Welcome back to the Gents Weekly Podcast, a weekly show dedicated to helping men live better, work better, and be better - both in life and in business. Hosted by the Gents Journey co-founders.

In this short, personal episode, our co-founder Steve Seidel cuts through the Father's Day noise. It's the weekend a lot of guys spend stressing over the perfect gift—and Seidel makes the case that they're chasing the wrong thing entirely. The real gift isn't something you wrap. It's showing up.

Seidel shares personal Phillies memories with his late father, Steve Sr. — Harry Kalas on the mic, an A-Treat soda in hand, and Pops with his cheap "Archie Bunker beers." It was never really about baseball, but his father giving him his hard-earned time.

Whether it's with your children or your own father, we rarely remember the expensive gift — we remember the moments before, during, and after.

The catch, the laugh, or the ride home. That's what stays. And that's what this episode is really about.

Key Takeaways & Topics Discussed

* Be present, not perfect. Kids remember presence, not presents. Time is the only gift that appreciates.

* More is caught than taught. Your kids are watching how you show up far more than they’re listening to what you say.

* The window closes. For your own dad, the fancy watch doesn’t matter — being with you does.

Don’t wait for the right moment.

The “good times” are here and now, as time with him is fleeting, and it’s up to you to seize the day, burn the ships, and live in the moment.

How to Show Up on Father’s Day and Beyond

* Pick the shared experience you loved most — a ballgame, fishing, or the grill.

* Put the phone down and protect one block of real time.

* Call your dad or a family member and tell them one small thing that shaped you.

About Our Host: Steve Seidel

Steve Seidel is a Connection Engineer — a trained Industrial Engineer turned TEDx speaker, brand strategist, leadership coach, and Co-Founder of Gents Journey who has spent 30 years building things before the world had a name for them.

Learn more + connect:

* Website: StephenSeidel.com

* Substack: https://substack.com/@iamstephenseidel

* Instagram: @stephenseidel

* Email: [email protected]

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Ready to find your safety net and join the conversation? Gents Journey is the ultimate learning hub and social club for men.

We believe in growth, brotherhood, and becoming the best man you can be.

Visit us at: gentsjourney.co

Welcome back to the Gents Weekly Podcast, a weekly show dedicated to helping men live better, work better, and be better - both in life and in business. Hosted by the Gents Journey co-founders.

In this powerful episode, Dean, Stephen, and Matt sit down with Andrew Reiner—author of Better Boys, Better Men—to unpack the complex, often contradictory world of modern masculinity. From the deep-seated fears fathers face when raising sons to the subconscious ways society conditions boys to bury their emotions, this conversation cuts straight to the core of what it means to be a man today.

Andrew shares profound personal stories—from a liberating moment of vulnerability on a cross-country flight to finding a deeper connection in a medium-security prison’s men’s group than he had with friends of decades. The gents also explore the dangerous “gap” between the traditional “man up” mentality and the modern push for hyper-vulnerability, ultimately pointing to a life-changing solution: the necessity of men finding their emotional “safety net.”

If you are a father, a son, or a man trying to navigate your own emotional landscape, this episode is a must-listen.

Upgrade to unlock access to everything inside Gents Journey—the ultimate learning hub for men.

Key Takeaways & Topics Discussed

* The “Man Up” Paradox: Matt highlights the confusing gap men face today—caught between the outdated “pick yourself up by your bootstraps” mentality and the pressure to wear their hearts on their sleeves.

* The Airplane Epiphany: Andrew shares a defining moment from his twenties when he openly sobbed while reading a sad novel on a flight. Instead of hiding it, he realized that allowing himself to be seen in a state of raw emotion was incredibly liberating.

* Fear of Fatherhood: Andrew opens up about his initial terror upon finding out he was having a son. He discusses the heavy “baggage” of masculinity and the immense pressure of raising a boy intentionally in a culture that often works against male emotional health.

* A Father’s Strength in Vulnerability: Stephen shares a touching story about watching E.T. with his son and breaking down in tears, proving that true strength includes modeling healthy emotional expression for the next generation.

* The Science of Conditioning: Andrew breaks down landmark 2017 research by Dr. Edward Tronick, revealing that fathers and mothers subconsciously treat infant and toddler boys differently than girls—often offering less emotional “succor” and physical comfort to boys when they cry, while showing more positive neurological responses to their daughters’ smiles.

