Why is poetry such an important aspect of life? Why some people have such intimate connection with it while others struggle? Why some men find it hard to connect with poetry and was it always this way? Nick LeForce, known as the “Transformational Poet,” believes poetry can touch hearts and transform lives. Nick integrates poetry into his work as a life-coach and in trainings in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), Hypnotherapy, and Coaching that he has conducted (prepandemic) across the US and around the world in China, Japan, Malaysia, England, Greece, Ireland, Spain and elsewhere. He uses poetry as a medium to inspire people to live authentic lives, bring out the inner qualities of a person, find their own path in life, overcome challenges and achieve their dreams.

Nick’s poems have been translated into Chinese, Italian, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish. Nick has published 10 books of poetry: Heaven In Our Hearts, Endless Horizon, Divine Whispering, The Poetry of Life, The Work of Being Yourself, Falling Before Grace, Bearing Witness, The Gospel of Radiance, The Undiscovered Country, and When Sea Kisses Shore.

We need to talk about the dark side of our society and masculinity, to be more aware and to take action. This time my guests are Alan Smyth who serves as the Executive Director for Saving Innocence, an anti-human trafficking, community based organization focused on the recovery and restoration of child victims of sex trafficking and Jessica Midkiff, a true “lived experience expert.” She has survived ten years of commercial, sexual exploitation as well as having spent over ten years of advocacy work helping victims escape and recover.

They have co-authored a new book: Men! Fight For Me, The Role of Authentic Masculinity in Ending Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking. Jessica was instrumental in piloting many of the programs still used today which help trafficking survivors exit the life. In 2015, she was recognized as “Woman of the Year” in Los Angeles County for her extraordinary work in the field. “Fight For Me” are words they heard directly from a survivor of sex trafficking.

In this episode you will learn how John E. Marriott, one of the world's premier professional wildlife photographers, built a career around his passion and purpose. We discuss what he has learned as a man, father and citizen from the bears, wolves and other wild animals he has been photographing. His success spans two decades and his images are published worldwide by National Geographic, BBC Wildlife, Canadian Geographic, McLean's, and Reader’s Digest. He is an Associate Fellow with the International League of Conservation Photographers, a Canon Ambassador, a Fjällräven Guide, and the co-founder of the EXPOSED Wildlife Conservancy environmental non-profit.

John has produced seven coffee table books, including What Bears Teach Us (2020), Tall Tales, Long Lenses: My Adventures in Photography (2017), The Pipestone Wolves: The Rise and Fall of a Wolf Family (2016), and the international bestseller, Banff & Lake Louise: Images of Banff National Park (2007). He has one upcoming book in 2021, The Kootenay Wolves: Five Years Following a Wild Wolf Pack.

In this episode you will learn about the power of the unconscious mind and how our brains work. We discuss how to build new habits and why humans still react as if we were still living in the desert. My guest is Joel Weinberger, Ph.D., is author of The Unconscious: Theory, Research and Clinical Implications. His blogs on the unconscious appear in Psychology Today. He received the Ulf Kragh Award (University of Lundh, Sweden) for his work on unconscious processes. Dr. Weinberger completed Postdoctoral training in human motivation at Harvard University.

He is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and of the Association for Psychological Science. His research has been funded by the National Institute of Mental Health. He is Professor, with expertise in clinical, personality and motivation psychology at the Derner Institute, Adelphi University. He is the author of about 100 published articles and chapters. He has co-edited books on personality change and on the art and science of psychotherapy. His political and business commentaries have appeared in various venues in the media. Dr. Weinberger is also a practicing clinical psychologist.

This episode is in Hungarian. You will learn about a catholic view on modern masculinity. My guest is Imre Asztrik Várszegi, a former archbishop who entered the Order of Saint Benedict in 1964. He is a man who builds bridges. Amongst other things he has succeeded to invite the Dalai Lama and eastern orthodox patriarch to the small, but significant monastery of Pannohalma in Hungary. He shares his life story and pedagogical approach to raising boys who care to make the world a better place around them.

Between 1964 and 1968 he studied at the Saint Gerard College of Theology in Pannonhalma where he completed his studies in 1971. He was ordained as a priest in 1971. In 1976 he obtained degrees in History and German. Between 1976 and 1988 he taught at the Benedictine High School of Pannonhalma and lectured as a college professor at the Saint Gerard College of Theology in Pannonhalma. In 1985 he received his PhD in History from the Eötvös Loránd University. Having written his PhD thesis on Archabbot Krizosztom Kelemen (1929-1950), he obtained his second PhD degree from the same institution in 1997. In February 1989, he was ordained as the titular bishop in Esztergom, and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the Catholic University of Leuven. Between 1991 and 2018 he served as the Archabbot of Pannonhalma. Since 1998 he has been a member of the History Section at the Bavarian Benedictine Academy. Since 2000 he has lectured on Benedictine order history at the Sapientia College of Theology. From March 2018 he will serve as an Abbot Emeritus of Pannonhalma and as a member of the Hungarian Catholic Bishops Conference.

