Man Up!
Self-Improvement
About
A show dedicated to helping men live out their call to authentic masculinity
Episodes
- St. Bartholomew - Jon Leonetti
Jon Leonetti joins the show to discuss St. Bartholomew in our Great Men of the Bible series.
- St. Paul - Fr. John Hollowell
Fr. John Hollowell joins the Man Up! podcast to discuss the life of St. Paul as part of their "Great Men of the Bible" series.
- St. Stephen - Mike Aquilina
Mike Aquilina is a guest on the Man Up! podcast to discuss St. Stephen as part of their "Great Men of the Bible" series.
- St. Peter - Mike Aquilina
Mike Aquilina, an expert on the Church fathers, discusses the life and legacy of St. Peter as part of the "Great Men of the Bible" series on the Man Up! podcast.
- St. Joseph - Devin Schadt
Devin Schadt, founder of the Fathers of St. Joseph, discusses St. Joseph and how listeners can follow his example in this episode of Man Up!
- John the Baptist - Br. John Barker
Br. John Barker, a Franciscan friar, joins the Man Up! podcast to discuss John the Baptist and his significance in the New Testament.
- Judas Maccabeus - Dr. Leroy Huizenga
We close out the Old Testament with Judas Maccabeus. Dr. Leroy Huizenga joins me to explore his life and the great books of Maccabees 1 & 2.
- Ezra and Nehemiah - Fr. P.J. McManus
We continue our journey through the "Great Men of the Bible" and in this episode we dive into the books of Ezra and Nehemiah with Fr. P.J. McManus.
- Journey to Faith - Ricky Stanzi - Encore Show
Iowa Catholic Radio Network Shows: - Be Not Afraid with Fr. Fabian Moncada and Fr. Bruce Riebe - Be Not Afraid in Spanish with Fr. Fabian Moncada - Catholic Women Now with Chris Magruder and Julie Nelson - Making It Personal with Bishop Wi…
- Daniel - Katie Patrizio
Katie Patrizio joins the show once more, this time to explore Daniel in our "Great Men of the Bible" series.
- Ezekiel - Dr. Andrew Swafford
Dr. Andrew Swafford joins me again, this time to highlight another great prophet of the Old Testament, Ezekiel.
- God's Plan for Men - Dr. John Bishop
Today marks the launch of the new book from Dr. John Bishop, "New Adam: God's Plan for Men". John joins me to discuss the book, why he wrote it, and how implementing God's plan for men can help to fix the problems we are facing in the worl…
- Jeremiah - Dr. Andrew Swafford
Professor of Theology at Benedictine College, Andrew Swafford, joins the show to help us dive into the life and writings of the prophet Jeremiah in our "Great Men of the Bible" series.
- 2026 Forge Men's Conference - Dr. John Bishop
The 2026 Forge Men's Conference in Des Moines will be the best one yet. The speaker line-up is truly world-class. John Bishop joins me to discuss the event and what to expect throughout the day. Sign up today at www.myforge.org.
- Josiah (2 Kings) - Mark Hart
The great Mark Hart joins me again, this time to discuss King Josiah in our "Great Men of the Bible" series.
- Solomon (1 Kings) - Katie Patrizio
Katie Patrizio joins us again, this time to dive into the intriguing life of king Solomon. He has some of the highest highs and lowest lows of any of the men we will cover, and Katie helps us to distill what we can learn from him.
- David (1 & 2 Samuel) - Mark Hart
One of my favorite Catholic speakers, Mark Hart, joins the show to discuss King David in our "Great Men of the Bible" series.
- Samuel (1 Samuel) - Fr. Chris Reising
Samuel is one of the shining lights in a dark time for Israel. Fr. Chris Reising joins me to explore his life in the book of 1 Samuel.
- Joshua and Samson - Fr. PJ McManus
Fr. PJ McManus joins me to cover the books of Joshua, Judges and Ruth. Understanding these books is paramount to understanding our own personal cycles of sin, repentance and forgiveness.
- Moses (Part 2) - Mark Giszczak
Mark Giszczak of the Augustine Institute joins me again to discuss the life of Moses in our "Great Men of the Bible" series. In the first episode we made it 7 chapters into the Book of Exodus and set the stage for Moses' mission. That leav…
- Moses (Part 1) - Mark Giszczak
Mark Giszczak of the Augustine Institute joins me to discuss the life of Moses in the first of this two part episode. Moses' life is covered four books: Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. We needed at least two episodes to explore…
- Joseph (Genesis 37-50) - Allen Hunt
Joseph is one of the most captivating men in the Bible. Great to have best-selling author and international speaker Allen Hunt join me again to discuss him in our "Great Men of the Bible" series.
- Jacob (Genesis 25-37) - Dr. Matthew Umbarger
Dr. Matthew Umbarger joins me again, this time to discuss Genesis 25-37 and the life of Jacob in our "Great Men of the Bible" series. Dr. Umbarger is a professor of theology at Newman University.
- Isaac (Genesis 22-28) - Dr. Matthew Umbarger
Dr. Matthew Umbarger, professor of theology at Newman University, joins me to discuss Genesis 22-28 and the life of Isaac in our "Great Men of the Bible" series.
- Abraham (Genesis 12-25) - Dr. Bud Marr
Dr. Bud Marr joins me to discuss the life of Abraham in our "Great Men of the Bible" series.
- Noah (Genesis 6-9) - Allen Hunt
Best-selling author and international speaker Allen Hunt joins me to discuss Noah in our "Great Men of the Bible" series.
