Gents Weekly: Family
Issue #12: The manliest newsletter on the internet • March 30, 2026
Welcome to issue #12 of The Gents Weekly, a newsletter for the modern man.
Every Monday, you’ll receive a weekly roundup of inspiring ideas + products to help you become a better man.
Brought to you by the men of Gents Journey — Dean Bokhari, Stephen Seidel, and Matt McManus.
Let’s dig in…
📝 THE MESSAGE
A timely piece from the gents.
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Family man
Family is one of the few parts of life that will tell you the truth about the kind of man you really are.
Out in the world, you can hide behind your achievements.
You can lean on status, money, job titles, or your image.
But at home, the truth comes out…
Your family experiences your patience and presence; your temper and grace; your attention or your lack of it.
As a man, you’re the leader of your family…
And please - don’t pretend like you’re not the head of your household just so you can fit in with the current confusion of gender roles that the media is trying to force feed you right now.
Every household needs a leader.
And if you’re a husband, father, and provider—that makes YOU the leader.
Your wife needs you. Your children need you.
And guess what, macho man?
You need them as much as they need you.
That’s why family life can be one of a man’s greatest proving grounds.
This doesn’t mean you need to be perfect. It just means the people closest to you deserve the real strength of a present man, not the leftovers of an exhausted one.
Too many men give their best energy to the outside world—work, friends, the gym—and bring whatever is left over back home at the end of the day.
But family deserves more than your scraps.
They deserve your presence.
They deserve your eyes off the phone, your mind out of work mode, and your willingness to really be there.
In the end, your family doesn’t give two shits about that deal you need to close. They won’t remember it, because they never cared.
What they care about is you.
And if you show them how much you care too, you’ll be the hero of your household forever.
A strong man doesn’t just provide for his family financially.
He provides emotionally. He provides attention. He provides steadiness.
And he expresses love in the small moments…
The moments that seem ordinary at the time, but end up meaning everything down the line.
Try this with your family:
Before the day ends, give your family 15 minutes of fully undistracted attention. No phone. No multitasking. No background scrolling. Just be with them. Ask a genuine question. Listen closely and lean in. Make them feel your presence.
That’s just one small way to become a stronger man at home, and you can try it starting today.
— Dean Bokhari
Co-founder, Gents Journey
Share this with a friend who could use it.
📰 THE MOMENT
Sh*t that’s happening now, ICYMI
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This Week’s AI Prompt: Family
What did your father teach you (even if he didn’t mean to)?
Your dad shaped you. Whether he was present or absent, loving or distant, perfect or deeply flawed, he left his mark.
Some of what he taught you was intentional. Some of it was accidental. Some of it you’re still carrying without realizing it.
This prompt helps you figure out what lessons you inherited from your father, which ones are serving you, and which ones you need to let go of.
THE PROMPT:
Copy everything below and paste it into ChatGPT or Claude:
I want to figure out what I learned from my father and how it's showing up in my life today.
Help me:
1. Identify what my father taught me (intentionally or not)
- What did he say about work, money, relationships, emotions, masculinity?
- What did he model through his actions (even if he never said it out loud)?
- What lessons did I absorb just by watching him?
2. Recognize which of those lessons are serving me
- What did he teach me that I'm grateful for?
- What values, habits, or beliefs did he pass down that make me a better man?
- What do I want to carry forward into my own life and pass on to my kids?
3. Identify which lessons are holding me back
- What did he teach me (intentionally or not) that I need to unlearn?
- What patterns am I repeating that I don't want to repeat?
- What beliefs about masculinity, emotions, or relationships did I inherit that aren't working?
4. Figure out what I needed from him that I didn't get
- What do I wish he had taught me?
- What conversations did we never have?
- How can I give myself (or my kids) what he couldn't give me?
5. Help me become the father (or man) I needed
- What's one thing I can do this week to break a pattern or honor a lesson?
- How do I show up as the kind of man my dad would be proud of (or the man I wish he had been)?
Here's what I remember about my father: [Describe your relationship with him, good and bad]
Here's what I think he taught me: [List lessons, intentional or accidental]
Be honest. Help me see what I'm carrying that I didn't choose and what I want to keep or let go of.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
The AI is going to push you to separate what your father gave you from what you chose for yourself.
By the end, you’ll have:
Clarity on what lessons you’re carrying (good and bad)
A plan to keep what serves you and let go of what doesn’t
One action to take this week to honor the best of him or heal from the worst
WHY THIS MATTERS
Your father’s influence doesn’t end when you grow up. It shows up in how you handle conflict, how you express emotions, how you show up for your kids, how you define what it means to be a man.
Some of what he gave you is gold. Some of it is baggage.
This prompt helps you figure out which is which so you can keep the best and leave the rest.
Run this prompt. Honor what he gave you. Heal what he didn’t.
Drop one thing your father taught you (good or bad) in the comments. Let’s talk about it.
— Matt McManus
Co-founder, Gents Journey
👊 THE MOVES
Media for men.
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Watch | The Truth Behind Being There First
Be sure to subscribe to our Gents Journey YouTube channel.
(Watch the video above first.)
One day, it all ends.
The job you love.
The standing dinners with friends.
The holidays with your parents.
What always remains is family.
As fathers—and as men—we’re called to show up. Not perfectly, but consistently. Our children don’t need more things; they need our presence. The small moments matter most: the first day of school, the recital, the quiet mornings.
Stop chasing what you can’t control. Be there for what you can.
Because presence isn’t small, it’s everything.
Family Brings Us Back
This weekend, I attended a private screening of She Dances, filmed here in Lexington.
It tells the story of a father and daughter, played by real-life duo ~ Steve and Audrey Zahn, separated not by distance, but by neglect. Over time, he’s forced to confront what he’s missed, and what truly matters.
Family.
The film follows the Dad, Jason, and his daughter, Claire, as they navigate a huge loss, which not only destroys their family dynamics but also restores their bond.
Sometimes we need to go through the fire to see the light.
Here’s a question to consider welcoming back into your life from our Journey Deck: How do you maintain relationships with your friends and family?
I’ll Be There
In 2019, my mother called. My father was in the hospital after a major surgery.
My parents divorced when I was young, but they still loved each other. We always celebrated as a family. Holidays, barbecues, graduations, you name it.
When she said, “I think you should visit your father,” I listened.
This request felt different.
“I’ll be there,” I told her.
I flew across the country. I sat with him. I told him he was going to be a grandfather. I promised to look after my younger brothers. I told him I loved him—and that I was grateful.
The next morning, he was gone.
Driving away, a song came on—Barely Breathing, by Duncan Sheik, as I felt like I was just punched in the gut.
You will get that call someday.
When you do, I hope you can say what matters. I hope you can show up.
I hope you can say, without hesitation:
“I’ll be there.”
— Stephen Seidel
Co-founder, Gents Journey
PS: Here’s one of my father’s favorite songs from the Four Tops.
🔗 MEANINGFUL MENTIONS + MAGIC LINKS
Fun stuff you’ll dig about our theme of the week.
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💻 REAL MEN HAVE A COACH IN THEIR CORNER
Stop playing small, step into the man you know you are.
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We’re looking for ten men who want coaching and guidance to level up in life + work. If that’s you, fill out this form, and we’ll be in touch.
Until next week,
—The Gents
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