Shows
Imperfect Mens ClubSelf Mastery - 12 Principles For A Rich LifeMark introduces the topic of self mastery and self transformation. Jim found 12 rules of self mastery online Discipline Focus Resilience Consistency Solitude Energy Mind Body Legacy Time Surround Untouchable Jim explains how he was attracted to this framework He connects this exercise to self awareness. He shares that our life is “on us”. No one is coming to help. We are responsible for our lives Mark begins by reading the...
2025-08-2832 min
Imperfect Mens ClubWhat Life Teaches Us About Self-Discovery - Reflection, Humility, and BelongingMark introduces the topic of Self discovery He frames the topic with Carl Jung’s definition of what happens in life when we reach the age of 60 and then shares additional context about the beginning, middle and tail end of life and how we can “rediscover” ourselves many times over the course of our lives Jim views life in 5 and 10 year “stages”. He doesn’t think everyone goes thru self discovery exercises and then he brings the flywheel framework for context. He shares his research for this episode. He appreciates his solitude as an example of his self discover...
2025-08-2335 min
Imperfect Mens ClubSubconscious Self Doubt - The Silent Partner You Never ChoseMark introduces the topic of the subconscious mind and the emotion of self doubt. He cites the science that shows we are driven by our subconscious. Somewhere between 85 and 95% of our actions are from subconscious memory Jim shares his opinion about how this topic fits into our wheel. He aligns the discussion to the wheel. He heard a podcast that talked about self doubt and money. He quotes the podcast and agrees with Marks incite into the science of the subconscious. Mark talks about his frame of reference being the people he knows that have varying degrees...
2025-08-1433 min
Imperfect Mens ClubWhy Neurodiverse Minds Crave "Frameworks"Mark brings up the topic of frameworks and mentions Jim’s recent adoption of hi “5M Framework” Manifesto Methodology Mentality Machine Mindset Jim found a manifesto that Mark had written 2 years ago while preparing to do some promotion of the podcast and he ties that in to the IMC framework. Our 5 areas of life flywheel Jim shares that the actual topic came from my being 1 minute late (I’m never late). Jim then goes over our flywheel of life framework and the 5 areas. He reflects on where...
2025-08-0737 min
Imperfect Mens ClubWhat Advice Would You Give Your 15 Year Old Self?Mark introduces the topic of Jim’s interaction with his young niece at 15 asking him what he might do differently looking back at his 15 year old self Both guys thought it was cool for such a young person to ask such a wise question Mark reads the response that Jim sent in a text message to his niece Jim reflects on his response and how context and circumstance are so important. Mark agrees and cites the difference between good and bad advice. He iterates on the value of what you don’t do vers...
2025-08-0129 min
Imperfect Mens ClubYour Self-Narrative: Hero or Hostage?Mark introduces the topic of one’s self narrative. He says you either take personal responsibility or seek blame. Mark reads the definition. He says it’s important to know what you can and can’t control. Jim relates the topic to the wheel. The self’s in the center. Jim says he’s been more aware of the self narratives of other people he’s encountered. He thinks conflict in this country is at an all time high. Jim brings up a recent encounter where trust was lost. He feels like he’s being judged as a white man. He said t...
2025-07-2435 min
Imperfect Mens ClubYour Inner Critic - Rewriting the Story You Tell YourselfMark introduces the deep dive Jim took into the writing of Carl Jung and the specific topic he writes about - self talk Mark thinks most us have more negative self talk than positive Jim adds context - Jim likes stuff related to our podcast and our wheel. Particularly the self. He goes around our flywheel. When you’re challenging yourself, self talk can creep in Mark says this voice is powerful and not always positive. It’s also often subconscious. Mark reads the definition Mark reads Jung’s 5 archetypes The...
2025-07-1730 min
Imperfect Mens ClubNavigating Our Response To Trauma With GraceMark introduces the topic of trauma and how we respond to trauma This topic came up from some family events and aging and how people respond to trauma Jim brings a framework to the discussion…The 5 “F’s” Jim fits trauma into our flywheel framework. He breaks down the 5 areas and we decide to focus on relationships and The Self We can’t seem to discuss anything without coming back to self awareness Jim got this framework from a podcast he listened to about trauma. The 5 F’s of trauma respo...
2025-07-1031 min
Imperfect Mens ClubSelf Alignment Toward That "One Thing"Mark brings in the topic in the context of our Wheel. The concept of focusing one only one thing until you momentum and can diversify with only the cash flow from that one thing. Simplicity Jim brings up the idea of focus and how that is bolstered with simplicity. He expands on our wheel and the five areas of life and the center of the wheel, the self Jim and Mark share their experience with the mainstream news. Both guys share that they have tried life with it and without it…and the impact is re...
2025-07-0328 min
Imperfect Mens ClubSelf Identity - It's Hard To Look In The MirrorMark introduces the topic of self identity The guys joke about their lack of Biblical knowledge around God’s statement to Moses “I am who I am” Jim refers to a podcast he heard that mentioned the we’re never ready and you just have to face your fears Mark reflects on his career and how he speaks with everyone he helps about their self identity. It’s the most important part of his work. You have to be able to tell your own story. He thinks most people cannot tell their own story. Jim...
2025-06-2629 min
Imperfect Mens ClubReinventing Yourself At Any Age - How To Be Clever About ItMark introduces the topic of reinventing yourself in the context of a personal brand. Both guys have been working on their brands. Jim is finishing up a formal effort with his brand Mark puts his career up as a reinvention experience Jim shares his view of how stories and brands have evolved over time and explains why he has made his recent investment of time and money working out his brand and messaging. Contextually he explains this journey as one with three parts. The past, present and future. He talks about the work...
2025-06-2037 min
Imperfect Mens ClubWorldview: Politics, Perspectives & People Who Still Talk to Each Other“You cannot kill a thought. It needs to die of old age or natural causes” Mark introduces the topic of worldview and the different belief systems we all have…and where we get them Jim adds the influence of the political distress specifically in LA and brings in the flywheel Mark clarifies the politics of it all and both guys laugh at how everything is about politics Jim says most of us don’t like to have our belief systems challenged, but agree it’s important to do so Mark reads...
