wayne
barkus
A CALL FOR MEN READY TO RISE INTO DEEPER INTEGRITY, STRONGER LEADERSHIP, AND THE KIND OF PRESENCE THEIR RELATIONSHIPS AND LIVES DESERVE.
IT’S TIME FOR AN
INITiATION
8-Week virtual passage for committed men to receive brotherhood, challenge, support, and accountability needed to stop carrying life alone, and rise into your power.
Dear Brother,
On the outside, your life probably looks pretty solid.
You’re responsible.
You show up as best you can for your people. You work hard. You handle pressure. You’ve built a life many men would be proud of.
And yet there are parts of you that feel underdeveloped.
Emotional muscles you were never taught how to build.
Patterns you keep repeating even though you might know better.
Maybe it shows up in your relationships, and the ways she asks for more from you. The conversations you avoid.
The moments where you shut down, get defensive, or react in ways you wish you didn’t.
You feel the pressure of responsibility when you’re already at your max…
So you stay busy.
Head down, handling everything on your own instead of letting anyone see what’s actually going on inside.
For a lot of men, the old way of living looks something like this:
Powering through instead of slowing down long enough to understand what you’re actually feeling.
Avoiding hard conversations because you don’t have the tools to navigate them well.
Carrying stress alone instead of leaning on other men you trust.
Numbing out with work, weed, screens, alcohol, or distractions when things feel overwhelming.
Trying to be strong by holding everything in…
instead of building the kind of strength that allows you to face things directly.
None of these patterns make you a bad man. In many ways, they’re exactly how you learned to survive. Because most men were never shown how to grow in these areas.
But eventually the habits that helped you get this far start limiting the man you’re able to become.
Your work asks more of you.
Your relationships ask more of you.
Life itself begins asking more of you.
If you’re reading this, you’re likely standing in the moment where a man realizes he must grow beyond the version of himself that got him here.
this is the beginning of an
initiation
Men are not meant to do this work alone.
And when they try to… they usually stay stuck in the same patterns for years.
Initiation is the place where that changes.
testimonials
“Having other men who could see me clearly and check in on how I was showing up changed the way I hold myself.
When I joined Wayne’s program I was carrying a lot that I had never said out loud. I had people around me in life, but I didn’t have a place where I could actually be honest about what was going on inside.
Wayne created an environment where men could drop the armor and speak openly. There was no pressure to impress anyone. That made it possible for me to face parts of my life I had been avoiding.
What surprised me most was how quickly the brotherhood formed. I left that experience with a stronger sense of integrity and a clear direction for how I want to live.”
matt r. | austin, TX
“The space he holds allows men to be real with each other.
I walked into Wayne’s program during a time when my life felt scattered. From the first meeting it was clear that Wayne brings a level of depth and presence that sets the tone for the entire group. That honesty created a level of trust I had never experienced in a group of men before.
Through the process I started seeing where I had been avoiding responsibility in my own life. That awareness alone changed how I show up with my family and the commitments I make.
The impact of that work continues to shape my life.”
jason T. | california
This is not a men’s circle where you just talk about your feelings.
Initiation
is an 8-week structured developmental program designed to help you build the emotional strength, relational skills, and personal accountability required to grow into the next chapter of your life as a man.
Over eight weeks, you will move through a guided initiatory arc designed to:
01
02
03
challenge
your patterns
EXPAND YOUR
CAPACITY
STRENGTHEN HOW YOU SHOW UP IN YOUR RElATIONSHIP AND LIFE
This is a methodical process designed so that each week inside the program you will:
Learn
frameworks for emotional regulation and communication to apply immediately in your life.
Practice
new relational skills, developing the ability to stay present, honest, and grounded in difficult conversations.
receive
direct feedback and accountability from other committed men who are doing the same work.
work
with Wayne through exercises to confront old patterns and develop new ways of showing up.
THE SEVEN PHASES OF INITIATION
Men who go all-in on this work will experience:
Greater emotional awareness and control
so that you can respond thoughtfully instead of reacting, shutting down, or getting defensive when things get difficult.
