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What did you want to be when you grew up?

Not what your parents wanted. Not what made practical sense. What did YOU want — in the quiet of your own imagination, before the world had opinions about it, before the bills arrived, before life got real?

That question hits completely different at 50-plus. Because now you have the receipts. You can look back at that younger version of yourself and actually see what he was reaching for. And then look at where you are today and ask honestly — how close did I get?

In the Season 1 finale of Man, Listen, Jamey Mixson goes all the way back to the beginning. To the kid. To the dream. And what he finds there is equal parts funny, honest, and surprisingly powerful.

Those childhood dreams were not random. They were not naive. They were data — telling you the truth about yourself before the world started editing you. The kid who wanted to be a fireman wanted to run toward the fire when everyone else ran away. The kid who wanted to be an athlete wanted excellence and the clarity of competition. The kid who wanted to be on stage wanted to be seen, to move people, to exist loudly in a world that sometimes made him feel small.

Jamey wanted to be Gary Coleman. Yes, that Gary Coleman. The Hollywood dream was real — and it led to some genuinely remarkable places, including a role as a Klingon on Star Trek, supporting cast on the legendary ER, and pickup basketball games on the lot with George Clooney, Eric LaSalle, and Ice Cube. The funest times. To this day Jamey believes Idris Elba is living his life.

But there was another dream too. The one that makes parents proud. Jamey wanted to be a medical doctor — an obstetrician, because no easy routes. He got the Chemistry degree. He became an EMT. And then, with nobody pushing and nobody insisting, he didn't finish medical school. He names that honestly. A life regret held without bitterness is still wisdom.

This episode also gets real about the parent variable — the difference a navigator makes in a young person's life, and what it means to accept what your parents couldn't give you while making sure the people behind you don't face the same gap.

And then comes the turn that makes this episode a Season 1 finale worthy of the name. When Jamey stepped into fitness professionally, something clicked. And one day he looked back at that tall kid with the long legs and the really short shorts and realized — he was doing all of those things. The performance. The science. The stage. The healing. The dreams didn't die. They got a new address.

Whatever your childhood dream was — look underneath it. The current version of your life may already be living it in disguise. And for the things that are still unfinished? It is not too late.

Season 1 is done. Season 2 is coming. And the best chapter hasn't been written yet.

Man, Listen is a weekly solo podcast hosted by Jamey Mixson — entrepreneur, fitness studio owner, and Black man living boldly after 50. New episodes every week on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and wherever you listen.

Man, Listen is written and recorded by host Jamey Mixson, Fitness Professional, entrepreneur, and your everyday awesome guy who is living as proof that 55 can be your strongest, clearest, most powerful decade yet.

New Episodes Weekly. Subscribe on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and other podcast streaming services.

Contact: Instagram @theJamey, Facebook @Jameymixson, Email: mixsonfj@gmail.com

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WTF.

If you are over 50, you already know exactly what that means. Not the internet version. The lived experience version. The one where you wake up on a Tuesday, nothing unusual happened, and you are standing in your kitchen going — what is happening right now?

In Episode 11 of Man, Listen, Jamey goes there. All the way there. Because being in this age bracket unlocks a very specific set of curiosities, frustrations, and utter disbeliefs that nobody warned you about — and the only honest response is equal parts laughter, reflection, and a little bit of WTF.

Jamey covers it all across five segments that are as real as they are funny.

The body is sending memos. Mystery pains with no origin story. The new morning routine that starts with a full systems check before your feet hit the floor. Getting up off the ground is now an event — there is planning involved, there is an exit strategy. And yes, Jamey addresses the thing every man in this bracket has either experienced, feared, or Googled at 2am. Briefly, directly, and with the dignity and humor it deserves.

The people in your life are going through it too. If there is a woman in your life navigating menopause, Jamey breaks down what your actual job is — and what it is not. Hint: the thermostat is no longer community property. And on the financial spectrum, some people made the plans and some people did not. For those looking at working until 94 — Jamey sincerely hopes they live to be 95. That is not a joke. That is the prayer.

The world keeps changing and nobody asked us. The generation coming up behind us is confusing — but Jamey applies the Gen X check immediately. We were not understood either. Our parents said the same things about us that we are tempted to say now. Curiosity over judgment is the move.

The playlist of our lives. Disco. Funk. Punk rock. Synthesized pop. Yacht rock — no apologies. And hip hop, born from necessity, that became the dominant cultural language of the entire planet. We were there for all of it. And Jamey celebrates then AND now, because music was never just entertainment. The format changed. The feeling did not.

