The Imperfect Pod

Mike Cameron's life mission is to make men better. When his girlfriend was murdered by an ex-boyfriend in 2015, he took a keen interest in domestic violence prevention and specifically in redefining what it means to be a badass, especially as a man.

With that came a shift to discussing what masculinity is and what it means. It meant understanding what the underlying affects of men being emotionally disconnected caused. It meant coming to terms with the fact that he might be part of the problem. And it meant that he had to learn self awareness and emotional intelligence. And now he is helping other men with that mission.

On this episode, we discuss all of the above topics as well as emerging ideas of toxic masculinity, #NotAllMen, and why we need to have more empathy for the women in our lives. He also provides a tangible framework that he uses called SOAR that helps men increase their emotional intelligence and self awareness. It offered a lot of real and tangible value to me and I hope it does the same for you!

More about Mike:

Mike Cameron is a successful entrepreneur who is often invited to speak at a variety of different business events and conferences. Mike is currently the CEO of Axiom Mortgage Partners, a national network of independently owned mortgage brokerages.

Mike’s entrepreneurial endeavors over the last 20 years coupled with his love of sport give him a unique perspective and insights into what it takes to succeed in this no-holds-barred world that we live in. Mike’s holistic approach to self improvement is designed to assist business owners, executives and entrepreneurs to get the most out of themselves and their team. With an emphasis on sound principals and philosophies that focus on actually getting things done and help you move to become a ‘doing’ organization.

You can find out more about Mike on https://mikecameron.ca/about-me/ (his website) and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1mxagsjmao (watch his Ted Talk) for more!

Modern manhood and traditional masculinity are under attack. There are reasons for this. But are they justified? Are the systems that exist within sports and army culture all bad? Are the criticisms fair? Is patriarchy all bad? Or was it a sign of the times and now we are re-adjusting? How can we create more civil discourse?

That's right! On today's episode, we take a bit more of a traditional approach to the conversation of masculinity. I speak with John Currie, a Marine Corps veteran and someone who has put his life on the line for others. He approaches the discussion by dissecting both the pros and cons of a lot of the narrative that is taking place in social circles about the topic of masculinity. We also discuss the importance of seeking mentorship for young men and whose role it is to find mentors.

Lastly, we discuss the German word "schadenfreude", the experience of pleasure, joy, or self-satisfaction that comes from learning of or witnessing the troubles, failures, or humiliation of another. We talk about how this term is something we're seeing play out a lot in the current "cancel culture" and social media discourse world. You can learn more about these ideology and practice https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schadenfreude (here).

About John! John started a https://duckduckgo.com/?q=semper+savageandatb=v228-1andia=webandiai=r1-0andpage=1andadx=prdsdcandsexp=%7B%22v7exp%22%3A%22a%22%2C%22sltexp%22%3A%22b%22%2C%22prodexp%22%3A%22b%22%2C%22prdsdexp%22%3A%22c%22%2C%22wiadrk%22%3A%22b%22%2C%22langexp%22%3A%22b%22%7D (salad dressing company) called Semper Savage which you can find out more about on their website. You can also https://www.linkedin.com/in/johncurrieconsulting/ (connect with him) on LinkedIn here.

Dealing with mental health is not easy. As someone who has never really struggled with it, I've always been fascinated by the conversation. That's why I was so excited for this podcast with Lee Everett. He is not only a mental health and alignment coach, but he is someone that has struggled with mental health himself - more specifically OCD - which we talk about quite heavily in this episode.

We also discuss how the masks that men hide behind in our lives, why mental health diagnoses shouldn't define us, how to manifest greatness, and some more esoteric parts of spirituality. I think it's a very interesting conversation on spirituality, science, mental health, language and more!

You can connect with Lee on LinkedIn at Lee Everette where he shares some amazing content. He also has a podcast called Who's Behind The Mask that you can follow on https://open.spotify.com/show/6Vyjg38ILCQHXqciWL2679?si=1MuVrR4-RQ2Y4UywLtpEHA (Spotify) and Apple Podcasts.

Let me know what you think of the episode by sending me a message on IG @https://www.instagram.com/theimperfectpod/ (theimperfectpod) or by connecting with me on LinkedIn at Luke West!

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Being a victim of bully can make for a hard life. For Tanveer, it came to the point of his house being egged, being verbally bullied and much more. For the first part of his life it was really hard to understand why his life was like that. How could he get out of these moments? When will people start to like me?

