Mikael Avatar is a Paralympic world record holder in the long jump, international speaker, life coach and author who was born clinically dead for 45 minutes with cerebral palsy.
Finding your purpose doesn't require a grand revelation - it requires testing. Mikael Avatar shares his counterintuitive "100 method" for discovering what truly matters through deliberate experimentation, his 1% pause technique that transformed a Fortune 500 executive's leadership, and why lying big is better than lying small when it comes to your daily mindset. From crossing the Atlantic Ocean with an impossible crew to getting a wild cat to sit on his lap, Mikael proves that the path to meaningful change starts with curiosity, not certainty.
Expect to learn how to test your way to purpose using the 100-day method, why small 1% changes create chain reactions in your entire life, how to shift your mindset when everything feels overwhelming, the difference between authentic confidence and empty pride, how to find your personal goals beyond society's expectations, why mentors matter more than motivation, how to be present enough to see opportunities others miss, the power of helpful ignorance in defying limitations and much more...
Get in touch in the comments below or head to...-Website: www.weslambert.me-Email: wesjlambert@gmail.com-Substack: https://substack.com/@weslambert-Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5Yv1ciX90C3zdPxD67kjyY?si=7591bc0f32da4f23-Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mature-male/id1805978833
Fred Rabinowitz is a psychotherapist, professor of counseling psychology, men's group facilitator for 40+ years, and author of five books including Deepening Group Psychotherapy with Men.
Most men are silently drowning in isolation, shame, and unprocessed emotions - and they don't even know it. Fred Rabinowitz has spent over 40 years pioneering therapeutic men's groups and watching men transform when they finally have a space to be real with other men. In this conversation, we explore why male loneliness is an epidemic, how processing emotions actually makes you more effective (not weaker), and what happens when men learn to drop their walls with each other.
Expect to learn why men's groups are uniquely powerful for male development, how unprocessed emotions lead to male suicide and shame spirals, why being in touch with your emotions makes you more effective in life, how to differentiate healthy intimacy from sexual connection with other men, the simple practices to build genuine self-awareness, why male friendships are so hard to deepen and how to change that, how to navigate your inner complexity without becoming overwhelmed, what masculine flexibility actually means in modern life and much more...
Get in touch in the comments below or head to...-Website: www.weslambert.me-Email: wesjlambert@gmail.com-Substack: https://substack.com/@weslambert-Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5Yv1ciX90C3zdPxD67kjyY?si=7591bc0f32da4f23-Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mature-male/id1805978833
Jeremy Mohler is a therapist licensed in Maryland, writer of the Substack newsletter "Make Men Emotional Again," former labor union organizer, and men's group facilitator who helps men navigate capitalism, emotional vulnerability, and modern masculinity.
Most men believe their friends won't understand if they open up - but this episode challenges that myth. Jeremy shares his own surprising discovery that vulnerability actually deepens connection, not destroys it. He explores why capitalism pushes men toward isolation, how work identity becomes our entire sense of worth, and the practical steps to build the community and emotional expression that combat the male loneliness epidemic.
Expect to learn why sharing emotions feels so risky for men, the economic forces that shape traditional masculinity, how to move from paralysis to action when you're stuck, what therapy approaches work best for men's unique challenges, why your friends will probably hear you if you give them a chance, practical communication skills for expressing feelings without defensiveness, how to start a men's group with structure and safety, why the economy has changed what manhood means for your generation, and much more...
Get in touch in the comments below or head to...-Website: www.weslambert.me-Email: wesjlambert@gmail.com-Substack: https://substack.com/@weslambert-Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5Yv1ciX90C3zdPxD67kjyY?si=7591bc0f32da4f23-Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mature-male/id1805978833
Ashanti Branch is the founder of the Ever Forward Club, creator of the Million Mask Movement, author of Diary of a Confused Educator, and a former engineer who left a six-figure career to work with young men in Oakland.