In this episode you will learn about what’s addictive about war zones and why some of our brave fellow citizen journalists risk their life covering events everyone else just wants to run away from. We also explore what’s wrong with our approach to veterans and why would someone start a grizzly bear lodge in the Canadian wilderness. This time my guest is Julius Strauss, who was a long-serving correspondent for the Daily Telegraph and specialised in covering wars and other foreign stories. As well as Bosnia and Kosovo, Strauss has covered wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Sierra Leone and Chechnya, as well as revolutions, uprisings and coups. Later he became Moscow bureau chief for the Telegraph, where he worked for four years, covering Russia under Vladimir Putin and writing about notorious terrorist attacks in the early 2000s. Strauss worked with the US Marines in southern Afghanistan as a political officer during the Afghan war.

He taught journalism for two years as a guest professor at the University of Alaska. He now divides his time between Canada, where he runs a wilderness lodge that specialises in viewing grizzly bears and leads environmental and charity initiatives, and Europe where he teaches and writes. He has had two documentaries made about his life and endeavours and several articles written about him in the British and Canadian media. He was twice short-listed for British Foreign Correspondent of the Year.

In this episode you will learn about the power of meditation and how it can effect your mental health. You will also learn a lot about the importance of our dreams and how to make sense of them. This time my guest is Michael Katz psychologist, artist, and author with a doctoral degree in psychology from New York University. He is a long time student of Tibetan Buddhism and has studied with many of the great masters of this age. He is the co-author and editor of the book “Dream Yoga and the Practice of Natural Light” with Chogyal Namkhai Norbu . He is also the author of the book “Tibetan Dream Yoga the Royal Road to Enlightenment “as well as the fictional novel “The White Dolphin.”

Michael a Santi Maha Sangha teacher in the Dzogchen Community was authorized to teach dream yoga and meditation by Chogyal Namkhai Norbu . He has subsequently taught dream yoga for two decades in more than 30 countries internationally as well as Harvard University, Amherst College, Tibet House and other institutions and organizations. He was featured in the discovery channel’s program “The Power of Dreams ” and was a featured speaker at the first ” Gateways of the Mind conference in London. He was also featured in a documentary movie called “Tamara’s Sacred Journey ” after leading a group to sacred caves in Tibet in 2010.His paintings were the subject of a one person show at Tibet /house called ” Form Is Emptiness” in 2013.

My guest is Marc Altheim is a yoga instructor and owner of a Yoga studio, Know Yoga Know Bliss, in Manhasset on Long Island, NY. He was formerly a real estate developer (co-founder of Atlantic Development Group) and founder of Beach Tennis USA, a company that introduced the sport of beach tennis to the USA and Canada. At Know Yoga Know Bliss all students, beginners and experts, are welcome, The studio is zen-like and well appointed. Marc specializes in teaching a Men's-only yoga class in order to attract guys who would otherwise not be amenable to trying yoga. The class emphasizes checking egos at the door and teaches the guys to accept the architecture and pliability (or non-pliability!) of their bodies. The class has been a resounding success as the men feel more secure in this environment.

For the last 8 years Marc has deeply delved into Judaism by becoming a graduate student at Jewish Theological Seminary, cultivated and developed his Transcendental Meditation practice (twice a day religiously), was certified as a 200-hour Yoga instructor by the national Yoga Alliance and recently obtained his 15-hour Breath Coach training from the Yoga Teachers College.

My guest is Fernando Desouches, Managing Director of the New Macho strategic division at London-based brand and transformation company, BBD Perfect Storm, who are on a mission to help brands grow through positive gender narratives. New Macho is working with renowned global brands such as Dove Men+Care, Ruffles, Pepsi, Heinz and HeFroShe to help them stay relevant, dispel negative cliches and redefine masculinity. With more than 20 years of experience in marketing to men, including at Unilever where he led the Axe brand’s second-only brand repositioning in its 35-year history, he continues to provide important industry insights on cultural conversations around masculinity for his clients and wider society.

In addition to being a frequent contributor across major media outlets, he is a regular speaker at industry events like AdWeek, prominent institutions like UNWomen Unstereotype Alliance and several universities around the globe. His work and expertise has been recognised by the IPA (Institute of Practitioners in Advertising), who added his name to their 2020 iList of role models championing inclusivity in the advertising industry.

Scott Miller, world renowened performing art expert and I discuss everything from embodiment to parenting and being present with a " jelly brain". No, I won't tell you what that is - you have to come and listen. You will learn more about the immigrant mindset and how to travel as well as why being present in the moment is so crucial in leadership and politics.

With four decades of experience as a coach and teacher, my guest, Scott developed a revolutionary communication method not only grounded in decades of field research at NYU Tisch's Graduate Program, but also incorporating data from the latest neuroscientific research on memory, linguistics, and cognition carried out by world-renowned institutions like NYU's Department of Psychology & Neural Science. He is visionary and long-time investigator of human behavior and has a very unique perspective on what effective communication really is about.

In this episode I take a step back and explore what is "MANTORSHIFT" and why did I start exploring the question of modern masculinity. It gets pretty personal as always when you get to deeper stuff... I also explore a new topic that grabs my interest a lot lately... what I call the "immigrant mindset".

