“I Built This for the Man I Used to Be.”

Literally overnight, I lost my marriage, my kids, my family, my cushy job, and almost all my friends.
And the best part was that I’d done it to myself.

I chased validation and human connection through sex. I cheated on my wife. I abused my kids. I developed a hair-trigger rage that scared everyone, including myself. I consumed porn and alcohol and played Minecraft until 3 a.m. in a vain effort to avoid the truth I was struggling to contain:

I hated myself and my life, and I couldn’t even tell you why.

I was living someone else’s life, and I could feel myself shrinking. The spark was dying inside me, and I had no idea of what to do about it... other than to self-destruct.

I isolated myself because I didn’t know how to connect. I carried so much shame… all the time. The shame of believing I wasn’t enough. The shame of believing I was a weirdo. The shame of believing I didn’t measure up as a man. The shame of not knowing who the hell I was and yet believing I should somehow be someone else.

All the while, I pretended to be “fine.” Pretended to be happy. Pretended to have my shit together… while silently falling to pieces inside.

Over the years, I acted out my false beliefs more and more. I took advantage and disrespected my family and myself until it finally came to a head. The conclusion I secretly wanted most but couldn’t face: “Get the fuck out and don’t come back.”

I was alone. In pieces. At rock bottom. The fear was overwhelming. The shame and regret almost unbearable. I couldn’t pretend anymore. I had to face myself and the awful things I’d done… or end my story right there.

I remember thinking, “How the hell did I let it get this bad?”

The Turnaround

I leaned heavily on the last two friends in my life who hadn’t walked away. I let them see how broken I was.

I didn’t have any armor left. No mask. Nowhere to hide, and nothing left to lose. 
Just fear, guilt, and a long list of things I thought I’d never recover from.

But that’s when everything started to change.

Not because things got easier, but because I finally got honest. 
With myself. With my pain. With my bullshit. 
And I did the fucking inner work.

That work saved me. 
It gave me clarity. Strength. 
A connection to something deeper and more real than I’d ever felt before.

I realized I wasn’t weak. In fact, I’m resilient as hell. 
I’d just been very alone, even with people all around me.

I’d been afraid to show myself.

Why I Built Brothers & Kings

I built this Brotherhood because I wish it had existed when I needed it most.

Because I never want another man to sit alone in the dark, convinced that no one would understand, or that no one cares.

This is what I needed back then: 
Real connection. Real conversations. Real men walking beside me through the fire.

Not advice. Not therapy. Not someone to fix me… just someone who got it.

Now, that’s what I offer you. 
Not because I’ve figured everything out, but because I’ve walked the path. 
With help, I pulled myself out of the fire. I chose to keep going. I chose to be more and get better, and I know you can do it too.

(and that’s not some bullshit cliché, it’s hard-earned truth… and I’ll walk it with you.)

What I Believe

- I believe men deserve better. Better support, deeper relationships, and more room to breathe.
- I believe that hiding our pain is not strength, it’s suffering.
- I believe every man has a truth inside him that’s dying to be heard.
- I believe empowered men create powerful, loving legacies… in their families, their friendships, and their lives.
- I believe in Brotherhood… the kind that sharpens you, lifts you, and refuses to let you fall back asleep.

This Is for You

If you’re here, reading this, I already know something about you:

You’re ready for something deeper. 
You’re ready to stop pretending. 
You’re ready to find out what’s really possible when you strip away the bullshit and start showing up… fully, freely, and unapologetically.

That’s what Brothers & Kings is for. 
That’s why I built it.

This is your invitation. 
Take a breath. Step in. 
Let’s walk this path together.

With Strength & Love,

JONATHAN