Imperfect Mens Club
54 episodes - English - Latest episode: 2 days ago - ★★★★★ - 12 ratingsOur podcast is raw...no edits, no music, no commercials. My buddy Jim and I have fun talking about life and business and anything we find interesting. We're both successful entrepreneurs, former athletes, fathers and we don't shy away from controversy. We don't agree on everything and we both like to laugh
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IG: @imperfectmensclubpodcast
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Episodes
Do We Step Into Fear Or Stay Where We Are?
April 25, 2024 14:34 - 38 minutes - 35 MBMark 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 di...
What It Means To Be Personally Accountable - A Fighter Pilot's Story
April 19, 2024 14:07 - 41 minutes - 37.7 MBMark 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 you...
Mindfulness And The Influence Of Dopamine
April 12, 2024 17:38 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBMark 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 n...
How Can You Be Confident About The Future?
April 04, 2024 21:15 - 42 minutes - 38.7 MBMark 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...
The Madness That Is Immigration
March 28, 2024 18:38 - 36 minutes - 33.6 MBMark 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 Ji...
Is Great Leadership Stoic?
March 25, 2024 16:30 - 43 minutes - 40.3 MBMark 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 stoic...
The Truth About Unconscious Bias
March 14, 2024 18:33 - 36 minutes - 33.8 MBMark 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 ...
A Leadership Roadmap To A Successful Life
March 08, 2024 18:44 - 49 minutes - 45.1 MBMark 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 community was tight and ther...
The Importance Of Owning Your Self Respect
February 23, 2024 14:45 - 36 minutes - 33.4 MBMark 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 ev...
What Does It Mean To Be Authentic?
February 19, 2024 19:20 - 33 minutes - 30.8 MBMark 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...
How To Embrace Self Doubt
February 08, 2024 18:57 - 34 minutes - 31.5 MBMark 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 d...
Cross Generational Awareness
February 01, 2024 17:56 - 40 minutes - 37 MBMark 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 believe...
How Childhood Shapes Your Worldview
January 26, 2024 15:34 - 54 minutes - 49.4 MBFor 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 ...
Diversity Equity And Inclusion Is A Myth
January 19, 2024 20:14 - 32 minutes - 30 MBMark 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 Jim talks about the 2020 election in the c...
Are You Being True To Yourself?
January 17, 2024 12:04 - 38 minutes - 35.4 MBMark 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 Dif...
Agency-Can You Get To The Next Level On Your Own?
January 05, 2024 18:13 - 41 minutes - 14.1 MBMark 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...
The Key To Happiness - Your Relationships With Others
December 29, 2023 17:47 - 39 minutes - 35.7 MBMark 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 ...
How Does Money Drive You?
December 27, 2023 17:37 - 41 minutes - 37.6 MBEpisode 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 ...
Your Profession - What You Do Or Who You Are?
December 15, 2023 17:58 - 38 minutes - 34.8 MBMark 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 Ho...
How Self Awareness Forms Your Worldview
December 08, 2023 20:14 - 34 minutes - 31.8 MBMark 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 cult...
How's Your Health And What Are You Doing About It?
December 01, 2023 13:11 - 20 minutes - 18.9 MBToday 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 impo...
Radiant Thinking And Self Awareness
November 27, 2023 20:09 - 37 minutes - 34.1 MBMark 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 J...
Self Awareness Is Where Success Is Born
November 16, 2023 18:47 - 40 minutes - 37.3 MBMark 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 w...
Are You Holding On To Resentment?
November 10, 2023 18:43 - 31 minutes - 28.6 MBMark 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 topic J...
What is “Agency” And Why We All Need It
November 02, 2023 22:20 - 38 minutes - 13.3 MBMark 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 listener...
Why Are We So Anxious?
October 26, 2023 20:14 - 32 minutes - 29.9 MBThe 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 small “run...
What Are Your Triggers?
October 20, 2023 12:52 - 40 minutes - 36.7 MBThe 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 ...
Europe Versus The West - Jim’s Recent Trip Reflections
October 13, 2023 17:15 - 46 minutes - 42.8 MBWe 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 has lost respect ...
How Traveling Changes You
October 02, 2023 19:42 - 34 minutes - 31.3 MBJim 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 Mark tells his ...
The Importance Of Generational Differences
September 21, 2023 21:25 - 31 minutes - 28.7 MBMark 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 J...
How Do You Know What To Believe?
September 15, 2023 15:56 - 31 minutes - 28.8 MBMark 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 different diets...
The Magic Of Alone Time And New Environments
September 07, 2023 10:02 - 32 minutes - 29.6 MBMark 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...
Where Are You Getting Your Dopamine From?
September 01, 2023 17:44 - 29 minutes - 27.3 MBMark 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 b...
The Importance Of Strong Male Role Models
August 24, 2023 19:59 - 48 minutes - 44.7 MBThe 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 shap...
What Is True Integrity?
August 17, 2023 21:54 - 30 minutes - 28.2 MBMark 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...
Authenticity And Personal Branding
August 11, 2023 12:32 - 34 minutes - 31.8 MBMark starts with saying he thinks he has a brand and it’s a work in progress Mark talks about asking friends what his superpower is. Communication was the common thread Think of a phrase, start using it, keep using it Jim brings up the difference between company brands and personal brands Mark loves the word authenticity, but ironically to claim to be authentic means you’re not Mark brings up Bill Campbell and The Trillion Dollar Coach Jim struggles with the personal component o...
How Do You Handle Disappointment?
