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

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

From External Success to Inner Peace: Breathwork, Energy Healing, and Becoming a Peaceful Warrior with Rick Lybarger

Host Andy Grant welcomes Rick Lybarger, founder of Wisdom Won, who describes how decades of external achievement as a financial planner masked inner disconnection until divorce, heavy drinking, and a Modern Mystery School Life Activation catalyzed change. Rick shares his background with childhood trauma, shame, and avoidance, and how leaning into “darkness,” heart-based coherence, self-love, and spiritual practice helped him stop drinking and become more present with his children and life. The conversation contrasts financial security with genuine joy, explores Rick’s guiding questions—“Do you love yourself? Do you trust yourself? Do you believe you’re worthy of what you want?”—and explains conscious connected breathwork as a somatic tool for releasing stuck energy and emotions.

Rick also discusses coherence techniques (including HeartMath-style breathing), Mystery School teachings, masculine archetypes, and building balance, inviting men to slow down, stop distracting, and improve 1% each day; listeners can find him at wisdomwon.com and join Andy’s Authentic AF group at realmenfeel.org/group.

00:00 Welcome And Guest Intro
01:09 Rick’s Wake Up Call
03:32 Energy Work And Spiritual Shift
06:17 Head To Heart Coherence
07:54 Money Versus Inner Peace
10:02 Self Love Trust Worthiness
13:21 Breathwork Basics And Release
18:28 Coherence Breathing Techniques
22:32 Beyond Woo Woo Resistance
27:42 Life Activation For Men
31:54 Archetypes Balance And Anger
37:24 Connect With Rick
38:26 What Men Need To Know
40:11 Closing, Thanks, and Community

Connect with Rick
Rick Lybarger — https://wisdomwon.com/
Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/wisdomwon_ww/
LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-lybarger-cfp%C2%AE-22934b4/

Resources
HeartMath — https://www.heartmath.com/
Just Breathe: Mastering Breathwork — https://amzn.to/3TavibK

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 413

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

Guardians of Grit: Authentic Identity, Purpose, and Raising Strong, Kind Sons

On Real Men Feel, host Andy Grant speaks with David Ask, founder of The Ask Experience and author of the upcoming book Guardians of Grit, about authentic identity, purpose, grit, and fatherhood. Ask argues identity is uncovered—not achieved—by clarifying values, convictions, virtues, strengths, and desired impact, rather than defining oneself by roles or performance. He reframes grit as values-based staying power without emotional shutdown and says purpose should primarily focus on helping others flourish.

They discuss how fathers can raise strong and kind sons by recognizing the larger story of what’s worth fighting for and by using a “notice, name, nurture” framework, including the idea that a father’s key job is to remove uncertainty. The conversation also explores humility, capability, faith, and the revelation of others’ “riches.”

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro
00:51 What Is Authentic Identity
02:14 Childhood to Core Values
05:33 Values Convictions Virtues
11:08 Purpose, Love, and Alignment
16:03 Start With Who, Not Why
19:14 Defining Real Grit
21:05 Values That Build Grit
21:54 Raising Strong Kind Sons
23:12 The Bigger Story Of Manhood
25:39 Notice Name Nurture
27:13 A Father Removes Uncertainty
29:33 Humility Over Performance
31:11 Dangerous Yet Gentlemen
34:14 Faith Identity And Worth
37:20 Bottom Of The Ladder
39:15 Connect With David
40:38 Reveal Others' Riches
42:47 Host Takeaways And Next Steps

Connect with David
David Ask — https://theaskexperience.com/
LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/thedavidask/

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 412

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

Nothing Changes Until You Show Up: Redefining Masculinity

Host Andy Grant interviews Daryl Dittmer on Real Men Feel about what it means for men to “show up” with honesty, discipline, integrity, and responsibility rather than performing through money, muscles, status, or possessions. Dittmer describes true masculinity as being a provider and protector while also allowing feelings and building loving relationships, sharing how his blue-collar upbringing and recovery from drugs and alcohol pushed him toward intentional self-work.

He explains crossroads often arrive by surprise and require humility and teachability, outlines daily practices like meditation, exercise, breathwork, and gratitude, and introduces “micro-quitting” as small acts of avoidance that undermine effort and attitude. He emphasizes rebuilding self-trust by starting small, taking action, and focusing inward—“first things first”—to find peace, contentment, and fulfillment, and he directs listeners to his podcast Show Up.

00:00 What Showing Up Means
00:21 Meet Daryl Dittmer
01:05 Defining a True Man
02:41 Misconceptions and Masculinity
03:57 Crossroads and Humility
07:30 When You Are Not Showing Up
10:05 Daily Habits and Rituals
15:32 Responsibility Without Shame
19:58 Work Ethic and Micro Quitting
24:00 Rebuilding Self-Trust
26:13 Clearing Mental Garbage
29:28 From Success to Fulfillment
32:27 Where to Find Daryl
33:46 First Things First
35:47 Closing and Next Steps

Connect with Daryl
Daryl Dittmer — https://www.daryldittmer.com/
Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/daryl_dittmer/
LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/daryl-dittmer-734205294/Daryl’s Podcast
Show Up with Daryl Dittmer — https://www.daryldittmer.com/podcast

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 411

Let's connect in Authentic AF: https://www.skool.com/authenticaf

I Turn 60 Today: Growing Up Without Growing Old | Real Men Feel with Andy Grant

Andy Grant, host of Real Men Feel, shares that he turns sixty today and reflects on never expecting to live past twenty. He notes he doesn’t feel much different from how he did at thirty and is in better shape now than when he graduated from university. Andy challenges the common belief that aging is inevitably “all downhill,” saying that may be true for some people but not for him, and encourages others to respond the same way.

