Men on the Path to Love

For a long time, I knew how to enjoy the exciting part of a relationship. The chemistry. The anticipation. The fun of getting to know someone. But when those feelings started to settle, I’d put a lot of energy into trying to get them back. I had a lot more to learn about sharing everyday life. The evenings when we're tired. The responsibilities. The times when one of you needs a little more p...

The fastest way to wreck a relationship is to believe love means you should always agree. When we hold on to that idea, one disagreement can feel like a dealbreaker, or we start agreeing just to keep the peace, and wake up months later realizing we’ve disappeared.  In this episode, I revisit a story about “Jack and Diane,” a couple whose marriage got rocked by political change and what happened wh...

What happens when the fear of losing someone turns into trying to control them? October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and in this BONUS episode you'll hear an honest conversation about emotional wounds, controlling behavior, and taking responsibility for how we show up in relationships. My guest is George Stoimenov, author, men's coach, and the voice behind the Men’s Corner podca...

Disappointment will happen in a relationship. A change of plans. A response you weren’t expecting. A moment when you needed support and felt alone. Sometimes when disappointment happens—your mind immediately goes into what it could mean.“I don’t matter.” “She doesn’t love me.” “Maybe this isn’t going to work.” In this episode, as I continue my series, When Love Gets Real , you'll hear "M...

The minute a relationship stops feeling new can mess with your head. One day you’re laughing, flirting, and feeling like things are easy. The next day she’s disappointed, you’re annoyed, and your nervous system starts whispering, “Here we go again.” Then you start trying to get that new feeling back.  In this episode, I’m beginning a new podcast series, When Love Gets Real , with the episode When...

You can’t build real intimacy while you slowly lose yourself out of the relationship. In this episode, I ask a question that cuts through all the noise: can you be yourself with the person you love, not the polished version, not the always-agreeable version, but the real you?  I also share a coaching story about Avante (not his real name), a man who tried to do everything right, made himself alway...

A lot of men have people in their lives—but very few have a place where they can speak honestly about what they’re going through without feeling judged, embarrassed, or expected to have it all figured out. For a little over a year, I’ve had the privilege of facilitating conversations like these through MensGroup. I’ve seen what can happen when men put down the armor, discover they’re not alone, an...

Your gut notices the thing that “doesn’t sit right” way before your brain wants to admit it. I'm talking about that moment early in dating when a boundary gets crossed, a story feels off, or you catch yourself making excuses because the chemistry is strong and you really want it to work. In this week’s episode,  I talk about why so many smart, good men ignore relationship red flags early on....

That rush you feel when someone texts back fast, laughs at your jokes, and fires up your body can be real, and still not be real connection. In this episode, I continue my series on Loving Differently the Next Time Around.  I make the distinction between chemistry, compatibility, and emotional connection, because getting them mixed up is one of the quickest ways to repeat the same relationship cyc...

After breakup or divorce, loneliness can make getting almost any attention feel like “the answer,” but that’s exactly how smart, good men end up repeating the same relationship patterns with a different person. I'm opening season six with a new series called Loving Differently the Next Time Around . In this episode, I slow things down by asking: what are you really looking for in your next re...

Confidence can look strong on the outside while you’re falling apart on the inside. In this episode, I talk about the kind of confidence that doesn’t need to announce itself, doesn’t depend on a relationship status, and doesn’t fall apart the moment you get rejected or life changes. That’s the confidence that comes from being an emotionally healthy man, and it’s the finale of my Living as an Emoti...

In this episode, I talk about the real purpose of healthy boundaries and why they are not walls, threats, or rules for someone else.  A boundary is taking ownership of your emotions: naming what you feel, what you need, what you are willing to do, and what you are not willing to do, so you can stay honest in relationship without losing yourself. I share about my early struggles with boundaries, an...