Mickey had a very successful corporate career as Managing Director and Sales Director at major multinational companies such as Deutsche Telekom, Aegis and Deloitte and served in various executive level roles. His clients include some the largest multinationals: Microsoft; GE; Vodafone; Kraft Foods; Bayer; EDF; ING; BNP Paribas. He has an MA in psychology and an MBA from Case Western University. He is a Master Practitioner; Consultant and Trainer certified by the prestigious NLPU in California and a certified Generative Coach. Mickey also serves on the board of several companies as well as previously the Conscious Capitalism New York Chapter and he is a regular speaker at events organized by YPO chapters. His main area of focus is change management and leadership development as well as self leadership. He has trained several thousand executives around the world in leadership skills, stress management and negotiation skills. A father of two he practices martial arts; yoga and meditation and has travelled to Tibet to become a true practitioner.

In this episode you will learn a lot about leadership and what it takes to build and sell a successful business. We also explore masculinity and femininity as necessary energies and styles in the Yin and Yang of leading people. My guest, Robbie Steinhouse is a serial entreprenuer and successful business owner as well as one of Britain’s leading NLP trainers and coaches. He delivers all of the training at NLP School in London and is also on the faculty at NLP University in California. In addition to being an NLP Master Trainer he is also an ICF certified coach and his work ranges from delivering in-house leadership programmes to coaching private clients across the world.

Starting in the 1980’s, Robbie built and ran businesses in recruitment, property and insurance. As these grew, he found an ever-increasing need for more than just commercial skills, both for himself and his team. He also found a bewildering range of psychological and personal development models on offer. The material that he discovered to be (by far) the most useful was NLP, especially when linked to Transactional Analysis, Mindfulness and the Coaching approach. His passion for the human dimension of business led him to give up his executive role and focus on training and coaching in 2002. Robbie is also a writer. His first book, Think like an Entrepreneur was published in 2008; Brilliant Decision Making, appeared in March 2010, How to Coach with NLP, came out in autumn 2010. His latest book, published in 2017 is Mindful Business Leadership.

In this episode you will learn what is black architecture and what it could do for black neighborhoods. My guest is Demar Matthews, a Los Angeles based architectural designer, theorist, and writer. He is the founder and Principal of OffTop Design.

Born in Moreno Valley, CA, Demar received his Bachelor’s from HBCU Lincoln University of PA, and his Master’s of architecture at Woodbury University where he was awarded the Graduate Thesis Prize for his project Black Architecture: Unearthing the Black Aesthetic. His introduction to the field was through his article “A Black Architecture Education Experience” on archinect. Demar believes architecture and good design should not only be for the privileged. Every community deserves to be proud of the built environment around them, and the built environment around them should be based on the cultures of the people who live there; regardless of income, race, and gender.

In this episode you will learn, how the scariest thing that ever happened to you can turn out to be a call for action and eventually, into "the best thing ever" to find your calling or “second mountain” in life. My guest is Justin Mirro, the CEO of Kensington Capital Acquisition Corp, a Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) and the President of Kensington Capital Partners, a merchant bank that invests in automotive and industrial companies.

As a former Toyota-trained engineer and automotive investment banker, Justin brings a unique ability to develop a clear investment thesis and monetization strategy for his investments. Historically, most of Kensington’s investments have been made via distressed equity or debt securities, often converted into common equity on similar terms as management. More recently, Kensington has focused on high-growth companies in the emerging automotive mega-trend of vehicle electrification. Current Kensington investments include Transtar Inc., an Ohio based distributor of transmission repair parts, and Stanadyne Corporation, a New York based supplier of OE and aftermarket fuel injectors and pumps. Justin is the lead independent director of QuantumScape Corporation (NYSE: QS), a California based developer of solid-state electric vehicle batteries and is also a director of Cooper Standard Automotive (NYSE: CPS), a Michigan based tier one supplier of rubber hoses and door seals. Prior to investment banking Justin worked as an automotive engineer, first as a manufacturing engineer at General Motors in Detroit and then as a design engineering at Toyota Motor Corp in Japan. Justin holds a patent for an adjustable stabilizer bar used on the Land Cruiser SUV. Justin is the creator and publisher of The Motor Weekly®, an electronic newsletter covering the stock prices, operating metrics and valuation multiples for publicly traded automotive and commercial vehicle companies. To subscribe http://www.themotorweekly.com/subscribe.html. Justin has a BS Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and an MBA from the Stern School of Business at New York University in New York City. Justin is the chair of the external advisory board of the Integrative Systems + Design division at Michigan’s College of Engineering.

How does one acquire great public speaking skills that eventually lead him to taking 2nd place globally (although he is determined to eventually win first place) in the Toastmasters World Championships? What turns a shy Chinese boy (his words) growing up in Australia into a confident speaking and communication expert? You will learn that and some pretty specific tips about becoming a great speaker from my chat with Kwong Yue Yang, who has spoken at events in China, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, UAE, Australia and the USA.

A native of Canberra, Australia, Kwong started his career as a corporate graduate working in a Change Management and Business Development teams. He then moved to Guangzhou, China, where he worked in digital advertising, and later became a founding member of an international digital firm that has worked with Zynga, Tokopedia, and Groupon. Kwong is an Ultimate Frisbee enthusiast who represented Australia at the Asia-Oceanic Ultimate Championships in 2007 and 2011. In addition to English, he is fluent in Cantonese and Mandarin. Sheri Salta, former Exec Producer of the Oprah Winfrey Show and President Of HARPO says, “Sam is one of the bright lights and most accessible wisdom sharers in our culture today.”