Behind every "I'm fine" is something a man isn't saying. Ashanti Branch has collected over 80,000 masks from men in 100+ countries, each one revealing the gap between what men show the world and what they're actually feeling inside. One mask he'll never forget: a teenager who wrote "happy, smart, outgoing, caring" on the front and the word "anger" 17 times on the back. In this conversation, we unpack why anger becomes the default emotion for men, what's really driving the behavior society calls "toxic," and how creating space for men to drop the mask changes everything.
Expect to learn why anger is often a cover-up emotion for men, how childhood experiences shape the masks we wear into adulthood, why men turn every emotion into anger when it's the only one respected, what it really means to hold space without carrying someone's burden, how to find alignment between your soul and your career, why showing up imperfectly matters more than having it figured out, practical ways to test if you're living your purpose, and how men's circles create transformation.
Get in touch in the comments below or head to...-Website: www.weslambert.me-Email: wesjlambert@gmail.com-Substack: https://substack.com/@weslambert-Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5Yv1ciX90C3zdPxD67kjyY?si=7591bc0f32da4f23-Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mature-male/id1805978833
Jason Gaddis is a relationship coach, therapist, founder of Relationship School, author of Getting to Zero, and host of a relationships podcast. He has worked with thousands of people over 20 years helping men and women build stronger partnerships through conflict repair and communication skills.
Most men avoid conflict because they've set it up as an impossible choice: speak up and risk losing the relationship, or stay silent and betray yourself. Jason reveals what men are really defending when they get defensive (hint: it's not their position), why conflict avoidance destroys intimacy, and the exact framework for repairing disconnection after fights. This conversation challenges fairy tale thinking about relationships and shows how interpersonal skills are learnable for any man willing to get in the game.
Expect to learn why 45 percent of young men have never approached a woman in person, what defensiveness is really protecting you from, the getting to zero framework for conflict repair, how to know if your partner is actually healthy or just good at hiding problems, why you might be receiving way more feedback than you give and what to do about it, the difference between judgment and feedback in relationships, how to commit to learning conflict skills like you'd commit to any other skill, what interpersonal intelligence actually means and how to develop it, and much more.
Jason's Links:-Instagram: @JaysonGaddis (-Website: RelationshipSchool.com
Get in touch in the comments below or head to...Website: www.weslambert.meEmail: wesjlambert@gmail.comSubstack: https://substack.com/@weslambertSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5Yv1ciX90C3zdPxD67kjyY?si=7591bc0f32da4f23Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mature-male/id1805978833
Peter Shankman is an entrepreneur, author, speaker and the host of the Faster Than Normal podcast about ADHD.
Most men with ADHD hear it called a superpower, but the reality is far more complicated. Peter reveals the brutal truth about living with ADHD - the moments when you think you're crushing it only to realize you've completely missed the mark, the imposter syndrome that never fully goes away, and why he'd be dead without therapy. This conversation goes beyond the highlight reel to explore what it actually takes to manage an ADHD brain while building companies, maintaining relationships, and raising a daughter.
Expect to learn why feeling broken never fully disappears even after diagnosis, how extreme activities like Ironman triathlons became a way to prove self-worth, the difference between ADHD as an excuse versus a reality to manage, why Peter believes everyone should be in therapy, how to make decisions that your future self will thank you for, what to tell your 12-year-old self who feels like an outsider, why medication alone isn't the answer without therapeutic skills, how to break negative cycles before they compound into weeks of poor choices and much more.
Get in touch in the comments below or head to...-Website: www.weslambert.me-Email: wesjlambert@gmail.com-Substack: https://substack.com/@weslambert-Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5Yv1ciX90C3zdPxD67kjyY?si=7591bc0f32da4f23-Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mature-male/id1805978833
Brad Gage is a TV producer, podcast host and modern masculinity advocate who runs Real Feels - conversations exploring what it means to be a man today through vulnerability, humor, and honest dialogue.
Most men in their 30s can't name two close friends they could call in a crisis. Brad Gage treats friendship like a part-time job - from organizing monthly diner gatherings to planning his 20-year high school reunion. In this conversation, he breaks down why male loneliness isn't just painful, it's dangerous, and reveals the practical systems that keep him connected across decades and cities.
