EP 13: This One’s for the Boys Back Home – A Raw Talk on Newfoundland, Military Life & Manhood - w/ Rodney Pollard

In this episode, I sit down with my brother Rodney Pollard—a fellow Newfoundlander, veteran, and deep feeler—for a wide-ranging conversation about growing up on the island, serving in the military, and finding meaning after it all. We reflect on what it means to leave home at 18 to serve, to experience culture shock, to be toughened and hardened by systems not designed to nurture boys into men—but also how we’ve come to reclaim a softer, stronger identity through years of self-work. It’s raw. It’s real. It’s two men getting honest about their pasts—and what we still carry today.

💬 What We Explore in This Episode:

Growing up in small-town Newfoundland & what "home" really means

The pull of the military—and what happens after the uniform Culture shock, bullying, and the weight of unspoken emotions

The lost art of community and learning through hardship

Masculinity: The Hunter vs. the Farmer Archetype

Why it’s so rare for men to have both loyalty and emotional support

Our own shame, growth, and moments we wish we handled differently

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🎧 Watch & Listen Here: ▶️YouTube 🎧Spotify 🍏Apple 🌎Podbean 👍Facebook @newfoundawakening

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📢 I don’t have a guest contact link for this one—but what I do have is an ask. If something in this conversation moved you, stuck with you, or reminded you of someone—share it. T

his podcast isn’t just about content. It’s about connection. It’s about reaching someone who might need to hear a story like this—someone from back home in Newfoundland, someone serving now, someone quietly carrying something heavy.

So drop a comment.

Tap the heart.

Pass it along. Say, “Hey, I listened to this today, and it made me think of you.” Because you never know how much that small action could mean.

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📢 If this moved something in you—don’t keep it to yourself. Send it to a friend. Share it with a brother. Tag someone who needs to hear this. That’s how we keep the real conversations going.

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