Again, words can change lives, including your own. PC, LGBTQ+ and BLM. All terms that people tend to have strong opinions on. Some of us are still just learning what they mean, others are advocates and activists. One thing I find is missing are respectful conversations around this topic from all sides. Conversations about the meaning of tolerance and embrace, and what that means for our modern society and for men (and women). Hopefully, you too can learn about these terms and form a more educated opinion based on my conversation with Arya Marvazy, who was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA, and earned his BA in Psychology at UC San Diego, and a master's in Organizational Behavior from NYU. Twelve years into his non-profit career, he currently serves as the Managing Director of JQ International, an LGBTQ+ and Jewish organization focused on education, outreach, and support in service of inclusion and equality for all.

In 2017, Arya launched the JQ Persian Pride Fellowship, an interfaith LGBTQ+ and ally initiative training the next generation of leaders. His dedication to the Jewish and LGBTQ+ community earned him a spot on LA Jewish Journal's 30 Under 30 list, IranWire's 50 Iranian-Americans You Should Know, and most recently the 2019 JPro Young Professional Award. Sheri Salta, former Exec Producer of the Oprah Winfrey Show and President Of HARPO says, “Sam is one of the bright lights and most accessible wisdom sharers in our culture today.”

Words can change lives, including your own. From this episode with Sam Horn, the Founder/CEO of the Intrigue Agency and the Tongue Fu! Training Institute, you will learn how the words we use can make a difference in building better relationships and becoming a leader that people want to follow. Sam shares quite a few real-life stories, inspiring quotes and actionable insights you can use immediately to get real-world results on and off the job. Sam’s 9 books – including Tongue Fu!, Got Your Attention? and SOMEDAY is Not a Day in the Week - have been published in a dozen languages, endorsed by Tony Robbins, Stephen Covey and Keith Ferazzi, and taught to hundreds of organizations worldwide including Intel, Cisco, Capital One, Accenture, Nationwide, and the Asian Leadership Conference.

Sam’s three TEDx talks have been viewed more than a half million times and her LinkedIn communication series is used by organizations like Walmart and Wells Fargo to train their employees how to communicate more clearly and confidently. Sheri Salta, former Exec Producer of the Oprah Winfrey Show and President Of HARPO says, “Sam is one of the bright lights and most accessible wisdom sharers in our culture today.”

For this episode I had a really intriguing chat with Tynan. He has written seven books, many which became #1 Amazon Bestsellers in their categories. One pair of pants and two shirts as well as a white tuxedo is all he owns in terms of clothes. From this episode you can learn a lot about: - Why doing things that are different from the mainstream will pay off; - Why so many things we hold as common knowledge and truth are flat out wrong; - How to form a habit that lasts; - What you can learn from pick-up art; - Why drinking tea is good for your body and spirit; - and what are some key habits we should all have.

Tynan is best known for two books titled Superhuman by Habit and Superhuman Social Skills. He owns properties in Hawaii, Budapest, and Tokyo, as well as an island near Halifax, Canada and 12 units in a neighborhood in Las Vegas. His combined cost for all of these things is under $100k. He believes in making deliberate decisions and breaking away from the herd mentality. From embarrassingly humble beginnings, he rose to become one of the most famous pickup artists in the world. He is now happily married, which probably wouldn't have happened without pickup. He also lived in an RV for around 10 years. He has never tried cigarette or any drug and had only five sips of alcohol, and have swallowed no pills other than Vitamin D pills.

As things escalate in the USA, I am releasing this episode with a heavy heart but with a lot of hope. Heavy heart because we talked before the Capitolium was besieged, but we already knew that nothing good will come from the two sides demonizing each other. With a lot of hope as we do talk about some great and promising tools and approaches that might help us in this situation. Our discussion also flows around the history of Jewish masculinity and the roots of anti-Semitism. We touch on the sexuality of men and how many men tend not to have any understanding and connection to their body. My guest is Dr. Yakir Englander, the National Director of Leadership programs at the Israeli-American Council. He also teaches at the AJR (a rabbinical school) in New-York. Originally from the Ultra-Orthodox community of Israel, Englander obtained his Ph.D. from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem in Jewish philosophy and gender studies. He is a Fulbright scholar and was a visiting professor of Religion at Northwestern University, the Shalom Hartman Institute and Harvard Divinity School.

Englander's books have changed the discourse on sexuality and gender inside the Jewish religious societies in Israel. After leaving Orthodoxy, Yakir was drafted to the Israeli military, spending most of his service in an elite unit tasked with the identification of human remains. As a result of his service, he joined as a director and later as the vice president at Kids4Peace, an interfaith youth movement in Jerusalem and many cities in North America. We talk about the lessons he has learned from the peace work, and how we should handle the bitter divide in the USA and around the world.

In this episode we wanted to speak about Men and Happiness. They seem to have an adversarial relationship. One of the top 5 regrets of men is they wish they have let themselves to be happier. Why is that and what’s the remedy? Come and find out when you listen to our 20th and final 2020 podcast on MANTORSHIFT. My partner in conversation is Arnaud Collery, who is hard to pin down. He's got his hands in a lot of different pies (so to speak), and I agree with him that's a really good thing. He's an entrepreneur, public speaker, emcee, stand-up comedian and jack of all trades across the business and entertainment spectrums.