Expect to learn why treating friendship as essential rather than optional changes everything, the trauma-informed roots of social success and what being prom king reveals about connection, how to organize gatherings that actually bring men together consistently, the science of rough-and-tumble play in male bonding and child development, why American culture fundamentally misunderstands the necessity of male community, practical tactics for making friends as an adult from taking classes to complimenting strangers, how male friendship directly improves your romantic relationships, why bullying is actually misexpressed play and what that means for accountability and much more...
Get in touch in the comments below or head to...Website: www.weslambert.meEmail: wesjlambert@gmail.comSubstack: https://substack.com/@weslambertSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5Yv1ciX90C3zdPxD67kjyY?si=7591bc0f32da4f23Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mature-male/id1805978833
Duey Freeman is a psychotherapist with over 80,000 client hours, former professor at Naropa University for 31 years, founder of the Gestalt Equine Institute of the Rockies, and specialist in attachment theory and equine-assisted therapy.
Most men struggle with deep feelings of being misunderstood, isolated, and inadequate - but they don't know why. Duey reveals how boys receive half the physical touch that girls do by age two, how this creates a fundamental lack of self-confidence, and why the mental health system's focus on protocols and diagnosis completely misses what actually heals: deep relational connection. This conversation explores the attachment wounds most men carry, the grief work required to heal the gap between the father you wanted and the father you got, and why horses' natural herd behavior reveals everything wrong with how modern men handle crisis.
Expect to learn why boys develop slower than girls and how this creates vulnerability, the two questions every human asks from birth to death, what it means to feel "gotten" versus just heard or seen, why horses come together in crisis while men isolate, how touch deprivation shapes masculine self-worth, the difference between archetypal parents and real parents, why integrated attachment matters more than secure attachment, how prey animals can teach predators about relationship, the five core needs in any intimate bond, why patriarchy and privilege actually hurt men, and much more...
Get in touch in the comments below or head to...Website: www.weslambert.meEmail: wesjlambert@gmail.comSubstack: https://substack.com/@weslambertSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5Yv1ciX90C3zdPxD67kjyY?si=7591bc0f32da4f23Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mature-male/id1805978833
Dr. Dominick Shattuck is a Research Fellow at the American Institute for Boys and Men, Johns Hopkins faculty member, men's health researcher and a consultant specializing in friendship dynamics.Most men optimize their gym routine but neglect the one thing that actually keeps them alive. Why do men avoid healthcare until it's too late, and why does the healthcare system fail them when they finally show up? Dr. Shattuck reveals the structural and psychological barriers keeping men from seeking help, and shares the surprising truth from Harvard's longevity study: relationships, not fitness optimization or supplements, are what actually keep you healthy and fulfilled.Expect to learn why medical schools don't teach men's health and how that affects your care, the vulnerability perception gap and what other men actually think when you open up, how to optimize relationships the same way you optimize your fitness routine, why men leave mental health services dissatisfied and what needs to change, the impulsive nature of male suicide and why emotional range matters, how to build and maintain male friendships through different life stages, what the latest Movember research reveals about men seeking help, why the healthcare system isn't prepared to receive men effectively and much more...Get in touch in the comments below or head to...-Website: www.weslambert.me-Email: wesjlambert@gmail.com-Substack: https://substack.com/@weslambert-Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5Yv1ciX90C3zdPxD67kjyY?si=7591bc0f32da4f23-Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mature-male/id1805978833
What happens when the masculine identity built on strength and achievement crumbles? Daniel from Beyond Equality shares his journey from pro athlete to bed-bound, revealing how rigid masculinity definitions harm men themselves.
Daniel conducts 1,000+ workshops yearly with men across the UK and is releasing major masculinity research in November 2025. His anthropology background brings nuance to discussions about protector roles, male vulnerability, and redefining manhood for Gen Z.
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Jonathan Jacobs discovered his dad was an alcoholic on his deathbed—revealing the isolation that killed him and the pattern Jonathan was repeating.
Jonathan Jacobs is a marketing strategist and co-founder of Walking Talking Men LA who helps men build authentic friendships and challenge toxic cultural expectations of manhood.