2025-06-1234 min
Imperfect Mens ClubTrump Derangement Syndrome And The 10 CommandmentsMark introduces the topic by reading the definition and symptoms As much as the guys believe it to be real, it’s also funny Jim asks Mark what “Psychic pathology” means and he takes a shot Jim shares his opinion about friends and family that seem to struggle with this Jim talks about his mom. She exhibits physical manifestations Mark thinks this physical reaction indicates a pretty severe condition Jim calls it impulsive Mark calls Trump insensitive and crass. He’s a fighter and not a politi...
2025-06-0539 min
Imperfect Mens Club90% Of Life Is Just Showing UpMark introduces the topic and frames it in the context of his recent experience with having a plumber show up at his home to do some work He shares how gratitude plays a part in the discussion. He expresses a concern that the topic is so rich that staying on topic might be tough Jim reflects on the story Mark has already told him Jim expands on the “Showing up” concept Jim shares his perspective having been a tradesman and having gone into many homes and being treated poorly, more often than...
2025-06-0241 min
Imperfect Mens ClubThe Disingenuous Epidemic - Cowards, Clowns, and CharactersMark introduces the topic of disingenuous people. Both guys have had recent experiences with people who were being disingenuous. Mark asks whether he thinks people are born this way or do become this way based on environment or circumstance. Jim says he’s been using that word more often lately Mark reads the legal definition of the word Jim shares his definition. He clarifies the nuance of this activity being intentional Mark says there are different levels of it, but that some people are just stupid Jim shares his re...
2025-05-2235 min
Imperfect Mens ClubHow A Simple Framework Can Help Us Communicate With Candor And ClarityMark brings up the topic of communication in the context of self talk and self reflection Then he shares a framework Jim brought that he uses for communication. The triple A method Assumptions/Agreement/Action Mark is a fan Jim brings up a favorite quote of his - “The most important conversation you’ll ever have is the conversation you have with yourself”…and that’s a crazy person Mark shares his self talk routine Jim - simply…you have to turn the channel He shares how h...
2025-05-1532 min
Imperfect Mens ClubPersonal Stories Of Neurodivergence - The Ability To Think DifferentMark introduces the guys and topic. He cites how aligned both guys are. As they enter the call they’re thinking of the same topics and thoughts Neurodivergence (See definition at the bottom of the show notes) Mark shares a call about his grandson and his current struggles which may well involve him being on the spectrum Jim shared his perspective about labels and crutches and his own story about being neurodivergent himself growing up Jim’s perspective is to reframe this label as an opportunity to think of things differently
2025-05-0833 min
Imperfect Mens ClubBeware The "Vortex". Aging Gracefully In RelationshipsMark introduces the topic of male and female relationships. Jim had brought up the recent Bill Belichick interview with his new 24 year old girlfriend Jim covers our framework and the wheel of life. Relationships is one of the five and women is a subset of that Jim likes looking at life in increments of 10 years. Now we’re both in our 60’s and things have changed Jim brings up the Belichick interview in the context of self awareness and how he was not self aware at all Both guys lost respect for h...
2025-05-0137 min
Imperfect Mens ClubConfidence Isn’t a Trait, It’s a PracticeMark introduces the topic of confidence. Self-confidence The topic originated with Jim’s interest in elitism - entitlement - self-accountability - confidence In order to be self accountable, one must be confident Jim ties in the current news events and his recent book as he frames his view of confidence. Particularly sports and business He distinguishes between confidence and the competence required to be confident Jim brings up academia. See civically Harvard…and entitlements/elitism He shares the academic idea that perfection is attainable. We both support the r...
2025-04-2432 min
Imperfect Mens ClubFrameworks: The Invisible Structures Behind A Well Lived LifeMark shares the value of the “pregame” the guys use to prepare for the podcast He introduces the topic of frameworks How they can be good or harmful Jim shares how frameworks evolve and how ours did. Our tagline “The Imperfection Is The Perfection” Jim used this with his kids when they got frustrated with him He thinks imperfections and failures make us who we are Jim shares how when we started the podcast, we were thinking of “Civill Discourse” as a theme. Then we came upon our Wheel Of...
2025-04-1828 min
Imperfect Mens ClubThe Freedom of Solitude: Evolving Beyond Our Old PersonasMark introduces the topics of solitude and one’s persona Jim jumps in to help contextualize this discussion Mark reads the definitions of “Persona” and “Solitude” Mark asks Jim about his trip Jim separates being alone for a few minutes from the very different version of a 7 day solo trip Jim has chosen solo trips in the last few years He reflects on how his roles and personas have changed as he’s aged He talks about not caring what others think and how freeing that is
2025-04-1028 min
Imperfect Mens ClubThe Science of Self-Talk: How Thoughts Shape Our RealityMark introduces the topic of the power of the mind and self-talk The idea that we now have science and data to support the value of positive talk, visualization and vibration in influencing our happiness and peace of mind Jim got the idea from Billy Carson’s appearance on Lewis Howe’s Greatness podcast Jim shares the story of how we met. He was struggling mentally and emotionally and had some evidence that concussions might be part of his challenge. In his research, he found me. He flew out to Orlando and we met...
2025-04-0335 min
Imperfect Mens ClubHow Sensitivity And Unconscious Bias Shape Us As MenWe just started talking. No Intro! Mark brings up human nature. He suggests that men and women have unique natures as well He says recognizing and acknowledging human nature is necessary as part of any discussion of behavior Jim asks Mark his opinion about homosexuality Mark shares his ignorance and his opinion as well as his curiosity Mark brings up the Catholic Church Jim shares his significant skepticism about the Catholic church, but he doesn’t want to go any deeper So Mark shifts the to...
2025-03-2833 min
Imperfect Mens ClubThe Power of Agency: How Writing a Book Can Build Trust and Elevate Your BrandMark introduces the topic of agency. Jim thinks Mark is a great example of what an agent is He reads a definition and adds some context to what an agent is and how he may, in fact, be one The value of having an objective third party negotiating on your behalf Jim thinks AI will make being an agent much more valuable He discusses the agents he uses. His patent agent, for example. Agents are not as close as we are to our capabilities and competencies Agents can be...
