Description

Episode Summary

Spencer and Jelani keep it personal in Episode 52, opening with a conversation about being stoic versus being honest, and how hard it can feel to hold in emotion when you’re wired to talk, feel, and process out loud. Jelani comes back from two and a half weeks away from his kids for a funeral in Louisiana, and the episode starts in that in-between space of grief, family, and trying to reset your body after too much food and too little sleep.

From there, they talk about the way kids mirror what they see at home, the need to listen to your body, and the challenge of correcting behavior without passing down shame. That leads into a powerful interview with Shon Hart, where they get into fatherhood, vulnerability, healing from an absent father, forgiveness, and how to help men — especially athletes — open up, tell their stories, and build something sustainable beyond the game.

Topics Covered

• Grief, Louisiana, and coming home to family after two and a half weeks away.
• Kids, food, and learning to listen to your body.
• Correction without shame and creating a healthy fear at home.
• Sean Hart and the work of helping men tell their story.
• Fatherhood, forgiveness, and healing an absent-father relationship.
• Athletes, transition, and finding purpose after sports.
• Building a sustainable fatherhood organization and serving men through vulnerability.

Where to Find Us

Instagram: @highervalleyspodcast
TikTok: @highervalleys

Shon Hart

Instagram: @involveddad_ 
Personal IG: @shonhart_

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