He emphasizes that growing up doesn’t have to mean growing old and cites men who felt great into their eighties and nineties because they kept learning, staying active, trying new things, laughing, and living. His advice at sixty: never stop learning, never stop trying new things, never stop having fun, and don’t waste life needing to be right all the time.

00:00 Turning Sixty Today
00:37 Rethinking Your Peak
00:44 Rejecting Age Decline
01:21 Growing Up Not Old
01:42 Advice For Sixty
01:50 Choose Happy Over Right
02:11 Life Is Good

#RealMenFeel 410

Turning 60 and Staying Connected: Celebrating Male Friendship

Host Andy Grant records a road-trip documentary to Northern California with five high school friends celebrating turning 60, using intimate one-on-one interviews to explore adult male friendship amid “male loneliness” statistics (men with six or more close friends dropping from 55% to 27%, and 15% reporting zero close friends). His friends discuss the conscious effort required to maintain long-distance bonds, barriers like busyness, being a homebody, and social anxiety, and the value of communities such as church men’s groups, volunteering, and shared activities; one shares the “big important thing” approach of scheduling recurring traditions to keep friendships alive.

They advise men without friends to make the first move and invite others in (“Come on over for supper”), be themselves rather than perform bravado, and express appreciation and affection (“If you can hug, you’re gonna be an awful lot happier”). Andy also shares past suicide attempts and realizing that the feared stigma often exists only in his mind, closing by inviting listeners to join the Authentic AF community.

00:00 Road Trip Friendship Doc
00:18 Why Male Friendship Matters
01:22 Staying Close Across Distance
02:27 Faith Groups And Brotherhood
03:34 Busy Lives Social Anxiety
05:07 Friendship Through Fun
06:46 Effort And Ride Or Die
08:51 Make It A Big Thing
10:43 Advice For Men Alone
13:01 Mental Health Storytime
14:38 One Thing Men Should Know
17:01 Turning Sixty Reflections
17:57 Closing Thoughts & Invitation

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 409

Doug Fleener on Sobriety, Self-Trust, and the “What If” Rule: Pause, Question, Go

On Real Men Feel, Andy Grant talks with Doug Fleener, author of Start with What If, about how asking better questions can spark practical change. Doug shares how addiction and bankrupting his family business led to a pivotal interruption—“What if today you just went today without drink or drug?”—launching nearly four decades of sobriety. They discuss why men often wait for “rock bottom,” how shame thrives in isolation, and how honesty with another man can turn shame into remorse and responsibility. Doug outlines his “What If” rule—pause, question, go—emphasizing that action creates clarity and that mindset without action changes nothing. He reflects on redefining success beyond money, checking motives, serving others without resentment, and approaching fatherhood as “get to” rather than “have to.”

Doug offers a free excerpt and newsletter at startwithwhatif.com, and Andy invites men to realmenfeel.org/group. Quotes: “What if today you just went today without drink or drug?” “The brain is a dangerous place to go alone.” “Mind shift without action changes nothing.”

00:00 Why Men Hide Feelings
00:21 Meet Doug Fleener
01:17 The First What If
03:20 Rock Bottom Choices
08:06 From Shame to Action
09:35 Pause Question Go
11:29 Stop Catastrophizing
14:08 Redefining Success
17:46 Second Chance Fatherhood
19:22 Action Creates Clarity
23:16 Get Help Stay Connected
26:17 Where to Find Doug
28:45 Final Takeaways

Connect with Doug
Doug Fleener — https://startwithwhatif.com
Instagram — https://instagram.com/dougfleener
YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/@doug-fleener
Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/startwithwhatif
TikTok — http://tiktok.com/@dougfleener
LinkedIn — http://www.linkedin.com/in/dougfleener

Resources
Start With What If by Doug Fleener — https://amzn.to/4oAHL44

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 408

Emotional Alchemy, Shame, and Healthy Masculinity

Host Andy Grant welcomes back holistic life and relationship coach Markus Kasunich to discuss “emotional alchemy,” shame, and how men may self-emasculate in reaction to toxic masculinity. Markus defines emotional alchemy as a three-part process—emotional awareness (visceral sensing), emotional intelligence (real-time articulation), and processing through feeling—arguing the emotional body can clear old material efficiently. They explore how men commonly repress anger and sadness due to conditioning, and how healing means changing one’s relationship to patterns rather than eliminating conditioning.

Markus distinguishes toxic masculinity as the shadow side of masculine archetypes (king, father, warrior, magician, sacred lover, sage) and urges men, especially younger men in dating, to cultivate refined, emotionally available masculinity without shame: “The only real ability to process emotions is to feel them,” “You never get rid of the conditioning, but you can definitely change the relationship to the conditioning,” and “The access to your consciousness starts with feeling.”

00:00 Emotions and Needs
00:20 Meet Markus Kasunich
02:12 What Is Emotional Alchemy
04:20 Clearing Emotions Faster
06:25 Men and Suppressed Feelings
08:07 Permission and Awareness
10:39 Shame and Self Emasculation
12:58 Toxic Masculinity Explained
17:18 Owning Conditioning Without Shame
20:38 Healing Your Relationship
21:45 Responding Not Reacting
23:18 Masculinity On Off Myth
25:21 Dating Shame Spiral
26:52 Reclaiming Healthy Archetypes
29:18 Emotionally Mature Man
31:39 Future Of Masculinity
33:52 What Women Misunderstand
36:34 When Vulnerability Gets Rejected
39:25 How To Connect With Markus
40:53 Feelings As Consciousness
42:27 Final Takeaways And Community

Connect with Markus
Markus Kasunich — https://markuskasunich.com
Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/markuswkasunich/
YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/@markuskasunich3583
Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/markuswkasunich/

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 407