We Take the Stairs Podcast

Kyle didn't know he was a king who forgot his kingdom. Depression at 14. Near-suicide. Years of rejection, numbness, and false identity. In this conversation, he unpacks the root problem men won't admit they have.

FULL SUMMARY:

What is the main problem men are facing today? For Kyle, the answer cuts deeper than surface-level symptoms. It's not just the passivity. Not just the fear. It's an identity crisis — and it's been engineered.

Kyle opens up about a decade-long battle with depression that started at 14, years of rejection in work and relationships, and the moments he...

Episode Summary

We ask one question to every man who sits down with us: What is the biggest problem men are facing today?

For Chris — young adults pastor, filmmaker, and man of faith — the answer was precise: Commitment paralysis. Too many options. Not enough formation. And a generation of men who were shaped by culture, media, and social media into believing that the next option is always better than the one in front of them — in relationships, in work, and in life.

What follows is one of the most practically honest and spiritually ground...

We ask one question to every man who sits across from us: What is the most challenging thing men are facing in society today?

For Sebastian — life coach, entrepreneur, husband, and new father — the answer was sharp and immediate: Men are afraid of conflict. Not conflict in the explosive sense. Conflict in the daily sense. The conversation they won't have. The boundary they won't set. The truth they won't say out loud. And in avoiding it, men create a slow-burning disaster in their marriages, their work, their identity, and their homes.

What follows is one of t...

We ask one question to every man who sits across from us: What is the main problem men are facing in society based on your experience and perspective?

For Joe — fitness trainer, founder of the Dead Ego Club, and a man who once had his entire identity built on a music career and other people's applause — the answer was immediate: Identity. Men have become human doers instead of human beings. They hide behind their job title, their income, their performance — and in doing so, they slowly lose themselves entirely.

What unfolds in this episode is one of...

Episode Summary

We ask one question to every man who sits across from us: What is the main problem men are facing in society based on your experience and perspective?For Parker — inventor, pirate, author, and man who once stood at the edge of ending his life — the answer was immediate:

Apathy.

And the antidote isn't motivation, discipline, or a better morning routine. It's curiosity. A fire in a man's heart that refuses to stop asking, seeking, and pushing toward something worth finding.What unfolds is one of the most imaginative, honest, and unex...

Episode Summary

We ask one question to every man who sits across from us: What is the main problem men are facing in society based on your experience and perspective?

For Gio — A man of faith and someone who has walked through the fire of identity confusion, addiction, broken homes, and performance-based living — the answer came immediately: Men don't understand their value and their identity.

What follows is one of the most honest, emotionally rich conversations We Take the Stairs has ever had. Gio doesn't lecture. He testifies. From a 13-year-old boy with drug...

Episode Summary

We're asking one question to as many men as we can: What is the main problem men are facing in society based on your experience?

Season three opens with a conversation that's been building since the very first episode. Rachael, mom of two teenage boys and host of We Take the Stairs, sits down with Jackson and guest Kenny — a man of faith, combat sports enthusiast, and someone who has made it his mission to do life with other men — to ask the question she's been circling for years: Why are men walking away...

Episode Summary

We're asking one question to as many men as we can: What is the main problem men are facing in society based on your experience?

In our first episode, hosts Jackson and Rachael sit down with Jeremy — South Florida filmmaker, entrepreneur, and man of faith — and his answer cuts straight to the bone: pride, procrastination, and lust. What follows is one of the most honest conversations you'll hear a man have on camera. This isn't a shame spiral. It's a roadmap.

Guest Jeremy — Filmmaker and owner of a production compan...

Episode Description

What do you feel in the moment someone shoots you? For Pablo, it wasn't fear or rage — it was love and understanding. In this raw, unfiltered episode of Let's Break Bread, Rachel and Jackson sit down with Pablo, a young man whose life was shattered — and rebuilt — in ways he never could have planned.
Paralyzed from the chest down at 22 after being shot by someone he was trying to help, Pablo shares a journey that spans rebellion, estrangement, the cannabis industry, Colombia, psychosis, and an unexpected encounter with the Holy Spirit that changed everything.
T...

In this episode of We Take the Stairs, the conversation gets real about something almost everyone has experienced — but few know how to fix:

The breakdown of communication between men and women.

Why is it that when things get hard…
men tend to go quiet —
and women feel like they have to get louder just to be heard?

This episode unpacks the emotional and psychological patterns behind that disconnect, revealing how both men and women are often reacting to the same core need:

to feel understood, respected, and safe.

<...

