Episodes

We are early in Spring, a time of renewal, growth, and, ideally, flourishing. I know that in my life, I've often had to renew, prune my life, weed out the shit in my mind, and reinvent myself to be the best man I can be. My guest, Teddy Woolsey, took action when his life needed an overhaul and created a system that helped him, and now he uses that in service to others. He was 100K in debt, out of shape, depressed, and in a failing relationship to being debt-free, earning 3x as much, meeting his...

Real Men Feel invites you to redefine masculinity in today's world. The only definition of masculinity that matters is yours. We remind men that they are human beings and have the right to experience and express all of their emotions. One of the most mentioned books among Real Men Feel's learned guests is When Boys Become Boys: Development, Relationships, and Masculinity, by Judy Chu. Based on a two-year study that followed boys from pre-kindergarten through first grade, When Boys Become Boys o...

One of the most emotional relationships many of us have is with food, which is often mirrored in a love/hate relationship with our bodies. The best thing I did for my physical health last year was a program called WildFit. In late 2021, I went into a prolonged depression and gained over 30 lbs. Last summer, finally feeling better and taking positive actions, my weight was the final obstacle. That's when I discovered my guest, Eric Edmeades. Eric is a serial entrepreneur with experience in wire...

Some common complaints I hear from men are that they feel disposable, under attack, can't do anything right, and don't know what's expected of them. It may be time for a woman's perspective on what's going on between men & women. My guest today, Reverend Leslie Peters RN, is a Curator of Intuitive & Transformational Conversations and a Trauma-Informed and Spiritual Nurse Leader. She's worked with women for 30 years and told me, "guys can't win!" How women react to men is very dependent on thei...

This year, I've begun martial arts classes for the first time, and I've been having a blast sparring with guys half my age. My guest today has a bit more experience than that and a very eclectic background. He believes embracing intense and difficult emotions is the road to a fully lived and satisfying life. My guest, Nico Verresen, is a former professional Muay Thai and Mixed Martial Arts athlete with a master's in Psychology. He specializes in resilience, performance, quality of life, and hap...

According to the American Psychological Association, approximately 40-50% of first marriages end in divorce. The divorce rate for second marriages is even higher, with about 60-67% ending in divorce. As a child of divorce, I've only known them to be bitter and spiteful. My guest, Skye Michiels, is out to change that. Skye is a dad, award-winning real estate leader, motivational speaker, and host of The 6AMERS Podcast, which provides inspiration and motivation for developing a healthy mindset, ...

I recently came across a NY Times opinion piece titled Men Need Purpose More Than "Respect" by David French. I don't read enough opinion pieces to know if I've read anything by Mr. French before, but I agreed with the headline, so I dove in. The article was in response to a viral tweet written by another man I don't know, conservative podcaster Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog on Twitter) - Which stated: "All a man wants is to come home from a long day at work to a grateful wife and children who ar...

Before we get going, I want to warn everyone that we will discuss suicide attempts today. If you are in crisis right now - please get help. Text or call 988 in the US. Help is available 24 hours a day. For other countries, visit https://findahelpline.com/ for options near you. The goal of this episode is that our shared experiences as suicide attempt survivors offers hope and encouragement to others, to you. We also want to raise awareness about the importance of mental health and suicide prev...

A semi-regular feature of Real Men Feel is Regular Guy Chats. That is when I have a conversation with an average dude with nothing to promote, just a willingness to share. The first Regular Guy Chat of 2023 features Anthony Scire. Like most men, Anthony wears many hats; personal trainer, father, husband, friend, mentor, and outdoor enthusiast, to name a few. In my experience, Anthony is, first and foremost, a good man. We discuss Anthony's experiences growing up, encountering the "man box," th...

This episode asks the big questions; what drives us, inspires us, and makes us push for more than just our basic needs to be met? So please sit back, turn on your black light and get deep with us. My guest is J. Malik, a spiritual teacher, author, and speaker who emphasizes the importance of spiritual alignment in our careers, relationships, and finances. His mission is to empower men (and women) to develop healthy and prosperous relationships. His personal journey of spiritual development ins...

The introduction of this episode may give you flashbacks to high school English classes, but you'll be fine. Today we explore the power of making a choice; choosing to see the light, being of service, and improving all that you can. My guest is Christian de la Huerta, a sought-after spiritual teacher, personal transformation coach, and leading voice in the breathwork community. He has traveled the world offering inspiring and transformational retreats combining psychological and spiritual teach...

As we are still in the early days of the new year of 2023, ideally - there's lots of introspection, planning, hope, and possibilities to make this year your greatest yet! Let's explore allowing life to drive the show instead of our ego. This week's guest is Dr. Morgan Oaks, a transformational speaker, chiropractor, and high-performance coach focused on men elevating their greatness. His tools include NLP, shamanic healing, and energy work. He believes in listening to our intuition to take inspi...

