~[00:00] What a man learns at his physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual edge; Luke’s Kilimanjaro mission.

~[02:30] The ‘tea cup’ parable: pressure reveals what’s inside you, not who bumped you.

~[05:30] Crisis of comfort: how certainty and control keep men numb and untested.

~[08:45] Oxygen, fatigue, and the rawness of leadership under real uncertainty.

~[12:15] Identity vs. conditioning: who you are isn’t your stress response.

~[15:30] Voluntary rite of passage vs. default initiations (divorce, illness, burnout).

~[22:30] Emptying the cup: daily practices, tears, and learning service-as-leadership.

In this heartfelt conversation, David Mehler sits down with his childhood best friend, Michael Halperin, to examine how being a dad today differs from their fathers’ era. They explore the generational shift from a singular focus on providing and protecting to a deeper call for presence. Through personal stories and honest reflections, the episode challenges high‑performing men to redefine success in fatherhood and offers practical tools for cultivating meaningful connection at home.

Key Takeaways:

- ~[00:02:05] Michael recalls his dad always working and the absence of quality time despite feeling loved.

- ~[00:05:05] David explains that many men overwork out of fear of inadequacy and the need to feel enough.

- ~[00:09:40] Michael points out that merely showing up isn’t the same as being present; a distracted father feels like a cardboard cut‑out.

- ~[00:15:50] Michael distils his purpose as a father to ensuring his children feel his love, not just hear it.

- ~[00:31:50] The first practical tip: leave your phone away from the dinner table to model presence.

- ~[00:33:30] The second tip: schedule one‑on‑one time with each child, ask questions, and listen without turning every moment into a lesson.

Dive deeper into the journey from provider to present by listening to the full episode on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Audible. If this conversation resonates with you, subscribe and leave a review—your support helps men everywhere rise with passion, power, and purpose.

What does it take to be respected by your children without becoming a tyrant? In this episode we dive into the cultural shift that allows kids to hang up on their parents, unpack the cost of permissive parenting and explore the wound that turns boys into pleasers. We examine why authentic power always trumps force and how holding space during an emotional storm can transform your relationship with your child.

Key Takeaways:
- ~[00:00] Respect versus fear – opening question and the invitation to self‑inquiry.
- ~[04:00] Soft parenting and coddling leave children without a moral compass; boundaries are love.
- ~[06:00] The difference between force and authentic power – why tone and integrity matter more than threats.
- ~[13:00] The master wound with our mothers creates lifelong people pleasers; healing begins when we see it.
- ~[23:00] Holding space during a child’s rage teaches them they are loved even in their darkest moments.
- ~[30:00] Model the behaviour you expect and unify with your partner; your kids will stop playing you against each other.

Listen to the full episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible or watch on YouTube.  Subscribe, leave a review and share with a father who needs this message.

What happens when you realize the map you’ve followed for love is broken?

In this episode of Man on Fire Rising, David Mailer dives into the ten mistakes men make when their marriages are slipping away.

He shares personal stories and client experiences to expose how ignoring warning signs, living in your head, and seeking solace outside your vows erode trust.

The payoff is a call to awaken: to drop the blame, embrace vulnerability, and choose faithfulness over fleeting comfort.

- ~[00:00] Ignoring small signs of disconnection leads to big ruptures later.

- ~[00:02] Common warning signs include separate bedrooms, constant phones, and statements like “I need space.”

- ~[00:06] Logic and analysis won’t save your marriage; feeling and presence will.

- ~[00:08] Don’t hide behind your kids, work, or hobbies to avoid intimacy.

- ~[00:10] Weaponizing your children and seeking affairs deepen wounds across generations.

- ~[00:12] Faith and perseverance are essential—don’t give up on your vows.

Watch the full episode on YouTube or subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Audible. And if this resonated with you, please leave a review and share it with a friend who needs to hear it.

How do you bring a dying marriage back to life?

In this episode David Miller explores the ten essential steps every man should take when his relationship is on the brink.

From brutal honesty and personal responsibility to sacred vows and the power of playing the long game, you’ll discover why the key to getting her back starts with getting yourself back.

Key Takeaways:

- ~[00:00] Conflict is a mirror; marriage forces you to face buried wounds and invites you into growth.

- ~[03:00] Step 1: Be honest about what’s happening; Step 2: Take ownership; Step 3: Be vulnerable.

- ~[05:00] Responsibility and compassion go hand in hand — stop judging and start understanding.

- ~[10:00] Remember your sacred vows and practise empathy; your partner’s soul needs to be seen.

- ~[14:00] Inner work is non‑negotiable; one person’s growth can transform the entire relationship.

- ~[19:00] Play the long game; resist quick fixes and hold space for your partner’s pain.

CTA: Listen to the full episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible or watch on YouTube.  Subscribe, leave a review and share this episode with a man who needs guidance.

What does it mean to love and be loved in a world that equates worth with productivity?

In this episode of *Man on Fire Rising*, David breaks down the eight ancient Greek types of love — from the obsessive grip of *mania* to the unconditional expansiveness of *agape* — and then pivots into a raw conversation about why so many high‑achieving men are unhappy. 

