Travis Van Winkle on Dating, Male Friendships, and the Power of Mentorship

The Man Enough Podcast

Ever think about the Roman Empire? Well, Travis Van Winkle does—sometimes. In this week's episode, our hosts sit down with the talented actor, Travis Van Winkle, who also happens to be one of Justin and Jamey's closest friends. They dive into a wide-ranging discussion covering dating, overcoming trauma, friendship insecurities, alcohol, the Roman Empire trend, and the art of embracing life's imperfect timing.

When he's not gracing the screen, Travis Van Winkle devotes much of his time to his role as a Big Brother in the Big Brother Big Sister mentorship program. He opens up about his transformative experience as a mentor to his "little brother," Lyrik, and the revelation that he's more ready than ever for fatherhood. Travis shares his refreshed perspective on dating and marriage, opting for authentic human connections over dating apps while also acknowledging that the gift of marriage may not be in his immediate future.

Later in the episode, Travis lays out his “curriculum for life” made up of the different challenges, learnings and lessons he’s gained along the way. And Justin and Jamey reflect on Travis as a close friend, sharing heartwarming moments from their 20+ years of friendship, including a particularly vulnerable incident that threatened to tear them apart early on.

Watch this episode on YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/wearemanenough

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The Man Enough Podcast is produced by Wayfarer Studios and presented by Procter and Gamble, in partnership with Cadence13, an Audacy company.

Timecodes:

0015: Travis has seen Liz on Raya

03:37 - Introducing Travis Van Winkle

11:13 - Do dating apps give us paralysis of choice?

14:21 - When was the last time Travis didn’t feel enough?

17:10 - How would Travis describe himself to a stranger?

19:09 - Becoming a Big Brother changed Travis’ life

24:11 - Travis’s “curriculum” based outlook on life

28:10 - Justin and Travis has a “friendship breakup”

34:13 - Travis felt like the black sheep of his friend group

41:56 - Do you think about the Roman Empire?

49:44 - Travis is okay with not being married

1:07:20 - What does it mean to be ‘Man Enough’

Quotes:

“All of us have some kind of callus over our hearts. And part of our journey to adulthood and to maturity is dissolving that callus.” - Travis Van Winkle

“I think being genuine is my superpower” - Travis Van Winkle

“I just want to apprentice people on how to love me and in return, I want to be apprenticed on how to love you. “ - Travis Van Winkle

“I'm 40 and I'm single and I don't shame that…just because I'm not married doesn't mean I haven't experienced the same amount of depth and love that marriages have.” - Travis Van Winkle

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