Leadership Begins Within

FORGE

Group Coaching

Frustrated with unfulfilled potential and stagnant relationships? Unlock your true capabilities and forge meaningful connections, transforming aspirations into reality with proven science and effective skills.

You’ve worked hard to get it right, to succeed, and to be happy. Yet, you come home feeling like you have yet to succeed. In Forge, we use the MELD Method to turn on your physiology to go from being stressed to being a superpower. Being told what is wrong doesn’t do it. You need tools to build what you want.

Men’s Emotional Leadership Development

MELD utilizes the latest research on stress, trauma, polyvagal theory, and attachment theory to take advantage of an untapped asset: our physiology. Rather than ignore our physiological and emotional responses, we develop the skills that make them our allies.

What Would You Do to Succeed?

If you are like us, you may resist an approach that is new to you. I get it. Transforming the life you have had for decades is a lot riskier and more complicated than choosing a new set of tires.

The MELD Method’s approach starts with the assumption that you are not broken or in need of psychological remediation. If we have learned anything from all the years of doing this, it is that the stress, trauma, and our training -- or lack of training -- brings us to the point of needing a new tactic to change our lives for the better.

Science shows us that surviving past stress and trauma trains our physiology. We survived; now we need to develop naturalistic skills that most of us were never taught. What we have found creates exponential change by applying the research on how to unpack stress and trauma in the safety of a group of peers who want to make the same changes.

You will quickly discover that you are not alone. You will see new models of how to succeed from other men who share similar challenges.

I know it is hard to believe that a group of strangers can connect deeply in a short period of time. After thirty years, I still find it hard to believe. Yet, with a set of agreed rules and some basic training, it consistently happens in every group we lead. More surprising to most of us, it becomes fun.

As the group becomes a crew of committed men, our sadness and regret from what we have missed evolve into hope and excitement. Life stops passing us by -- we are engaged in it in new ways with increased awareness and skills.

This 12-week journey designed around our innate process of sustainable change accepts each man in his recent state and guides him to a new place. The group is not a set of rules for being a man. It is a place to explore using a few basic skills to tap into your own physiology and discover what authentic connections can do to change your life. These new skills have transformed men’s relationships -- they realize what was missing, knowing how to show up as themselves.

Sustainable change from the MELT Method occurs not because you “learned” how to behave; it occurs because you embodied what you needed and left the rest.

Your collective journey parallels a team getting its mojo so that on the field, winning is second to enjoying the game. Having a crew who you feel honored to have watching your back and pushing you towards what YOU say you want will transform your life.

Are You Using Your Physiology to Your Advantage?

Enrollment is limited to keep the group small and tight.

Each week, there is a supporting lesson following the specifically-designed trajectory optimized for every man to get individual attention when needed.

Experience has taught us that assigning triad partners for support and accountability leverages engagement and results. When two men are watching your back, you get things done. You will also discover how effective your authentic support can be for another man.

After completing a questionnaire and before joining the group, you will receive a 30-minute consultation to discover if this group is a good investment.

An alchemy not used in any other group
A protocol tested for more than three decades that expedites sustainable change
Adjunct course supporting your group and personal work
A wealth of exclusive resources
A place to be yourself and to practice what you learn
One private coaching session
Emotional and relational leadership training
A journey of personal growth that has professional benefits
Discount for other MELD events
Our guarantee that the program will work

This is NOT a bootcamp where we push or confront. Nor is it a salon where you chat about current events. It is a group of men who roll up their emotional sleeves and do the work.

Your ROI

If you are like most of us, you come up with reasons why this investment is not worth your time. It might not be. But, if you want to manifest improved relationships, a fulfilling career, or a new life, you must invest in something beyond what you’ve done.

You may say, I don’t have 90 minutes in my busy schedule. I have heard that for decades. Yet, with the rare exception, the ROI was greater than hoped. Your relationship and you are worth the investment. As a bonus, our entrepreneurs see an improvement in their bottom line.

Testimonials

Sitting in a MELD group changed my life and the way that I interact with others, particularly with my clients. Having a solid group to explore my own emotions in, and practice the skills of masculine emotional intelligence, has helped me to feel much less stressed out and centered in my professional and personal life.

Joshua A. Barnes, J.D., M.S.W.

First off, do it. You will not regret it. I’ve worked with Owen Marcus for 10 years in a group setting and it simply changed my life. Today I’m the man I have always wanted to be, and he helped me see it was possible. Plus, he helped me find my own answers and why the change feel so good – it’s mine.