* The “Safety Net” Imperative: Why boys and men so often turn to their female friends or partners for emotional support, fearing judgment from their male peers. Andrew stresses that the most important thing men can do is find a safe space—a men’s group or a “safety net”—where they can be transparent without fear of their “man card” being revoked.

Notable Quotes

“I didn’t almost want people to see me crying because there was something about it that just felt really liberating.” – Andrew Reiner

“Strength is crying... and strength is also being able to chop wood, both metaphorically and literally.” – Stephen Seidel

“I feel closer to these guys in this prison I just met than I do to guys I’ve been friends with for decades... This is revolutionary for a lot of guys, because we don’t think we’ve got permission to do it.” – Andrew Reiner

Join the ultimate learning hub & social club for men by becoming a paid or free subscriber of Gents Journey & the Gents Weekly podcast

About Our Guest: Andrew Reiner

Andrew Reiner is an author, researcher, and professor who writes extensively on masculinity and the emotional lives of men and boys.

Learn more + connect:

* Book: Better Boys, Better Men by Andrew Reiner

* Instagram: @andrew.reiner.author

* Email: [email protected]

Join the Journey

Ready to find your safety net and join the conversation? Gents Journey is the ultimate learning hub and social club for men.

We believe in growth, brotherhood, and becoming the best man you can be.

Visit us at: gentsjourney.co

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Welcome to the first episode of the Gents Weekly Podcast!

We launched this podcast to help men live better, work better, and BE better - both in life and in business.

And it kick things off, we couldn’t think of a better first guest than John Lee Dumas, host of the legendary business podcast, Entrepreneurs on Fire.

In this premier episode, we bypass the usual business talk and dive straight into the deep end: what makes life meaningful as a man today.

John gets candid about his personal life, navigating family dynamics, and why stepping away from the hustle of the city to build a more traditional, grounded life was a game-changer.

Here’s a glimpse of what we unpack in Episode #001:

* The Modern Provider - We explore the unique dynamics of being a full-time provider while balancing the demands of family and business, and how those roles look vastly different depending on where you live.

* The Power of the Mastermind - Why the old adage “you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with” is absolute truth. We discuss why men desperately need a tight-knit brotherhood for support, accountability, and camaraderie—especially after leaving highly structured environments like the military.

* “This Too Shall Pass” - John shares his mindset for navigating the inevitable peaks and valleys of entrepreneurship and life.

* Why Retirement is a Trap - We discuss why losing your purpose and relevancy is the “number one killer” for men, and why finding joy in meaningful work should be a lifelong pursuit.

* Daily Non-Negotiables - A look into the simple, grounding routines—like a 3-mile walk with the dog and some Caribbean sunshine—that keep JLD anchored and focused.

Join the ultimate learning hub & social club for men by becoming a paid or free subscriber of Gents Journey & the Gents Weekly podcast

About John Lee Dumas

What if I just quit my job?

Many men experience this same thought.

And due to a fear mindset, they often tell themselves that they “have to go to work” versus telling themselves they “get to go to work.”

Nearly 60% of U.S. workers feel detached, unfulfilled, or unhappy at work.

This comes with great stress, burden, and the expectation that you must be the one who provides for your family.

If you’re tired of spending 90% of your day doing things you don’t enjoy and only 10% doing what you love, then you definitely need to listen to this brief talk with John Lee Dumas of Entrepreneurs on Fire.

After serving as an active-duty Army Officer for four years, Dumas tried law school (and dropped out after the first semester), corporate finance, and commercial real estate, yet still found himself drained and unfulfilled.

His journey included a lot of struggle and searching, as many of ours do too.

However, all it takes is one day, one decision, one introduction to change your life.

For John Lee Dumas, that one moment came when he decided to help others by launching the Entrepreneurs on Fire podcast.

Eventually, it grew into a thriving community where he inspires entrepreneurs to break out of complacency and start building the life they’ve always dreamed of.

Key takeaways & links from this episode:

* The Common Path to Uncommon Success by John Lee Dumas

* Write down your goals.

* “You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with” — Jim Rohn

* John’s podcast: Entrepreneurs on Fire

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