The Dude Nation

09/26/2025

What are YOU grateful for today?

Great stack:

- Getting to take care of my mom, be of service to her and every day, be her car taker this week and giving my sister the gift of a week off

Getting phone calls from sober dudes on my sober anniversary!!

13 years without alcohol !

Getting to share the joy with each of you (even though some friends still don’t really get it - and that’s okay)

Affirmation from my sober community and each of you!

Getting to share the news with my mom in person 🥰

My mom’s amazing continued will to live and learn and read despite being in her dying process

God talking to me through friends

Feeling my dad and closer to God this week

Having multiple coaches and mentors in my life

Getting to be a coach and mentor for others

Missing my wife and dog while simultaneously enjoying my alone time and independence this week

Being able to do pull-ups and pushups again after a long painful shoulder recovery. Feeling the best I have in 5 months! And approaching 45 years on this planet 🌎!

09/25/2025

Don’t take our word for it. Take it from the men who have participated in our retreats. How free do you want to be? Space open for an unforgettable weekend of brotherhood, Breathwork, chi gong, healing, fireside talks and rituals, sound healing, drumming, rage release, joy, laughs and bonds for life 🤜🤛

Come join us. This is your chance.
Spots are limited and registration closes next week.

Comment “RETREAT” to learn more

[link in bio]

09/21/2025

Brothers—this is your moment.

In 3 weeks, we gather for the Dude Deep Dive Retreat. Two nights of brotherhood, truth, and reset.

If you’ve been carrying stress, questions about purpose, or just longing for real connection—you’re not alone. This retreat is built for local men ready to drop the mask and rise together.

Not ready yet? Join us at the Hudson Valley Men’s Circle (HVMC) next Sunday and feel the power of brotherhood for yourself.

📅 HVMC – Sunday, Sept 28 @ 4:30–6 PM
📍 Rhinebeck, NY
🔗 thedudenation.com/hvmc

📅 Dude Deep Dive Retreat – Oct 10–12
📍 Hudson Valley
🔗 thedudenation.com/deepdive

Because you don’t have to do life alone. Every dude deserves support.

09/16/2025

🔥 The fire is calling. Will you answer?

The next Dude Deep Dive is happening October 10–12.

Three days creekside. Fire circles. Breathwork. Men’s circles. Ritual. Brotherhood.

This isn’t about escaping life — it’s about stepping back into it with clarity, power, and support.

⚡ Limited spots. When it’s full, it’s full.

👉 Claim your spot now: [link in bio]
👉 Or DM me “DEEP DIVE” and I’ll send you the details.

See you in the circle.

09/12/2025

Telling my 9/11 story live on
with Alex Volz. Tonight 8-9pm EST. My segment is the last. Listen in here:

Tune in Saturdays at Noon for Scenic Sounds, a two-hour deep dive into Chattanooga music - featuring songs from local bands, live performances, interviews, and documentaries about the music of our past.If you're a local band, make sure you let Alex know about your new releases and upcoming shows so....

09/11/2025

Tonight marks a sacred moment for me.

I lived at Ground Zero on 9/11. For years I carried that day in silence, trying to fill the void with success, attention, or anything that might numb the pain. Nothing worked.

What finally changed me wasn’t time—it was community. Sitting in circle with men who weren’t afraid of grief. Men who could hold space, listen deeply, and remind me I wasn’t alone.

That’s why I host the Grief & Growth Circle—because grief doesn’t go away when we push it down. It transforms when we bring it into the light.

📅 Tonight, Thursday Sept 11 | 7–8 PM EST (online)
👉 Reserve your spot: https://thedudenation.com/grief

If you’re a man carrying something heavy, this space is for you.
If you know a man who needs this, please invite him.

You don’t have to carry it all alone.

With brotherhood,
Ben

09/07/2025

Hey brothers,

I feel called to share something that just came together today in perfect alignment:

I’m excited to announce the next Dude Deep Dive, a 2-day men’s retreat, is happening mid-October.

One of our fellow Dudes has graciously opened his stunning creekside horse farm to us. Think: meditation, breathwork, Qi Gong, fireside rituals, drumming, chanting, sharing, laughing… all the feels and all the heals.

Because you’re part of the Dude Nation, you get first dibs on spots, but space is very limited.

