The Evolution of Heart-Strong
About seven and a half months ago, I officially launched the Heart-Strong Adventure. It wasn't some grand launch. Just a post on Substack. One question. One year to follow it.
But to tell the story of where the adventure is going, I have to step back to where it was born. In March 2025, my wife Becca and I were in Costa Rica. I was exploring intentional adventures for men. As I dug in, I realized the state of men in the world was pretty dire. Men are four times more likely to commit suicide than women. And when I looked at the destruction happening in the world, a pattern emerged. Men aren't necessarily the problem. But fear-based models of masculinity are behind a lot of these human-created problems. I ended up writing a 100-page paper called "If We Want to Heal the World, We Need to Heal Men."
On April 14th of last year, exactly a year ago today, I started using the phrase Heart-Strong. The idea was simple. Leading with love. Leading with heart. But doing it in a way that doesn't feminize.
Since then, I've published over 50 pieces on Substack. I've had more than 10 campfire conversations. I've written about neuroscience, testosterone, capitalism, prison, money, movies, and what it means to be present. I've learned a lot. I've changed a lot. I've evolved.
And so has the adventure. I'm no longer focused specifically on men's work. I've come to a larger understanding that all of us need to be able to step into living our full selves. The thread connecting the new trails is wholeness. Helping people step out of the boxes that keep them from living as full human beings. The trails ahead are prison art as a pathway for holistic healing, children's books, and a concept I'm calling community-ism.
The adventure isn't ending. It's evolving into something greater.
Read the full piece on Substack.
Learn more about the adventure at www.heart-strong.org