The political weather report. Jamey is not picking sides. He is observing, questioning, and calling men back to the one thing Gen X was built for — thinking for themselves. The polarization is real. The weaponization of your outrage is also real. You are too wise to be somebody's instrument.

WTF is not a complaint. It is proof of life. A man who stopped asking WTF checked out a long time ago. You have not checked out. And that is everything.

Man, Listen is a weekly solo podcast hosted by Jamey Mixson — entrepreneur, fitness studio owner, and Black man living boldly after 50. New episodes every week on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and wherever you listen.

MUSIC Credits:

The Sun is in your eyes; by Yogic Beats. IG @yogicbeats email: yogicbeats@gmail.com

P.Y.T. remix; by Framax67 on YouTube email:af.ml.vincent@gmail.com

Man, Listen is written and recorded by host Jamey Mixson, Fitness Professional, entrepreneur, and your everyday awesome guy who is living as proof that 55 can be your strongest, clearest, most powerful decade yet.

New Episodes Weekly. Subscribe on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and other podcast streaming services.

Contact: Instagram @theJamey, Facebook @Jameymixson, Email: mixsonfj@gmail.com

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Somebody asked Jamey Mixson a simple question: What do your friends teach you? He had to stop. Because the answer was more complex, more personal, and more powerful than a quick response could hold.

In Episode 10 of Man, Listen, Jamey unpacks one of the most underexamined truths of midlife — your friendships have been a classroom your entire life, whether you signed up for the course or not. The lessons came through breakfast conversations, through watching someone handle adversity with grace, through watching someone else mishandle a Saturday night. You absorbed it all. Some of it you chose. A lot of it just happened. And at 50-plus, you finally have enough distance to look back and grade the courses.

Each One Teach One is a philosophy rooted in survival — born in slavery-era America, where learning to read was an obligation you passed on because knowledge was resistance. It evolved into a cornerstone of Black community philosophy: what you know, you share. Nobody rises alone. Today, Jamey applies that lens to friendship and asks a question most men have never considered — what is my circle actually teaching me?

Three friendship archetypes anchor this episode. The gem — the friend whose example of persistence, faith, and patience teaches more through observation than any conversation ever could. The cautionary classroom — the friend whose choices became a mirror, reflecting back exactly who Jamey refused to become and reinforcing that authenticity carries further than any performance. And the observer — the quiet one whose silence isn't absence, it's power, and whose presence changed how Jamey moves through every room.

Each story is kept universal. No names, no call-outs. Just honest reflection on what proximity to the right — and wrong — people actually does to a man over time.

And then Jamey flips the entire conversation around. Each One Teach One only works if you're also the one teaching. At this stage of life — established, still growing, still climbing — what is your circle learning from watching you live? Your life is a syllabus whether you wrote one or not.

This episode closes with a statement that captures where Man, Listen is headed: I've established who I am and what I do. Now it's about something bigger — sharing, growing, and being a good citizen of this earth.

Your circle is your curriculum. Choose your courses wisely.

Man, Listen is a weekly solo podcast hosted by Jamey Mixson — entrepreneur, fitness studio owner, and Black man living boldly after 50. New episodes every week on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and wherever you listen.

Man, Listen is written and recorded by host Jamey Mixson, Fitness Professional, entrepreneur, and your everyday awesome guy who is living as proof that 55 can be your strongest, clearest, most powerful decade yet.

New Episodes Weekly. Subscribe on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and other podcast streaming services.

Contact: Instagram @theJamey, Facebook @Jameymixson, Email: mixsonfj@gmail.com

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Man, Listen | Episode 9: The Rabbit's Revenge – Stepping Into Your Golden Era

Let's get one thing straight before we dive in: we are not talking about literal guns or violence. This is a metaphor — and a powerful one.

Think about the traditional power dynamic. The hunter has the gun. The rabbit runs. The expected outcome? Hunter wins. Rabbit loses. But what happens when the rabbit has the gun? Everything changes. The hunted becomes the hunter. The powerless claim power. The underestimated dictate the terms.

That's what this episode is about.

In Episode 9, host [Your Name] breaks down what he calls "The Rabbit's Revenge" — the moment an underdog stops running and starts stepping fully into their power. We're tired of the same recycled success stories: billionaires on yachts, trust fund kids preaching hustle culture, leadership panels full of people who inherited their seat at the table. Those aren't our stories. Most of us started as the rabbit — with no safety net, no generational wealth, no connections — just speed, grit, and the will to survive.

