206: Todd Pierce: Why Boys Feel Lost Today and How Fathers Can Restore Manhood

Feb 16, 2026

Todd Pierce, founder of Riding High Ministries who trains wild horses as leadership parables, talks about restoring manhood through intentional initiation. He covers learning fatherhood without a roadmap. He explains why initiation, identity, and connection matter. He uses breaking a wild horse to illustrate calm leadership, earning influence, and repairing past mistakes.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

INSIGHT

A Clear Pathway Prevents Boys From Stumbling Into Manhood

Many young men stumble into manhood because culture and fathers don't provide a clear pathway.
Jason Valentine frames the Rite of Passage as a 30-hour intentional moment fathers can give sons to mark the shift into manhood.

ANECDOTE

Todd's Early Fathering Mistake Of Control

Todd Pierce grew up thinking masculinity meant control because his cultural model taught men to control people and things.
He realized as a father he tried to be 'the boss' with his tender first son, even though the boy was spiritually sensitive.

INSIGHT

Manhood Defined As Becoming Like Christ

Becoming a man is reframed as becoming like Christ, giving fathers a clear standard to point to.
Todd used a hunting moment with his son Colton to declare 'You're a man now' and treat him with adult responsibility.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

Two Weeks Left Until Rite of Passage, Join Us: https://www.braveco.org/riteofpassage

So many young men stumble their way into manhood because nobody ever gave them a clear pathway. In this episode of the BraveCo Podcast, I sit down with my close friend Todd Pierce to talk about what fathers can give sons that culture never will: intentional initiation, identity, and a moment that marks the shift from boyhood to manhood.

Todd shares his story of learning fatherhood without a roadmap, how control can masquerade as leadership, and why becoming a man is synonymous with becoming like Christ. We get into the real work of fathering: earning influence, prioritizing connection over compliance, and having the humility to repair what you did not do well early on. If you have ever wondered, “Am I doing this right?” you are not alone.

We also unpack the living parable Todd is bringing to our Ride of Passage, breaking a wild horse in real time as a picture of self leadership, calm in chaos, and love that wins without manipulation. If you are a dad who wants to lead a healthier son, this conversation will light a fire and give you language for the journey. Subscribe for more episodes, and if you want to join us in Jacksonville February 28 through March 1, 2026, register at braveco.org.

Chapters:
00:00 - A Clear Pathway Into Manhood
04:31 - When “Being a Man” Meant Control
06:28 - The Missing Ingredient: Initiation
07:23 - The Standard: Being a Man Like Christ
11:01 - Feeling Inadequate as a Father and Choosing Intentionality
15:00 - Breaking a Wild Horse as a Living Parable of Leadership

CONNECT WITH BRAVECO
Join Our Free Community for Men (ladies, sign up your man): https://www.braveco.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/braveco.men
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/braveco.men/
Shop: https://shop.braveco.org/

ABOUT BRAVECO: We live in a time where men are hunting for the truth and looking for the codebook to manhood. At BraveCo, we are on a mission to heal the narrative of masculinity across a generation; fighting the good fight together because every man should feel confident and capable of facing his pain, loving deeply, and leading a life that impacts the world around him.