Excellence Above Talent Podcast
The State of Man Is in Crisis—It’s Time for a Conversation.
The Excellence Above Talent podcast was born from pain, loss, and a deep need for change.
- Men are 3.6 times more likely to die by suicide than women.
- Men commit the majority of violence in the U.S., including domestic abuse and sexual assault.
- 90% of the prison population consists of men.
These are not just statistics—they represent broken families, lost lives, and a cycle of harm and abuse that must end.
As a BIPP (Batterer’s Intervention and Prevention Program) Director for four years, I’ve had countless conversations with men—men who believed abuse was necessary, men who didn’t even realize they were abusers. What I learned is that men want to talk, but they have no safe space to do so.
Society teaches men to suppress their struggles, to avoid vulnerability, and to uphold a toxic version of manhood. But silence is destroying us.
The Excellence Above Talent podcast is here to challenge the status quo. We’re redefining what it means to be a man—one conversation at a time.
Join me. Let’s fight for the future of manhood. Our sons are watching.
#ExcellenceAboveTalent #MensMentalHealth #RedefiningManhood #BreakTheCycle
Excellence Above Talent Podcast
The Shadow Warriors: When Grinding Feels Invisible
Aaron Thomas shares his powerful journey from contemplating suicide ten years ago to finding purpose in speaking openly about men's mental health. Breaking the silence surrounding men's struggles, he emphasizes how isolation breeds dangerous thoughts and how authentic conversations can save lives.
• The dangers of chasing money without finding meaning or making an impact
• How men's silence about mental health struggles reinforces isolation
• The frustration of putting in authentic work while watching others gain recognition
• Learning to value the people who already see you versus chasing public validation
• Finding peace by being grounded in your purpose rather than performing for approval
Keep moving forward, never give up, and remember you are never alone in this battle. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram at Excellence Above Talent for daily motivational content.
#excellenceabovetalent #EAT #dontgiveup #youdeservethebest #youareenough ...
You're listening to Excellence Above Talent, a podcast where we have the hard conversations about the lives of men and what leads us to achieve greatness and suffer defeat. Hear from other men's journeys as well, as we all learn and grow together to become inspirations to ourselves and those around us. And now your host, Aaron Thomas.
Speaker 2:What's up? My beautiful people, aaron Thomas, with excellence above talent. Ten years ago I almost ended my life. I was done, I was tired and I kept thinking what is the point? Looking back, I still wonder if somebody would have called out what I was going through. If somebody would have said man, I see you're hurting, I see you're struggling, let's talk about it. Would I have seen things differently? But no one did, and I don't say that to blame anyone. I say it because no one was talking about it. Men, we struggle. Men and mental health that stuff stays in the shadow and when you keep something in the shadow long enough, it grows. So now everything I do this podcast, my social media, the conversations I have, how I speak to the kids at my school, to my athletes is about calling things out, because silence kills and I don't care if it makes some people uncomfortable. I care if I can save a life, if I can get a young man or a man or just a person to see that they matter, to know that they are enough, to see that they are loved, that they are loved.
Speaker 2:Ten years ago I was in a dark place. From the outside I was functioning, I was alive, but on the inside I was drowning. On the outside I was making a lot of money In the oil field In a relationship About to get married, but frustrated, in pain, hurting on the inside. Why? Because I didn't think I mattered, I didn't think my life made a difference. Sometimes chasing money isn't what you need to do in your life. It's making an impact and I didn't feel like I was making an impact. And when you get to a point where you just feel like you're just life is living you, your mind starts to convince you that the world would be better off without you. That's the kind of lie that isolation tells you. And here's the thing I wasn't hearing men talk about it, not in church, not at work, not in the locker room, not with friends, nowhere. If we did talk about our struggle, it was in this vague like yeah, man, I've been going through it type of way, but we don't really go through it together as men, we don't sit in the ugly, we don't try to unpack what's really going on with us, with our friends, our so-called friends. And that is dangerous, because the longer you go without hearing hey, man, you're not the only one the more you believe you are the only one. So when I survived my attempted suicide, I made a decision I'm going to be the guy who talks about it. I'm going to be the guy who says nah, we're not going to keep this in the shadow. This has got to come out, not because it's easy, not because it's fun, but because I know there's another man out there right now, where I was 10 years ago, and he thinks nobody cares. And I need him to know I care. So fast forward to right now.
Speaker 2:The last six months have been heavy. The last six months have been heavy, not in the I want to give up way as before, but in a man I'm getting worn down way. See, there is this thing called the grind and I believe in it. I believe in showing up, I believe in putting in the work when nobody is watching, but sometimes that grind gets frustrating. I believe in showing up, I believe in putting in the work when nobody is watching, but sometimes that grind gets frustrating.
