When he was 16 years old, Justin was given a death sentence by the doctors. He weighed 799 pounds. Crippled by anxiety, panic attacks, and an eating disorder, his body became his prison.
Listen to Justin Willoughby on the Manlihood ManCast on Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Youtube or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Set Goals. Do the Work. Change Your Life. WITH BROTHERS. – Join the Arrows and Iron Brotherhood – http://manlihood.com/brotherhood
One Step
Justin’s first workout was one step. The next day, it was two. Eventually, those steps would become a milestone that changed his life forever.
600 Pounds Down
Over the next several years, Justin lost 600 pounds without weight loss drugs or surgery, and now he has dedicated his life to helping others get fit, and live a life free from obesity.
In this episode of the Manlihood ManCast, Josh Hatcher talks with Harvey Laguerre. Harvey is podcast, a baseball fan, but his primary role is that of a stay-at-home dad.
Josh and Harvey talk about a number of things, including the stigma of a man not pursuing a career in order to raise his family, Harvey’s perspective on the world as a black man, and a meaningful conversation that gets to the heart of what it means to be a man.
Harvey Laguerre is a 47 year old, stay-at-home dad of 4.
During the pandemic, Harvey started a marriage and relationship podcast with is wife called “Love is Black.” That podcast’s success emboldened Harvey to start a new podcast, specifically for men.
Men are the P.R.I.Z.E. podcast is the result of years of learning what it means to be a man in the world today.
Harvey says, “The definition of masculinity has changed drastically and not for the better. Attributes that were once manly, are now toxic. What has not changed is the lack of safe spaces for men to express their emotions. Being a vulnerable man is not celebrated like it should be. This podcast is that safe space for men to open up and reveal their inner monologue.”
The “Men Are The Prize” is a podcast for men to be open and vulnerable. Harvey uses PRIZE as an acronym, and that acronym directs his conversations with his guests.
Each letter represents a characteristic men need to succeed.
Listen to the Latest Episode of the Manlihood ManCast: a podcast for men on Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Youtube or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Fight Club is a monthly live panel discussion moderated by Josh Hatcher in his living room with several other men
This episode features: Josh Hatcher Dan Karrasch Dwayne Edgar Abe Hatcher
In this second installment of Fight Club, Josh Hatcher, Dan Karrasch, Dwayne Edgar, and Abe Hatcher talk about the reason young people do stupid things like cooking chicken in Nyquil (a “trend” similar to the Tide Pod Challenge).
Identity Issues
The group also talks about young people who “identify as” feline, or who crave a mental health diagnosis in order to feel belonging and acceptance.
They talk about how each of us longs for belonging, and how we need to understand our identity.
There are plenty of side discussions about politics, faith, and brotherhood. Make sure to tune in.
Be a part of FIGHT CLUB LIVE
Once a month, Josh will host Fight Club Live at his house, live streaming the discussion on Facebook. You can join the guys and be a part of the discussion. Check out our Facebook Event for the event dates.
Today, September 30, is International Podcast Day! Today at Manlihood, we thought it would be a great opportunity to celebrate our podcast for men.
International Podcast Day™ is September 30th and is an international celebration of the power of podcasts.
In 2004, Adam Curry and Dave Winer were credited for the invention of podcasting. It wasn’t until Ben Hammersly wrote about the online audio shows in the Guardian newspaper that the term “podcasting” was coined.
It’s been almost 20 years since then, and we now have 2.4 million podcasts with 66 million episodes globally. There are more podcasts than anyone could ever listen to!
The Manosphere
Blogs centered around personal development for men have been around for quite awhile, but one of the more earth-shaking moments in the manosphere was the birth of The Art of Manliness Podcast in 2009.
In 2013, I sent an email to a handful of men that I respected, and pitched an idea. I wanted to make a website to equip, educate, entertain, and engage men to be better husbands, fathers, and leaders. The men had some great feedback. My hope was that I had just created a superhero team to build this crazy thing, only to find out, that most of them never really got involved.
