What happens when the man who has everything loses it all in a single, tragic moment?

Aaron Walker — “Big A” — built and sold businesses, made millions, and lived a life most men only dream of. But in 2001, a car accident claimed a man’s life and shattered Aaron’s sense of purpose. In the aftermath, he faced shame, isolation, and the kind of soul-searching that either destroys a man or remakes him.

In this episode of Manalizing, Garth Haslem sits down with Aaron to talk about the accident that changed everything, the faith that rebuilt him, and the brotherhood that saved him. This is a masterclass in real masculinity — courage, humility, and redemption through connection.

Aaron tells the story of how one man’s blunt honesty (“You’re wearing the hell out of everybody in this group”) snapped him out of despair and set him on a mission to help other men live not just successful lives, but significant ones.

Episode Highlights

• “Isolation is the enemy of excellence.” Why every man needs a brotherhood
• The accident that forced Aaron to face his own fragility
• How a tragedy turned into a divine course correction
• Trusted advisors: the power of having men who tell you the truth
• From chasing money to chasing meaning
• The difference between success and significance
• How to stop numbing pain and start living with purpose
• Why you don’t weave faith into work — faith is the work

Aaron Walker, Big A, view from the top, Iron Sharpens Iron, men’s mastermind, Christian leadership, trusted advisors, men’s mental health, male vulnerability, significance vs success, isolation, depression in men, Garth Haslem, Manalizing podcast

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/manalyzing/donations

When life hits hardest, most men shut down. Damien Davis didn’t.

At just 28, he’s been through what many men never recover from — a toxic breakup, depression, fatherhood in chaos, and a custody battle with someone diagnosed as bipolar and narcissistic. Yet somewhere in that wreckage, Damien found what he calls his secret sauce: the ability to not react.

He’s a mental health worker who’s seen the cycle from both sides — professionally and personally. In this conversation, he and host Garth Haslem talk about purpose, anger, control, and why sometimes the strongest move a man can make is to say nothing at all.

Damien’s wisdom cuts through the noise:

“Every action doesn’t deserve a reaction. You can’t play stupid games if you’re not a stupid person.”

This is one of the most grounded, insightful, and quietly powerful conversations on the Manalizing podcast — a must-listen for any man walking through custody, heartbreak, or the long climb out of emotional chaos.

Episode Highlights

• “Every action doesn’t deserve a reaction” — how Damien learned emotional discipline
• What a C-section taught him about humility, apology, and love
• The moment his life fell apart — and how it remade him
• Finding purpose through his son, Noah
• From stuffing emotions to choosing peace
• How men can stop letting others control their emotions
• When folding isn’t losing — it’s winning

father’s rights, men’s mental health, emotional control, co-parenting, toxic relationship recovery, depression in men, walking away, emotional discipline, fatherhood, single dad, Detroit fathers, Manalizing, Garth Haslem podcast

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/manalyzing/donations

On first glance, Aaron Shields looks like he has it all—rocket scientist turned software leader, gifted musician, dad of six, thriving career. But behind the resume is a man who hit a wall in 2012 that blew up his self-image and set him on a new path: connection coaching and what he calls emotional hygiene.

We talk growing up poor with parents who taught “you can do anything—if you’ll do the work,” the pivot from aerospace to serving people directly, and practical ways men can stop stuffing emotions until they explode. Aaron shares the hardest moment that cracked him open, how he leads at home while a child faces a mysterious illness, and simple release practices (two journals—one to remember, one to burn; throwing a rock loaded with anger across the yard). It’s leadership vs. management, venting vs. processing, and why success = the number of people you serve.

Episode Highlights

• “You can do anything” parenting—and how Aaron applies it with his own kids
• The Sweden rupture: the event that exposed his emotional blind spot
• Career pivots: government aerospace → software → connection coach
• Emotional hygiene: journaling to forget (and burn), somatic release with nature
• Leadership at home under stress: breadwinner pressure without going lone-wolf
• Venting vs. processing: how to unload without dumping on people
• Why success is measured by the people you serve—not the titles you hold

If this helped you

Join the Manalizing tribe—lift and be lifted: manalizing.com

men’s mental health, emotional hygiene, connection coach, masculinity, leadership vs management, journaling practice, anger release, family under stress, autism parenting, chronic illness, career pivot, rocket scientist, Aaron Shields, Manalizing

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/manalyzing/donations

Contractor, pilot, physical therapist, business owner—Robert Snow wears a lot of hats. In this raw conversation, we talk anger, perception, and the long arc of growth—from a slammed cabinet in ’94 to raising teens and fighting for a marriage that actually connects.

