Authentic Man Program

Read the whole post at authenticmanprogram.com/ep-25 It has been an honor and a pleasure to serve as Executive Director for AMP for the past 2.5 years.    In that time, I have seen hundreds of men lay claim to more of their true selves and leverage that unencumbered self-expression to create lives of love, excitement, and contribution.   In so many ways, my life is the product of the AMP philosophy. The work I have done with the program for the past 8 years has led me to a world of deep, abiding love with my wife, vast and connected community, and fulfilling and productive work in the world.   Which is why it has been such a pleasure and point of pride to have given back to the program and to the men who come through our doors.   True to this, life has presented me with an even bigger (and more challenging) opportunity and I have agreed to take it.    I'm stepping down as Director of AMP and taking a role with a fast-moving tech startup in the online content space. I choose

*Trigger Warning!* This one might seem offensive, but it is a thoughtful exploration of both sides of a touchy, controversial issue. Feminism did a lot to open the professional sphere to women, a world once totally dominated by men. Considering we as a society are moving from an industrial to informational means of production, this move is perfectly reasonable. There is, however, something to the tone and vigor of modern feminism that has begun to foment a backlash. "Men's rights activists"(MRA's) are stepping in and arguing that feminism has gone too far and there are now, in fact, many areas of society in which men are the unequivocal losers. At AMP we acknowledge that there are, indeed differences in the life experiences of men and women, while honoring that each are equally valid experiences. Playing with and mastering the polarity in that difference is where a lot of the juice in relationship lives. Mark-Forman2In this episode, Therapist Mark Forman and I explore some of the gender stereotypes, commonly

Decker Cunov, the co-founder of AMP and all-around badass sat down with me to talk about all his latest updates from the world 'startups' and business. He's been getting in with CEO's, tech companies and startups, applying the AMP Holarchy model, and authentic relating models to kick ass in the business world (if you're not familiar with the AMP 'Holarchy' check out our Foundations of Inner Game course). In this episode we discuss: - The Fundamentals Always Work - Wax on, Wax off.  [3:20] - Thoroughbreds with Blinders On - Ignoring relationships will bite you in the ass [4:53] - Don’t be the ‘Therapist’ guy: Letting ‘Depth’ Arise on its Own [10:38] - Authentic Military Platoons [12:08] - Becoming a Connoisseur of Relating [25:12] Check out the show notes at authenticmanprogram.com/23

Ian Blei is an executive coach and master of human behavior. I personally worked with Ian for 6 months and in that time he helped me become aware of so much of the way I show up in leadership. This awareness is the first step in making improvements and ultimately making greater impact. In this podcast, Ian and I talk casually about impact, integrity and how our brain can work for us…or against us.

Around The World In 80 Lays is Sex & The City meets Eat, Pray, Love: a fun, funny, and above all sexy collection of one young woman’s (true) international travel dating adventures. In this interview, we get raw and talk about sex, romance, adventure and breaking the molds of what is possible for women…and men. For more go to http://www.authenticmanprogram.com/podcast

Keith is a published author, 20 year Kung Fu master, Zen Priest…and managed to have a life on the side. How does one achieve as much and consistently rise to the occasion and create lasting, long range success? It starts with goal setting. Listen as KMS walks us though his simple but profound method for setting crystal-clear goals, clearing away the inner resistance, and making lasting change.

Plato taught us that the Good, the True, and the Beautiful are the celestial essences or ideas, independent but so intertwined as to be inseparable. When it comes to the body, the human form is, quite simply, beautiful. Yet our relationship to this naked beauty often comes with baggage, shame and shadow that is acted out in a multitude of unhealthy ways. As a society, we can’t seem to turn away from violence, and welcome in film, television, games, and literature. Nudity, on the other hand, is most often relegated to the profane, reduced to the pornographic and hidden in shame. David Bollt takes issue with that. As a lifetime artist, tattoo artist and connoisseur of beauty, the human form was always his most attractive and challenging muse.

Ari can help simplify your life, no matter what it is that you do. He’s expert at using technology and methodology to optimize aspects of our lives that we’d otherwise get bogged down in. In his prolific podcast, he interviews some of the best minds from all over the world to help us get our lives more streamlined. His book, Less Doing, More Living is a great, step-by-step intro into to the world of life-automation and simplification. http://www.authenticmanprogram.com/17/

This interview is one of the most fascinating I have done. I have always had a strong attraction to the warrior archetype, in film, literature, etc. Yet politically, I am nearly universally opposed to armed conflict, especially the vague and dubious nature of the wars of the last 20 years. Like the Chris Kyle character in the movie, Jake also served 4 tours, dealt a fair share of killing for his missions, and tapped in to the power of purpose and brotherhood on the battlefield. Jake and SEALs like him are the most refined, disciplined technologically advanced and effective fighting unit the world has ever seen. Impressive by any standard Jake is brilliant, complex and proud of his service to this country, his brothers in the field, and his purpose. Talking with him inspired my inner warrior to come alive. Leave the politics for another conversation, and check out this tale of another kind of “American Sniper.” http://www.authenticmanprogram.com/16/

