Don't Be A Man About It

From not ever wanting kids to now enjoying every minute of being a dad! For a belated Father's Day special, my lovely friend Mazen Sakran, talks about his experience with fatherhood and the importance of equal parenting. Please show your 🧡 and support and share this episode with your friends and family.

"For every success, there are 10 failures. And that's what people need to understand." Lee Ryan is a five-time Guinness World Record holder,  the first known person to run from Dubai to Abu Dhabi, an endurance athlete, and Adidas Runners Community Lead in MENA. He is also a father to two gorgeous girls and has been in the UAE for over 15 years.  Lee has shared with me his very touching story of where everything began. From grieving the loss of his son and mom, to learning and practicing self-compassion, to leading the Adidas Runners Community in MENA to taking mindful running as a tool to alleviate stress and tough days, and by his example of "one step at a time" —  In Lee's family, they say ‘Team Ryan’ never gives up." And we hope that listening to Lee's story inspires you to do the same. Dedicating this episode to Lee's son, Michael. ♡  

What is the most challenging part about parenting two daughters? And how can a balance between work and family be achieved? For Father's Day special, my amazing guest, Ramzi Ghurani, opens his heart and takes us through his journey as a dad to two beautiful daughters and explains how much responsibility falls on the shoulders of a father to ensure growth, stability, and peace at home. Thank you Ramzi for being the guiding light for your daughters. Happy Father's Day ♡ Please show your love and support and share this episode with your friends and family.

What would encourage a man to feel safe in a marriage? And what are the Dos and Don'ts for dating after divorce? Today's guest, Tom Nash, aka The Divorce Coach, is an internationally-certified Coach and the UK’s premiere Male Divorce Coach, helping individuals (men & women), couples, and families through one of life's most emotionally challenging and physically draining situations. He grew up a child of divorced parents from 3 yrs old and later in life as the ex-husband and co-parenting father of his own divorce. Tom is also lucky enough to be a step-dad to his two amazing bonus kids, in his very happily blended family. In this episode, Tom shares his journey with divorce and how he was able, with the help of his current partner, to create a happy life for their family despite the challenges. Tom also unlocked a few secrets of why men get hesitant to date after divorce and what can they do to overcome that fear and hesitation! Divorced or not, you don't want to miss out on this fabulous episode! Please show your love and support and share it with your friends and family.

"Be BulletProof." Today's guest, Sami Khoury, is a mindset coach and mindfulness teacher, and he helps people overcome their stress, anxiety, and self-doubt so they can learn to be comfortable in uncomfortable situations, developmental tranquility, and live as their authentic selves.  Over the last 13 years, he's worked in the startup, corporate, agency, and nonprofit worlds. He founded a social enterprise, conducted and facilitated countless entrepreneurial and personal development workshops, and mentored young professionals in navigating their careers and lifestyles. He's fascinated with mindfulness, philosophy, and neuroscience, and wishes to share this knowledge with the aim of helping others attain inner balance and peace of mind. Sami holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and an MSc in Marketing Management. He is a certified Health & Well-being coach and pretty much obsessed with helping people become their best selves. In this episode, Sami shares his 2 cents on overcoming anxiety and how men can become bulletproof without holding on to the mask of "being a man".

Get ready to listen to the most satisfying episode I've had on the show so far!    My amazing guest - a funny one too- Ali Khawaja, came to the show with an open mind and heart to talk about Mental Health UAE, a shared space for awareness, acceptance, and support for Mental Health in the UAE. Then we found ourselves talking about his upbringing and how his mother's approach to parenting led to creating a "taboo-free" environment and a healthy generational legacy.    Two things are guaranteed when you listen to this episode:   • Funny stories  • Inspiring lessons   and it goes without saying, you will absolutely fall in love with Ali's mom!    Ali Khawaja serves as a faculty member in the Department of Management at the American University of Sharjah. He earned both his Bachelor of Science in MIS and Masters in Business Administration from the American University of Sharjah in 2002 and 2004 respectively. Primary teaching areas are in Business Information Systems, Fundamentals of Management, Career Management, and Operations Management, to name a few. As a passionate educator, he engages in advising students outside of the classroom and mentors startups as well.   He is passionate about professional development and engaging industry in areas of interest; entrepreneurship, startup incubation, technology, blockchain, IoT, digital marketing, mobile app development, etc. Some of the certifications he holds are with ICF, CryptoCurrency Certification Consortium, IBM, Microsoft, Google, Hubspot, etc. Over the years has also done several courses with London Business School, Princeton, Stanford, University of Nocosia, etc.   Please show your love and support and share this episode with your friends and family.    #MentalHealthAwareness

