Authenticity Road

Before we press the record button for an episode, we let our guests know that we don’t necessarily have a list of questions prepared for them, but instead prefer to get the jalopy rolling and then follow the energy where it leads. This interview, with our dear brother, friend and co-facilitator Aaron Musicant, is a prime example of “following the energy” at work. One thing is said early in our tal...

In this episode we continue our discussion with certified life and executive coach Brent Boeckman . In our last encounter with Brent, we heard about how he hit bottom and found his way back. This time around, we learn more about his dramatic backstory, and we spend some time talking about our shared experiences in the world of men’s work.  We think you’ll enjoy this intimate and wide-ranging chat....

We have a saying in the world of men’s work: This stuff works.  Men show up with their traumas, busted relationships, self-limiting thoughts and destructive behaviors, and by doing the work, over time, they learn to feel, and regulate, and re-associate with their higher selves. They become better husbands, better dads, and better versions of themselves. Our guest for this episode and the next is B...

If you’re a frequent listener, you may recall our Mystery Guest from a few episodes back. He stopped by for a live men’s work session with Jordan. Well, Mystery Guest is back, and this week it’s Ettore's turn.  In this episode, Ettore will lead our mystery man in a live session. As you listen, remember that we’ve concealed this man’s identity to protect his privacy and create a safe space for...

When you hear the word "malnutrition," you may jump immediately to images of people living in abject poverty, famine-stricken lands, or other extreme situations. However, malnourishment can strike anyone—even the most affluent among us. And when that happens, what is the link between malnutrition and emotional trauma? In this episode, we speak with Stacy Tucker, a trauma nurse, nutrition...

Addiction comes in many forms. Most of them are difficult to conceal. Whether it’s drugs, alcohol, or gambling, the outward effects of addiction are often easily visible to the family, friends, and coworkers of the addict. However, porn addiction—the compulsive dependence on pornography that interferes with the ability to function—can remain largely undetected. And yet the fallout is quite real. I...

If you’ve been paying attention this season, you might have noticed that the first fourteen episodes have all had one thing in common. Each has had a guest. Episode 15 is different. This time around, it’s just Jordan and me. In this episode, we check in to discuss what we’ve been up to and what’s going on for us these days. There’s not much to set up, so without further ado, let’s get on the road!...

This one is dedicated to all the dads out there. Take a moment and ponder the question: Why are fathers important? What does modeling the healthy version of being the male parent bring to a child’s developing nervous system? How does a child benefit from witnessing the safety of healthy masculinity? And what does it look like to be a present, engaged, and connected dad? In this episode, we speak w...

Frequent listeners of the show will have heard your intrepid hosts mention that we are somatic men’s work coaches and facilitators. And you may have wondered exactly what that means. Since some might be unfamiliar with this kind of coaching, we thought it would be interesting to provide a view into what the work actually entails. In this episode, we welcome a mystery guest whom Jordan leads in a ...

We have been lucky enough to have both Andrew Kippen and Mike Sagun as guests on Season One of the Authenticity Road Podcast. If you’ve heard those episodes, you know that they are high points in our show’s history. Mike and Andrew bring such wisdom, knowledge, good humor, and love that any opportunity to share space with them is an enlightening experience. At the EVRYMAN MELT in Joshua Tree in Ma...

You likely know that the vast majority of victims of sexual violence, abuse, or rape are women and girls. Yet, it’s important to recognize that men and boys also can be victims of sexual violence. Currently, about 14% of reported rapes involve men or boys, 1 in 6 reported sexual assaults is against a boy and 1 in 25 reported sexual assaults is against a man. Keep in mind that these are merely the...

What does it take to become one with yourself? Is that even possible? If you live your life largely looking outward and not inward, you may not create a deep connection with yourself, so you may make decisions that seem exciting in the short run but may not be right for you in the long run. Can you instead train yourself to achieve clarity of thought and consistently make choices that lead to peac...

