Men, Talk: Breaking the Stigma

Men, Talk: Breaking the Stigma

5.0 (5)
Mental Health
Weekly

Men, Talk is a podcast created to break the stigma around men’s mental health through real conversations, real stories, and real hope. Hosted by Darren Zancan, the show gives men a space to talk about grief, depression, trauma, suicide prevention, relationships, healing, resilience, and the battles too many men carry in silence.

1d ago

From Survival to Significance

Dr. Samuel Jones — “From Survival to Significance” What happens when simply surviving is no longer enough? In this episode of Men, Talk: Breaking the Stigma, Darren Zancan sits down with Dr. Samuel Jones for a conversation about resilience, mindset, leadership, purpose, and what it takes to move beyond survival mode. Samuel shares how difficult seasons can shape the way we see ourselves, our future, and the impact we believe we are capable of making. Together, they explore the difference between getting through life and intentionally building one rooted in meaning. The conversation dives into personal growth, overcoming adversity, redefining success, and learning how to turn pain, setbacks, and life experience into something that can serve a greater purpose. This episode is for anyone who has ever felt stuck in survival mode and wondered what comes next. Because surviving may be where the story starts. But it does not have to be where it ends. 🎙️ Men, Talk: Breaking the StigmaDr. Samuel Jones — “From Survival to Significance” Real conversations. Real stories. Real hope.
2d ago

From Survival to Significance

What happens when simply surviving is no longer enough? In this episode of Men, Talk: Breaking the Stigma, Darren Zancan sits down with Dr. Samuel Jones for a conversation about resilience, mindset, leadership, purpose, and what it takes to move beyond survival mode. Samuel shares how difficult seasons can shape the way we see ourselves, our future, and the impact we believe we are capable of making. Together, they explore the difference between getting through life and intentionally building one rooted in meaning. The conversation dives into personal growth, overcoming adversity, redefining success, and learning how to turn pain, setbacks, and life experience into something that can serve a greater purpose. This episode is for anyone who has ever felt stuck in survival mode and wondered what comes next. Because surviving may be where the story starts. But it does not have to be where it ends. 🎙️ Men, Talk: Breaking the Stigma Dr. Samuel Jones — “From Survival to Significance” Real conversations. Real stories. Real hope.
Oct 26

Where Do I Belong?

You can have a family. Friends. A career. People around you every day. And still feel completely alone. In this deeply personal solo episode of Men, Talk: Breaking the Stigma, Darren Zancan talks about one of the words he hears most often from men: alone. Drawing from his own experience as an adopted child who has spent much of his life wrestling with belonging, Darren explores how loneliness can follow us even into full rooms, relationships, fatherhood, success, and adulthood. And when the feeling of being alone becomes the belief that you are alone, self-doubt can take over. Maybe nobody cares.Maybe you’re the problem.Maybe you don’t belong.Maybe you don’t matter. This episode is about challenging those thoughts, allowing ourselves to be known, and understanding that sometimes healing begins with four simple words: “I feel alone.” Darren also announces a new step for the Men, Talk community: an upcoming online men’s group, meeting every other week and capped initially to create a space where men can actually know one another, talk honestly, and realize they are not the only ones carrying what they’re carrying. Because sometimes the opposite of loneliness isn’t being surrounded.
Oct 18

“The Smile We Couldn’t See Behind”

What happens when someone you love is hurting in ways you never fully realized? In this deeply personal episode of Men, Talk: Breaking the Stigma, Lisa Gold sits down with Darren to talk about the life and legacy of her son, Nolan Robert Gold, who died by suicide at 19. Lisa shares who Nolan was beyond the tragedy — a son, student, musician, friend, and young man who was deeply loved — and reflects on the anxiety, depression, and low self-worth he was carrying behind a smile that often made everything seem okay. The conversation explores suicide loss through a mother’s eyes, the questions families are left with, the danger of assuming someone is fine because they look fine, and why hindsight should never become blame. Lisa also talks about how Nolan’s memory continues on, and why keeping his story alive is part of helping other families feel less alone. For Darren, Nolan’s age makes the conversation especially personal. He reflects on being around that same age when he went through his own suicidal crisis and how depression can make the future feel impossible to see. This episode is about grief, love, depression, hope, and the conversations we cannot keep waiting to have. Because sometimes the people hurting the most are the ones who have learned to hide it best. 🎙️ Men, Talk: Breaking the Stigma Lisa Gold — “The Smile We Couldn’t See Behind Real conversations. Real stories. Real hope. *Content warning: This episode includes discussion of depression, suicide, and suicide loss. If you or someone you know is in crisis in the U.S., call or text 988.*
Oct 12