This episode covers the full journey: from survival mode and being hunted by systems that weren't built for you, to learning the game while dodging bullets, to the pivotal moment you realize you don't have to keep running. You can pick up the gun. Not as an act of violence — but as an act of sovereignty.

[Your Name] shares his own rabbit story — building a fitness studio from nothing, surviving COVID shutdowns, navigating an MS diagnosis after being dismissed by doctors, and launching this podcast at 55 — unapologetically, on his own terms. He also spotlights other rabbit stories: Barack Obama, his brother (Philly's best DJ), the single mother who built a six-figure business, the 50-year-old who reinvented himself after a layoff, and the artist who kept creating despite a thousand rejections.

Your golden era isn't behind you. It's right now — with all your wisdom, your battle scars, and your hard-earned power. This episode will challenge you to identify where you've been shrinking, name what "the gun" looks like in your life, and take one bold action this week to claim it.

Stop asking permission. Start shining unapologetically.

It's time for the rabbit's revenge

***Music credit: Melt by Jay808; Jaylewis302@gmail.com

@Jay80eight on Instagram

Asana by BeatbyShahed; beatbyshahed@gmail.com

Youtube channel: Beatbyshahed

Man, Listen is written and recorded by host Jamey Mixson, Fitness Professional, entrepreneur, and your everyday awesome guy who is living as proof that 55 can be your strongest, clearest, most powerful decade yet.

New Episodes Weekly. Subscribe on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and other podcast streaming services.

Contact: Instagram @theJamey, Facebook @Jameymixson, Email: mixsonfj@gmail.com

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My brother started DJing as a teenager. I remember taking him to see KRS-One when I was in college. I looked away for a second—and he was ON STAGE with the rapper. It's been an adventure like that ever since.

At the height of his career, he was crowned the Best DJ in Philadelphia. Let me tell you how big that is. Philadelphia is home to DJ Jazzy Jeff—arguably one of the greatest DJs still working today. For my brother to be crowned the best in THAT city? That's EARNED.

Fast forward. I'm visiting, and he invites me to a club where he's spinning. All night, people request songs. He almost NEVER plays them.

I'm thinking: "Why not just play their song? What's the big deal?"

Later, I asked him. He looks at me and says:

"The DJ don't take requests."

He explained: "The club owner pays me because they're confident in my ability to ensure people have a good time. For me to take all kinds of requests throws off the balance of the beats. Too many music types to just throw on there."

Years later, I get it.

In this episode, we're talking about expertise, integrity, and not letting the peanut gallery derail your purpose.

What we cover:

• Why DJs don't take requests (it's about expertise, not arrogance)
• My 15-year fitness studio journey: I don't take requests either
• Flash-in-the-pan fitness hype vs. science-based training for longevity
• Artists creating: Don't compromise your vision (Van Gogh sold ONE painting in his lifetime)
• Weight loss sabotage: Don't let others derail your commitment
• Corporate life: Don't lose yourself for the team
• Innovators who didn't take requests: Obama, Steve Jobs, Garrett Morgan
• Current divisive moment: Stand for something or fall for anything
• Owning your expertise unapologetically (don't dim your light)
• Confidence vs. arrogance: The critical difference
• When to listen vs. when to hold firm

Here's the truth:

If you've honed your knowledge and skill to the level of undeniable expertise—don't allow yourself to be questioned by people who don't know what you know.

Own your awesome. Unapologetically.

The DJ don't take requests because he was hired for his EXPERTISE. And expertise requires TRUST.

I don't take training requests because I know what WORKS after 15 years.

Artists don't take requests because they have a VISION.

And you shouldn't take requests from the peanut gallery either.

Stand for something. Trust your process. Protect your craft.

The DJ don't take requests. And neither should you.

SHOUT OUT to my brother: DJKY/ Kyne Mixson

Music credits:

Cocktail Dreams: Producer: Niclas Gustavsson

Yo Mama: Producer: @Ph3nominal_17 (on Youtube)

Follow me on IG @theJamey; Facebook/ Tiktok @JameyMixson

mixsonfj@gmail.com

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Man, Listen is written and recorded by host Jamey Mixson, Fitness Professional, entrepreneur, and your everyday awesome guy who is living as proof that 55 can be your strongest, clearest, most powerful decade yet.

New Episodes Weekly. Subscribe on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and other podcast streaming services.

Contact: Instagram @theJamey, Facebook @Jameymixson, Email: mixsonfj@gmail.com

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I was a natural athlete. Started sports at 5—baseball, basketball. By 12, I was dunking. Ran track in college. Then I saw Breaking Away and fell in love with cycling.

Fast forward 40 years.