Robert opens up about the night he discovered his daughter had a plan for suicide, why shame kept him silent, and the hard questions every dad must ask out loud: Are you thinking of hurting yourself? Do you have a plan? We get into men’s friendships (or the lack of them), the armor we keep on at home, and what it takes to go all-in with a spouse without keeping a secret reserve.

We also hit practical tools from the Gottman approach—responding to bids for connection, processing “regrettable incidents,” and why ~70% of conflicts are perpetual (and still manageable). If you’ve ever wondered how to build an inner circle you can actually lean on, this one’s for you.

Episode Highlights

• The “cabinet moment”: anger, perception, and who you decide to be next
• Teen suicidal ideation: the two questions that save lives
• Why men hesitate to talk—and how to choose the friend who shows up
• The “armor at home” problem and going all-in on trust
• Marriage tools that work: bids, love maps, and repairing after fights
• Career pivots at 37: the blunt advice Robert needed to hear

If this helps you

Join the Manalizing tribe—lift and be lifted: manalizing.com

men’s mental health, fatherhood, teen suicide prevention, suicide plan questions, vulnerability, men’s friendships, marriage repair, Gottman, bids for connection, regrettable incident, armor metaphor, Manalizing, Robert Snow

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/manalyzing/donations

Description

Riley and Jordan Hanks sit down with Manalizing to share the raw, unfiltered reality of facing stage-IV gastric cancer as newlyweds and first-time parents. Jordan opens up about surgeries, chemo, and living with a “kiwi-sized” stomach; Riley talks through the invisible load—anxiety, therapy, and the moment he finally reached out after eight months of stuffing it down. This conversation is full of nonverbal truths, a brief break you’ll hear when emotions spill over, and an outtake you won’t want to miss. It’s about brick-by-brick teamwork, faith, friendship, and choosing perspective when life can’t be controlled. If you’ve ever wondered what strength looks like behind closed doors, this is it.

Episode Highlights

• The diagnosis day and what “stage IV” meant for their family
• Jordan’s laparoscopic updates, stomach resection, and recovery
• Riley’s breaking point, therapy, and how men can actually ask for help
• “Brick wall” partnership: carrying the load together without collapsing
• Why availability matters more than perfect advice (thank you, Justin)
• Finding blessings: deeper communication, tighter tribe, steadier faith
• A tender mid-episode pause you’ll hear—and an end outtake worth staying for
• 
  

If this helped you

Join the Manalizing tribe—lift and be lifted: manalizing.com

SEO keywords

Men’s mental health, cancer journey, gastric cancer, marriage under pressure, vulnerability, therapy, anxiety, faith, resilience, NICU, Manalizing, Riley and Jordan Hanks

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/manalyzing/donations

Jordan Ricks Hanks was 30 when life changed fast: a rare CDH1 genetic mutation, stage-4 gastric signet-ring cancer, major surgeries (stomach, ovaries, colon, gallbladder), and a newborn in the NICU. She sits down with Garth to share how she and her husband Riley are facing the unimaginable—together—and what men can actually do when a partner is hurting.

Jordan talks candidly about diagnosis, treatment, faith, and the everyday actions that kept their marriage connected: five-minute foot rubs, honest check-ins, and giving your partner permission to step out of the “panic box” for a breath of air. Her message for men is clear and practical: drop the lone-wolf act, speak the scary feelings out loud, make decisions together, and protect your own oxygen so you can keep showing up.

In this episode:

• CDH1 and what “stealth” cancers mean for detection
• Surgeries, NICU days, and rebuilding life after the shock
• Concrete ways husbands/partners can help (and what not to do)
• How to ask for help when you don’t have the words
• Gratitude, prayer, and finding joy (not just “happy”) in the middle of hard things
• “Broken is beautiful” — why we’re meant to need each other
• 
  

If someone you love is in treatment: share this with them—and with their caregiver. Small, consistent connection beats grand gestures.

Note: This conversation includes frank discussion of serious illness and caregiving.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/manalyzing/donations

In this raw, courageous conversation, Howard Little opens up about living with—and outliving—aggressive prostate cancer, dangerous blood clots, and life-altering complications. He could choose bitterness. He chooses laughter. We talk fear, faith, body blows (literal and figurative), the “Brotherhood of the Balloon,” near-death ICU nights, and how a quiet dad’s confidence saved a son at his lowest point. This isn’t toxic positivity. It’s a man refusing to be defined by pain.

