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When we think of the ideal man, or when the archetypal man is pictured in movies or television, it's hardly, if ever, a gay man. 

Why is that?

There are a ton of gay men who are brave, tough, can fight, are providers, protectors, the men of the house, can fix cars, are into sports and have a body like Arnold Schwarzenegger in his Mr. Olympia days.

For some reason, many people in our society view gay men as less than, as not enough, as flawed, as if there is something wrong with them and that they need to "pray the gay away" among other harmful and destructive things to make them a "real man".

What is a "real man" anyways?

Join me as I sit down with Harry Lopez and discuss how masculine norms and expectations of who a man should be not only negative impact straight, heterosexual men, but gay men as well, probably more so.

Harry is a personal and professional Success Coach, Consciousness Expert and entrepreneur. He writes and speak frequently on issues of personal an professional change, happiness, health and inspiration, mindful living and conscious business. He has coached and consulted leaders at Google, Amazon, Facebook and many other big companies.

But above all else, Harry is a very proud gay man.

Join us for this deep and intimate conversation.

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Why is it so hard for us men to ask for help? Because "being a man" means being self-reliant, independent, a lone wolf and having all the answers to every question, and if you don't have the answers to every question, you do everything you can to find that answer and figure it out--on your own!

You do everything you can to figure it out EXCEPT taking someone else for advice, guidance or assistance in any way at all. That's what it means, according to our culture, to be a real man. A John Wayne, James Bond, Superman, Batman type of man. A man that doesn't get too caught up in is feelings but instead judges himself based on how much ass he can kick and how many bad guys he can defeat.

But, sometimes the toughest bad guy we can face is the bad guy staring back at us from the other side of the mirror.

When we really stop to think about it, even these epitomes of machoness had help. John Wayne had Doc, James Bond had Q, Superman had Lois Lane, and Batman had Robin. Whether a friend to talk to, words of encouragement, someone to share a softer side with, or someone to help defeat enemies, all these tough guys had help... and they weren't afraid to ask for it.

Join me as I discuss the importance of asking for help and how not doing so--and instead sticking to these outdated and damaging rules of masculinity and machismo--are causing us more harm than we may realize.

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MENtal Health. It's a topic that has been on the rise lately, and for very good reason. For us men, it's normal to hit the gym and aim to get those chiseled pecs and washboard abs that we see all these Marvel superheroes have and that ladies love. We go to the gym and see dudes trying to benchpress a sedan, squat a minivan and curl a refrigerator.

But, how many men are willing to put that same effort, sweat, pain and sacrifice into their mental health as well? Not nearly as many.

Mental health, when it comes to men, carries with it a certain stigma. For men, going to a therapist or a coach or seeking any help at all for anything, is seen as a sign of weakness. When we're told from the time we come out of the womb that we have to man up and be tough and never be weak, we can see why so many of us struggle when it comes to opening up and reaching out a hand for help.

Join me as I sit down for a deep and highly crucial conversation with marriage and family therapist Kevin Bergen as we discuss the importance of caring for our mental health just as much as we care for our physical health, because it is that important!

We dive into addiction and how and why it forms in some of us and not in others, and what we can do to combat it. We talk about how important intimacy, affection and physical touch is, especially between men. (No, it doesn't make you gay to be intimate with another man)

Check out Kevin and all the great work he's doing on Instagram, on Linked In and at these websites GuyStuffCenter.com, BergenPhotography.com

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What is a "bro hug"?

Urban Dictionary describes it as follows:

"A manly hug between two dudes who are cool with each other"... Isn't that just a regular hug? Aren't all hugs between people who are cool with each other?

"A manly and heterosexual hug between two bros"... What constitutes a "manly" hug? Can two gay bros not have a bro hug?

"An epic hug between brofriends"... What is a brofriend?? Aren't two males who are friends just simply friends?

Urban Dictionary also goes on to say there are a few ways to mess up a bro hug:

"Not being rigid or forceful enough." "Using both arms to hug (that's gay, bro)." REALLY? "Holding it too long (timing is everything, bro)." I don't know about you, but I love long embraces.

Since when did hugging become a thing that is only okay to do if you're a woman or a gay man? Hugging is one of the most intimate and human things we can do. It's one of the simplest and most meaningful ways to show love, intimacy and affection and to show someone that you're there for them, that you care, that they matter and that they're good enough.

It's not a gender or sexually-oriented thing, it's an every person thing! Hugs have so much power, they have the power to change someone's day, week, month, year or even life.

Join me as I discuss what hugs mean to me, why I love them so much, and how we need to make it okay for two heterosexual men to hug without feeling like they're any less of a man than they are.

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What are some of the rules for being a man?

You have to be the provider, going out and working long hours to provide for your family. You have to be the protector, keeping you and your family safe at all costs even if that means getting physically violent. You don't cry. You don't talk about your feelings. You don't get emotional. You don't wear the color pink. You don't ask for directions. You "man up".

Among many, many others.

While none of these standards of being a man are bad, in and of themselves, they can be damaging when young men are led to believe that this is the ONLY way to be man. They can be damaging when young men are forced to buy into these standards instead of learning how to truly express themselves.  They can be damaging when men fear being labeled as "unmanly" if they don't adhere to them hence trying to live up to expectations they will never reach and be someone they never wanted to be.

Forcing anyone, man, woman or child, to be someone they're not while hiding their true selves is one of the most damaging things we can do to them. Forcing someone to live up to the your own standards or the standards of society can cause much heartache and resentment.

