This week, Blake and Jamie invite listeners into a real-time Top Plate coaching call with 3% community member Dustin Duvall. In this session, Dustin brings his honest history about stress, being a good husband, overwhelm, and the pressure to carry everything at once.
Together they unpack what a Top Plate actually is—the one thing in your life that requires the most attention—and how naming it can radically shift the way you show up for your family, your work, and yourself.
This is a practical and deeply human episode about burnout, boundaries, internal narratives, and the courage it takes to ask for help. If you’re feeling stretched thin or unsure how to keep all the plates spinning, this conversation offers clarity, hope, and next steps.
Takeaways
Your “Top Plate” is the area of life demanding the most attention—and naming it brings relief.
Burnout isn’t a sign of weakness; it’s your body telling the truth.
You can’t lead others well if you’re constantly abandoning yourself.
Most overwhelm comes from unspoken expectations and silent pressure.
Compassion and honesty are more effective motivators than shame.
You don’t need to fix everything at once; you need to take the next right step.
Chapters
(00:00) Welcome & What a Top Plate Coaching Call Is
(03:40) Dustin’s Story & Current Stress Points
(07:15) Identifying the Real Top Plate
(11:50) Why Overwhelm Feels Like Failure
(15:00) The Emotional Cost of Carrying Everything
(18:30) When Performance Becomes Your Identity
(22:00) Listening to Your Body’s “Alarm System”
(26:40) Blake’s Coaching: Finding the Pressure Valve
(30:10) What Happens When You Name the Real Issue
(34:20) Dustin’s Breakthrough: Permission to Slow Down
(38:00) Boundaries, Leadership, and Family Health
(42:00) Choosing What Matters Most Right Now
(46:00) The First Next Step
(49:30) Final Coaching Reflections
Keywords
Top Plate, coaching, emotional health, burnout, overwhelm, stress, leadership, boundaries, self-awareness, nervous system, family, identity, masculinity, spiritual formation, Three Percent
This week, Blake and Jamie sit down with bestselling author and therapist Aundi Kolber for a powerful conversation about trauma, compassion, the inner critic, and learning to “try softer.”
Aundi shares openly about growing up in an abusive home, how her fierce inner critic helped her survive, and why healing doesn’t come through trying harder—but through a compassionate, regulated relationship with ourselves and others. They unpack attachment, window of tolerance, neurobiology, and why men especially struggle to let go of performance and self-hatred.
This is an episode about shifting from survival mode to connection. About befriending the parts of us we’ve pushed away. And about discovering that compassion is not weakness—it’s strength that doesn’t fold.
Takeaways
Your inner critic was born for a reason—it helped you survive.
Healing happens when we can be with our pain, not in our pain.
Compassion is both tender and fierce: soft toward wounds, strong toward safety.
Our window of tolerance expands in the presence of regulated, safe relationships.
You don’t have to tell everyone everything—honesty requires discernment and safety.
Trying Softer is not giving up; it’s choosing connection over self-punishment.
We can reassign our inner critic’s job—from attacking us to discerning what’s good for us.
Chapters
(00:00) Aundi’s Story & Meeting the Inner Critic(04:00) Growing Up in Abuse: The Origin of Hyper-Vigilance(08:00) Trauma, Sensitivity & Why Our Parts Form(12:00) Reframing the Inner Critic: A Protector, Not an Enemy(15:00) Attachment, Performance & Getting Needs Met(18:00) How the Body Shrinks its Window of Tolerance(21:00) What Regulation Really Means(24:00) Why Safe Relationships Expand Our Capacity(27:00) Vulnerability, Men’s Groups & Discernment(30:00) Numbing, Shutdown & Forced Dorsal States(33:00) Befriending the Pain We Learned to Fear(37:00) What It Means to “Try Softer”(40:00) Compassion That Doesn’t Fold(45:00) Letting Fierce Compassion Set Boundaries(48:00) Shame, “Still,” and Resentment Toward Our Parts(52:00) Trying Softer as a Lifelong Posture(55:00) The Surprises of Aundi’s Work(58:00) What Gives Aundi Hope(01:00:00) Loaves & Fishes: Being a Steward of Pain(01:02:00) What’s Next for Aundi
Resources
Try Softer — Aundi Kolber
Strong Like Water — Aundi Kolber
Take What You Need — Aundi Kolber
Keywords
Aundi Kolber, Try Softer, Strong Like Water, trauma recovery, inner critic, self-compassion, window of tolerance, attachment, CPTSD, abuse recovery, neurobiology, IFS, shame, masculinity, emotional health, compassion, boundaries, healing, spiritual formation, Three Percent podcast
This week, Blake and Jamie sit down with Ben Zobrist, former MLB player and two-time World Series champion, for a vulnerable and deeply human conversation about identity, faith, and what happens when the cheering stops.
Ben shares openly about the transition out of professional baseball, the loss of structure and purpose that followed, and how faith became a place of wrestling rather than performance. Together, they explore the tension between success and surrender, what it means to be truly known, and the slow, humble work of healing when your identity is stripped away.
This isn’t a story about baseball—it’s a story about becoming whole.
Takeaways
Success can hide the deeper questions about who we are and where we belong.
Leaving a career built on performance can expose old wounds around identity and worth.
