Raw Minds

About Raw Minds

Raw Minds is a raw, unapologetic podcast focused on men’s mental health, grief, resilience, and the battles we fight in silence. Hosted by Erick, Raw Minds is for men who feel broken, overwhelmed, numb, angry, lost, or alone and don’t know where to put it. This isn’t surface-level motivation. This is real life. The ugly parts. The quiet pain. Each episode features honest, vulnerable conversations with guests from all walks of life sharing real stories of depression, anxiety, trauma, addiction, loss, fatherhood, recovery, and rebuilding after everything falls apart. No masks. No bullshit.

Publisher

Raw minds

Category

education

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

28 Oct 2023

Latest episode

16 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

148 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   16 Oct 2026

   No One Is Coming to Save You | Raw Minds S2 Ep. 109

   SURVIVAL MODE, TRAUMA RECOVERY & MEN'S MENTAL HEALTH Why do you still feel unsafe when the danger is already gone? In Raw Minds Season 2 Episode 109, host Erick McManus sits down with Joseph Okoroji, author of A Mark in the Sand, to explore survival mode, trauma recovery, emotional resilience, and the psychology of change. What if the habits that once protected you are now holding you back? When you've spent years expecting the worst, trusting nobody, suppressing emotions, or handling everything alone, those behaviours can become part of your identity. But what happens when you no longer need them? Joseph explores how survival responses can continue after difficult experiences, why accepting help can feel uncomfortable, and what it takes to move beyond the person you had to become to survive. THIS CONVERSATION EXPLORES: • Why survival mode can outlast the danger • Trauma recovery and emotional resilience • Why men struggle to ask for help • How past experiences affect relationships • Hyper-independence, trust, and vulnerability • The difference between surviving and living • Self-sabotage and unhealthy coping patterns • Personal accountability and setting boundaries • Rebuilding identity after trauma • How to move forward without abandoning your past ABOUT JOSEPH OKOROJI Joseph Okoroji is an author, coach, and entrepreneur whose work focuses on identity, resilience, responsibility, and personal change. His book, A Mark in the Sand, explores the practical lessons that emerge when life forces us to adapt. Get Joseph's book: https://a.co/d/087BxwYj Contact Joseph: joseph.okoroji@googlemail.com ABOUT RAW MINDS Raw Minds is a men's mental health podcast hosted by Erick McManus. We have honest conversations about mental health, trauma, addiction, recovery, relationships, fatherhood, and rebuilding your life. Nobody's coming to save you. But that doesn't mean you have to fight alone. For the ones we never meet. CONNECT WITH RAW MINDS Website: https://rawminds.ca YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@rawminds Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rawmindspodcast TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rawmindspodcast Email: rawmindspodcast@gmail.com SUPPORT RAW MINDS IN TOP HOST Vote for Erick: https://tophost.org/2026/erick-mcmanus If this conversation helps you understand survival mode, trauma, or emotional healing differently, subscribe to Raw Minds and share this episode. QUESTION FOR THE COMMENTS: Have you ever realized that something you learned to survive was now holding you back? #MensMentalHealth #TraumaRecovery #SurvivalMode

2. 

