Our Flywheel of Life – Jim’s Story (Part 3 of the Framework Series)
Imperfect Mens Club
Episode Summary In this episode of the Imperfect Men’s Club Podcast, Mark Aylward turns the Flywheel of Life back toward co-host Jim Gurulé. This conversation completes the third installment of a multi-part series exploring the IMC framework and how the five interconnected areas of life shape who we become. Using the Flywheel as a guide, Jim walks through his worldview, childhood influences, relationships, money mindset, well-being, and life’s work. The discussion is honest, reflective, and grounded in lived experience—touching on neurodivergence, masculinity, discipline, money beliefs,...
info_outline
Self-Awareness: How Men Become Who They Actually Are
Imperfect Mens Club
Season 5 | Episode 2 A Conversation with Mark Aylward: Frameworks, Identity, and the Work of Becoming Self-Aware Episode Overview In this second episode of a three-part Season 5 series, Mark Aylward takes the guest seat as co-host Jim Gurulé interviews him on his background, lived experience, and the frameworks that underpin the Imperfect Men’s Club philosophy. The conversation revisits the origins of the IMC framework, often referred to as the Wheel of Life or Flywheel, and explores how self-awareness, subconscious belief systems, and life domains like money, relationships, ideology,...
info_outline
Why Self-Awareness Comes First In Our Flywheel Framework
Imperfect Mens Club
Episode: The Framework, the Flywheel, and What’s Coming in 2026 (Part 1 of 3) Episode Overview In this first episode of a three-part series, Mark Aylward and Jim Gurulé lay out what’s coming for Imperfect Men’s Club in 2026 and revisit the core framework that has guided the podcast from the beginning. This episode is about structure. Not the soul-crushing kind, but the kind that helps men organize the noise of life, identity, work, and relationships into something usable. Mark and Jim unpack their “Wheel of Life” framework, also called the flywheel, and explain why it matters more...
info_outline
Motivation is emotional - Self discipline is reliable
Imperfect Mens Club
Season 5, Episode 1: Self-Discipline The bridge between who you say you want to be and what you actually do. Mark and Jim kick off Season 5 by doing what they always do best: questioning the stuff we’re supposed to accept, leaning on lived experience, and dragging timeless wisdom into the present. This episode centers on self-discipline, inspired by the teachings of Jim Rohn, and explores why motivation fails but structure, identity, and self-respect don’t. Core Themes & Takeaways 1. Why Goals and Resolutions Fail Roughly 95% of people abandon resolutions by February. The...
info_outline
The Year-End Reset 2025 Inventory - 2026 Intentions
Imperfect Mens Club
Episode 48 Show Notes Imperfect Men’s Club Podcast Recording date: December 17, 2025 Hosts: Mark and Jim Overview Mark and Jim close out the year by doing what emotionally mature men do in public: taking inventory. They reflect on what shifted in 2025 (in big, practical categories) and then cautiously speculate on what 2026 might demand, especially around AI, personal brand, and how you spend your finite supply of time, energy, and money. Big Themes from the Episode 1) 2025: The Year AI Got Personal AI stopped being “a tech thing” and became part of everyday life for normal,...
info_outline
Your Story Matters - Understanding the Self Through the Stories of Our Fathers
Imperfect Mens Club
Summary In this episode of the Imperfect Men’s Club Podcast, Mark and Jim use the anniversary of Jim’s father’s passing to explore legacy, fatherhood, and the quiet ways men leave an impact. Jim walks through a timeline of his dad’s 29,352 days on earth, overlaying major world and U.S. events with his father’s life story, and connects it all back to the Imperfect Men’s Club framework. Mark shares stories about his own 97-year-old father, the gratitude that comes from growing up poor, and the urgency of capturing our parents’ stories while we still can. Together, they reflect on...
info_outline
Nothing Lasts Forever - What Men Get Wrong About Change
Imperfect Mens Club
Episode Overview In this episode of the Imperfect Men’s Club Podcast, Mark and Jim dive into the idea of impermanence: the simple, uncomfortable truth that nothing lasts forever. From aging bodies and shifting emotions to football seasons, jobs, relationships, and AI shaking up the world, they unpack how “everything comes to an end” can be either terrifying… or freeing. They use their five-part framework (career, health, worldview, relationships, money) to explore how men can respond to constant change with awareness, humility, and a little more presence in the moment. In This...
info_outline
Holidays - Why “More People, More Problems” Is a Thing
Imperfect Mens Club
Episode 45 · Family Dynamics, Holidays & “More People, More Problems” In this episode of the Imperfect Men’s Club, Mark and Jim talk about the chaos, comedy, and emotional landmines of family gatherings during the holidays, especially Thanksgiving. They unpack why every family is “messed up in its own special way,” how that shows up around the table, and what men can actually do about it instead of just bracing for impact. They walk through a simple framework for understanding family dynamics and layer it over real stories: aging parents, kids scattered across the country,...
