Resources

For men who want to start their own walk but aren’t sure how to begin, we’re including all the information you need below.

Also, before you read all this stuff, you may want to check out our FAQ page.

Just so you know, Walking Talking Men is less than a year old. Only this week, we received national coverage on NBC News this week (July 31). What this means is, for 99.999% of men, there won’t be a walk in your neighborhood unless you resolve to start one. We started one and we LOVE our walks and the guys we’ve got now as friends. But know that Walking Talking Men is just a few of us working out of our kitchens. That said, we’re happy to do all we can to support your walk.

If you’re starting a walk where you are, please fill out our walk leader form and we’ll add you to our walks list. When you fill out this form you’ll get additional contact information for us.

Want to talk to one of us? Got questions? Email Mark Greene or Ben Trustman.

STEP 1: Publish an introductory social media post to reach the men in your area.

The below is a template used by many of our men to craft an initial post for their walks. Use the below and modify as you need!

My name is _______ I’ve been living in ____ for ___ years. I’ve decided to see if men would like to walk and talk once a week locally. This is brand new. Just starting now.

My purpose is twofold:

1) To give men a non judgmental space to talk about what’s going on for us.

2) To open the door to a community of local friendships with men in a world that often makes that difficult to find/maintain.

Please note, this is not a religious or politically affiliated group.

Here’s why this matters. Cigna and other major organizations regularly share research confirming that over 50% of people in the US feel “sometimes or always alone.” Such levels of isolation can have health impacts equal to smoking. Lonely people face higher levels of heart disease, neurodegenerative disease, diabetes, cancer and so on. Many men struggle with loneliness even as we are busy working, caring for our kids, dealing with the daily demands of life. But research shows that men with a robust circle of friendships live longer healthier lives, have better marriages/relationships, feel more optimistic and are more successful in our personal and professional lives.

Cigna research: https://newsroom.thecignagroup.com/loneliness-in-america

Although I have some sense of how these talks might begin, the conversations will go where they go depending on the needs of each man. We’re going to do a test run first with five men. Men of any age are welcome to join us. I am ____ years of age. My name is ____.

Rules:

No politics
Be yourself
Respect confidentiality

The rules we use on our walks are meant to help us dial down to the personal and talk about what’s going on for us in our own lives. They are not absolute. They are guidelines.

Disclaimer: Walking Talking Men is not therapy and we are not therapists. We are not doing coaching. We are not doing men’s work. We are simply sharing information about how we are creating real, lasting, local friendships for men in our neighborhood. That’s it.

If you’d like to join us on a walk, send me an email to ______________________ with why this idea appeals to you. I’ll respond to all emails. I look forward to hearing from you.

STEP 2: Respond to Emails

You’ll get emails from guys who are interested. Use that email list to figure out the best time, and set your location!

STEP 3: Walk!

Lace up and get going!

Remember, if you have any questions as you get started, we’re always here to help. Just drop us an email!

If you are a man in crisis, please reach out to a local mental health professional.