We came across this video on IG the other day. Two guys talking about what actually turns boys into men and men into stronger men. Not motivational fluff, not chest-thumping. Real stuff. The stuff you feel in your gut.

Scott Galloway, who talks like your brutally honest uncle who happens to teach at NYU. Chris Williamson, the ex-club promoter turned philosopher-podcaster who has made self-development cool without making it cringe.

Different lanes. Same take. Men grow through risk. The right kinds. The kinds we avoid as adults because life gets comfortable.

And as dads, this hit a nerve. Our kids are watching how we deal with risk. Not the big dramatic stuff. The daily stuff.

Watch the Video

Why This Conversation Matters for Dads

Somewhere between your first paycheck and your first kid, life gets padded. You stop doing things that scare you a little. You play for safe decisions, safe routines, safe circles. Before you know it, you are living the same year on repeat.

Galloway and Williamson basically say: that is how men shrink.

The fix is simple. Put yourself in places that stretch you. Not crazy risk. Just uncomfortable growth.

And your kids notice. More than you think.

The Big Idea

Galloway kicks things off with a strong hit. Young men should intentionally walk into rooms where they feel outmatched. Better schools. Better jobs. Better people. Go where you are slightly unqualified and grow into the version of you who belongs there.

Williamson adds that you really are the average of the five people closest to you. Not just your friends but also the voices you let into your earbuds.

For dads, this is a quiet reminder. Kids copy what they see. If you only choose safe rooms, they will too.

The Process: The Risks That Build Men

These are the hits from the convo. Think of them as reps you can actually do.

1. Get into rooms where you feel behind

Not because you like feeling behind. Because it forces you to level up.

2. Choose high-character friends

Not rich guys. Not impressive guys. Men you genuinely admire. The kind who make you want to be better.

3. Be the person who lifts others

There is a study in the video. Turns out high school popularity was about who made others feel good, not who had the best jawline or fastest 40. Appreciation is a superpower.

4. Train confidence like a skill

Compliments. Conversations. Taking small chances. Williamson calls it evidence. Confidence comes from doing the thing a little before you feel ready.

The Sauce

A few things the video hints at, even if it does not say them outright:

  • Initiate instead of waiting for permission

  • Surround yourself with men who sharpen you

  • Use podcasts, books, mentors as your “five friends”

  • Treat relationships like training partners

These are small, repeatable acts. They build character the same way steady workouts build strength.

The Takeaway

Risk is not a one-time act. It is a muscle. It grows from small, daily decisions. Every time you choose the harder conversation, the scarier opportunity, the uncomfortable room, you build a little more confidence.

Your kids do not need you to climb Everest. They need to see you stretch. They need to see you try. They need to see you get uncomfortable on purpose.

That is how men grow. And that is how dads raise kids who are not afraid of life. Be the kind of man who keeps walking toward the hard things. Not to show off. To grow. Your kids will feel that energy. They will copy it. And that might be the most important thing you pass down.