2025-03-2433 min
Imperfect Mens ClubFinding Strength in Adversity: Navigating Suicide and the Power of Self FortitudeMark leads with the definition of “fortitude” and “self fortitude” He suggests the one is more internal and the other more external Jim shares his recent difficult week due to 4 or 5 people he is close to are experiencing hardship. From illness to the loss of a young man to suicide Jim puts his experiences in the context of our “Flywheel of Life” “When you’re healthy you have hundreds of things on your mind. When you’re ill, you have one” Jim shares some of the challenges his friends have. His mom is in...
2025-03-1331 min
Imperfect Mens ClubUnconditional Service: Navigating the Complexities of Helping OthersMark introduces the topic of serving others and connects it to the flywheel of life in the category of relationships/others. Jim brings up the wheel and discusses each of the 5 areas - Money, worldview, relationships, health and career/profession This episode is about others. Men and women He says there are two types of service and then shares his recent event KBIS in Las Vegas. He was selected as #1 membership chair in the country Two types of service are paid and unpaid He talks about the unpaid type...
2025-03-0635 min
Imperfect Mens ClubHow Are You Serving Others? What Does That Look Like?Jim - the most important conversation you’ll ever have is with yourself…and that person is a crazy person Jim frames service in the context of bringing a product or service to the market to help people in some ways He frames this in the context of his most recent project that he asked Mark for help with - his talk about the kitchen and bath industry Jim asks. If it’s not just money, why do we seek to serve. What’s the bigger picture Both guys feel strongly that the...
2025-02-2131 min
Imperfect Mens ClubGrowth Is On The Other Side Of ResistanceMark introduces the topic and both guys have personal accounts of dealing with making themselves vulnerable Jim thinks that most of us don’t put ourselves out there Jim brings in our flywheel and the 5 areas of life and then uses his 5 W’s approach (Why, who, when, where and what) Mark reads the definition of self-vulnerability that Jim provides from his online searches about the topic Jim says acknowledging your strengths is easy, but sharing your weaknesses is much harder Jim shares his fear he experienced getting ready for...
2025-02-1332 min
Imperfect Mens ClubMentorship and Volunteer Work - Just A NudgeToday Jim and I welcome a special guest. Paul Carroll was my mentor in the start-up staffing space at the beginning of my career and he joins us today to talk about his latest work volunteering with young men in the foster care system We started recording before my introduction:). It sounded good so we decided to keep rolling. Sorry for any confusion Pauls shares his sense of urgency and the “signs” that showed up for him that got him interested in this work initially He shares how the work went from theoretical to p...
2025-02-0741 min
Imperfect Mens ClubHave We Just Left A "Bygone Era"?Episode 3 Bygone Era Mark introduces the topic for this episode. The notion of there being a bygone era. Jim suggested the topic given the current political landscape and the guys explore other applications of the notion in life Mark reads the Google definition Jim comes in and suggests that we have entered a new era. He brings of his 5 W framework and the concept of self awareness (Who,what,when,where and why) Jim cites The Biden administration and his cronies being part of this “bygone era” He claims everyone wants to remain relev...
2025-01-2334 min
Imperfect Mens ClubWhere Our Belief Systems Come FromMark introduces the episode about belief systems in the context of the fires in Southern California Remember…Jim is a California native still living in the Bay Area and Mark has lived in Florida since 1990 Two very different perspectives and responses to natural disasters! Jim says it’s personal because he has friends and family in the fire zone He brings in our tag line and framework. He says we’ll try and find some good in all of it. He cites our 5 areas with focus on worldview Jim share...
2025-01-1629 min
Imperfect Mens ClubThe Post Election Paradigm ShiftMark introduces Episode 1 of Season 4 with the topic of a paradigm shift. A shift in the way the country is moving with the election of Donald Trump and the push back against “woke” Jim introduces the wheel and worldview as a likely connection to the topic. He believes the shift is well on it’s way and we can see and hear evidence of it as more people open up post election Jim has some examples and topics he wants to discuss The first one is COVID What did covid change - comm...
2025-01-0931 min
Imperfect Mens ClubPlanning For What's Next - What Would Jim Rohn Do?Hey all. We began with a New Years, year-end, goal setting theme within the context of some JIm Rohn quotes What we ended up with is an in depth reflection on Jim Rohn's wisdom and how much of it might be very helpful as we plan for what's next ---------------- Mark leads with year-end, new year and goal setting as topics. The context is the wisdom of Jim Rohn. Our Jim loves Rohn and brought some quotes as foundations for our episode Jim says it’s the past, present an...
2024-12-2030 min
Imperfect Mens ClubKnow Thyself - The Magic Of Self AwarenessMark introduces the topic of self awareness. He shares that their “pregame” discussion was very self reflective. He suggests that the time of year, as well as some other personal events from Jim’s life and Mark’s have the guys a bit mired in self reflection and self awareness Mark reads a couple of quotes Jim brought to the recording. One secular (Stoic) and one Biblical (Thomas) Jim shares some context for his quotes and shares his position on self awareness and what’s going on in his life Jim reflects on yesterday...
2024-12-1233 min
Imperfect Mens ClubThe Holidays - More People More ProblemsMark introduces the episode and frames it around the holidays, the challenges therein and the notion that “the more people the more problems” Jim says the topic is timely and he connects it to our flywheel of life…all starting with the self. He shares his opinion on the more people topic and heightened emotions Mark adds New Years and all the prep before the holidays. He cites the pressure the woman are under Jim laughs about being through 50 of these. He says it means more, the younger you are…we’ve seen this movie...
2024-12-0629 min
Imperfect Mens ClubA Letter To Your 21 Year Old SelfMark introduces the episode and reflects on the “pregame” discussion with Jim. Jim is giving a speech in a few days to a group or around 60 to 80 college students at San Jose State in the dept of Design and construction and he wants to give them career advice and life advice to help them with the transition from school to life Jim brings the wheel into play and shares some context for his upcoming talk. Who the audience is and the topics to be discussed Jim expands upon the idea of the letter he recommends stud...
2024-11-1437 min
Imperfect Mens ClubHow Simple Words Can Influence Effective PersuasionMark introduces the topic of communication and within that general topic, the subtopic of persuasion. He then emphasizes the value of having a framework. He puts our framework in perspective Jim chimes in about the idea of having a framework and emphasizes the IMC framework Jim shares his 5 W’s framework and how helpful it has been for him in a variety of projects. How it adds perspective for both parties He shares the value of effective people being clear Jim asks Mark about his framework Mark shares his ch...
