Theo Wilson, a.k.a slam poet, Lucifury, is a founding member of the Denver Slam Nuba team, who won the National Poetry Slam in 2011. He began his speaking career in the N.A.A.C.P. at the age of 15, and has always had a passion for social justice. Theo attended Florida A&M University, where he obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Theater Performance. He returned to Denver and is now the Executive Director of Shop Talk Live, inc. The organization uses the barber shop as a staging ground for community dialogue and healing. Theo fulfilled a very particular political role in 2024 as the "black voice of the Robert F. Kennedy Jr. campaign".

After viral video success beginning in 2015, Theo grew his social media following to well over 68,000 people. Due to audience demand, he published his first book in 2017, “The Law of Action.” The book addresses some of the misconceptions about the law of attraction, and the role direct action plays into manifestation. In 2017, his TED Talk entitled, “A Black Man Goes Undercover in the Alt Right,” was seen worldwide, amassing a total of over 12 million views. He has been featured on BuzzFeed, CNN, Good Day Canada, and TV One. Theo and I discuss the abuse he suffered at the hands of the Denver police, his background in slam poetry, the story behind his controversial TED talk, the inspirations and disappointments of working for the Kennedy campaign, fatherhood ...and more! follow Theo at @theoejwilson on instagram

To describe Eldra Jackson III as a "prison reform success story" would not only be a vast understatement; it would also leave unacknowledged the trauma, the trials and the transformation this extraordinary man has gone through to become who he is today. Eldra is an inspiring public speaker, author and co-director of Inside Circle, a healing community in which adult and juvenile inmates are supported in processing their trauma and discovering and expressing their full range of emotions. Having suffered sexual child abuse in his early youth, Eldra eventually spiralled downward into a life of violent criminal and gang activity, which ultimately left him in New Folsom Prison serving what was meant to be a life sentence. He shares with us his story of how supportive, open-hearted men's work in a safe community catalyzed his personal healing and transformation into becoming a leader in that very same group, and beyond.

Ed Gordon, as his friends call him, has more accolades in the academic world than can be listed here. Commissioned in 1956 by president Lyndon B. Johnson to lead the development of Head Start, this renowned psychology professor and researcher went on to earn a whopping NINE honorary degrees from prestigious establishments such as Brown University, Yale University and also Columbia University, where there is now a whole campus named after him. He has written over 25 books and 400 published articles, and he also happens to be my great uncle and mentor. On this day, June 13th 2024, he turns 103 years old! I'm so honored that he has allowed me to share some of his off-the-cuff wisdom with the world.

I met Kodah at an interactive social event in LA and instantly found him to be interesting, charismatic and eloquent. I had no idea about his transgender backstory and experience, but when I was told about it, I knew he would make for a compelling interview subject. Trigger warning: the subject of transgender is controversial and polarized to begin with, and Kodah's story cannot help but serve as a cautionary tale of sorts. That does not mean that Kodah's message, nor the message of this episode is anti-trans in any way. This is the exploration of one man's journey out of and back into manhood and should be taken as such. Kodah begins with a summary of his life story, offering along the way his own self-analysis of how his journey towards gender transformation unfolded. He also discusses trans culture, some aspects of which he found welcoming and life-affirming, others he found problematic. He describes his direct experience with sissy hypno-porn, the politicization of the trans movement and ventures into other topics that some will find challenging. I believe anyone who gets to know Kodah will not find him to be anti-trans. The Omega Male podcast seeks to explore emergent paradigms, concepts and notions of maleness and is founded upon the spirit of inclusiveness, expansiveness and Love. I hope to have the opportunity to interview both trans men and women in the future to hear more perspectives in this particular domain. Kodah is a peak performance and leadership facilitator and strategist. His journey has been informed by deep personal transformation at the interaction of gender, tech and anthropology.His career experience spans entrepreneurship, venture strategy and givernment partnerships. Currently facilitating team leadership through the Flow Genome Project.

John Fugelsang is a cultural maverick whose glib humor and razor sharp wit provide a reliably entertaining delivery mechanism for his gently challenging views and observations. Imagine an east coast intellectual with a decidedly liberal/progressive disposition who happens to also be a faithful Christian. I call John the "gentleman iconoclast" in that he mercilessly lampoons those who share his faith but not his politics, but always with basic human dignity, respect and humor, even at his most biting. We talk about being both a father of a son and the son of a father, so-called masculinity in our time, our own notions of manhood, and we expand from there into more philosophical and esoteric directions. Truly a treat to hang with this generous spirit!

Not all men's coaches are created equal, and Tyson Adams truly stands out from the burgeoning crowd with his unique approach to men's inner health. San Diego resident Tyson identifies himself as a trauma-informed men’s coach who utilizes Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS) to help men outgrow unwanted sexual behavior such as habitual pornography use, objectification and infidelity. The majority of men's coaches today seem focused on leadership, success and empowerment. While those things interest Tyson, too, his primary domain lies in healing. Our conversation ranges from deeply personal exchanges about our own formative experiences with pornography to sweeping philosophical explorations of intimacy, masturbation, circumcision and more. By far the raciest episode!

Spoiler alert - this episode gets deeply esoteric! Lisa brings a uniquely spiritual perspective to our topic, leading into new territory for the podcast. Speaking from a point of view that incorporates considerations of karmic purpose and mission, she discusses the connection between violence and subverted sexual energy and how the capacities inherent to a male incarnation might differ from those of a female one. Her take on the terms "masculine" and "feminine" as referring to forces available to all humans is revelatory. It's a pleasure to hear how Lisa manages to translate nuanced spiritual concepts into straightforward, comprehensible language.

Teaching through story, song, metaphor and poetry can be so much more powerful than the mere intellectual transference of ideas. Stephen Jenkinson employs his extraordinary mastery of language in loyal service of that more creative, illustrative sharing of wisdom in ways only a true elder is equipped to do. In so doing, he is an inspiration and a pleasure just to listen to. While the willingness to cast off outmoded ways of being and thinking is crucial to the envisioning of new paradigms and forms, so is also the consideration of what elements of past forms still merit retention and incorporation. Who could be better endowed than an elder with the wisdom to make that discernment? Stephen talks about the responsibility of linguistic prowess and reframes the contemporary conversation about patriarchy. Breaking the term down to its roots, he lays out a unique understanding of patriarchy as a function rather than an identity or a system and later explores Vladimir Putin as an example of someone who falls egregiously short of that function.