Join me in this vulnerably deep conversation with Zack Henson as he shares his own personal rules of being the best man that he can possibly be. These rules aren't meant to be imposed on anyone else through force, they are simply guidelines for Zack that he shares openly in the hopes that maybe it will get other men to shoot perspectives and look at their own lives and expectations a little closer. His 10 rules begin around the 35:00 minute mark.

Zack is an ICF Certified Coach, a fitness competitor, a graphic designer, a podcaster and an ordained minister. He's gone through his own struggles with masculinity and manhood while trying to figure out what exactly it means to be a man and how he can exemplify that every day.

You can connect with Zack directly on his website and check out his podcast as well, both at The Khaos Kreed.

This is a deep conversation you don't want to miss!

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Would you categorize yourself as a nice guy? A people-pleaser? A man who's willing to do anything he can to bring a smile to someone else's face or to make their day just a little bit better?

I would!

Now, there's nothing wrong with that. Nothing wrong with helping others and looking out for the needs of others and taking their feelings into account before you say or do anything.

But where there is a problem, is when those niceties you hand out regularly are being handed out because you're so worried about what others are going to think or say about you, that you mostly do these acts of kindness just to be in other's good graces, instead of doing them because you genuinely want to do them.

When you do something nice for someone but deep down you do it with the expectation of getting something in return or you do it because you want the admiration of others or because you don't want to others to think badly of you, is that really coming from a kind and genuine place?

This was me for most of my life, always trying to be the nice guy so I could be liked by everyone. I lived with the fear of someone not liking me or saying anything bad about me, I wanted to be everyone's cup of tea. News flash: you're NEVER going to be EVERYONE's cup of tea. Even MLK, Mother Teresa and Gandhi had haters.

Join me as I sit down with Robert Kandell and we discuss how being a nice guy can have its drawbacks, and how instead we should seek to become real guys. To develop the courage to come into situations and interactions with others as our true, honest and authentic selves instead of trying to be the nice guy just to be liked or trying to be someone we are not.

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Did you ever have a dream growing up? Do you have dreams for your future right now? I think it's safe to say we all do. We all want to be the best we can be and make the best lives for ourselves.

That's exactly what Dimitri Dunn wanted as well. Only before he could figure out how to make his dreams come true, he first had to figure out how to survive. He had to figure out who he was, where he belonged and who the hell was on his team.

One of the most important things we can give a young person in their lives, whether a male or female, is love and care. Someone to show them that they matter, that they're worthy, that no matter what happens they'll always have that support system to catch them if they fall.

That is something Dimitri never really felt he had, at least not in any substantial way. It's something he's still struggling to find to this very day.

We all fall into the trap of complaining and nagging about certain things whether it's our job, our pay, our relationships or that the waiter got our order incorrect. But we hardly ever stop to realize just how damn lucky we already are to have the things we have, like food, water, shelter and a loving support system.

These are things that Dimitri was never really certain he'd have and if he did, he wasn't sure how long they would last.

Join Dimitri and I for a deep, intimate, vulnerable conversation as he tells us about his journey from foster youth, through boyhood and now to a young man, and all the ups and downs and lessons that he has learned along the way.

This conversation will fill you with a deep sense of gratitude.

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How do Americans today feel about the state of masculinity and where it's headed and how it's changed?

GQ recently conducted a survey of 1,005 Americans who identify as male, female and gender non binary, and asked them some wide-ranging questions about what they see and how they feel about the current state of masculinity.

There were some encouraging responses and results, but there were some conflicting ones. These conflicting answers set the stage for responses that offer plenty of cause for optimism about where we're headed, even as they also identify areas where progress is alarmingly slow.

The survey suggests that we'd have a lot to feel hopeful about if men could extend their most closely held values outward, projecting compassion and respect for others in the public sphere as well as the private one.

Join me as I discuss the results of the survey and I give my opinion on the state of masculinity today.

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How well do you know your partner? It's a question we think about and see often, especially on "reality" TV shows and gameshows like The Newlywed Couple.

But, there's a question even more important than that. That question is "how well do you know yourself?"

If you can't truly know yourself, the person you spend every single second of your existence with, how the heck can you truly know anyone else?? It's impossible!

We project so much of ourselves and the way we see the world on other people, and if we're not aware of that and accept that we do that, how will we really know who we are, who they are, or who anyone else really is?

Join Kyle Wright and I as we dive deep into the importance of communication and how to cultivate a strong relationship, not just with your partner, friends, family, or co-workers, but with yourself as well.

Because if you don't know yourself and you can't communicate who you really are, what you're feeling and what you want to others, how will others ever know the real you and vice versa?

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Do you have someone in your life that you look up to, a role model, a mentor?
Whether it's a parent, an older sibling, an athlete, an artist, a best friend, a teammate or a neighbor.

Better yet, are YOU a role model, a mentor or a person who someone else looks up to? 

As much as we may think we're independent, self-made or have never had help from anyone, those thoughts are BS illusions. Being a human being means connecting, bonding, interacting and co-existing with other human beings.

If you're a customer, you need those companies and businesses that provide you with a product or a service.
If you're a bunnies, you need those customers to purchase and consume your product or service.
We all need others in this life to survive and to grow.

Imagine you were the last person on earth... how lonely would that be? What need would you have to work, to earn a living, to play, to vacation or to do anything that you do on a daly basis?

Our lives are built around relationships, we've become who we are today because of the relationships we've cultivated and the people we've been surrounded by.

Join me and my guest Mike Sagun as we discuss the vital importance of relationships, how being and having a mentor is more important than you may think, and how to become a better listener.