"𝐈𝐧 𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐨 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦. 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦."   My guest, Matthew Arkin, is an actor, author, and educator. Among his extensive television credits are Criminal Minds, NCIS, Aquarius, and Law and Order. He teaches acting in Los Angeles and is Director of the Acting Intensive Program at South Coast Repertory and an adjunct professor at Dodge College of Film and Media Arts at Chapman University. He is also the author of the suspense novel In the Country of the Blind.   In this episode, Matthew and I talked had a cozy discussion starting with how the Entertainment Industry can affect artists' mental health to how his journey with therapy after his divorce was like for him.

"It's not a weakness to talk."   The fact that this message keeps repeating itself on my show, shows how important talking about our emotions is. And how many people are still not willing to do it.   Had a great time recording this episode! One because I got to meet another side of Gianmarco, a side that made me feel that I wanted to stop at some point and just give Gianmarco a huge hug! And two because of the wonderful and humorous conversation we had from talking about men in therapy to listening to Gianmarco's stories.   Gianmarco talked about his experience with therapy and coming from a divorced family, and he also shared with me his fears from being in a relationship.   Gianmarco’s stand up has been featured on Netflix’s Bonding, PBS’ Stories from the Stage, SeeSo’s New York’s Funniest, Real Housewives of New York, NY1, New York LIVE, Vanity Fair, George Takei presents and he was the winner of Amazon’s Comics Watching Comics Season 8. 1st Place at the Laughing Devil Comedy Festival, Devil’s Cup Comedy Festival, Empire State Comedy Festival, and Last Comix Standing at Mohegan Sun, he regularly headlines clubs, colleges and sordid basements around the country.  You can hear even more of Gianmarco yammering on his weekly podcast The Downside, where he interviews more successful friends in a space where complaining is encouraged, silver linings are debunked, and downsides are discovered in the most uplifting of stories.

Helping others, making an impact, and being part of the community are fundamental elements of my guest's happiness. Justin Krugerr, the Founder and CEO of Project Helping, a Denver-based mental wellness organization, grew up in a ridiculously small town in Iowa that did not believe in mental health support, let alone men's mental health. His personal struggle with mental wellness led him to leave the golf business behind to start Project Helping, his first entrepreneurial venture and providing purpose, connection, and mental wellness through service and improving mental wellness through volunteerism, and practicing kindfulness. In this episode, Justin shares his story of depression and attempting suicide, and how only his first date with his current partner has changed his life and whole life's purpose. 

"I wish I'd known about the power of talking and sharing." CJ, a screenwriter, and movie producer within the indie film scene who likes to write female-led pulpy content, and is part of an exciting team of ultra-efficient filmmakers. He has also built and run the large free screenplay hosting website Script Revolution, shaking up the break-in industry by offering people access they didn't have before. In this episode, CJ was very open about his own mental health struggles and shared how he fought his way out of depression. We also had a talk about the movie industry and its impact on our mental health. 

"'I am Alive and I can do it!'. Tell your problems that and they will be solved automatically."   Max Fardan knows all about keeping a healthy lifestyle and mindset: not only is he a fitness enthusiast and supermodel living in Dubai, but he has also survived t.  Fardan was 24 and working as a sales manager in his home country of Uzbekistan when he found out he had breast cancer.    In this emotional episode, Max shares his story for the recovery journey, the lessons he took away from it, and how his cancer awareness campaigns are removing the stigma and fear around men's breast cancer and also helping them make healthier lifestyle choices.   Max, you are living proof that nothing ever is impossible!

