GreatMan Podcast

Have you seen the Gillette commercial, “The Best Men Can Be?” (Find the link below.) The ad takes aim at “Toxic Masculinity” by drawing attention to the #MeToo movement, recent allegations of sexual assault, bullying, and the prevailing “boys will be boys” mindset. Some love it. Others see it as a harsh slap in the face of masculinity. In this episode, Stephen weighs in with his take regarding the...

JT McCraw is one of Nashville’s premiere builders. He’s also a builder of men. In this episode, he describes the process and hard work that’s a part of every remodel – of both the home and the soul. Follow along as he discusses how we must rethink our spaces according to our needs, remove the filth, and suspend the disbelief that keeps us from pushing ahead into noble manhood. See Privacy Policy a...

“The tragedy of life is what dies inside of a man while he lives,” said Albert Schweitzer. There is a spirt in a man that’s meant to be strong and bold. It’s intended to guide, empower, and ennoble. How you live either strengthens or weakens the manly spirit within you. In this episode, Stephen challenges men with the question, “Are you dying? Or are you gaining strength?” Note: This episode origi...

As we begin a new year, pause. Look around you. What can you do to make an impact in the lives of men at work, school, your place of worship, or sports team? How can you help men fight the battles they must fight to become the men they’re meant to be? In this episode, Stephen offers several practical suggestions. Whatever your status or role in the community, you can use the suggestions in this ep...

Perhaps you watched the events of President George H.W. Bush’s funeral. It was beautiful, inspiring, and patriotic. One of the most reported moments occurred when President George W. Bush became choked up while eulogizing his father. The clip was sometimes aired as an oddity. Why? Our culture treats a man’s tears as strange, unmanly. This attitude sends a certain message about manhood: that men sh...

Rabbi Daniel Lapin, known widely as America’s Rabbi, is a noted rabbinic scholar, best-selling author, and TV host. Today he’s challenging men to engage in the restoration of fatherhood. Rabbi Lapin is a fascinating speaker who brings new insights to the GreatMan Podcast. Don’t miss this episode! For more information, visit rabbidaniellapin.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and...

Men sometimes have a way of pulling back during the holidays. The gifts, cooking, and decorating may feel like domestic tasks in which women usually take the lead. Guys, you need to be fully engaged in the holiday season – for yourself, those you lead, and those around you. Listen to this episode for some quick encouragement and a challenge. May you be changed by the giving, loving, and celebratin...

Imagine a football team whose coaching philosophy centered on one issue: “Don’t get penalties!” The players would be so focused on avoiding penalties that you’d end up with a team of hesitant guys worried they shouldn’t play too hard. The team would be terrible. Many pastors and leaders take a similar approach in speaking to men. They berate men for not being good husbands or fathers, for looking...

Story is a powerful vehicle. When we learn through a story our brains use less energy to absorb information. We are even more likely to recall that information when learned via story. Part of being a great man is being a great storyteller. This doesn’t have to be complicated. Story is simple. Something lights you up and moves you, then you share it with those around you. This holiday season, share...

Knowing how to extend honor is one of the great arts of manhood. Smack talk and cutting up with the guys is great, but those can’t be your only gears all the time. As the holidays approach, let’s learn and practice the art of honoring others. In this episode, you’ll learn how to identify and commend what’s honorable in the lives of your father, friends, and family. This is a practice that will enn...

Michael Fletcher is a man’s man. He has run over 27 marathons and impacts thousands of men through Manna Church, located in Fayetteville, NC, on the edge of Fort Bragg. Michael is the first guest to appear on the GreatMan Podcast, and today he’s going to challenge you to fulfill your purpose as a leader and as a man. His message is clear, humorous, powerful, and shaped by a deep understanding of m...

A shooting at a synagogue, a series of pipe bombs… the violence continues to infiltrate our daily lives. If you’re a young man, in particular, it’s increasingly likely that at some point in your life you could be exposed to an act of terroristic violence: a threat in your local school, mall, restaurant, bar, church, or synagogue. It’s time that we talk about what manhood looks like in a time of cr...

