The Imperfect Pod

Eldra Jackson was serving life in New Folsom prison and in and out of the prison system for almost 30 years. This is his journey of rehabilitation, extreme ownership, self work and intense growth.

Key themes of the episode:

The desire to be respected and feared in prison

How he had an image of strength as a mask to fear

The choices and impact that solitary confinement had on his life

Why men need permission to feel and explore themselves

The importance of rites of passage and rituals

The origin story of Inside Circle

Releasing negative energy as a source of healing

How men can access their deeper truths and why it takes strength

What the parole process looks like when getting release from prison

What he's doing to ensure he doesn't pass down his trauma to the next generation

This was an amazing episode and I'm so thankful to Eldra for speaking with me. Again, I am willing to pay for 10 people to watch the documentary by The Inside Circle called "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iddt4sVZTvIandab_channel=YouTubeMovies (The Work)". You can find it on YouTube, Amazon Prime and I believe a few other options. It only costs $5 to rent but it will provide so much more depth as to the context and importance of the work that Eldra went through and facilitated in prison. Make sure to https://www.instagram.com/inside__circle/ (follow them on Instagram).

About Eldra: Eldra is a writer and sought after public speaker on the topics of at-risk youth advocacy, effective criminal justice rehabilitation and turning around ‘toxic’ masculinity, Eldra brings clarity of purpose, mission focus, and inspiration to his role at Inside Circle. He was an inmate at New Folsom Prison when he found Inside Circle and began the inner personal journey that eventually led to his release in 2014 and his current leadership role. A living example of successful rehabilitation and re-entry, Eldra has dedicated his free time on the outside to serving at-risk youth, and acting as a facilitator, trainer, and mentor.

As always, feel free to follow me on Instagram @theimperfectpod or shoot me an email at [email protected]

Welcome back to Just the TIP is where I do a short reflection on this past week's episode! On this episode, I give my reflections on my conversation with Sabrina Osso about a few topics including:

Why it's harder for women to leave their abusers than we think

How much work it takes to trust men after being abused by a father

What the next steps are to solving domestic violence in society

Make sure to check out the full episode from Wednesday for more context and to follow me on Twitter, Instagram and more for daily content!

As always, reach out to me on Instagram @theimperfectpod, email me at [email protected] or join my FB group called https://www.facebook.com/groups/229891395146974 (The Imperfect Group).

TW: In this episode we talk about domestic violence and verbal abuse.

In this episode, my guest is Sabrina Osso. Sabrina ishttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyAhN_xwCxsandab_channel=TEDxTalks ( Tedx speaker) and the Founder and CEO ofhttps://www.ossosafe.com/ ( OSSO SAFE), a company that consults on promoting safety and preventing violence in the workplace, schools, and in places of residence. Sabrina has long dealt with violence on a personal level. She knows how difficult it is to live in such a chaotic environment. Sabrina and Osso Safe want to make a positive impact in people’s lives, whether they’ve been directly affected by violence or not. In this episode we discuss her own story, why victims can’t just leave, the impact of porn on this topic, and how those who don’t experience abuse can identify signs and be allies in this work.

If you liked the episode, make sure to press subscribe, follow, leave a review and message me on Instagram @theimperfectpod or email me at [email protected] and join myhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/229891395146974 ( Facebook group). I always always want to hear from my listeners and continue the conversation!

Welcome back to Just the TIP is where I do a short reflection on this past week's episode! On this episode, I give my reflections on my conversation with Gretchen Shanks and some of the key themes we discussed including those feelings of unattractiveness, lack of worth, rugged independence and the idea of being ready. Make sure to check out the full episode from Wednesday for more context and to follow me on Twitter, Instagram and more for daily content!

As always, reach out to me on Instagram @theimperfectpod, email me at [email protected] or join my FB group called https://www.facebook.com/groups/229891395146974 (The Imperfect Group).

Sex and dating can be hard for young men to navigate. The world tells us we should want a lot of sex, so we buy into it. But we're never really taught to navigate the shame we might have about our experiences or our bodies. We never talk about how we should be attuned to other's needs. Or how we should even get ready for moments like this.

On today's episode I speak with sex and dating coach https://gretchenshanks.com/ (Gretchen Shanks) and we discuss our own vulnerabilities about all of these feelings and how we can navigate them with more compassion and grace.

You can connect with Gretchen on https://twitter.com/Gretchen_Shanks/ (Twitter), https://www.instagram.com/gretchen.shanks/ (Instagram), and https://www.facebook.com/sexanddatingcoach/ (Facebook) and don't forget to check out that free resource she mentioned https://gretchenshanks.com/sexualhealingoptions/ (here).

If you liked the episode, make sure to press subscribe, follow, leave a review and message me on Instagram @theimperfectpod or email me at [email protected] and join my https://www.facebook.com/groups/229891395146974 (Facebook group). I always always want to hear from my listeners and continue the conversation!

Welcome back to Just the TIP is where I do a short reflection on this past week's episode! On this episode, I give my reflections on my conversation with Dr. Michael Pariser and the dating world. This was one of the most vulnerable episodes I had ever done where I open up a lot about my "failures" in the dating world and what I might need to change and what needs to stay the same in order to have success. There's always a balance to be had. However, in 2021 I have made the commitment to not be on any dating apps and spend more time on the podcast and myself! Once I'm back in the dating world I will implement all of these skills to make sure that I don't make the same mistakes. Make sure to check out the full episode from Wednesday for more context and to follow me on Twitter, Instagram and more for daily content!