A more regulated and resilient nervous system
allowing you to handle pressure, stress, and conflict with greater steadiness and clarity.
The ability to identify what you actually want
and the confidence to speak to your needs, desires, and boundaries with honesty in the moment.
Healthier relational patterns
moving from anger, avoidance or emotional distance toward a more secure, connected way of showing up with the people you care about.
Greater balance between work, relationships, and your own well-being
learning how to take care of yourself so you can show up fully for everything you’ve said yes to.
Stronger communication and conflict navigation skills
so that difficult conversations become opportunities for deeper connection instead of something that overwhelms you.
A circle of men who challenge you to grow
creating real brotherhood and accountability so you’re no longer trying to carry life and growth entirely on your own.
testimonials
“this was one of the most important experiences I’ve had as a man.
The environment Wayne creates allows men to feel safe enough to be fully seen. That kind of honesty is rare and it opened doors in my life that I didn’t know were closed.
What stayed with me most was the accountability that came from the brotherhood in the group. Having other men in my life who know the truth about me and check in on how I’m living has changed the standard I hold myself to.
Wayne leads this work with depth and integrity. The experience helped me reconnect with who I am and the man I want to become.”
chris l. | new zealand
“I walked away with a clearer sense of integrity and a brotherhood I didn’t know I was missing.
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I joined Wayne’s program. Sitting in a room with other men and talking honestly about life wasn’t something I had ever done before.
What I found was a group of men who were willing to tell the truth about where they were. Wayne led the room in a way that made it easy to drop the guard and actually listen to each other.
That experience changed something for me. If a man feels the pull to step into this kind of work, my advice is simple... Go.”
ryan s. | germany
how
initiation
works
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Each week you will join an interactive and experiential 90-minute live facilitated call with Wayne and the cohort of men. These sessions are the core of our work, your participation is required.
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Facilitated emotional awareness processes designed to help you identify and understand the patterns driving your reactions and behaviors.
Guided somatic practices that develop nervous system awareness and regulation tools you can use in everyday life.
Structured relational exercises that allow you to practice new communication and accountability skills in real time.
Direct facilitation and reflection from Wayne to help you 2-3 men each call move through challenges and deepen your understanding of the work as you witness and hold space for each other.
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Throughout the program you’ll be guided through somatic practices that you are encouraged and supported to continue in your own time off-call, designed to help you access and process emotions at the level of the body, not just the mind.
These experiences help men:
expand their nervous system capacity
develop tools for regulating stress and overwhelm
build a stronger connection between emotional awareness and embodied action
Many men discover that learning how to work with the body is the missing piece that allows real change to occur.
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Rather than suppressing emotions or becoming overwhelmed by them, you will build the capacity to stay present and respond intentionally.. You will learn practical nervous system regulation techniques that can be applied in real-life situations.
These tools help you:
stay grounded during conflict or pressure
move out of reactive patterns more quickly
develop greater emotional steadiness in relationships and leadership
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Early in the program you will be paired with another man in the cohort. Your accountability partner becomes someone you connect with between sessions to support each other in applying the work. Many men find this peer connection becomes one of the most powerful aspects of the program. Participation is required.
These check-ins provide:
honest reflection
encouragement when challenges arise
accountability to follow through on what you’re learning
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Growth happens faster when men stop trying to do the work alone. You will move through this process alongside a group of men who are also committed to growth.
This creates an environment where you can:
speak honestly about challenges most men keep to themselves
receive perspective and support from other men on a similar path
experience the power of accountability and shared commitment
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Each week you will receive simple reflection prompts and integration practices designed to help you apply what you’re learning in your daily life. These practices help bridge the gap between the weekly sessions and your real-world relationships, work, and decisions, because the goal is not just self-awareness, you likely have that already, it’s a lasting change in how you show up as a man.
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For men who want additional support, you have the option to add two private 1:1 coaching sessions with Wayne during the program. Many men choose this option to accelerate their progress and gain personalized insight that complements the group work.
