits are formed, what’s happening in the body, and how to leverage the system that gets you hooked on porn to help you move away from it. Whatever side of the porn argument you’re on, it’s crucial to know what’s going on and why. Did you enjoy the podcast? If so, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts , Stitcher , or Podc...
Jul 15, 2021•14 min
How do we move forward out of a life that’s unwilling to take risks? As we start really interacting with people again on something other than Zoom, I wanted to chat with a leading expert on the nature of confidence, Dr. Aziz Gazipura. He shares some specific, actionable steps for developing your confidence, and we dive into how social anxiety is a pattern, how to support a partner with social anxiety, and how consistent action pays off. Connect with Dr. Aziz: -Website: https://www.socialconfiden...
Jul 12, 2021•47 min•Season 1Ep. 342
I was recently on the Brofessional Development podcast, and it was a great chat, so I wanted to share this excerpt. We dug into something I’m extremely familiar with: what’s needed to building a thriving online community. I break it down into practical steps: what kind of community to build, how to consistently provide them value, and how to keep them engaged and connected. Gratitude to the men at Brofessional Development for having me on! Connect with Brofessional Development -Podcast: https://...
Jul 08, 2021•9 min
Every now and then we bring on an anonymous guest as a way of showing listeners how I work with clients and what shadow work looks like in real-time. These are raw, intense episodes, and this one was no exception. So, I want to take this space to express my honor and gratitude for our guest feeling safe enough to let me work with her. Thank you. I appreciate you. If you or someone you know is interested in being an anonymous guest, or if you’ve got questions, let me know on Instagram @mantalks. ...
Jul 05, 2021•50 min•Season 1Ep. 341
I'm a firm believer that we as men need to develop the capacity to validate and regulate ourselves, especially in the realm of emotionality. AKA: not offload emotional regulation onto our partners, girlfriends, wives, etc. In this vid, I look into where this (often) comes from, and how it leads straight to codependency. If you enjoyed this, comment below. Feel free to share your thoughts! Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts , Stitcher , or Podchaser . It...
Jul 01, 2021•11 min
HRV (or heart rate variability) measurement is still largely unknown. But like the human guinea pig I am, I've been experimenting with it myself! Of course, I also want legit expertise. To that end, I brought on one of America's experts in the field, Leah Lagos. This is a deep dive into how to not just manage your stress, but learn how use it to your advantage. Leah Lagos, Psy.D, B.C.B., is an internationally known expert specializing in biofeedback, sport psychology, and performance psychology ...
Jun 28, 2021•49 min•Season 1Ep. 340
Inspired by a recent experience with a client. There is a transformative power in giving your all to something, even if it fails. Winning feels good, but the real growth—the real nourishment—only happens when we show up fully. Commit fully. Did you enjoy the podcast? If so, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts , Stitcher , or Podchaser . It helps us get into the ears of new listeners, expand the ManTalks Community , and help others find the self-leadership they’re looking for. Are you look...
Jun 24, 2021•8 min
How to truly uncover lasting happiness can seem like a lofty or impossible goal. But somehow, Rupert Spira makes it seem not just possible, but as clear as glacier water. I’ve wanted him on the show for a long time now, and I’m excited to share this incredible conversation. We dig into non-duality, the nature of time, the beauty of simple awareness, and what all the great spiritual traditions of the world were pointing to. Rupert Spira is an English teacher of the "direct path", a method of spir...
Jun 21, 2021•56 min•Season 1Ep. 339
You ask, I answer. I've recently had a lot of questions on this topic. From women, it's something like, "Men keep telling me that I'm intimidating. I seem to date men that I walk all over. How do I navigate this?" And then from men, it's "She's intense. She's chaotic sometimes. She can be really overly direct or assertive or combative. What do I do? How do I navigate that?" Tell me what you'd add, if you disagree, or if you've got any questions! And don't forget to share this with someone you fe...
Jun 17, 2021•15 min
Relational boundaries, sexual boundaries, financial boundaries. Why are they all such a struggle? Honestly, let Terri Cole explain it. In this ep, Terri perfectly breaks down the different kinds of boundaries we have, why (and how) they form, how to recognize when they’ve been violated, and a lot more. This is a juicy one, so dig in! Terri Cole is a New York-based, licensed psychotherapist, relationship expert, and founder of Real Love Revolution, Boundary Bootcamp, and the co-founder of Crushin...
Jun 14, 2021•57 min•Season 1Ep. 338
Order in a man’s life is a tricky subject, and something many men have a tumultuous relationship with. The title of this episode alone will probably raise a few eyebrows, but I wanted to take an honest look at the meaning of order, because it’s through order that we can create coherence, freedom, and direction. So let’s look at why order is important for a man, and how to create generative—instead of disruptive—order in your relationship. Did you enjoy the podcast? If so, please leave us a revie...
Jun 10, 2021•18 min
There’s no question in my mind that boys these days are navigating some incredible challenges. More and more boys are dropping out of school and college, suicide rates among younger men appear to be spiking, and it’s critical that we as a culture—and we as men specifically—look at what we can do better. Andrew Reiner and I discuss his fantastic book, what led him to this path, and how we can begin to embody a more generative, emotionally honest masculinity for the next generation. Andrew Reiner ...
Jun 07, 2021•53 min•Season 1Ep. 337
It's my opinion that a huge part of a man's journey is being able to have real conversations about the struggles we have with maleness. Some men respond by disowning as much of their maleness as they can, but leave a lot of disconnection, pain, and anger unhealed. The end result is a personality type that (in my opinion) does more harm than good. Did you enjoy the podcast? If so, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts , Stitcher , or Podchaser . It helps us get into the ears of new listeners...
Jun 03, 2021•23 min