You’ll hear stories of men who seemingly have it all yet feel deeply alone, and you’ll learn why true freedom begins when you believe you are enough.

🧠 **Key Takeaways:**
- ~[01:20] Understand the different flames of love: *mania*, *storagey*, *philia* and *eros*, and how they show up in real life.
- ~[04:15] Discover how basic human needs can override our morals and why awareness of this tension empowers new choices.
- ~[07:40] Learn about *pragma*, *philautia* and *agape* — mature love, self‑love and unconditional love — and why they require cultivation.
- ~[09:05] Hear how the culturally handed “map to success” leaves many men numb, isolated and collapsing at home despite crushing it at work.
- ~[11:30] Listen to Mark’s story: a man with every external marker of success who came millimetres from ending his life, and what saved him.
- ~[13:45] Practice three affirmations — “I am enough,” “All I’ll ever need is within me now” and “Joy is my birthright” — to begin rewriting your own map.

In this raw and challenging episode, David Mehler speaks directly to the men who have built walls instead of bridges—men whose success hides a deeper struggle with feeling unseen and unmet.

With unfiltered intensity and brotherly compassion, David confronts the facades of strength and leadership, revealing how we sacrifice authenticity for approval.

This episode is a call to stop hiding, start telling the truth, and invite healing by embracing your deepest wounds. If you’ve ever felt the weight of staying strong for everyone but yourself, this conversation will hit home.

Key Takeaways:

- ~[01:05] The masculine drive for performance and “getting things done” is often a mask hiding a need for validation.

- ~[04:15] Shame and fear of disappointment push men to wear emotional armor, blocking intimacy and real connection.

- ~[08:00] Suffering in silence is not heroic—“being the strong one” creates loneliness that erodes your sense of self-worth.

- ~[11:45] Vulnerability is not weakness; it’s the entry point to true leadership and authentic impact.

- ~[15:20] Healing begins when you confront the pain you’ve buried—freedom comes from telling the truth about who you are, not who you perform to be.

- ~[19:10] The challenge: Will you drop the mask, step into uncertainty, and let yourself be seen for the man you truly are?

In this episode of the Man on Fire podcast, David Mehler challenges high-achieving men to confront the pain they’ve been avoiding. He argues that what we’re really running from isn’t failure or success—it’s suffering itself.

The conversation reveals how pain management strategies like porn, food, alcohol and overwork keep us stuck and how turning toward discomfort can unlock freedom, purpose and even joy.

David draws on a lesson from India, childhood wisdom and decades of working with men to illustrate why avoiding emotions prolongs them and why our deepest wounds often hide our greatest gifts.

🔥 Key Takeaways:
- ~[00:01:00] Pain management is the real trap: we’re not running from success or failure but from the discomfort we never learned to face.
- ~[00:02:10] “Man suffers because man avoids his suffering” – avoidance, not the emotion itself, is the true source of our pain.
- ~[00:08:10] Children show us that emotions are meant to move in seconds to minutes; adults carry them for years because we resist feeling.
- ~[00:10:35] There’s a thin veil between the center of suffering and joy; when you dive straight into the emotion it often transforms into laughter and relief.
- ~[00:13:40] The greater your wound, the greater your calling; your trauma can become your medicine when you’re willing to see it through the lens of the soul.
- ~[00:15:10] A three-step practice: catch yourself pain managing, identify and fully feel the emotion, then anchor with gratitude.

David Mehler dismantles the myth that men must change who they are to be happy. Instead, he invites listeners to embrace every part of themselves and learn the art of exchanging into a more authentic version. Through personal anecdotes and a powerful story, he shows how ownership and small daily choices lead to profound transformation.

🔥 Key Takeaways:
- ~[00:00:20] Stop trying to change; dive into the fire and confront the lies about fixed identities.
- ~[00:02:30] Denial feeds your shadows; ownership and responsibility are the doorway to freedom.
- ~[00:05:30] You are a thousand versions of yourself; each day you choose which one to wear.
- ~[00:08:20] There is one authentic version of you; exchange into it by aligning your actions with your soul.
- ~[00:09:50] Robert’s story shows how embracing your pain and seeking support can turn a downward spiral into leadership and love.
- ~[00:12:10] Small millimeter shifts in daily decisions — from what you drink to how you breathe — steer you toward the life you want.

From nursery rhymes to boardrooms, men are taught to keep their guard up at all costs. In this raw conversation, David explores why our walls must crack for us to truly live. Drawing on personal stories of divorce, family illness and business collapse, he challenges the myth that strength equals stoicism and invites listeners into a more authentic way of being.

Key Takeaways:
~[00:00] The wall cracks — challenging the myth that strength means never breaking.
~[02:00] Fear of being seen — why people in positions of power hide their true selves.
~[04:40] Put down your guard and let in your God — accessing the soul beyond the armor.
~[06:30] Take down your own walls — the cost of keeping your heart hidden and the invitation to self‑responsibility.
~[08:50] The price of hiding — from dementia to divorce, what it costs you and those you love when you refuse to crack.