These sessions provide dedicated space to:
explore personal challenges more deeply
receive individualized guidance and reflection
work directly with Wayne on patterns that are most relevant to your life and relationships
Initiation is not for every man.
Full engagement in the process is required.
Because real change requires participation, honesty, and a willingness to be challenged. IInitiation is designed for men who already carry responsibility in their lives and know they are capable of more.
Initiation is for men who:
Are successful or competent in their work, but know that their emotional and relational skills haven’t kept pace with the rest of their life.
Feel the pressure of being the one others rely on, and want to learn how to lead their life and relationships with greater clarity and steadiness.
Notice patterns in themselves, whether it’s avoidance, anger, shutting down, or overworking, and are ready to confront those patterns directly.
Want to communicate more honestly and confidently with their partner, family, and colleagues.
Are ready to stop carrying everything alone and experience the kind of brotherhood where men actually challenge and support each other to grow.
Are willing to take responsibility for their growth and do the work required to become a more grounded, emotionally mature man.
Initiation is not a fit for men who:
Are looking for passive inspiration rather than active participation and growth.
Want someone to fix their problems instead of taking responsibility for their own development.
Are unwilling to be honest about their patterns or receive direct feedback from other men.
Are not prepared to show up consistently for the sessions, practices, and accountability built into the program.
Curriculum
The Initiatory Arc
our developmental arc is designed to help you move from awareness to embodiment.
Each week builds on the last, guiding you through a structured process of uncovering patterns, strengthening emotional capacity, and developing a more grounded way of showing up.
Week 1 | Reveal
Integrity & Shadow
establishing the foundation: honesty.
In this first session we define what integrity actually means as a man and where you currently feel out of alignment.
You’ll identify the emotional patterns and behaviors that have shaped your reactions, relationships, and choices.
The goal is clarity: seeing yourself more honestly than you may have before.
This week includes:
establishing group agreements and accountability partnerships
shadow awareness and honest self-reflection
identifying areas of life where integrity needs to be restored
a simple breathwork practice to begin building emotional awareness
Week 2 | regulate
Emotional Awareness & Nervous System Work
Once patterns are visible, the next step is developing the capacity to stay present with them. This week focuses on emotional attunement and nervous system regulation. This is where you experience emotional regulation as a trainable skill.
You’ll learn how to recognize emotional states in the body and develop tools for staying grounded instead of reacting or shutting down.
practices includes:
guided somatic breathwork
emotional awareness processes
developing a personal regulation toolkit
integration and self-tending practices to support the nervous system in creating calm and grounded presence in your body & mind.
Week 3 | alchemy
Deeper: Sexual Shame & Shadow work
Many of the patterns that shape men’s behavior live in areas that are rarely discussed openly.
In this session we explore the role of sexual shame, secrecy, and hidden emotional patterns that influence relationships and self-perception.
This week focuses on expanding the depth of honesty within the group and creating a safe space for conversations most men have never had with other men.
Through guided discussion, emotional processing and guided practices the sexual shadow can be brought into conscious awareness. From here, you will learn how to wield your life force and free up space in the body for more embodied vitality and confidence inside and outside of the bedroom.
Week 4 | rebuild
Ethos & Self-Leadership
Once patterns are revealed, we build a stronger internal foundation.
This week we’ll actively shaping the man you are becoming, exploring the ethos and principles that define a healthy, mature man.
You will examine how language, beliefs, and identity shape behavior and begin consciously rebuilding the internal framework that guides your choices.
practices includes:
identity and language work
mirror practices and self-reflection
developing personal principles and commitments
learning how to circulate emotional energy without supression
Week 5 | embody
Capacity & Nervous System Expansion
Change happens when insight moves into the body.
This session focuses on inhabiting the body more fully and expanding your nervous system capacity to handle intensity, emotion, and pressure without collapsing
You will deepen the somatic practices introduced earlier and develop daily routines that strengthen emotional resilience and embodied presence. You’ll notice the work becoming noticeably integrated into your everyday life.
