S6e17: Bernard Franklin Ph.D. – Vulnerable, Authentic Masculinity

Nationally recognized thought leader, Bernard Franklin, completed the Hoffman Process in June 2022. As Bernard shares, he was a man who had blocked his emotions, feelings, and energy, and "all of those channels were ready to explode." He was shaky. He wasn't comfortable in his own skin. And having arrived at the world's best educational institution and at the height of his career, he found himself profoundly needing something he could not yet name. He found it at the Hoffman Process. At Bernard's Process: Bernard beautifully shares a story from the first night of his Process. In the first few hours, something did not sit right with him. Old childhood memories were triggered. At that moment, Bernard spoke up from his belly. He said what he couldn't say as a child. And at this moment, he was met by his Process teacher with kindness, gentleness, and the invitation to look deeper. Bernard stayed and had a profoundly transformative experience. His story is an example of how surrender to the Process does not imply or insist on acquiescence. The recurring theme woven throughout this rich conversation with Bernard and Sharon is that of healing the wound left by a father who could not love his son in the way his son needed. Bernard takes us into the journey of healing his relationship with his father and in turn with his own masculinity. Through his Process, Bernard was able to truly embrace the reality of his parents' lives as they were, not as he'd wished they'd been. In this embrace, he found a deep and lasting compassion for both his parents. Consequently, the direction of his life's work has changed. After integrating the work of the Process, Bernard realized he must follow a new path. He is now bringing his lifetime of work and his open, vulnerable heart to what he names "our world's toughest men."  Content Warning: This episode does mention abuse and might not be suitable for all audiences. More about Bernard Franklin: Dr. Bernard Franklin is a nationally recognized thought leader on issues confronting urban trauma and violence, mental health, resilience, boys' and mens' development, and K-12 and higher education issues. His 40-year career includes leadership at five higher education institutions and a Kansas City philanthropy. In 2022, Bernard completed a Fellowship with Harvard’s Advanced Leadership Initiative focused on urban mental health research, specifically on violent and marginalized urban individuals. He is the Managing Director of Uncornered, a Boston-based organization transforming urban communities into violence-free neighborhoods. Bernard earned an MS in Counseling and Behavioral Studies from the University of South Alabama. He obtained a Ph.D. in Counseling and Higher Education Administration, with an outside emphasis in family studies from Kansas State University. Bernard earned a master's Professional Training Certificate focused on the trauma/resilience theory model of Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) from Texas Christian University. He has been a speaker, taught courses, and consulted K-12 and higher education organizations on social-emotional teaching and learning, trauma, attachment disorder, resilience, and neuroscience. Bernard served as Chaplin and a member of the NFL Kansas City Chiefs professional counseling team. He is a member of the distinguished advisory board of The Center for Law, Brain & Behavior at Harvard. Bernard is a widowed and proud father of a daughter and three sons; and has seven adorable grandchildren. Discover more about and connect with Bernard on LinkedIn. Among Bernard's many awards and honors: Bernard was twice honored among the 100 Most Influential African Americans in Kansas City (1998, 2009). The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce honored him with the Distinguished Leadership Award for contributions to...

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Love’s everyday radius is an inspiring collection of conversations with graduates of the Hoffman Process and those impacted by their ripple of change. Our aim is to highlight how the Process enhances reciprocity, gratitude, and responsibility toward the whole. The Hoffman Process is about more than individuals healing themselves. When you change yourself from within, your actions change and you become an integral part of the healing of the world through your own “everyday radius.” Podcast Host: Drew Horning | Sound Engineer: Walt Hubis | Executive Producer: Julie Daley | Podcast Music: Radius of Spirit by Walt Hubis. The Hoffman Quadrinity Process®, founded by Bob Hoffman in 1967 is a week-long residential and personal growth retreat that helps participants identify negative behaviors, moods, and ways of thinking that developed unconsciously and were conditioned in childhood. The Hoffman Process will help you become conscious of and disconnected from negative patterns of thought and behaviors on an emotional, intellectual, physical, and spiritual level in order to make significant positive changes in your life. You will learn to remove habitual ways of thinking and behaving, align with your authentic self, and respond to situations in your life from a place of conscious choice. The Hoffman Institute Foundation is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to transformative adult education, spiritual growth, and the personal dimensions of leadership. We serve a diverse population from all walks of life, including business professionals, stay-at-home parents, therapists, students, tradespeople, and those seeking clarity in all aspects of their lives.