Stories & podcast · on
topic 569090
Stories from the men who facilitate and attend these circles, on topic 569090.
37 stories
Calling All Humans- The Invitation
Invitation: My name is Shaun Emerson. After seven years with MenLiving creating spaces for men to connect, heal, and thrive, I realized it was high time we created that same space for men and women to gather—to explore…
Teaching and Conscious Leadership
My chosen profession is teaching, specifically elementary school. This hasn’t always been the case, my undergraduate degree is in Finance (pronounced fuh-nance when you’re degreed) and my perspective changed when I…
Finding Balance in Retirement: Projects, Purpose, and Time
In Episode 3 of Transitioning to Retirement, Shaun Emerson and Tom Rocco take a deeper dive into how to actually structure your time in retirement—and why thinking in terms of “projects” can make all the difference. Tom…
Not All Men
He kept his job. She lost hers. Here’s why. There is a conversation that keeps surfacing in our culture, arriving in different forms and in different headlines, but always carrying the same essential question underneath…
No Hyperbole: How A MenLiving “Advance” Changed Me
In January 2017, I was separated from my wife and working in a family business that was in crisis. I had been peripherally involved in MenLiving (The “Tribe” back then) and knew Todd Adams fairly well. Todd had…
RELATIONAL LEADERSHIP
RELATIONAL LEADERSHIP Relationships shape every part of our lives—at work, at home, and in our communities . Yet, many of us move through them on autopilot, reacting rather than intentionally leading. Relational…
The Stars Know
You Know What Your Problem Is? The Stars Know… For some time (one week to be exact), I’ve immersed myself in the mysteries of the zodiac, delving into celestial charts and uncovering the cosmic forces that shape not…
Dan’s Here to Grant Your Career Wish
You know what your problem is…You tell me The holiday season always reminds me of how cool it was to be a kid. I’ve written before about my childhood, which was full of freedom and only two parental expectations: avoid…
What Would You Do?
You know what your problem is…I’m uncomfortable telling you If an employee makes a joke that slightly edges on discrimination, do you say something? What if addressing the situation requires you to document it and…
You keep turning the wrong corner
With Halloween just around the corner, the air is filled with a backdrop of thrills, excitement, and fear. One of my Halloween memories scared the pants off of me – though, to be fair, I wasn’t wearing pants as I was…
You know what your problem is…You don’t “no”
Years ago, I did something bold—something that straddled the line between bravery and foolishness. I wrote a manifesto. Not only did I write it, but I published the 15-page pamphlet and mailed it out to clients and…
Bad Habits
Yesterday I had a conversation with my father. Over the course of my life, I’ve had a very challenging relationship with him, which was further complicated due to my working for his company for almost twenty years. At…
Less May Be More
In a world that was always racing, where speed and efficiency was prized above all else, there lived two unlikely competitors: a Hare and a Tortoise. They had known each other for years, but things had changed with the…
You know what your problem is…
For those who are avid business book readers or keen consumers of business insights, you’ve likely encountered Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle model. If you haven’t, it’s worth a quick search—there are plenty of articles…
Nine Weeks Left
For those of you who know me and/or have read my previous blogs, I’m very engaged in national politics. I have been so since college, but actually remember being engaged, I guess as much as a kid can be, when I was…
Lazy meets Entertaining!
