Behind the Mic: Thank You For 7 Months

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Seven months and 35 episodes deep into this journey, Manhood Matters has evolved into something truly special – a sacred space for authentic conversations through a Black male lens. Most podcasts never make it past episode 7, yet here we stand, growing stronger each week because of listeners like you who tune in, share feedback, and make these conversations matter.

Today's episode takes a moment to express profound gratitude while revisiting some of our most impactful discussions. From exploring how father-son relationships shape our parenting in episode 2, to challenging the myth of Black resilience in our mental health conversations, these discussions have created ripples far beyond our recording sessions. Remember when we tackled whether men can be faithful? Or when we unpacked generational trauma with Mark Montblazier, examining how patterns established during slavery continue affecting our relationships today? These conversations aren't just podcasts—they're gateways to healing and growth.

I'm incredibly excited to announce next week's special guest: Georgia gubernatorial candidate Derek Jackson. This military veteran turned state representative brings a fascinating journey from humble beginnings to political leadership. We'll explore the man behind the campaign, his core values, and his vision not just for Georgia but for leadership in these critical times. Whether you're politically engaged or not, this conversation promises to deliver profound insights on service, purpose, and authentic leadership. While I deeply appreciate your listenership, I have two small requests: take 30 seconds to leave a review, and share an episode that resonated with someone who might benefit. This is how we grow—one conversation at a time. Remember, manhood isn't about age; it's about action.

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Host: StéphaneAlexandre
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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hey family, no teaser for the episode this morning.
Welcome to Manhood Matters.
Let's get to it.

(00:26):
I'm your host, stefan, comingat you solo this Monday.
Now, I know you're used to ourroundtable discussion, the
laughs, the debates and the jamswe drop every single week, but
today I want to do something alittle different.
I want to just pause and saythank you.

(00:48):
We've been at this for onlyabout seven months now and, just
so you guys know, there arehundreds, literally hundreds of
thousands of podcasts out there,and you choosing to spend a
little time with us, giving usyour attention, is incredibly
appreciated.
Most podcasts don't even get to10 episodes.

(01:11):
They realize how much workthere is, how involved it is,
and they usually just give upafter about episode 7.
We just released our 35thepisode and the reason we're
going strong is because there isa commitment to you and you
giving us the feedback.
So again, thank you to everysingle person who tunes in each

(01:35):
Monday, who listens in the car,at the gym, on the way to work
or while you unwind at home.
Thank you to those who send memessages, who share episodes
with friends and who leavereviews that keep us growing.
This show exists because of you.
We've built something specialhere a space for real talk from

(01:57):
a blackmail lens, where weexplore the things that matter,
challenge the narratives andlaugh while we're doing it, and
I'm just grateful you're on thisride with me Now.
If you've been rocking withManhood Matters since day one,
you know we've had some powerful, thought-provoking, emotional
conversations, and if you're newhere, this is a perfect chance

(02:20):
to catch up.
Let's rewind for a second andlook at a few standout episodes.
Episode two our dads how thoserelationships affect our sons.
This was a two-part episode.
With my friends Willie Nash,chuck Barnes and Jabari Pride,
we took a deeply personal lookat a father-son dynamic

(02:43):
particularly poignant becausemyself and Willie we both lost
our dads.
I had three main key takeawayshere, and they were the subtle
ways early discipline, or itsabsence, shapes our own
emotional programming and how weparent.
The other thing was howunresolved grief over a father's

(03:04):
death silently colors how weourselves show up as men.
And finally, an honestreflection on how we can
interrupt certain parentingcycles before they repeat.
So the healing itself starts bynaming how our past parental
relationships influence the menwe are and the fathers we become

(03:25):
.
I'm going to jump back andforth here because I don't have
a particular order.
Then there is episode 28, mentalhealth fitness filling your cup
before pouring into others.
What stood out to me was thefact that chronic exhaustion or
irritability, it's not just life.
It often signals that you'redepleted, you're not just busy.

(03:47):
So we need to put on our ownoxygen mask first before we
assist someone else.
We need to make sure our cupsare filled so that we can pour
into others.
Self-care isn't selfish.
That is a line from my man,kenneth Reddick Jr, better known
as Sober Scooter.

(04:08):
Self-care isn't selfish.
Maintaining your mental fitnessenables you to show up fully
for others In a culture thatpraises non-stop giving.
This episode reminded me that Ineed to be present for myself
and only then can I be my bestfor others, and at that point
the love and the clarity and thestrength that I pour into them

(04:31):
can become transformative.
Then we jump over to episode 29,totality Wellness Workshop From
Trauma to Transformation, and Iwalked away from that episode
having learned so much.
For example, I had no idea thatsuicide is the second leading
cause of death among black youthages 10 to 14.

(04:54):
That is a crisis and ourcommunity is not aware of this.
I can tell you they're not,because I wasn't, and no one
that I know talks about this.
And then there's a myth ofresilience, especially in the
black community.
We are supposed to be strong,we're supposed to overcome
anything, when in reality truehealing only begins with honest

(05:17):
emotional space.
We also touched on transformingpain into purpose.
So we had stories from SuperBowl champion Dominic Easley,
cancer warrior Floyd Stewart andAntoinette Roberts, who lost
her son to suicide some 20 plusyears ago, who is still fighting
the fight to make sure thishasn't happened to anybody

(05:40):
else's son.
These people have alltransformed their pain to
purpose.
They create a sacred space tohelp others and they turn their
own vulnerability into communalstrength.
Then we had a fun episode withnumber 14.
Can men be faithful?
Well, you have to listen to theepisode.