Week 6 | reclaim
Truth & Boundaries
With greater emotional awareness and capacity, the work turns toward speaking truth and claiming the life you want.
This session focuses on identifying the boundaries, conversations, and expressions that have been avoided or withheld.
Through partner exercises and guided reflection, you’ll practice naming truths clearly and directly in real time. You will also prepare questions and reflections for the upcoming women’s perspective call.
Week 7 | relate
Hearing Women’s Perspective
In this session, invited female guests join the group to answer questions and share honest perspectives about their experiences in relationships with men.
You’ll have an opportunity to practice grounded listening rather than reacting or defending. This experience often provides insights that many men have never had the opportunity to hear directly. The focus is learning how to listen with curiosity, maturity, and openness.
Week 8 | integrate
Witnessed Initiation
The final week focuses on integration.
Each man reflects on the growth that has taken place over the eight weeks and names the man he is stepping forward as. The group witnesses and acknowledges that transformation, marking the completion of the initiatory arc.
The program concludes with integration practices designed to support continued growth beyond the container.
testimonials
“That moment marked the beginning of a completely different chapter for me.
There was a moment in the process where I realized I couldn’t keep living the same way. Wayne has a way of helping you see your life clearly and the responsibility that comes with it.”
– Jordan K.
“Being in that room helped me reconnect with parts of my life that had been neglected.
“I came into Wayne’s program focused almost entirely on work. The shift brought a level of clarity and happiness that showed up quickly in my relationships and daily life.”
– Joshua N.
“One of the biggest shifts for me happened in how I show up with my kids.
Wayne’s program helped me take a deeper look at the man I was becoming. That awareness changed the standard I hold myself to as a father.”
– Brandon O.
“I’m more present at home and actually enjoying my life again.
“Running a business can pull you into constant pressure and decision making. The work with Wayne helped me reconnect with myself in a way I hadn’t felt in years.”
– Justin F.
MEET YOUR GUIDE
wayne barkus
I guide men into the leadership of their own lives, that is expected of men, but that most of us were never taught how to cultivate.
There was a time in my life where things looked good on paper. I owned a beautiful home in the suburbs, I had built and scaled a successful business, I had a wife and two kids. From the outside, it looked like I was doing what a man is supposed to do. Providing. Building. Taking care of a family.
But if you saw behind the curtain, things were falling apart.
My marriage was strained in ways I didn’t know how to deal with. Conversations would escalate or shut down completely, and instead of facing what was actually happening between us, I’d avoid it.
Work became the easiest place to hide. I could throw myself into it, stay busy, keep producing, keep moving. When I wasn’t working, there were other ways to numb out. Anything that helped me check-out instead of sitting with what was actually going on.
My friendships were mostly surface-level connection. I didn’t have any spaces where I felt I could actually be honest about what was happening for me.
And as much as I loved my kids and wanted to be a good father, the truth is I was stretched thin and constantly overwhelmed by how much was on my plate.
I remember raising my voice at my kids in a way that scared them.
And it scared me too.
That was the turning point for me.
It forced me to stop pretending everything was fine.
For the first time, I started looking honestly at the role I was playing in my own life.
Not blaming my (ex) wife, just seeing how…
I shut down when things got emotionally intense.
I avoided conversations that needed to happen.
I used work and distractions to stay busy instead of actually dealing with what was going on inside of me.
It was humbling.
And in the midst of it all I met my now partner of 10 years, Claudia, who I knew was a keeper and wanted to make sure I wasn’t going to make the same mistakes.
With her encouragement, I started seeking out spaces where men were doing this kind of work together. Actually looking at themselves honestly and challenging each other to grow.
I committed myself to the work.
I stepped into men’s organizations that were doing this kind of development seriously. I trained with and later became a lead facilitator with Sacred Sons, one of the largest men’s development organizations in the world. For years I traveled around the world helping to lead large men’s gatherings, retreats, and transformational experiences where hundreds of men came together to do this work.
Again and again I witnessed good men waking up to the realization that no one had ever actually taught them how to grow emotionally, relationally, or internally... and they needed to.
