Hey my friends,
If you’ve ever caught yourself thinking…
“I’m fine. I’m just tired.”
“I’m good. I just need to push through.”
“I don’t need anything. I just need a break.”
Yeah… I know that script.
This week on Young Dad Podcast, I sat down with Josh—founder of Mensch (a North London-based community for men)—and the conversation landed in a place a lot of dads don’t talk about out loud:
Most men aren’t “okay.” They’re just functioning.
Josh helps men reconnect with purpose, presence, and brotherhood through coaching, men’s circles, and modern rites of passage—basically helping guys move from surviving life to actually feeling it again.
📺 Watch on YouTube:
📄 Episode Activity Guide:
What this episode is really about
This isn’t a “find a hobby and you’ll be happy” episode.
It’s a conversation about the gap a lot of men live in:
You’ve got people around you…
but you still feel alone.
You’ve got a partner…
but she’s become your only outlet.
You’ve got friends…
but you don’t feel like you can really bring the heavy stuff to them without feeling like a burden.
Josh shared how becoming a dad, dealing with his mom’s life-altering crash, and realizing his wife had slowly turned into his therapist forced him to do something different:
Find men. Find community. Find a space that’s yours.
The part that hit home
Josh said something that every dad needs to hear:
When you create a space to just be you—not “dad,” not “provider,” not “strong one”—you don’t just help yourself…
You become a better husband.
A better father.
A better friend.
A better man.
Because you stop bleeding your unmet needs onto the people who didn’t sign up to carry them.
“But I don’t have time…”
We went there.
And I’m gonna say the quiet part out loud:
If you’ve got time for screen time, you’ve got time to build connection.
Josh broke it down like this:
The resistance is real
The fear is normal
But it’s usually trying to protect you from rejection and judgment… even though connection is the thing you’re craving
And the goal isn’t to find the perfect community on the first try.
It’s to take the smallest next step.
Where do you even start if you don’t have friends?
This was a big part of the conversation.
Because not every dad is walking around with a built-in group.
Josh’s advice was simple:
Start with what already sparks you.
Fitness. Sports. Gaming. Faith. Books. Running. Fantasy football. Whatever.
Find the smallest doorway into connection—and walk through it.
And I added this too:
If in-person feels like too much, online still counts.
There are some solid dad communities out there (yes, even Bluey Dads), and sometimes one comment turns into a real friendship. It happens.
Dad Zone highlights
Pineapple on pizza? Josh said absolutely (London activity… I’m kidding)
Dinner party guests: Ian Wright, his papa, and Robin Williams
Guilty pleasure “song”: the Moana soundtrack (and honestly… same)
The takeaway
Brotherhood isn’t a luxury.
It’s not extra credit.
It’s part of how men stay grounded, regulated, and fully alive—especially when you’re carrying a family on your back.
If you’ve been feeling stuck, lonely, or like you’re just running the same loop every week…
this episode is your reminder:
You’re not weird for needing connection.
You’re human.
Talk soon,
Jey
P.S. If you want to check out Josh’s work, you can find him at BeMoreMensch.com where he’s got a weekly newsletter, 1:1 options, and men’s circles/retreats (especially if you’re in the North London area).