The Social Athlete Casey Wright

Blake Eastman is Founder and CEO of The Nonverbal Group, a behavioral research and education company founded in New York City in 2009. They conduct large scale studies on human behavior and are using a wide range of technologies to systematically deconstruct and improve human communication.
In this sprawling episode, Blake generously shares many of the key insights his elite clientele pay thousands of dollars to receive from him on a daily basis. This episode is our longest yet, but I think you'll agree that it flies by, and leaves you wanting more.
You will come away from this episode with a robust understanding of what constitutes effective nonverbal communication, as well as several powerful frameworks and tools for improving your communication immediately.
Blake is exactly the type of guest I fanaticized about conversing with when I launched this podcast. He is a true social athlete and an expert in his field. More impressively, Blake is a lifelong learner who is always probing the world for new insights in novel ways.
If you want to learn more about Blake and the awesome work he is doing at The Nonverbal Group, you can sign up for his free newsletter. This has quickly become one of my favorite pieces of email every week. Blake is also active on X (formerly Twitter), and is an excellent follow: @blakeeastman
TheSocialAthlete.com

After two weeks of interacting with my Vision Pro, I am both excited and terrified about the future of social interactions. 
In this week's episode, we explore the thrilling potential the Vision Pro has to bring us closer together in virtual spaces. We also delve into the unmistakable dystopian fears this device rightly instills in us--a world where we are all sucked into our own virtual worlds, further fracturing the fragile social foundations of our modern world. 
As you'll hear, I have more questions than answers right now. However, I propose a few common-sense cultural choices we can and should make today... while we wrestle with the awesome and terrifying potential of this new device. 
TheSocialAthlete.com

Jason is the founder of Evolutionary Men, an organization on the front lines of the men's mental health movement. This is a conversation I've been very eager to have…
Frequent listeners of this podcast will know that this is one of my persistent concerns. There is a crisis of male loneliness and isolation, not just in this country, but globally. What stands out to me more than anything is that it seems to be affecting men most adversely, specifically at the ages of 16 to 24. Young men are bearing the brunt of isolation and loneliness. That's pretty abnormal. Usually, the distributions that we see from male loneliness and isolation historically have been as men age, not at the beginning of their lives. This means that we're getting worse as a society at making men feel connected, not better. That's something that should concern all of us.
There are plenty of theories circulating out there as to why—smartphones, social media, porn, dating apps, etc. We get into all of that. We also get into the cultural headwinds that are making this conversation so complex in 2024—the ever-expanding and confusing definition of toxic masculinity, the apparent disconnect between what women say they want from men and what men actually experience in the dating world, and the shifting expectations of men as providers and leaders. 
But ultimately, this is a conversation about how to move forward and how to live authentically as a man in a world that is renegotiating its relationship to masculinity. In seeming real time, we spend a lot of time unpacking the traditional models of masculinity, why current role models for masculinity are so hard to find, and then we explore what a new, modernized role model for masculinity might look like, one that honors the equality of women while also respecting the unique gifts and challenges that men face.
As you'll see, Jason's solution is as simple as it is powerful. Men need to spend more time together. I couldn't agree more. Jason speaks powerfully about the men's group work he has done and the first-hand transformations he's seen when men just start talking to each other. He explains how to build your own men's group, either formally or informally. He's got some really great ideas on how to do this, and he explains how to create greater depth in the male relationships that are already in your life.
This is not just a conversation for or about men. Masculinity and femininity are defined by their relationship to each other and, as you'll see in this conversation, so much of what men internalize and care about when it comes to masculinity is based on what women value, both implicitly and explicitly. So this is not just a conversation for men. It's also a conversation for any woman who has a man in their life that they care about or that cares about them. Restoring sanity and clarity to men is a project for all of us, and it's one we're all going to benefit from. 
TheSocialAthlete.com

Eric Lovett is Founder and CEO of Urban Street Angels, an organization committed to ending youth homelessness in San Diego. Eric is one of the most socially skilled people I've ever met. As soon as you meet Eric, you like him, trust him, and want to be a part of his mission.
Eric's path to social athleticism has been a wild ride...
In his twenties, Eric enjoyed a meteoric rise to stardom in the world of Christian music. At the age of 29, he was outed as gay. Suddenly, everything was taken away from him--his career, his friends, his faith, his very identity.
In our interview, Eric speaks bravely about losing it all, battling back from the depths of depression, and finding renewed purpose in his mission to help others who have been rejected by society. He also speaks about his unique social superpowers, how he developed them, and how he uses them to improve his community. 
Over the last 12 years, Eric's organization Urban Street Angels has emerged as one of the most innovative and effective organizations in the world for addressing youth homelessness. On a shoestring budget, he gets 400 kids a year off the streets. And when they get off, they stay off.
If you have ever wondered why throwing millions of dollars at homelessness only seems to make the problem worse, listen to this episode. Eric speaks with breathtaking clarity about the perverse incentives that frustrate our common efforts to end homelessness. More importantly, he shares the uncommon methodology he's using to get outsized results where everyone is failing.
I have seen firsthand the difference Eric is making in his community. After listening to this episode, I hope you'll join me in donating whatever you can to Urban Street Angels. I promise you the money will be well spent efficiently and effectively on restoring hope to the people who need it most. 

00:00 - Intro
03:36 - Eric's Wild Ride from Alabama to San Diego
06:05 - Being Outed as Gay and Losing it All
11:22 - Founding Urban Street Angels
19:41 - Struggles With Selfishness and Finding Peace
31:14 - Strategies for Recharging Socially
33:25 - Eric's Social Superpowers
49:26 - Rediscovering Faith in God
54:05 - The Distinct Problem of Youth Homelessness (And How to Fix It)
1:01:15 - Why Most Homelessness Initiatives Make the Problem Worse
1:08:24 - Urban Street Angels' Novel Approach to Homelessness (That Actually Works)
1:11:59 - How to Support Urban Street Angels
1:16:29 - The Power of True Love (and Alabama Football)
TheSocialAthlete.com

Toasts are a very specific form of public speaking. Being able to stand up in front of a crowd, with zero preparation, and say a few words that tie the whole night together is an elite social skill–one I want to master. 
Based on several weeks of obsessive research, here’s the formula I’ve developed for delivering an impromptu toast. You can run through these steps in only a minute or two, and deliver a toast that will connect in any social setting.


TheSocialAthlete.com

Matt Becker is Owner & CEO of Cement Cutting Inc., one of the top demolition contractors in California. More importantly, Matt is a true social athlete (and one of my best friends). 
When I met Matt in 2014, he was one of the all-time San Diego party legends. He has now been sober for three years. Through it all, Matt has always magnetized great people and brought out the best in them.
In this episode, we discuss Matt's social life before and after sobriety, the benefits and tradeoffs of sober socializing, and the importance of living with integrity. Then Matt explains how intentionally blurring the lines between his personal and professional lives makes both better. 
This episode is not just a conversation; it's a masterclass in becoming a social athlete. I hope you get as much out of it as I did. 
00:00 - Introducing Matt Becker
06:26 - Matt's Love/Hate Relationship with Alcohol
09:56 - The Benefits & Tradeoffs of Sober Socializing
17:33 - Matt's Social Development Timeline
24:28 - Building Authentic Professional Networks
30:18 - The Power of Positivity and Gratitude
41:53 - Social Role Models (Zack Morris)
43:55 - Overcoming Shyness and Insecurity
48:11 - The Danger of Disconnecting at Work
TheSocialAthlete.com