Gotta be honest: success is kind of weird! It's a goal, part of the process, and also the mirror that forces you to evaluate your goals, anxieties, and direction. Listen in.

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 purpose, navigate transition, or fix your relationships, all with a powerful group of men from around the world? Check out The Alliance and join me today. 

Check out our Facebook Page or the Men's community.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts  | Spotify

For more episodes visit us at ManTalks.com | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter   

Editing & Mixing by: Aaron The Tech

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I’ve been running ManTalks for almost a decade and I’ve met a ton of amazing people who can speak truthfully and bluntly. But no one speaks carries their truth as authentically as Stephen Jenkinson. I find a lot of what Stephen says is medicinal: you might not think it tastes great, but damn if it isn’t what you need to hear. This is a deep dive into why things are the way they are. Fear of submission, love of consumption, death-phobia, the commodification of trauma, endings, what the pandemic tried to tell us, and so much more.

This is from a series I produced recently called The Wisdom of Elders, featuring experts on elderhood and culture to discuss what an “elder” actually is, where we are as a species, how we got here, and where we’re headed. Basically, what the f*** happened?

Culture activist, teacher, and author, Stephen Jenkinson teaches internationally and is the creator and principal instructor of the Orphan Wisdom School, co-founded with Nathalie Roy in 2010, convening semi-annually in Ontario, and in northern Europe. He has a Masters degree in Theology from Harvard University and a Masters in Social Work from the University of Toronto. Apprenticed to a master storyteller when a young man, he has worked extensively with dying people and their families, was a program director in a major hospital, and an assistant professor in a prominent medical school. He is also a sculptor and traditional canoe builder, whose house won a Governor General’s Award for architecture. Since co-founding Nights of Grief and Mystery with Gregory Hoskins in 2015, he has toured across North America, the U.K., Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.

His new book, A Generation’s Worth: Spirit Work While the Crisis Reigns, sets out to learn liveable answers. Dying and death, love and matrimony, money and soul, aging and elderhood, drawn through the eye of a pestilential needle: this is the spirit work, and that is the crisis. https://orphanwisdom.com/a-generations-worth-spirit-work-while-the-crisis-reigns

He is also the author of Come of Age: The Case for Elderhood in a Time of Trouble, the award-winning Die Wise: A Manifesto for Sanity and Soul, Homecoming: The Haiku Sessions, How it All Could Be: A Workbook for Dying People and Those Who Love Them (2009), Angel and Executioner: Grief and the Love of Life (a live teaching from 2009), and Money and The Soul’s Desires: A Meditation. He is contributing author to Palliative Care – Core Skills and Clinical Competencies.

Stephen Jenkinson is also the subject of the feature-length documentary film Griefwalker, a portrait of his work with dying people, and Lost Nation Road, a shorter documentary on the crafting of the Nights of Grief and Mystery tours.

Connect with Stephen:

-Website: https://orphanwisdom.com

-Latest book: https://orphanwisdom.com/a-generations-worth-spirit-work-while-the-crisis-reigns

-Books: https://orphanwisdom.com/shop/

-Griefwalker documentary: https://www.nfb.ca/film/griefwalker/

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 purpose, navigate transition, or fix your relationships, all with a powerful group of men from around the world? Check out The Alliance and join me today. 

Check out our Facebook Page or the Men's community.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts  | Spotify

For more episodes visit us at ManTalks.com | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter   

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Regret itself isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but how we deal with regret has deep effects on how we deal with who we were, who we are, and who we want to be.

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 purpose, navigate transition, or fix your relationships, all with a powerful group of men from around the world? Check out The Alliance and join me today. 