2024-11-0137 min
Imperfect Mens ClubSelf Interest, How Transparency Wins The DayA we suggested in the episode, we want to encourage anyone who is interested and able to contribute to my daughter Caroline’s Go Fund Me campaign in support of documenting the devastation that hit Asheville, NC (where she lives) recently with her creative partners in the form of a documentary. Details can be found here - https://gofund.me/8fcfe6fa Thanks for your support!! ———————— Mark introduces the topic of self interest and suggests that it might be valuable to flush out each party’s self interest before engaging another, regardless of the nature of the en...
2024-10-2534 min
Imperfect Mens ClubLeaving Your Legacy By Propping Up Your CommunityMark introduces two topics. Community and legacy He shares that they skipped last week because of the two hurricanes and tells the listeners that everyone was safe in his family and how the communities came together Why we can get along and be supportive in times of hardship, yet we are divided in times of peace Mark says we’re not as divided as the media portray us. Mark says if we all got together, we wouldn’t need the government…and that scares the hell out of the government Jim says h...
2024-10-1831 min
Imperfect Mens ClubWe Look At Life Through Our Own Unique “Screens”Mark introduces the topic based on Jim’s experience and the guys decide to expand on the flywheel and the 5 areas of life as “screens” that we look through He starts with money Jim shares a story about meeting some strangers and getting into a discussion about our podcast and specifically money. Jim has been getting more and more comfortable explaining our podcast He shares how one of the people was triggered by the topic of money These people were US citizens who grew up in Iran. He asked about wearing her ve...
2024-10-0331 min
Imperfect Mens ClubThings Happen For You Not To YouMark brings up the topic - Love of fate, love of one’s fate - "Amore Fati" Stoicism Things happen for you, not to you Personal accountability and self awareness Mark asks Jim to share the back story Three conversations with three good friends Jim did a deep dive into Amore Fate. The Japanese version “wabi sabi” The connection to imperfection People with victim mentalities are not pleasant to be around Mark talks about personal accountability and self awareness…learning through failure Jim s...
2024-09-2728 min
Imperfect Mens ClubCivil Discourse - Are You Red Team Or Blue Team?Mark introduces the topic of civil discourse and reads the definition He classifies it as a worldview topic and asks Jim to chime in Jim tells the story about how he and Mark met and that the original topic of the podcast was going to be civil discourse Jim takes us around the wheel and explains where our worldview comes from. Our childhood and our political views Jim cites the current problem that we have in our country with being decided He also suggests that some of the conspiracy...
2024-09-1937 min
Imperfect Mens ClubAre You Coachable And Referable?Mark introduces the topic of people being coachable and referable Jim tells the story of a young man he knows and attending his wedding He goes back a few years when this young man was just starting out and shares how he introduced him to his future boss because he was coachable, referable and persistent. Jim says he still, to this day, tries to be coachable Mark says team sports is great fodder for stories Mark shares his story about his daughter asking to speak with him about recruiting ...
2024-09-1331 min
Imperfect Mens ClubHow Well Can You Tell Your Story?Mark introduces the topic of self identity in the context of how people feel their story about who they are and what they do Jim chimes in with a story about the event he attended that generated our topic for today At the event they did a “speed dating” like exercise where one of the questions was “what do you do?” Cool story. Jim found that changed his answer as he learned by practicing with 40 or 50 people He identified as a podcaster and found that people were very interested in his podcasti...
2024-09-0539 min
Imperfect Mens ClubFriendship - We’re All Starving For Human InteractionMark introduces the topic of friendships between men and shares how it came from our friend Jeff’s annual golf outing He connects it to the wheel and the Harvard study of men which concludes that men thrive based on the number and depth of their friendships Jim appreciates the fact that we’re coming up on 60 episodes He shares his opinion of male relationships. How they change over time and how guys used to do things with only other men Jim talks about how some friendships ships die out and othe...
2024-09-0331 min
Imperfect Mens ClubThe Importance Of Tradition In A Crazy WorldMark Introduces the topic for this episode - Traditions. He contextualizes it as connected to worldview as traditions are often cultural. The guys arrived at the topic talking about Jim’s annual high school football team barbecue he holds at his house and has for 17 years in a row Jim also connects it to our childhood where our worldview begins to form Jim shares his appreciation for what the football program did for him. He thinks that without football it Very easily could have been bad - prison like his two cousins
2024-08-2248 min
Imperfect Mens ClubHow We Develop Our Self Narrative In The Context Of RegretMark starts off with some context about what our podcast is all about. Sharing opinions and experiences with men to help them live a more fulfilled life He introduces the topics of self-regret and self narrative and hopes for some humorous angles Jim brings up the wheel and how we always start with self awareness He talks about the power of reading the definitions. He says if you don’t have regrets you aren’t very self aware “the most important conversation you’ll ever have is the one you have with yourself” Mar...
2024-08-1538 min
Imperfect Mens ClubWhy Invest In Personal Branding?Mark introduces the topic and explains that he and Jim will be guided in this episode by an article Jim read in Fast Company. Here’s a link to the article Mark suggests personal branding begins with self reflection Jim enters with reference to the self and self promotion in specific. He shares his opinion about self promotion and how society feels very different about personal branding. Then he takes us around the flywheel and the 5 areas of life Then Jim focuses in on worldview and asks whether one’s worldview should be part...
2024-08-0844 min
Imperfect Mens ClubManaging Expectations In RelationshipsMark introduces the topic of expectations. Setting and managing them with others We succeed and we fail doing both He says we do a poor job of being specific and clear and recalibrating as things evolve Jim says ww are “wound up” in the existing political environment. We expect the politicians to be civil and honest…and they’re not. They throw rocks at each other Mark identifies that he and Jim have taken different position. Jim chooses to remain quiet and Mark chooses to speak up. He cites the difference between...