Arnaud created Stand Up for Passion in 2014 drawing from his stage and directing background and combining it with his personal mission to make the world a more purpose-driven and meaningful place. In 2019, Google sponsored the event in their HQ in NY, Aruba the “Happy Island” in their casino and at last the United Nations/UNHCR in Geneva in December 2019 and live-streamed to thousands internally. Arnaud has been working on creativity and happiness-related projects and companies for many years and has made it his life's work to spread his insight and tools for happiness in life and business to the world. By trade, he's an award winning comedian (Last Comic Standing quarter finalist 2009) and filmmaker (Little Klaus Big World, best comedy film at the Monaco film festival in 2012). He has been featured on CTTV China, TBS Japan, KTLA, KPCC, NBC, MTV, E! as well as the Huffington Post. He is a regular Guest speaker at BFM BUSINESS TV Channel since 2015 on the topic of Happiness and Quality of life. He published "Mister Happiness" with France number 1 publisher Larousse on April 2018.

This time we talk about the difference between being a dad versus a father. We explore what does it mean to "live your life out loud" and why seeking discomfort is actually good for you. We dig into the roots of the political divisiveness and to why saying "I don't know" helps building your leadership charisma. My guest is Jonscott Turco, a global citizen who enjoys different cultures, people, and perspectives. His multinational and multicultural work focuses on transformation and organizational development and he thrives on cross-cultural collaboration and big-picture success for people and organizations. He lives and works in the United States, Europe, and the Middle East and has spent over two decades across 50+ countries honing his own international expertise in transformational leadership development, innovative business practices, and cross cultural collective intelligence. Jonscott now shares this expertise through numerous professional outlets.

Outside of his consulting work, Jonscott has been a longtime adjunct professor at his Alma Mater, Manhattan College. He enjoys teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in subjects ranging from International Organizational Leadership, International Marketing, and Consumer Psychology. Jonscott provides first-person insight into international business and shares a global perspective with his students. In his personal time, Jonscott enjoys spending time with his family and traveling. He is an avid photographer and longtime athlete. He is a regular on the soccer field and has taken on endurance racing challenges, including the New York City Marathon and Ironman triathlon covering 140.6 miles swimming (2.4), cycling (112) and running (26.2). Jonscott is always looking for ways to improve and transform not only businesses across social and cultural sectors, but how people relate to one another in a more humane manner. He is especially interested in the media and the way it shapes the world, and supports open and constructive dialogue across nationalities, races, religions, and politics.

I felt it was high time to talk about men and art, acting and masculinity. In this episode my guest is John Dapolito, the Founder of Actors! Where Are You Going?, a cutting edge acting program for professional actors. John shares his personal story and how he was able to transform the void his absent, ex-con violent father left into “becoming what he missed”. Among many things we talk about the role of assertiveness for men and how it can blend well with kindness, support and attention. We also center on the role of a mentor and how strangely unfamiliar we tend to be with the presence of positive masculinity.

John recently penned, Ethan & Nico Go to Therapy. His other plays include: Augie’s Ring (Los Angeles Times Critics Pick), An Act of Kindness (Los Angeles Times Critics Pick), Killer Midgets, and Baptism by Fire. The latter play, Baptism by Fire was produced and directed by Emmy Award Winner Michael Imperioli (Sopranos) and starred Nick Sandow (Orange is the New Black) and Vincert Curatola (Sopranos). John’s screenplay When Tough Guys Were King co-authored by Dominik Tiefenthaler, and is based on the video testimonial recordings of his estranged ex-con father, August Dapolito, a native of Jersey City who struggled with heroin addiction, alcohol and prison for 25 years until he lost his life to AIDS in 1993. John is also a New York City based professional acting teacher and director. He first directed Ralph Pape’s Soap Opera some twenty-five years ago, and in the spring of 2013 he directed a daring production of Neil LaBute’s Romance. In 2013 he directed Brian Gianci’s, Let’s Kill Grandma This Christmas. In 2017 he directed the American premiere of Ghost Story by Mark Ravenhill.

There is a big debate going on about what are the biological differences between men and women and how we should think about our masculinity and femininity. Understanding how our hormonal dynamics play a pivotal role in how humans behave is still a task at hand in science. John Gray is the author of one of the most well-known and trusted relationship book of all time, Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus. USA Today listed his book as one of the top 10 most influential books of the last quarter century. Dr. Gray has written over 20 books. His most recent book is Beyond Mars and Venus. John helps men and women better understand and respect their differences in both personal and professional relationships. His approach combines specific communication techniques with healthy, nutritional choices that create the brain and body chemistry for lasting health, happiness and romance. He has appeared repeatedly on Oprah, as well as on The Dr. Oz Show, TODAY, CBS This Morning, Good Morning America, and others. He has been profiled in Time, Forbes, USA Today, and People. He was also the subject of a three-hour special hosted by Barbara Walters.

His many books, blogs and free online workshops at MarsVenus.com pro An advocate of health and optimal brain function, he also provides natural solutions for overcoming depression, anxiety and stress to support increased energy, libido, hormonal balance and better sleep. John Gray lives in Northern California, where for 34 years he happily shared his life with his beautiful wife, Bonnie, until her passing in 2018. They have three grown daughters and four grandchildren.