Summer 2010: I biked across the US in 30 days. Cleveland to Manhattan Beach via Route 66. Solo. Self-funded. I lost 30 pounds that month even though I ate very well.

I felt invincible.

I came home and opened a fitness studio. Business EXPLODED. Multiple rooms, several trainers. Teaching every class, day and night.

I had NO idea I was burning the life from my body.

By 2017, my body started breaking down. Mystery pains. Doctors. Tests. Eye surgery. No answers.

A Resident Dr asked if I had HIV. No data. No merit. Being a Black man in the healthcare system can be rough.

I didn't or don't have HIV. But walking became difficult. My body hurt so badly I wondered if I should close the studio.

Finally, a spinal tap gave the answer.

Spring 2018: Multiple Sclerosis.

My first thought? "Someone as fit as ME can't have MS." My arrogance. My Superman persona. I was wrong.

One doctor said: "There's a chance you could lose the ability to walk."

That broke me.

Within months, I was on heavy medication. Could barely stay awake. Legs swollen. Doctors wanted to UP dosages. I said no. Backed off the meds. Swelling went down. Started regaining abilities. But some things were gone—tingling fingers, couldn't run anymore.

I started bi-annual infusions. Prioritized eating well, sleep, managing stress. Reopened the studio. But I was different now.

What we cover:

• Athletic journey: natural athlete to Route 66 bike trip
• Building a studio while unknowingly burning out
• The mystery illness and devastating HIV question
• MS diagnosis Spring 2018: fear of losing mobility
• Death of Superman: giving up the invincible persona
• Scars you can't see: invisible disability
• Teaching clients to let go of who they were 30 years ago
• Training smart vs. ego lifting
• The evolution: At 25 I ran through the wall, at 35 I scaled it, at 55 I maneuver around it
• Practical wisdom: strength training, mobility, recovery, inflammation
• Listening to your body BEFORE it forces you

Here's the truth:

I see clients—mostly men—holding on to whoever they were 30 years ago. That guy is GONE.

My teaching: Embrace the current version. Make it the VERY BEST it can be TODAY.

We don't ego lift. Throwing your back out wasn't part of the plan. We train smart. Still intense. But for the LONG HAUL.

Your body keeps score. Every mile. Every rep. Every time you push through pain. Every night you don't sleep.

Your body keeps a ledger. Eventually, it comes to collect.

I ignored the signs for years. Almost cost me my ability to walk.

Don't be me. Listen to your body. Train smart. Let go of who you were.

At 25, I ran THROUGH the wall. At 35, I SCALED it. At 55, I MANEUVER AROUND it.

That's not defeat. That's EVOLUTION.

*This episode might save you from what I went through. Share with someone chasing their 25-year-old self. Leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

Man, Listen is written and recorded by host Jamey Mixson, Fitness Professional, entrepreneur, and your everyday awesome guy who is living as proof that 55 can be your strongest, clearest, most powerful decade yet.

New Episodes Weekly. Subscribe on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and other podcast streaming services.

Contact: Instagram @theJamey, Facebook @Jameymixson, Email: mixsonfj@gmail.com

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There's a phrase I use. Not just with my kids—who are grown now, ages 22 and 35—but with anyone who forgets that respect is non-negotiable.

When they confuse closeness with permission to talk to me any kind of way.

"I'm not your little friend."

I am not someone you get to disrespect, belittling, or talk down to.

In this episode, we're talking about the wisdom, the sanity, the absolute necessity of protecting your peace and demanding respect—in EVERY relationship you have.

My reality: I'm 55. My daughters are 22 and 35. My oldest has three kids—my grandchildren, ages 16, 13, and 10. As a parent of grown children and a grandfather, I've learned something crucial:

We don't always agree. We have different opinions on parenting, on life choices, on how things should be done. None of that negates the love and admiration I have for my daughters.

You can love someone deeply AND refuse to be talked down to. You can disagree with someone completely AND still demand they speak to you with respect.

This principle applies everywhere:

At work - You and your coworkers won't always see eye to eye. But you will not be talked down to or demeaned in any way. Respect me as I respect you. Or we may have a different set of problems.

In friendships - Where people sometimes overstep and assume familiarity gives them permission to be rude.

In romantic relationships - Where conflict is inevitable but disrespect is optional.

In every area of life - Where human beings interact and boundaries get tested.

What we cover in this episode:

• The family foundation: navigating grown daughters, co-parenting dynamics, and grandparent perspectives
• Why "disagreement is fine, disrespect is not" is the foundational principle
• At work: How to handle coworkers who talk down to you or demean you
• In friendships: When jokes cross the line and familiarity becomes disrespect
• In romantic relationships: Conflict without contempt
• With strangers and acquaintances: Setting boundaries when people assume familiarity
• The wisdom, sanity, and necessity of protecting your peace (it's not optional)
• Why respect is the baseline, not a bonus
• How to demand respect without being an asshole (8 practical strategies)
• The difference between disagreement and disrespect (and why it matters)
• When to walk away from people who won't respect your boundaries

Here's the truth:

We aren't always gonna agree. But you WILL respect me as I respect you.

Or we may have a different set of problems.

That's not a threat. It's a boundary.

This episode is about:

• Knowing your worth at any age
• Refusing to tolerate disrespect even from people you love
• The courage to have uncomfortable conversations
• Protecting your mental health by demanding respect
• Walking away when necessary—even from family, friends, or jobs

You can love deeply and maintain boundaries. You can disagree and demand respect. You can be kind and refuse to be a doormat.

I'm not your little friend. Neither are you to anyone who thinks they can disrespect you.

Tune in. Set your boundaries. Protect your peace.

MUSIC CREDITS: B

Man, Listen is written and recorded by host Jamey Mixson, Fitness Professional, entrepreneur, and your everyday awesome guy who is living as proof that 55 can be your strongest, clearest, most powerful decade yet.

New Episodes Weekly. Subscribe on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and other podcast streaming services.

Contact: Instagram @theJamey, Facebook @Jameymixson, Email: mixsonfj@gmail.com

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I'm recording this in January 2026.

There are monks walking for peace across the country right now. At the same time, we're watching institutions fracture, financial markets swing wildly, political chaos.

It feels like the ground is shifting under our feet.

A lot of people freeze. They wait for things to "go back to normal." They hold their breath, hoping someone else fixes it.

Here's what I've learned at 55, after building a business, surviving a pandemic that nearly destroyed it, and navigating constant economic uncertainty:

You can't control the chaos. You CAN control your purpose.

There's a Japanese concept called ikigai—"a reason for being."

• What do you LOVE?
• What are you GOOD at?
• What does the world NEED?
• What can you be PAID for?

Your ikigai lives where all four overlap. In midlife, especially in uncertain times, it's not abstract philosophy—it's the most practical, urgent question you'll ever ask yourself.

March 2020. COVID hit. My fitness studio sat empty. Revenue evaporating. I had to ask: "If this all goes away, who am I? What am I actually doing this for?"

That crisis forced me to reframe everything. The studio was PART of my ikigai, but not all of it. What I loved was helping people reclaim vitality. What I was good at was coaching and teaching. What the world needed was honest guidance on living well. What I could be paid for was expanding beyond one physical space.

I adapted. I survived. I evolved.

Now, launching this podcast at 55 in 2025 while the world feels uncertain? It's ikigai in action.

In this episode:

• What ikigai is and why it matters MORE in uncertain times
• The four circles framework: mapping what you love, what you're good at, what the world needs, what you can be paid for
• Why midlife is actually PERFECT for ikigai exploration (perspective, resources, courage, urgency)
• My COVID moment: when everything collapsed and I was forced to reassess
• Why now is the time to build skills, knowledge, and abilities that can't be taken away
• The "AND not OR" approach: you don't have to blow up your life to find purpose
• How to audit your current life against ikigai principles
• Small pivots vs. complete reinvention
• Legacy thinking: what do you want to matter when you're 85?
• Practical steps to move toward alignment this week

Truth bomb:

Jobs can disappear. Companies can fail. Markets can crash. Institutions can crumble.

Your SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, ABILITIES? Those can't be taken from you.

This episode isn't about waiting for the world to stabilize. It's about building something YOU control—purpose, value, reason for being—even when everything else is shaking.

You can control:

• What you're learning
• What you're building
• What skills you're sharpening
• What value you're creating
• What purpose you're serving

The monks are walking for peace. Governments are creating chaos.

You can't control that, you can control THIS.

Your ikigai is waiting for you to claim it.

Music Credits

Doug Hanson; Electric Relaxation (cover) doughansonmusic@gmail.com

Kevin White; Frontin (cover) @Revkevwhite on IG

Emmanuel Yohan Lazarr

Man, Listen is written and recorded by host Jamey Mixson, Fitness Professional, entrepreneur, and your everyday awesome guy who is living as proof that 55 can be your strongest, clearest, most powerful decade yet.

New Episodes Weekly. Subscribe on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and other podcast streaming services.

Contact: Instagram @theJamey, Facebook @Jameymixson, Email: mixsonfj@gmail.com

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