2024-08-0528 min
Imperfect Mens ClubThe Political Football That Is ImmigrationMark introduces the topic of immigration and draws a thick line between legal and illegal immigration. He’s very pro immigration and very much opposed to illegal immigration. He says there are many different lenses to look through at this issue Jim jumps in and identifies that this topic falls into worldview on our flywheel. He mentions that Europe and in particular Italy are wrestling with open borders too. It’s impacting culture and religious beliefs. Jim has seen this while traveling Mark agrees and brings up his brother who has been flying as for 35 year...
2024-07-2541 min
Imperfect Mens ClubLife Changing Events Through The Lens Of Personal AccountabilityMark introduces the two topics for today and how closely they are connected Self accountability and life changing events The Trump assassination attempt and the selection of his VP running mate Mark reminds the audience of the fly wheel framework and the idea that both guys lean conservative. Mark more so than Jim Jim jumps in ands goes into more detail about the wheel and the 5 areas of life Jim identifies the Trump assassination as clearly a life changing event Jim thinks self awareness is by far...
2024-07-1833 min
Imperfect Mens ClubDo You Have A Narcissist In Your Life?Mark starts off setting the stage for his most recent ex-wife encounter. Both guys see numerous lessons to be learned from Mark’s encounter the other day and decided to record their conversation as an episode Mark sets the stage for the discussion by giving the event some historical context He describes his emotional state and gives a few details of the actual event - sitting in front of a judge Jim makes a great point - one of the reasons w decided to air this is that 50% of our audience will have to...
2024-07-1139 min
Imperfect Mens ClubMentorship - The Difference Between Being Nice And Being Kind Mark introduces the topic of mentorship Jim reflects on the difference between being nice and kind. Real mentorship requires telling people things they need to hear but maybe don’t want to. He refers to some of the work Mark is doing, in part holding people accountable. Jim says showing up, prepared and consistently is huge Mark agrees. He brings in communication and how social media and technology have revolutionized the way we communicate…and not for the better. Mark says people are confused about accountability and compassion. Jim says it...
2024-07-0837 min
Imperfect Mens ClubWhen Do You Apologize?Mark introduces the topic - apologizing. He says too many people are apologizing too often Mark reads the definition Jim counters with thinking it’s a trigger for him. He brings up a conversation he just had with a 30 something and how he said he was sorry over and over…to the point that it was totally inauthentic He was regretting things he said and did Mark agrees about authenticity being critical. He says too many people apologize for offending groups Jim says “This not an excuse, it’s an expla...
2024-06-2138 min
Imperfect Mens ClubSelf Forgiveness As A Remedy For Self DoubtMark introduces the topic of self doubt He places it in health/mental health category on the wheel Mark talks about waking up “awash” in self doubt yesterday and he wrote about it to help pull him out of it First he went through with his morning routine and was still bummed out..so he wrote about it Jim says self doubt is normal and anyone who doesn’t get it every so often isn’t striving Jim talks about how middle age produces doubts about what might have been...
2024-06-1432 min
Imperfect Mens ClubAre You A Thought Leader? How Would You Know?Mark introduces the topic of thought leadership and connects it directly with critical thinking He reads the Wikipedia definition and then connects it to the profession area in our flywheel Mark says anyone who self identifies as such is not a thought leader. The market needs to determine that Jim jumps in and brings up Jordan Peterson. He then connects back to our flywheel and the other 4 areas of life Jim then brings up AI and the timeliness of our topic He differentiates between “Big” and “Small” AI. He suggests...
2024-06-0736 min
Imperfect Mens ClubWhat Exactly Is Critical Thinking And Are You Doing Enough?Mark introduces episode 52 to finish off season 2! A milestone for the guys. Trying to get the message out to more people Today’s topic is critical thinking. Mark says we’re lacking in critical thinking as a result of a lack of self awareness Mark reads the definition from Wikipedia. He likes the one term “unbiased” Jim jumps in with our flywheel and the 5 areas of life on it Jim brings up Trump’s convictions Jim says there aren’t many real critical thinkers and we don’t teach that sk...
2024-06-0442 min
Imperfect Mens ClubTreating Resistance As OpportunityMark opens his intro with the guys topic of choice for today- Resistance Jim’s traveling and is in Mexico City. He had some typical travel resistance issues and both guys ran with that and piled on One caveat is Jim’s sound quality is diminished, but he can be heard just fine Mark brings up the flywheel and the book Jim brought up, Steven Pressfield’s “The War Of Art” Mark says he thinks resistance is mostly good with exception of dangerous things and that mitigating risk is a goo idea before...
2024-05-2127 min
Imperfect Mens ClubThe Manifestation Of FulfillmentMark introduces the topic of manifestation and the power of the subconscious mind. Then he brings up the wheel and attaches manifestation to health - mental health Jim had introduced Dr James Doty having heard him on Lewis Howe’s podcast Mark reads from the show notes to give context to what the guys are about to discuss. Mark mentions the work he’s been doing and throws it to Jim Jim mentions that he’s been reading and studying about manifestation for years. He talks about adversity and how it’s how you react to it tha...
2024-05-1642 min
Imperfect Mens ClubIt’s Not What Happens To YouMark begins with self awareness and the flywheel of life - How we respond to things now versus when we were younger Jim shares his thoughts on the wheel and self awareness. “We grow bitter or we grow better” He say we work hard not to grow into the bitter old man Jim shares his “only in San Francisco” story. Parking meters and silly parking laws. “Only in San Francisco” Mark comments after laughing about how upside down San Francisco is right now Jim laughs at how he responded to the crazy...
2024-05-1040 min
Imperfect Mens ClubCommunication Breakdown - Being Nice Is Not The Same As Being KindMark introduces the topic in the context of self awareness, which then leads to self evaluation of, in this case, communication skills He talks about generational differences, social media and a “laziness” that he sees creeping into our communication Jim agrees and goes deeper into the generational distinction. He believes that younger people are too sensitive to words. Almost like they set booby traps for us. He feels that we are also confusing people by mixing up words and phrases. It’s ours to help them reframe positions Jim brings up the Palestinian/Israel...
2024-05-0634 min
Imperfect Mens ClubDo We Step Into Fear Or Stay Where We Are?Mark introduces the idea of moving from where you are to where you want to be. How we are tempted to stay in our comfort zone and how our focus in men. We are attempting to help men get more comfortable with being vulnerable. He goes on to lay out the possible paths of staying “comfortable” versus striving for more Jim jumps in and brings in our flywheel and the notion that most of this comes down to self awareness. Jim talks about listening to a recent podcast with Tim Ferris where he discusses his current place in li...
2024-04-2538 min
Imperfect Mens ClubWhat It Means To Be Personally Accountable - A Fighter Pilot's StoryMark starts off with the topics of personal responsibility, self accountability and pride and how they stem from self awareness He talks about his older brother’s background and a story he shared with him Mark wrote an article about the story and then thought it would make a great episode Jim liked the article and agrees that we all fuck up. Jim has his own story he’ll share too Mark reminds the audience that The Imperfect Mens Club has a newsletter on LinkedIn Mark shares his younger broth...
2024-04-1941 min
Imperfect Mens ClubMindfulness And The Influence Of DopamineMark introduces mindfulness as the topic and says he believes people who practice mindfulness are by nature self aware. He also suggests that most people are not self aware Jim agrees and mentions the current mental health crisis Jim reflects on his current state. He feels like he has a grey cloud over him Loneliness is real Mark talks about how divided we are. Mark says there are a lot of factors today, including Covid and the current wars going on Mark shares how he responds to negative emotion
2024-04-1228 min
Imperfect Mens ClubHow Can You Be Confident About The Future?Mark introduces the topic of confidence and mentions Jim’s pre-show comment about getting older and feeling less able to impact his future or the overall future of “things” Mark mentions how anxious he felt at his 60th birthday party and how he feels like his cause of that same feeling is age but also because the world is crazier now too Jim starts by sharing his thoughts about his struggles with confidence and his ability to make an impact He cites AI, division and media as sources of his “dark cloud” Mark br...
2024-04-0442 min
Imperfect Mens ClubThe Madness That Is ImmigrationMark makes the introduction and connects today’s topic, immigration to the IMC flywheel from the self out to Worldview He says it’s a polarizing topic and he also cite the importance of what words mean. Specifically “illegal immigration” Jim says immigration pushes a lot of buttons. Jim agrees it’s connected to Worldview on our flywheel Jim ha the perspective of having played rugby with guys from all over the world When Jim meets first generation immigrants, he thanks them Then Jim self reflects on his grandmother’s family who...
2024-03-2836 min
Imperfect Mens ClubIs Great Leadership Stoic?Mark brings up the topic - stoicism as a leadership guide . He reads the definition Virtue - wisdom, courage, moderation and justice Mark references the article and video series he’s created around stoicism and leadership Jim shares his thoughts - He brings up his father’s death…and life. Notes to himself that were stoic He shares how he reflects on some of his dad’s notes and shares some Life is how you react to things. We have very little control over much Mark identifies stoicism...
2024-03-2543 min
Imperfect Mens ClubThe Truth About Unconscious BiasMark introduces the concept of unconscious bias and frames it in the context of the IMC flywheel of life and the 5 areas of life The topic came up as a result of conversations Jim had recently with a couple of friends over dinner and drinks, both attorneys Jim suggests we all have a “team” whose membership creates some our unconscious biases Mark immediately thought about what his unconscious biases are and proposes that our language is being bastardized. How important it is to define words before talking about them. Words mean different things to d...
2024-03-1436 min
Imperfect Mens ClubA Leadership Roadmap To A Successful LifeMark starts out with the wheel and announces we will have a guest on today - Jeff Otis He addresses the flywheel and suggests today’s “self-“ focus will be on self awareness and self confidence as it pertains to leadership Mark tosses it to Jim and Jim talks about how we all met Jim welcomes Jeff and Jeff says hello Jim takes Jeff around the wheel and starts with worldview Jeff tells us where he’s from - Beaverton OR…it’s also where he still lives His commu...
2024-03-0849 min
Imperfect Mens ClubThe Importance Of Owning Your Self RespectMark starts with the IMC flywheel of life Todays topic is self respect or self dignity and how it impacts relationships Mark says it was at the core of his divorce “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything He shares his thoughts about the mask mandates Jim asks Mark to read the definitions of self-respect and self-dignity Jim brings the wheel back in, shares the 5 categories and he lands on Relationships Mark reflects back on his upbringing and his family’s evolut...
2024-02-2336 min
Imperfect Mens ClubWhat Does It Mean To Be Authentic?Mark begins with the wheel and the concept of authenticity. You begin in the center with self and it’s fascinating how you can then connect it to all 5 areas of life Mark tells how the topic came up in a LinkedIn connection earlier in the day Both guys agree that bragging online about material possessions doesn’t work anymore…maybe it never did Mark talks about how authenticity is dominating his life lately Jim shares his viewpoint and brings AI into the conversation and how AI could potentially bring a lot of...
2024-02-1933 min
Imperfect Mens ClubHow To Embrace Self DoubtMark starts with a summary of the clubs philosophy and the flywheel and the 5 areas of life He mentions his own recent battle with self doubt and can relate to middle aged men who get much of their self worth from their careers, and what happens when they are faced with a career change Jim reiterates what we use as our foundational structure and goes into the topic of today - self doubt Jim talks about the connection between self doubt and self worth Mark reads a definition of self doubt...
2024-02-0834 min
Imperfect Mens ClubCross Generational AwarenessMark starts reflecting on how we both had recent communications with 30 year olds and how different they operate and communicate than we do. Generational differences Jim laughs about his encounter…”return your fucking phone calls…I don’t understand it Mark” Mark frames the technology aspect of communication. We had none of the technology…no cell phones, social media, etc.. Jim shares his opinion about how younger people feel we speak too much and they prefer to text He also believes everyone is trying to avoid conversation and we miss so much when we d...
2024-02-0140 min
Imperfect Mens ClubHow Childhood Shapes Your WorldviewFor the first time the guys have a guest ! Carl Lane is a childhood friend of Jim’s. They co-captained their high school football team, met at 14 years old and remain great friends today. Carl went on to play college football at Oregon State and has had great success as an entrepreneur and logistics expert It’s a great interview and we all had fun Mark begins with the flywheel foundation Jim introduces Carl, who also is a listener and fan of the podcast Carl talks about what he’s doing...
