Reinventing Yourself At Any Age - How To Be Clever About It
Release Date: 06/20/2025
Imperfect by Design: The Origin of the Imperfect Men’s Club
Imperfect Mens Club
Episode Overview In this episode, Mark Aylward and Jim Gurulé rewind the clock and walk through the real origin story of the Imperfect Men’s Club Podcast. This conversation traces how two men met during a difficult, uncertain period, built trust through advocacy and shared values, and slowly turned candid conversations into a framework-driven podcast that has now lasted five years and more than 130 episodes. What started as a mix of curiosity, recovery, disagreement, and whiteboard chaos eventually became a disciplined, consistent platform focused on self-awareness, structure, and honest...
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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,...
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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,...
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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...
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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...
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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,...
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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...
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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...
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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,...
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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_outlineMark introduces the topic of reinventing yourself in the context of a personal brand. Both guys have been working on their brands. Jim is finishing up a formal effort with his brand
Mark puts his career up as a reinvention experience
Jim shares his view of how stories and brands have evolved over time and explains why he has made his recent investment of time and money working out his brand and messaging.
Contextually he explains this journey as one with three parts. The past, present and future. He talks about the work and the advisor he hired. He brings our 5 key areas of life framework
Mark brings up his method of developing his client relationships and the piece of that work that is their STORY. He says people can tell you what they do, but they struggle with who they are. He calls it self awareness and self assessment. He thinks most people don’t do this work because it’s hard
Jim shares his opinion on the value of using frameworks. He is following the structure of the LinkedIn profile and he begins to share the progress he’s making with his profile and all the messaging he has updated
Mark suggests pretending you’re going on an interview and have that conversation with yourself. Both guys share their opinions on their LinkedIn profiles starting with the headline.
Mark comments on the power of the visual imagery. Picture, smile, background, etc…. Jim agrees. Mark then says he looks for “what can this person do for me?” Mark shares more of his methodology and going “5 levels deep”.
He shares how emotional these conversations can be. Jim continues to share details of his profile updates. Both guys talk about how podcasting should be advertised and promoted more in their profiles. Mark asks Jim why he decided to invest time and money now
Jim tried it on his own and he needed the objectivity and accountability of a third party. He’s very happy with his deal and shares a bit about how they work together.
One of his biggest challenges is the number of different things he does. Jim talks about the power of words. Common language. Mark talks about his frame of reference and the importance of authenticity, being concise and being clear.
He tells about how hard this story messaging exercise is. Jim says the branding exercise also supports volunteer work as well as income driving work. Jim then shares his “about” section.
Both guys talk about the reality that this is a living piece of content, to be polished with some consistency over time.
Mark talks more about the integration of personal development with his professional self. Jim shares this as being one of the driving factors of starting the podcast. He shares more about his ideal prospects and how he is, for the first time, talking about how his dyslexic brain works to his advantage.
Mark talks more about his work. This idea that people limit and restrict themselves and his work is all about taking people deeper into areas that are less obvious to them. Frameworks and differentiation.
More self awareness talk and the framework. Mark repeats his fondness for clarity and authenticity. The guys disagree a bit about who to seek advice from. Mark adds context to his response.
He shares his “superpower” exercise and recommends it to everyone