At first, I was dissapointed, but one of them told me, “Josh, this is YOUR thing. We’re behind you, and we support you. But this is YOUR dream. YOU are the guy that needs to do it.”
And so I did.
Testing 1.2.3.
My first real job was at WFRM Radio in Coudersport, PA at 14 years old. I was running the board for Pittsburgh Pirates games, DJ’ing and announcing on Saturday mornings, recording commercials, and having the time of my life. I went to college for communications, with a broadcasting specialty, spinning plenty of Christian records on the campus radio station. I went on to work at a few more radio stations, as a news director, a DJ, a talk show-host.
Way before all of that, I used to play with a tape recorder, making my own DJ’d mix tapes. Most people hate the sound of their own voice when they hear it played back. I’ve been listening to mine for so long, I’m usually not bothered by how I sound, and I’ve developed the voice and production skills to be able to use it to make a living at various points in my life.
The Birth of the Manlihood ManCast
I always knew I wanted to build the blog into a podcast. But I hesitated for a long time. Part of me was afraid that I was going to be sending it out into the void. Why would anyone listen? Why invest the time, energy, and emotion into something for 20 people?
After listening to other podcasts, I kept telling myself- You can do that. You have all of the skills, the knowledge, the wisdom to create that.
But it was hard to pull the trigger. Self-doubt kept plaguing me.
I was stuck in this place where I knew I could start it, but I didn’t want to fail. I wasn’t quite ready, I didn’t know what would work, or what listeners wanted to hear. I had a plan, but it was just ideas and lots of scrawled notes in a journal, and nothing concrete.
I had a conversation online with Ryan Michler, and he said, “Start before you are ready.”
And that wisdom made a lot of sense. Just do it, and you can work out the details later. You can fix what isn’t working when you actually do something other than thinking and dreaming.
So we decided to get started by recycling some of our blog content into episodes. If you scroll back on your podcast app to the earliest episodes, you’ll see that the Manlihood ManCast then definitely isn’t what it is now! But I started.
Podcasting is important to me. This is the entrance into people’s hearts and minds as I do the mission I’ve been called to do.
What is it that drives Manlihood? Our Purpose, Mission, Vision, and Values.
Purpose:
Because the world needs men to lead in their families and communities, and because so many men have struggled to understand their value, Manlihood exists to help men become better men.
Mission:
The Manlihood Mission is to Educate, Equip, and Entertain Men in an Engaging Way.
Vision:
The Manlihood vision is to create resources to educate and equip men, to foster a thriving community of men, where bonds of brotherhood and accountability form. We seek to help men be better fathers, husbands, leaders, friends. We want to build through Manlihood a financially sustainable architecture that can support itself, but also to incubate ideas and opportunities from within the Manlihood community that support our purpose and mission.
Values:
Men matter.
Family matters.
Integrity and Honor matter.
Personal Responsibility matters. (If it is to be, it’s up to me.)
Men thrive and grow in community and brotherhood with each other.
Truth is everywhere. Wisdom knows how to pick it out.
Men should value and respect women. (People should respect people.)
Perseverance, Self-control and Self-discipline are sacred and essential.
Words are powerful, and how we use them matters.
Leadership is steeped in influence and responsibility. (Everyone is a leader, and everyone should embrace and nurture that role.)
As we talk to outdoor tv personality and wilderness guide Jim Shockey on this episode of the Manlihood ManCast, we learn about the way people crave adventure, the way the outdoors is healing, and the importance of hunting for managing the balance of nature.
Listen to Josh Hatcher’s interview with Jim Shockey on the Manlihood ManCast – Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Youtube | or wherever you listen to podcasts!
Jim Shockey is an award-winning outdoor writer, hunter, wildlife photographer and videographer, outfitter and wilderness guide, and naturalist.
Shockey owns several outfitting territories in the Canadian wildlands, and helps many adventurers trek through the backwoods on epic hunts.
He’s also known for his proficiency with muzzleloaders, rifles, and archery.
