The State of Men
The State of Men is hosted by two Elder Millennial work-from-home-Dads, Mike Watts (cis man) and Aydian Dowling (trans man). A funny and real-life approach to being Men in the 2020s The State of Men is taking a deep dive into masculinity to talk about what we do, and why we do it. We believe a better future for our world is in part the responsibility of the Men in it. We invite all men to do the work and fix their shit, so we can leave a legacy we are proud of. Societally, men have been brainwashed into a narrow view of masculinity through which they can't see their full potential. Gender norms are changing, the glass ceiling is shattered, and home life has been reinvented. So what does it mean to be a man in this new world? The State of Men is a funny, honest, real-world look at the stigmas that exist around men. The truth is men want to fix their shit, but where do we even start.
Episodes
Mike & Aydian discuss in this podcast our dreams and how we have been limiting ourselves in our life. We evaluate how impactful we are being with this project, The State of Men. We are explaining why this project or podcast isn’t the right project for us at the moment. We both want to be doing something that is empowering for both of us and we explain what this means for us.
Thank you so much for being with us ...
Jason Rosario is Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer at BBDO Worldwide. Today, Aydian and Mike talk with Jason about the power of Vulnerability, what it means to have outlets for our emotions, and why sometimes you need to step away in order to truly step up. Listen to hear more of Jason’s personal journey of how he got to be the man he is today, and why he knew he needed to give men a guiding light on their journ...
Summary
In today’s episode, Mike & Aydian interview Larry D Moore about crypto and its future. He explains how he transitioned into full-time trading after entering the crypto rabbit hole. He also dives into the complete shift that is happening inside of our financial systems. We also covered the importance of having access to things.
- We define what crypto & blockchain is and how we will use this technolog...
Today, Aydian and Mike talk with Mike’s Mom, Michelle Watts. In this episode, we get some more details on how Mike grew up. Michelle raised her three kids, while her husband traveled for work, and after moving many times ended up long-term in Indiana. We get some insights on what it was like as a Mid-West Mom, raising a firecracker like Mike, and how much things have changed with raising kids since she was a full-time Mother....
Summary:
Today, Aydian and Mike talk with a scientist, educator, lawyer, and founder of “Be More with Anu” - Anu Gupta. Anu and the men discuss growing as men in a society that is starved for compassion. Anu discusses his work with different races and cultures - helping individuals break implicit biases and navigate from a place of compassion and love.
Top Take-Aways:
- Do you often find yo...
Summary:
Today, Aydian and Mike talk about their own journeys with money, while they break down the “breadwinner” mentality. Aydian unpacks how his early interactions with money ultimately shaped his perception of monetary success as an adult. While Mike brings his experience of overcoming self-inflicted financing obstacles and understanding his new role as a financial contributor to his family.
To...
Summary:
Today, Aydian and Mike discuss the fears that often follow men having daughters. As parents themselves, Mike and Aydian offer a unique perspective on this topic and discuss every aspect from societal expectations to the transference of masculine toxicity to ultimately changing the narrative.
Top Take-Aways:
- Why are men more afraid of having daughters than sons? Are we groomed to prefer one gender ...
Summary:
Today, Aydian and Mike interview Dr. Juliana Hauser, the doctor who jumps in those hard conversations as she helps people rethink and reimagine sex, sexuality, and relationships. Dr. Juliana tackles the hard questions about finding and honing your agency. Dr. Juliana, Mike, and Aydian discuss bringing men to the table regarding sex, sexuality, and body positivity in a safe environment. ...
Summary:
Today Mike and Aydian talk about the elusive work/life balance. The discussion continues on the State of Men as we discover if the true work/life balance exists. Our hosts unpack the pressures placed on having a true work-life balance when your work is anything but conventional.
Top Take-Aways:
- Have you ever felt like there are enough hours in the day? Where do you find time for yours...
In today’s episode, Mike & Aydian, discuss their journey when it comes to their body images. Mike shares his experience over the past few years of gaining and losing weight. He also explains more about going through his skin journey and how that has affected his view of his body.
Aydian shares his journey with his eating disorder and how he was under eating to achieve the perfection of his ideal body perfection...
Today we are talking about how Aydian and Mike deal with their anger. As men, we are never taught how to appropriately deal with our anger. Anger is an emotion and there is nothing wrong with expressing anger. It becomes an issue when we start to take the anger out on other people or things around it. Being unable to express our anger in a healthy manner is hurting ourselves and those around us.
Mike and Aydi...
During this episode, Aydian and Mike talk about doing end-of-the-year planning and preparing for the next coming year of 2022.
In this episode, we covered the importance of planning your year and how to go about preparing for the upcoming year. It is important to map out the year so everyone on the team and the family have a plan for the upcoming year. It is valuable to call in what you would like to create for the following y...
Mike and Aydian talk about what they are grateful for this year. Gratitude comes in little and big ways for each of us. Keeping an awareness of the things we are happy about in our lives is a great way to remind us that most times, it ain’t that bad. What are you grateful for?
Top Take-Aways:
- Thanksgiving Day traditions
- Aydian and Mike list 5 things they are grateful for this year
- New business ventures
- Mikes hairy ba...
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Summary:
Aydian and Mike explain the difference between a good guy or an unintentional asshole. One of the sayings men carry around is the fact they don’t think they are like the men that are causing harm to people in their lives because they are good guys. Everyone else is the asshole.
Top Take-Aways:
- The details for the 5 Day Challenge that is listed on TheStateof...
Summary:
Aydian and Mike delve into the conversation and controversy around the Urban Meyer video circulating on news and social media. Everyone seems to have an opinion and the guys parse out what the video of the Jacksonville Jaguars coach includes, its impact and repercussions, and what it says about masculinity and relationships today.
Top Take-Aways:
- Why does our society treat men and women’s infidelity in m...
In today’s episode of the podcast, Mike Watts & Aydian Dowling dig into the weird things men do to prove their manliness.
Do you find yourself denying how cold it is and telling everyone you’re fine when you are freezing?
What is it about acknowledging that you are cold equates to weakness or non-manliness? Why on earth are bandaids emasculating?
The guys go into the common and uncommon ways we prove ...
In today’s episode of the podcast, Mike Watts & Aydian Dowling discuss struggle and masculinity. Listen in as the guys unpack the idea that men need to always push through when struggling. What supports do you use when you are struggling and do you allow yourself to lean on them? What is your inner monologue when things get difficult?
In this episode, we discuss the following:
- How does pushing your own needs down impact y...
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