May 9, 2025 • 7 mins
This episode marks a key moment in my journey, as I share the joyful news of my engagement to Tamara! This is also a milestone that dovetails with the evolution of this podcast.
I'm also announcing a shift in the format of the show, specifically discontinuing my extended monologue intros. They may no longer serve the intended purpose of honoring my guests.
This change is driven by a genuine desire to allow my conversations to shine without my extended opining, in the hopes that it may create a more authentic listening experience for our audience.
As I navigate this new chapter, I'm grateful to you, my listeners, for the support received from you. And I'm excited for the journey to come.
We return to regular interviews next week.
-Will
🌟 The Will Spencer Podcast was formerly known as "The Renaissance of Men."
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The Will Spencer Podcast is a weekly interview show featuring extended discussions with authors, leaders, and influencers who help us make sense of our changing world today. I release new episodes every week on Friday.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Foreign s this week, we'retaking a break from our regularly
scheduled programming to bringyou a couple exciting announcements
about my life and someupcoming changes to the podcast.
Because in many ways, the twogo hand in hand.
(00:23):
First, for those who haven'tyet seen the news on social media,
I got engaged last August atGrace Agenda in Moscow, Idaho.
I met a lovely woman namedTamara and we've been courting since
then.
On Good Friday, at thelocation where we met, I proposed
and she said yes.
Now, I don't talk about mypersonal life much on the show, but
man, it has been a journey toget here.
(00:44):
Not only unlearning so muchfrom my secular life, but also learning
how to do Christian courtship right.
It's harder than it seems, butit's also very intuitive.
It's if you take a disciplinedapproach, read the Bible, and have
good shepherds, includingpastors and fathers, around you.
I am so grateful for yoursupport and prayers over the years
because I know they played a role.
(01:05):
Now Tamara and I are alreadythinking about ways to produce content
together about our journeys,our courtship, and our process as
we build a Christian marriage,household and family.
Now, I've kept my personallife somewhat separate from the podcast
so far, and I'm sensitive toturning myself, my soon to be spouse,
and my family into a product.
But I think we'll have somegood stories to tell and some good
(01:28):
advice to offer too.
Now, I hope that becomes areality if it's the Lord's will,
and that you enjoy it too.
Now that that's out of theway, let's talk about the podcast.
And I'd like to start bygiving you some insight into my thought
process behind the show.
So when I started this podcastBack in 2020, I was a no.
1.
I was an unfinished mantalking to what I thought were accomplished
(01:48):
men about the subject of masculinity.
I didn't feel I'd yet earnedmy right to contribute to the conversation.
I was the low man on the totempole, you might say, and so it was
my job to just listen, whichwas something that I'm more than
happy to do now.
That didn't change when Iexited the manosphere for Reformed
theology.
In fact, it only got worse.
The men and women I wasinterviewing were accomplished professionally,
(02:11):
but they were alsoaccomplished theologically, possessing
degrees and a mastery ofconcepts, language, and doctrine
that I couldn't imagine.
For these reasons and more, Irespected my guests greatly, whether
manosphere or Reformedtheologian and pastor.
I didn't want to do thestandard podcast thing of having
them introduce themselves tothe audience.
I hate that when someoneforces you to do a cold intro about
(02:34):
yourself.
I wanted to spare my gueststhat indignity and set the stage
ahead of time for who theywere so we could get right into the
meat of the conversation.
Now, to make that possible, Idecided to do my extended monologue
intros, which have become asignature of the show.
In those opening bits, I couldintroduce my guests and frame the
interview, letting theaudience know what was important
(02:55):
about what they were about to hear.
Over time, those intros grewlonger and started embodying quite
a bit of editorializing, notnecessarily about the interview or
about the guests specifically,but but about the subjects we'd cover
and the topics that surrounded them.
I enjoyed those intros.
You enjoyed them?
Even my guests enjoyed them.
Everything was fine until recently.
(03:16):
A few weeks ago, I released mypodcast with Dr.
Jared Longshore, which I had ablast recording.
But after I released it, Istarted getting the feeling that
something wasn't right.
I felt that I had gone toohard in my monologue.
My friend said, no, it wasfine, and it's not like anyone said
otherwise, including Dr.
Longshore.
But I couldn't shake thefeeling that somehow I'd gone too
(03:36):
far.
Now I started thinking aboutit, and I realized there's a reason
I'm not a no one anymore.
I'm a man with my own voice,platform and seat at the table.
My words carry weight andmeaning in the public dialogue.
And even if I'm inclined tothink otherwise, 30,000 followers
on X, 20,000 followers onInstagram, and 10,000 subscribers
(03:56):
on YouTube say different.
In other words, I am my owndude now.
So there is the very real riskthat my monologue intros might not
honor my guests the ways thatI intend.
Rather, if I'm not careful,they might inappropriately color
what you'll hear from them.