Is there really a birth lottery in life? How do you choose between "breaking bad" or breaking out? You will learn from this episode how James McKeever who is now a professor of sociology was able to break free from the jail of poverty and how he chose purposeful work over violence and crime. We talk about the power and relevance of race, the role of mentors and family and what it takes to change your personal history when your parent’s legacy is dragging you down rather than propelling you upward. James has a long history of involvement in social justice work. He has worked for the Los Angeles County Probation Department, where he was involved with the design and implementation of prevention and intervention programs for detained youth. He has also worked with the National Committee for Community and Justice (NCCJ), a group that is dedicated to fighting racism, sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia. He received his bachelor degree from California State University Los Angeles where he graduated Magna Cum Laude. He received his PhD from the University of Southern California. Currently he is a Professor of Sociology Department at Los Angeles Pierce College.

His interests lie in the areas of the intersection of race, gender, and class as well as issues that have to do with negative outcomes for minority youth. James is a former American Sociological Association Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) Fellow and National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) Fellow. His dissertation focused on African-American men’s mentorship in majority Latina/o communities.

In this episode we explore with Dr. Gilligan what has brought humanity to the precarious and perilous place we currently live in. You will learn about what mental health is and how to keep our sanity and cool during the present marathon of a crisis. We also discuss the fundamentals of being a father who will make a positive difference on his children and how the ideal evolved over the last 50 years. You can learn the basic technic of centering which is the best-known antidote to stress and the key ingredient of high performance and being at your best.

My partner in conversation is Stephen Gilligan Ph.D., who after receiving his psychology doctorate from Stanford University, became one of the premier teachers and practitioners of Ericksonian hypnotherapy. He has taught in many different cultures and countries over the past 30 years and has published extensively.

We have become quite estranged from ourselves. We often choose cynicism as a defense mechanism and are hiding behind our questions. It is hard for us to show up in an authentic way because if doesn't feel safe. Rabbi Iggy argues that we need a place where we can just be and belong. Part of being a man is exactly to make those choices of who I want to be, how I want to be and what do I want to communicate about myself. A fascinating learning experience about manhood, masculinity and what is the essence of the Jewish approach to humanity and manhood. Rabbi Igael "Iggy" Gurin-Malous is a renowned Talmud teacher, spiritual counselor, artist, and educator. He grew up between Belgium, Israel (so expect him to be well dressed and blunt) and the United States in a traditional Jewish Orthodox home. He is a frequent author, speaker, teacher and contributor on subjects ranging from Talmud, Jewish text, spirituality, addiction, recovery, fatherhood and LGBTQI+ issues.

Today he is the founding rabbi and CEO of T’shuvah Center, a new long term Jewish recovery community in Bed-stuy, Brooklyn. He was formerly the Director of Spiritual counseling at Beit T’Shuvah in Los Angeles. He is also Temple Israel of Hollywood Talmud Scholar in Residence, teaching weekly classes on Interpreting Talmud. Igael also serves on the board and faculty at the Academy of Jewish Religion of California.

We all want to succeed. Most of us dream about long term, sustainable high performance and winning it all. In this podcast you will hear about the limitations of the finite “win it all” style versus an infinite, long-term approach both in sports and business. For this episode I interviewed Paul Epstein, an expert at achieving world class performance, a revenue and culture champion with nearly 15 years of experience as a professional sports executive for multiple NFL and NBA teams, a global sports agency, and the NFL league office.

Paul has since developed a "Playing Offense" methodology to help professionals, leaders, and executives achieve at the highest levels, and shares his playbook on Playing Offense as a keynote speaker, executive coach, and global consultant. Be on the lookout for his book on "The Power of Playing Offense" late 2020.

In this episode you will learn about how men can be great allies to women and how we can build a better culture (both at work and at home) of inclusivity and equity, while also preserving the values of masculine and feminine qualities. For this episode I interviewed Shannon Huffman Polson. She is one of the first women to fly Apache combat helicopters in the U.S. Armed Forces, where she served on three continents and led two flight platoons and a line company. Recently she turned her attention to the study of leadership, as author of The Grit Factor: Courage, Resilience and Leadership in the Most Male Dominated Organization in the World, and founder of The Grit Institute, with robust training in leadership and grit dedicated to whole-leader development in times of challenge and change.

After nearly a decade as an Army officer and attack aviation leader, she transitioned through her MBA at Dartmouth to become a leader and manager in the corporate sector at Guidant and Microsoft. She has a lot to share about leadership, her experience as a women in the most male dominated organization in the world as well as parenthood and living life with authencity and purpose.

As a well-meaning human being you are probably asking yourself what are we to do about the current huge racial tension in the USA and the world. If you are a white man, you are probably also asking yourself what you can contribute and how best relate to people of other color. If you have kids like me, you are probably wondering what you should teach to your kids about our heritage and how to build a more balanced future. What’s the solution for us to come together? How can we be in peace with ourselves and each other? This is a unique chance to hear from Don Oatzínu, who brings in a surprising and extremely relevant indigenous prospective. My guest is is from the Good Star clan born for the Chaco Diné Tó Tsó Níí Lipiyanes of Chaco Canyon who is the lineal Honorable High Chief Little Clown of the Lipahenne Tribe of the greater southwest. Furthermore, he is an armed forces veteran who believes that all fellow veterans need better healthcare.