Jim Shockey on Television
Shockey is the former producer and host of Jim Shockey’s Hunting Adventures and Jim Shockey’s Uncharted on Outdoor Channel and Jim Shockey’s The Professionals on Outdoor Channel and Sportsman Channel.
He has won 15 Golden Moose Awards from 2009-2017.
More About Jim Shockey
He is a retired Honorary Lieutenant Colonel of 4 Canadian Ranger Patrol Group (4CRPG) Canadian Armed Forces and is a Member International of the Explorer’s Club in New York City.
Jim attended Simon Fraser University and Carleton University and was an all-American swimmer and member of the Canadian National Water polo team, attending two World Championships.
Jim Shockey and the Hand of Man Museum
In this episode of the Manlihood ManCast, Jim Shockey talks about his lifelong project, The Hand of Man Museum. When he was a young boy, he had a vision to create this museum, and he has spent his whole life collecting natural history and ethnographic arts from Western Canada.
In 2019, he opened the Hand of Man Museum of Cultural Arts and Conservation on Vancouver Island, Canada. Tens of thousands have been through this amazing museum, which is funded entirely by voluntary donations.
In our interview with historian Chris Mackowski, we talk about the American Civil War, and the stories of heroism and even villainy that happened during that time.
Chris also talks about his opinions on masculinity, fatherhood, and his passion for history.
Chris Mackowski, Ph.D., is the editor-in-chief and co-founder of Emerging Civil War and the series editor of the award-winning Emerging Civil War Series.
Chris has authored or co-authored nearly two dozen books and edited a half-dozen essay collections on the Civil War, and his articles have appeared in all the major Civil War magazines.
Chris is also historian-in-residence at Stevenson Ridge, a historic property on the Spotsylvania battlefield in central Virginia. He has worked as a historian for the National Park Service at Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park, where he gives tours at four major Civil War battlefields (Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Wilderness, and Spotsylvania), as well as at the building where Stonewall Jackson died.
Chris serves as vice president on the board of directors for the Central Virginia Battlefields Trust, he serves on the advisory board of the Civil War Roundtable Congress and the Brunswick (NC) Civil War Roundtable—the largest in the country—and is a member of the Antietam Institute.
Listen to the Manlihood ManCast interview with #1 Best Selling author Brad Thor on Spotify | Apple Podcasts
Brad Thor is a #1 New York Times bestselling author with his series of international thrillers. Brad has written 21 thrillers including including BLACK ICE (ThrillerFix Best Thriller of the Year), NEAR DARK (one of Suspense Magazine’s Best Books of the Year), BACKLASH (nominated for the Barry Award for Best Thriller of the Year), SPYMASTER (“One of the all-time best thriller novels” —The Washington Times), THE LAST PATRIOT (nominated Best Thriller of the Year by the International Thriller Writers Association), and BLOWBACK (one of the “Top 100 Killer Thrillers of All Time” —NPR).
Media Contributor
Brad’s work studying international terrorists, and the american intelligence agents who hunt them down has not only informed his novels, but landed him numerous appearances on major news networks including BC, CBS, NBC, PBS, FOX News Channel, FOX Business Channel, CNN, CNN Headline News, The Blaze, and MSNBC.
Brad Thor is more than just a writer
In 2008, Brad went along with a black ops team in Afghanistan, and he served as a part of the Homeland Security Red Cell program to help brainstorm defenses to terroristic threats.
In this interview, Josh Hatcher tells the story of how Brad Thor gave Manlihood a big head start, and asks him about his book, his life experiences, and what it means to be a man.
Richard Kaufman of the Vertical Momentum Podcast is our guest on the Manlihood ManCast. He talks about overcoming some of the darkest moments of his life, and gives hope and encouragement to men.
He operates a top ranking podcast for veteran entrepreneurs called The Vertical Momentum Podcast.
“I’ll be down in a just a minute, honey. I need to finish this. It’s important.”
Important is a slide rule.*
*Only Gen X and above have any idea what I’m talking about when I say “slide rule.”