I have yet to meet anyone who hasn't suffered some form of trauma. It seems that the human experience was made to include trauma. Trauma doesn't just mean physical abuse, sexual abuse, and war. It can be more minor things like not having all your needs met at any point in childhood. The simplest definition of trauma is anything too high in magnitude for you to deal with at the time. My guest today, Greg Wieting, helps leaders and entrepreneurs heal anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and trauma ...

I believe everybody has a mission, a calling, a purpose to their life, and part of life's great joy or frustration is discovering that. I don't recommend my path, which was multiple suicide attempts before I finally got there must be a better way, and I began doing the inner work. Today we are diving into purpose! My guest today is men's mentor Cooper Heller. Cooper is a personal trainer, nutritionist, and life coach who helps men clarify their purpose, upgrade their physical health, and develo...

A couple of days ago, I came across an Instagram post from an account called awake_spiritual, and it was a picture of Dwayne Johnson - The Rock, and it was called Things I Know at Age 45 That I Wish I Knew at 22. It had a list of 14 such things. I don't believe this is anything The Rock said, but maybe it is. It got me thinking about what I would tell my 22-year-old self. I had a few items right away and let my brain simmer with them for a bit. I've got five, and then I'll also share al...

WARNING: This episode discusses suicidal thoughts and attempts. If you are in crisis, do not listen to this episode. Please call or text 988 to be connected to trained counselors that are part of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline network. https://988lifeline.org If you are outside of the US, please search for suicide prevention in your country. https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/11181469 Last November - 2021 - I stopped doing all the positive things in my life. I chose to dive st...

My returning guest today is Dr. Avrum Weiss. Dr. Weiss is a psychotherapist, award-winning author, speaker, and teacher. His decade-long work on understanding the inner lives of men culminated with his recently published bestseller "Hidden in Plain Sight: How Men's Fears of Women Shape Their Intimate Relationships." We talk about what a man's lack of sexual desire means for a relationship and the root causes of that low desire. Learn what men are taught about sex that harms our relationships an...

For the first time, Real Men Feel is on location. This week's show checks in from Covenant House's Sleep Out in Boxboro, Massachusetts. Andy took part in a fundraising event for Covenant House that involved giving up his bed for one night to raise funds to get more young people off the streets. People choose to spend a night outside to help those who don't have a choice. We talk with Jill Vorndran, Covenant House's Chief Development Officer. Topics and Questions 2:59 - What is going on tonigh...

Real Men Feel hosts conversations that most men aren't having but that all men can benefit from. My favorite sort of guest is someone who shares their journey and how they are now serving people. That's what we have for you today. My guest is healer, coach, and men's group facilitator Justin Gagne. We talk about seeking more depth, being called to your purpose, loss, grief, anger, and recovery from alcoholism. Justin's experience in the darkness made him want to help others through that faster....

Right now, I should be volunteering at a New Warrior Training Adventure, a weekend event run worldwide by the ManKind Project. But a couple of weeks ago, Oct 11 to be exact, it was canceled by MKP USA. All the planned New Warrior Training Adventures, NWTAs, were canceled in the US for the rest of 2022. The cancellations were due to charges of cultural appropriation from a group of Native American elders called Spirit. First off, let me clarify that I am a middle-aged white American man. I hav...

#RealMenFeel ep 276 Gender Role Socialization | How Men Learn To Be Men Real Men Feel hosts conversations that most men aren't having but that all men can benefit from. Today we explore the ways we learn how to be men. Much of that comes from a life-long socialization process, specifically gender role socialization. My guest Dr. Bill DeFranc is a licensed psychologist who has worked in schools, hospitals, group practices, and college counseling centers and had a parenting consulting business. ...

Men are told it isn't good to fear things, but you can't be brave or courageous without first recognizing fear. And I've repeatedly found that great things happen when I walk boldly into my fear and do what I'm afraid of. I put out the call in the private Real Men Feel Facebook group for anyone interested in doing a regular guy chat - that means no agenda, nothing to sell or promote- an average dude who has something to share. I said, "If you are interested but terrified, that's a great sign t...

At one point in my youth, I left a mental hospital against medical advice because I had tickets to see Motley Crue. I figured if I was alive, I was going to that show. There's a longer tale about how I got home and the reaction of family and friends, but the net result is that I was kicked out of my house. I was homeless. Thankfully, I had neighbors who gave me a couch for a few days while I figured shit out, so I never had to live on the streets, but I thought that might be what happened. Th...

Real Men Feel ep273 No Lucks Given | Mental Health In The Kitchen Today Real Men Feel ventures into the kitchen to talk with Chef Brother Luck. Brother is an award-winning chef, entrepreneur, and advocate for the pursuit of self-discovery. He is on a mission to prove to others that while our past is forever a part of who we are, it does not determine the people we become. Brother has appeared on Chopped, Beat Bobby Flay, and Top Chef. He also owns two restaurants, Four by Brother Luck, and Luc...