   12 Oct 2026

   59 Days Alone at Sea. Then He Started Hearing Voices | Raw Minds S2 EP. 108

   PLEASE HELP ME WIN TOP HOST 2026! Raw Minds is competing for Top Host 2026, and I need your support. If you believe in real conversations, men's mental health, and giving people a voice, please take a moment to vote. VOTE FOR ERICK: https://tophost.org/2026/erick-mcmanus (https://tophost.org/2026/erick-mcmanus) Every vote matters. Thank you for helping Raw Minds reach more people. 59 DAYS ALONE AT SEA. THEN HE STARTED HEARING VOICES. What happens to your mind when you're alone in the Atlantic Ocean for 59 days? In Raw Minds Podcast Season 2, EP. 108, Erick sits down with Alan Fortuin, a former British Army captain who spent 59 days rowing solo across the Atlantic Ocean in the World's Toughest Row. After 35 years in the British Army, Alan took on an extraordinary challenge at 67 years old. He spent six years preparing for a 3,000-mile ocean crossing, despite having no previous ocean rowing experience. But nothing prepared him for what happened at sea. Violent storms. A capsized boat. Three terrifying knockdowns. Failing steering equipment. Broken satellite communications. Complete isolation. Then he started hearing voices. Alan began talking to his equipment and giving personalities to everyday objects to cope with the loneliness. His automatic steering system became a companion. A tennis ball became his Wilson. Through fear, exhaustion, uncertainty, and isolation, he continued rowing. This conversation explores men's mental health, psychological survival, resilience, discipline, aging, finding purpose, and overcoming adversity. Sometimes survival comes down to one decision. One stroke at a time. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Introduction to Alan's incredible journey 06:35 The Old See Dogs and Guide Dogs charity 07:27 Alan's military background 15:19 The desire to keep challenging himself 21:38 Planning an Atlantic rowing adventure 22:36 Six years of preparation 25:01 Training for complete isolation 27:29 Entering the World's Toughest Row 32:14 Staying motivated through setbacks 34:44 Preparing for ocean survival 45:00 The dangerous Atlantic crossing begins 49:15 Fighting to reach open water 51:45 The reality of rowing alone 53:30 Hearing voices in the Atlantic 58:00 Losing satellite communications 1:00:00 Talking to equipment to survive isolation 1:05:00 Finding encouragement from another rower 1:07:00 Surviving a capsize and violent waves 1:10:00 Dangerous encounters with massive ships CONNECT WITH ALAN FORTUIN The Old See Dogs Instagram: The Old See Dogs Facebook: The Old See Dogs Alan's Guide Dogs fundraising campaign: https://www.gofundme.com/f/in-support-of-the-guide-dogs-for-the-blind (https://www.gofundme.com/f/in-support-of-the-guide-dogs-for-the-blind) World's Toughest Row: https://www.worldstoughestrow.com/ (https://www.worldstoughestrow.com/) CONNECT WITH RAW MINDS Website: https://rawminds.ca (https://rawminds.ca/) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@rawminds (https://www.youtube.com/@rawminds) Instagram: @rawmindspodcast TikTok: @rawmindspodcast Email: rawmindspodcast@gmail.com (mailto:rawmindspodcast@gmail.com) Subscribe for real conversations about men's mental health, resilience, personal growth, and the stories that deserve to be heard. For the ones we never meet. #MensMentalHealth #OceanRowing #MentalToughness

3. 

   9 Oct 2026

   Are You Living Someone Else's Life? | Madhav Nakar on Identity | Raw Minds S2 Ep. 107

   Are you living your own life, or following beliefs you never chose? In Raw Minds Season 2 Episode 107, Erick sits down with Madhav Nakar, cybersecurity researcher and creator of The Fire of Knowing, for a raw conversation about men's mental health, identity, fear, family conditioning, and breaking the patterns that keep us stuck. Madhav explores how childhood expectations, culture, and self doubt shape the way we see ourselves. Erick shares what it took to walk away from a career in construction, overcome the fear of being on camera, and build a new life. They also discuss why success doesn't always bring happiness, why people pleasing can quietly take over your life, and how spirituality, self awareness, and daily choices can help you reconnect with yourself. What happens when you realize your beliefs, fears, and even your definition of success might belong to someone else? Can you break the patterns you've spent your entire life following? And who would you be if everything you used to define yourself disappeared? This conversation explores what it means to stop living on autopilot and start questioning the person you've become. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Are you living a life you never chose? 02:10 Meet Madhav Nakar 04:00 The Fire of Knowing and his spiritual journey 05:29 How your identity gets programmed 08:36 Family conditioning and inherited beliefs 10:15 Facing fear instead of running from it 14:01 Distractions, loneliness, and the phone trap 17:15 Why men need their own space 18:43 Why success can still leave you miserable 20:20 Confronting fear in public 22:09 The fear of being seen on camera 24:35 Vulnerability and the purpose of Raw Minds 28:12 Spirituality and enjoying the passage of time 33:23 Finding lessons across spiritual traditions 36:44 When self improvement becomes avoidance 38:23 Silent patterns and people pleasing 40:06 Who are you without money or status? 40:31 The question every man should ask CONNECT WITH MADHAV NAKAR The Fire of Knowing: https://thefireofknowing.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheFireofKnowing Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefireofknowing/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madhav-nakar/ SUPPORT RAW MINDS Vote for Erick in Top Host 2026: https://tophost.org/2026/erick-mcmanus Raw Minds Website: https://rawminds.ca Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rawmindspodcast TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rawmindspodcast Business and Guest Inquiries: rawmindspodcast@gmail.com Raw Minds is dedicated to honest conversations about men's mental health, identity, trauma, recovery, personal growth, and rebuilding your life. If this conversation makes you think of someone carrying more than they show, share it with them. Subscribe to Raw Minds and help us reach the men who need these conversations. QUESTION FOR YOU: Are you living a life you chose, or one you were taught to live? Tell us in the comments. For the ones we never meet.

Who has been a guest on Raw Minds

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Bishop Kevin Foreman
• Josh Case
• Heidi Case
• Corey Corpodian
• Hussein Hallak

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

4,657,766,114

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Spotify

4.6 / 5

18 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 89 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

95

Social presence

91

YouTube

93

Engagement

71

Contact Raw Minds

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Questions about Raw Minds