In this episode, we talk to Mordy Gottlieb, a men’s therapist whose work - and life - has been shaped by one quiet, corrosive belief: “Whatever I do, it’s never enough.”

Mordy shares how perfection became his survival strategy as a child and how striving without self-compassion led to years of numbing, self-criticism, and chasing relief through behaviours that slowly escalated rather than resolved the pain.

What makes this conversation different is its honesty about how these patterns actually form, starting with food, moving into pornography and other forms of escape, and eventually colliding with midlife reality when effort stops working, and avoidance stops providing relief.

Rather than framing men’s behaviours as addictions or failures, Mordy explains them as attempts to regulate unbearable internal pressure and why insight alone rarely changes anything. The real shift, he argues, comes through experience, practice, and safe connection, especially with other men.

This episode also challenges some uncomfortable truths: why being “strong” often means being emotionally absent, why vulnerability isn’t just talking, and why many men feel unseen even inside long-term relationships they’ve spent years sustaining.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• How the belief “I’m never enough” gets wired into boys early on
• Why perfectionism feels productive but leads to exhaustion and shame
• How numbing behaviours escalate quietly over time
• Why midlife is often the moment men can’t outrun themselves anymore
• The limits of talk therapy and why knowing why isn’t the same as changing
• How experiential therapy helps men rehearse real-world change
• Why men often heal faster in groups than one-to-one
• What vulnerability actually looks like in daily life (including learning to say no)
• Small, realistic ways to introduce play, presence, and self-permission back into life

Why this episode matters:
Because if you’ve ever felt that no matter how much you give - at work, at home, in relationships - it’s still not enough, this conversation will feel uncomfortably familiar. Mordy doesn’t offer fixes or slogans. He offers language for something many men have lived with for decades without naming.

To find out more Mordy, visit his website: www.thegamechangergroup.com.

What happens to a man when he loses his father and no one shows him how to grieve?

In this honest, darkly funny, and deeply human conversation, we hear from John Colbert, a writer and former advertising creative who turned the loss of his father to prostate cancer into Damaged Goods, a memoir made up of short, sharply observed stories about grief, masculinity, mental health, and what happens long after the funeral ends.

John was just 20 when his father died after a six-year illness. What followed was a period of profound depression, emotional shutdown, and learning - painfully - that men are rarely taught how to process loss. In a culture that rewards silence and “being strong,” John found himself unable to talk about what he was feeling, even in therapy, until things reached a breaking point.

What makes this episode powerful is John’s willingness to speak plainly about what many men experience but rarely admit: the loneliness after the support fades, the quiet house, the first Christmas without a parent, the guilt, the anger, and the long shadow grief can cast across identity, relationships, and adulthood.

Rather than avoiding the darkness, John meets it with humour; not to trivialise loss, but to survive it. His writing and perspective show how laughter, honesty, and connection can unlock conversations that grief shuts down.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• Why many men are never taught how to grieve, and the cost of burying it
• How losing a parent can force an early and painful “arrival” into adulthood
• Depression, suicidal thoughts, and the moment therapy finally began to work
• Why humour can be a powerful survival tool in grief
• How grief reshapes identity, relationships, and masculinity over decades
• The long tail of loss and why it doesn’t end after the funeral
• Why connection, not isolation, is what actually helps men heal
• The importance of men’s health awareness, prostate checks, and breaking taboos
• What midlife men can do if they’re carrying unprocessed grief right now

Why you should listen:
Because if you’ve lost a parent - recently or years ago - and quietly carried on, this episode will feel uncomfortably familiar. John puts words to experiences many men recognise but rarely voice, offering permission to laugh, talk, remember, and connect without shame.

This is not an episode about “getting over” grief. It’s about living with it honestly, imperfectly, and with other people around you.

If you want to find out more about John, visit his website https://www.itscolbert.com, and his book Damaged Goods is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and through other online retailers.

What do you do when you look in the mirror and no longer recognise the man staring back? When the weight you’re carrying - physically and mentally - feels impossible to shift?

In this powerful and frank conversation, we speak with Jonathan Boulware, a man who went from years of obesity, shame, and hopelessness to completely transforming his life, but not through fad diets or quick fixes, but by rebuilding his mindset, his habits, and his sense of self.

Jonathan shares the story of losing his mother to obesity, the moment he realised his own health was spiralling, and the emotional breaking point where he decided something had to change. What he discovered wasn’t a perfect fitness plan; it was a deeper truth: the body follows the mind.

His journey led him to become a certified personal trainer, health coach, behavioural change specialist, and author. But what makes his voice essential is his lived experience, knowing exactly what it feels like to be overwhelmed, ashamed, stuck, and convinced that change is impossible.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why the real battle isn’t losing weight, it’s rebuilding your belief in yourself.
• How hopelessness develops, and how to break out of it.
• Jonathan’s approach to self-compassion, identity, and sustainable change.
• Why motivation isn’t the answer, and what actually keeps you going.
• How to set goals that fit into real life, with work, kids, stress, and pressure.
• What to do when you fall off the wagon and how to get back on track without shame.
• Why community and the right support matter more than willpower.
• The truth about weight-loss drugs and why lasting change still depends on mindset.

Why listen:
Because so many men live in silence with the same feelings Jonathan describes: failure, frustration, shame, and the belief that it’s too late. His story proves it isn’t. This conversation is about more than weight, it’s about taking back control, rebuilding confidence, and remembering that you are capable of far more than you think.

If you want to find out more about Jonathan, his work, and his book Take Control of Your Body (Before It Takes Control of You), visit his website: https://www.youcanbeatobesity.com.