Right now I’m just getting a pulse check. If this speaks to you, hit reply or drop me a 👍 and I’ll send more details soon.

👉 thedudenation.com/deepdive

With brotherhood + gratitude,
Ben

The Premier Men’s Development Organization.

09/06/2025

Every September my body remembers 9/11.
It drew a line through my life: before and after. Over the years I’ve learned grief isn’t only about death. It can be the end of a season, a relationship, a role, or a dream that no longer fits. When we don’t name those endings, they stack up. We get heavy and quietly exhausted.

If that lands, you are not alone. I’ll be sharing a bit of my story Today at 1:00 PM ET on Alex Volz’s “Scenic Sounds.” Stream at WUTC.org:

https://www.wutc.org/show/scenic-sounds

We’ll talk about letting go of what is complete and making room for what wants to grow.

If you want a simple practice to try at home today:
1. Hand on heart. Take three slow breaths.
2. Name one ending (a person, a role, a plan, or a version of you).
3. Honor it: “Thank you for what you gave. I release what is complete.”
4. Set it down. Tear the page, or place it under a stone or a tree.
5. Plant one seed. Choose one tiny action in the next 24 hours that grows what you want more of.

For the men who want steady company around this work, I am hosting a quiet online circle on the anniversary:

Grief & Growth Circle (for men)
Thu, Sept 11, 7 to 8 PM ET (online)
Come as you are. Share or simply listen (camera optional).
Donation-based. Free for first responders.
All proceeds support the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.
Details and RSVP: https://thedudenation.com/grief

Later that evening I will be back on “Scenic Sounds” at 8:00 PM ET for an encore conversation.

Wherever you are today, if you are carrying something, you do not have to carry it alone. If you try the practice, I would love to hear the one seed you are planting this week. 💛

Tune in Saturdays at Noon for Scenic Sounds, a two-hour deep dive into Chattanooga music - featuring songs from local bands, live performances, interviews, and documentaries about the music of our past.If you're a local band, make sure you let Alex know about your new releases and upcoming shows so....

09/06/2025

today at 1pm ET - our founder will be LIVE on scenic sounds with alex volz .1 sharing a bit of his 9/11 journey—how we set down what’s complete and make room for what wants to grow. if you’re carrying something (loss of a person, a relationship, a season), you’re not alone.

this thu 9/11, 7–8pm ET we’re holding a quiet grief & growth circle for men (online). come as you are; speak or just listen. donation-based, free for first responders; proceeds support the tunnel to towers foundation. details in bio.

09/02/2025

To experience a great master up close is a once in a lifetime experience. I’ve been following Krishna Das for 12 years.

I was introduced to him when my paths of sobriety and spirituality and music all came together. The first experience I had on the Upper West Side was profound, but to spend 4 hours with him yesterday at was a gift. We sang, we chanted, we asked questions and listened. I will never forget it. Omega is the very place where we hosted our 2024 annual mens retreat and just like seeing Krishna Das again, to return was to come back home.

Thank you to Krishna, Nina Rao & Omega for continuing to bring people together for the great good. If any men in the community would like a safe space to continue exploring and connecting on your journey, send us a message. We’d love to hear from you.

Always on the path and a student of life 🙏 Ben,

Founder & CEO

09/01/2025

On this Labor Day, I’m pausing to honor the people who quietly keep our lives moving: first responders, nurses, teachers, caregivers, tradespeople, service workers, and every person doing the seen and unseen work of caring for our communities. Thank you. 🙏

Next week, on Thursday, Sept 11 (7:00–8:00PM ET), I’m holding a Grief & Growth Circle ⭕️ 9/11 Remembrance on Zoom. Open to everyone by donation and free for first responders. Gentle, confidential space, you can share or simply sit with us. A portion of proceeds will be donated to support 9/11 families and remembrance efforts; I’ll share the receipt with attendees after.

If this speaks to you, or someone you love, click link in bio 🔝

08/29/2025

Brothers, it’s time to circle up.

This is your space to drop the mask, exhale the weight you’ve been carrying, and be met with presence, truth, and brotherhood.

No fixing. No judgment. Just men showing up real, together.

✨ If you’ve been craving deeper connection, this is your call.

Come as you are. Your voice matters. Your presence makes the circle stronger.

RSVP through the link in bio.

⸻