Faith doesn’t eliminate pain—it gives us a way to be honest in it.
Real healing happens through community, rest, and humility.
You can lose what you do and still discover who you are.
Check out more from Ben Zobrist:
Instagram – @benzobrist18
Learn more about Champion Forward
Learn more about Three Percent:
Instagram – @threepercent.co
Chapters
(00:00) Welcome & Introducing Ben Zobrist
(04:10) Life After Baseball: The Unknown Season
(09:20) When Identity Is Built on Performance
(13:50) The Hidden Cost of Success
(18:30) Wrestling with Faith in the Middle of Loss
(22:00) Learning to Rest After Years of Drive
(27:10) What Healing Has Looked Like for Ben
(31:30) Community, Therapy, and Honest Friendship
(36:00) Lessons from Baseball That Still Apply
(41:20) Redefining Winning in Life and Faith
(45:00) Final Reflections and Gratitude
Resources
🎧 Related episodes:
Keywords
Ben Zobrist, MLB, baseball, faith, identity, mental health, healing, masculinity, success, performance, transition, purpose, humility, emotional health, spiritual formation, life after sports, Three Percent podcast
This week, Blake and Jamie sit down with Justin Whitmel Earley—author, lawyer, and father of four—to talk about habits that shape the heart of a family. Justin shares his story of going from missionary life to corporate law, from breakdown to deep formation, and how he discovered that small, ordinary rhythms can become spiritual lifelines.
They unpack what it looks like to build a household of peace in a world that runs on hurry, noise, and distraction—and why habits of love, presence, and prayer matter more than ever. This conversation blends theology and practicality, inviting us to see that the way we live each day is forming the people we’re becoming.
Takeaways
Habits aren’t just productivity tools—they’re ways of shaping love and attention.
Children learn what peace feels like through the rhythms of their parents.
Morning prayer, shared meals, and nightly blessings anchor the home in presence.
Hustle culture and hurry are spiritual forces that disconnect us from God and others.
The household is the front line of formation—and the place where grace meets real life.
Justin's New Book: The Body Teaches the Soul
Check out more from Justin Whitmel Earley:
Website – www.justinwhitmelearley.com
Instagram – @justinwhitmelearley
Podcast - Intentional Fatherhood Podcast
Learn more about Three Percent:
Instagram – @threepercent.co
Chapters
(00:00) Introduction & Justin’s Story
(05:20) From Missionary to Lawyer: The Collapse That Changed Everything
(10:45) Discovering the Power of Habits
(15:30) Why the Household Is the Front Line of Formation
(20:00) Practicing Presence in a Distracted World
(26:30) Rhythms of Morning and Evening Prayer
(33:00) What Kids Learn from Watching Our Habits
(38:00) Building Grace into Daily Structure
(42:15) Habits of Work, Rest, and Sabbath
(47:00) The Practice of Blessing and Gratitude
(52:00) How Formation Happens in the Ordinary
(56:00) Closing Reflections
Keywords
Justin Whitmel Earley, Habits of the Household, The Common Rule, spiritual formation, habits, discipline, family life, parenting, emotional health, faith, household rhythms, rest, sabbath, presence, hurry, masculinity, relationships, marriage, formation, love, community, Three Percent podcast
This week, Blake and Jamie sit down with Dr. Thomas Cabell, a physician and teacher whose decades of experience in medicine and spiritual formation have shaped his holistic view of health and healing. In a world that treats brokenness as something to hide or fix, Dr. Cabell offers a countercultural perspective: that healing is not the absence of pain—it’s the restoration of connection.
Together they explore how the body and soul are deeply intertwined, how medicine and faith can work hand-in-hand, and why true health includes emotional honesty, rest, and relationship. With stories from his medical career, spiritual reflections, and grounded wisdom, Dr. Cabell reminds us that becoming whole is less about control and more about courage.
Takeaways
Healing is a return to connection—within ourselves, with others, and with God.
The body is always telling the truth; symptoms are invitations, not failures.
Busyness and disconnection are often modern forms of sickness.
Listening deeply—to our bodies, our emotions, and each other—is a healing act.
Integrating medicine, psychology, and faith offers a fuller picture of human flourishing.
Check out more of Dr. Thomas Cabell: Ascension Health Profile
Learn more about Three Percent:
Instagram – @threepercentco
Chapters
(00:00) Introduction & Why We Avoid Stillness
(04:30) Dr. Cabell’s Journey into Medicine and Ministry
(10:20) What Patients Teach Us About Healing
(14:50) How the Body and Spirit Speak the Same Language
(20:00) Disconnection as the Root of Disease
(26:30) The Power of Presence in Medicine
(31:00) When Helping Becomes Hiding
(37:00) Integrating Faith, Medicine, and Mental Health
(43:20) How Rest and Play Restore Wholeness
(48:10) What True Healing Looks Like
(53:00) Final Reflections & Encouragement
Keywords
Dr. Thomas Cabell, healthcare, holistic health, spiritual formation, medicine and faith, emotional healing, embodiment, presence, rest, connection, trauma healing, holistic masculinity, men’s mental health, wholeness, soul care, Three Percent podcast
This week, Blake and Jamie sit down with Lexy Florentina, a somatic experiencing practitioner, writer, and teacher helping people reconnect with their bodies after trauma. In this beautiful, grounding conversation, Lexy helps us understand what it means to build a relationship with the body—not to fix or control it, but to listen to it.