Check out our Facebook Page or the Men's community.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts  | Spotify

For more episodes visit us at ManTalks.com | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter   

Editing & Mixing by: Aaron The Tech

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A few months ago I had the privilege of interviewing this incredible man over Zoom, and it's with a lot of thankfulness that I share that conversation with you now. James' experience working with elders and mentors across multiple continents and cultures, his life growing up on the streets of Chicago, and his work with inmates at Folsom Prison, all of it has given him an unparalleled understanding of what men need to grow, change, lead, build, endure, and most of all, help themselves and the world around them.

James is a deeply experienced wisdom holder and expert facilitator whose leadership has been a critical force driving the growth and success of programs at both Folsom State Prison and San Quentin State Prison. He is the executive producer of the documentary, THE WORK, detailing Inside Circle’s program in Folsom Prison. He brings deep expertise in group process work and its application in varied settings. As a member of the Elder Council, James guides our vision for incarcerated and released men.

Connect with James

-Inside Circle: https://insidecircle.org/

-The Bravery: https://www.thebravery.org/

-Trailer for THE WORK: https://youtu.be/cca5QWdSTMQ

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 purpose, navigate transition, or fix your relationships, all with a powerful group of men from around the world? Check out The Alliance and join me today. 

Check out our Facebook Page or the Men's community.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts  | Spotify

For more episodes visit us at ManTalks.com | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter   

Editing & Mixing by: Aaron The Tech

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Men: your ability to navigate uncertainty has a direct effect on your overall confidence, and who doesn't want a little more of that? In this mini-episode, three straightforward ways to better your relationship to uncertainty.

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 purpose, navigate transition, or fix your relationships, all with a powerful group of men from around the world? Check out The Alliance and join me today. 

Check out our Facebook Page or the Men's community.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts  | Spotify

For more episodes visit us at ManTalks.com | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter   

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, I work with a man who’s been married for 42 years. He wants to be more assertive and provide more direction in his relationship, but is struggling with long-held feelings of low self-worth, fear of failure, and more. What’s behind all of it? Listen through to the end.

Every so often, I bring on an anonymous guest for a completely free shadow work session. I make this part of the podcast to help destigmatize mental health work and give back to my community. If you or someone you know would be interested in being an anonymous guest, DM me @mantalks on Instagram, or send an email to [email protected].

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 purpose, navigate transition, or fix your relationships, all with a powerful group of men from around the world? Check out The Alliance and join me today. 

Check out our Facebook Page or the Men's community.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts  | Spotify

For more episodes visit us at ManTalks.com | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter   

Editing & Mixing by: Aaron The Tech

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Open social media, confrontation. Open your browser, confrontation. Look out the window, probably some more confrontation. You're not going to get away from conflict, so it's time to learn how to repair your relationship with it, whether you're caught in the trap of avoiding it or the trap of being way too into it. Dig in.

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 purpose, navigate transition, or fix your relationships, all with a powerful group of men from around the world? Check out The Alliance and join me today. 

Check out our Facebook Page or the Men's community.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts  | Spotify

For more episodes visit us at ManTalks.com | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter   

Editing & Mixing by: Aaron The Tech

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Francis and I discuss the role of community in processing grief, the cult of specialness, our addiction to progress, using beauty and ritual to stay mentally healthy, and how obsession with individualism has crippled our ability to feel like we belong. That’s just the tip of the iceberg with a man like Francis, and it’s a great honor to hear him speak with such depth and clarity on these complex subjects.

Francis Weller, MFT, is a psychotherapist, writer, and soul activist. He is a master of synthesizing diverse streams of thought from psychology, anthropology, mythology, alchemy, indigenous cultures, and poetic traditions. Author of The Wild Edge of Sorrow: Rituals of Renewal and the Sacred Work of Grief, The Threshold Between Loss and Revelation, (with Rashani Réa), and In the Absence of the Ordinary: Essays in a Time of Uncertainty, he has introduced the healing work of ritual to thousands of people. He founded and directs WisdomBridge, an organization that offers educational programs that seek to integrate the wisdom from indigenous cultures with the insights and knowledge gathered from western poetic, psychological, and spiritual traditions. 