- Creation and the Fall (Genesis 1-3) - Katie Patrizio
Before we can start exploring the lives of the great men of the Bible, it is paramount to explore the reason for our need of redemption. Katie Patrizio walks us through the first three chapters of the Bible and sets the stage for the rest…
- Great Men of the Bible Overview - Jeff Cavins
We are relaunching our "Great Men of the Bible" series. Given the success we had when we originally aired this series in 2019, we wanted to clean it up, and go through it again, but this time as its own standalone podcast series. We start,…
- The Wisdom Of The 10 Commandments - Ed Van Buskirk
Ed Van Buskirk has spent more than a decade dedicating himself to teaching others the wisdom of the Ten Commandments. Today he joins me to discuss his ministry and dive into the richness of these timeless teachings.
- What We Can Learn From Charlie Kirk
Charlie Kirk was a Christian who was not afraid to speak the truth to everyone he met. His fervor for the Gospel and evangelization were paramount to his work. There are many important lessons we can learn from his words and the life he li…
- Who Will You Become? - Fr. Ryan Duns (Part 2)
We are all called to discern our vocation in life; to discover our purpose for being here, and then to act upon that calling. In his book, "Who Will You Become", Fr. Ryan Duns of Marquette University helps to guide us through that process.
- Who Will You Become? - Fr. Ryan Duns (Part 1)
We are all called to discern our vocation in life; to discover our purpose for being here, and then to act upon that calling. In his book, "Who Will You Become", Fr. Ryan Duns of Marquette University helps to guide us through that process.
- SAINT Pier Giorgio Frassati!
Saint (!) Pier Giorgio Frassati is now officially a canonized saint of the Catholic Church. Have to spend an episode celebrating this moment by highlighting his virtues and the example of joyful Christian living he gave us.
- Longtime Friend of Pope Leo XIV - Fr. Tom McCarthy
Fr. Tom McCarthy is an Augustinian Priest in Chicago who has been friends with Pope Leo XVI for over 40 years. He gives us a great idea of the kind of man Pope Leo is, and what we can expect from the pontificate of our new Holy Father.
- Lessons From Converts
The past two interview with Skyler and Audra had many great takeaways for us to learn from. I thought it worth reflecting on those in greater detail in this episode.
- Conversion to Catholicism - Audra Wilkinson (Part 2)
Audra Wilkinson's journey to the Catholic faith is a great example of the primacy that seeking truth should have in our lives. Led by her love of Christ and her desire to know Him better, her search ultimately led her to embrace Catholicis…
- Conversion to Catholicism - Audra Wilkinson (Part 1)
Audra Wilkinson's journey to the Catholic faith is a great example of the primacy that seeking truth should have in our lives. Led by her love of Christ and her desire to know Him better, her search ultimately led her to embrace Catholicis…
- Conversion to Catholicism - Skyler Groen (Part 2)
Every convert to the Catholic faith has a unique story. Skyler Groen's journey to the Catholic Church is a powerful example of the role each of us can have in helping to bring someone to the faith.
- Conversion to Catholicism - Skyler Groen
Every convert to the Catholic faith has a unique story. Skyler Groen's journey to the Catholic Church is a powerful example of the role each of us can have in helping to bring someone to the faith.
- St. Thomas Classical Academy - Dawn Ogden & Bryan Gonzalez
Two of the fastest growing educational methods in the United States today are home-schooling and classical education. St. Thomas Classical Academy in Des Moines combines both of these, along with a strong Catholic identity to create an inc…
- The 3 Most Important Decisions In Your Life
I was invited to give a talk to a Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter a few months ago. When putting together what to communicate to them, I landed on a framework I found works for all of us regardless of our place in life.
- The Election of Pope Leo XIV - Dc. Mark Campbell
Both Deacon Mark and I are excited about the election of Pope Leo XIV and wanted to share our thoughts on the conclave, Pope Leo's election, and the first week of his pontificate.
- Medal of Honor Recipient Venerable Emil Kapaun - Fr. John Hotze
Venerable Emil Kapaun was a Catholic Chaplain in WWII and the Korean War. He received the Medal of Honor posthumously in 2013 and was just named a Venerable by Pope Francis in February of this year. Fr. John Hotze is the Episcopal Delegate…
- The Wisdom of Pope Francis
With the passing of Pope Francis, I wanted to take an episode to reflect on his wisdom on how to live the Christian life, and his example of leading with joy and compassion to bring others to Christ.
- St. Isaac Jogues
The life of St. Isaac Jogues is truly incredible. There is so much we can learn from his lived example of fortitude and dedication to his mission to evangelize.
- Man's Search for Meaning (2)
I recently read (and re-read because it was so good) Viktor Frankl's 1946 classic "Man's Search for Meaning". There is a lot we can learn from this book on how to find meaning and fulfillment in life.
- Man's Search for Meaning (1)
I recently read (and re-read because it was so good) Viktor Frankl's 1946 classic "Man's Search for Meaning". There is a lot we can learn from this book on how to find meaning and fulfillment in life.
- Man Up and the Fr. Mike Schmitz Event - Tori Flattery
My good friend Tori Flattery is the host of the "Sacrifice of Praise" podcast, and had me on last week to talk about Iowa Catholic Radio, the history of the Man Up show, and the event with Fr. Mike Schmitz in Des Moines this Wednesday.
- Journey to Faith - Ricky Stanzi
Ricky Stanzi is the University of Iowa's all-time winningest quarterback, with a 26–9 record during his time playing for the Hawkeyes. Today, he is a husband and a father of four, and his Catholic faith plays an instrumental role in guidin…
- Heroic Marriages - Series Recap
We have come to the end of our Heroic Marriages series. Today, I recap some highlights and takeaways from the great guests I had the opportunity to interview throughout this series.