The ManKind Podcast

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What if thinking isn’t always your greatest asset?

In this episode, Boysen sits down with psychotherapist, meditation teacher, and author Charles Eigen to explore the surprising ways our thinking can become a barrier to clarity, connection, and peace.

Drawing from Internal Family Systems (IFS), Zen practice, and decades of therapeutic work, Chuck shares how most of us are conditioned to live in our heads—often at the cost of our emotional awareness and embodied experience.

Together, they unpack:

•  The difference between thinking and thoughts
•  Why anxiety lives in the future—and how to come back to the present 
•  How “parts” of ourselves can hijack our reactions 
•  The role of awareness as the deeper ground of who we are 
•  Practical tools to shift from reactivity to presence 
•  How to bring mindfulness into conflict and communication 

This conversation offers a grounded, compassionate approach to personal growth—one that doesn’t try to eliminate thoughts, but instead helps us relate to them differently.

Whether you’re new to this work or deep on the path, this episode invites you to step out of your head… and into a fuller experience of being alive.

📘 Chuck’s book: When Thinking Is a Problem

Find Charles on LinkedIn

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This episode brings together Chris Kyle, George Kansas, and Tim Wade—co-founders of the Big Tent Summit—for a grounded and expansive conversation about the evolving landscape of men’s work.

Drawing on over a century of combined experience, they explore the shift from early mythopoetic men’s work to today’s diverse and rapidly expanding ecosystem of support for men. The conversation highlights a growing cultural openness: more men investing in personal development, therapy, and emotional growth—and more pathways than ever to do that work.

At the heart of the episode is the Big Tent Summit itself—a gathering designed not to resolve differences, but to hold them. The group discusses the intentional inclusion of diverse voices, the friction that naturally arises when perspectives collide, and why that tension is actually a sign of progress.

They also introduce the Big Tent Collective, an ongoing community fostering collaboration, resource sharing, and real-world impact between summits.

This episode is an invitation into a larger conversation—one that challenges rigid definitions of masculinity and opens the door to something more inclusive, more integrated, and more human.

Check it out! https://www.bigtentsummit.com/

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Clear minds lead purposeful lives.

In this episode, Brandon Clift sits down with Juan Carlos, a storyteller, product builder, and creator of the Re:Mind mental models system, a framework designed to help people think more clearly and navigate complex decisions.

Juan’s career spans filmmaking, technology, and product innovation. Through those experiences he discovered something powerful.

Most people struggle not because they lack intelligence.
 They struggle because they lack frameworks for thinking.

This conversation explores how mental models can transform the way we see the world.

Together Brandon and Juan explore:

• Why mental models are essential tools for decision making
 • How stories shape perception and belief
 • The danger of operating without clear frameworks
 • How leaders can simplify complex challenges
 • Why clarity often leads directly to purpose
 • How better thinking leads to better living

Juan shares the inspiration behind the Re:Mind system, which combines physical tools and digital frameworks designed to help individuals and teams develop clearer thinking habits.

If you have ever felt overwhelmed by complexity or stuck in decision loops, this episode will give you practical tools to see the world differently.

Better thinking creates better choices.
 Better choices create better lives.

Juan Carlos

Website
https://www.remind.coach

Brandon Clift

https://brandonclift.com

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What if the version of strength most men were handed is quietly breaking them?

In this deep and honest conversation, Brandon Clift interviews Trey Tucker, founder of Rugged Counseling and author of Tough Enough, a book written specifically for men in their twenties who feel stuck, drifting, or disconnected.

Trey opens up about the sudden death of his father and how he navigated grief without shutting down emotionally. He shares the unconventional approach he used to process loss and how it shaped his model of therapy today.

Together, they explore:

• Why many men struggle with grief
 • The biological differences in how men and women process stress
 • Why traditional therapy can leave men stuck in awareness without action
 • The rise of red pill culture and why it initially feels empowering
 • Why Gen Z men are increasingly unmotivated at work
 • The dangerous trend of “playing it safe”
 • The need for mentorship and modern rites of passage
 • Why men need vision, accountability, and action
 • The difference between repression and strength

Trey argues that masculinity itself is not the problem. Misguided expression is.

Instead of eliminating grit, dominance, or ambition, he calls men to integrate emotional awareness with decisive action.

