The Mature Male

Davi Lazar is an award-winning film director, spoken word poet, and facilitator passionate about purpose-driven storytelling that explores vulnerability and resilience. In July 2025, he founded Yoga and Pints, a men's group in Waltham Forest, England, where men gather to stretch, talk, and connect authentically. Key Discussion Points: Creating Spaces for Male Connection - How yoga serves as a gate...

Yaron Engler is a touring musician turned men's coach who has spent over a decade helping men remove their masks and live authentically. Having toured globally with major productions while simultaneously working with men since 2014, Yaron brings a unique perspective on creativity, personal growth, and masculine development. He's the creator of the CROP cycle framework and believes in radic...

Pasco Ashton is the founder of Men's Circle Club and a passionate advocate for men's personal development and authentic community building. After a transformative journey from investigative journalism to men's work, Pasco has dedicated his life to creating spaces where men can develop emotional intelligence, connect authentically, and support each other's growth. Through his platfo...

Timestamps 00:01 - Introduction and Jesse's background in recovery and entrepreneurship 01:44 - The origin story: childhood trauma and father's abandonment at age 3 06:41 - Rock bottom at 22: federal drug charges and court-ordered therapy 09:56 - The power of co-regulation and finding an empathetic witness 13:00 - Practical skills for holding space and developing presence 16:57 - Understanding add...

Key Timestamps [01:19] - Sean's Wall Street resignation story and discovery of heart-centered leadership at Eileen Fisher [05:06] - The spiritual calling to work with men and why soul-level healing is essential [08:31] - What drives men toward right-wing ideologies: neglect, pandemic isolation, and feeling blamed [13:46] - The crucial distinction between "wounded not broken" and why it changes men...

Dr. John Gray is the bestselling author of "Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus" with over 50 million books sold worldwide. As a relationship expert and founder of the Mars-Venus approach, he has spent over 40 years helping people understand the fundamental differences between men and women. His latest work focuses on the hormonal science behind masculine and feminine behavior. In This Episode...

Dr. Ryan McKelley is a licensed psychologist and professor of clinical counseling psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Lacrosse. With expertise in men and masculinities, he's co-authored over 20 peer-reviewed journal articles and served as past president of the Society for the Psychology of Men and Masculinities. His work has been featured in major outlets including The New York Times, USA To...

Todd Adams has spent 30 years in construction leadership and is a certified life and leadership coach specializing in men's development. Since 2010, he's co-hosted Zen Parenting Radio, a top 10 kids and family podcast. Todd is the co-founder and executive director of Men Living, an organization creating spaces for men to connect authentically and vulnerably. He's certified through the Conscious Le...

Johnny Cole is the founder of Hey Brother Co. , a men's work organization dedicated to redefining masculinity through emotional skill-building, community, and accountability. From leading retreats and youth mentorship programs to building an online brotherhood through virtual men's groups, Johnny's work invites men and boys to unlearn the harmful scripts of patriarchal masculinity and...

Kenny Mammarella-D'Cruz, known as "the Man Whisperer," is a bestselling author, weekly columnist, and men's group facilitator with over 25 years of experience. A former child refugee who overcame PTSD, OCD, and Tourette's, Kenny found healing while working with dying men alongside Mother Teresa in Calcutta. Today he runs daily online men's groups and helps men transition from fearful, reactive "bo...

Zac Phillips is a young men's facilitator, musician, and storyteller who brings a unique perspective to personal development and masculinity. His work focuses on creative action, youth mentorship, and helping people navigate authentic expression of both their masculine and feminine aspects. In this episode we explore: Creative action as healing - How creative expression and taking action can b...

Dr. Brendan Case serves as Associate Director for Research at Harvard University's Human Flourishing Program, where he develops integrative research strategies across social sciences and humanities. Author of The Accountable Animal and co-author of Least of the Apostles , his work examines human flourishing through multiple disciplinary lenses. Episode Highlights: The Achievement Gap Reality -...

