Neil Smith on Purpose, Men’s Communication, and the Mettle Mental Fitness App 🔥 Connect with other men who actually get it in Authentic AF:⁠https://realmenfeel.org/group⁠

Host Andy Grant interviews TV executive Neil Smith (The Apprentice, Grand Designs) about achieving outward success yet feeling empty, leading him to leave television and pursue purpose-driven work in men’s mental health. Neil shares hiding depression in his 20s for nearly a decade, the shame and fear of vulnerability, and a failed attempt to seek help after a dismissive doctor interaction. He argues the male mental health crisis is largely a communication crisis and that telling men to “talk” isn’t enough; support must meet men where they are.

Neil co-founded the men-focused mental fitness app Mettle with Bear Grylls to reduce stigma and friction through outcome-based tools and optional community, citing a user’s recovery from suicidality to renewed family and work life.

00:00 Career Peak Question
00:53 TV Success Story
04:12 Second Mountain Awakening
06:21 Meditation And Purpose
09:56 Hidden Depression Years
12:57 Shame And Asking Help
17:17 Tribe And Male Connection
19:40 WhatsApp Banter Trap
22:22 Building Mettle App
26:57 Bear Grylls Partnership
27:45 Beyond Help To Hope
31:07 Service And Grandfather
33:12 How To Find Mettle
33:42 Final Takeaway Tribe
34:32 Host Closing Reflection

CONNECT WITH NEIL & METTLE:
Mettle — https://bemettle.com/
Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/be.mettle
LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/neil-s-smith/

CONNECT WITH ANDY:
Coaching: https://TheAndyGrant.com/talk
Real Men Feel: https://RealMenFeel.org
Instagram: @realmenfeelshow and @theandygrant

ABOUT REAL MEN FEEL
Real Men Feel explores men's mental health, modern masculinity, relationships, purpose, authenticity and personal growth. Hosted by Andy Grant.

Join other like-minded men in the Authentic AF Community | https://www.realmenfeel.org/group

#RealMenFeel #MensMentalHealth #Success #Authenticity #ChasingStatus

Real Men Feel ep 424

Connect with other men who actually get in Authentic AF:
https://realmenfeel.org/group

Quit the Game: Ryan Vertucci on Success, Validation, and Becoming an Aligned Man

Host Andy Grant interviews entrepreneur and author Ryan Vertucci about the hidden cost of chasing money, status, and sexual validation. Ryan recounts feeling trapped in a Walgreens management job, launching a property management franchise, and later “optimizing” himself through fitness, image, social media, and pickup programs, only to remain empty despite wealth, friends, and dating options. MDMA-assisted therapy surfaced childhood wounds tied to his grandmother’s death, his mother’s anger, and a core belief that love must be earned; it also exposed that his girlfriend and best friend had been sleeping together while many friends enabled it.

Ryan describes “sexual jail,” lust, pornography, and transactional party culture, then shares how therapy and an impulsive trip to Italy led him back to church and faith in Christ, prompting a shift toward genuine community, purpose, and internal grounding.

00:00 Chasing the Wrong Game
00:32 Meet Ryan Vertucci
01:17 Stuck in Corporate Life
04:55 Betting on a Franchise
07:25 Success Still Feels Empty
08:26 The Pickup and Party Spiral
11:00 MDMA Therapy Revelation
13:51 Childhood Wound Exposed
16:20 Sexual Jail and Lust
18:05 Just Another Rich Guy
28:54 Quitting the Nightlife
31:44 Italy Trip and Vatican
35:20 Tomb of St Matthew
37:43 Careful with Spiritual Realms
41:07 Book and Coaching Links
42:01 What Men Need to Know
44:02 Final Takeaways and Community

CONNECT WITH RYAN
Ryan Vertucci — https://quitthegame.com/
Quit The Game book — https://amzn.to/3WhgzNz
Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/alignedmanmethod/

CONNECT WITH ANDY:
Coaching: https://TheAndyGrant.com/talk
Real Men Feel: https://RealMenFeel.org
Instagram: @realmenfeelshow and @theandygrant

ABOUT REAL MEN FEEL
Real Men Feel explores men's mental health, modern masculinity, relationships, purpose, authenticity and personal growth. Hosted by Andy Grant.