In this episode of We Take the Stairs, Rachel, Dusty, and Jackson dive into a challenging and often avoided conversation:

Why are more men returning to the church — while many women are stepping away?

Starting with a controversial passage from 1 Timothy 2:11–15, the conversation explores how scripture is often misunderstood, taken out of context, and used in ways that push people — especially women — away from faith.

But this episode goes deeper than theology.

It unpacks the real tension between modern culture and biblical design, including:

The struggle modern women feel with wor...

In this episode of We Take the Stairs, Rachael, Dusty, and Jackson explore a topic that’s becoming increasingly visible in modern faith communities: men returning to church in large numbers while many women are stepping away.

The conversation begins with a challenging scripture from 1 Timothy 2:11–15, which instructs women to learn quietly and not assume authority over men. For many modern women, this verse can feel difficult or even offensive — but when understood in historical and biblical context, it opens a deeper discussion about leadership, submission, and the roles of men and women in faith and family.
<...

What happens when trauma meets love?

In this episode of We Take the Stairs, we unpack one of the most controversial relationship topics of this generation: body count, modesty, shame, and double standards — and how Jesus reframes all of it.

Special guest Jackson shares his powerful transformation story — from sleeping around and cultural normalization to repentance, purity, and preparing for covenant marriage.

This episode dives into:

In this second episode of Season 2, we continue exploring communication — but not just between men and women.

We start somewhere deeper.

After a chaotic week of moving (and rescuing an injured kitten in the middle of traffic), Rachel shares an unexpected realization: communication doesn’t begin with your partner — it begins with how you speak to yourself.

From internal negative self-talk to relationship triggers, from motherhood and marriage strain to the power of prayer and reframing your words — this episode dives into the real roots of communication breakdown.

If we tear ourselve...

Welcome to Season 2 of We Take the Stairs.

After wrapping Season 1 and exploring deeper conversations through Let’s Break Bread, Rachel returns with a new focus: revisiting last season’s themes — but this time through a female perspective.

In this premiere episode, Rachel is joined by co-hosts Dusty Ramirez and Brianna Garcia for an honest conversation about what it means to be a modern woman balancing relationships, work, motherhood, marriage, and the invisible mental load that so often goes unnoticed.

Together, they explore the cultural “girl boss” expectation, the pressure to do it all, and t...

We Take the Stairs Podcast – Let’s Break Bread

We are more connected than ever, yet we’ve never felt more alone. We’ve traded community for confirmation bias, creating a “table for one” that leaves no room for difference.

In this special “Side Quest” episode recorded in New York City, Rachel and Junior sit down with Trey and Haley—two new friends from different corners of the world—to discuss the breakdown of modern communication.

This organic conversation tackles:

• Why we shut down when we don’t “see ourselves” in the conv...

What does it actually mean to be a present father in a world where communication is collapsing and technology is raising our kids?

In this powerful episode of We Take the Stairs: Let’s Break Bread, we speak with an anonymous guest whose life in security keeps him unseen — but whose approach to fatherhood is anything but absent.

From raising a daughter largely on his own, to enforcing boundaries, creating emotional safety, and pushing back against influencer culture, this conversation dives deep into what children truly need: structure, honesty, tools, and accountability.

This epis...

In this episode of We Take the Stairs: Let’s Break Bread, we slow down and dig deeper into a question that surfaced powerfully in Season One: How do men truly view marriage, and why does it matter?

Joined by two respected mentors and longtime husbands, Tony Robinson and Dr. Gordon Johnson, this conversation explores marriage as covenant, not convenience. We unpack what makes relationships last, why marriage isn’t “simple,” and how faith, structure, mentorship, and humility shape healthy unions over decades.

Through personal testimony, biblical reflection, and honest dialogue, this episode confront...

In this episode of We Take the Stairs, we sit down for an honest and necessary conversation about fatherhood, masculinity, and the growing fatherless generation. Through biblical truth, personal stories, and lived experience, we explore how the absence of fathers — physically, emotionally, and spiritually — has shaped families, men, and culture.

This conversation dives into the biblical role of fathers, the difference between masculinity and toxic masculinity, and why men are increasingly feeling unneeded in the home. We also discuss how spiritual fathers and mentors can step in where biological fathers are absent, and how healing begins when we u...

In this episode of We Take the Stairs, the hosts explore why so many men, especially young men, are returning to the church in growing numbers. The conversation begins with a simple but personal question. What has church meant to each of you? From peace and grounding to structure and community, each host shares reflections that set the tone for the episode.

The group discusses the impact of the pandemic, rising isolation, and the overload of confusing messages in media. They talk about why many men are craving clear moral direction, accountability, and spaces where they can...