This episode is for:

• Men in their twenties who feel directionless
• Fathers raising sons in a confusing cultural moment
• Leaders managing disengaged young men
• Anyone wondering if therapy could be more effective for men

Strength is not the absence of emotion.
 It’s the ability to face it without flinching.

Rugged Counseling (Trey Tucker’s practice)
https://www.ruggedcounseling.com/

Instagram

The main Instagram account associated with him and his work is:
 https://www.instagram.com/ruggedcounseling/

Tough Enough Book: https://a.co/d/0erVME7U

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Five years. 250 episodes. Nearly 250,000 downloads.

In this milestone episode, Brandon and Boysen reflect on what they’ve learned about masculinity, fatherhood, therapy, connection, and the evolving conversation around modern manhood.

They talk about:

• Why connection is still the antidote
• Whether therapy is serving men effectively
• What changed in their own lives
• Where the podcast is headed next

And they invite you into the next chapter.

Contact

• Brandon: https://brandonclift.com
  
  
• MKP Communications: [email protected]

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BetterHelp: Get 10% Off Your First Month Of Therapy
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Can changing how men relate to one another reduce gender-based violence?

In this powerful international conversation, Boysen sits down with South African researchers Nicola Lazenby and Thaakirah Dollie, who conducted an in-depth qualitative study exploring how men’s relationships with other men influence their understanding of masculinity and mental health.

Set against the backdrop of South Africa’s gender-based violence crisis—where femicide rates are among the highest in the world—their research examines two distinct patterns of male bonding:

🔹 Hierarchical Homosociality

• Competition and dominance
• Emotional suppression
• Avoidance of vulnerability
• Aggression and status-seeking

This pattern reinforces rigid masculinity and is linked to diminished mental health and relational harm.

🔹 Horizontal Homosociality

• Collaboration and mutual accountability
• Emotional intimacy and safety
• Shared agreements and trust
• Authentic vulnerability

This model—found in structured men’s groups like those in the ManKind Project—was associated with increased well-being, deeper connection, and healthier expressions of masculinity.

The conversation also explores:

• Early socialization of boys through fathers and peer groups
• The systemic legacy of violence in South Africa
• Why compassion and accountability must coexist
• Fatherhood as a turning point for many men
• What it means to create healing cultural change

This episode is both sobering and hopeful. It reminds us that while masculinity is socially constructed, it is not fixed. And that how men gather matters.

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In this powerful return to The ManKind Podcast, John Henry Parker joins Brandon to unpack his latest book, Men Harvesting Wisdom: The 10 Heroic Dimensions of Transformational Self Leadership.

Two years after discussing Be the Dawn in the Darkness, John returns not with memoir, but with architecture. A field guide built from 35 years of sitting with men in crisis, veterans in transition, fathers on the brink, and leaders navigating identity collapse.

This episode explores:

• The identity crisis men face after military service, retirement, divorce, or career transition
 • Why identity, mission, meaning, and purpose are stripped away during major life changes
 • The 10 Heroic Dimensions that form a practical map and compass for self leadership
 • How values clarify difficult decisions
 • Why willingness matters most when you do not feel like showing up
 • The role of brotherhood and why “Who are my men?” is a critical question
 • The power of legacy as a stabilizing force in dark seasons
 • How proximity to death or loss can strip away false stories
 • Why passionate sustainable clarity is the real goal

John shares openly about bypass surgery, chronic stress, trauma, grief after losing his son, and the humility required to write about transformation while still living it.

This conversation is a reminder that men are not broken. They are often simply unstructured during transition.

If you are asking:

Who am I now?
 What do I do with my life?
 Who do I become next?

This episode is your call to adventure.

THE 10 HEROIC DIMENSIONS DISCUSSED

1. Identity – Know yourself
2. Values – Clarify what governs your decisions
3. Meaning – Your existential why
4. Purpose – Your existential how
5. Self Care – Physical, emotional, spiritual, financial
6. Roles and Intentions – Father, partner, leader
7. Vision – Where you are headed
8. Execution – How you will act
9. Willingness – Showing up when you do not want to
10. Legacy – How anyone will know you existed

LINKS MENTIONED

Men Harvesting Wisdom
 https://menharvestingwisdom.com

Be the Dawn in the Darkness
 https://johnhenryparker.com

Hearing the call? We're here. https://mkpusa.org

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In this deeply grounded conversation, Boysen sits down with longtime friend and transformational teacher Michael Taylor to explore optimism, masculinity, race, and inner freedom.