As a gifted therapist and teacher, Francis has been described as a jazz artist, improvising and moving fluidly in and out of deep emotional territories with groups and individuals, bringing imagination and attention to places often held with judgment and shame.

Francis received a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin Green Bay and two Master’s Degrees from John F. Kennedy University in Clinical Psychology and Transpersonal Psychology. His writings have appeared in anthologies and journals exploring the confluence between psyche, nature, and culture. His work was featured in The Sun magazine (October 2015) the Utne Reader (Fall 2016) and the Kosmos Journal. (Winter 20201) He is a frequent presenter and keynote speaker at conferences, bringing insight, poetry and a breath of humor to his talks. Francis is currently on staff at Commonweal Cancer Help Program, co-leading their week-long retreats with Michael Lerner. He has taught at Sonoma State University, the Sophia Center in Oakland, and has been the featured teacher at the Minnesota Men's Conference. He is currently completing his third book, A Trail on the Ground: The Geography of Soul.

He has created three CD sets, two focusing on healing shame and one on “Restoring the Soul of the World.” His latest offerings are a 10-session audio series on "Living a Soulful Life and Why It Matters." and ​"The Alchemy of Initiation: Soul Work and the Art of Ripening."

Connect with Francis:

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 purpose, navigate transition, or fix your relationships, all with a powerful group of men from around the world? Check out The Alliance and join me today. 

Check out our Facebook Page or the Men's community.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts  | Spotify

For more episodes visit us at ManTalks.com | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter   

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the most popular questions I get from both men and women revolves around intimidation. Women ask me why men perceive them as intimidating, and men ask me how to handle an intimidating woman. If you want to know what to do, start by reading the title of this episode, and listen in. We’ve got a lot to talk about: the responsibilities, the challenges, and what might be underneath it all.

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 purpose, navigate transition, or fix your relationships, all with a powerful group of men from around the world? Check out The Alliance and join me today. 

Check out our Facebook Page or the Men's community.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts  | Spotify

For more episodes visit us at ManTalks.com | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter   

Editing & Mixing by: Aaron The Tech

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It often feels like there is a massive gap between where we are and where we want to be. What’s more, we can spend so much time working to GET somewhere that we lose sight of what we’ve gained along the way. This is what organizational psychologist Dr. Benjamin Hardy and I dove into this episode. I loved this conversation, and I’m thrilled to share it with you, so don’t forget to spread it around.

Dr. Benjamin Hardy is an organizational psychologist and bestselling author of Willpower Doesn’t Work, Personality Isn't Permanent, and most recently, The Gap And The Gain.

He is a prolific blog writer, and his work has been read by over 100 million people, and featured on Harvard Business Review, New York Times, Forbes, Fortune, CNBC, Cheddar, and others. He is a regular contributor to Inc. and Psychology Today, and from 2015-2018, he was the #1 writer in the world on Medium.com. 

He and his wife Lauren adopted three children through the foster system in February 2018 and, one month later, Lauren became pregnant with twins, who were born in December of 2018. They live in Orlando.

Connect with Ben

-Website: https://benjaminhardy.com/

-Articles: https://benjaminhardy.com/articles/

-Book: The Gap And The Gain: 

-Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/benjaminhardy88/

-Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benjamin_hardy_phd/

-LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminhardy88/

-Twitter: https://twitter.com/BenjaminPHardy

-Book: The Gap And The Gain: https://amzn.to/3zodzxS

-Book: Personality Isn’t Permanent: https://amzn.to/3zodzxS

-Book: Willpower Doesn’t Work: https://amzn.to/3AoEg6N

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 purpose, navigate transition, or fix your relationships, all with a powerful group of men from around the world? Check out The Alliance and join me today. 

Check out our Facebook Page or the Men's community.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts  | Spotify

For more episodes visit us at ManTalks.com | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter   

Editing & Mixing by: Aaron The Tech

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices