Hey, guys.

Everyone goes through times of transition. Quarter-life and mid-life are two of the bigger ones. Regardless of where you are on your journey, a good coach can help you through the life's uncertainties and help you reach greater maturity, purpose, and the life you actually want.

NICE TO MEET YOU

I'm Fr. Mike.

In my day job, I serve as an Orthodox Priest, a vocation I've filled for over three decades. I've spent thousands of hours counselling people with all kinds of problems and thousands more have opened their hearts to me in confession.

For over 40 years I've also been interested in men’s work, especially in the areas of personal development and masculine archetypes. The issues facing men nowadays have only sharpened my desire to help you.

Academically, I have a BA in archetypal psychology, an MA in theology, and a PhD in church history & patristics. I taught 5 years at a university. I have done interdisciplinary work in environmentalism, economics, religion, literature, philosophy, politics, social justice, and natural law.

My story

I had done okay in life. I had earned my PhD, gotten married and had two sons, been ordained and was serving in a parish. By all appearances, I was doing well, but deep down inside, something was off. By 2010, problems had grown up and multiplied both at work and at home. Things finally came to a head when, on one particularly stressful day, I found myself in the back of an ambulance on the way to the ER, in a straight jacket, tied down to a board, hyperventilating and crying hysterically. It was a panic attack. That's when I hit bottom—or came close to it.

Not long after, in the depths of my despair, the realization finally came to me. I wrote in my journal, “I did everything right. I did everything I was supposed to do. Except live my own life.” It was June 29th, 2010. I was 49 years old.

It took a lot of courage, but I resolved to live my own life. I knew in my heart the man I wanted to be, but I didn’t know how to become that man. I started devouring books, but I didn’t begin to make serious progress until I found other men who had already done the work and could mentor me. Then everything else began to fall into place and life came together in ways I had always dreamed of. My family life improved, my parish began to flourish, and I got a personal trainer to help me with the dad bod I had developed.

At 53, I fulfilled a lifelong dream of being a bodybuilder. I competed on stage 12 times over the course of 10 years, including once at the national level. Being physically fit is fundamental to men optimizing their lives, and I work out myself 5-6 days a week.

WHY DO I DO IT?

Because I live with a lot of regret, regret for years—in some cases decades—wasted because I was too scared to live my own life or because I didn't know how to.

Yes, failure is bitter, but regret is ten times worse, and if I can help younger men avoid some of the pain and grief I went through, then I will have done something worthwhile.

That's what lights the fire in me to work with you.

I bring all of these interests together in a comprehensive, integrated way to address the needs of men.

My approach is

● positive, clarifying your vision for your future;

● practical, with a bias toward action and personal agency;

● proven, using the best resources in contemporary personal development, men's work, and the Christian Tradition; and

● partnered, because we all need accountability and a fellowship of men who have our backs.

We'll start where you are, clarify where you want to go, and develop a plan to get you there.

Let me know if I can be of service

I'll never share your contact information with anyone. And you can unsubscribe at any time.

"Man, I just appreciate men like you who take time for us younger guys."

- L.N.

"Watched your post this morning and just wanted to let you know that you have inspired me to get a member-ship at PowerHouse Gym."

- N.N.

"Very grateful to have found your page, Father! The world needs more voices like this and you are doing the world a great service. I wish you great success."

- E.R.