Through stories, science, and a live somatic exercise with Blake, Lexy guides us to see that the body isn’t the enemy. It’s been fighting for us, not against us. Together they explore how men, in particular, have been conditioned to override, shame, or disconnect from their emotions—and how healing begins when we learn to be curious instead of critical.
This episode is for anyone who’s ever felt stuck, numb, or at war with themselves.
Takeaways
Healing begins when we stop trying to fix our bodies and start listening to them.
The body’s reactions aren’t failures—they’re survival strategies born from protection.
Curiosity is the foundation of healing; judgment keeps us disconnected.
Trauma narrows our menu of choices—healing shows us there are other options.
Men often carry a shame-based or control-based relationship with their bodies; soft curiosity opens the door to safety.
Our bodies are always communicating; the question is whether we’ll listen.
Check out more of Lexy Florentina: Website – lexyflorentina.com Instagram – @lexyflorentina Community – Held: A co-resting membership for learning to be with your body
Learn more about Three Percent: www.threepercentco.com Instagram – @threepercentco
Chapters
(00:00) Welcome & Introducing Lexy Florentina
(03:00) What Is Somatic Experiencing?
(07:00) Lexy’s Story: From Complex Trauma to Healing
(10:00) The Body as an Ally, Not an Enemy
(13:00) Why Men Struggle to Connect with Their Bodies
(16:00) Curiosity vs. Control
(18:00) How We Learn to Disconnect from Ourselves
(22:00) “I Can’t Change This, But I Can Help You Not Feel It”
(25:00) A Live Somatic Exercise with Blake
(31:00) Finding Safety and Sturdiness in the Body
(35:00) The Importance of Agency and Choice in Healing
(38:00) Watching Healing in Real Time
(40:00) Why We Consume Information to Fix Ourselves
(42:00) There’s Nothing Wrong With You—Your Body Is Doing Its Job
(44:00) Lexy’s Work: Community, Courses, and “Held”
(46:00) Closing Reflections
Resources
The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk
Gabor Maté – drgabormate.com
Keywords
Lexy Florentina, somatic experiencing, trauma healing, nervous system, emotional regulation, embodiment, holistic masculinity, men’s mental health, trauma response, curiosity, shame, body awareness, mindfulness, self-compassion, somatic therapy, healing, co-regulation, connection, faith, vulnerability, emotional safety, Three Percent podcast
In this heartfelt and practical conversation, Blake and Jamie dive deep into attachment science — exploring how our earliest relationships shape the way we connect, protect, and seek safety today. Drawing from both research and their own friendship, they unpack the four attachment styles — secure, anxious, avoidant, and disorganized — and describe them through vivid metaphors: the pasture, jungle, desert, and war zone.
They share personal stories of conflict and repair, offering a hopeful look at how awareness and compassion can help us move toward emotional safety. This episode is a guide to understanding your relational patterns and choosing connection over protection.
Takeaways
Your attachment style isn’t a flaw — it’s an adaptive strategy that once kept you safe.
Awareness is the first step, but healing happens in relationship.
Secure attachment (“the pasture”) is built through safety, consistency, and repair.
Avoidance, anxiety, and chaos are often just unhealed attempts to find connection.
The goal isn’t perfection; it’s movement toward honesty, empathy, and safety.
Resources
Embodied Faith by Jeff & Cyd Holsclaw – https://www.embodiedfaith.life/
Dr. Curt Thompson – Author and speaker on attachment & spiritual formation https://curtthompsonmd.com/attachment-theory-i/
Related Episodes:
Learn more about Three Percent:
Instagram – @threepercent.co
Chapters
(00:00) Welcome & Why We’re Talking About Attachment
(04:15) What Is Attachment Science?
(09:40) How Our Childhood Shapes Our Style of Connection
(14:30) The War Zone – Disorganized/Ambivalent Attachment
(18:50) The Jungle – Anxious Attachment
(23:10 )The Desert – Avoidant Attachment
(28:00) The Pasture – Secure Attachment
(31:45) Blake’s Story: Growing Up Without Emotional Safety
(36:20) Jamie’s Story: Learning to Stay Present in Conflict
(40:30) How Attachment Shows Up in Our Friendship
(44:10) The Role of Self-Regulation and Co-Regulation
(48:00) Moving Toward the Pasture: Repair and Connection
(53:00) How Faith and Attachment Intersect
(57:00) Final Reflections & Encouragement for the Week
Keywords
attachment, attachment theory, secure attachment, avoidant attachment, anxious attachment, disorganized attachment, emotional safety, friendship, faith, therapy, trauma healing, co-regulation, nervous system, parenting, relationships, vulnerability, holistic masculinity, Three Percent, mental health, emotional literacy, self-awareness, connection, neuroscience, grace, growth
In this week’s episode, we sit down with New York Times bestselling author, speaker, and podcast host Annie F. Downs—known by many as the “Queen of Fun.” Annie shares with us her journey of embracing both joy and pain, and how cultivating delight in everyday life can reconnect us to God, ourselves, and others. Together we explore the tension between being hopeful and bypassing pain, how to discern what parts of our story are private vs. public, and why fun is more than just entertainment—it’s a taste of eternity. Annie invites us to rediscover what our five-year-old selves loved, and how those simple joys can bring healing and hope today.