David Stamation, Executive Coach, COO Legacy Life Consulting

Owen is a master of leading men and helping them journey deep into their emotional selves. His ability to see and read men and help them explore their emotions is awe-inspiring. It is an honor to have sat with Owen in men’s group and larger events he has facilitated.

Bill McAuliffe - Sixth Son Coaching and Consulting LLC

Group Lead

As the Founder of the Sandpoint Men’s Group -- a network of groups that served as the foundation of EVRYMAN -- Owen brings 30 years of experience working one-on-one and in groups with men in private and professional settings, training therapists, and consulting and training Fortune 100 company staff. His MELD Method weaves in the last 50 years of research and therapeutic treatment for stress and trauma, focusing on using the body’s physiology to produce emotional change naturally and using a communal connection to train oneself in the forgotten art of connection.

Men’s Emotional Leadership Development

Beyond The Norm

Men tell us that connection and support are the biggest value they receive from the Young Presidents' Organization (YPO) and Entrepreneurs Organization (EO). Those organizations’ emotional work is the core of this group. Beyond a mastermind giving you advice, a MELD group helps you connect deeper to what you truly want and the resources buried in you to achieve those goals. You don’t need to do life alone.

Research Backed

A study published in 2024 by the American Psychological Association's journal, Psychology of Men & Masculinities, delved into the MELD Method, which originates from the men’s groups Owen Marcus started back in 2005. MELD Forge Group Coaching embodies this method.

Here are a few key research insights:

Participants reported enhanced relationship quality, marked by deeper connections and safer interactions, particularly with close partners. This led to men being more present and engaged, fostering openness in their relationships.
The facilitated groups improved emotional regulation among participants, contributing to increased positive emotions and joy.
A notable shift was observed toward prioritizing well-being and interpersonal connections over material achievements.
Participants honed their conflict resolution skills, managing disagreements with a newfound emotional acuity and connectivity.
MELD groups create a nurturing environment for men to express vulnerabilities and empathize with others, cultivating a sense of community and reshaping the concept of strength. This setting proved instrumental in challenging the prevailing stigmas associated with men seeking assistance and expressing emotions, encouraging candid discussions about personal experiences and sentiments.

Endorsements

The word got out: leading therapists recognized the power of the MELD Method that Owen Marcus developed in his living room two decades ago.

Esther Perel, the only woman ever to attend one of our events, encourages men to attend our trainings and groups.
Sue Johnson, Ph.D., the developer of Emotional Focus Therapy (EFT), said on one of our trainings, that if this work were therapy, it would be her EFT.
Richard Schwartz, the Internal Family Systems therapy developer, honored this work as another way to work with parts.
Terry Real, the couple’s therapist, encourages men to use this work.

Recognition of This Work

The original programs that we developed for EVRYMAN have been featured on The Today Show, ABC News, and NPR and have been the focus of articles in Men’s Health, Inc., and The New York Times.

This program, from the core team of EVRYMAN, builds on what we created at EVRYMAN, which initially began in the living room of a straw bale house in the forest of North Idaho. Because of the simplicity and power of the work, it continues to grow.

Leverage

Time is your most valued resource. It is best leveraged when you learn and grow through observing others and receive their support. From the beginning, men in our groups have found that some of the most potent benefits come from witnessing another man working. We think our struggles are unique to us, yet often, other men have parallel challenges where their movement moves us.

After the Group

We will support your coaching group in evolving into a peer-to-peer group. The men of MELD have been supporting groups for decades. We offer virtual and live trainings, retreats, and resources in our free membership.

Schedule a consultation with a member of our team today.

Includes:

One year of discounts on our events and products.
One free private coaching session with Owen.
Email support.
Supporting course material.

Others Have it Wrong

You do care. You want to succeed beyond your career. You want real, fulfilling connections with your family. You want to live a life of meaning.

Your “problems” are not psychological.

You never had the training to connect to your deeper feelings, let alone express them in a way that fosters connection. Nor were you shown how to use your innate physiology as a vehicle for deeper awareness and connection.

Others are quick to tell you how to be and what to do.

What would it be like to receive the training and support to develop what was your birthright? Then, how would it feel to have a place to practice that was emotionally safe and encouraging?

The MELD Forge is more than a program; it is a commitment to yourself to discover and deploy buried skills to create. And you will not do it alone, but with other committed men.

Creating a safe space to serve your deep desire for sustainable change is an honor. Our experience has shown us that your success is a co-creation -- it requires work on your part and our part. This approach has worked for most men. The free consultation helps you and us ensure that this could deliver what you want.

Click here to apply and schedule your consultation to join us. We look forward to working together.

Men’s Emotional Leadership Development