Raising Men

Shaun Dawson
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Parenting
  • Updated Weekly

Raising Men is a podcast about parenting, masculinity, and the lifelong journey of raising sons—and ourselves—to be men of courage, character, and purpose. Hosted by Shaun Dawson, each episode features real conversations with parents, leaders, and thinkers redefining what it means to raising men in today’s world.

  1. 1d ago

    Benign Authority and Showing Up for the Small Moments with Geoff Owen

    In this episode of Raising Men, host Shaun Dawson sits down with Geoff Owen, founder of Aligned Parenting and author of The Parenting Assumption, to test-drive his new AI parenting agent. Built on Biologically Aligned Parenting, the agent gives parents somewhere to turn when a hard moment hits at 11 o'clock at night. Shaun brings a real one. His four-year-old daughter is warm and close when it's just the two of them, then pushes him away the moment her mom is home. Geoff reads that behavior as a signal about what she needs from her environment. He explains benign authority, the steady place a parent stands no matter what a child says. Shaun also owns a moment he missed on the morning they recorded, when his daughter asked for breakfast and he answered from his office. You'll learn why rudeness doesn't always need correcting, and why answering promptly matters so much. Key Takeaways Read difficult behavior as a signal. Geoff asks what's missing from the child's environment, and what you can supply so the behavior stops being necessary.Stand in benign authority. That's Geoff's term for the calm, settled place a parent stands no matter what a child says or does, and your child depends on you to hold it.You don't have to answer every rude moment. Keep providing the right environment and carry on, and over time the behavior starts to settle.It isn't your child's job to confirm you're a good parent. If a four-year-old's words wound you, ask why you've handed her that power.When your child calls and the task can wait, stop and go to them. "In a minute" doesn't make sense to a young child, and being close beats shouting down the stairs."It's not her job to confirm your ability and success as a parent." - Geoff Owen "When a child's rude to you, you've got to do something about it. When actually you don't." - Geoff Owen "The things that we want from our children, they've already got. It's all there, just like the seed." - Geoff Owen Chapters 00:00:00 Introducing Geoff Owen's AI Agent00:02:05 Testing a Sample Parent Prompt00:04:20 Behavior as a Signal Explained00:06:02 Shaun's Daughter Pushes Him Away00:09:39 What the AI Agent Recommends00:12:55 Handling It as a Team00:14:13 Stepping Into Your Benign Authority00:19:47 When Your Child's Words Hurt00:21:31 Obedience or Cooperativeness from Children00:22:39 The Seed and the Oak00:28:42 A Missed Morning Breakfast Moment00:32:41 Honoring the Five Innate Expectations Books, Links and Frameworks Mentioned Links and Websites Geoff Owen's parenting agent: https://geoffreyowen.com/askBiologically Aligned Parenting with Geoff Owen: https://raising.men/episodes/biologically-aligned-parenting-with-geoff-owen

    Benign Authority and Showing Up for the Small Moments with Geoff Owen

  2. 5d ago

    When Boys Drift Before they Collapse with Ryan Riley

    In this episode of Raising Men, host Shaun Dawson sits down with Ryan Riley, an entrepreneur, TEDx speaker and author of the Books for Boys character and leadership series. Ryan explains how boys drift before they collapse, and how parents can catch emotional withdrawal early. He defines drift simply: change outpacing our awareness. Shaun and Ryan talk about why so many dads struggle to find connection, and why pushing an 18-year-old out the door can set him up to fail. Ryan is a father of five, and he shares the hard lesson of a family crisis he didn't see coming. He walks through his model of moving from daddy to mentor to peer, and explains why being your teenager's friend backfires. There's also a $300 toilet paper story you won't forget. You'll walk away with practical ways to stay present, make small corrections early and be the anchor your son can count on. Key Takeaways Ryan defines drift as change outpacing your awareness. Drift is neutral in itself. It only becomes dangerous when it goes on long enough that you're left reacting instead of choosing.Parent the way you drive a car, with a light hand on the wheel. Small, steady corrections keep things smooth, while noticing late leads to the panicked overcorrection that causes the crash.Be an anchor. An anchor sits in the mud at the bottom and doesn't move, and your son needs to know you're that constant presence when he needs you.Move from daddy to mentor, and later to peer, rather than to friend. A mentor is someone your son calls for help, listens to for advice, and who lets him make mistakes without judging him.Set your son up for success long before he turns 18. A standing promise like "call me, no questions asked" only works in a crisis if you said it a thousand times before he needed it."I define drift as when change outpaces our awareness." - Ryan Riley "You can't begin setting your kids up for success right when they're ready to go out of the house. It has to begin early." - Ryan Riley "The worst thing you can do is move from daddy to friend." - Ryan Riley Chapters00:00:00 Why Parents Miss the Turn00:00:37 Welcome and Meet Ryan Riley00:02:37 Why Dads Struggle to Connect00:06:06 The Myth of Leaving Home00:12:22 Defining Drift as Outpaced Awareness00:14:04 Parenting Like Steering a Car00:19:12 Why Boys Need an Anchor00:25:23 Daddy, Mentor, and Peer Roles00:32:47 Why Parents Shouldn't Be Friends00:34:00 The $300 Toilet Paper Lesson00:37:36 Teach Principles and Let Go00:42:14 Teaching the Love Before Rules Books, Links and Frameworks Mentioned When Boys Drift Before They Collapse, Ryan Riley's TEDx talk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FimtYmzQqcInstagram profile: https://www.instagram.com/ryan.riley.fhBooks for Boys: https://booksforboys.club/

    When Boys Drift Before they Collapse with Ryan Riley

  3. Oct 8

    Talking with Our Sons about Consent and Speaking Up with Tiffany Braxton

    In this episode of Raising Men, host Shaun Dawson sits down with Tiffany Braxton, author of Consent Comics, for her third conversation on the show. After the news out of Cornell, Shaun wanted help talking with kids about consent without getting pulled into the culture war. Tiffany shares how she talked it through with her 12-year-old son, and why it was easy. It was one more chapter in a conversation they had been having for years. She also tells the story of her 15-year-old daughter waiting alone after a festival, and why she told her that feeling vulnerable was a good thing. Shaun opens up about a night in his twenties when he almost stood by and did nothing. Together they talk about pressure, good faith, and teaching boys to step in. You'll leave with simple ways to start these talks at any age, from seven to seventeen. Key TakeawaysMake consent an ongoing conversation. Tiffany's talk with her son about Cornell was easy because it built on years of small talks about how to treat people, including what he'd seen in his older sisters' relationships. Teach the reason under the rules: valuing yourself and valuing other people. A kid who truly cares about someone tends to practice consent naturally, even without a script for every scenario. Let your kids keep their alarm bells. When her daughter said she felt vulnerable waiting after dark, Tiffany told her that feeling was good. Shaun calls this the gap between the species (the world we're working toward) and the specimen (the risk your child faces tonight). Start young with pressure and headspace. With a seven-year-old, ask how a friend feels when three kids all push him to play a game he doesn't want. A real choice needs a clear head and no crowd leaning on it. Practice the moment before it arrives. Shaun separates the "Sherlock Holmes brain" (what you know) from the "Conan brain" (what you actually do under stress). Only rehearsal trains the second one, so keep asking "what would you do?" long before college. "Listening with your ears and realizing that you have biased ears just as much as they have a biased mouth." - Tiffany Braxton "We teach our kids according to the reality of this world, not according to what we want." - Tiffany Braxton "I didn't say I wish you didn't feel that way. I said, actually, it's really good that you feel that way." - Tiffany BraxtonChapters00:00:00 Welcome Back and Cornell Fears00:02:58 Consent Starts with Valuing People00:04:24 Telling Her Son About Cornell00:09:11 Alarm Bells at the Festival00:11:17 The Specimen and the Species00:14:38 Consent Lessons for a Seven-Year-Old00:17:35 Healthy Masculinity's Bias Toward Protection00:20:43 The Night He Almost Didn't00:24:03 Training the Conan Brain Early00:29:33 Why Accusatory Messaging Loses Men00:32:01 Teaching Boys to Disagree Well00:35:06 Biased Ears and Good Faith Links and WebsitesConsent Comics: https://consentcomics.comHow Parents Can Teach Respect and Boundaries at Home with Tiffany Braxton: https://raising.men/episodes/building-castles-of-respect-and-boundaries-with-tiffany-braxtonRedefining Consent for Every Area of Life with Tiffany Braxton: https://raising.men/episodes/redefining-consent-for-every-area-of-life-with-tiffany-braxton

    Talking with Our Sons about Consent and Speaking Up with Tiffany Braxton

  4. Oct 5

    Biologically Aligned Parenting with Geoff Owen

    In this episode of Raising Men, host Shaun Dawson sits down with Geoff Owen, founder of Aligned Parenting and author of The Parenting Assumption. Together, they explore what it means to strip away performance-driven parenting and build a home environment aligned with a child's natural biology. Geoff breaks down his core philosophy of "Biologically Aligned Parenting," explaining how traditional discipline often targets behavior instead of reading it as a crucial biological signal. Using the powerful "golf mindset" metaphor, Geoff and Shaun discuss how focusing on current capabilities rather than chasing perfection transforms both golf swings and family dynamics. They dive deep into the power of distinction, emotional broadcasting, and why boys communication is grounded in sensory experience rather than lectures. Geoff offers grounded, actionable advice on stepping out of authoritarian traps, regulating parental state, and providing the optimal environment for sons to mature into healthy men. Key Takeaways Behavior is a signal, not a problem: Modern parenting attempts to stop or correct behaviors, but behavior is actually an unconscious biological signal showing what environment or support is missing.Shift from perfect to expected performance: Just like in golf, setting up for expected performance rather than theoretical perfection eliminates anxiety and builds long-term enjoyment and consistency.Kids respond to your physical state, not your words: Children pick up on the emotional state you broadcast; acting calm while feeling anxious or controlling creates a disconnect that triggers resistance.Treat children as capable and on the periphery: Children biologically expect to be on the edge of adult life observing and joining in, not having the entire household revolve around them.Inhabit your own life: The most effective way to raise mature men is to enjoy and inhabit your own life fully, giving sons a real model to emulate rather than living through them. 00:00:00 - Introduction To The Golf Mindset 00:03:34 - The Reality Of Our Days 00:06:25 - Superficial Versus Deep Cultural Questions 00:08:35 - Restoring Integrity Through Authentic Actions 00:13:06 - Reframing Golf For Personal Growth 00:14:43 - Focusing On Expected Player Performance 00:23:04 - Parenting Through Ancient Biological Blueprints 00:28:23 - Looking Beyond Behaviors To Signals 00:32:33 - Communicating Beyond Traditional Language Methods 00:55:58 - Creating An Environment For Maturity 00:58:16 - Cultivating Growth Like A Seed 01:05:37 - Resources For Biologically Aligned Parenting Books, Links and Frameworks Mentioned Books: The Parenting Assumption by Geoff Owen; ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder) by Geoff Owen; The Parent Who Seems Fine (Upcoming) by Geoff Owen https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GT8QYF3J?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallbackFrameworks Mentioned: Biologically Aligned Parenting; The Golf Mindset https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoffowen1/https://geoffreyowen.com/

    Biologically Aligned Parenting with Geoff Owen

  5. Oct 1

    Building High Achieving Resilience with Dr. Carla Caturia

    In this episode of Raising Men, host Shaun Dawson sits down with Dr. Carla Caturia, an elite mental performance coach, former educator, and founder of The House of Rise. Together, they explore the hidden mental health struggles facing today’s high-achieving youth—young men and athletes who crush it in academics and sports on the outside, yet wrestle with crippling anxiety, burnout, and self-doubt behind closed doors. Dr. Caturia breaks down why kids put intense pressure on themselves to attach their identity to external achievements and how parents inadvertently reinforce praise-seeking behavior.  Key Takeaways Praise the Process Over the Outcome: Praising results can accidentally teach kids to work for external approval; redirecting focus back to their internal experience builds lasting self-trust.Embrace Productive Struggle: Shielding kids from failure deprives them of essential problem-solving skills, making low-stakes failures in middle school or sports crucial learning opportunities.Train in the Mind Gym: Mental conditioning, emotional regulation, and pattern recognition require daily intentional practice just like physical training.Regulate Before You Relate: Parents cannot force motivation onto their sons; instead, parents must manage their own emotional reactions, step back, and observe before correcting.Master the Four Pillars: Sustainable self-worth relies on systematically developing Resiliency, Identity, Self-confidence, and Emotional intelligence.00:00:00 - Praising Kids Through Self Reflection 00:00:23 - Guest Intro Dr. Carla Katuria 00:02:06 - High Achievement and Youth Anxiety 00:04:03 - Gender Differences in Athlete Burnout 00:06:48 - Separating Performance From Self Worth 00:08:29 - Shifting Mindsets Over External Motivation 00:11:00 - Allowing Productive Struggle in Youth 00:13:43 - Risks of Early Sports Specialization 00:16:48 - The RISE Framework Pillars 00:20:44 - Pattern Recognition and Mindset Resetting 00:24:14 - Achieving Flow and Strategic Recovery 00:31:00 - Essential Parenting Principles for Sons Books, Links and Frameworks Mentioned The RISE Framework: A four-pillar performance model focusing on Resiliency, Identity, Self-confidence, and Emotional intelligence.The House of RISE: Dr. Carla Caturia’s organization and mental performance coaching platform.The Mind Gym Concept: A mental exercise approach for recognizing emotional patterns and building self-regulation alongside physical athletic training.Flow State & Recovery Cycle: The intersection of skill and challenge to achieve peak performance while integrating essential mental and physical recovery.

    Building High Achieving Resilience with Dr. Carla Caturia

  6. Sep 28

    Healing Cultural Shame and Reconnecting with our Sons with Dr. Adam McCormick

    In this episode of Raising Men, Shaun Dawson sits down with Dr. Adam McCormick, professor of social work at St. Edward's University and author of The Cost of Becoming a Boy. Together, they explore how modern boyhood often operates as a form of cultural trauma, pressuring young boys to abandon emotional vulnerability, tenderness, and help-seeking simply to maintain belonging. Drawing from twenty-five years of experience working with youth in foster care, schools, and juvenile detention settings, Dr. McCormick breaks down how cultural shaming drives boys toward isolation, irritability, and toxic online echo chambers. The discussion provides practical, actionable strategies for parents—particularly mothers, who represent a significant portion of caregivers guiding boys—on fostering deeper connection through shoulder-to-shoulder conversations, practicing emotional presence, and prioritizing relational accountability over punitive consequences. Reconnecting young men with their authentic selves begins with understanding the wounds behind their behavior. Key Takeaways Boyhood as Cultural Trauma: Culturally feminized traits like emotional expression, vulnerability, and asking for help are essential for mental health, yet boys are systematically policed into abandoning them to achieve belonging.Shame Cannot Cure Shame: Boys cannot be shamed out of behaviors they were originally shamed into; punitive responses or social exclusion only push young men into destructive ecosystems and online echo chambers.Shoulder-to-Shoulder Connection: Boys are socialized against direct, eye-to-eye emotional confrontation; parents achieve breakthroughs by initiating serious conversations side-by-side during activities like driving or playing video games.True Accountability vs. Consequences: Real accountability requires understanding the impact and harm of one's behavior on others, whereas simple punitive consequences fail to foster empathy or repair relationships.Staying Present Through Emotion: Caregivers naturally rush to fix, lecture, or distract a struggling boy, but true emotional maturity develops when adults simply stay present and allow boys to feel their emotions fully."I've never seen a kid or an adult who has been shamed out of something that they were shamed into in the first place." — Dr. Adam McCormick "Trauma really at its core is a disconnection from our most authentic self." — Dr. Adam McCormick "Our capacity to stay with them is oftentimes so much more important than even what we say to them in those conversations." — Dr. Adam McCormick 00:00 – Pre-interview discussion on episode topics and audience context 11:29 – Welcome Dr. Adam McCormick author of The Cost of Becoming a Boy 12:57 – Boyhood as cultural trauma and early emotional self-erasure 17:42 – Cultural double standards and the crisis facing young men 20:17 – Why shaming boys fails to change behavior 24:35 – The function of shame and the tension between safety and authenticity 28:56 – The loss of community play spaces and rising male isolation 32:32 – How depression and mental health distress manifest differently in young men 35:35 – Tactical strategies for parents: shoulder-to-shoulder conversations 42:46 – Differentiating behavioral explanations from excuses 44:30 – What real accountability and relational repair look like 51:37 – One core principle for parents raising boys Books, Links and Frameworks Mentioned The Cost of Becoming a Boy by Dr. Adam McCormickAuthor of Healing the Helping Professional: The Unfinished Business of Childhood Trauma https://naswpress.org/product/healing-the-helping-professional/ Authors & Thinkers Mentioned Dr. Gabor Maté – Concept of the traumatic tension between childhood attachment and authenticityFrameworks & Concepts The Great Setup: Cultural conditioning that forces boys to disdain feminized traits essential for human flourishing.Shoulder-to-Shoulder Communication: Setting non-confrontational environments (driving, side-by-side gaming) to encourage young men to open up.True Accountability vs. Consequences: Moving beyond arbitrary punishment to relational repair, impact awareness, and tolerating shame.Small-T Therapy: Informal, daily relational micro-interactions with peers, mentors, and parents that regulate the nervous system.

    Healing Cultural Shame and Reconnecting with our Sons with Dr. Adam McCormick

  7. Sep 24

    Lessons on Physics, Pets, and Becoming a Father with Lake Dawson

    Shaun Dawson sits down with a very special guest—his son, Lake. Stepping into the interviewer’s chair, Lake leads a candid, heartwarming, and witty conversation with his father.  Together, they explore their earliest memories, reflect on the loss of family pets, and recount the frosty conditions of Lake’s arrival during a minus-twenty-degree polar vortex. Key TakeawaysChildren process life's scale differently: What feels like the "worst day ever" to a child (like missing out on a Slurpee) can quickly be recontextualized through gentle parental guidance and shared family memories. Fatherhood creates a unique emotional bond: Deep relationships with children offer a fundamental sense of fulfillment and connection that redefines a parent's life. Open dialogue invites curiosity: Giving kids the microphone and allowing them to ask big questions—such as why parents chose to have children—creates moments of profound trust and connection.   Early memories and identity shape us: Children absorb family history, shared stories, and physical resemblances, building their sense of belonging through parental reflection. Grief and loss are shared milestones: Discussing the loss of loved ones and pets with children helps them process grief gently and openly within a safe space.    00:46 Lake shares his favorite school subject and math skills01:41 Shaun explains physics and astrophysics to Lake02:37 Discussing the worst days ever, missing Slurpees, and pet loss04:02 Reflecting on the best day ever and Lake's birth04:41 Remembering the polar vortex and minus-twenty-degree weather05:03 Lake and Shaun share their earliest childhood memories07:02 Comparing physical resemblances and photos from childhood07:47 Lake asks Shaun why he decided to have kids10:11 Shaun recounts airplane conversations about parenting fulfillment11:04 The soulmate realization and deciding to become a father12:18 Addressing questions about loneliness and father-son closeness

    Lessons on Physics, Pets, and Becoming a Father with Lake Dawson

  8. Sep 21

    Navigating Pornography Culture and Teaching Boys How to Partner with Liz Ortenburger

    In this episode of Raising Men, Shaun Dawson sits down with Liz Ortenburger, CEO of SafeNest, Nevada's largest non-profit addressing domestic and sexual violence, to navigate some of the most daunting topics facing parents today. Together, they confront the reality of early digital exposure and pornography, discussing how accidental access impacts developing adolescent brains and skews expectations around intimacy. Liz offers a refreshing, proactive perspective, urging parents to replace shame and avoidance with early, open conversations. Moving beyond traditional masculine stereotypes, Liz and Shaun examine how fathers, coaches, and mentors can guide boys to evolve from the historical expectations of protecting and providing into becoming true partners in their relationships.  Key Takeaways Teach Kids to Swim, Don't Just Build Fences: Digital filters alone cannot stop pornography exposure; parents must actively educate children early so they can navigate accidental exposure with critical thinking instead of shame.Shift from Protect and Provide to Partner: Modern masculinity requires expanding traditional roles to teach young men how to build healthy, equal, and collaborative partnerships with women.Role Models and Mentors Matter: While parental shame pushes boys into secrecy, constructive accountability from respected mentors, coaches, and peer circles effectively redirects harmful behaviors.Uncorrected Behavior Is Condoned Behavior: In youth environments like sports locker rooms, unaddressed misogynistic or harmful banter is perceived by developing brains as approved behavior.Value Diversity of Experience: True cultural progress and healthy environments require valuing individual life journeys and diverse perspectives rather than relying on rigid categorical metrics."If you are not having the conversation with your kids, Pornhub is having it for you." — Liz Ortenburger "What does not get corrected gets condoned." — Liz Ortenburger "We have to start teaching young boys how to protect, provide, and partner." — Liz Ortenburger00:00:00 - Unannounced Mom Knocking Teaser 00:00:25 - Guest Intro Liz Ortunburger 00:02:23 - Modern Evolution of Pornography 00:04:26 - Brain Development and Addiction 00:07:48 - Avoiding Shame in Conversations 00:11:00 - Guiding Healthy Youth Development 00:14:05 - Value of Male Role Models 00:17:46 - Shaping Locker Room Culture 00:20:20 - Extreme Consequences of Ignorance 00:23:30 - Protecting Providing and Partnering 00:28:40 - Modeling Healthy Adult Relationships 00:35:45 - Safe Nest Contact Info Books, Links and Frameworks Mentioned SafeNest: Nevada's largest non-profit addressing domestic and sexual violence https://safenest.org/Scott Galloway: Bestselling author and statistician referenced for his writings on manhood (Notes on Being a Man)Mentorship Programs: Big Brothers Big Sisters, 100 Black Men, Gentlemen by Choice, Coaching Boys into MenProtect, Provide, and Partner: Framework for expanding traditional masculine development to include healthy, collaborative relationship skillsCar Windshield Conversations: Tactical approach for discussing uncomfortable or sensitive topics with teens in low-pressure settingsLiz Ortenburger on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liz-ortenburger-9539aa32/

    Navigating Pornography Culture and Teaching Boys How to Partner with Liz Ortenburger
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Raising Men is a podcast about parenting, masculinity, and the lifelong journey of raising sons—and ourselves—to be men of courage, character, and purpose. Hosted by Shaun Dawson, each episode features real conversations with parents, leaders, and thinkers redefining what it means to raising men in today’s world.

Information

  • Creator
    Shaun Dawson
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    82
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Shaun Dawson
  • Show Website
    Raising Men

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