Dón Oatzínu is passionately working with veterans in SUD treatment programs and currently building a program to aid Veterans in a traditional holistic integrated manner. Pooling from both paternal and maternal lineal indigenous healing traditions, Dón Oatzínu incorporates these modalities, core values and practices to help the people.

In this episode my guest is Shaykh Ibad Wali, the Executive Director & Resident Scholar of Hillside Islamic Center as well as an ‘Aalim Course Instructor at Darul Uloom New York, specializing in the Islamic Law of Inheritance. You will learn a lot about the Muslim view of the world and how education is the key to be able to live in peace with each other. You will hear about the true meaning of the sacred war and how prophet Mohammed in fact was a progressive man of his age. Ibad also shares about his views of the sanctity of the family, his deep respect for women and the need to define what good manhood looks like in the world.

He is currently on the Board of Directors for CAIR-NY, on the Interfaith Clergy Advisory Committee of the District Attorney of Nassau County and the Unified Task Force Against Hate of Nassau and Suffolk County Executives. The Shaykh is also the Resident Scholar of Majlis Ash-Shura: Islamic Leadership Council of New York, Founder of Sacred Knowledge Institute, Host on America's Islamic Radio, works with the Halal Food Certification in public schools for NYC Department of Education, is the Boy Scouts of America Charter Organization Representative for Hillside Islamic Center and is engaged in various chaplaincy work and interfaith initiatives across NYC & Long Island.

My guest in this episode is Gordon Korman, the author of more than ninety books for kids and young adults, most recently WAR STORIES, and NOTORIOUS. You can learn about how his purpose found him and what it is like to balance so many roles in your life, from being a father to being an internationally renowned writer and speaker. He shares about his creative writing process and what it was like growing up feeling different.

His writing career began at the age of twelve when his seventh grade English assignment became his first published novel. Now, four decades later, he is a full-time writer and speaker, with over thirty-two million copies of his novels in print in thirty-five languages. Each year he travels extensively, visiting schools, libraries, and bookstores, bringing his trademark humor and adventure styles to readers everywhere. A native of Ontario, Canada, he lives with his family in Long Island, New York.

My guest in this episode is Christian Picciolini, the award-winning television producer, public speaker, author, peace advocate, and former violent extremist. You will learn why men are attracted to extremist movements and why is it so hard to leave once you are in. He shares how he was able to overcome his fears and self-hatred and begun to transform his life. We also talk about the current deadlock of hatred and the lack of conversation in our society about a constructive way forward through the deep racial and ideological challenges we are facing as a nation.

Christian has an amazing life story. After leaving the hate movement he helped create during the 1980s and 90s, he began the painstaking process of making amends and rebuilding his life. Christian went on to earn a degree in international relations from DePaul University and launched Goldmill Group, a counter-extremism consulting and digital media firm. In 2016, he won an Emmy Award for producing an anti-hate advertising campaign aimed at helping people disengage from extremism. Since leaving the white-power movement, Christian has dedicated his life to helping others overcome their own hate. He now leads the Free Radicals Project, a global extremism prevention and disengagement network. He has spoken all over the world, including the TED stage, and shares his unique and extensive knowledge, teaching all who are willing to learn about building greater peace through empathy and compassion. Christian chronicles his involvement and exit from the early American white-supremacist skinhead movement in his memoir, WHITE AMERICAN YOUTH. He showcases his disengagement work in a second book, BREAKING HATE: Confronting the New Culture of Extremism, published inFebruary 2020 by Hachette Books, as well as the MSNBC documentary series of the same name.

In this episode I interview Arthur Woods, who is a serial entrepreneur working at the intersection of equity, inclusion and technology. He was named to Forbes 30 Under 30 and 40 Under 40 by BEQ. He is a three-times TEDx speaker and has advised leading brands from Disney and MetLife to the Smithsonian. You will learn what it was like for him to come out as a gay men and how he found purpose in his life. He shares his take on what modern masculinity is and I get to ask him some behind scene questions about what it means to be gay in 2020 in the United States.

He is the Co-Founder of Mathison, a talent marketplace helping employers recruit and retain professionals from underrepresented communities globally. He is the creator of the first Equal Hiring Index to assess to drive inclusive hiring practices for organizations. Arthur came from Google where he led operations for YouTube’s Education division and oversaw YouTube for Schools. Arthur previously co-founded Imperative, leading social learning platform; Out in Tech, the largest global LGBTQ technology community; and Social Impact 360, the leading collegiate social enterprise education program. Arthur studied Operations and Information Management at Georgetown University and Project Management at Stanford University. He is a World Economic Forum Global Shaper, GCT Entrepreneur in Residence, a New York Venture Fellow, has contributed to Fast Company and sits on the Board of the Georgetown Technology Alliance.

In this episode I interview the Reverend Doctor Patrick Garnet Duggan, a bi-vocational pastor. You will learn a lot about the African American male experience and what it is like to be always on the alert in your own skin or when they think you must be an athlete if your are in Harvard. We talk about how to make meaning of what is happening around us and how to move forward by first admitting that something is indeed wrong.