info_outline
Rewiring Self-Belief: What Neuroscience Says About Limiting Beliefs
Imperfect Mens Club
Overview In this episode, Mark and Jim dive into the neuroscience of limiting beliefs and how these old, deeply embedded mental patterns quietly steer a man’s confidence, ambition, and ability to grow. Through stories, personal revelations, and decades of lived experience, they break down why these beliefs form, why they stick, and how men can finally start replacing them with something far more empowering. This one sits right at the center of the Imperfect Men’s Club flywheel: the intersection of mental health, worldview, relationships, profession, and money. Key Themes 1. The Five...
info_outline
Self Discipline - A Stoic View of Imperfection
Imperfect Mens Club
Episode 43: Self Discipline. A Stoic View of Imperfection Summary In this episode, Mark and Jim explore self-discipline through the lens of Stoic philosophy. They unpack five timeless rules that still hold up in a world full of distractions, dopamine hits, and excuses. The conversation spans modern habits, mental toughness, guilt, accountability, voluntary discomfort, and the deeper connection between self-awareness, self-trust, and real personal growth. The core message: self-discipline isn’t perfection. It’s the small, unglamorous, repeatable reps you keep showing up for. What We...
info_outlineMark introduces the episode and reflects on the “pregame” discussion with Jim. Jim is giving a speech in a few days to a group or around 60 to 80 college students at San Jose State in the dept of Design and construction and he wants to give them career advice and life advice to help them with the transition from school to life
Jim brings the wheel into play and shares some context for his upcoming talk. Who the audience is and the topics to be discussed
Jim expands upon the idea of the letter he recommends students write or could write to be read later in life
Jim starts to talk about the types of advice that might be helpful to this audience
His first tip is mentorship. One of Mark’s favorite topics
90% of life is jus showing up - Jim goes into great detail about what showing up means. On time, all the time and prepared with a great attitude. That is hard to do
Mark loves the simplicity of it. He asks Jim to clarify who is writing the letter to whom. Two audiences. The elder to the 21 year old and the 21 year old to himself
Jim likes the question. He thinks it’s both too
Jim says it’s both what you “should” do, but also what you “should not” do. He wants to be cautious with giving advice. Sending kids down the wrong path…so he chooses to give wisdom instead of advice
Mark chimes in in agreement. He says advice is more likely to be presumptuous and wisdom is timeless. He cites how effective experience and stories are more so than advice. He specifically speaks to people about crafting their own stories before engaging the market
Jim shares his opinion about preparing kids for socialism and then releasing them in to capitalism…and wonder why they fail
He then brings up being American first. He says anything is possible if you show up as a working American. America is a meritocracy, not a bunch of identity groups. Just be good at something
Mark wishes he could attend Jim’s an event as a fly on the wall
Mark reflects on a do-over. Find out how to work hard and then spend the rest of your life learning how to work smarter. More efficiently and delegation of things you don’t like and don ’t do well
Jim brings in some quotes
“Success is a combo of hard work, showing up and luck”
If you don’t show up…nothing will happen
People like to help people, but you need to be “referable”
Mark shares how he found his mentor…by being referable
What is referable - dependable, punctual, productive, trustworthy…
Jim says at 21 all you have is your potential. Mark’s mentor saw his potential and Mark was willing to follow his mentor’s advice’
Jim clarifies that Marks mentorship was a win for all parties. Mark learned and progressed and his mentor made a lot of money
Ark says, no one is entitled to anything
‘Im says, give yourself permission
Jim’s quote - “The harder I work, the luckier I get”
Mark loves the simplicity
Einstein - Life is an illusion. It’s all perspective
Mark says you can create your own luck…by responding well to what happens to you
Don’t blame. Get better
Mark loves the quotes. He brings in the notion of time and how we have no notion of time when he was young. Now time is a an extremely valuable asset. Hindsight is 20-20
Jim says we had time in our youth…and now we’re running out of time
Life is a marathon. Small incremental change over time
Jim speaks of self awareness. You don’t know everything…you don’t know much. “We are all actors in this movie called life…)
Mark jokes about Candid Camera. Jim thinks we all have a default movie genre. Romance, comedy, thriller, etc…
Mark says his is comedy, but comedy is not always appropriate.
Jm talks about being identified as from the Northeast because of what he looks like. Mark says he is also direct unlike most Californians
Jim talks about the influence that “Rocky” had on him as a kid
Jim says in life it’s often not what you do…it’s what you don’t do He talks about working things out as a kid with his fists and how that does n’t serve you as you age
“Never accept criticism from anyone from whom you would not seek advice”
Mark says not to allow strangers to get under your skin. “What the fuck do I care what you think of me?”
Jim wants his audience to Get at least one good takeaway
Be careful with the advice you give out to young people
Be the best version of yourself
All comparison leads to misery
Mark agrees and has fallen back on observations and reflections and telling stories instead of telling people what to do. Stories prompt reflection and critical thought
The power of a third party story