60. Dan Doty: How Service and Volunteerism Can Save Men… and Maybe America.

When I was a lost 21-year-old with no idea what I wanted to do with my life, service saved me. I didn’t know where to find fulfillment or a sustainable, financially viable career, but I remembered the joy of supporting young people with disabilities to play sports in college. My dad said simply, “Why don’t you just do more of that?” With nothing else to hang on to, I took his advice and started my first nonprofit, Dreams for Kids DC.

Running that organization, I realized that marginalized communities—like folks with disabilities—are often only seen as recipients of service, not as people who can give. We evolved our programs so that the kids we served also had opportunities to serve others, showing them they were capable of contribution.

For me, service has always been one of the most direct pathways to purpose. That’s why I’m so excited to have Dan Doty on the podcast today. Dan is a founder of Everyman, one of the men’s work facilitators I respect most in the world, and an excellent father, husband, and deeply good man who genuinely cares about people. He’s in it for the right reasons.

After helping bring on the second wave of men’s work with Everyman, Dan has launched a new initiative called Manpower, which brings men together around community-driven service projects nationwide. I felt so aligned with his mission that I joined as an inaugural board member to help in a small way.

This conversation dives into men’s work, the loneliness epidemic, and the power of finding purpose through giving back.

Here’s what you’ll take away:

The Inward/Outward Balance: Dan highlights a core insight: men’s group work that stays focused only on inner process often fizzles out. Actual transformation starts when vulnerability and bonding translate into local, hands-on action.

Service as State Change, and Behavior Change: You’ll learn why volunteering together isn’t just good for the recipient, but radically shifts the mental health, self-respect, and sense of belonging for the men themselves. Dan and Andrew break down the psychological “stickiness” of meaningful group service, as well as how to design it for regular, long-term impact.

Simple, Replicable Tools: Explore the blueprint behind Manpower, hyper-local groups, a pair of work gloves as a symbol, and a no-nonsense approach: find out what your community needs, then bring a crew and show up. No heroics, no ego, just practical usefulness.

A Redefinition of Healthy Masculinity: Examine why integrating “traditional” stre