And that is contrary to myentire point of doing the show.
And so it's with both a heavyheart and a measure of gratitude
(04:18):
that I announce that myextended monologue intros will be
going away.
I'll be doing a briefintroduction of my guests, sparing
them the need to introducethemselves, but instead, I'll let
the conversation speak, whichI think is why most of you listen
anyway.
Now, this prevents me fromstepping on my guests with my own
opinions, and also, I think,opens the door for a broader audience
(04:38):
who don't know or care whothis Will Spencer guy is or what
he thinks.
They're here to listen to myguests, and there's an added bonus
too.
And it has to do with myaforementioned engagement.
Because I'm soon to be thehead of a household of more than
one person, I have to getsmarter about how I spend my time
and energy producing content.
It really is true about howmuch a family or or the possibility
(05:00):
of one helps grow a man up,but those monologue intros take the
majority of my time every weekto write, record and edit.
Also, on YouTube, they costmoney to edit as well.
In fact, they've been mybiggest monthly expense because I
have a professional do them.
With the removal of themonologues, I can put that time and
energy into standalone contenton YouTube, plus the production of
(05:22):
courses based on my men'smentorship content and more.
And speaking of my mentorshipis running again and have I mentioned
I have a new website?
You can check it out atwillspenser Co and more on that will
be coming soon.
Now, I could ignore my innersense and continue doing my monologues
as I have, but learning totrust my gut has been an important
part of my journey as acontent creator, which is not exactly
(05:45):
a place where I anticipated being.
If I were to travel back intime to May 2020 and tell myself
then where I'd be today andwhat would have happened in the meantime,
I'm quite sure I wouldn'tbelieve myself.
So what you're hearing in thispodcast is my adventure as a stranger
in a strange land, and maybealso a man on a pilgrimage and a
walk of faith.
I say all this because I valueyou as a listener and a viewer.
(06:07):
If you're listening to thispodcast on audio, you've probably
been around for a while.
You've heard shifts andchanges in me, and I'm guessing for
some of you that's part of the appeal.
Where is Will going next?
Who will he interview?
How will this adventure continue?
And that's meaningful to me.
So I try to not just changethings arbitrarily without letting
you know we're in this together.
(06:27):
After all, and looking at myschedule in the weeks and months
to come, this adventure mightjust be getting started and I'm thrilled
to have you along for the ride.
Now, if you enjoy the WillSpencer podcast.
Thank you.
Don't forget to like thisepisode, subscribe and share it with
friends.
Plus leave 5 star ratings andreviews on Apple and Spotify.
To go deeper, subscribe to mysubstack or click Buy me a Coffee
(06:50):
in the show notes.
Also, again, check out my newwebsite at willspencer Co, which
is the new community home forthe podcast.
It's been many months in themaking, and I think you're going
to love it.
Thanks so much.
And we'll be back with moreinterviews as regularly scheduled
next week.
Foreign s this week, we'retaking a break from our regularly
scheduled programming to bringyou a couple exciting announcements
about my life and someupcoming changes to the podcast.
Because in many ways, the twogo hand in hand.
(00:23):
First, for those who haven'tyet seen the news on social media,
I got engaged last August atGrace Agenda in Moscow, Idaho.
I met a lovely woman namedTamara and we've been courting since
then.
On Good Friday, at thelocation where we met, I proposed
and she said yes.
Now, I don't talk about mypersonal life much on the show, but
man, it has been a journey toget here.
(00:44):
Not only unlearning so muchfrom my secular life, but also learning
how to do Christian courtship right.
It's harder than it seems, butit's also very intuitive.
It's if you take a disciplinedapproach, read the Bible, and have
good shepherds, includingpastors and fathers, around you.
I am so grateful for yoursupport and prayers over the years
because I know they played a role.
(01:05):
Now Tamara and I are alreadythinking about ways to produce content
together about our journeys,our courtship, and our process as
we build a Christian marriage,household and family.
Now, I've kept my personallife somewhat separate from the podcast
so far, and I'm sensitive toturning myself, my soon to be spouse,
and my family into a product.
But I think we'll have somegood stories to tell and some good
(01:28):
advice to offer too.
Now, I hope that becomes areality if it's the Lord's will,
and that you enjoy it too.
Now that that's out of theway, let's talk about the podcast.
And I'd like to start bygiving you some insight into my thought
process behind the show.
So when I started this podcastBack in 2020, I was a no.
1.
I was an unfinished mantalking to what I thought were accomplished
(01:48):
men about the subject of masculinity.
I didn't feel I'd yet earnedmy right to contribute to the conversation.
I was the low man on the totempole, you might say, and so it was
my job to just listen, whichwas something that I'm more than
happy to do now.
That didn't change when Iexited the manosphere for Reformed
theology.
In fact, it only got worse.