Dr. Duggan is a native New Yorker, a preacher, and a transformational denominational executive. He and his wife Patricia, a school administrator, are the parents of three sons and proud grandparents of two girls and two boys. He earned the Bachelor of Arts from Harvard University, the Master of Divinity and the Doctor of Ministry degrees, both from New York Theological Seminary. He has served as Senior Pastor of the Congregational Church of South Hempstead/ United Church of Christ (CCSH) since 1995 and also served as Executive Director of the United Church of Christ Church Building and Loan Fund (CB&LF) in addition to his pastoral duties. CB&LF is the oldest church building society in the United States, having financed over CB&LF’s vision is to re-invent the concept of “church” through innovative uses of buildings and space created through unique partnerships and the application of biblical principles, to dramatically improve the economic, social, environmental, and spiritual vitality of poor communities and gentrifying neighborhoods. Dr. Duggan asserts that the source of his passion for leading CB&LF is that he is “on a mission to enable church leaders and congregations to live into God’s economy”.

Dr. John Amaral DC is a master energy practitioner, author and educator who works with A-List celebrities, entrepreneurs, athletes, influencers and thought-leaders. John has worked hands-on with thousands of people from over 60 countries, utilizing his energetic approaches to help them feel and perform their best.

John has been a practitioner for Tony Robbins since 2006. He and his work are featured in the recent GOOP Labs Netflix series with Gwyneth Paltrow and he has appeared on numerous podcasts.

In this episode you will learn how the fight-or-flight is a physiological survival mechanism we are all born with. When we perceive a threat, our sympathetic nervous system activates, stimulating the adrenal glands and triggering the release of adrenaline and other hormones. Our hearts beat faster, our breathing becomes more rapid, our pupils dilate, and we may start trembling or perspiring. Early on, John realized that all of his clients—especially the highly successful ones—were regularly experiencing fight-or-flight. Many of them were either purposefully or unconsciously inducing a stress state (or, in other words staying in fight-or-flight) so that they could use the resulting energy as fuel. This “hack” provided a competitive edge, but it was also draining. Without taking time to recharge and recover, people in a near-constant state of fight-or-flight are stressed, tense, and depleted. They’re focused on their physical bodies and able to disconnect from their emotions. This kind of avoidance can have real physical consequences; bottled up grief, anger, and hurt often manifest as physical pain in a process called somatization.

Mr. Gersh was raised in a time when ADHD, Dyslexia, and similar disabilities were not diagnosed. These children were labeled difficult, lazy, and trouble. Mr. Gersh was one of them. The challenges he faced in his childhood would set him on a life-long path to help children.

Nearly 30 years ago, Kevin opened his first school, focused on creating a customized environment for children with special needs. Today his organization has evolved into a comprehensive life management program developed for individuals on the autism spectrum that includes: K-21 Schools, Therapeutic Programs, Day Camps, Post-Secondary, Vocational Training, Job Placement, Residential and a Driving School. His programs are run across New York, Washington State, West Virginia, and Puerto Rico.

As Founder and CEO of Gersh Autism, Mr. Gersh has dedicated himself to making a difference in the lives of children. His experience and professional commitment continue to provide opportunities, inspiration, and guidance for every child to reach their full potential, regardless of the challenges they face.

Kevin lives in Utah with his wife Lindy Gersh and their twin boys, Ashton and Harrison.

What is masculinity and where does it come from? How do we define modern masculinity? What should a healthy and successful 21st century man be like?

You will learn about this and many more topics in this interview with Robert B. Dilts, a developer, author, trainer and consultant in the field of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) - a model of human behavior, learning and communication - since its creation in 1975 by John Grinder and Richard Bandler. A long time student and colleague of both Grinder and Bandler, Robert also studied personally with Milton H. Erickson, M.D., and Gregory Bateson.

Recognized internationally as one of the foremost developers, trainers and practitioners of NLP, Robert has done consulting and training throughout the world to a wide variety of professional groups and organizations. He has lectured extensively on NLP, making presentations and giving keynote addresses for distinguished academic institutions and major corporations around the world.

Robert is also the author of 27 books, several monographs and over 2 dozen articles on NLP, including The Encyclopedia of Systemic Neuro-Linguistic Programming and NLP New Coding, (co-authored with Judith DeLozier), The Hero's Journey: a Voyage of Discovery (co-authored with Stephen Gilligan) and his most recent book, NLP II: The Next Generation (co-authored with Judith DeLozier and Deborah Bacon Dilts).

On how to be a more human man, and what it takes to build 7000 housed for the poor. We talk about crying, persevering and the power of having a supporting circle around you.

You will learn more about how being a purpose driven man takes more than writing a check. Sean Lambert is the executive director and president of YWAM San Diego/Baja. He has traveled and ministered in more than 50 nations. he is the founder of Mission Adventures and Home of Hope, two global networks that have mobilized more than 225,000 people in outreaches around the world. Sean also serves on the Board of Regents for the University of the Nations and on several other international leadership teams that serve and support the greater vision of YWAM. In 2016, Homes of Hope was featured in People magazine's "American Heroes" special edition. Sean and his wife, Janet, live in San Diego, California, and they have three grown daughters.