When men finally had a place to do that work in community:
Their relationships deepened.
Their communication sharpened.
Their posture got a little taller.
More opportunities came their way.
And the pressure that once deflated them, now inspired them to rise.
That’s why I created Initiation.
None of this can happen in isolation, listening to a podcast or audiobook. It happens in spaces where men are challenged, supported, and held accountable.
If you’ve read this far, there’s a good chance some part of you already knows it’s time.
Time to stop avoiding the work.
Time to stop carrying everything alone.
Time to rise into the kind of man your life is actually asking you to become.
recap + pricing
program begins april 23rd
save $200 - early bird pricing only until april 10th
when you join initiation you’ll receive:
8-week structured developmental program
Weekly 90-minute live group sessions (tH 7P CST)
Guided emotional awareness and facilitated processes
Somatic practices for nervous system regulation + capacity
Practical tools for communicating boundaries
Real-time relational exercises inside each session
Direct feedback and facilitation from Wayne
Accountability partner for weekly check-ins and support
Private group communication channel with the cohort
Weekly integration practices
Access to a committed group of men doing the work
+ optional add-on: 2 private 1:1 coaching sessions with Wayne
2x payments
$675
pay in full
$1,325
“He has a way of putting the truth right in front of you and helping you move differently from that point forward.
I didn’t grow up with mentorship. My dad mostly yelled his way through life and that was the model I inherited.
My wife had been following Wayne’s work and finally sent me one of his podcasts. He felt real & his story was so similar to mine.
Working with Wayne opened my eyes to things I hadn’t been able to see on my own. My life took a different turn and now I face things head on instead of avoiding them."
evan M. | husband
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This program is designed for men who are already carrying responsibility in their lives and know they’re capable of more. You don’t need to have prior experience with men’s work. But you do need to be willing to look at yourself honestly and participate in the process.
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No. This is a structured developmental program. There is space for real conversation, but the work is guided, facilitated, and focused on building specific skills in emotional awareness, communication, and accountability.
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That’s completely fine. Most men haven’t. You don’t need to have the language or experience yet. You’ll be guided through the process step by step. What matters is your willingness to show up and engage.
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You won’t be forced to share before you’re ready. At the same time, growth in this work comes from participation. You’ll be supported in finding your voice at your own pace, while being encouraged to step forward when it matters.
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The core commitment is:
One 90-minute live session per week
Time for your accountability partner check-ins
Time for integration practices between sessions
Most men find the time investment manageable and directly applicable to their daily lives.
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Ideally you don’t. Live participation is strongly encouraged, as the work is experiential. The intention is to make time for this to be a priority in your life. It’s only 2 weeks. However, sessions will be recorded and only shared internally within this group, but the real value comes from being present in the room. If you miss a session, you’ll still have access to your accountability partner and the group to stay connected.
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No. This is not therapy. It is a structured developmental program focused on building emotional awareness, relational skill, and personal responsibility.
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Men who fully engage in the process often experience:
More control over their reactions
Greater confidence in difficult conversations
Stronger relationships
A deeper sense of clarity and direction
The results depend on your level of participation.
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Yes. 100% Confidentiality is a core agreement within the program. Men are expected to respect the privacy of others in the container.
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I don’t think you’re actually unsure. Ask what being unsure is giving you. If something in you is resonating as you read this, that’s worth paying attention to. Most men who join reach a point where they know the way they’ve been operating is no longer enough. If that’s where you are, this work was designed for you.
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Yes. You can pay in full or choose a 3-month payment plan.
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Due to the nature of this work and the limited size of the group, all sales are final. If you have questions before enrolling, you’re encouraged to reach out and ensure this is the right fit for you.
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The 1:1 sessions are for men who want more personalized support. These sessions give you direct time with Wayne to work through specific challenges, deepen your understanding of the work, and accelerate your growth. There will be an option to add these on after you’ve registered for the program.
wayne
barkus
initiation
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what you get
curriculum
my story
recap + pricing
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