A lot of teens have these identity problems but it's rare for it to happen to this extreme. However, Tanveer has chosen to learn from it and view it from a perspective of empathy. That those who bully are typically hurt people too.

This wasn't always the case though. He used to push this side of himself down. He covered it up by keeping busy and avoiding his emotions and feelings. But also viewed it as an opportunity to prove his bullies wrong.

From there, Tanveer developed healthy habits that have led to his continued success at Salesforce and with his podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/blessed-for-success/id1495762327 (Blessed for Success.)

You can learn more about Tanveer on https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanveermostafa/ (LinkedIn), by following his https://www.instagram.com/blessedforsuccesspc/ (IG page), and by checking out his http://www.tanveermostafa.com/ (website).

I really hope you enjoy this episode and the wisdom of Tanveer at such a young age!

The journey to love yourself is a long one and this is an issue we all face. But it’s one that seems rarely talked about in the male community.

We talk a lot about ego, confidence, arrogance, but self-love is often forgotten.

Why might this be? To be honest, I’m not at all sure. But I do know this: Ben makes about 5/6 quotes about love (of himself and of others) that listening back blew me away.

I think this is such a powerful conversation about how men can learn to love themselves DEEPLY. Not just “oh yeah I love myself” (something I myself struggle with) and I think it’s a great listen.

Other topics include fatherhood, masculine and feminine energies, and the influence that Tony Robbins had on Ben's life.

You can connect with Ben on LinkedIn and subscribe to his podcast https://www.militaryveterandad.com/ (Military Veteran Day) on Spotify or Apple Podcasts as well.

Porn is such an uncomfortable conversation with so many people for so many reasons. Some of those reasons include: shame of performance anxiety; shame about sex or past sexual experiences; meeting the standards we believe society had set; penis size; shame of an addiction; fear of judgement; and much much more.

But is porn all that bad? Can we take anything away from actors who have lived that life? Can you have sexual intimacy in a relationship while being a porn star as your profession? Do porn stars think that everyone should be watching porn?

This episode is a mix of questions I was curious about asking Erik, as well as some very critical questions and perspectives around this being a job, sexual mastery, and porn as being a negative influence on young men. This had always been a conversation I’ve wanted to have since starting the podcast. I think sex and porn really do have a much larger impact on manhood and masculinity and sexual performance than we think.

About Erik: Erik Everhard is one of world’s top male porn stars, having starred in and directed over 3,000 films. Erik is a professional coach and one of the most decorated adult performers of the 21st century. He is a leading authority on sexual and mental techniques which can empower men and bring them success in the bedroom as well as in all other aspects of their lives. In addition to his wealth of practical knowledge, he holds a Masters level certification in Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP). You can find out more about Erik through his https://www.erikeverhard.com/ (website) where you can https://www.amazon.com/Unleash-Your-Sexual-Superpowers-Mastery/dp/1950367320 (pre-order his book), join his https://www.facebook.com/groups/2367323036891595 (Facebook page), and more! And make sure to follow him on Instagram @https://www.instagram.com/erikeverhardofficial/ (erikeverhardofficial) and on Twitter @https://twitter.com/erik_everhard (ERIK_EVERHARD)

How can you increase self-awareness and emotional intelligence? And what does this have to do with leadership? How can you be in control of your emotions? How can therapy and meditation be used as tools to learn more about yourself? What can we do to turn of the negative self-dialogue we have?

These are some of the questions that https://www.linkedin.com/in/ACoAACAGW5QBxjczLNAJv4A8jV24kBlDbkT4_us (Alan Stein, Jr.) answer's on this week's episode. But we also talk about the stigma of seeking help and counselling and how to have patience with yourself in your growth process.

About Alan Stein, Jr: Alan teaches proven strategies to improve organizational performance, create effective leadership, increase team cohesion and collaboration, and develop winning mindsets, rituals, and routines.

A successful business owner and veteran basketball performance coach, he spent 15 years working with the highest-performing athletes on the planet (including NBA superstars Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, and Kobe Bryant).

With the skills he acquired in the basketball world, Alan is now a successful Keynote Speaker with client like Pepsi, Starbucks, FDA and many sports programs. He is also the author of the book "https://raiseyourgamebook.com/ (Raise Your Game: High Performance Secrets from the Best of the Best)". Make sure to check out more of his work on his website https://alansteinjr.com/ (here). Make sure to connect with him on all socials @AlanSteinJr as well!

