Geoff’s Story: From Fear To Purpose and Power

At The Undaunted Man, I don’t teach theory from a distance.
I live this work.

What follows is not a polished origin story. It’s the truth of how I found my way back to myself as a man, and why this work matters so deeply to me.

Growing Up Without a Map for Manhood

I grew up surrounded almost entirely by women.
My parents split when I was very young. My only sibling is my sister. Most of my teachers were women. The strongest influences in my life were my mom and my grandmother.

There was nothing wrong with being male, but no one showed me what being a man actually meant.

I was bullied a lot growing up. The bullies were always boys. That taught me something early on: being male felt unsafe. I didn’t know how to relate to other boys, and I definitely didn’t feel confident in my masculinity.

Fear became the background noise of my life.

The First Time I Felt My Own Strength

The first real spark came in junior high. A kid tried to intimidate me, and instead of freezing, something in me rose up. I told him to back off and walked away. He didn’t follow.

Later, in high school, another bully pushed me too far. I lost my temper, grabbed him, and hit him. He never bothered me again.

That moment changed me.

For the first time, I felt anger without shame. I felt power without cruelty. I discovered I had a spine, even if I didn’t yet know how to use it.

But fear didn’t disappear overnight. I was still self-conscious, still unsure, still far more comfortable with women than with men.

A Man Who Showed Me Another Way

One of the most influential men in my life was my high school counselor, who was also a football coach. Big guy. Big heart. Straight shooter.

He was the first man who showed me that you could be strong and kind at the same time. That truth could be spoken cleanly. That masculinity didn’t require cruelty or domination.

I didn’t know it then, but he planted a seed that would matter decades later.

Adulthood and Feeling Like a Pretender

As an adult in the corporate world, surrounded by men, I often felt like I was play-acting. I showed up, worked hard, provided, and protected. From the outside, I looked fine.

Inside, I felt like a poser.

Getting married helped bring out my instinct to care for and protect my wife. Then life threw me a curveball we hadn’t planned for: a son.

Holding my newborn boy, I had a sobering thought:
I have no idea how to teach this kid how to be a man.

That question stayed with me.

The Turning Point: Sitting in a Circle of Men

When my son was 13, a close friend invited me into an initiation experience for him. Men from different generations gathered in a yurt in Colorado. Stories were shared. Presence was felt.

It felt strange.
It felt unfamiliar.
And it felt deeply right.

Shortly after, I finally said yes to a men’s weekend I had avoided for years. Sitting with men who spoke honestly about pain, fear, failure, and responsibility shattered everything I thought I knew about men.

I saw strength with vulnerability.
Challenge without shaming.
Love without coddling.

I realized my entire picture of men had been based on a narrow, painful sample.

That weekend changed my life.

Why Men’s Work Works

What I discovered is simple but profound:

Men heal in the presence of other men.
Men grow when they are challenged without being humiliated.
Men find purpose when heart and strength are integrated.

This work sharpened me as a man, as a husband, and as a father. And it continues to do so decades later.

There is no finish line.
There is only the ongoing unfolding of who you are.

Why I Do This Work Today

I help lead The Undaunted Man because men deserve more than confusion, isolation, and borrowed definitions of masculinity.

I don’t want you to follow me.
I want you to lead yourself.

We create spaces where men can reconnect to their inner compass, stand in their integrity, and build lives rooted in fulfillment instead of performance.

An Invitation

If my story resonates, that’s not random.
It may be time to stop doing this alone.

You can explore what we offer at https://theundauntedman.com
If silence, depth, and inner clarity call to you, learn about our Silent Summit at
https://theundauntedman.com/summit

And if you’re ready to talk it through, ask questions, or take the next step, I invite you to book a free call through our site.

You are not broken.
You are not behind.
You are becoming.

Stay Undaunted.