My Guest's Motto is #BeHereTomorrow and every day after that. Kevin Hines, a storyteller at heart, a best-selling author, global public speaker, and award-winning documentary filmmaker, attempted to take his life by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge in 2000. Many factors contributed to his miraculous survival including a sea lion which kept him afloat until the Coast Guard arrived. Kevin now travels the world sharing his story of hope, healing, and recovery while teaching people of all ages the art of wellness & the ability to survive pain with true resilience. Kevin sits on the boards of the International Bipolar Foundation (IBPF), the Bridge Rail Foundation (BRF) and the Mental Health Association of San Francisco (MHASF), and on the Survivors Committee of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. His will to live and stay mentally well has inspired people worldwide. And his compelling story has touched diverse, global audiences within colleges and universities, high schools, corporations, clergy, military, clinicians, health and medical communities, law enforcement organizations, and various industries. Thousands have communicated to Hines that his story helped save their lives. Kevin, thank you for choosing life ♡

𝐇𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐤𝐢𝐝𝐬. 𝐀 𝐡𝐮𝐬𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐟𝐞. 𝐀 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬. 𝐀𝐧 𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐟 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐬?   Scott Armstrong, the editor in chief at Arabian Business, with more than 30 years of experience as a journalist, editor, and strategic communications consultant. And like so many men, he spent most of his life ignoring his insecurities and finding his worth in job titles he carried all of his life.   In this episode, Scott shared a bit about his journey to discovering his true self after a long time of hiding behind unhealthy habits and behavior, how what happened to Christian Eriksen should be a wake up to all of us to set our priorities straight, and then highlighted important points on corporate mental health and resilience.   I am extremely grateful for this heartful and authentic conversation with Scott and I really hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed recording it.

When it comes to men dealing with a divorce, it can be stressful because it makes them lose their sense of identity and because they are still stigmatized by our society with the cliché of "Man Up". 9 years ago, my guest's life took an unexpected turn after hearing the words "I want out" from his ex-wife leaving him with emotional turmoil and 2 kids. He shares his story and experience with divorce and how he overcame it with its emotional turmoil and started a brand new life with his second wife and now 4 kids aka his "Bowl of Joy" by trading his past with his future. In this episode, Ramez also shares lots of insightful stories and helpful tips on how can men move on and thrive after a divorce. Ramez Helou is the CEO and Founder of The Academy for Sales Excellence, with more than 30+ years of experience in sales and building sales capability for 100,000+ sales professionals in over 38+ countries. He is also a professor of Sales & Leadership at Hult International Business School. If you are a man getting divorced or want to help a man out going through a divorce, we hope this episode help get you on the right track.

"I had in my pocket just enough for either one meal or one book. I chose the book and it absolutely changed my life."   They say that being a parent is one of the toughest yet most rewarding jobs in the world; it’s almost like having to confront a daily struggle for the rest of your life. But it’s even more challenging for single parents who basically need to put on their superheroes' capes all the time to be able to do it all on their own!   My guest is a courageous father who found himself solely responsible for the upbringing of his two kids after a sudden and unexpected divorce came their way. He was not prepared to be a single dad or for the major life adjustments he had to make to save his and his kids' futures, and yet, he succeeded to create a remarkable life and a successful business through it all.   Muneer Samnani, the founder of Oxygen Mastermind Group and the Co-author of the Book ‘Mastering Time’, came to my show & shared his story, experience, and his learnings of being a single dad. He has spent almost a decade exploring and developing his passion for motivating people and organizations in transforming their perceptions about creating change and achieving success. For Muneer, anything you learn should be as fun and entertaining as it is relevant and important, and this episode is good proof of that.    In honor of Men's Health Month and Father's Day (that is just around the corner), this episode and the ones to follow this month are dedicated to all the dads out there who would do just about anything to care for their little ones.   Here is to all the super dads   Here is to my big fox   

"I’m a writer who writes to his son every day about parenthood from a dad’s point of view." My guest, Tom Kreffer, does this for many reasons: to encourage himself to reflect deeply about his role as a parent; to create a gift for his son when he’s older (imagine your parents giving you their journals about you on your 21st birthday); to improve his writing ability, and to give readers a unique perspective on parenthood that they won’t find in other books. In this episode, Tom shares his story and experience of becoming a dad, the power of journaling, and how after nearly two years, when doctors told him and his wife that the chances of making a baby naturally were slim to none and how then she fell pregnant. Buckle up new parents, this will hit an emotional nerve.

