guyslikeus

We hit 50 episodes, so naturally we're going down the third rail: relationships. Paul's divorced, Marc's been married 15 years — so we thought, why not talk about what actually works and what destroys it? We dig into the stuff most people don't say out loud. Marc shares the three things keeping his marriage strong (spoiler: chemistry matters more than anyone admits). Paul lays out the ways he's se...

We're all handing our knowledge to the machines—our processes, our expertise, our hard-won wisdom. And we're never getting it back. That realization, courtesy of a leader at Google, completely shifted how Marc thinks about this moment. This week, we break down the five leadership capabilities that matter now: imagination, collective judgment, accountability, conviction, and soul. These aren't abst...

We love the idea that failure teaches us more than success. But here's the uncomfortable truth: we hate looking at our failures so much that we usually just defend them instead of learning from them. This week, we dig into why admitting you got it wrong in your 40s feels like admitting you're out of time to fix it. We cover the brutal first step — just saying "I fucked up" without the excuses — an...

We love to think therapy means lying on a couch excavating childhood trauma for years. Dr. Yasmine Saad (https://www.dryasminesaad.com) — one of New York's top psychologists says that's completely unnecessary. Your thoughts and emotions are already broadcasting exactly what you need to work on. You just need to learn how to decode them.  We sit down with Yasmine to talk about her Inner Message App...

We've opened enough bottles to think we know our way around wine. Turns out, we don't. At all. This week, we sit down with our friend Markus Purdue at his biodynamic vineyard in Wachau for a blind tasting that exposed just how little we actually know. But what started as a humbling lesson in terroir became a much deeper conversation about what it means to build something real — why Markus refuses...

We love the idea that technology can solve anything, but what if the smartest move is actually knowing when not to use it? This week, we sit down to talk about digital twins—AI versions of yourself that can schedule your life, handle meetings, and even talk to your kids after you're gone. Paul's actively building his work twin right now, complete with a personal CRM that nags him when he's neglect...

We love to tell ourselves we'll take the leap when the timing is perfect—when we have enough saved, when the kids are older, when the stars align. But Markus looked around at 44 and realized: if not now, when? This week we're sitting at Markus's winery in the Wachau Valley, drinking his Grüner Veltliner and hearing the unfiltered story of what happened when he left a decade-long political career t...

We love to tell ourselves we're just too busy for new friendships, but the truth is way more uncomfortable: most men in their 40s are losing nine to ten friends per decade, and 40% of us report feeling lonelier than any other age group. That's not a scheduling problem. That's a crisis. This week, we wrestle with the mechanics of midlife friendship — the spouse proxy trap, the 200-hour rule Paul sw...

We love to tell ourselves we'll deal with it when things get bad enough. But by the time most men walk into a therapist's office, they're already at crisis point—and that's if they walk in at all. This week, we sit down to talk about why men avoid therapy like the plague, and what it actually takes to break through that resistance. Paul opens up about the exact moment he put down a self-help book...

It's easy to tell yourself you'll slow down once things calm down — but they never do, and suddenly COVID was five years ago and you're wondering where your 40s went. We dig into why time accelerates as we age (spoiler: your brain literally processes less detail), why having kids in your 40s hits different than having them in your 30s, and whether optimization culture is secretly robbing us of the...

We sat down to watch the new Louis Theroux documentary on the Manosphere, and honestly, it was harder to watch than we expected. Not because it was boring—but because it exposes a system built on exploiting lonely young men, missing father figures, and algorithmic amplification of rage. We dig into why these influencers are so effective (they're frighteningly intelligent), the role women play in a...

We optimize our workouts, track our macros, take the right supplements—and then completely ignore the thing that matters most. Sleep is supposed to be 50-60% of the health equation, yet here we are, wound up at midnight, staring at screens, telling ourselves we'll fix it tomorrow. This week we're confessing what actually keeps us up: Paul's late-night laptop addiction that leaves him sleeping like...