Dating and Relationships coach Maya Diamond is here with is to discuss what to do, how to act and how to be in your first dates and encounters with a woman. So much of the modern “dating advice” these days is just simply confusing. More often, I’m hearing guys online and offline are saying things like: “I want to tell her I like her, but then I’ll lose my power” “How do I pay for dinner without seeming like a ‘nice guy’ that she’ll walk all over?” “If I give her a compliment, she won’t be attracted to me” While there is always some truth to these kind of statements, it’s an unfortunate trend. Especially now, words like ’neg’ and ‘cocky funny’ are embedded in the dating-vernacular and guys are spouting these statements like they’re somehow Laws of Nature vs Training Wheels. Listen as Maya diamond unpacks this with us http://www.authenticmanprogram.com/15/

The School for Men It takes audacity to stake a claim and create a program with that name.  Mike Hrostoski is that audacious. It comes from hard won growth and development, overcoming a lifetime of challenges. Mike has earned it. In this talk, Mike and I talk about the importance of men’s personal development, of boldly stepping out of our comfort zones and reaching for what we really want. http://www.authenticmanprogram.com/14/

A lot of people, us included, talk a lot about “authenticity.”  Blanton takes us to the next level, cuts through the bullshit (and there’s a lot of bullshit out there) and drops the hammer on what it takes to really get real.  This interview with Brad will open up a bit more about what ‘Radical Honesty’ is – and it might be different than what you think.

This episode with Dr Keith Witt is a deep cut on Integrity and developing your ‘warrior principles’. He is A Clinical Psychologist, a black belt in Shotokan Karate and author of Integral Mindfulness. Dr Keith and I connected over skype, and dove into the journey we all share as men: Finding our warrior path and earning our wisdom. http://www.authenticmanprogram.com/12/

Mark Michael Lewis gives us the all-access pass to “the goodies” (all the great things about being with a woman.) To get there, we’re gonna need to pay attention. Romance is not some mysterious, magical thing that just happens. We create romance, and this is a skill we can learn and practice. In this episode, Mark goes into detail about this Big Idea, he shares a powerful insight, and gives us 2 choices to make, and 3 quick strategies that will fast-track us into mastery around creating romance. http://www.authenticmanprogram.com/11/

Herpes carries a massive stigma.  Despite the relatively mild side effects, for most of America herpes is the equivalent of the “scarlet letter”…and the death knell for the sex life, right? Wrong. Adrial works with hundreds of HSV positive men and women, helping them to integrate their new situation, get really real about how to live with it, and overcome the psychological and social challenges that often accompany this common virus. This talk was enlightening for me in coming to greater understanding and humility around this condition and the journey people afflicted with HSV have to go through. http://www.authenticmanprogram.com/10/

Amy Baglan, founder and CEO of the newest dating site on the block, MeetMindful.com. I really wanted the women’s perspective of online dating and no woman knows the landscape better than Amy. As you’ll hear, women in these online dating sites have a vastly different experience. They are often totally inundated with messages and requests, to the point of overwhelm. Amy and I cover a lot of ground in this talk and she reveals some awesome and practical tips you can use to have WAY more success in your online dating life.  

I first met Matt Morava in crushing defeat after my ex fiancé unexpectedly had a change of heart and, frankly, dumped me. I was pretty much devastated, and Matt reached out to me to share a blog he wrote as he was going through painful divorce. Reading his words helped me sort through a lot of what I was dealing with, and helped me feel a little less alone. Since then we have cultivated a great friendship and a few weeks ago, I caught up with him on the DU campus for a recording. http://www.authenticmanprogram.com/08/

In this recording, AMP facilitator, John Church and course leader David Bollt talk about how ideas about purpose can actually hurt guys more than they help. They break down why so many men feel lost (even as they pursue goals), and why others feel completely fulfilled, regardless of their accomplishments. Listen, as they explore how you you are living right now, as a reflection of the kind of man you would be in a world full of zombies. Get a bold new re-frame on what it means to live with a sense of purpose, in a way that makes fulfillment available to you right now! http://www.authenticmanprogram.com/07/

This month we have an interview with a special guest, Shana James. Shana first started breaking my heart at my AMP Intensive back in ’07 and has been subtly rocking my world in various ways since then! For those of you who aren’t familiar with Shana: She’s a coach for men (and women) in developing passionate, juicy,(AMP women seem to love this descriptor ) attraction-filled connections with women. In this fun and heartfelt talk Shana and I discuss her new course Authentic Magnetism. http://www.authenticmanprogram.com/06/

A good productivity system allows us to get stuff out of our heads, and into a trusted system that ensures everything we care about actually gets done. The result of taking this mind-dump? Deeper presence and more creativity in realtime, from moment to moment. I sat down with productivity Rockstar Ryan Oelke and he dropped me some quick science on the external systems that make for more productive men as well as the internal emotions and attitude that might be getting in our way. http://www.authenticmanprogram.com/05/