Tonight’s special edition brought Joe Nichols back to the conversation, and it quickly became clear that the road west isn’t really about geography. It’s about the journey a writer takes with himself.

Joe spoke openly about the tension many writers feel on Substack—the pressure to perform, to repeat what worked before, and to chase the posts that gained attention. At one point he described looking back at his most popular work and realizing he was drifting toward writing for the reaction instead of writing from truth. That moment forced him to stop and ask a difficult question: Am I still being myself, or am I performing?

The conversation moved into something deeper—the uncomfortable work of honesty. Joe reflected on how writing exposes parts of ourselves we sometimes wish we could hide. He spoke about publishing something he later realized wasn’t completely honest, choosing to leave it up as a reminder that growth is part of the journey. Writing, he said, is one of the few places where a person can lay their life out and simply say, this is who I am.

We also talked about change. Readers grow. Writers grow. Sometimes the paths stop lining up. Joe acknowledged that continuing to follow his own questions may cause him to lose some readers, but the alternative—writing something that isn’t true to who he is—is far worse.

One of the most powerful moments of the discussion centered around discomfort. Joe shared that the only real way forward in life—or writing—is to sit with discomfort long enough to find the next question that moves you forward. Not necessarily the answer, but the next step on the road.

And that became the heart of tonight’s conversation.

Writing is not about solving everything. It’s about continuing the journey. Each piece opens another road, another question, another turn in the story.

Joe Nichols is still on that road.

And like many writers on Substack, he’s discovering that sometimes the most honest thing a person can do is keep walking.

Thank you Martine 🦋, Giuliana, Jenny Lynn, Lis, Mary Ann McGee, and many others for tuning into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app.

Joe discussed that Feral Masculinity is the best book he has written. In it, he examines how modern men were conditioned to suppress instinct and judgment in favor of compliance, and why returning to a more honest, grounded sense of masculinity matters. Available on Amazon

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About the Author

John Rinaldo writes Soul & Stories, a weekly publication centered on soul work, reflection, and the quiet process of becoming. He also hosts the live podcast Stories, Soul Work & Substack every Monday at 4 PM EST, where written ideas open into honest conversation.

He is currently working on The Hole: Forgotten in the Shadows, a documentary written and hosted by John Rinaldo and Hassan, telling the story of Italians who resisted and secretly helped smuggle Jews to safety during World War II.

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