Join other like-minded men in the Authentic AF Community | https://www.realmenfeel.org/group

#RealMenFeel #MensMentalHealth #Success #Authenticity #ChasingStatus

Real Men Feel ep 423

Connect with other men who actually get it. Join Authentic AF:
https://realmenfeel.org/group

Eddie Christian on Losing the Jersey: Identity, Mentorship, and Life After Pro Baseball

Andy Grant interviews Eddie Christian, who grew up identifying as an athlete, was first drafted at 16, and spent nine years in professional baseball in the Marlins, Angels, and Mariners organizations before moving into leading customer experience teams. Eddie describes how performance and “a number next to your name” shaped his worth from early childhood, the cutthroat reality of the minors, and coping alone after bad games. When baseball ended around age 29–30, he felt lost, avoided the sport, and said it took six or seven years for the loss to sink in as corporate life “wasn’t the clubhouse.” He discusses feeling like “nothing,” the idea that athletes “die two deaths,” and how mentors—especially veteran players and older professionals—helped him evolve.

Eddie now focuses outward on mentoring and service, and he and Andy highlight men’s mental health support through The Real and the Authentic AF community.

00:00 When Identity Ends
00:48 Confidence Through Sports
01:41 Drafted at Sixteen
02:51 Numbers and Self-Worth
03:26 Alone After Failure
05:21 No Help in Clubhouse
06:04 Career Cut and Reality
07:11 Lost Without Baseball
09:02 Nothingness and Grief
11:42 Office Not Clubhouse
14:46 Corporate Slumps Too
15:56 Leadership From Baseball
17:22 Mentors Who Changed Him
19:20 Mexico Bar Breakthrough
22:02 Mentoring the Hungry
24:04 Men Need Safe Spaces
25:27 Service Over Self
26:31 How to Connect
26:56 Final Message and Wrap

CONNECT WITH EDDIE
Eddie Christian — https://www.eddiechristian.com/
LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/eddie-christian/

CONNECT WITH ANDY:
Coaching: https://TheAndyGrant.com/talk
Real Men Feel: https://RealMenFeel.org
Instagram: @realmenfeelshow and @theandygrant

ABOUT REAL MEN FEEL
Real Men Feel explores men's mental health, modern masculinity, relationships, purpose, authenticity and personal growth. Hosted by Andy Grant.

Join other like-minded men in the Authentic AF Community | https://www.realmenfeel.org/group

#RealMenFeel #MensMentalHealth

Real Men Feel ep 422

🔥 Want deeper conversations like this with men who actually get it? Join Authentic AF:
https://realmenfeel.org/group

Taking Off the Superman Costume: Jasper Calcara on Vulnerability and the Structure of Excellence

Host Andy Grant introduces Real Men Feel and invites successful-but-stuck men to book a free clarity call. He interviews structural engineer and entrepreneur Jasper Calcara, who describes a lifelong “Superman complex” rooted in childhood anxiety and lack of self-worth, masked by decades of professional success. After the sudden death of his business partner, mounting pressure, and the end of his marriage, Jasper hit rock bottom and began healing by acknowledging his “internal cracks,” seeking the right support, and embracing vulnerability. He shares engineering frameworks—temporary supports and maintenance—to explain personal growth, including “be good, do good, evolve,” his definition of excellence as sustained high performance for the right reasons, and a GPS goal model (goal, process, skills).

They discuss why men delay getting help, the difference between rescuing and empowering, and the importance of safe communities. Andy closes by promoting his men’s group and reminding listeners that feelings are information.