"Do you think an apathetic person can become empathetic?" Tune in to see what my guest had to say about that and how he believes that we all can do a world of good by practicing empathy. Cole Egger, the Co-Founder, and CEO of Listeners On Call, leads the company’s vision to provide on-call empathy, privacy, and support for millions of people who need to feel heard. Cole is an experienced entrepreneur whose personal passion has always been creating innovative solutions that benefit and support the well-being of others. Cole believes that authentic empathy-driven connections will reshape the stigma that holds so many back from talking through trying circumstances. In this episode, Cole shares his story with mental health and grief, and then how his life transformed right after he made a conscious decision to ask for help. 

"Wrestlers are no strangers to feeling alone in their struggles."   My guest discovered wrestling at the age of 13, and it dramatically changed his life and taught him many valuable life lessons that he has drawn upon since then.   Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon II, MD, has practiced Internal Medicine for over thirty years.  He is a 26-year Army veteran, National Veterans Wrestling Champion, speaker, and self-proclaimed amateur wrestling aficionado. Skip is the author of "Wrestling Depression Is Not For Wimps" book.   Throughout his wrestling career, which spanned over five decades, Dr. Skip lost and won against many worthy opponents, but the fiercest was depression. He was physically and emotionally drained, and exhaustion set in on all fronts, that each day became a struggle to make it to the end of the day.   In this episode, Dr. Skip shared how he faced, grappled with, and triumphed over this relentless foe, and how wrestlers like him can do so too. This one is merely to give hope, help, and encouragement to men wrestling with depression.    Skip won, and so can you!

TW // Trauma, Addiction "I could relate to them, and they opened up to me with their stories of survival. I decided then that this was my calling. I would make films chronicling recovery from trauma beginning with a documentary about the fire that had wiped the slate clean for me. I wrote and directed Faces in the Fire and won my first Emmy. Then the National Institute for Mental Health began using it to debrief survivors of natural disasters. My film was helping people! I had found a purpose. That’s a huge gift." It’s been 29 years since my guest lost all of his worldly possessions in the Painted Cave fire. To be exact, it was June 27, 1990. He calls it his “ground zero.” The fire had destroyed 450 homes and human life in its wake. Seemingly a disaster that he would never recover from, the fire turned out to be one of the greatest gifts he could ever receive. At the time, however, my guest wasn’t quite feeling so blessed. He turned to drugs and alcohol to bury his sorrows and mask his pain. Finally, he sought help, and through divine and human intervention, he became clean and sober. Eric Christiansen, a filmmaker, and a Seven-time Southwestern Region Emmy Award recipient, also received an International Monitor Award for Best Director and Silver and a Gold Award from the Houston International Film Festival. Eric rose from the ashes of his own trauma to make a career chronicling survivors of devastating life events with a focus on their resilience in the face of adversity and their ability to find hope again to heal. In this episode, Eric shared his story and how his movies are helping people with their traumas. 

"𝐖𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞." What's the distinction between both? And how can we choose the things that make us feel purposeful and that speak to our essence? If you keep thinking or feeling that you're “too sensitive” or “too emotional” or “too intense" or that you’re “not good enough” or “successful enough” or “smart enough.”, then most likely you're mistaking the container for the essence, and you'll keep thinking that something is wrong with you. But it's not true. You are just an essence in the wrong container. And that is what my guest has explained in this episode! Mike Iamele, the founder of Sacred Branding® system shared how he discovered his own purpose when he gave up on everything after infinite failures and offered free branding sessions that made him realize that our entire lived experiences are around the same themes over and over again. From running a huge PR agency to celebrating his failures to now helping hundreds of people to connect the dots between their lived experiences to find the common threads that explain their subconscious motivations, unique genius, and life purpose, and what is the key to our greatest path to success and fulfillment We just need a map to know-how, and in this episode, you'll get it! 𝑩𝒐𝒏𝒖𝒔: 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒂𝒍𝒔𝒐 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝑴𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒑𝒖𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒑 𝒎𝒚 𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔!