Excellence Above Talent Podcast

Aaron Thomas
  • 5.0 (9)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Weekly

The State of Man Is in Crisis—It’s Time for a Conversation.  The Excellence Above Talent podcast was born from pain, loss, and a deep need for change.  - Men are 3.6 times more likely to die by suicide than women.  - Men commit the majority of violence in the U.S., including domestic abuse and sexual assault.  - 90% of the prison population consists of men.  These are not just statistics—they represent broken families, lost lives, and a cycle of harm and abuse that must end.  As a BIPP (Batterer’s Intervention and Prevention Program) Director for four years, I’ve had countless conversations with men—men who believed abuse was necessary, men who didn’t even realize they were abusers. What I learned is that men want to talk, but they have no safe space to do so.  Society teaches men to suppress their struggles, to avoid vulnerability, and to uphold a toxic version of manhood. But silence is destroying us.  The Excellence Above Talent podcast is here to challenge the status quo. We’re redefining what it means to be a man—one conversation at a time.  Join me. Let’s fight for the future of manhood. Our sons are watching.  #ExcellenceAboveTalent #MensMentalHealth #RedefiningManhood #BreakTheCycle  

  1. May 29

    You’re Not a Victim of Everything!!

    Send us Fan Mail We close the 24-week series with a blunt truth: ego turns accountability into a threat and keeps men stuck in blame. We break down how ownership creates freedom, why victim mentality weakens manhood, and what it takes to actually change.  • the difference between accountability and taking all the blame  • why ego interprets correction as disrespect  • how victim mentality blocks healing and growth  • a reframed way to think about high-profile domestic violence allegations  • why staying with obvious red flags is still a choice  • coaching middle school boys on responsibility and decision-making  • shame versus accountability and why the wording matters  • Aaron’s personal story of cheating, validation-seeking, and finally owning the damage  • why “performing innocence” protects image but kills character  Be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode. And for daily, motivational, and up-to-date content, follow us on Facebook and Instagram at ExcellenceAbove Talent. And remember, keep moving forward, never give up, and you are never alone in this battle.  Support the show #excellenceabovetalent #EAT #dontgiveup #youdeservethebest #youareenough ...

    32 min

  2. May 22

    Congratulations, You Played Yourself Today

    Send us Fan Mail You can be “the strong one” and still be falling apart. When we keep performing confidence, toughness, success, and even spirituality, we may look put together but feel strangely numb, lonely, and tired. We’re not always exhausted because life is hard. We’re exhausted because acting is hard, and our nervous system was never designed to stay on stage 24/7. We dig into how the mask gets built early, especially when praise only shows up after achievement, emotions get ignored, or vulnerability feels unsafe. I share why men often learn to perform masculinity instead of understanding it, and how that turns into “don’t cry,” “don’t ask for help,” and “don’t look weak.” The hidden trap is brutal: you can receive love for someone you’re pretending to be, while the real you stays unseen. We also talk about people pleasing as performance, the fear underneath it, and why resentment grows when we trade authenticity for acceptance. Then we pivot to what real healing looks like: truth over image management, alignment between your public and private self, healthy boundaries, and the courage to ask, “Who am I when no one is around?” The goal isn’t to impress people. The goal is peace. If you’re ready to stop pretending and start healing, listen now, then share this with a man who needs it. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us: what mask are you ready to put down? Support the show #excellenceabovetalent #EAT #dontgiveup #youdeservethebest #youareenough ...

    12 min

  3. May 15

    You Can’t Blame Your Past And Keep Hurting People

    Send us Fan Mail We wrap our series with a blunt look at how unhealed pain turns into patterns that damage relationships and get handed down to kids. We challenge ourselves to stop confusing “normal” with “healthy” and to take full responsibility for the work of healing.  • why unhealthy behavior can feel normal when it is familiar  • how unhealed pain leaks into relationships, parenting, and friendships  • swearing “I’ll never be like that” while still repeating it without healing  • the difference between explanation and excuse in personal change  • how cycles spread through learned behavior, including racism and hate  • practical steps like emotional regulation, boundaries, therapy, and apology  • why legacy is behavior and emotional impact, not just money  • choosing to build people up instead of becoming a hurt person who hurts people  Be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode.  And for daily, motivational, and up-to-date content, follow us on Facebook and Instagram at ExcellenceAboveTalent.  Support the show #excellenceabovetalent #EAT #dontgiveup #youdeservethebest #youareenough ...