Links
Takeaways
Chapters
(00:00) – Putting on Hope Like a Jacket
(02:00) – Meet Annie F. Downs: Author, Speaker, Podcaster
(05:00) – Onsite, Vulnerability, and Healing
(10:00) – Public, Personal, and Private Lives
(18:00) – The Tension Between Hope and Spiritual Bypassing
(25:00) – Settling Into Humanness and Grace
(29:00) – Why Fun Matters for Men
(35:00) – Listening to Your Five-Year-Old Self
(41:00) – Fun as a Taste of Eternity
(44:00) – Be Kind to Yourself
(46:00) – Annie’s Upcoming Tour and Projects
(48:00) – Pizza, Shirley Temples, and Madeleine L’Engle
Keywords
Annie F. Downs, That Sounds Fun, hope, fun, faith, vulnerability, Onsite, private vs. public life, therapy, humanness, grace, joy, eternity, childhood delight, masculinity, emotional health, three percent podcast
Through raw honesty, humor, and deep wisdom, Dr. John Delony joins us to talk about what real strength looks like. A bestselling author, mental health expert, and co-host of The Ramsey Show, John has spent years walking people through crisis, parenting, relationships, and the everyday chaos of life.
In this conversation, John shares his personal journey of growing up in the Church of Christ, discovering punk rock, wrestling with anger and grief, and learning what it means to truly be safe and present for his wife and kids. From stories about music and moshing to his vulnerable account of therapy, childhood trauma, and reconnecting with his daughter, John reminds us that the hardest and most courageous thing a man can do is sit across from someone and say, “I’m hurting.”
If you’ve ever wondered how to move from flexing your way through life to finding peace, love, and connection—you won’t want to miss this one.
Links Mentioned
The Dr. John Deloney Show: https://www.youtube.com/johndelony
Dr. John Delony on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johndelony/
Books:
Building a Non-Anxious Life: https://amzn.to/46SORts
Own Your Past Change Your Future: A Not-So-Complicated Approach to Relationships, Mental Health & Wellness: https://amzn.to/4mDWlFB
Takeaways
Why real masculinity is found in honesty, vulnerability, and connection—not toughness.
How unprocessed trauma shows up in family systems and relationships.
The story of John’s daughter and how therapy helped transform their relationship.
Why anger is often grief in disguise.
The importance of men believing they are worth being loved.
Chapters
(00:00) – Introduction
(02:00) – From Punk Rock to Pantera to Faith
(10:00) – Why Safety Matters in Family Systems
(16:00) – Messages Men Have Been Told
(22:00) – Wrestling With Worthiness and Faith
(31:00) – The Nuclear Reactor in the Chest
(38:00) – Addiction, Numbing, and Finding Peace
(45:00) – Honoring Anger and Grief
(52:00) – Why All the Feelings Belong
(58:00) – Closing Thoughts
Keywords
John Delony, Ramsey Show, mental health, therapy, masculinity, vulnerability, anger, grief, parenting, trauma healing, connection, worthiness, holistic masculinity, emotions, authenticity
What does it mean to live with a faith that feels real in the middle of life’s messiness? This week we sit down with pastor, father of five, and director of discipleship at Pillar Media, Chad Mondragon. Chad shares about his family story, his journey through church ministry into media, and the launch of The Jesus Table—a platform designed to meet people where they are with honest discipleship.
Together we talk about:
Why the bravest thing men can do is take the risk of vulnerability
How the epidemic of loneliness is shaping faith and masculinity today
What real connection looks like at home, at church, and with friends
The role of questions, doubts, and honesty in a faith that feels real
Why family dinners, small groups, and even workouts can be places of healing
Chad reminds us that courage in manhood isn’t just scaling mountains—it’s opening up to safe people, risking vulnerability, and discovering that we’re more deeply loved than we fear.
Links & Resources Mentioned:
Chad’s work: thejesustable.com
Follow The Jesus Table on Instagram
Fathered by God by John Eldredge
Chapters
(00:00) – Introducing Chad Mondragon
(04:00) – Family, youth ministry, and the value of dinner table conversations
(13:00) – From planting churches to discipleship in media
(20:00) – The loneliness epidemic & men’s need for connection
(27:00) – Faith that feels real: questions, doubts, and vulnerability
(39:00) – Risking love through honesty
(54:00) – The Jesus Table project
Keywords:
Chad Mondragon, The Jesus Table, loneliness epidemic, faith that feels real, vulnerability, holistic masculinity, discipleship, family, John Eldredge, Fathered by God, men’s ministry, F3, connection, Pillar Media
In this episode, Blake and Jamie share a simple but powerful framework for engaging your emotions: Pause, Pray, Process, Express. Building on last week’s conversation about suicide prevention and the dangers of bottling up emotions, they offer a practical, grace-filled tool to help you slow down, connect with what you’re really feeling, and bring those needs into safe relationships. Through honest stories about marriage, parenting, and friendship, they show how emotional awareness isn’t about perfection—it’s about progress.Learn more about Three Percent:🌐 https://www.threepercentco.com📸 Instagram – @threepercentcoDownload the free Pause, Pray, Process, Express guide on our website.Takeaways
Chapters(00:00) Why Engaging Emotions Matters(03:00) Bottling, Blowing Up, and Numbing Out(06:00) Stories from Parenting and Marriage(10:00) Why We Need to Create New Neural Pathways(14:00) Step 1: Pause – Slowing Your Nervous System(20:00) Step 2: Pray – Inviting God Without Bypassing(24:00) Step 3: Process – Self-Regulation and Co-Regulation(32:00) Step 4: Express – Sharing Your Inner World Safely(37:00) Movement, Boundaries, and Nonlinear Growth(40:00) Small Steps: Progress Over Perfection(43:00) How to Download the Free GuideKeywordsThree Percent, emotions, emotional health, men’s mental health, suicide prevention, emotional awareness, pause pray process, nervous system regulation, prayer, journaling, co-regulation, vulnerability, marriage, parenting, friendship, boundaries, holistic masculinity, therapy tools, emotional literacy, emotional connection, resilience, spiritual formation, healing practices
If you or someone you love is struggling, call or text 988 to connect with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. You are not alone.
