The backdrop…
Hidden beneath a thin facade of stoicism lies a silent plea for change. Our culture of masculinity has become a labyrinth of expectations that trap and suffocate the souls of men and boys. In the relentless pursuit to prove ourselves as man enough, we have forgotten that strength is not found in the absence of emotion, but in the courage to own it. As male suicide rates soar and violence shatters lives, men across Australia are coming to terms with the fact that this is our problem to solve. It is up to us as men to redefine what a ‘good bloke’ is. To take responsibility for our emotional lives and to hold each other accountable to a better way of being.
The Good Blokes Co Story…
After 15 years as a clinician, supporting individuals mental health, Mike Dyson, founded Good Blokes Co to transform his passion for men’s wellbeing into tangible action towards culture change.
In 2015, Mike, facilitated his first father and son rite of passage camp. Guiding a group of young men to explore adulthood through challenge, play and fireside conversation. The impact on young men (and surprisingly their fathers) was profound. And Good Blokes Co was born…
As the demand for conversations about masculinity exploded, the Good Blokes Co team found themselves facilitating conversations in workplaces, delivering workshops to high school boys, designing programs for schools, running parent workshops in addition to the core business of men’s leadership retreats, father & son, and mother & son camps.
Over that decade the landscape changed rapidly. The demand for the work grew so rapidly that the team had to make some very difficult choices on the capacity to deliver a raft of different programs. Sadly, some of the popular general public programs are no longer available as the team pivoted to prioritise the most impactful opportunities to influence culture.
Now, Good Blokes Co supports:
Workplaces. We give teams a deeper understanding of masculinity and a framework of human centred leadership skills to empower all to contribute to a thriving culture.
Schools. We support schools to get boys and young men enthusiastic about wellbeing, respect, accountability and leadership through teacher professional development trainings; collaborative program design; and parent talks. We help schools to create programs that transform culture and give young men the skills they need to thrive in a modern world.
Men. For blokes who seek to drive cultural change, Good Blokes Co is a training ground and a community of mutual support. Our courses equip men with the skills to lead change in their communities, workplaces and families and to create events that bring men together for honest conversations about manhood.
About Mike Dyson
Good Blokes Co founder, Mike Dyson has 15 years experience as a complementary medicine practitioner supporting individual’s mental health and wellbeing.
Over the last decade, Mike has led tens of thousands of conversations with groups of men and boys across Australia: in workplaces and schools, on men’s leadership retreats and father & son camps, and on rites of passage programs for young men. These conversations have given him a rare glimpse behind the mask of masculinity and a unique perspective on how culture shapes men’s and boy’s wellbeing and behaviour.
He has also worked extensively in suicide prevention delivering safeTALK suicide alertness trainings and facilitating mental health leadership programs for young leaders.
Mike is a dedicated husband of 25 years, a proud father of two amazing young women, and a lover of the great outdoors. Mike loves nothing more than yarning about manhood and masculinity, so if you have a question, please get in touch.