The ManKind Podcast

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What if healing doesn't begin by becoming someone new—but by remembering who you've always been?
In this episode of the ManKind Podcast, Boysen sits down with CJ Goulding, co-founder of Boys in the Wood, an organization using nature, brotherhood, and community to support the mental health and wellbeing of Black men.
CJ shares the personal story that led him from outdoor education to creating transformative retreats where men reconnect with themselves, each other, and the natural world. Together they explore how vulnerability grows in the right environment, why community is essential to healing, and how challenging outdated stories of masculinity opens the door to a more connected and courageous life.
They also discuss the role of nature in emotional wellbeing, the importance of mutual aid and collective care, the power of authentic leadership, and why sharing power doesn't diminish us—it multiplies what becomes possible.
Whether you're looking for deeper brotherhood, healthier masculinity, or simply a reminder that you don't have to carry everything alone, this conversation offers both hope and practical wisdom.
In this episode you'll hear:
• Why nature helps men reconnect with themselves
• The story behind Boys in the Wood
• How vulnerability becomes possible inside trusted communities
• Why "remember who you are" is more than a metaphor
• The surprising ways joy shows up when men feel safe
• How healing one man strengthens an entire community
• Why power grows when it's shared
Learn more about Boyz n the Wood - https://www.boyznthewood.org/ 
Hearing the call? We're here. https://mkpusa.org
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The ManKind Podcast has partnered with Betterhelp to make it easier for listeners to access licensed mental health therapists who can aid them in their mental health journey. Brandon and Boysen stand by this service as they use BetterHelp for their therapy needs.
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Men's sexuality is under siege from every direction — algorithmic porn, AI girlfriends engineered to extract money by never actually satisfying you, and a culture that hasn't given men a single useful framework for talking about any of it. Taylor Johnson has spent seven years in the field helping men overcome sexual dysfunction, anxiety, and disconnection. What he's seeing in 2026 is unlike anything from even two years ago.
In this conversation, you'll learn:
Why short-form video and constant digital stimulation are measurably destroying men's capacity to be present during sex
How AI girlfriend apps are deliberately designed to hook men in a cycle of wanting without ever delivering — and what that does to a teenage brain
Why women still deeply want connection and great sex with men, even in the current cultural climate
The exact approach to opening a conversation with your partner about sex, safety, and the headlines that are affecting both of you
How to recognize when you've hit your capacity in a hard conversation and what to do instead of going off the rails
Why sexual leadership has nothing to do with dominance and everything to do with attunement, safety, and showing up prepared
If you've been avoiding this conversation — with yourself or your partner — this is the episode that ends that.
Resources Mentioned:
Taylor Johnson — Sex Coach for Men — https://www.taylorjohnson.com (search: Taylor Johnson sex educator)
ManKind Project — https://mankindproject.org
CoGenerate (intergenerational collaboration) — https://cogenerate.org
Taylor's Sexual Leadership Retreat for Men (July 2026) — contact via Taylor's website
Taylor's Sexual Menu Worksheet — available through Taylor's programs
Hearing the call? We're here. https://mkpusa.org
BetterHelp: Get 10% Off Your First Month Of Therapy
The ManKind Podcast has partnered with Betterhelp to make it easier for listeners to access licensed mental health therapists who can aid them in their mental health journey. Brandon and Boysen stand by this service as they use BetterHelp for their therapy needs.
#Sponsorship #Ad
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What if most conflicts about respect aren't actually about respect?
In this fascinating conversation, Boysen sits down with historian, researcher, TEDx speaker, and author Dr. Julie Pham to explore one of the most misunderstood words in our culture: respect.
Most of us assume we know what respect means. We ask for it. We expect it. We feel hurt when we don't receive it. But Dr. Pham's research suggests something surprising: while people generally agree on how respect feels, they often disagree dramatically on what respectful behavior actually looks like. 
Drawing from her bestselling book, The 7 Forms of Respect, Julie introduces a practical framework for understanding why misunderstandings happen at work, at home, in friendships, and in communities. She explains how our experiences, culture, family systems, and generational influences shape our expectations—and why curiosity may be the missing ingredient in so many difficult conversations. 
Together, Boysen and Julie explore:
 The seven forms of respect and how they show up in everyday life 
 Why respect is dynamic, subjective, and often contradictory 
 The "Rubber Band Rule" and understanding our personal breaking points 
 How hierarchy, power, and context influence our expectations 
 What men can learn about respect, communication, and curiosity 
 Why organizations struggle when they never define what respect means 
 The relationship between respect, belonging, and mattering 
 How curiosity creates connection across differences 
This conversation offers a fresh lens on relationships, leadership, and community—and a practical way to navigate conflict with greater understanding.
