BraveCo Podcast

In this week's episode I join my dad on Cultural Catalysts to discuss the growing crisis of fatherlessness and how to restore authentic manhood. 
I share my powerful vision for helping boys become men through meaningful rites of passage. Together, we explore how our culture has substituted therapy and medication for true discipleship, leaving many young men without proper initiation into manhood. 
I also go into inspiring stories of transformation from our BraveCo events, where hundreds of men gather to mentor and celebrate young men through challenging physical and spiritual journeys. 
Join us as we reveal BraveCo’s exciting new partnership with Spartan Races for an upcoming father-son Rite of Passage event in Jacksonville, Florida – a powerful opportunity for fathers, mentors, and sons to experience life-changing connection and growth together. Discover how proper initiation into manhood can heal generations and transform communities!

Connect with Kris Vallotton:
Website: https://www.krisvallotton.com/
Facebook:   / kvministries 
Instagram:   / kvministries 
X: https://x.com/kvministries

CONNECT WITH BRAVECO
Join Our Free Community for Men (ladies, sign up your man): https://www.braveco.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/braveco.men
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/braveco.men/
Shop: https://shop.braveco.org/
ABOUT BRAVECO: We live in a time where men are hunting for the truth and looking for the codebook to manhood. At BraveCo, we are on a mission to heal the narrative of masculinity across a generation; fighting the good fight together because every man should feel confident and capable of facing his pain, loving deeply, and leading a life that impacts the world around him.

Rite of Passage: A Clear Path Into Manhood register now: https://www.braveco.org/riteofpassage

As a pastor, counselor, and dad, I’m convinced of this: no young man should stumble his way into manhood. In this episode of the BraveCo Podcast, I sit down with my close friend Cole Zick to talk about what most families feel but don’t know how to fix, the lack of a clear, intentional pathway for boys to become grounded, capable men. We get practical about the pain points fathers feel, the pressure of raising teenage sons, and why “just go to church” isn’t enough to form men who can lead, serve, and endure.

We unpack why boys need testing and equipping, and how feedback builds capacity. We talk about the power of coaches, youth pastors, mentors, and a tribe of men, and why “heroes” matter if we want our sons to delay gratification and pursue what’s possible. We also hit real parenting language like trust, freedom, structure, boundaries, and why failure isn’t an indictment, it’s often the training ground when you actually have a plan.

If you’re a dad (or a single mom raising sons) and your boys are in that 10–18 window, I want you to hear this: it’s not too late, but it does require intentionality. If you want to take a real step, join us for the BraveCo Ride of Passage with our Spartan partnership: February 28–March 1, 2026 in Jacksonville, Florida (ages 12–19). Register at braveco.org. And if this episode helps you, subscribe, share it with a father who needs a pathway, and let’s rebuild manhood on purpose.

Chapters:
00:00 — No Young Man Should Stumble Into Manhood
01:14 — Cole Zick Returns: The Need for a Real Plan
03:39 — “Come Follow Me, I Will Make You”
04:16 — The Crisis: Men Aren’t Reproducing Discipleship
06:41 — The Weight of Parenting Teenage Sons
07:36 — Building a Network of Trusted Men for Your Boys
15:11 — Testing, Feedback, and Capacity: How Boys Become Men
20:12 — Trust Earns Freedom: Clear Standards at Home
28:46 — The 7 Pillars of Initiation + Ride of Passage Details

CONNECT WITH BRAVECO
Join Our Free Community for Men (ladies, sign up your man): https://www.braveco.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/braveco.men
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/braveco.men/
Shop: https://shop.braveco.org/
ABOUT BRAVECO: We live in a time where men are hunting for the truth and looking for the codebook to manhood. At BraveCo, we are on a mission to heal the narrative of masculinity across a generation; fighting the good fight together because every man should feel confident and capable of facing his pain, loving deeply, and leading a life that impacts the world around him.

We just hit 200 episodes, and I wanted to do something different. Instead of one conversation, I’m counting down the 10 moments that have shaped the BraveCo community the most. These are the clips that hit men in the chest, brought real change into marriages, and reminded us what it means to live with a whole heart.

In this episode, you’ll hear why vulnerability isn’t weakness, and why hiding doesn’t make us strong. We talk about relationships and dating without all the pressure, what courage really is, and how the presence of God becomes an anchor when you’re wrecked on the inside. We also go straight at the stuff men don’t want to talk about: anxiety, the lies playing on repeat in your head, and how addiction is often a symptom of pain that never got a voice.

Here's the links to the TOP 10 from our 200 Episodes:
Number 1 - John Eldredge: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOg88tcR1gg
Number 2 - Carl Lentz: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5e3vtBK3eS4&authuser=0
Number 3- Sathiya: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EY02c6mUukg&authuser=0
Number 4 - Dr. John Delony: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aAq04ebRFI&authuser=0
Number 5 - Kris Vallotton: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6_Yl7vW3t8&authuser=0
Number 6 - Todd Pierce: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GLIjbpN9gY&authuser=0
Number 7 - Michael Koulianos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYpmAYFRYJY&authuser=0
Number 8 - Danny Silk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMEUtdpTyl0
Number 9 - Alley Vallotton: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aicz5scd03w&authuser=0
Number 10 - Abi Stumvoll: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBxCIvnFPGM

Chapter:
00:00 - 200 Episodes: 10 Moments That Shaped BraveCo
01:17 - #10 Brian Johnson: Vulnerability Isn’t Weakness
04:03 - #9  AlleyVallotton: Dating Without Pressure (Boundaries & Clarity)
06:23 - #8 Danny Silk: Courage, Story, and the Call to Rise
10:22 - #7 Michael Koulianos: Weakness, Pain, and the Nearness of God
12:24 - #6 Todd Pierce: Courage and the Fight Every Man Faces
15:16 - #5 Kris Vallotton: Weaponized Meditation & Spiritual Warfare
17:22 - #4 John Delony: Exposing the Lies Behind Anxiety
19:26 - #3 Sathiya: The Pain Beneath Porn and Addiction
22:14 - #2 Carl Lentz: Truth, Infidelity, and Rebuilding Trust  
24:55 - #1 John Eldredge: Strength on Behalf of Others
CONNECT WITH BRAVECO
Join Our Free Community for Men (ladies, sign up your man): https://www.braveco.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/braveco.men
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/braveco.men/
Shop: https://shop.braveco.org/
ABOUT BRAVECO: We live in a time where men are hunting for the truth and looking for the codebook to manhood. At BraveCo, we are on a mission to heal the narrative of masculinity across a generation; fighting the good fight together because every man should feel confident and capable of facing his pain, loving deeply, and leading a life that impacts the world around him.

Rite of Passage: A Clear Path Into Manhood register now: https://www.braveco.org/riteofpassage

No young man should stumble his way into manhood. In this episode, I sit down with my dad for a conversation that hit me in the chest: the difference between living like a slave and living like a son. We open John 15 and talk about how obedience is real, but it’s not the finish line. God is inviting us into friendship, into revelation, into the kind of inner transformation where we don’t just “do what we’re told,” we become like Him.

Then we go somewhere most people never take the Joseph story. Joseph didn’t just interpret a dream and “save the day.” We unpack how withholding revelation can create slavery, how a short-term solution can build a long-term prison, and why your gifting without a legacy mindset can accidentally harm the very people you’re called to serve. If you’re a man building a business, a family, or a ministry, this will challenge the way you define wisdom and success.

We also get practical: pruning, discipline, sonship, and the process God uses to mature a man—called, tested, equipped, commissioned. If you’ve been stuck in survival mode, fear mode, performance mode, or you’ve never known what it feels like to be a beloved son, this conversation will give you language and direction. At the end, I share a simple 5-minute daily exercise that can start rewiring your inner world: asking the Lord what He’s thinking about you.

Chapters:
00:00 - Rite of Passage: A Clear Path Into Manhood
00:50 - Welcome Back + Dad Joins the Conversation
03:44 - John 15: From Obedience to Friendship With God
07:17 - Joseph’s Dream: Revelation That Changes Everything
10:40 - The Twist: Joseph Enslaves Egypt
12:26 - Slavery Comes From Withholding Revelation
15:06 - Symptomatic Cures Become Tomorrow’s Slavery
18:15 - Your Home: Palace or Prison Depends on Revelation
30:49 - Initiation: Beloved to Sage (The Manhood Pathway)
47:32 - How to Build Sonship: 5 Minutes With God Daily
CONNECT WITH BRAVECO
Join Our Free Community for Men (ladies, sign up your man): https://www.braveco.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/braveco.men
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/braveco.men/
Shop: https://shop.braveco.org/
ABOUT BRAVECO: We live in a time where men are hunting for the truth and looking for the codebook to manhood. At BraveCo, we are on a mission to heal the narrative of masculinity across a generation; fighting the good fight together because every man should feel confident and capable of facing his pain, loving deeply, and leading a life that impacts the world around him.

Connect with Pedro Adao 👇
Website: https://pedroadao.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pedromadao/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pedromadao

In this episode of the BraveCo Podcast, I sit down with my friend Pedro Adao to talk honestly about what it actually takes to become a man. We unpack why every boy needs a defining moment, why every man must face death before rebirth, and why wisdom—not hustle or hype—is the foundation of a life that truly works.

Pedro shares his raw story of going from success to total collapse—losing his wealth, reputation, identity, and sense of worth. We talk about depression, shame, father wounds, bankruptcy, and what it feels like to believe you’re finished. But we also explore how God uses crushing seasons to strip away false identities and rebuild men from the inside out. This is not a motivational story. It’s a formation story.

We also dive deep into wisdom, kingdom entrepreneurship, and why wisdom is not information but power. Wisdom changes marriages, businesses, families, and futures. If you’re a man who wants to lead well, build legacy, and stop repeating the same cycles, this conversation is for you. And if you’re ready to pursue wisdom intentionally, Pedro shares how you can join the free 31 Day Wisdom Challenge and begin reigning in every area of life.

Chapters:
00:00 – Why Boys Need a Rite of Passage
02:16 – Pedro’s Life Before Faith and Entrepreneurship
05:21 – A Funeral That Changed Everything
07:27 – Stepping Into Faith and Risk
08:38 – From Millionaire to Millions in Debt
11:02 – How God Tests and Forms Men
13:06 – Depression, Shame, and Losing Identity
18:48 – Rebuilding Life Through Wisdom
25:31 – Kingdom Entrepreneurship Explained
35:53 – Wisdom as the Power to Reign in Life
CONNECT WITH BRAVECO
Join Our Free Community for Men (ladies, sign up your man): https://www.braveco.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/braveco.men
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/braveco.men/
Shop: https://shop.braveco.org/
ABOUT BRAVECO: We live in a time where men are hunting for the truth and looking for the codebook to manhood. At BraveCo, we are on a mission to heal the narrative of masculinity across a generation; fighting the good fight together because every man should feel confident and capable of facing his pain, loving deeply, and leading a life that impacts the world around him.