We tell ourselves we'll pursue our passions "when we have time" — but Diego Tejedo just proved that's bullshit. He's running a headhunting business full-time and somehow also became a tournament-winning paella chef who just qualified for the World Championship in Valencia. We sit down with our old friend from Barcelona to talk about how cooking 400+ paellas over seven years turned into a legitimat...

We love to tell ourselves that traditions matter because of what they are — the exact meal, the perfect timing, the ritual done exactly as our parents did it. But what if the thing that actually matters is just the vibe, and we've been stressing ourselves out over the wrong details? This week, we dig into why we cling so tightly to traditions and what it takes to let them evolve.  Marc opens up ab...

We love to think we're raising financially savvy kids, but the hard truth is most of us are just rerunning the same money scripts our parents gave us — scarcity, guilt, never enough, or total avoidance of the topic entirely. This week, we sit down to talk about what it actually takes to teach kids a healthy relationship with money. Paul shares the money contract he's rolling out to his three kids...

We love to believe AI will just make us faster and better at what we already do, but what if the whole game changes? What if the only thing that actually matters in three years is imagination — and we've spent decades training people to strip that quality out? This week, we sit down with a deck of provocative cards Marc designed for his new firm, Libra Collective, that forces leaders to make hard...

Let's be real: keeping friendships alive when you have kids, demanding jobs, and live in different time zones is tough. It’s incredibly easy to let a great friendship slip through your fingers just because you don't see each other every week. In this quick-hit episode, Paul and Marc sit down across continents to share what actually works for keeping your crew together in your 40s. From intentional...

It’s easy to tell yourself you’ll finally take a break when the timing is perfect, the bank account is full, and your career is completely secure. But let's be real—that day never comes. In this episode, we sit down to talk about sabbaticals, micro retirements, and the fear of letting go of our workaholic tendencies. Paul shares the messy reality of his 12-month sabbatical, including how long it a...

Have you noticed how some guys in their 40s are still fiercely vibrant, while others seem perfectly content to just shut down the fun engine and stay on the couch? This week, we're looking at what it really means to "keep the old man out." Inspired by some legendary advice from Clint Eastwood, we're defining the difference between just getting older and actually giving up on life. We outline five...

Statistically, 40% of divorces are linked to financial stress. So why is talking about our bank accounts still such a massive taboo? Paul and Marc get honest about the "baggage" we bring into relationships—from the way our parents handled money to the secret shame of "financial infidelity." Whether it’s the tension of who pays for dinner, the power struggle of the "provider" role, or the debate ov...

Is your job about to evaporate? Marc just returned from Silicon Valley with a stark report: the vibe has shifted from predicting the future to a state of low-key panic. We explore the "something big is happening" moment that mirrors the weeks before the 2020 lockdowns, where the traditional model of knowledge work is facing an existential crisis. Paul shares how he effectively replaced a junior an...

In this episode, Marc and Paul discuss the challenges and experiences of parenting during midlife, focusing on the themes of sick days and snow days. They share personal anecdotes about dealing with extreme weather, illness in the family, and the emotional connections that arise during these times. The conversation explores the balance between maintaining routines and allowing for flexibility, as...

In this episode, Marc and Paul discuss Marc's recent career transition, the psychology of risk-taking, and the importance of support networks in navigating significant life changes. They explore the challenges and rewards of starting a new venture in the age of AI, reflecting on personal experiences and insights gained along the way. The conversation touches on themes of confidence, imposter syndr...

In this conversation, Marc and Paul explore the intersection of AI, midlife reflections, and the evolving nature of work. They discuss how AI impacts daily life, creativity, and professional efficiency, while also addressing the challenges of adoption in organizations. The conversation delves into the philosophical implications of AI, the importance of dignity in work, and the future workforce dyn...

In this episode of "Guys Like Us," hosts Marc and Paul dive into the complex topic of money, exploring its implications on happiness, lifestyle, and personal values. They reflect on their recent experiences, including skiing trips and movie nights, before transitioning into a deeper discussion about the societal pressures surrounding wealth accumulation. The conversation highlights the contrasting...