00:00 Welcome and Clarity Call
00:26 Meet Jasper and Themes
01:18 Superman Complex Origins
03:05 Success Without Peace
05:26 Why Men Hit Rock Bottom
06:51 Collapse and Choosing Healing
08:37 Be Good Do Good Evolve
10:45 Engineering Metaphor for Support
13:21 Vulnerability and Safe Spaces
14:39 Rescuing vs Coaching
17:11 Structure of Stability
19:12 First Steps to Drop the Cape
24:24 Excellence and Goal Frameworks
28:16 Asking for Help and Connection
30:20 Where to Find Jasper
31:58 Final Takeaways and Community

CONNECT WITH JASPER
Jasper Calcara — https://jaspercalcara.com/
YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/@JasperCalcara26
Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/jaspercalcara

CONNECT WITH ANDY:
Coaching: https://TheAndyGrant.com/talk
Real Men Feel: https://RealMenFeel.org
Instagram: @realmenfeelshow and @theandygrant

ABOUT REAL MEN FEEL
Real Men Feel explores men's mental health, modern masculinity, relationships, purpose, authenticity and personal growth. Hosted by Andy Grant.

Join other like-minded men in the Authentic AF Community | https://www.realmenfeel.org/group

#RealMenFeel #MensMentalHealth

Real Men Feel ep 421

Be more you in Authentic AF. Visit https://www.skool.com/authenticaf/about

Andy Grant on Real Men Feel: Vulnerability, Values, and Coming Home to Yourself

Andy Grant, host of Real Men Feel, makes a guest appearance on The Richard Taliaferro Podcast to discuss masculinity, vulnerability, and authenticity, including why many men hide behind “I’m fine,” why sensitivity is often treated as a slur, and how fear of hurt and rejection drives disconnection and addiction. Andy recounts surviving multiple suicide attempts and depression, a pivotal spiritual moment that led him to seek help, and how his coaching draws from what saved his life. He contrasts performative support with real support, emphasizes unlearning “man box” conditioning, and recommends simple practices—gratitude journaling, brief meditation via breathing, and mirror work—to rebuild self-connection.

Andy highlights the importance of identifying personal values (moving from safety rooted in fear to freedom, love, and joy), encourages safe failure to reduce fear, reminds men that they are more than roles, invites them to the free Authentic AF community, and announces a two-week break, with a return on September 25th.

00:00 Welcome and Setup
01:09 Guest Intro and Background
02:24 Suicide Survival Turning Point
04:14 Reclaiming Sensitivity
06:38 Unlearning the Man Box
09:06 External Success vs Inner Truth
12:10 Masks and I'm Fine
15:08 Simple Practices to Reconnect
16:47 Permission to Feel
18:24 Modern Mystery School Path
18:48 Know Thyself Beyond Labels
19:43 Breaking Old Thought Ruts
20:29 Real vs Performative Support
22:23 Why Vulnerability Feels Unsafe
24:57 Fear of Rejection and Addiction
25:38 Practicing Failure on Purpose
29:04 Values Over Resume Success
31:34 Put Yourself First to Serve
32:45 Three Tools to Come Home
35:13 You Matter and Final Sendoff

Connect with Richard
Richard Taliaferro — https://www.richardtaliaferro.com/
LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardtaliaferro/
Richard Taliaferro Podcast — https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/the-richard-taliaferro-podcast/id1745735069

Connect with Andy:
Join other like-minded men in the Authentic AF Community | https://www.realmenfeel.org/group
Instagram | @realmenfeelshow & @theandygrant
Andy Grant | https://theandygrant.com for coaching, healing, and book info!
Real Men Feel | https://realmenfeel.org
YouTube | https://youtube.com/realmenfeel

#RealMenFeel ep 420

Find yourself in Authentic AF. Visit https://www.skool.com/authenticaf/about

Attorney and Psychic Medium Jason Zuk on Identity Collisions, Caregiving, and Authenticity

Host Andy Grant interviews Jason Ciofalo, aka Jason Zuk “the social psychic,” an attorney licensed in five states who is also a psychic medium. Jason describes growing up with family intuition, a transformative experience after his grandfather’s death that sparked mediumship, and a premonition dream that led him to adopt the Jason Zuk name and begin public psychic work and podcasting in 2018. He recounts intuitively sensing his cancer diagnosis months before confirmation, spiritual experiences during anesthesia, and how cancer, COVID, and becoming his mother’s caregiver reshaped his values, relationships, and focus on authenticity, compassion, and boundaries.
Jason explains he keeps psychic abilities separate from legal work for ethical and credibility reasons, discusses meditation and “insight with structure,” shares a CE5-style nonhuman contact experience tied to the film “Disclosure Day,” and urges men to lead with empathy, care for elders, and live authentically.