In honor of Suicide Prevention Month, Blake and Jamie open a tender and courageous conversation about suicide, loneliness, and hope. Blake shares the story of his own suicide attempt as a 17-year-old—the pain, shame, and family struggles that led him there, and the long journey of healing that followed. Together, they discuss the epidemic of loneliness among men, the need for emotional language and safe connection, and the importance of creating spaces where honesty can be met with care instead of shame. This episode is a raw invitation to remember that every life has value and that healing begins with being known.
Learn more about Three Percent:
📸 Instagram – @threepercentco
Takeaways
Suicide prevention starts long before a crisis—it begins with connection, empathy, and emotional language.
Men die by suicide 3.5 times more often than women, often linked to isolation and loneliness.
Behind anger, addiction, or performance often lies pain and fear that need to be named.
Sharing your “3%” with safe people creates connection that can hold chaos.
Compassion for your younger self is a vital part of healing.
You are worth the effort it takes to reach out for help.
Chapters
(00:00) Why This Episode Matters – Suicide Prevention Month
(03:00) Blake’s Story: A 17-Year-Old Carrying Too Much
(08:00) Shame, Family Pressure, and Coping Through Numbing
(12:00) The Night of the Attempt
(18:00) What Loneliness Does to the Soul
(23:00) Hiding, Shame, and the Story Everyone Believed
(28:00) Why Suicide Prevention Starts at Birth
(32:00) The Epidemic of Loneliness in Men
(36:00) Connection Doesn’t Erase Pain—but Holds It
(40:00) A Letter to My 17-Year-Old Self
(46:00) Practical Next Steps & Resources for Listeners
Keywords
Three Percent, suicide prevention, suicide awareness month, Blake Roberts, depression, shame, loneliness, healing, mental health, men’s mental health, holistic masculinity, trauma, addiction, recovery, vulnerability, faith and mental health, emotional literacy, crisis resources, therapy, compassion, identity, being known, resilience, self-compassion, healing journey
In this special 6-month anniversary episode, Blake and Jamie reflect on the journey so far with Three Percent—the stories, conversations, and friendships that have shaped this space. From the very first interviews to the deep themes of masculinity, emotions, vulnerability, and faith, they revisit what they’ve learned along the way and what has surprised them most. They also share their hopes for the next season of the podcast and the growing Three Percent community. This is a moment to pause, look back with gratitude, and look forward with expectation.
Learn more about Three Percent: 🌐 www.threepercentco.com 📸 Instagram – @threepercentco
Giveaway
Send us your story for a chance to have a 30-45 minute coaching session with Blake and Jamie.
How to enter: Send 2-3 sentences on something you are working through to hello@threepercentco.com
Takeaways
How to enter: Send 2-3 sentences on something you are working through to hello@threepercentco.com
Six months of conversations have affirmed the hunger for honest, vulnerable dialogue about masculinity and faith.
Guests have given language for emotions and experiences many men didn’t know how to name.
Friendship and safe community are central to the healing journey.
Healing is not a quick fix—it’s a long, relational process.
Vulnerability always invites deeper connection.
Gratitude and hope mark the past and the future of Three Percent.
Chapters
00:00 Celebrating Six Months of Three Percent
02:30 How the Podcast Began
06:00 Favorite Moments from the First Six Months
11:00 What We’ve Learned from Our Guests
15:00 Why Friendship Is Central to Healing
20:00 Surprises Along the Way
24:00 The Tension of Vulnerability and Masculinity
29:00 Looking Ahead: Hopes for the Next Six Months
34:00 Gratitude for the Community
38:00 Closing Thoughts
Keywords
Three Percent, podcast anniversary, masculinity, emotions, faith, vulnerability, friendship, healing, reflection, community, growth, gratitude, holistic masculinity, men’s mental health, personal growth, emotional health, spiritual formation, podcast journey, storytelling, healing through connection
In this soulful and deeply human conversation, author, speaker, and coach Justin McRoberts joins us to explore the sacred tension between calling and rest, ambition and surrender. With humor, honesty, and theological insight, Justin shares the spiritual and emotional journey behind his book In the Low. We discuss fatherhood, friendship, control, and what it means to hold both grief and joy with open hands. If you’ve ever wrestled with doing enough or being enough, this episode is an invitation back to groundedness, belovedness, and the long road of faithful presence.