The men and women I wasinterviewing were accomplished professionally,
(02:11):
but they were alsoaccomplished theologically, possessing
degrees and a mastery ofconcepts, language, and doctrine
that I couldn't imagine.
For these reasons and more, Irespected my guests greatly, whether
manosphere or Reformedtheologian and pastor.
I didn't want to do thestandard podcast thing of having
them introduce themselves tothe audience.
I hate that when someoneforces you to do a cold intro about
(02:34):
yourself.
I wanted to spare my gueststhat indignity and set the stage
ahead of time for who theywere so we could get right into the
meat of the conversation.
Now, to make that possible, Idecided to do my extended monologue
intros, which have become asignature of the show.
In those opening bits, I couldintroduce my guests and frame the
interview, letting theaudience know what was important
(02:55):
about what they were about to hear.
Over time, those intros grewlonger and started embodying quite
a bit of editorializing, notnecessarily about the interview or
about the guests specifically,but but about the subjects we'd cover
and the topics that surrounded them.
I enjoyed those intros.
You enjoyed them?
Even my guests enjoyed them.
Everything was fine until recently.
(03:16):
A few weeks ago, I released mypodcast with Dr.
Jared Longshore, which I had ablast recording.
But after I released it, Istarted getting the feeling that
something wasn't right.
I felt that I had gone toohard in my monologue.
My friend said, no, it wasfine, and it's not like anyone said
otherwise, including Dr.
Longshore.
But I couldn't shake thefeeling that somehow I'd gone too
(03:36):
far.
Now I started thinking aboutit, and I realized there's a reason
I'm not a no one anymore.
I'm a man with my own voice,platform and seat at the table.
My words carry weight andmeaning in the public dialogue.
And even if I'm inclined tothink otherwise, 30,000 followers
on X, 20,000 followers onInstagram, and 10,000 subscribers
(03:56):
on YouTube say different.
In other words, I am my owndude now.
So there is the very real riskthat my monologue intros might not
honor my guests the ways thatI intend.
Rather, if I'm not careful,they might inappropriately color
what you'll hear from them.
And that is contrary to myentire point of doing the show.
And so it's with both a heavyheart and a measure of gratitude
(04:18):
that I announce that myextended monologue intros will be
going away.
I'll be doing a briefintroduction of my guests, sparing
them the need to introducethemselves, but instead, I'll let
the conversation speak, whichI think is why most of you listen
anyway.
Now, this prevents me fromstepping on my guests with my own
opinions, and also, I think,opens the door for a broader audience
(04:38):
who don't know or care whothis Will Spencer guy is or what
he thinks.
They're here to listen to myguests, and there's an added bonus
too.
And it has to do with myaforementioned engagement.
Because I'm soon to be thehead of a household of more than
one person, I have to getsmarter about how I spend my time
and energy producing content.
It really is true about howmuch a family or or the possibility
(05:00):
of one helps grow a man up,but those monologue intros take the
majority of my time every weekto write, record and edit.
Also, on YouTube, they costmoney to edit as well.
In fact, they've been mybiggest monthly expense because I
have a professional do them.
With the removal of themonologues, I can put that time and
energy into standalone contenton YouTube, plus the production of
(05:22):
courses based on my men'smentorship content and more.
And speaking of my mentorshipis running again and have I mentioned
I have a new website?
You can check it out atwillspenser Co and more on that will
be coming soon.
Now, I could ignore my innersense and continue doing my monologues
as I have, but learning totrust my gut has been an important
part of my journey as acontent creator, which is not exactly
(05:45):
a place where I anticipated being.
If I were to travel back intime to May 2020 and tell myself
then where I'd be today andwhat would have happened in the meantime,
I'm quite sure I wouldn'tbelieve myself.
So what you're hearing in thispodcast is my adventure as a stranger
in a strange land, and maybealso a man on a pilgrimage and a
walk of faith.
I say all this because I valueyou as a listener and a viewer.
(06:07):
If you're listening to thispodcast on audio, you've probably
been around for a while.
You've heard shifts andchanges in me, and I'm guessing for
some of you that's part of the appeal.
Where is Will going next?
Who will he interview?
How will this adventure continue?
And that's meaningful to me.
So I try to not just changethings arbitrarily without letting
you know we're in this together.
(06:27):
After all, and looking at myschedule in the weeks and months
to come, this adventure mightjust be getting started and I'm thrilled
to have you along for the ride.
Now, if you enjoy the WillSpencer podcast.
Thank you.
Don't forget to like thisepisode, subscribe and share it with
friends.
Plus leave 5 star ratings andreviews on Apple and Spotify.
To go deeper, subscribe to mysubstack or click Buy me a Coffee
(06:50):
in the show notes.
Also, again, check out my newwebsite at willspencer Co, which
is the new community home forthe podcast.
It's been many months in themaking, and I think you're going
to love it.
Thanks so much.
And we'll be back with moreinterviews as regularly scheduled
next week.
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