Sons of Now (SON) is a men’s group, and with your help, it’ll be just the sort the world needs right now. There is an unquestionable, and dire, crisis in masculinity. Anger, confusion, shame—the emotional state of the modern man deserves and requires discussion and care.

Amidst this unique cultural precipice, it can be hard to even know who a man is supposed to be today…Ought we become “alphas” intent on reclaiming power? Hyper-sensitive men eager to apologize for our very existence? Men who performatively adopt indigenous rituals—all sage, whispery voices, and sleek personas? How about men who, in response to these existential questions, pursue a never-ending cul-de-sac of personal development workshops and retreats? Or men who continue, unthinkingly laser-focused on building our businesses, deaf to the political and environmental noise?

SON was created to answer these questions—to help define modern masculinity within a community of men who want to be as well as they can be in this wild world.

Because the “crisis in masculinity” is simply not the full story. 

Today there are also emergent and unquestionable possibilities for men. This group was formed for those who wish to step forward with intention and vitality to be part of the solution, for themselves as much as for others. It is for those who wish to prioritize the mission of their hearts over sole material gain. It is for those who wish to break through constricting narratives around masculinity and leadership.  

In doing so, we will cultivate healthy, high-integrity, emotionally adept, and socially impactful stewards for our modern world.

I have been through the gauntlet of men’s work offerings, both as leader and participant, and in both cases, I have gained tremendous value. It is far from hyperbole to say that some of these groups radically changed my life for the better.

And yet, on the journey, I often found myself wishing there was an even more expansive vision of masculinity. I’m not looking to funnel you into any prescriptive version of what it means to be a man here. I want us to discover something novel and unique. I’m curious—what might your version of masculinity look like? What might emerge from your dedicated inquiry to explore this? Better yet, what does our version look like? And how much better can we be, together?

Join us and find out. Consider SON your personal Board of Directors, sound us out, get our counsel, and please, give some too. Because there is no better way to invigorate your daily state of being, and to hone your whole purpose, than by keeping council with a group of men deeply committed to your evolution.

The core component of the group is a weekly meeting where we meet to dialogue, frankly and truly. There we support, challenge, and celebrate each other. We work towards helping each one of us to realize our personal visions and dreams. We help each other embody healthy, mature masculinity. And jokes will be abundant.

The group includes:

• A weekly 2-hour meeting hosted on Zoom with an intimate council of 8 men.

• Goal setting with accountability partners to help refine your purpose.

• Professionally facilitated somatic therapy, meditations, and breathwork.

• Explorations into classic men’s work: deepening our understanding of our relationship with our fathers/mothers, shadow sides, archetypes, unlived potential, sexual desires, embodying mature masculinity, and general dopeness.

• Dedicated time to mastermind, brainstorm, and up-level your professional aspirations.

• A private Signal group for secure messaging, accountability, support, and a few chuckles.

This is for you if you:

• Are a leader who identifies as a man.

• Want to grow, whatever that means to you.

• Are curious about your emotions, deeper needs, and confronting your limits.

• Are seeking genuine community with with similarily-spirited men.

• Want to take your professional or artistic work to the next level.

• Want to make your relationships as productive, nourishing, and full of love as you can.

• Want to set goals for yourself in the company of men who will hold you accountable to your words.

• Wish to honor and develop an unshakable tether to consciousness.

• Can consistently attend weekly meetings and are willing to commit yourself to this group.

• Have (or are looking to develop) a contemplative or psychospiritual practice such as meditation, yoga, breathwork, parkour, dance, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, the Electric Boogaloo, etc.

Update as of March ‘24: one spot just opened up in this group. If you’re keen and able to attend weekly meetings Tuesdays at 4 PM PT, please submit your application.

FAQ’s:

Why weekly 2-hour sessions?

We are building momentum and intimacy. It takes time to build trust. This group forms its own collective power through high-integrity conversations, sustained by our commitment to personal evolution.

Are there in-person meetings?

The group meets on Zoom. But we also host in-person immersive weekend retreats once or twice year. Our first retreat was in Nevada City, CA and was a massive success. Our next will likely be Fall ‘24, location TBD.

What’s your role in the group?

These sessions are professionally facilitated and involve coaching. I draw upon my decade(+) of experience as a facilitator of community groups, Silicon Valley teams, men’s groups, immersive non-ordinary states of consciousness, and years of meditation and yoga study at depth. And yet, while every group needs a clear captain, I believe men’s groups are most powerful when the leader is also fully engaged in the work. Thus, I will also be participating in the exercises whenever possible and circumstances allow.

What do I need to bring each week?

Just yourself in a distraction-free space. These meetings should not be sandwiched between your work meetings. It’s best for you—and the rest of the men—to give yourself time and space to mentally, emotionally, and spiritually prepare for the sessions. We will also agree to not consume any intoxicants or substances prior to the meeting. You’ll want to have a safe, private space where you can be loud and express yourself without fear of being heard, as sometimes we do exercises that involve primal expression.

Is this a high-performance executive coaching or addiction group?

No, it is not. This is a men’s group, meaning that the brotherhood itself—and not just the coaching—is the medicine. Men’s groups benefit greatly from diversity of experience, professions/careers, age, skills, race, etc. While SON is not exclusively a “high-performance” group exclusive to founders and executives, this group does attract leaders at the top of their fields.

