GreatMan Podcast

Radical generosity is a trait of noble manhood. A great man makes generosity a part of the legacy he leaves. We also know from history and every religion that the generous man prospers. When we give we open up channels of receiving in return. In this episode, Stephen encourages you to start building “consistent generosity” into your concept of great manhood. (And, no, great generosity does not req...

Stephen wants to help you get ahead of the curve. Before summer gets here… before you’re busy with vacation, plans, kids’ activities… set your mind to completing these four challenges. From exercising the mind and body to building the spirit, these four specific challenges will help you in your pursuit of living a life of noble manhood. Don’t miss this opportunity to reset your habits and change y...

We are living through a critical time in history. Now, more than ever, we need good, noble, righteous, honorable, Great Men to arise. We need to encourage each other, to become stabilizers in our society, to rescue the young, and to help one another in living for the glory of God. Our generation can turn around manhood’s current downward trajectory. In this episode, Stephen discusses the seven fir...

Everyone you know is fighting a great battle. Stephen shares the story of one of the great battles of his own life: moving from Berlin to West Des Moines, Iowa, as a teenager in the 1970s. One thing got him through: a vision for rising up and conquering the moment. What battle do you face today? What does your day of victory look like? What’s your battle plan? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.c...

To paraphrase the sociologist Camille Paglia, a woman simply is, but a man must become. Masculinity is risky and elusive. It must be called out by other men. In this episode, Stephen unpacks the “why” behind his belief in the need for quality boys’ schools. We need more resources for a better understanding of boys and what they require in terms of education, mentorship, and growth. See Privacy Pol...

Clothes don’t make the man, but they can reveal the man. Stephen shares a recent experience attending a reception for a former state governor. While the women were wisely and appropriately dressed, many of the men were dressed like five-year-olds with white tennis shoes, jeans, and untucked plaid short-sleeved shirts. While this outfit might be fine for a backyard barbecue with your buddies, it do...

We tend to live in a bubble that is free from critical input. This is dangerous. We ought to have constant, loving, constructive feedback in a culture of noble men. In this episode, Stephen teaches how to ask the tough questions that will help you see yourself as you are. Prepare yourself to ask bold questions this summer, and may you be a greater man for it. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.co...

Jesus and John Wayne is a book by Kristin Kobes Du Mez that Stephen disagrees with. But he wants you to read it. Tune into this podcast to find out what Professor Du Mez gets right about the modern Christian men’s movement… and what she gets completely wrong. In this episode, Stephen critiques both the book’s invalid assumptions and straw man arguments while also validating and appreciating some o...

There is stunning scientific and anecdotal evidence that men experience a dramatic change in their souls and bodies when regularly engaging in an activity that is hard, challenging, or a little bit dangerous. Most of you listening to this podcast live relatively luxurious, Western lives. When you are constantly enveloped in luxury, you become dull, shaped by domesticity. Yet men are made to conque...

Growing up, boys need men other than their fathers to speak into their lives. As a teenager raised on military bases, Stephen was on the receiving end of this relationship often. Officers and other men on base would help guide and support Stephen and other soldiers’ sons. Men, in the same way that your band of brothers has eyes on you, it’s important that you ensure men of integrity have eyes on y...

"Basically, we found that the persistence of a person's brain in holding on to a negative stimulus is what predicts more negative and less positive daily emotional experiences,” report psychologists at the University of Miami in a recent study. “That in turn predicts how well they think they're doing in their life." A GreatMan has a transcendent attitude toward life. He rises above the small thing...

Stephen was recently asked, “What are the five essential things a young man under 20 should know?” As we head into the summer, with the generations mixing and free time to spare, think about how you can work these five concepts into the life of a young man (especially in the 12-14 age range). Stephen illustrates concepts like power, duty, and wildness in ways that can transform the life and direct...

The average man can dominate the average woman. If men are not taught the principled use of power, they will become barbarians: murderers, rapists, and marauders. Gentleman, we must teach our sons how to wield power. We must teach them to stand guard and to protect women. Let’s make teaching about the principled use of power a cornerstone of what we do. Otherwise, we unleash a generation of barbar...