As always, reach out to me on Instagram @theimperfectpod, email me at [email protected] or join my FB group called https://www.facebook.com/groups/229891395146974 (The Imperfect Group).

We've heard the saying before: "Nice guys finish last". Is it true? Not if you look at it through a victim mentality. However, there are ways to improve your relationships through assertiveness, not aggression. Through body language. Through understanding your relationship with your parents. And through understanding the idea of interest, intimacy and commitment. These are all things that we discuss on today's episode!

About the Guest: Dr. Michael Pariser is a psychologist, author, and transformation agent. After training with Dr. Robert Glover, author of No More Mr. Nice Guy, he started working a lot with men who identify as compliant and people-pleasing. He’s also the author of https://www.amazon.ca/No-More-Mr-Nice-Guy-ebook/dp/B08C813MTZ (No More Mr. Nice Guy: The Hero’s Journey). It serves as a guide to the changes that Nice Guys need to make to become the men they’ve always wanted to be. Michael likes to think of it as a road map to healthy, integrated masculinity. If you would like to find out more about today’s guest, you can go to his website, drparisertherapy.com and if you go to the "For Men" section, that's where you can find out more about his workshops.

If you liked the episode, make sure to press subscribe, follow, leave a review and message me on Instagram @theimperfectpod or email me at [email protected] and join my https://www.facebook.com/groups/229891395146974 (Facebook group). I always always want to hear from my listeners and continue the conversation!

Welcome back to Just the TIP is where I do a short reflection on this past week's episode! On this episode, I give my reflections on Liz's question back to me on how I think the right and left talk about masculinity differently. Make sure to check out the full episode from Wednesday for more context and to follow me on Twitter, Instagram and more for daily content!

As always, reach out to me on Instagram @theimperfectpod, email me at [email protected] or join my FB group called https://www.facebook.com/groups/229891395146974 (The Imperfect Group).

Hello everyone! This episode is really special to me. I've wanted to speak with Liz ever since I read her book "https://www.amazon.com/Love-Men-Toxic-Mindful-Masculinity/dp/1250757207/ref=sr_1_1?crid=37JQ7XIZ8SF1Oanddchild=1andkeywords=liz+plank+for+the+love+of+menandqid=1612314824andsprefix=liz+plakn%2Caps%2C157andsr=8-1#customerReviews (For the Love of Men: From Toxic to a More Mindful Masculinity)" back in the summer of 2020. It's such an empathetic approach to the conversation that I absolutely loved the book and have mentioned it numerous times on the show.

Well, with her paperback coming out this week (February 2nd so much sure to go check it out) it was the perfect timing to make it happen! We cover a ton of topics including why she wrote the book, why it's important for men to listen to women on the topic of masculinity, what are Men's Rights groups, what it was like to talk about masculinity in the Trump era, emotional intelligence and much more. Please please please go check out her book. I will also be doing a giveaway of some of her books on Instagram once they get here so much sure to follow me there @theimperfectpod.

If you liked the episode, make sure to press subscribe, follow, leave a review and message me on Instagram @theimperfectpod or email me at [email protected] and join my https://www.facebook.com/groups/229891395146974 (Facebook group). I always always want to hear from my listeners and continue the conversation!

More about Liz: Liz is an award-winning journalist, author and the executive producer and host of several critically acclaimed digital series at Vox Media and NBC News. She’s the CEO of Liz Plank Productions and is a columnist for MSNBC and has been listed as one of Forbes’ 30 Under 30, Mediaite’s Most Influential in News Media, and Marie Claire’s Most Powerful Women, and was named one of the World’s Most Influential People in Gender Policy by Apolitical. She’s built a loyal following on numerous social media platforms, but her proudest accomplishment by far remains being blocked by the 45th president of the United States. Liz regularly appears on national and international television programs to provide a perspective on politics, gender issues, and reproductive rights, including The Today Show, The Daily Show, MSNBC, CNN, ABC News, Fusion, Al-Jazeera America and BBC World. Through her activism and creative approach to journalism, Liz has made it her mission to elevate the voices of those who are often not heard. Before becoming a journalist, Liz worked as a researcher and behavioral science consultant at the London School of Economics, from which she holds a master's degree in policy with an emphasis in global gender politics. You can follow Liz on https://twitter.com/feministabulous?s=20 (Twitter) and https://www.instagram.com/feministabulous/ (Instagram) @feministabulous, subscribe to her https://linktr.ee/lizplank (Newsletter), watch her on YouTube or check out more of her work on her http://www.elizabethplank.com/ (website)!

Welcome back to Just the TIP is where I do a short reflection on this past week's episode! On this episode, I give my reflections on the challenges off being a single father and why it's important to discuss them. This includes the judicial system, the patriarchy, parenting daughters and more!

The link to The Atlantic article I discussed is here: https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2014/02/the-rise-of-the-single-dad/284016/ (The Rise of the Single Dad)

If you're looking for episodes where I talk about fatherhood in specific, check out my episodes with Josh Loong, Clay Smeltzer, Ben Killoy, Alan Stein Jr, Cameron Gordon, Pablo Milandu, Rene Klein-Horseman, and more! It's a very common topic on this podcast.

As always, reach out to me on Instagram @theimperfectpod, email me at [email protected] or join my FB group called https://www.facebook.com/groups/229891395146974 (The Imperfect Group).