Check out more of Justin McRoberts:
🌐 Website – www.justinmcroberts.com
📸 Instagram – @justinmcroberts
📚 Book – In The Low
Learn more about Three Percent: 🌐 www.threepercentco.com
Takeaways
Your “calling” doesn’t have to be heavy—it can be playful and sacred.
Ambition without rest leads to burnout and bitterness.
Slowing down often feels like failure in a productivity-obsessed world.
God’s invitation is not just to work for Him, but to be with Him.
Real rest means learning to release control.
Friendships that hold both celebration and grief are vital to resilience.
There is no sacred calling without sacred rest.
Chapters
00:00 Welcome & Meet Justin McRoberts
03:30 What Is In The Low All About?
06:00 Ambition, Surrender, and the Space Between
10:20 Calling as a Form of Relationship
13:40 Relearning the Pace of Love and Grace
16:00 Burnout, Shame, and Being "Too Much"
19:30 Parenting, Grief, and the Myth of Control
24:00 What He Learned From Deep Friendships
28:00 Masculinity and the Pressure to Perform
31:00 God’s Invitation to Rest and Trust
35:00 Questions That Help You Stay Human
39:00 Where to Find Justin Online
Keywords
Justin McRoberts, Three Percent, Sacred Strides, calling, rest, surrender, ambition, masculinity, Christian leadership, burnout, spiritual formation, work-life balance, grief, friendship, control, parenting, vulnerability, emotional health, faith and productivity, theological reflection, presence, fatherhood, resilience, healing, belovedness, performance pressure, letting go
In this soul-shaking episode, we sit down with therapist, trauma practitioner, and spiritual leader Rachel Clinton Chen to explore the sacred, painful, and courageous work of healing. Rachel guides us into the realities of trauma, powerlessness, spiritual abuse, and what it takes to become whole. We talk about the cost of integrity, the betrayal of our bodies, and the profound invitation to let lament and grief become doorways to hope. With honesty, wisdom, and fierce gentleness, Rachel names what so many are afraid to say aloud—and calls us to be people of truth and love in the face of harm.
Takeaways
Trauma is not just what happens to you—it’s what you carry when you’re alone in it.
Integrity has a cost, especially in spiritually abusive systems.
Grief is not the end of the story—it’s the beginning of embodied hope.
Healing often begins with naming what is true, even when it’s disruptive.
Your body keeps the score, but it can also be the site of redemption.
We need language, witness, and safety to metabolize harm.
Check out more of Rachel Clinton Chen:
📸 Instagram – @rachelclintonchen
🎙 Podcast – The Allender Center Podcast
Learn more about Three Percent: 🌐 www.threepercentco.com
Chapters
(00:00) Meet Rachel Clinton Chen
(04:00) Powerlessness and the Language of Trauma
(07:30) What Spiritual Abuse Steals from the Soul
(12:00) The Cost of Integrity in Religious Systems
(15:30) The Body Knows What the Mind Tries to Hide
(19:00) Naming the Truth and Being Witnessed
(22:30) What Is Lament and Why Does It Matter?
(26:00) Becoming People Who Can Grieve and Hold Hope
(29:00) From Dissociation to Embodiment
(34:00) Holding Complexity in a Black-and-White World
(38:00) Rachel’s Own Healing and Leadership Journey
(41:00) Why She Still Believes in the Church
(46:00) A Word for the Tender and Tired Listener
(49:00) Where to Find Rachel and Her Work
Keywords
Rachel Clinton Chen, Three Percent, trauma healing, spiritual abuse, integrity, grief, lament, The Allender Center, Dan Allender, embodiment, Christian trauma, spiritual formation, emotional health, mental health, religious harm, narrative healing, counseling, black-and-white thinking, abuse recovery, faith and pain, hope, integrity, safety, truth-telling, nervous system, therapeutic practices, power and vulnerability, shame and resilience, holistic masculinity, tenderness, church healing
Summary
In this deeply personal episode, Jamie and Blake step away from interviews to reflect on one of the most important and tender questions they ask as therapists and friends: What’s the point in changing? Recorded during a 3% planning retreat, they share the raw stories of their own healing journeys—from addiction, numbness, and rage to freedom, connection, and hope. Whether you’re seeking freedom from a behavior or freedom for deeper relationships, this episode offers both encouragement and honesty for anyone in process.
Mentioned Resources
Chip Dodd’s Feelings Chart: https://www.chipdodd.com/free-resources-download
Jay Stringer’s book Unwanted: https://jay-stringer.com/book/
The Voice of the Heart by Chip Dodd: https://www.chipdodd.com/books
Takeaways
There’s often no clear “start” to change—just the next honest step.
External motivations (like a spouse or relationship) can be valid entry points.
Deep transformation comes when we realize we need to change for ourselves.
We are not our behaviors—shame grows when we enmesh identity with struggle.
Empathy often has to be relearned—and it starts with how we talk to ourselves.
Change is not linear, and recovery is a lifelong journey.
You're worth the work it takes to be known, healed, and free.