HappySad: When You Stop Pretending You’re Fine

What happens when changing the outside doesn’t heal what’s happening inside? In this episode of Men, Talk: Breaking the Stigma, Brendan Donovan opens up about the story behind his memoir HAPPYSAD — a journey through heartbreak, depression, addiction, weight, regret, and the many ways we try to outrun pain instead of facing it. Brendan talks about his experience on The Biggest Loser, the pressure of public transformation, and the realization that looking different on the outside didn’t automatically make him feel whole on the inside. He also shares the deeper story behind HAPPYSAD: love, loss, opioids, vulnerability, and what happened when he finally stopped pretending he was fine and began telling the truth about what he had been carrying. This conversation is about the ways men numb pain, why vulnerability can feel so difficult, and how honesty can become the beginning of healing. Because sometimes the bravest thing you can do isn’t reinvent yourself. It’s finally tell the truth about yourself. 🎙️ Men, Talk: Breaking the StigmaBrendan Donovan — “When You Stop Pretending You’re Fine” Real conversations. Real stories. Real hope.
Sep 28

The Depression Nobody Could See

From the outside, Jim Maley looked like someone who had plenty going for him. He was a talented basketball player who began his college career at Northwestern, later became a teacher and coach, built a family, and continued showing up for the people around him. But internally, Jim was battling depression in ways many people could not see. In this episode of Men, Talk: Breaking the Stigma, Jim opens up about the warning signs he didn’t recognize, the conversation with Coach Bill Carmody that he wasn’t ready to hear, and the powerful role his mother played in helping him finally understand what he was experiencing. Jim also shares one of the most important moments of his story: standing in front of his basketball players and telling them the truth about his mental health. That honesty opened the door for one of those young men to come forward about his own struggles—a reminder of what can happen when one person decides to stop pretending. The conversation explores depression, masculinity, asking for help, fatherhood, coaching, vulnerability, and the creation of The Maley Way. Because depression doesn’t always look like someone falling apart. Sometimes it looks like the person who keeps showing up. 🎙️ Men, Talk: Breaking the StigmaJim Maley — “The Depression Nobody Could See” Real conversations. Real stories. Real hope.
Sep 14

After the Loss: Turning Grief Into Hope

Some losses divide life into before and after. In this episode of Men, Talk: Breaking the Stigma, Bob Hornickel joins Darren for one of the most emotional and important conversations of the season — an honest discussion about losing a son to suicide, the grief that follows, and what it means to keep living when a piece of your family is forever missing. Bob opens up about fatherhood, unanswered questions, guilt, anger, love, and the complicated reality of suicide loss. He also shares how his family has worked to carry their son's memory forward, turning unimaginable pain into purpose through advocacy, community, and the 1441 Foundation. This isn't a conversation about “moving on.” It's about learning how to carry grief without allowing grief to become the only thing you carry. Bob talks about the memories that still make him smile, the importance of supporting veterans and families affected by suicide, and why people who have experienced this kind of loss need space to tell their stories. Because the people we lose are never statistics. They are sons, fathers, brothers, husbands, friends — and people who are deeply loved. And sometimes hope after loss doesn't mean the pain disappears. It means finding a reason to keep living, loving, remembering, and helping someone else. Real conversations. Real stories. Real hope.
Sep 14

After the Loss: Turning Grief Into Hope

There are some losses that divide life into before and after. In this episode of Men, Talk: Breaking the Stigma, Bob Hornickel joins Darren for one of the most emotional and important conversations of the season — an honest discussion about losing a son to suicide, the grief that follows, and what it means to keep living when a piece of your family is forever missing. Bob opens up about fatherhood, unanswered questions, guilt, anger, love, and the complicated reality of suicide loss. He also shares how his family has worked to carry their son's memory forward, turning unimaginable pain into purpose through advocacy, community, and the 1441 Foundation. This isn't a conversation about “moving on.” It's about learning how to carry grief without allowing grief to become the only thing you carry. Bob talks about the memories that still make him smile, the importance of supporting veterans and families affected by suicide, and why people who have experienced this kind of loss need space to tell their stories. Because the people we lose are never statistics. They are sons, fathers, brothers, husbands, friends — and people who are deeply loved. And sometimes hope after loss doesn't mean the pain disappears. It means finding a reason to keep living, loving, remembering, and helping someone else. Real conversations. Real stories. Real hope.

5

out of 5

5 Ratings

Men, Talk is a podcast created to break the stigma around men’s mental health through real conversations, real stories, and real hope. Hosted by Darren Zancan, the show gives men a space to talk about grief, depression, trauma, suicide prevention, relationships, healing, resilience, and the battles too many men carry in silence.

Creator

Men, Talk: Breaking the Stigma
Years Active

2026
Episodes

14
Rating

Explicit
Copyright

© Men, Talk: Breaking the Stigma
Show Website

Men, Talk: Breaking the Stigma
Provider

Darren Zancan