00:00 Two Worlds One Man
01:04 Choosing the Name Zuk
02:36 Family Intuition Awakens
03:36 Grandfather’s Passing Message
05:35 Hiding Then Going Public
07:41 Cancer Premonition Lessons
11:22 Caregiving and Lost Support
23:07 Resentment Boundaries Healing
26:52 Lawyer Ethics Psychic Split
29:14 Insight Into Action
31:02 Disclosure Day CE5 Encounter
34:19 Meditation Compassion for Men
37:29 Final Reflections Farewell

Connect with Jason
Jason Zuk — https://www.thesocialpsychic.com/
Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/The.Social.Psychic.JasonZuk/
LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-zuk/
Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/the_social_psychic/
Podcast — https://www.thesocialpsychic.com/podcast-1

Connect with Andy:
Join other like-minded men in the Authentic AF Community | https://www.realmenfeel.org/group
Instagram | @realmenfeelshow & @theandygrant
Andy Grant | https://theandygrant.com for coaching, healing, and book info!
Real Men Feel | https://realmenfeel.org
YouTube | https://youtube.com/realmenfeel

#RealMenFeel ep 419

Find your brotherhood in Authentic AF. Visit https://www.skool.com/authenticaf/about

Escaping the Success Trap: Measuring Resistance and Reclaiming Emotional Freedom with Mike Irving

Andy Grant interviews executive coach Mike Irving about the “success trap,” where external achievement still leaves men feeling stuck, numb, or dissatisfied. Mike shares how, despite building a successful business in his 20s, he became miserable and was prescribed depression medication near 30, prompting him to learn emotional awareness from an older “research team.” He contrasts forcing outcomes—which creates opposing resistance—with choice, intent, and tools like centered breathing, emphasizing that getting unstuck requires willingness to experience emotions rather than trying to avoid them.

Mike describes “quantum resistance” as a measurable emotional-physiological barrier and explains a two-hour, 320-question diagnostic that assesses traits across attitude, competency, aptitude, and human interaction skills to predict behavior under pressure and guide change through his Unhindered program. He offers an executive benchmark at execbenchmark.com and notes a coming book, Unseen Leadership.

00:00 Success Trap Setup
01:07 Turning 50 Perspective
02:26 Boat Life Redefined
03:38 Chasing Moving Goals
05:38 Hitting the Wall
10:28 Learning to Feel
13:45 Below the Line Resistance
17:39 Numbness and Apathy
21:27 Measuring the Trap
27:49 Willingness to Change
30:24 Tools and Next Steps
32:27 Freedom Through Emotions
35:17 Final Takeaways

Connect with Mike
Mike Irving — https://advancedbusinessabilities.com/
Exec Benchmark Test — https://www.execbenchmark.com
LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/irvingmike/
Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/mike_irving/

Connect with Andy:
Join other like-minded men in the Authentic AF Community | https://www.realmenfeel.org/group
Instagram | @realmenfeelshow & @theandygrant
Andy Grant | https://theandygrant.com for coaching, healing, and book info!
Real Men Feel | https://realmenfeel.org
YouTube | https://youtube.com/realmenfeel

#RealMenFeel ep 418

Find your brotherhood in Authentic AF. Visit https://www.skool.com/authenticaf/about

Cuzzin Justin on IVF: Men, Grief, and the Intentional Path to Fatherhood

Host Andy Grant interviews entrepreneur and podcast host Justin “Cuzzin Justin” Abrams about his six-year IVF journey, emphasizing that infertility and pregnancy loss affect men too. Justin describes feeling pressure to be strong and hide emotions, the emasculating sense of having little role beyond supporting his wife Tara, and how the medical process felt “sterile,” ambiguous, and businesslike. After years in an “unexplainable” category, they learned Tara had endometriosis, following multiple failures and miscarriages. Justin discusses trauma from the uncertainty, private grief, faith/spirituality, and coping through suppression and solitary “walkabouts,” while noting his cousin Todd was his main confidant.

Justin explains their determination to build a family by any means, the desire to continue his family name, and their plan to end doctor-assisted attempts by August. He advises supporters to ask needs-based questions and stresses there’s no playbook—just keep going.