In this powerful episode of We Take the Stairs, the hosts explore why so many men, especially young men, are returning to the church in record numbers. The conversation begins with a personal question. What has church meant to each of you? From peace and grounding to structure and community, everyone shares a story that sets the tone for the rest of the episode.

The group talks about the impact of the pandemic, the rise of isolation, the flood of confusing messages in media, and how many men are craving clear moral direction and a place where...

In this episode of We Take the Stairs, the hosts dig into one of the most requested topics from young men and older men alike. Why is a man’s protective instinct so often labeled as controlling? And where is the line between genuine care and unhealthy control?

Rachael, Liz, Junior, and guest Meg start with the real question that sparked this discussion. When a woman dresses in a certain way and her boyfriend asks her not to, is he trying to protect her or trying to control her? The group explores intention, perception, insecurity, image, and ho...

In this powerful episode of We Take the Stairs, the hosts open an honest and deeply personal conversation about body dysmorphia, beauty, and how society’s standards affect both men and women. Rachael, Liz, Junior, and Z talk about the rise of body image struggles among young men and boys, exploring how social media, culture, and expectations distort our view of ourselves.

They share personal stories of comparison, insecurity, and healing, reflecting on how faith and authenticity play a role in reclaiming self-worth. The group discusses the difference between healthy discipline and obsession, the impact of social me...

In this powerful episode of We Take the Stairs, the hosts open up about men’s health, vulnerability, and the importance of breaking stereotypes that keep men silent. Rachael, Liz, Junior, and Z are joined by special guests Ryan Mackenzie Raymond from Scotland and John for an honest, hopeful, and often humorous conversation about what it means to take care of your body and mind as a man.

Ryan shares his journey of being diagnosed with prostate cancer just eight weeks before recording this episode and how humor, faith, and honesty have helped him stay strong through th...

In this moving episode of We Take the Stairs, the hosts open a raw and heartfelt discussion about incarceration, forgiveness, and humanity. Rachael, Liz, Junior, and Z begin by reflecting on their own connections to people who are incarcerated and the impact that absence has on families and communities.

The conversation looks at how incarceration disproportionately affects men, especially Black and Latino men, and the ripple effects across generations. From the broken prison system to the power of simple communication, the group explores how faith, love, and empathy can start to heal what systems have damaged.

In this episode of We Take the Stairs, the hosts explore how men have been portrayed across television, movies, and media, and how those depictions have shaped culture, relationships, and identity over time.

The conversation begins lightheartedly as Rachael, Liz, Junior, and Z reflect on their favorite childhood shows like The Cosby Show, Family Matters, and The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. What starts as nostalgia quickly turns into a deeper discussion about fatherhood, masculinity, and how media has shifted from celebrating strong family figures to often portraying men as disconnected or foolish.

The group...

In this episode of We Take the Stairs, the hosts dive deep into the topic of men and communication. Joined by special guest Cole Spicer from Echo Studios, they explore how men express themselves, the role of silence, and how faith shapes the way we connect with one another.

The conversation uncovers why communication between men and women can feel so different and how societal expectations often discourage men from speaking openly. The group discusses biblical truth, the power of listening, and how silence can both protect and isolate. From fatherhood to friendship, the episode highlights the...

In this powerful episode, the hosts take a deep dive into how today’s education system often fails young boys. They open with personal reflections on why they “take the stairs,” then move into a raw conversation about how schools are not designed to help boys thrive.

From outdated expectations of masculinity to the lack of male role models in classrooms, they explore how boys are taught to do rather than be, and how this conditioning shapes their confidence, emotions, and sense of worth. The group discusses everything from early childhood education to cultural stereotypes, pay gaps, and th...

Welcome to the intro episode of We Take the Stairs. Meet your hosts Rachael, Liz, Junior, and Z as they share how the podcast began and what it truly means to take the stairs.

In this conversation they open up about their different journeys, faith backgrounds, and the shared mission that brought them together, choosing connection over division one step at a time. The group talks about why honest dialogue matters, how vulnerability builds strength, and what listeners can expect in the season ahead.

This episode sets the foundation for what We Take the Stairs...

In this episode, Rachael, Liz, Junior, and Z dive into how social media shapes the way we see ourselves, our relationships, and especially masculinity. The hosts open up about their personal experiences online and how the constant noise of comparison, trends, and opinions affects mental health and identity.

They talk about the pressure men face to perform strength instead of expressing emotion, the labels that get attached too easily, and the deeper need for empathy and understanding in a world built on quick reactions. From fasting from social media to reflecting on how algorithms influence our thoughts...