August 03, 2023 13:22 - 32 minutes - 11 MBJim opens with a story about his disappointment and shies away from talking about himself Mark jumps in and shares how he has had to disappoint people as a recruiter for 35 years…sorry man you didn’t get the job Jim reminds us that it’s a big deal for him to even fill out an application because he has dysgraphia. Mark reminds Jim of how he should be proud of having overcome this limitation Jim then shares how one little dissapointment brings every other disappointment in your life rus...
Can You Control Your Happiness?
July 27, 2023 10:21 - 40 minutes - 36.9 MBJim has a 14 year old house guest. She has come for the 3rd summer.Jim and she get a long He discusses what he is learning from her as well as mentoring her When he uses a word she doesn’t understand he asks her to Google it and screen shot for reuse later in life He tells her he thinks she will do great things Mark says to tell her not to ever do anything because someone says she should Mark talks about the subconscious and how Jim’s mentorship could change her life One of the ...
How Old Are You?
July 20, 2023 11:57 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBJim starts curious about my idea about ageism as a topic I’m 61 and Jim is 58 70 is the new 50 Mark talks about the lag between having a new trend and when we catch up Mark talks about the logic behind dismissing solely based on age Jim brings up output and Jim casts some doubt about Mark talks about remote vs productivity, vs context Mark talks about the frailty of youth and the benefits of experience Mentorship - experience and wisdom It’s time to leave a mark…a legacy ...
What Has Happened To Law Enforcement?
July 13, 2023 12:01 - 35 minutes - 32.1 MBLet’s talk law enforcement. Mark says it must be really difficult to be a cop now Same with politicians Jim brings up the BLM protests and he says it’s a tipping point. Mayors and Governors giving orders for police to stand down Jim says it’s weak leadership Mark talks about getting arrested at age 12 - “bumper skiing” Jim talks about crime and the lack of consequences as well as the current state of San Francisco How did we get here? Laws not being enforced Mark describ...
Resistance Shows Up Right Before Breakthrough
July 06, 2023 12:33 - 36 minutes - 33 MBJim starts with resistance is part of life He uses weight lifting as an example The results occur over time with consistency Mark talks about resistances due to ego and that resistance is a sign of progress Everyone has the same issues Jim says it happens early and forever The guys love their sports:) Resistance is physical, emotional, and spiritual Resistance feels bad, but it’s good and your results manifest over time Mark admits to a fear of success and Jim disagrees...
Traditional Western Medicine Is Broken
June 29, 2023 12:00 - 39 minutes - 35.8 MBMark starts out with western medicine and frames it from raising kids to present day The guys both believe the system is broken Jim wants to personalize the story…his dad passed before Covid and ht family is grateful he passed able to be with family 2019 Jim talks about his friend who died alone during Covid, who died from a “Covid related” issue He tells a third story about people losing everything to the healthcare system in the last days of their lives Mark tells his childhood s...
Is It Giving Up Or Letting Go?
June 22, 2023 12:00 - 36 minutes - 33.7 MBMark’s mic was off but the sound is good enough and the content is too good to do it over Mark starts with a great quote from Denzel Washington Jim says the imperfection is the perfection Todays topic is around the idea of giving up or quitting and letting go Jim talks about quitting as a normal feeling but that actually quitting brings about regret…he’d rather die trying Mark talks about quitting being necessary to make space for new things…or people The guys talk about being h...
A Leadership Void In “Woke” America
June 15, 2023 19:12 - 48 minutes - 44 MBThis episode starts “mid idea’ with Jim sharing where he thinks “it” started What “it” turns out to be is leadership and the division of ideology known as “woke” and “rational”:) Mark tells his story about the Russian spy who defected. How he said on a tv talk show in the 70’s that the Russians have been infecting our schools with a socialist/communist The guys cite the Bud Light and Target incidents where they tried to serve the LGBTQ community and it blew up in their face Mark ref...
Authenticity And The Evolution Of Relationships
June 07, 2023 19:21 - 30 minutes - 28.3 MBThe podcast starts off with Jim talking about emotional intelligence and how people park their cars:) He also feels pretty strongly about the questions people ask and how intently they listen to your answer Mark speaks to the importance of active listening and authenticity. Being in the moment in a world of distraction Jim distinguishes between fleeting contact online and face to face contact over a few hours of time Jim is asked “what’s the secret to a successful marriage?” He breaks ...
Could/Should Donald Trump Be Our Next President?
May 25, 2023 21:13 - 39 minutes - 36.5 MBJust another reminder this podcast is raw. No intro, no outro, no ads or music. Just solid content The guys explain the flywheel foundation for the podcast. Then Mark and Jim discuss the most recent CNN Interview with Donald Trump and the current divided political landscape. Mark suggests that we’re moving back to the middle. Next Jim opens up about the Trump CNN Townhall interview. Jim listened to the interview on the radio…no video and how unique that experience was. Then it’s off t...
The Hiring Landscape and Artificial Intelligence
May 17, 2023 19:29 - 47 minutes - 43.3 MBWe did this season raw. No intro's or outro's, no music, no ads...just interesting content. Mark and Jim explain the "Flywheel Of Self Awareness" and how it serves as the foundational structure of the podcast. Then they talk about the current hiring landscape, how DEI isn’t what people think it is and more. They discuss different ways of looking for work and how humanity is gone from the process. Then it’s on to more creative ways to package yourself and your work to make you more “hirab...
Your Physical Health and How the Mental Health Crisis Affects Our World
July 08, 2021 10:00 - 1 hour - 58.2 MBOn 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 t...
Exploring Your Identity, Trauma and What Makes You Who You Are
July 01, 2021 10:00 - 59 minutes - 54.2 MBOn 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 o...
Finding Your Purpose and Navigating Career Transitions as a Middle Aged Man
June 24, 2021 10:00 - 59 minutes - 54.9 MBOn 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 a...