00:00 Men in IVF Too
00:18 Meet Cousin Justin
01:08 Beyond the Roles
02:57 Legacy and Divorce Wakeup
05:37 IVF as Uncontrollable Creation
07:46 Unexplained Infertility Years
10:29 Family Name Pressure
13:59 Emasculating Sterile Traumatic
19:51 Trauma and Fear of Loss
23:47 Why Keep Trying
26:21 Manhood and Testing Results
27:31 Carrying Her Burden
29:14 Atlas Mode and Anger
32:17 Validation and Deflection
35:07 Grief in Different Ways
37:30 Cousin Todd Safe Space
40:08 Marriage Bond and Next Goal
43:12 How to Support Men
46:46 Talking to Kids About IVF
49:10 No Playbook Keep Going
51:00 Final Reflections and Invite

Connect with Justin
Justin Abrams — https://cuzzinjustin.com/
LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/
Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/
Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24Resources
Podcast — Strictly From Nowhere

Connect with Andy:
Join other like-minded men in the Authentic AF Community | https://www.realmenfeel.org/group
Instagram | @realmenfeelshow & @theandygrant
Andy Grant | https://theandygrant.com for coaching, healing, and book info!
Real Men Feel | https://realmenfeel.org
YouTube | https://youtube.com/realmenfeel

#RealMenFeel ep 417

Find your brotherhood in Authentic AF. Visit https://www.skool.com/authenticaf/about

Age Out Loud: Redefining Aging, Mindset, and Men’s Purpose

Host Andy Grant welcomes Chris Moore, author of "Age Out Loud," to discuss reframing aging as vitality, reinvention, and purpose rather than decline. Moore explains how limiting beliefs and cultural ageism—often reinforced by media—shape expectations, noting that ageism is a prejudice against our future selves and that “old” can be a state of mind. Using examples such as Roger Bannister’s four-minute mile and elders who remain active, he urges listeners to question inherited stories about what’s “impossible.” Chris shares how losing his first wife, Barbara, to lung cancer shifted his mission, teaching him the power of perspective and gratitude.

He outlines seven pillars of ageless vitality—mindset, nutrition, exercise, sleep, relationship with God, relationship with others, and brain health—and highlights men’s common struggles with connection and asking for help. The episode closes with resources to find Chris Moore’s book, podcast, and communities, plus an invitation to Andy’s Authentic AF group at realmenfeel.org/group.

00:00 Welcome and Big Idea
00:51 What Age Out Loud Means
02:41 Why Aging Feels Like an Insult
05:51 Subtle Ageism and Work
09:40 Old as a State of Mind
10:48 Expectations and Four Minute Mile
14:12 Rewriting Beliefs and Potential
18:33 Loss, Grief, and New Purpose
23:38 Men, Aging, and Relevance
28:53 Seven Pillars of Vitality
30:18 Connection and Asking for Help
34:23 Where to Find Chris
36:58 What Men Need to Know
40:28 Closing Takeaways and Invite

Connect with Chris
Age Out Loud — https://ageoutloudbook.com/
LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-moore-7505b0259/
Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/share/g/14paptPGVZ1/Resources
Age Out Loud: How to Live a Purposeful, Fulfilling Life in the Years that Matter Most — https://amzn.to/4wHUJ3j
Podcast — Aging In Place Is a Team Sport

Connect with Andy:
Join other like-minded men in the Authentic AF Community | https://www.realmenfeel.org/group
Instagram | @realmenfeelshow & @theandygrant
Andy Grant | https://theandygrant.com for coaching, healing, and book info!
Real Men Feel | https://realmenfeel.org
YouTube | https://youtube.com/realmenfeel

#RealMenFeel ep 416

Find your tribe in Authentic AF. Visit https://www.skool.com/authenticaf/about

The Biggest Flex: Being Yourself (19 Quiet Traits of Real Masculinity)

Host Andy Grant says being a man means “to be yourself,” not to follow inherited “supposed to” rules from fathers, friends, religion, the media, or culture. He reframes a BuzzFeed list of “guy flexes” as invitations for men to become grounded, authentic, and connected rather than chasing wealth, status, dominance, or looks. He highlights 19 attractive, trust-building qualities: making people feel safe and heard; emotional maturity with exes; kindness to animals; showing up for others; humility; building and cooking; clear communication; willingness to dance; keeping a clean home; quiet competence; healthy self-sufficiency and interdependence; making and keeping plans; job stability without identity overwork; creative expression through music; owning mistakes; choosing inconvenience when it matters; kindness to strangers; and setting goals with disciplined self-compassion.