Timothy Wienecke is a former Air Force signals analyst who worked with the NSA and spent years training over 3,000 airmen in critical life skills. After his military service, Timothy transitioned into mental health and advocacy, becoming a licensed professional counselor and launching Colorado University Denver's peer advocacy for veteran education program. He's now the host of the America...

Dr. Ronald Levant is Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the University of Akron, former president of the American Psychological Association, and widely considered one of the key people responsible for creating the field of psychology of men and masculinities. Listed among the top 2% of scientists worldwide, Dr. Levant has authored numerous books including "Masculinity Reconstructed" and...

Dr. Matt Englar-Carlson is Professor and Department Chair of Counseling at California State University Fullerton, where he directs the Center for Boys and Men. A core author of the controversial APA Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Boys and Men, he co-created the positive psychology positive masculinities model and serves on Movember's global men's health advisory committee. His...

Dr. Daniel Singley is a board-certified psychologist with over 20 years of clinical experience specializing in men's mental health and reproductive psychology. As founder of the Center for Men's Excellence and 2017 APA Practitioner of the Year, he's dedicated his career to understanding how men can navigate modern masculinity and fatherhood with evidence-based approaches. Key Topics We...

Scot McKay is the founder of X and Y Communications and host of the Mountain Top Podcast, which has been a definitive resource for men for 18 years. A four-time top-of-charts Amazon bestselling author and dating coach, Scot has helped over 300,000 people worldwide navigate relationships and dating alongside his wife Emily. Together they've traveled to over 110 countries and have been featured...

Larry Hagner is the founder of The Dad Edge and host of The Dad Edge Podcast, where he's been empowering fathers since 2015 through over 1,400 expert interviews. With a background in health, wellness, and nutrition, Larry transitioned from a successful $300K corporate career to become a leading voice in helping men create legendary marriages and epic connections with their children. He's t...

John Lee Dumas is the founder and host of Entrepreneurs on Fire, the award-winning daily business podcast with over 4,600 episodes and 100+ million downloads. After serving 8 years as a U.S. Army officer including a tour in Iraq as a tank commander, John built EOFire into a 7-figure media empire. He's the author of "The Common Path to Uncommon Success" and has interviewed entrepreneu...

Jindy Mann is a leadership coach, organizational consultant, and men's work facilitator with over 20 years of experience working in large organizations and startups. As the founder of Leader Brother Son, he creates spaces for meaningful conversations between men, allowing them to explore topics often left unspoken. His work is driven by one central question: "What's really going on?&q...

Rob Thompson is a husband, father, Christian, and writer who is passionate about helping men become the spiritual leaders their families need. After losing his father at age two, Rob learned the hard way that willpower alone isn't enough—environment and community are essential for male growth and spiritual awakening. In this episode, we cover: The power of male community - Why "environmen...

Leon Macfayden is a former police officer turned trauma healing advocate who writes at trauma2strength.substack.com. After experiencing severe PTSD and being diagnosed as "100% disabled for life" following traumatic incidents during his law enforcement career, Leon challenged conventional approaches to healing and developed his own path to recovery. His work focuses on redefining masculi...

Dr. Gary Barker is the president, CEO, and co-founder of Equimundo Center for Masculinities and Social Justice, a leading global voice in engaging men and boys in advancing gender equality. With a PhD in developmental psychology, he co-founded the International Men and Gender Equality Survey and the global Mencare fatherhood campaign working in over 50 countries. Key Topics Covered: Global masculi...

Cesar Cardona is a public speaker, educator, and mindfulness developer whose extraordinary journey took him from gang involvement in Jacksonville, Florida, through a life-changing assault, to finding peace through Buddhism and meditation. Today, he helps men navigate the path from toxic masculinity to authentic strength, teaching the power of vulnerability and the courage to be wrong. In this epis...

Dr. John Williams is a licensed clinical psychologist and couples therapist with over 20 years of experience in understanding relationship dynamics. He works in corporate psychology as a test developer, has been married for two decades, and is trained in four major empirically supported couple therapy modalities. His unique perspective combines clinical expertise with real-world experience navigat...