Chapters
(00:00) Welcome from the Cabin
(02:32) What Motivates Change?
(04:50) Motivational Interviewing & Counseling Insights
(06:44) Blake’s Story: Hitting a Wall
(10:10) Changing for a Relationship
(13:00) You Are Not the Problem
(16:20) Freedom From vs. Freedom For
(18:00) Jamie’s Story: Numbness and Rage
(22:10) The Role of Porn in Emotional Numbing
(24:55) Shifting Motivation Over Time
(26:20) Healing as Ongoing Work
(29:00) The Little Boy Inside Who Still Wants to Hide
(32:30) Parenting Yourself with Compassion
(35:10) Why Progress Feels Like a Circle
(37:00) Change for You, Not Just Them
(39:00) You’re Worth It
Keywords therapy, change, healing, recovery, shame, emotional health, addiction, porn recovery, motivation, empathy, rage, fatherhood, masculinity, self-awareness, spiritual formation, honesty, holistic masculinity, personal growth, identity, trauma, freedom, Jay Stringer, Chip Dodd, Voice of the Heart, emotional literacy
Check out more of Blake Blankenbecler:
🌐 Website – blakeblankenbecler.com
📸 Instagram – @blakeblankenbecler
The Friendship Deck: thefriendshipdeck.com
Learn more about Three Percent: 🌐 www.threepercentco.com
Summary
In this episode, we welcome therapist, writer, and podcast host Blake Blankenbecler into a powerful conversation about emotional language, body awareness, and the harm of emotional outsourcing. Blake unpacks why many men struggle to name their inner world and what it takes to reclaim curiosity, tenderness, and truth. Together, we talk about the nervous system, faith deconstruction, co-regulation, and why presence is the most healing thing we offer one another. This episode will meet you where you are and gently invite you further in.
Takeaways
“If I can’t be with it, I can’t heal it.” Naming precedes healing.
Outsourcing your emotions to others is common—but it can become harmful.
Co-regulation is foundational to emotional safety in relationships.
Curiosity helps us approach our pain instead of controlling it.
The nervous system needs safety to tell the truth.
You can’t think your way into healing—your body has to believe it too.
Presence is the most healing gift we can offer in a hurting world.
Emotionally safe men are formed, not found.
Chapters
(00:00) Meet Blake Blankenbecler – Therapist
(03:00) Language for the Inner Life
(06:00) What is Emotional Outsourcing?
(10:00) The Power of Co-Regulation
(14:00) Why Men Struggle to Name Emotions
(18:00) Body-Based Healing and the Nervous System
(22:00) From Christian Duty to Emotional Honesty
(26:00) How Curiosity Changes the Healing Process
(30:00) Practicing Emotional Responsibility
(33:00) The Lie of Being Too Much
(36:00) Faith, Attachment, and Embodied Safety
(41:00) Relationships as the Place of Repair
(45:00) Where to Find Blake Online
Keywords
Blake Blankenbecler, Three Percent, emotional health, holistic masculinity, co-regulation, emotional outsourcing, nervous system healing, trauma recovery, therapy, men’s emotions, inner work, Christian deconstruction, embodiment, faith and healing, presence, emotional literacy, emotional responsibility, relationships, healing through connection, curiosity, somatic healing, mental health, attachment, tenderness, emotional safety
Learn more about Three Percent:
📸 Instagram – @threepercentco
Summary
In this episode, hosts Blake and Jamie dive into the emotional lives of men—what we feel, what we’ve been taught to suppress, and what it might look like to live more honestly. They explore how fear, shame, and sadness often hide beneath anger, and why many men are disconnected from their bodies, relationships, and even themselves. From childhood messages to faith, parenting, and emotional repair, this conversation is vulnerable, practical, and full of grace. Whether you’re just beginning to name your emotions or walking others through healing, this episode offers language, insight, and permission to feel.
Takeaways
Anger is often the visible emotion masking fear, shame, or sadness.
Most men are taught to intellectualize or avoid emotions entirely.
Emotional fluency begins with naming what’s actually happening inside.
We often fear our emotions will make us weak—but vulnerability leads to strength.
The body holds emotional wisdom many of us were never taught to trust.
Emotional repair is possible in relationships when we lead with honesty.
Faith, theology, and masculinity all shape how we relate to our emotions.
Safety and curiosity are the prerequisites for emotional healing.
Resources
Chip Dodd Emotions Chart: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/62e2d6c397d6ff1fd356ed8f/t/632cbee0b6a9703239cd018f/1725475063690/8+Feelings.pdf
Chapters
(00:00) Welcome to the Emotions Episode
(03:00) Why Talk About Emotions?
(06:00) Men and the Fear of Feeling
(09:00) What We Learned Growing Up About Emotions
(12:00) Anger, Sadness, Shame—What’s Really Underneath?