If you’ve been following the show this season, you know that we’ve been focusing more on specific topics and having conversations around very distinct issues. However, this episode is a little different. Today’s show has no specific topic, and no agenda. This time, the show is just a conversation with someone Ettore personally finds extraordinarily charming and engaging. Douglas Robbins is a write...

Seeking our personal authenticity and living as our genuine selves is—for most of us—a challenge. Beyond that, how can we live that version of our lives when many around us—our families, our communities, our spiritual leaders, even our society as a whole—are opposed to our personal truth? If the goal of authenticity is to live one’s truth to the fullest, then the example set by today’s guest is a...

Have you been the victim of a bully or an abuser? Or maybe you played the part of the perpetrator. Did you experience violence at the hands of other males and then perpetuate that cycle? If you’re like most men, you’ve experienced violence from or committed it against other men. It’s such an ingrained part of our culture, that you may not even recognize it. This is the insidious way that the patte...

If you listened to the first two parts of Adam Call’s remarkable tale of self-discovery, you know that his was truly a once in a lifetime journey. Armed with little more than a backpack, a camera, and a copy of The Alchemist , Adam set out into the world.  In this episode, Adam recounts the final part of his big adventure, including a startling chance encounter in Israel, a close call with Israeli...

For every human seeking to discover their personal authenticity, there is a road to self-discovery. For some of us, the road is rocky and uneven; for others, it’s clean and smooth. But for each and every one of us, the road is one we must embark on alone. Adam Call took that journey—literally—by traveling around the world to find out who he really is. In the previous episode of this story , we fou...

Behind the inspiration of Authenticity Road was a fairly straightforward notion: That for each of us doing the work to find our personal authenticity, there is a road to discovery. For some the road is rocky and uneven; for others clean and smooth. But for all of us, the road is one we embark on alone. When I first conceived of Authenticity Road, I assumed it was a metaphor. And then I met Adam Ca...

Here’s a question just for the guys: What’s your physical and emotional connection to your male friends? For most of us, physical contact and emotional support between men can only happen in really specific situations. As a man, how often do you actually get the opportunity to express physical affection and emotional connection toward other men?  Healthy levels of physical contact and emotional su...

Do you tend to process things more deeply than those around you? Do you get overloaded when there’s too much information coming in? Are you empathic, tending to process emotions very deeply? Are you aware of subtle sensory information around you that others overlook?  If this sounds like you, you might be a Highly Sensitive Person.  Highly sensitive people experience unique challenges—and those ch...

Are you enough? Do you feel as if—no matter how much you achieve—you’re still less than? Incomplete? Simply not enough? Believe it or not, you’re very much not the only one feeling that way. Many people, especially those under age 40, experience a chronic lack of self-worth. It doesn’t have to be this way. In this week’s episode, Jordan and Ettore speak with J Stamatelos, a self-relationship coach...

If you’ve been following the Authenticity Road podcast this season, you’ve no doubt heard Jordan and Ettore talking about the five primary emotions: anger, fear, joy, sadness, and shame. They've dedicated previous episodes to tackling them all. Except one: Joy. In this week’s episode, the Season One finale, the guys spend some time unpacking their thoughts around joy, where they find it, and...

It often seems that the people who are most confident, those most firmly assured they have nothing to prove, are the ones with the greatest ability to be generous and humble. This week’s very special guest—our friend and brother Ceasar F. Barajas —is just that type of man. Ceasar is a wellness mentor, an activist, a men’s work facilitator, a professional performer, and a U.S. Navy Veteran. And yet...

"Sometimes we connect with people for reasons we don’t entirely understand," Ettore says. "That’s how I feel about my dear friend and brother Michael Tennant. I recognized from our first interaction that he is a special human with whom I felt a unique and immediate connection."  Michael is a CEO, a diversity and mental health advocate, a recognized empathy expert, and the creat...

This week, Ettore speaks with AJ Benvenuto and Austin Carter, the co-leaders and co-facilitators of the EVRYMAN Young Men’s Group. Their group is dedicated to creating a safe space for men in their 20s and 30s to do the work. In this episode, they talk about how they found their way to men’s work, what prompted them to create this specialized group, male friendships and isolation, how the issues f...