He invites men to reflect on strengths and growth areas and join the Authentic AF men’s group at realmenfeel.org/group.

00:00 Be Yourself Manhood
00:56 Big Flex Idea
01:56 Flexes That Matter
03:24 Drama Free Exes
04:32 Tenderness With Animals
05:24 Show Up Reliably
06:18 Humility And Growth
07:21 Build And Create
08:04 Cooking And Nurturing
09:14 Clear Communication
10:51 Dance And Freedom
11:57 Clean Home Energy
12:50 Quiet Competence
13:44 Self Sufficiency Balance
14:51 Plans And Integrity
15:47 Work Without Identity
16:36 Music And Creativity
18:08 Own Your Mistakes
19:25 Choose Inconvenience
20:18 Kindness To Strangers
21:30 Goals And Discipline
22:31 What These Flexes Mean
23:35 Keep Becoming You
25:11 Grow With Community
25:34 Final Encouragement

Connect with Andy:
Join other like-minded men in the Authentic AF Community | https://www.realmenfeel.org/group
Instagram | @realmenfeelshow & @theandygrant
Andy Grant | https://theandygrant.com for coaching, healing, and book info!
Real Men Feel | https://realmenfeel.org
YouTube | https://youtube.com/realmenfeel

#RealMenFeel ep 415

Join us in Authentic AF. Visit https://www.skool.com/authenticaf/about

Real Men Feel: Andy Grant on Men, Emotions, Suicide Prevention, Therapy, and Healing

Host Andy Grant shares his guest appearance on How to Man Adventures with Mark Curtin and Josh Tumlin, discussing men and emotions through the lens of first-responder and law-enforcement culture, anxiety, trauma, therapy, and journaling. Andy recounts childhood experiences of parental divorce, an alcoholic and bipolar father, childhood sexual abuse, long-term suicidal ideation, and multiple suicide attempts, and describes a turning point involving a spiritual experience that led him to seek help and share his story. They emphasize that men feel all emotions, warn against a distorted version of stoicism, and encourage direct conversations about suicide, including asking about plans and ensuring safety.
The conversation covers finding the right therapy, processing emotions, gratitude, and “vent” journaling, breathwork, and meditation for anxiety, supportive communities, Andy’s book Still Here, and alternative approaches, including energy work and life activation.

00:00 Episode Setup Warning
01:39 Meet Mark, Josh, and Andy
01:56 Men And Emotions
03:57 Childhood Trauma Roots
05:18 Suicide And Turning Point
07:37 Talking Saves Lives
09:33 First Responders Trauma
10:54 Processing And Man Box
13:01 Journaling For Clarity
15:50 Anxiety Stoicism Tools
20:50 Police Training And Home
24:49 Therapy Groups And Trips
29:56 Finding the Right Therapy
30:50 Empathy and Energy Work
32:31 How to Show Up in Therapy
35:18 Why Therapy Feels Negative
37:32 Hope and Spiritual Meaning
39:13 Helping Someone Suicidal
44:13 Habits, Energy, and Community
46:27 Change Anxiety and Processing
53:08 Resources Healing and Meds
57:03 Movement Joy and Manhood
59:08 Final Takeaways and Community

Connect with Mark and Josh (How-to-Man Adventures)
YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/@howtomanadventures
Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/howtomanadventures/
Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61589737834575

Connect with Andy:
Join other like-minded men in the Authentic AF Community | https://www.realmenfeel.org/group
Instagram | @realmenfeelshow & @theandygrant
Andy Grant | https://theandygrant.com for coaching, healing, and book info!
Real Men Feel | https://realmenfeel.org
YouTube | https://youtube.com/realmenfeel

#RealMenFeel ep 414