If you've ever said, "I just want to be respected," this episode may completely change what that means.
Find Julie Pham - https://curiositybased.com
Hearing the call? We're here. https://mkpusa.org
BetterHelp: Get 10% Off Your First Month Of Therapy
The ManKind Podcast has partnered with Betterhelp to make it easier for listeners to access licensed mental health therapists who can aid them in their mental health journey. Brandon and Boysen stand by this service as they use BetterHelp for their therapy needs.
#Sponsorship #Ad
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Most men wait for hardship to teach them resilience. Dane Sanders watched his best friend Tim Kruger — an Ironman triathlete — die of stomach cancer at 50. Tim's parting insight: "I'm really glad I practiced voluntary discomfort before involuntary discomfort chose me." That single line became the foundation of everything Dane has built since. This is a conversation about mortality, meaning, and why choosing the hard thing is actually the smartest move any man can make.
In this conversation, you'll learn:
Why the world's default setting is hardship — not comfort — and what changes when you stop treating difficulty as an anomaly
How Tim Kruger's death reshaped Dane's entire understanding of what it means to live fully, not just survive well
The difference between fitting in and belonging — and why one builds agency while the other quietly hollows you out
What happens inside the Men and Women of Discomfort 90-day program and why people crash out over creamer in their coffee
How "microdosing discomfort" prepares you for the storms you can't predict, control, or negotiate out of
Why Anthony DeMello's warning about sleepwalking through life is the most important thing men aren't taking seriously
If you've been waiting for a reason to stop playing it safe, this is the episode.
Resources Mentioned:
Men and Women of Discomfort (MWOD) — https://mwod.io
The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch — https://www.amazon.com/Last-Lecture-Randy-Pausch/dp/1401323251
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom — https://www.amazon.com/Tuesdays-Morrie-Mitch-Albom/dp/076790592X
Anthony de Mello, "Awareness" — https://www.amazon.com/Awareness-Opportunities-Inner-Anthony-Mello/dp/0385249373
Ben Sasse — 60 Minutes interview (terminal brain cancer) — search "Ben Sasse 60 Minutes 2024"
CrossFit — https://www.crossfit.com
Annie (93-year-old CrossFit member, Auburn CrossFit) — featured in CrossFit HQ documentary
Hearing the call? We're here. https://mkpusa.org
BetterHelp: Get 10% Off Your First Month Of Therapy
The ManKind Podcast has partnered with Betterhelp to make it easier for listeners to access licensed mental health therapists who can aid them in their mental health journey. Brandon and Boysen stand by this service as they use BetterHelp for their therapy needs.
#Sponsorship #Ad
Support the show

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Young men are drowning, and the algorithm is doing it on purpose. Within 17 seconds on YouTube, three-quarters of a young man's suggested content steers him straight into the manosphere. Meanwhile, the men who've actually done the inner work are sitting on the sidelines. Jordan Bowman isn't waiting for a viral moment to fix it. He's been in the field for over a decade building something that actually works.
In this conversation, you'll learn:
Why mentorship is your civic duty — and why it matters more than voting or paying taxes
The simple first step any man can take today to connect with a young person already in his life
How to show up as a mentor without giving unsolicited advice or projecting your own experience onto him
Why "presence over perfection" is the only qualification you actually need to get started
The Frodo-to-Gandalf arc: how to transition from hero of your own story to guide for the next generation
What Jordan's father did when he was 14 that changed the entire trajectory of his life — and how you can recreate it for the boys in yours
If this conversation fires something up in you, don't sit on it. Find the most accessible way into mentorship and go give your gifts.
Resources Mentioned:
Journeyman Triangle — https://journeymantriangle.org
CoGenerate (intergenerational collaboration resources) — https://cogenerate.org
American Institute for Boys and Men, Richard Reeves — https://aibm.org
Boys to Men Mentoring Network — https://boystomen.org
Movember Foundation — https://movember.com
Equimundo: Center for Masculinities and Social Justice — https://equimundo.org
Michael Mead, mythologist and author — https://mosaicvoices.org
ManKind Project — https://mankindproject.org
Next Gen Men — https://nextgenmen.ca
Hearing the call? We're here. https://mkpusa.org
BetterHelp: Get 10% Off Your First Month Of Therapy
The ManKind Podcast has partnered with Betterhelp to make it easier for listeners to access licensed mental health therapists who can aid them in their mental health journey. Brandon and Boysen stand by this service as they use BetterHelp for their therapy needs.
#Sponsorship #Ad
Support the show