Us with Travis Stock

What shapes us more—the stories we inherit or the choices we make?
Brian Hooks and coach Travis Stock dive into a candid exploration of identity, where early attachment, social conditioning, and generational patterns intersect with resilience, transitions, and the hard work of becoming whole.

Travis shares his journey from child welfare to coaching, revealing how systems often punish instead of support, and what it takes to move from performance to presence. Together, they unpack nature versus nurture without the clichés, showing how subtle messages about worth and belonging can steer a life as powerfully as major traumas.

The conversation highlights transition theory and the delicate balance of challenge and support that fuels growth—reminding us that small interpersonal moments often reshape us more than big milestones. It gets visceral when Travis introduces Equus coaching, where horses mirror congruence—thoughts, feelings, and actions in alignment—and expose the masks we wear to stay safe. That mirror didn’t just inform his work; it transformed his life, catalyzing a coming-out journey and a career pivot rooted in authenticity.

Together, Brian and Travis question inherited definitions of success and confront the narrow scripts of masculinity that cut men off from sensitivity, emotion, and community. Instead of glorifying stoicism, they make a case for integrated strength—the kind that welcomes back the parts we exiled to survive.

You’ll leave with a richer vocabulary for identity—systems, resources, and somatics—plus practical ideas for right-sizing challenge, building support, and practicing congruence in everyday life.

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Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome And Big Question
• 1:41 Travis’s Path From Social Work To Coaching
• 7:20 Nature, Nurture, And Inner Children
• 12:15 Generational Patterns And Systems
• 19:28 Trauma, Suffering, And Resilience
• 25:48 Transitions And Student Development Theory
• 31:58 Challenge And Support Balance
• 37:28 Congruence Learned With Horses
• 46:38 Masks, First Impressions, And Authenticity
• 52:58 Masculinity, Sensitivity, And Men’s Healing