Why do men pull back right when relationships start to matter?

In this episode, Jack reframes “fear of commitment” as what it really is: a fear of exposure, vulnerability, and failing inside of love. Drawing from attachment theory and years of therapeutic experience, he explains why closeness activates old wounds in men and why good women often trigger fear instead of comfort.

Through stories and relatable metaphors, this episode reveals why men don’t run from women — they run from the untrained version of themselves that intimacy exposes.

If you’ve ever sabotaged something you wanted as a man… or if you’ve ever loved a man who disappeared when things got real…

this episode will connect the dots.

Commitment doesn’t threaten a man’s freedom.

It threatens the version of himself he hasn’t learned how to be yet.

Listen to the full episode here!

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Every man carries something.

In this episode, Jack explores the emotional weight men silently carry — from childhood wounds and unprocessed heartbreak to pressure, expectations, and the belief that strength means handling everything alone.

Through powerful metaphors and real-world insight, Jack explains how men mistake emotional suppression for strength, how unaddressed pain shows up as shutdown or reactivity, and why carrying too much weight makes it impossible to show up consistently in love.

This episode helps men name what they’ve been holding, understand how that weight impacts their relationships, and begin learning the difference between survival and emotional mastery.

Strength isn’t about how much you can carry.

It’s about knowing when to put the axe down.

Listen to the full episode here!

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What if the reason men struggle in relationships isn’t because they’re bad men —
but because they were never trained?

In this opening episode of The Chopping Wood Podcast, Jack A. Daniels introduces the philosophy behind Chopping Wood and explains how a viral social media series turned into a movement men didn’t know they needed — and women couldn’t stop sharing.

Using the metaphor of a man standing alone in the woods with an unsharpened axe, this episode lays the foundation for masculine emotional mastery.

Jack breaks down why awareness must come before action, how emotional immaturity shows up in relationships, and why love isn’t maintained through chemistry or intention — but through preparation, presence, and consistency.

This episode sets the tone for the entire season and introduces the core framework that will guide men toward becoming emotionally grounded, intentional leaders in their relationships.

If you want warmth, you have to chop the wood.

And before you swing — you have to understand what you’re holding.

Listen to the full episode here!

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