Mark your calendar! October 25 is St. Crispin’s Day, made famous by King Henry V’s rousing speech given in 1415 at the Battle of Agincourt. While we don’t know all of the actual words spoken that day, William Shakespeare filled in the gaps with his imagination nearly 200 years later in his play, Henry V. From this speech we get that immortal call to arms, “We few, we happy few, we band of brothers...

About 30 young men were on a discussion board looking for information that they just couldn’t find anywhere else… no fathers or brothers to talk to. Sadly, they were all completely wrong about the topic. Men, if we want to restore noble manhood, we have to foster a culture where conversations can happen. Older men, develop a culture around you in which you’re willing to share the lore of manhood....

What does the Kavanaugh confirmation process tell us about great and noble manhood in our generation? Stephen posits that our lasting challenge is not so much the politics of left and right, but the legitimate issue that women are often abused and the people who most often abuse them are often untethered, unprincipled, and unfathered men. Gentlemen, this is not a moment to be offended, but a momen...

There are many types of pride, but the kind of pride most endemic to men is the kind that results from not receiving affirmation earlier in life. You probably know a guy like this who lives in a Palace of Self. He gets a sentence quoted in the paper and then puts the clipping on his wall and talks about it for weeks. In this episode, you’ll be challenged to take an inventory of your own self and s...

Let’s talk about Kavanaugh. Not about whether or not the allegations are true or whether or not he should sit on the Supreme Court. Instead, let’s focus on how the sexual revolution of the 1960s changed manhood and on how it’s harming men who have lived all these years without a code. Society is correcting itself (as it should) through the #MeToo movement. Today, there is a reckoning. Women are ri...

The strength and glory of a man are exhibited when he takes responsibility. It’s at the heart of noble manhood. Owning your responsibility is more than just checking off a list of household chores. (Though that’s part of it.) Being responsible in a manly way includes taking charge in the broader sense of your “field” – that is, your relationships, obligations to community, and self. Take responsib...

We talk often on this podcast about a man’s role in fostering a culture of noble manhood. But women also play a critical role in this area. In today’s episode, Stephen shares how his mother (and perhaps yours, too) had a special ability to articulate the world. Mothers often provide a lens through which their children view the world. While it may be your father’s example that you remember, it is l...

Maybe you’ve seen another guy make a stupid decision? If so, the error may not have been in the actual decision so much as the process he took to get there. Fact is, a lot of men shrink from decision. They avoid the process. They shove it in a drawer, hoping someone else will show up and make it for them. Of course, this isn’t the way YOU want to live your life. In this episode: four steps to manl...

Earlier this year, Stephen spoke at an event in California. Before thousands of men of all ages, he issued a challenge: men, bless your sons. One young man pulled out his phone, recorded the talk, and sent it to his father. The son received a blessing, and the experience changed their relationship. Tragically, this young man lost his life shortly after the conference while on a hiking trip. Whatev...

Cowardice can make us weak, unreliable, and even dangerous. You know it when you see it, and you know it when you feel it. In this episode, you’ll learn how to identify the source of cowardice in your own life. Plus, you’ll learn tactics for eliminating cowardice so that you can become the great man you’re meant to be. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice a...

A lot of guys are working hard to serve their wives, kids, jobs, causes, etc. But it’s been a long time since they’ve read a book, been in the wild, hung out with the guys, or explored an interest. They’re bored, uninspired, overweight, exhausted, and distracted. Men, you need to create some margin in your lives. It might mean getting up earlier or setting aside one evening a week. However you str...

Stephen loves chocolate cake, he has strong opinions about chocolate cake, and today he’s going to tell you about them! You see, chocolate cake is under attack in this world. (Maybe you didn’t know?) The good news is, we’ve got two choices about how we can handle this attack. Even if you live a sad, sugar-free existence, you need to hear this episode! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privac...

Many of you saw the dramatic rescue of the boys trapped in a cave in Thailand. In a similar way, we need a rescue of boys today. Boys are in free fall, and their spiral reflects what’s going on with men around the world. For most of history, civilizations fell to “barbarians from the outside.” Today, however, our greatest concern should be the “barbarians from within.” Men, let’s intervene and sav...