Michael shares his journey from growing up in poverty to losing everything—marriage, finances, home—and how those experiences became the foundation for a life rooted in purpose and peace. Together, they examine outdated models of masculinity, the emotional health crisis facing men, and why inner work is essential for both personal and cultural transformation.

A central focus of the episode is Michael’s documentary Shattering Black Male Stereotypes, which challenges limiting narratives around Black men by highlighting responsibility, possibility, and lived success—without denying the reality of systemic oppression.

This episode is a thoughtful invitation to question inherited beliefs, redefine strength, and remember that peace, purpose, and power are cultivated from within.

https://coachmichaeltaylor.com/ 

Check out the "Shatter 

https://shatterthestereotypes.com/movie

[email protected] or 713-303-2067

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BetterHelp: Get 10% Off Your First Month Of Therapy
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What happens when the man you love breaks your trust—and then chooses to fight for his integrity?

In this deeply honest episode of the ManKind Podcast, Boysen sits down with Craig and Michelle Perra, co-founders of the Mindful Habit System—a revolutionary behavior change model that’s helped thousands of men break free from sex and porn addiction, not through shame, but by building habits of integrity, accountability, and self-leadership.

Craig shares his descent into secrecy, addiction, and rock bottom—and how Michelle stood in her power, not to save him, but to save herself. Together, they share the hard-earned wisdom of doing the deep work: navigating betrayal, reclaiming trust, and showing up in partnership with radical honesty.

The Mindful Habit System isn’t 12-step. It’s not religion-based. It’s a structured, practical approach to long-term change—one that addresses not just compulsive behaviors, but the root causes: shame, trauma, emotional repression, and disconnection. For partners, it offers a parallel path to healing and empowerment, independent of their loved one’s success or failure.

This episode explores what it means to live sexually in integrity, why communication without defensiveness is so attractive, and how men and couples can rebuild stronger than ever—one choice at a time.

🎧 Whether you’re struggling, supporting a partner, or simply want to deepen your capacity for connection—this conversation will move you.

🔗 Learn more at mindfulhabithelp.com

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BetterHelp: Get 10% Off Your First Month Of Therapy
The ManKind Podcast has partnered with Betterhelp to make it easier for listeners to access licensed mental health therapists who can aid them in their mental health journey. Brandon and Boysen stand by this service as they use BetterHelp for their therapy needs.
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When co‑host Brandon Clift and his pregnant wife climbed aboard a neighbour’s Piper Apache, they expected a relaxing ski trip in West Virginia. Instead, one engine failed on take‑off, forcing their small plane to circle back as gusting winds pushed them toward the trees.

With another pilot trailing the plane calmly advising “hold your blue line” over the radio, their pilots managed a safe landing. In this episode, Brandon recalls looking at his wife and wondering whether they were about to orphan their three‑year‑old daughter while denying their unborn baby a chance to live. He explains how that question cracked open his own perfectionism and catalysed a new commitment to “sovereignty” and action.

"Is this it?"

Brandon shares the full story of the incident and, more importantly, what shifted in the weeks that followed. This conversation explores how proximity to death can strip away old narratives and expose what actually matters.

Takeaways – Near‑death experiences can act as catalysts for growth, but listeners don’t need to flirt with danger to integrate the lessons. The hosts encourage men to:

• Recognise the opportunities and support networks already in place.
• Choose empowering meanings for challenging events, leveraging the brain’s RAS to find evidence that supports growth.
• Adopt identity‑based habits by deciding who you want to become and taking consistent action.
• Prioritise purpose and sovereignty over perfectionism.

This episode is not about chasing danger or manufacturing trauma. It is an invitation to look honestly at the places where fear, old stories, and self protection are quietly delaying the life you already know you are meant to live.

If you have been waiting for certainty, permission, or the perfect plan, this conversation may be the nudge you did not know you needed.

- Atomic Habits by James Clear
 https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits

- Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
 https://www.viktorfrankl.org
- The ManKind Project
https://mankindproject.org

Hearing the call? We're here. https://mkpusa.org

BetterHelp: Get 10% Off Your First Month Of Therapy
The ManKind Podcast has partnered with Betterhelp to make it easier for listeners to access licensed mental health therapists who can aid them in their mental health journey. Brandon and Boysen stand by this service as they use BetterHelp for their therapy needs.
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