7. The Direction of Masculinity: Fathers, Identity, and the Path to Manhood

In episode 7, Kat sits down with David Maywald, author of The Relentless War on Masculinity, to explore the experiences and insights that led him to write the book. Together, they unpack the key ideas and turning points that shaped his perspective, along with the most powerful takeaways from the conversation. They discuss why masculinity needs direction rather than suppression, and how cultural narratives have influenced the way masculine and feminine traits are perceived and valued. This episode also looks at the role of father presence in shaping identity, the importance of men guiding boys into manhood, and what can happen when that guidance is missing. The conversation offers a thoughtful reflection on the irreplaceable role fathers play, the complexity of parental influence, and why this topic continues to shape how boys grow into men.About the Guest/Links:David Maywald is father to a son and daughter, husband, board member, volunteer, author, and passionate advocate for boys and men. He worked for two decades as an analyst and Portfolio Manager in the investment management sector, and is qualified as a Chartered Financial Analyst. His extensive studies include two degrees, an Honours thesis, and the Boardroom Mastery program with the Australian Institute of Company Directors. David has served as Chair, Treasurer, and committee chair, with governance contributions to twenty organisations during the last three decades. He founded the Awards for Men in Leadership in 2023, and launched Celebrating Masculinity in 2025. His recently released book is called The Relentless War on Masculinity: Does it Ever End?Here are links:David Maywald at LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmaywald/Personal profile at X: https://x.com/DavidMaywaldYouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@davidmaywald4173David Maywald’s book The Relentless War on Masculinity is available from these distributors (and others): https://books2read.com/trwomAmazon product page for the book: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1764339703The book has over 100 five-star ratings across Goodreads, Amazon, and other readers: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/244119645-the-relentless-war-on-masculinityCelebrating Masculinity at Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CelebratingMasculinity/Substack for Celebrating Masculinity: https://celebratingmasculinity.substack.com/TikTok videos: https://www.tiktok.com/@celebratingmasculinity