Speaker 2:You're doing your thing, you're putting in the hours, you're consistent, you're building something and you look around and see other people, people who maybe aren't putting in the same work, getting the platforms, the opportunity, the recognition, and it's like what about me? When is it my turn? And it's not even about jealousy. It's about this weird reality where authenticity doesn't always get rewarded first. Weird reality where authenticity doesn't always get rewarded first. You see people hyping up folks that you know aren't as real as they look online. They put on this front, they've built a persona, they've figured out how to sell an image, and then here you are with the receipts, the heart, the mission still grinding. It can be frustrating.
Speaker 2:And then, on top of that, you've got the political climate, the disrespect, the way people talk crazy now, without thinking about the consequences. And I've even started to notice how people are afraid to talk to me as a black man. They don't talk to me like as a normal human being. They feel like they have to come and talk to me in a different tone or a different way. And I'm just human, just like anyone else.
Speaker 2:Some days I feel like fighting back, like literally fighting, throwing hands. Try Jesus, not me. I don't even care if I get beat up, I just want to throwing hands. Try Jesus, not me. I don't even care if I get beat up, I just want to throw hands. I'm tired of people making the assumption that they can disrespect people. I'm tired of the nonsense, but I've also learned constantly. Fighting takes too much energy. You can't win if you're always swinging. You can't win if you're always posting on social media about something that you feel is near and dear to your heart. You can't win if you're always trying to show people that you're not the stereotypes that they think you are.
Speaker 2:You're not a watermelon eating chicken eating loud, disruptive. Well, I'm loud, ghetto thief gangster, ghetto thief gangster. So for me, the last six months have been about wrestling with two things staying patient while in the grind when it feels like my turn hasn't came yet, and deciding when to stand up and fight and when to let it go for my own peace. But then there's also this shift that has happened for me as well. One day I was dealing with all that frustration, all that when is it my turn? Energy, and it hit me. In chasing recognition from this world, I was overlooking the people who already saw me. Who sees me? Now I've gotten. I have an amazing wife who sees me every single day, not just the public me, but the real me. I've got cousins, nieces, nephews. Who sees me? I've got students that I teach and coach. They trust me and those kids see me. I've got people in the community that sees me. I've got my church family at Hope Alive. Who sees me?
Speaker 2:I got caught up so much in the outside looking in that I wasn't paying enough attention to the inside looking out. I want the grandiose, I want the big stage, I want the more that comes with being seen by the world, but maybe that's not the scene we need to be seen from. That's not the scene we need to be seen from. Maybe the people who already see you are the people you were meant to show up for the most. Let me be real with you Chasing the big stage can wreck you, because here's the truth there are a lot of people out there who have made it in the public eye, but behind closed doors they're miserable. They've got the recognition but no peace. They've got the followers but no friends. They've got the applause but no love. If you're not grounded, chasing that stage will make you forget why you started in the first place. You'll start performing instead of living, you'll start pretending instead of being, and one day you'll wake up and realize you're surrounded by people, but nobody really sees you. That's why I'm learning to value the people who already see me While I keep grinding for more. So here's my call out today Men, stop suffering in silence, stop faking like you've got it all under control when you don't. Stop letting pride take you out. I'm calling out the fake personas, the highlight reels with no substance, the clout chasing over character, and I'm calling in meaning. I'm inviting in meaning. I'm inviting you in to the real work, the hard work and the hard work, the conversation that saves lives.
Speaker 2:Here is your challenge for the rest of this week. One have one real, honest conversation with another man about how you're actually doing. Two thank someone who already sees you. Three take one step, just one, towards the things you've been putting off. Listen, I know you're grinding, I know you're tired, I know you're wondering when is it my turn? But as long as you're breathing, your turn is coming.
Speaker 2:Until then, don't miss the people who already see you. Don't let silence take you out. Keep showing up, keep calling it out and remember you are that guy, you've been that guy. Whether the world recognize it yet or not, you are him, you matter. You are seen and I'm glad you're here. I'm glad you're listening to my voice. So if anyone hasn't told you today that they love you, I'm glad you're listening to my voice. So if anyone hasn't told you today that they love you, let me be the first to say I love you. You're awesome, you're amazing. You deserve the best that this world has to offer. Do not give up, do not quit. The world does not get easier, but you get stronger.
Speaker 1:You have a blessed weekend Bye-bye. Thank you for listening. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode, and for daily motivational and up-to-date content. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram at Excellence Above Talent. And remember keep moving forward, never give up and you are never alone in this battle. We'll see you next time you.