(06:02):
Simple answer is yes,absolutely yes.
Of course we can.
I know some of you are probablylistening to this, going yeah,
hell, no, that's not the case.
And then you have to thinkabout well, what am I attracting
?
Why is that the case?
I will concede thatbiologically it's a challenge,
but so is running around doingwhatever you want, taking

(06:23):
whatever you want.
There are laws that govern oursociety and there are moral laws
that govern certain people.
So faithfulness isn't justmoral, it's an internal
alignment of respect,consistency and choice.
There's a social myth aboutgood men are hard to find.

(06:43):
That's often just a distractionfrom the real work of intimate
commitment and finallyunderstand that trust is built
over time, rooted inaccountability, vulnerability
and shared values, not justinstant chemistry, see.
This is where we go wrong allthe time.
There's a chemistry, see,that's called a one night stand.

(07:07):
That's exciting, that's great,but that doesn't build over time
and it's not something that issustainable.
True faithfulness is cultivatedin the quiet consistency of
everyday choices, not justdramatic declarations.
One of my absolute favoriteepisodes also wins the prize for

(07:28):
the longest titled episode.
It's called Strong Women, fedUp Men, defeated Sons, broken
Daughters.
It's with my friend Zole Murphyand organizational psychologist
Mark Montblazier, who's also anauthor and has written two
books.
The episode is named after thefirst.

(07:50):
Why this episode matters isbecause it teaches us why we are
the way we are.
Think about our relationshipswith each other, with our
children, with our parents andwith our spouses or significant
others.
The way we deal with themsometimes can be for lack of a
better word, I hate that word,but let's call it toxic or

(08:12):
unhealthy, and we attack thesymptoms, we attack what's
happening, but we never dig deepinto the root cause of the
problem.
And if we don't find that, thenthe problem becomes perpetual.
What Mark uncovers is thereason these things happen, and
that is the conversation that Ithink every single person needs

(08:33):
to have.
I've learned several things.
For example, forgiveness isn'tabout absolving others.
It's about freeing yourselffrom the burden of that
unresolved pain.
I learned that generationaltrauma subtly sabotages
connections unless we're willingto bring it into the light.
This goes all the way back toslavery.

(08:55):
This goes back generations past, and these are things that need
to be addressed, and they canwith the help of Mark's book.
And also, I've learned thatsmall, intentional acts, like
frequently asking your children,how can I be a better dad?
Or asking your wife, how can Ibe a better husband?

(09:16):
Ladies asking your husband, howcan I be a better wife, a
better partner that alone canrebuild relation trust over time
.
So, according to Mark, healingis also having the courage to
name our wounds and having thebelief that consistent, humble
repair matters more than grandgestures.

(09:37):
Prepare matters more than grandgestures.
So, guys, if you've missed anyof those episodes, go back and
listen.
They are timeless.
That's the best thing about apodcast, especially what we're
doing here, is that our contentis evergreen.
As long as we are human, we'regoing to continue to need to
have those conversations.
Now I've got a huge favor toask, and it's one that helps us

(10:02):
grow more than anything else.
If you've been rocking with us,if you're listening to the show
and you haven't yet left thereview, please take 30 seconds
to drop one on Apple Podcast orSpotify.
I swear to you that's all ittakes.
It takes 30 seconds, and that'sone of just two things that I'm
asking you to help support theshow.

(10:23):
It could be one that I'vealready mentioned, or it could
be one that personally resonatedwith you.
Forward it to a friend and justsay, hey, I think you get

(10:48):
something out of this, andthat's how community grows one
conversation at a time.
This next part is superexciting.
Let me set the stage for youfor next week, because you do
not want to miss that episode.
It's coming out Monday, august18th.
We've got Georgia gubernatorialcandidate Derek Jackson joining

(11:10):
us.
Derek is a military veteran whorose from recruit to lieutenant
commander in the US Navy.
He's been a corporate executive.
He's currently a staterepresentative and a man who's
dedicated his life to service,both in and out of uniform.
In our conversations, we'regoing to get into his personal

(11:34):
journey, from small, humblebeginnings to political
leadership, the values anddiscipline he brought from the
military into public service,his relationship with his mother
, and you'll get a real sense ofwho the man is as a person,
which is something that votersnever get to see and, finally,
his vision for Georgia's future.

(11:55):
Now forget just Georgia.
I mean just be clear aboutsomething here If you're not
paying attention to, thepolitical landscape is one that
requires every bit of ourattention, no matter where in

(12:24):
the country.
This is going to be one ofthose episodes that's equal
parts inspiring and eye-opening.
You're going to walk awayknowing more about the man, the
mission and the movement behindhis campaign.
So that's it for today.
Go catch up on those pastepisodes.
Leave that review.
Please share the show with afriend in order for you to

(12:46):
support.
That's all I'm asking.
Right, the second that's howthe algorithm recommends our
show to a new audience, and getready for a big one next week.
It's going to be fun.
This is Stefan, your host,reminding you that manhood is
not about age, it's about action.
So stay strong, stay grounded,and I'll see you next Monday.

(13:09):
Thank you.