Welcome back to Men: A Work in Progress.

We took a little time off. Time to reflect, reset, and live; and it reminded us why this podcast matters. This show is about growth. About becoming. About doing the real work of being a man who’s still evolving.

We’re kicking off Season 2 with a topic that sounds simple… but isn’t:

Hobbies.

What do you do just for you? Not for work. Not for status. Not for anyone else.

So many men build their identity around productivity and providing. And somewhere along the way, play disappears. Curiosity fades. Passion gets put on hold.

Today, we’re talking about why hobbies aren’t optional; they’re essential. For your mental health. Your relationships. Your sense of self.

Because being a work in progress isn’t just about grinding harder.

It’s about living fuller.

Let’s get into it.

In this episode, Mike and Kyler reflect on their time in Vegas, taking the podcast on the road, the Cowboys vs. Raiders MNF game, and much more.

They also close out the Fall 2025 season of Men: A Work in Progress and get the audience ready for next season!

In this episode of Men: A Work in Progress, Mike and Kyler open up about the idea of fatherhood before actually becoming fathers. They dive into the emotional preparation (or sometimes the lack of it), the legacies we hope to carry forward, and the fears and patterns that often go unspoken. What does it mean to imagine yourself as a dad before the role becomes real? How do our own upbringings shape the kind of fathers we hope to be—or hope not to be? This conversation unpacks expectations, anxieties, and the quiet dreams of future fatherhood, offering a raw and relatable look at the crossroads between who we are now and who we hope to become.

Money is one of the most powerful forces in our lives—shaping how we see ourselves, how we relate to others, and what we value. In this episode of Men: A Work in Progress, Mike and Kyler open up about their very different experiences with money growing up, and how those early lessons have influenced their beliefs about success, materialism, and financial security today.

Together, they explore questions like:

• How do childhood experiences shape our relationship with money?

• What role does money play in our sense of identity and self-worth?

• Can we pursue wealth without being consumed by materialism?

• What does “enough” really look like?

This is a raw and honest conversation about money—not just as dollars and cents, but as a mirror of our values, fears, and aspirations.

What happens when your business partner is also your life partner? In this episode of Men: A Work In Progress, Mike and Kyler sit down with Steph Lakso and Garrett Moon—a real-life couple navigating the highs, lows, and lessons of building a business together.

They open up about how they met, why they decided to go into business together, and the reality behind the Instagrammable moments: disagreements, blurred boundaries, burnout, and the tools that helped them stay connected through it all.

This episode is honest, relatable, and full of takeaways for anyone balancing love and ambition under the same roof. Whether you’re already in business with your partner—or just wondering if you could be—this one’s for you.

In this episode of Men: A Work In Progress, Mike and Kyler unpack one of the most common—and misunderstood—emotions: anxiety.

Inspired by Inside Out 2, they explore how anxiety shows up as that inner voice always scanning for what could go wrong, trying to protect us from failure, judgment, or disappointment. But when that voice gets too loud, it can hold us back from the very things we want most.

Through honest conversation and personal stories, Mike and Kyler talk about:

• The difference between fear and anxiety

• How men are conditioned to mask anxiety with control, avoidance, or overachievement

• Practical tools for recognizing, managing, and even partnering with anxiety

This episode is a reminder that anxiety isn’t a weakness—it’s a signal. The work is learning how to hear it, not be ruled by it.

This week on Men: A Work In Progress, Mike and Kyler explore the surprisingly powerful emotion of nostalgia—that bittersweet feeling that pulls us back to moments, places, and people we can’t quite let go of.

Inspired by Inside Out 2, they dig into how nostalgia can be both a source of warmth and a trap of longing. Together, they reflect on personal memories, childhood dreams, and the moments that quietly shaped who they are today.

They ask:

• Why does nostalgia hit so hard during times of change?

• What can our past teach us about our present?

• And how can we hold those memories with gratitude, not regret?

If you’ve ever scrolled through old photos or heard a song that transported you back, this one’s for you. Nostalgia isn’t just a feeling—it’s a mirror, a compass, and sometimes, a guide forward.

In this episode, Mike and Kyler dive into the emotion that most of us try to escape at all costs: boredom. It’s often dismissed, avoided, or numbed out—but what if boredom is actually trying to tell us something?

Inspired by Inside Out 2, they explore how boredom shows up in modern life, especially for men, and why we often mask it with distraction, overworking, or even burnout. They ask big questions like:

• Is boredom a sign of laziness—or a longing for something more?

• What do our “I’m fine” moments actually mean?

• And what would happen if we stopped running from stillness?

With personal stories, some laughs, and a few uncomfortable truths, Mike and Kyler offer a new way to look at boredom—not as a weakness, but as a whisper from the soul that there’s something deeper worth discovering.

Disgust isn’t just about spoiled milk or bad smells—it’s a powerful emotional boundary-setter. In this episode of Men: A Work In Progress, Mike and Kyler take a deeper look at disgust, as introduced in Inside Out, and explore how it shows up in everyday life: from gut reactions to behaviors, people, or even parts of ourselves we’d rather avoid.

They discuss how disgust is wired to protect us—but can also limit us when it’s left unchecked. From moments of judgment to shame-fueled avoidance, Mike and Kyler get honest about what disgust has taught them, and how learning to face it can lead to better self-awareness, clearer values, and stronger boundaries.

You’ll walk away with new language for those “ugh” moments—and maybe even a bit more compassion for the parts of yourself you’ve been quick to reject.

In this episode of Men: A Work In Progress, Mike and Kyler dive into a feeling we all know too well but rarely talk about: embarrassment. Inspired by Inside Out 2, they unpack why embarrassment can feel so overwhelming, especially for men who are often taught to hide it or laugh it off.

They share personal stories of cringeworthy moments, discuss how embarrassment shapes our sense of self, and explore why embracing those awkward experiences can actually lead to deeper connection, humility, and growth.

Whether it’s a mistake at work, an awkward conversation, or a memory you can’t shake, Mike and Kyler break down how to sit with—and even learn from—embarrassment instead of letting it control you.