    17 min

  4. May 8

    Habits Build Futures

    Send us Fan Mail Your future isn’t waiting for one big break it’s being built by what you do on an ordinary day when nobody is watching. We’re talking about habits, discipline, and the quiet choices that shape a man’s direction over time, for better or worse. If you’ve ever felt stuck, unmotivated, or frustrated that nothing is changing, this conversation is a straight shot of clarity. We dig into why small habits don’t stay small. Skipping one workout, avoiding one hard conversation, one more night of escape or distraction can feel insignificant in the moment, but repetition turns it into momentum, and momentum turns into identity. I share a simple framework that makes it real: every action is a vote for the person you’re becoming. Over time, consistency beats intensity because your life changes when your daily system changes. We also separate comfort habits from growth habits. Comfort habits bring quick relief but long-term damage. Growth habits usually feel uncomfortable at first: communicating instead of shutting down, reading instead of scrolling, budgeting instead of impulse spending, showing up to the gym when you don’t feel like it, taking accountability instead of blaming. We close with practical steps to interrupt bad patterns, start small, and build one habit consistently until it becomes normal, plus reflection questions you can use this week. If this hit home, subscribe so you don’t miss what’s next, share it with someone who’s trying to change their life, and leave a review to help more people find the show. Support the show #excellenceabovetalent #EAT #dontgiveup #youdeservethebest #youareenough ...

    9 min

  5. May 1

    You Will Always Fall Back To Who You Believe You Are

    Send us Fan Mail You can grind for a month, hit a goal, and still end up right back in the same old habits the moment pressure hits. That’s not because you’re broken or “just not disciplined.” It’s because your identity is doing exactly what it was built to do: pull you back to what feels familiar. We talk about the real difference between behavior and identity and why behavior always follows what you believe about yourself. If your internal voice keeps repeating “I always mess up” or “I’m inconsistent,” you’ll eventually act that out, no matter how motivated you felt last week. We dig into the uncomfortable parts too: the fear of becoming someone new, the ego that defends who you’ve been, and what happens when growth starts shrinking your circle because certain relationships, jobs, and environments no longer fit. Then we get practical. We share the mindset shift from “I’m trying” to “I am,” why speaking life into yourself matters as an adult, and how small wins become proof that slowly rewires your self-image. You’ll also hear simple reflection questions you can use right away to decide who you are becoming and how that version of you shows up this week. If this hit home, subscribe, share this with a friend who’s stuck in the same loop, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What identity are you ready to stop living from? Support the show #excellenceabovetalent #EAT #dontgiveup #youdeservethebest #youareenough ...

    12 min

  6. Apr 24

    What If The Thing You Avoid Is You

    Send us Fan Mail Avoidance is a sneaky kind of self-sabotage because it feels like relief. We tell ourselves we’re keeping the peace, staying calm, or waiting for a better time, but what we’re really doing is choosing comfort now and paying for it later. In Week 19 of our 24-week series, we get honest about the habit that keeps cycles alive for so many men: ignoring what needs to be faced. We walk through what avoidance looks like in real life, from refusing a hard conversation to downplaying a serious issue with “it’s not that bad,” to asking for space and never coming back to finish the talk. We also explain why avoidance doesn’t remove the problem, it delays it, and delayed problems grow. That pressure can stack up quietly behind the scenes, hurting your mental health, your marriage, your friendships, and your ability to lead yourself with maturity. Then we go deeper into the identity side of it. A lot of men avoid because the truth threatens how we see ourselves, or how we think a man “should” be. We talk about building a stronger foundation for identity, including a faith-centered perspective, so facing the truth doesn’t feel like losing yourself. Finally, we lay out practical steps you can take today: address issues early, admit when you’re wrong, sit with discomfort, and ask one life-changing question: what or who am I avoiding right now? If this hit home, subscribe to Excellence Above Talent, share this with someone who needs it, and leave a review so more men find these conversations. Support the show #excellenceabovetalent #EAT #dontgiveup #youdeservethebest #youareenough ...

