Gatherings, not meetings
Not another agenda or set of action items. We made time to slow down, share experiences, and be fully present.
Men's Work · The Men's Fellowship Network
In the Circle,
We Find One Another.
For more than a decade, I brought men together to explore the questions we too often carry alone. What emerged was a practice of listening, courage, compassion, and discovering wisdom in one another.
Discover the approach
What brought us together
A different kind of men's gathering
I founded the Men's Fellowship Network in 2012 with a simple intention: create a place where men could speak from the heart, be heard without judgment, and discover that they did not have to walk their journey alone.
Many of us had spent our lives learning how to perform, lead, compete, and solve problems. Yet few had been shown how to sit with uncertainty, share our fears, and witness another man's experience without trying to fix him. We began with a few men. Over time, weekly gatherings became a community built on trust, honesty, and genuine companionship.
The intention was not to offer prescribed answers or another rigid program. It was to make room for authentic conversation and allow each man to find his own way.
The lessons of the circle
Less structure. More presence.
In Circles of Men, I describe the counterintuitive choices that helped these gatherings take root. We called them the Twelve Secrets. They were not rules for controlling people, but ways of establishing the trust in which meaningful conversation becomes possible.
Facilitating, not directing
The facilitator does not have to possess the answers. His work is to nurture an environment where every man's wisdom can be heard.
Conversation, not debate
Instead of proving who is right, we explore perspectives with curiosity, acceptance, and compassion.
Holding space, not fixing
Often our most meaningful offering is to listen, to witness, and to let another man know that he is not alone.
Circles in the United States
Trust grows by showing up.
Week after week, we gathered as equals. Beyond the weekly circle, retreats offered space to step away from ordinary routines and deepen relationships through reflection, nature, and the shared experience of being together.
A circle across continents
Kenya: Listening across differences
I also led retreats in Kenya. These gatherings reinforced something we had learned at home: our backgrounds and circumstances may differ, but the human longing to be seen, heard, respected, and understood is deeply shared.
“The circle is not a place to convert or convince, but to witness and be witnessed.”
— From Circles of Men
Original front cover of Circles of MenThe book behind the work
Circles of Men
A Counterintuitive Approach to Creating Men's Groups
I wrote Circles of Men to share what our fellowship had learned through years of gathering: how trust develops, why language matters, and how to create a safe, open environment where men can explore vulnerability, meaning, and purpose.
The book introduces the Twelve Secrets and draws from lived experiences of the Men’s Fellowship Network. It is both a personal account and a practical invitation for anyone who feels called to bring men together.
Explore Circles of Men on Amazon →A practice that reaches beyond the circle.
What men discover in these conversations travels home with them—into families, friendships, work, and communities. The aim is not to create perfect men, but to become more conscious, compassionate, and fully present with one another.