2024-01-2654 min
Imperfect Mens ClubDiversity Equity And Inclusion Is A MythMark frames the episode about DEI Self - Worldview - Politics - Conservative - DEI Mark reads the definition of DEI Jim gives his take on Worldview and shares his addiction to YouTube videos Mark reads the definition of equity and says that life is not fair Jim says “who gets to decide what is fair…thought police Jim says we’ve been compromised and it’s a plan to divide us into groups The only way to ruin a country is from the inside J...
2024-01-1932 min
Imperfect Mens ClubAre You Being True To Yourself?Mark starts with some info about the structure of the IMC “Club” He transitions to speaking of “Self” and how it all starts there Mark lists the 5 areas and talks about subtopics radiating out from the center, the self He asks Jim about what happens when he brings up our flywheel Im tells our origin story. “Don’t be frustrated, be fascinated” Then he opens up about a trip to England to watch a rugby match - the club Men only clubs allow very different private conversations Differen...
2024-01-1738 min
Imperfect Mens ClubAgency - Can You Get To The Next Level On Your Own?Mark starts with his definition of “Agency” and how he has worked as an agent as a recruiter How personal things got when finding work for someone Jim brings up real estate agents Mark share his relationship approach Jim talks about his agency in the cabinet business Jim tells the story of his friend who managed the Seattle Mariners. How the young pitcher didn’t negotiate his 35 million dollar deal…his agent did Mark goes back to positioning the framework flywheel and the 5 key areas of life and the se...
2024-01-0541 min
Imperfect Mens ClubThe Key To Happiness - Your Relationships With OthersMark begins with revisiting the framework of our program. The center of the flywheel and the radiant thinking that moves out from center to the 5 areas of life and todays podcast is about the 5th and final area…Others. People and relationships Mark transitions to how events like Covid have made human contact and relationships even more important than ever Jim tells a story about Christmas dinner with 10 family memebers at which they practice 2 traditions. First they go around the table and everyone makes his “Declaration” for the year 2024 and second “what are you hopeful for”. Jim...
2023-12-2939 min
Imperfect Mens ClubHow Does Money Drive You?Episode 30 Money Mark again leads with the foundational structure of our approach and the 5 key areas of life Today we talk about money Jim revisits his exercise of creating “self” phrases and talking with his good friend about self awareness Then he starts talking about money and how it breaks up relationships He says there are two types of people - they don’t have money, but act like they do…and those that have money and pretend they don’t Mark talks about having money and t...
2023-12-2741 min
Imperfect Mens ClubYour Profession - What You Do Or Who You Are?Mark opens with a summary of our framework from introduction, to the 5 areas to agency in the final episode of the 7 episode series within season 2 Jim brings up the concept of radiant thinking and the concept of self Jim says men often find their identity in their careers The world doesn’t need more knowledge…it needs wisdom and that’s we strive to provide Mark comes from an angle of enhanced performance. He shares how his professional advisory work always goes deep personally How much we make, our title a...
2023-12-1538 min
Imperfect Mens ClubHow Self Awareness Forms Your WorldviewMark starts by summarizing the 7 episode series describing what the Imperfect Mens Club is all about. The inner circle of self and the surrounding 5 key areas of life Today the guys discuss the topic of worldview Worldview comes from childhood experience and your adult experiences Mark identifies as conservative but more so a pragmatist Jim agrees generally and adds that our focus is mainly men Jim brings a real life example with physical and mental health He also brings up culture, religion and other factors that form o...
2023-12-0834 min
Imperfect Mens ClubHow's Your Health And What Are You Doing About It?Today the guys continue the series on how their fly wheel framework works. The first spoke on the wheel connected to the SELF is the topic of health, both physical and mental Mark asks wether people are interested in self care? Mark brings up holistic health and his daughter the health coach Jim suggests that if you’re going to help people with health you need to appear credible Mark talks about the guys being athletes and how that affected their health conscious nature and the importance of mental health ...
2023-12-0120 min
Imperfect Mens ClubRadiant Thinking And Self AwarenessMark begins by summarizing the last episode about the IMC framework and philosophy He then introduces the concept of “radiant thinking” Jim shares that he discovered radiant thinking while seeking answers about his dyslexia Mark reads the definition of radiant thinking Mark brings up agency and how we function as agents at IMC Mark speculates that most people don’t self reflect and those that do are triggered by events He states that true self awareness is a life long journey Jim talks about the evolut...
2023-11-2737 min
Imperfect Mens ClubSelf Awareness Is Where Success Is BornMark begins by setting up what the guys are up to next The fly wheel of Self Awareness and the foundation of their work Mark speaks about the Manifesto and upcoming programs in development Jim goes into some detail about how our wheel works He explains that we all begin with our self…self awareness, Self accountability… The guys have both found that in talking with people about our podcast and our direction that many people are in agreement with our philosophy The center of the wheel and...
2023-11-1640 min
Imperfect Mens ClubAre You Holding On To Resentment?Mark opens with the definition of resentment What it is and why it shows up in our lives Jim brings our flywheel into the discussion and how many things are still present from our childhood The guys both agree how important self awareness and personal accountability Life is not fair We all resent, but the difference is between those who wallow and those who look for personal accountability Jim - I’d rather die trying than live in regret Mark relates his divorce to the to...
2023-11-1031 min
Imperfect Mens ClubWhat is “Agency” And Why We All Need ItMark begins with what he believes “agency” is We all need an agent off and on during our lives Jim adds to the definition from his perspective Jim tells a story about his good friend who was a professional baseball manger The story of a young man signing a $40 million dollar contract and how he didn’t negotiate the contract, his agent did The agent is not emotionally attached, strictly business Mark talks about his career as an agent - recruiter Agents need to be great...
2023-11-0238 min
Imperfect Mens ClubWhy Are We So Anxious?The guys are both dealing with anxiety and flinch at how widespread it is Mark reads a definition Then he puts anxiety in the context of our self awareness fly wheel Mark’s kids all have issues with anxiety and they were all together last weekend Mark speaks to the sources of anxiety Jim restates the use of our wheel and The Middle East conflict as a source of anxiety Jim starts sharing some stories that happened over the weekend at a college football game. He had two...