    12 min

  7. Apr 17

    Awareness Without Action Keeps You Stuck

    Send us Fan Mail If you’ve ever said “I know I need to change” and then watched yourself do the exact same thing again, this one is for you. We get honest about the difference between awareness and real growth and why so many men stay stuck in the space between knowing and doing. The truth is simple and sharp: most of us don’t have a knowledge problem, we have an action problem, and comfort loves to disguise itself as progress.  I share my own history as a serial cheater and the pattern underneath it, including how porn can desensitize you and warp expectations until you start measuring your partner against something that isn’t real life. From there, we talk about what it takes to break a cycle that feels automatic: removing triggers, setting boundaries, choosing safer environments, and learning to use your voice even when vulnerability feels awkward. We dig into the moment that changes everything, the pause before the reaction, and how that pause gives you enough room to choose a different response.  We also unpack the building blocks of lasting behavior change: repetition over intention, discipline over motivation, and accountability over solo willpower. When you bring in support through a therapist, counselor, pastor, or trusted men who will tell you the truth, you stop negotiating with your old habits and start becoming someone new. If you want a different life, you have to become a different man through daily, consistent, uncomfortable action.  Subscribe for more real conversations about men’s growth, relationships, discipline, and healing, and if this helped you, share it with a friend and leave a review. What’s one pattern you’re ready to interrupt today? Support the show #excellenceabovetalent #EAT #dontgiveup #youdeservethebest #youareenough ...

    16 min

  8. Apr 10

    Intent Vs Impact

    Send us Fan Mail “I didn’t mean to” sounds harmless until you realize how often it becomes a wall between you and the people you love. We get real about intent versus impact and why so many men feel misunderstood while their spouse, partner, or kids feel unheard. Intent lives in our head, but impact lives in their experience, and that gap is where trust starts to crack. We talk through the phrases that quietly poison communication, like “I was just joking” or “you’re too sensitive,” and why they shift the moment from connection to self-defense. Then we flip the script with practical relationship advice and communication skills you can use immediately: acknowledge what landed, validate the other person’s reality, and take responsibility without spiraling into shame. That’s emotional intelligence in action and it’s a key part of healthy masculinity. We also dig into how ego turns feedback into an identity threat, and why leadership at home looks like maturity, accountability, and awareness. You’ll leave with simple reflection questions to help you notice whether you listen or defend, plus a clear challenge for the week: when someone tells you they’re hurt, don’t explain it, understand it. If this hit home, subscribe, share it with a man who needs it, and leave a review so more people can find the conversation. Support the show #excellenceabovetalent #EAT #dontgiveup #youdeservethebest #youareenough ...

    9 min
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5
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

The State of Man Is in Crisis—It’s Time for a Conversation.  The Excellence Above Talent podcast was born from pain, loss, and a deep need for change.  - Men are 3.6 times more likely to die by suicide than women.  - Men commit the majority of violence in the U.S., including domestic abuse and sexual assault.  - 90% of the prison population consists of men.  These are not just statistics—they represent broken families, lost lives, and a cycle of harm and abuse that must end.  As a BIPP (Batterer’s Intervention and Prevention Program) Director for four years, I’ve had countless conversations with men—men who believed abuse was necessary, men who didn’t even realize they were abusers. What I learned is that men want to talk, but they have no safe space to do so.  Society teaches men to suppress their struggles, to avoid vulnerability, and to uphold a toxic version of manhood. But silence is destroying us.  The Excellence Above Talent podcast is here to challenge the status quo. We’re redefining what it means to be a man—one conversation at a time.  Join me. Let’s fight for the future of manhood. Our sons are watching.  #ExcellenceAboveTalent #MensMentalHealth #RedefiningManhood #BreakTheCycle  

Information

  • Creator
    Aaron Thomas
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    116
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Excellence Above Talent Podcast
  • Show Website
    Excellence Above Talent Podcast