What we get into

• The Christmas Eve phone call that changed everything
• Proton therapy vs. traditional radiation (and why he swears by it)
• The “Brotherhood of the Balloon” and the private fears men don’t say out loud
• Side effects no one advertises: hormone therapy, anxiety, and identity
• Blood clots, ICU, and the blessing that kept him here
• The most embarrassing challenge (and why it hit his “man card”)
• Suicidal thoughts, motorcycles, and choosing character over quitting
• Being excommunicated, coming back, and a father’s words that stuck: “You’re going to be okay.”
• Why humor is a survival skill, not a mask

Why listen

If you (or someone you love) is facing cancer, loss of health, or the slow grind of chronic setbacks, this is a blueprint for dignity: tell the truth, ask for help, laugh when you can, and keep walking.

Content note: frank medical detail (prostate procedures), sexual side effects, anxiety, and brief discussion of suicidal ideation.

If this episode hits close to home, you’re not alone. Talk to someone you trust. In the U.S., dial 988 for the Lifeline.

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🎧 If you’re new here, Manalizing is where men talk about the things men don’t talk about. Subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review if this helped you.

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Description:

In this special episode of Manalizing, the mic turns around. Host Garth Haslem takes the hot seat as his friend Howard Little interviews him.

Garth opens up about the quiet ache of an absent father, the years spent chasing a paycheck instead of a purpose, and the long road through a loveless marriage that nearly erased who he was. He talks about building Crossroads Engineers, raising daughters, walking through divorce, and the woman who finally saw the man he was meant to be.

This isn’t a highlight reel—it’s honesty without polish. It’s about learning to grow a spine, to believe what’s true even when someone else says you’re less than, and to step onto your own star when you’ve spent a lifetime helping everyone else shine.

If you’ve ever wondered what happens when a man finally tells the truth about his own story—this is it.

SEO keywords: Garth Haslem, Manalizing podcast, father wound, men’s mental health, divorce recovery, purpose and calling, self-worth, masculinity and vulnerability, healing childhood trauma, finding identity, Julie Haslem

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/manalyzing/donations

Pele grew up between ocean calm and street violence on Oahu’s North Shore—where respect was enforced, tempers ran hot, and boys learned to win by force. In this raw, grounded conversation, he and host Garth Haslem unpack the moments that shaped him: learning to surf, shouldering a young father’s shame when the money didn’t pencil, and the nights he sat in the backyard “talking to the moon” because unloading on his family would do more harm than good.

They go straight at the hard stuff—Christmas blow-ups, leaving the house to keep from doing damage, driving the long loop around the lake until the rage drains out, and then doing the everyday work that prevents the next blow-up: relationship first, correction last. Pele talks about self-betrayal, breaking inherited cycles, and why no man can afford to live as an island.

If you’ve ever felt outmatched by your own anger or alone in your responsibility, this episode offers a quiet blueprint: step away, tell the truth, repair, and build the kind of relationship that can carry your love across.

Episode highlights

• Surfing vs. football: why the ocean stills a fighting heart
• “Talking to the moon”: praying, venting, and staying out of jail (and out of your kid’s face)
• The Change Pyramid: fix problems before they’re problems—relationship → teaching → only then correction
• Self-betrayal and integrity: why how you act changes how you feel in your own skin
• Men aren’t islands: how to build wingmen and be one

Pele Manalizing, North Shore Hawaii, Samoan culture, breaking generational cycles, anger management for men, fatherhood and discipline, men’s mental health, talking to the moon, Anatomy of Peace, relationships first, masculinity and vulnerability

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/manalyzing/donations

Pele grew up on the North Shore of Hawaii, where love and violence lived side by side. In a world that taught boys to fight first and feel later, he learned to survive by strength, anger, and silence. But survival isn’t the same as peace.

In this episode of Manalizing, Garth Haslem sits down with his close friend Pele — a husband, father, grandfather, and quiet warrior — to talk about what happens when the rules of your childhood no longer fit the man you’ve become. They explore the weight of cultural expectations, breaking cycles of aggression, and what it really means to love your family when you’re still learning to love yourself.

Pele’s story is one of faith, humility, and hard truth — a man raised in war who found his strength in gentleness, his honor in healing, and his purpose in serving others.

If you’ve ever felt like an island — cut off, misunderstood, or carrying a world that no one else sees — this one will hit home.

Pele Manalizing, Polynesian men, North Shore Hawaii, Samoan culture, breaking cycles, fatherhood, men’s healing, trauma recovery, faith and family, masculinity and vulnerability, men’s mental health.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/manalyzing/donations