2023-10-2632 min
Imperfect Mens ClubWhat Are Your Triggers?The guys are talking about triggers. We all have them Knowing what your triggers are makes them easier to handle This involves self awareness and that takes work Mark mentions pausing when you get triggered Triggers in this context are negative Pausing allows you to regain objectivity Jim talks about triggers from his childhood and younger years When you allow yourself to be triggered all kinds of bad things can happen Jim brings up our flywheel and the 5 areas Profession - w...
2023-10-2040 min
Imperfect Mens ClubEurope Versus The West - Jim’s Recent Trip ReflectionsWe took last week of because Jim was traveling around Europe for a few weeks Mark suggests we use The Wheel and Jim explains the 5 components of the wheel Relationships, Money, Health, Profession, and Worldview Mark adds the center of the wheel - Self Mark brings in Worldview Mark asks Jim about his trip We discuss how things have changed everywhere Jim reminds us that Europe has always had wars going on Jim says America is no longer the big stick and Europe...
2023-10-1346 min
Imperfect Mens ClubHow Traveling Changes YouJim is traveling for the rugby World Cup He doesn’t have his good mic but it should be fine Jim shares some details about the games and some of the places he plans on visiting Mark makes the statement that most people don’t travel much Jim shares some trips one and two years ago and how technology has made traveling much easier Mark talks about his dad and brother’s worldly travel and his ability to travel as a kid Mark reflects on how airline travel has changed...
2023-10-0234 min
Imperfect Mens ClubThe Importance Of Generational DifferencesMark starts talking about being a Baby Boomer and how we think generationally There are a number of differences that impact our thinking Geography, culture, religion, age, gender… Jim says we need to understand and be aware of where people are coming from Jim brings up Entitlement and says entitled people hold themselves in higher regard and then expands on what entitlement can mean Mark talks about older generational wisdom and storytelling and his father’s monthly poker games Jim says all those people are also flawed
2023-09-2131 min
Imperfect Mens ClubHow Do You Know What To Believe?Mark brings up a poll “YouGov” Jim asks some good questions about the poll What people believe versus what is actually the case Perception versus reality What % of the country is black? The guys talk about reality versus speculation How many marriages are mixed race? local versus national and how we’re being misled How many families make more than $500,000 What % of Americans are vegetarian? Mark brings up his brother - in law and the idea that we all need d...
2023-09-1531 min
Imperfect Mens ClubThe Magic Of Alone Time And New EnvironmentsMark brings up the topic of adjustments in middle age He asks Jim about his recent trip alone for 11 days in his fully equipped Ford Transit van Jim cites his solo journeys started a few years ago. “Things were getting tough” He went to Europe alone and discovered some things about himself Jim’s van is fully equipped - bathroom stove and bed He went through 7 states in 11 days and realized America is a beautiful place The quiet was wonderful and he appreciated the opportunity to think his own...
2023-09-0732 min
Imperfect Mens ClubWhere Are You Getting Your Dopamine From?Mark brings up Dopamine Jim cites a book he just read relating to neuro diverse people and how their brains work differently. The dyslexic mind processes 4 or 5 times faster than a normal brain. This is good and bad Drugs sex and gambling are some bad sources The connection between dopamine and addiction Our cell phones are dopamine crazy Mark cites a 60 minutes experiment with Anderson Cooper about exactly this Jim brings up workaholics and dopamine Mark brings up his older brother as ADHD when it w...
2023-09-0129 min
Imperfect Mens ClubThe Importance Of Strong Male Role ModelsThe conversation starts with Jim’s 15th annual barbecue for the High School football team he played for 40 years ago…good stuff Jim reflects back to how he became an active volunteer for the high school and specifically his football team 15 years ago Mark makes the observation that good players rarely make good coaches. Many great players don’t want to be coaches Jim started helping by being the weight coach for the freshmen and saw that the training facilities were in really bad shape. And that kids are kids. No color or size or h...
2023-08-2448 min
Imperfect Mens ClubWhat Is True Integrity?Mark leads with integrity Jim is reminded about the difference between integrity and morality Mark tells the story of his busboy coke dealer friend from his 20’s Jim talks about his gardener as the man he knows with the most integrity and how his house cleaner is a close 2nd - Lupe’s success story Mark talks about teaching his kids to do what they say The guys discuss punctuality and “Island Time” How does integrity change from culture to culture How about mistakes and forgiven...
2023-08-1730 min
Imperfect Mens ClubYour Physical Health and How the Mental Health Crisis Affects Our WorldOn today’s episode Mark + Jim focus on every aspect of health in your life - the physical, mental and emotional. They both share the importance of eating whole, clean foods and how it has changed their lives. As well as making time for exercise and adjusting their routines as they have gotten older. They also speak on some heated political issues and how the mental health crisis just might be at the root of it all. Here are few specific topics they dive into during this conversation that you dont want to miss: How M...
2021-07-081h 03Imperfect Mens ClubExploring Your Identity, Trauma and What Makes You Who You AreOn today’s episode Mark + Jim dive into the topic of Identity. All of the sports you played, conversations you’ve had, experiences dating all the way back to childhood play a role in how you see the world. They make you who you are. Every human experiences trauma, whether it be big or small. This conversation unpacks how trauma plays out in your life and what you can do to move past it. “Every single one of us has experienced trauma. Some of it is recognizable and memorable and some of it is not. Some of...
2021-07-0159 minImperfect Mens ClubFinding Your Purpose and Navigating Career Transitions as a Middle Aged ManOn today’s episode Mark + Jim dive into the topic of careers. This conversation goes really deep into truly getting to know what it is you love to do and giving yourself permission to go there in the first place. They also discuss finding a job at this stage of life, taking big risks, sales and how the job market has changed tremendously. Here’s a sneak peek of what you’ll hear on this episode: “If you had your druthers and you could find the intersection between what youre passionate about, what youre good enough at...
2021-06-2459 minImperfect Mens ClubWhat We Learn About Ourselves in RelationshipOn today’s episode of the Imperfect Men’s Club Podcast, Mark and Jim dive into the topic of relationships and the number one priority being to nurture your relationship to self. Here is a sneak peek of what you will hear… “You want to be held accountable? Have a conversation with one of your kids.” “Once you decide you are in it for the long term, whatever that means to you, you’ve got to sit down and talk about sh*t. You gotta talk about religion, sex, money, children, expectations.” “After having...
2021-06-1746 min