The moment you feel criticized, dismissed, or disrespected, your body can go from zero to sixty before your mind knows what happened. That’s the difference between reacting and responding, and it’s one of the biggest skills emotionally healthy men build when they want better relationships after a breakup or divorce.  I explain why a reaction is often automatic, defensive, and shaped by the past, w...

Triggers happen. They don’t just suddenly stop showing up, but we can stop letting them run our relationships. In this episode, I talk about what a trigger really is, why your body can react before your mind can think, and how old experiences like abandonment, criticism, loss, or unpredictability can show up as defensiveness, shutdown, or anger in the present. I share my own journey of how childho...

The urge to “win” an argument can feel like strength, but it often leaves a relationship weaker. In this episode, I address a conflict pattern I’ve lived myself and I see it all the time in men who are rebuilding after breakup or divorce: the need to be right, get the last word, and prove a point, even when the cost is losing connection. I about why this happens, and share "Tarik's"...

When most men think about changing themselves, they imagine making a huge breakthrough. A life-changing book. A powerful therapy session. A major realization. Those moments certainly matter. But after years of coaching—and doing my own inner work—I've learned something different. The men who create healthier relationships aren't usually doing extraordinary things. They're doing ordi...

If you’ve ever thought, “I’m a good man. I provide. I don't hit or yell. So why does my partner still shut down around me?” this conversation goes straight to the uncomfortable answer: emotional safety is not the same as having good intentions.  In this episode, I’m closing out my series on becoming the man capable of a healthy relationship by unpacking what it means to be a safe man in relat...

Most of us were taught how to provide, perform, and push through. Almost nobody taught us the relationship skills that keep love alive when things get tense.  In this episode, I share the truth I learned the hard way: love is powerful, but love alone does not create a healthy relationship. Skills do. And if you don’t learn them, you could end up losing something you truly wanted to keep. You’ll he...

Most relationships don’t fall apart from one explosive moment. They fade from the slow drip of emotional habits we repeat every day without noticing: getting defensive, shutting down, using anger as the only safe emotion, trying to be in control, and avoiding vulnerability.  In this episode, I dig into the patterns that quietly erode trust, emotional safety, and real intimacy, especially for men w...

Attention can look like affection, sound like commitment, and feel like chemistry, yet still leave you lonely. In this episode, I talk about the hidden difference between attention, validation, and real connection, especially for men rebuilding their lives and relationships after a breakup or divorce.  If you’ve ever taken flirtation, or being “wanted” as proof that someone is emotionally availabl...

Confidence can get you noticed, but it can’t hold a relationship together on its own. There's something quieter and far more powerful: self-awareness. When you can honestly see your patterns, your blind spots, and the impact you have on other people, you stop chasing chemistry and start building emotional safety, trust, and lasting connection. In this episode, I share what kicked off my own s...

In this week's episode, I start a new series for men rebuilding after breakup or divorce with one clear message: the version of you that created your last relationship can’t create your next one. I talk about why so many men were never taught the core relationship skills that actually sustain healthy love. This distinction is important. Because understanding what healthy relationships look li...

Calm can be the most confusing thing you feel after years of chaotic love. When you are used to butterflies, chasing, mixed signals, and emotional highs and lows, a healthy relationship can show up as discomfort instead of relief. In this episode, I’m closing out my series on building a healthy relationship with the part that surprises a lot of men: healthy relationships  can feel unfamiliar befor...

You can be tough, capable, and respected and still feel lost when it comes to relationships. I’m talking about the gap between the version of “strength” we were taught growing up versus the kind of strength a healthy relationship actually needs.  In this episode, I unpack the old rules many men inherit.  I also share “Rico's” story, a strong man who knew exactly how to survive a tough life in...

Conflict doesn’t end most relationships, the way we handle it does. When a hard conversation turns into shutdown, defensiveness, or a fight to “win,” connection starts to erode even if the love is still there. In this episode, I talk about a healthier way to move through conflict without losing trust, safety, and intimacy. I share a personal pattern I lived for years: marathon talks that went in c...