A Bell Curve. A Sliding Scale. Common core math may not have taught the concept. Sorry. Maybe I can explain it better.
What we value as important is often dependent upon the situation we are in.
That call from work about the TPS reports is important. But not as important as your kid is in the ER.
Moments of crisis, moments of trial, and heartache, sometimes leave us shaken. Imagine going back to work and listening to someone drone on about profits and production when your dad is on life support….
Imagine missing your child’s entrance into the world because you had to work overnights.
Paying your bills on time, getting out of debt, being fiscally responsible is important.
But if my kid needed an emergency surgery, and the family deductible isn’t met, I’d not think twice about the cost needed.
Our priorities are all screwed up.
I can’t tell you what YOUR priorities need to be, or which order they need to be. Heck, sometimes they bounce a little. Sometimes you gotta work a little extra. Sometimes you gotta shuffle and juggle to get things in place. That’s life. There is no such things as balance. At least not in the MOMENT. I think we find balance over long periods of time.
But your kid doesn’t care about your work/life balance when you miss their ball game.
Honestly, I struggle. Taking care of myself has not been a high enough priority. Especially this past year. I think I’ve happily settled into stroking my conspiracy and fear-porn glands a bit and allowed myself to camp out in the dark and seedy underbelly too much.
WAIT? IS JOSH A Q-ANON? No. But I’ll admit – there’s a draw for me to try to see behind the curtain of corruption. The former journalist in me is always connecting dots and seeing deception. I like listening to the news. I like scrolling on instagram. I LIKE reading declassified files on the CIA and FBI website, or scrolling through data dumps on WikiLeaks. There’s a side of me that is VERY interested in these things. That doesn’t mean I believe any of it. But I like to look for the truth under the surface that seems to get ignored.
It’s my dark side.
I can’t tell you how many blog posts I’ve written in my head that expose the actual true things that I’ve learned (cutting through the hyperbole of the extremist websites, and the smoke and mirrors of the main stream press) – but I realize that going down that rabbit hole is not IMPORTANT.
I just went a whole weekend with Instagram deleted from my phone— with all of my notifications turned off. Not checking newsfeeds. It was hard. Digital Cocaine Withdrawal. I was itchy. LITERALLY ITCHY all weekend. I could feel my phone vibrating in my pocket when my phone wasn’t even within a mile of me.
There was some other stuff going on that required my attention, and my emotional involvement. My wife asked for our family to have a retreat, to focus on God, to focus on each other, and to cut everything else out.
I scrolled a couple times. I feel a bit dirty admitting it. I needed a little hit. Wanted to make sure I wasn’t going to be leaving the green pastures and going home to a full blown apocalypse. ( I didn’t. The world is still here. )
On the last night, I started to break down. All of the pressures we had been facing came crashing at me. I felt PAIN. Deep personal emotional pain. Not just from the current situations, hell…. Some of it was four decades old. I’ll get into that another time…. But I basically collapsed on the bed and sobbed quietly for twenty minutes.
My point is, THAT crap is important. The fact that I have some deep personal woundedness that I need to work through that I’ve been numbing and fuzzing out for 40 years… that’s IMPORTANT.
I keep ignoring the fact that my health is important. Well, Last October’s heart attack should have gotten my attention, right? Gawsh. I’m about as stubborn as a mule.
I think most of us don’t even THINK about our priorities. We MAY think about our values – though we live our values whether we think about them or not… but our values and our priorities are not the same thing.
To prioritize is to actively get your hands dirty and organize the crap into piles so you can deal with it.
The Eisenhower Matrix may be helpful as you evaluate tasks according to priorities.
I can’t answer it for you. I can’t tell you what should be important to YOU. But I can tell you – if you don’t take the time to really evaluate what things are important, you’ll find yourself spinning your wheels in a flinging sludge field full of cow crap, and wondering why you aren’t getting anywhere. Trust me. I know this from experience. I’m working on it. Work on it with me.
