What happens when a boy knows early on that he doesn’t fit the dominant model of masculinity—and no one shows him another way? In this episode of The New Masculine, I’m joined by writer, teacher, and facilitator Marc Azoulay for a wide-ranging and deeply honest conversation about masculinity, initiation, mastery, addiction, fatherhood, and the cost of growing up without a clear path into manhood. Marc shares his experience of growing up Jewish, nerdy, and outside the “warrior” masculine ideal—and how the absence of healthy initiation led him to dangerous forms of self-initiation through drugs, risk, and near-fatal consequences. Together, we explore how men are made, not born—and what discipline, mentorship, and belonging actually look like when stripped of outdated stereotypes. We also talk about masculinity as a practice of mastery, the grief of going through transformation without being received by community, and the challenge—and necessity—of holding multiple truths at once in a polarized world. Marc reflects on fatherhood, presence, and what it means to choose relationship over relentless productivity. This conversation is for men who have felt out of place, uninitiated, or quietly asking: There has to be another way.
👉 Learn more about Marc Azoulay’s work:
https://menstherapy.online/
👉 Connect with Travis:
https://www.travisstock.com | Instagram: @travers03
🎧 Support this podcast:
https://patreon.com/thenewmasculine