Whatever kind of man your father was (or wasn’t), it’s important that you are rightly aligned with him. In fact, it’s one of the great arts of noble manhood. Seek out help from God and other men as you do this. To get started, Stephen strongly encourages watching this performance of the song “Fall on Me” by Andrea Bocelli with his son Matteo. Get in a quiet place, and let this song bring up your r...

Stephen shares his passion for the honor, rituals, and bonds between men. From the haka dance of the Maori people to Viking burials to the Jewish saying of “running Masada,” tune in for a discussion of rituals across cultures and generations. How are you building rituals with your band of brothers? How are you welcoming men into manhood? Start thinking in terms of liturgies and symbolism. Weave th...

There’s hardly any characteristic more admirable or powerful in the life of a man than humility. It’s not weakness. Humility is the self-awareness that you are a flawed and incomplete human being. It causes you to recognize what you don’t have and what others have that you need. Humility allows you to approach life with an openness, and openness produces growth. Listen to this podcast, embrace hum...

Stephen sits down with his wife, Beverly Mansfield, to get a female perspective on the current state of manhood and what we’re doing here at GreatMan. Bev discusses the “higher truths” of a GreatMan, the actions of a GreatMan, and her own advice for listeners. Don’t miss this episode! Let’s allow the wisdom of women into our lives as we seek to become GreatMen. See Privacy Policy at https://art19....

Fasting has always been a part of manhood. In the Middle Ages, knights fasted before they were commissioned or went into battle. In some cultures, men fasted before marriage. Fasting is a manly art to purify the body and soul. A man ought to be able to fast everything, outside of relationships, at some point in his life. The ability to fast something is how you know that thing hasn’t worked itself...

A GreatMan is quick, skilled, gentle, and wise about confronting people. He is also willing to be confronted. The GreatMan understands he alone is responsible for surveying his field and addressing that which needs correction. Some of the biggest disasters in businesses, families, and relationships occur when a man sees a problem and fails to confront it. Don’t let a fear of confrontation invite t...

It’s said that “water is thicker than blood.” So, what should happen when a member of your band of brothers dies? First, a band of brothers should encourage one another to grieve. As you grieve, turn yourself to serving the bereaved family. (Reminder: urge your guys beforehand to have life insurance, burial insurance, and a will.) From small practical actions (mowing the yard) to engaging the sons...

It’s an art of the GreatMan that he processes what he hears and ponders whether it is a fact or not. When you hear something juicy about politics, ask yourself, “Could this be true? What’s the source? How do we know this?” You don’t need to be the constant, irritating village skeptic. But you do need to know the facts and help those around you arrive at a calm understanding of the facts. A man ema...

Are you in the shape that YOU want to be in? Look at yourself in the mirror. Get real. Is this who you are? Stephen is concerned about the health of Western men, as well as the generation of men getting older. No doubt, COVID lockdowns have taken their toll on the health of many guys. This can be fixed. In this episode, Stephen challenges you to integrate body weight exercises into your daily rout...

On January 6, 2021, the U.S. Capitol was invaded. We saw what happens when men do not have noble values set before them. They beat a policeman to death with a fire extinguisher. They sought out politicians, thirsty for blood. Young men were given a cause, however misguided. In this episode, Stephen unpacks the historic event from a manly perspective. Give a man a righteous cause, or he will take u...

A listener recently asked, “What is a ‘GreatMan’ by our definition?” Great question! Stephen kicks off a new 2021 season of the podcast with a clear definition of GreatMan. Every man born into this world has the opportunity to live according to his higher nature or his lesser drives. Every man has greatness in him. Activate it. Discover what it means to live in the power of what you were made to b...

Big changes are coming to GreatMan in 2021! For starters, we are excited to share we are officially a 501(c)(3) organization, which means all donations are tax deductible. And, we’re going to do something we have rarely done here at GreatMan: ask you to give. Why? Tune into this episode to hear Stephen share the big dreams and goals propelling GreatMan forward over the next several years. From dis...