(16:00) Why Men Disconnect From the Body
(20:00) Faith and Emotional Formation
(25:00) Emotional Literacy in Parenting
(28:00) When You Feel Unsafe in Relationship
(32:00) The Power of Curiosity and Naming Emotions
(36:00) Repair, Vulnerability, and Starting Again
(40:00) Final Thoughts on Living Fully Alive
Keywords
Three Percent, masculinity, emotions, emotional health, anger, fear, shame, sadness, vulnerability, holistic masculinity, emotional literacy, fatherhood, parenting, emotional intelligence, Christian men, faith and emotions, childhood wounds, trauma, inner work, embodiment, safety, repair, naming emotions, identity, integrity, spiritual formation, relationship dynamics
Check out more of Young Yi: 📸 Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/brotheryoung/Substack: https://substack.com/@brotheryoung 🌐 Church Plant – https://www.instagram.com/kindredchurchmi/Learn more about Three Percent: 🌐 https://threepercentco.com/SummaryIn this honest and redemptive episode, we talk with Young Woong Yi—pastor, church planter, and spiritual formation leader—about anger, masculinity, and becoming a safe man. Young shares how growing up in an immigrant household shaped his relationship with emotions, and how repressed sadness and generational patterns of power led to a breaking point in his marriage. He opens up about the life-saving intervention of his church, the deep healing that followed, and what it means to cultivate emotional safety in leadership, relationships, and spiritual formation. This episode is a masterclass in transformation, humility, and the long road to becoming whole.Takeaways- “An emotionally volatile man is not a safe man.”- Repressed anger often masks deeper emotions like sadness, fear, or shame.- Emotional safety is a core component of holistic masculinity.- The church can be a place of healing when leaders respond with grace.- We often say to our spouse what we never got to say to our parents.- Healing begins with language, awareness, and the courage to ask for help.- Anger’s gift is advocacy—but only when processed with honesty and care.- Spiritual formation must address emotional and mental health, not just theology.Chapters(00:00) Meet Young Yi – Pastor, Photographer, Church Planter(02:00) Blake’s Story: Anger Repression and Performance(04:30) A Relationship with Anger?(07:00) Emotional Abuse, Immigrant Parenting, and Powering Up(10:00) Learning How to Win Through Anger(13:00) From Veterinary School to Ministry(16:00) Marriage as a Mirror: Anger Exposed(18:00) “You’re Bullying Me”: The Catalyst for Change(20:00) Church Leadership Responds with Grace(23:00) Six Months of Paid Leave and Intense Therapy(26:00) What Changed Young’s View of Masculinity(29:00) Anger Isn’t Always Justified Action32:00 The Anger Iceberg & Sadness Beneath the Surface(35:00) Generational Messaging: “Men Don’t Cry”(38:00) Learning to Say: “That Made Me Really Sad”(41:00) Advocating for the Child Within(45:00) How Anger Impacts Spiritual Formation(49:00) Church Culture, Jesus, and Emotional Health(52:00) Final Encouragement to Men: Ask for Help(54:00) Where to Find Young & Kindred ChurchKeywordsYoung Yi, Three Percent, holistic masculinity, anger, emotional safety, immigrant family, Korean American, spiritual formation, church hurt, inner child, marriage counseling, masculinity and emotions, mental health in ministry, vulnerability, leadership, discipleship, shame, sadness, advocacy, safe men, healing, therapy, pastoral care, emotional intelligence, Kindred Church, genogram, Pete Scazzero, Voice of the Heart, Rich Villodas, Chip Dodd, Christian men, identity formation, marriage restoration
Check out more of Will Parker Anderson:
🌐 Website – writerscircle.co
🎙️ Podcast – The Writer’s Circle
Learn more about Three Percent: 🌐 www.threepercentco.com
Summary
In this episode, we sit down with writer, editor, and host of The Writer’s Circle podcast, Will Parker Anderson. Will opens up about the intersection of storytelling and vulnerability, holistic masculinity modeled by Jesus, and why real writing—and real life—requires full presence. From discussing confession and shame to the importance of being known in community, this conversation offers wisdom for anyone seeking healing, depth, and the courage to be honest. Will’s pastoral insight and personal honesty will challenge and comfort you.
Takeaways
The best writing is the overflow of honest living.
Holistic masculinity is modeled by Jesus—servanthood over dominance.
We can’t be fully known by God if we hide from people.
Vulnerability isn’t an event—it’s a habit of letting light in.
Confession is painful but leads to soul-level relief and formation.
Mentorship and trusted community are vital for healing.
Chapters
(00:00) Meet Will Parker Anderson
(02:00) Writing as Overflow of Living
(04:30) Holistic Masculinity as Servanthood
(09:00) Vulnerability in Storytelling and Relationships
(14:00) Why Men Struggle to Tell the Truth
(18:00) You Can’t Be Known By God Without Being Known By Others
(22:00) Healing from Hurt Happens in Relationship
(26:00) The Poison and the Cure Grow Side-by-Side
(30:00) Will’s Story of Confession and Grace
(36:00) The Risk of Vulnerability
(41:00) What Gets Affirmed Gets Repeated
(45:00) Neurobiology of Being Seen and Known
(50:00) Mentorship and Gentle Discipleship
(54:00) Where to Find Will and Writer’s Circle
Keywords
Will Parker Anderson, Three Percent, writing and vulnerability, storytelling, holistic masculinity, servanthood, confession, shame, grace, recovery, writer’s circle, Penguin Random House, Substack, emotional intelligence, community, mentorship, being known, faith and healing, honesty, Jesus, fatherhood, integrity, spiritual formation, trauma recovery, mental health, deconstruction, masculinity and faith, relational healing, writing process