Nearly 14 years ago, I surprised our kids with a puppy. They were thrilled to welcome a new pet, and Holly, our puggle, certainly lived up to the excitement. Small in size but big in personality, Holly would chase the…
Social Proof
When I first started my executive recruiting business, I had zero experience acquiring clients; my background was purely internal HR and recruiting. So, when a colleague from a top consulting firm asked if I’d speak…
Bobbing For Gold
Did you know that the mascot of the 2024 Paris Olympics is a hat? And did you see the swimming event where “Bob the Cap Catcher” paraded out in his colorful speedo to rescue a stray swimming cap? Were you aware that…
The AI Storm
How are you genuinely feeling today? Enough about you, let’s talk about me. I’m getting nervous about AI and what this means for people’s career paths. As AI continues to advance, many people are understandably nervous…
Questions from the Male Bag
Over the years I’ve received many candidate questions that I’m not sure I’m qualified to answer. The questions have more to do with applying good business judgment than necessarily solid recruiter advice. So I’m…
Greenlights
I feel fortunate and grateful that I get the opportunity to show up to so many different MenLiving spaces, whether it be Full Houses, specialized meetings on interesting topics, or Weekend Advances. They are all special…
The Question Behind the Question
My favorite artist at present, the one who provokes my thinking, creates ongoing intrigue, and occasionally makes me laugh is…Banksy. For those of you unfamiliar with Banksy, he is an anonymous British street artist…
Zwifting Through Your Struggles
A few months ago I started Zwifting. For those of you unfamiliar with it, zwift is basically an online platform where you can ride (or run) in a virtual world. It’s like a video game for exercise bikes. You can join…
You Need to Step to the Left
Photography buffs know that composition plays a significant role in taking an effective photo. Considering what elements to include as well as framing, perspective, balance, and symmetry all help the photographer tell a…
Are you a storytelling Jedi??
There is so much that divides our country. We continue to passionately disagree on social issues such as abortion, gun rights, gender equality, economic disparities, climate issues, etc. and of course, we are split on…
Do You Know Where You Are Going?
Years ago, I saw a cartoon depicting a group of explorers deep in the heart of a jungle, using machetes to hack their way through heavy brush and vines. The caption of the cartoon had one individual saying to another,…
You hate to lose
Remember the old phrase “be careful what you wish for!” It implies that sometimes, what we wish for may not turn out as expected, and could even have negative or unintended outcomes. In my experience, there is only one…
Too Much Head Trash
I sometimes wonder if recruiters need to be trained psychologists. I often deal with complex people issues. So often in conversations, candidates share big fears, concerns and insecurities that they have in the work…
“You know what your problem is?”
Like many people, I tend to use targeted humor when addressing challenging topics. Regardless of the audience, this approach helps me in communicating a difficult point without creating any sort of tension or negative…
Purpose?
Over the last week, I have found myself in multiple conversations about purpose. First, Chris Lozier and I interviewed Nico Lagan for an upcoming episode of our podcast, If You’ve Come This Far. Nico is “a men’s coach,…
Jobs Wanted
On Tuesday’s episode of Zen Parenting Radio , a podcast cohosted by our Executive Director, Todd Adams and his wife, Cathy, the Adams talked about her mom’s recent passing (Judy Cassani passed away on January…
MenLiving Thought Leader: An Interview with Dr. Frank Keil on Wonder
In this edition of the MenLiving Thought Leader Series, Patrick NcKenna interviews Dr. Frank Keil, Professor of Cognitive Science and Director of the Cognition and Development Lab at Yale University, and author of the…
People Like People
I recently read a profile on Brandon Stanton, the founder of the Humans of New York . The reporter writes, “the more stories of uplift he posted, the more people craved them. His most devoted followers, he said, who…
MenLiving Thought Leaders: An Interview with Andrew Smiler, PhD.
In his second entry to the MenLiving Thought Leader series, Patrick interviews Dr. Andrew Smiler. Dr Smiler is an author and licensed therapist with expertise in adolescent boys, men, and masculinity. He is the author…
Questions of Leadership
My company recently administered a leadership assessment (test) for a cross section of employees. The Sales Management team (of which I’m a part) was reviewing the assessment of an individual in our organization we’ve…
People Don’t Care About Me (Why That’s Good News)
A good chunk of my day is spent seeking out approval of others. It pains me (and is slightly embarrassing) to admit, but it’s the truth. Three examples: I do pushups and jog regularly – partially to clear my head and be…
Calling All Complacent White Straight Males
I am complacent when it comes to the tragedies that fill up my newsfeed – Charlottesville and North Korea, just to name a few. When I hear bad news, I pause for a moment and think to myself, “I’m scared” or “That’s…
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