Also, despite the work I do in the mental health field, this group is not specific to individuals facing addiction. Nonetheless, most men I know struggle with addictive tendencies, and I believe addiction to be a spectrum that all modern humans find themselves on. So, if you’re seeking to take either your company or career to the next level, or if you’re looking to relinquish destructive behaviors, you are welcome to apply.

Why “Sons of Now”?

The name alludes to several aspects all men share in common. The first is our contextual location in relative space-time: this group is designed for modern men. Yet the “Now” also nods to the timelessness of the present moment, the Eternal Now, the absolute truth of our spiritual nature beyond the confines of space-time and identity. And finally, while we may not all be literal brothers with siblings, we are all sons—sons of our parents, ancestors, the Earth, the cosmos, our culture. “Son” reminds us of a hierarchy present in the natural world, that we are servants—not masters—of Life.

What is your understanding of masculinity?

It is unfixed and evolving. Men are dynamic adaptive creatures living in a dynamic adaptive system. I have never met a man who, beneath the surface, fits neatly into an easy-to-pin-down label such as “stoic” or “sensitive.”

The modern man benefits from being a practicing integralist, meaning that we include what is good and beautiful from multiple modalities and perspectives and then transcend them all to create something bigger and better. This means we must not simply discard the best traditionalism has to offer, given that the majority of men still encounter what could be described as ageless challenges. Namely, concerns of living in “right relationship” with women (or any romantic partner) and finding greater purpose in their work and lives.

In general, men benefit from reclaiming the Father archetype, which is grounded, trustworthy, benevolent, and loving. This includes understanding and not detaching from our emotions, providing a safe space for women and those with lesser means, and being able to prioritize other relational elements of life including a conscious relationship with nature. 

Depth psychology, classic men’s work exercises, and archetypical study can be quite helpful here. I see tremendous value in the works of Carl Jung, Robert Bly, David Deida, and some of the other foundational mythopoetic texts that comprise the “men’s work movement.” I am steeped in these books, and we will absolutely be drawing upon them in our sessions. And yet, I’ve also seen some of these texts that form the grammar of modern masculinity be misinterpreted and used as a rationalization for spiritual bypassing and narcissistic behavior, which is something I am committed to avoiding to the best of my ability. I take a critical lens to extract the wisdom these ideas offer.

Today, there’s a temptation—and even reward—for men to be artificially sensitive. On the other end of the spectrum, men get triggered into states of insecurity, fear, and aggression by the evolving culture, especially when that culture is largely defined by algorithms and limbic hijacking. We avoid these traps by understanding what we uniquely stand for and living from that expansive and courageous place. 

We exist in interesting times, where some of the more traditional “masculine archetypes” are proving outdated and even self-defeating. Evolution always goes beyond what went before, struggling to establish new limits, and then breaking past those limits (Wilber 1996). Thus, I am committed to understanding the emergent expressions of masculinity. The truth is that gender has never been a binary, and today there is growing awareness—and much confusion—around this fact. There have always been near-infinite possibilities for whom a man could be.

Fundamentally, I believe that when men cultivate a sense of expansive consciousness, they provide great power, bravery, safety, vitality, love, and leadership. We build families, businesses, policies, and communities that make the world a better place. In poetic terms, we become stewards of the spirit of evolution. This is a power and responsibility that we, as men, should honor and enjoy.

What lineages are you drawing upon and who are some of your sources of inspiration?

I have been trained and participated in a variety of men’s groups, including groups that orient towards the mythopoetic, ritualistic, and spiritual, as well as more modern “emotionally-fit” groups that leverage psycho-technologies such as breathwork and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. I’ve benefitted greatly from hardcore, high-performance coaching and business orientations that can quickly cut through bullshit. I also have years of study under the Shipibo and Kamënstá lineages of the Amazon Basin, for which I engage in indigenous reciprocity. I envision SON as somewhere in between all these worlds.

In addition to the paid clinical supervision and mentorship I receive to assist my somatic coaching practice, in the men’s work category, I am under the tutelage of Ben Goresky, the founder of Evolving Man and the Executive Director of the ARKA Brotherhood, whose work I encourage all men to investigate. 

Some of the other men, deceased and living, who inspire me include:

Lao Tzu, Siddhartha Gautama, Socrates, Plato, Yeshua, Milarepa, Sham-ud-din Muhammad Hafez, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Friedrich Nietzsche, Søren Kierkegaard, Carl Jung, Martin Luther King, Viktor Frankl, James Hillman, James Baldwin, Aldous Huxley, John O’Donohue, Ram Dass, Robert Anton Wilson, Stan Grof, Sasha Shulgin, Bob Dylan, John Vervaeke, Tim Ferriss, Ken Wilber, Barack Obama, Naval Ravikant, John Wineland, David Deida, Ben Goresky, Junot Díaz, Charles Eisenstein, Jack Kornfield, Michale Taft, Loch Kelly, Adyashanti, Rupert Spira, Bill Plotkin, Dustin DiPerna, Coleman Hughes, and Sam Harris.

Please note: this does not mean I necessarily agree with every single opinion these men have ever uttered.