This week's episode is all about the dating world. When it comes to dating, the world seems to be very confused. With access to all the dating apps - all being used for seemingly different purposes - it can be hard to understand everyone's intentions. The age of marriage seems like it has risen substantially. People want to focus on their careers while they are young. Hook up culture has made the dating scene more about "fun" but also leads to a generation that seems to not be able to communicate their true intentions. As feminism continues to grow and women are focused on their careers, who pays for the first date? Do "Nice Guys" really finish last? What does the term friendzone mean? Jordan and I talk about all these things and how young men navigate these spaces. I really hope you enjoy!

About Jordan: https://jordanparis.com/ (Jordan Paris) is a 22-year-old author, podcast host, and entrepreneur featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, Men’s Health, Yahoo! Finance, and Market Watch. Jordan’s podcast, https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/growth-mindset-university/id1372479190 (Growth Mindset University), is ranked #6 in Apple’s Self-Improvement category, #3 in the Training category, #5 in the How-To category. In Education, one of Apple’s most competitive categories, the show was ranked #15. The show is also ranked highly in 40+ countries worldwide. On the show, he interviews young up-and-comers and the most successful people on planet earth like James Altucher, Grant Cardone, Robert Greene, Mark Manson, Dan Millman, Ryan Serhant, Dean Graziosi, and Naveen Jain. Jordan is the founder and creative director of Trend Up Media, a one-stop podcast agency that produces profitable podcasts to help businesses grow in both profit and influence. His approach to life and business is simple yet powerful: Don’t make a living, design a life. With this creator’s mentality, Jordan has been able to produce outstanding results for himself and challenge others to rise above circumstances, break the mold of society, and take control of their lives.

You can connect with Jordan on https://www.instagram.com/i.am.jordan.paris/ (Instagram), https://www.facebook.com/JordanTParis (Facebook), https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordantparis/ (LinkedIn) and more. And make sure to tune into his podcast!

Timothy is a photographer, writer, business consultant, and a lover of living life. He founded The Man Effect out of a desire to find answers for what it means to be a man, this sent him literally around the world. This journey has not stopped and he continues to press on and create a conversation around what does it mean to be a man.

On this episode, we discuss how themes of masculinity transcend cultures or take different forms in different cultures, how to confront ideas of masculinity straight on, and why the definition of masculinity masculinity will never truly exist. His project of travelling the world to discover these ideas is a long-term goal of mine and this podcast. So it was really cool to speak with him about his journey and process.

There's a lot of wisdom packed into this episode so I hope you enjoy. You can follow his blog http://themaneffect.com/ (The Man Effect), follow https://www.instagram.com/themaneffect/ (his Instagram), and follow his https://www.facebook.com/themaneffect/ (Facebook page) for more insights!

I hope you enjoy the episode!

Why is empathy so important in the discussion of masculinity? For one, it's important to understand but also interpret back another person's feelings. But it also allows you to walk in their shoes and understand how they feel. For Jason, Empathy is at the core of the work he does with Jubilee Media as the CEO. Jubilee is a digital media company that believes in the power of empathy for human good. With over 5 million subscribers, Jubilee is creating a global movement. Some of the topics we discuss on this week's episode include why Jubilee discusses the topic of masculinity so much, the importance of empathy in the masculine journey, how we've created unhealthy systems of manhood and dating, and the grey area in conversations about consent. They are one of the inspirations behind me starting this podcast in the first place, and they've done many many many videos talking about masculinity which I have linked bellow.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccin6oZfTyI (Spectrum with NFL Player)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_5F4rWtemwandt=2s (Do All Men Think The Same?)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOUGNGWmN0kandt=4s (Men's Rights and Feminists) and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E37swnRU2fs (Feminists and Non-Feminists)

You can find Jason on https://www.instagram.com/jasonylee_/?hl=en (Instagram) and https://twitter.com/jasonylee_?lang=en (Twitter) at @jasonylee_ and you can find all of Jubilee's videos https://www.youtube.com/user/jubileeProject (here). Jason has also given a Ted Talk on following your dreams which you can find https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCY_k3uka1E (here).

If you want to join a group of other Jubilee fans, you can find their https://www.facebook.com/groups/407942859721012/ (FB group here)!

Lastly, https://blacklivesmatter.carrd.co/ (here) is a link to BLM donations and petitions in order to continue the mission. I hope you enjoy the episode!