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Career burnout before 30? Alex Pang reveals why working 80-hour weeks in your 20s destroys long-term success and how your brain is built for 5 focused hours, not 14.
- The neuroscience proving long work hours kill learning and memory- Why social media comparison warped our entire career timeline- How to build sustainable success that peaks in your 40s-60s instead of burning out by 35Alex Pang is the author of Rest and a researcher on work-life balance. His work challenges Silicon Valley hustle culture with hard science.RESOURCES:- Rest by Alex Pang- Connect with Alex: https://www.strategy.rest/
Subscribe for weekly deep dives on modern masculinity, career, and mental health.
In this solo episode, Wes breaks down one of psychology's most influential frameworks as a tool for understanding what's actually blocking your growth.
In this episode, we cover:
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Episode Highlights:
Ross Morales Rocketto is a political organizer and consultant with over 20 years in electoral politics. He co-founded Run for Something, helping elect 1000+ progressive candidates, organized White Dudes for Harris (200k participants, $5M raised), and was named to Time's 100 Next list in 2022. Now he's shifting focus to The Man Project, working to facilitate healing for 100 million men.
Key Topics Discussed:
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Website: www.weslambert.me
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Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@themature_male
Email: wesjlambert@gmail.com
THE GUIDE TO GROWING UP - Your Year-Long Journey to Masculine Mastery
If you're tired of living reactively and want to become the man you're meant to be, this is your roadmap.
The Problem: Most men today are stuck in unconscious patterns—drifting through life without direction, struggling with relationships, lacking purpose and authentic confidence.
The Solution: A scientifically-designed 50-week transformation program that combines ancient masculine initiation wisdom with modern psychology and behavioral science.
What Makes This Different:
Your Transformation Path:🔥 Break free from inherited patterns and build rock-solid foundations💪 Develop systems for lasting change and emotional mastery❤️ Master relationships, communication, and authentic leadership👑 Integrate everything and create a legacy worth leaving
Time Commitment: Just 2-4 hours per week spread across focused sessions.
From understanding your story to creating your mission—this program takes you through the complete journey from unconscious living to conscious mastery.
Ready to grow up? Get the complete program at https://payhip.com/b/MyFwn
Ancient wisdom meets modern psychology. One year to the man you're meant to become.
Stuart Motola is a men's relationship coach with over 15 years of experience helping thousands of men break free from frustrating relationship patterns. Unlike traditional therapy approaches, Stuart focuses on explicit action and reprogramming old relationship dynamics through his unique system that offers men a clear roadmap to lasting positive results.
In this episode, we explore:
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Lee is a business psychologist, male allyship specialist, and founder of Male Allies UK and Essentialized Workplace Wellbeing. Inducted as a Kavli Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences in 2023 and recognized as a gender equality changemaker by UN Women, Lee is one of the UK's leading voices on male allyship and gender equity. He's also the author of "Momentum: 13 Ways to Unlock Your Potential."
What We Cover:
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Jake Stika is the co-founder and executive director of Next Gen Men, where he's passionate about changing how we see, act, and think about masculinity. He's spoken at the United Nations, co-authored a children's book about masculinity, and recently became the new publisher of Voice Male magazine, continuing a 40-year legacy of the pro-feminist men's movement. Currently completing his master's in social business and entrepreneurship through the London School of Economics.
In this episode, we explore:
Resources - Find Jake's Work:
Tripp Lanier is the author of "This Book Will Make You Dangerous" and host of The New Man podcast, which has garnered millions of downloads. He coaches high-achieving men—from small business owners to startup founders to Navy SEALs—helping them escape the rat race and build meaningful careers aligned with their authentic selves. Tripp lives a quiet, simple life with his wife and daughter near the beach in North Carolina.
In this episode, we explore:
Get in touch in the comments below or head to...Website: www.weslambert.me
Listen: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5Yv1ciX90C3zdPxD67kjyY?si=cf6bec6d6e874108 or Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mature-male/id1805978833
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@themature_male
Email: wesjlambert@gmail.com