MELD the next evolution of EVRYMAN

Living Connected Lives

Out of the work of thousands of men and the latest research – MELD evolved.

What Began in 2005 Lives On—Stronger and Deeper

A Journey Through Three Chapters of Men’s Work

In 2005, I invited eleven men into my strawbale home in Sandpoint, Idaho, and Sandpoint Men’s Group (SMG) was born. What began as a personal — almost selfish — desire to have a circle of men with whom I could be authentic, evolved into something much more. Over the next two decades, SMG grew to over 500 alumni across six active groups, sparking a grassroots movement and even a documentary.

Fueled by requests to train others, I founded EVRYMAN in 2016. We took Somaware™ — that blend of emotional physiology and research — and scaled it into a structured, powerful model. EVRYMAN enabled hundreds, and later thousands, of men, to deepen emotional connection and build resilient communities.

By late 2023, it was time to evolve again. With my core team, including Duncan Rich and Mike Sugan, I transitioned out of EVRYMAN to establish MELD (Men’s Emotional Leadership Development) in early 2024. MELD preserves and amplifies everything I developed in SMG and EVRYMAN, now restructured as the MELD Method, with extended offerings for therapists, businesses, one?on?ones, and group immersions.

Today, this is what we call Functional Men’s Work: a science-rooted, somatic, systemic approach that is not just about emotional release, but about retraining our bodies, nervous systems, and relational capacity over time. That work lives fully in MELD.

EVRYMAN’s Current Status

EVRYMAN has meant so much to so many. Over the years, countless facilitators, program leaders, advisors, and community members poured their hearts into making it a beacon for men’s emotional growth.

When Palm Venture Studio purchased EVRYMAN’s assets and made additional financial investments in the organization, it seemed that revitalization was in sight. Instead, EVRYMAN has continued to unravel: key leaders and facilitators have been let go, program offerings have been reduced, and membership options have been scaled back.

It is sad to see that what once supported thousands of men now risks fading into memory. But it is also part of the reality we are adapting to: one that informs the creation of something new.

Behind the Scenes: Duncan’s Exit from EVRYMAN

Duncan Rich, who co?founded MELD with me, wrote about his experience leaving EVRYMAN in a deeply vulnerable and authentic way. In his reflection, titled “Why I Left Evryman”, he opens a window into what was happening behind the curtain.

Reading Duncan’s words is powerful because it speaks to the emotional weight of stewardship, change, and letting go. It deepens our collective understanding of the EVRYMAN chapter and honors the human story underneath every organizational shift.

Where Appreciation Meets Invitation

Despite EVRYMAN’s transition, the appreciation for this line of work from SMG through EVRYMAN and now MELD remains vivid. Our community members frequently leave Google Reviews that reflect heartfelt gratitude, stories about how this work has saved marriages, rekindled purpose, and built lasting bonds. It is a powerful, living testament to what has been collectively built.

Looking Ahead with Possibility

So what’s next?

The MELD movement is actively embracing what EVRYMAN once offered — and growing it. We are launching a new model grounded in Functional Men’s Work: somatic, relational, measurable, and deeply transformative. We invite others — therapists, coaches, seekers, and men who lead — to discover this system and co-create its evolution.

If EVRYMAN built awareness, MELD aims to build belonging. If EVRYMAN scaled connection, MELD refines it. If EVRYMAN opened the door, MELD invites you to step deeper into a new home.

Go here for more on the evolution of EVRYMAN to MELD.

The Power of Groups

When men have an emotionally safe space — we get to be authentic.

When was the last time you had a place where you could risk being your full self? When were you not afraid that you would say the wrong thing? When were you honored for your vulnerability?

“I’m Not the Man I Want to Be.”

For a few decades, I’ve heard that phrase. The worst part is that when we come to that realization, we not only feel depressed, we feel trapped. We don’t see a way out.

I figured I could man up. Work harder, think about it more, and maybe it will change. It didn’t.

Know you’re not alone. The men who started MELD all know the despair of dead ends. In 2016, we came together to take much of what I have honed in forty years of coaching, training, and leading a new form of men’s groups. At EVRYMAN and now MELD, I have the honor of leading events that sold out and consistently exceeded men’s expectations. Men continue to contact us to share how their lives have transformed.

Here’s the secret: ultimately, all we are doing is giving men the skills and support they have never received before. A strange thing happens when a man gets from other men what he didn’t have before — he starts succeeding.