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The King Within: Modern Masculinity and the Sovereign Man

The King Within: Modern Masculinity and the Sovereign Man

By: Mike Salemi
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The King Within explores what it means to embody true strength, purpose, and presence in every area of a man’s life. Hosted by performance coach Mike Salemi, this show bridges the worlds of movement, mindset, and meaning—helping men reclaim their vitality, master their nervous system, and lead from a grounded center. From elite athletes to modern-day warriors, every conversation dives deep into the frameworks, tools, and inner work required to live, love, and lead with integrity. Subscribe for weekly conversations on high performance, embodiment, leadership, and holistic wellness. 💪 Join The Grounded King Collective → thegroundedking.com Mention 'PODCAST' for a special discount 🌐 Learn more → coaching.mikesalemi.ioAll rights reserved. Exercise & Fitness Fitness, Diet & Nutrition Hygiene & Healthy Living Parenting & Families Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Relationships
Episodes
  • 154: Why Reconnecting With Physicality Holds the Key to Deeper Self-Trust with Marco Dinh
    Feb 19 2026

    📺 Watch on YouTube and Spotify

    “Because the moment you see another man pulling through hard shit, you will trust him more whether you want it or not, right? This is going to be true for every person on this planet. If they see that another being is able to pull through hard shit, there is more trust in that person,” says Marco Dinh, executive coach, lifelong martial artist, and somatic strategist, who joins The King Within to explore the critical role that physical challenge and embodied practice play in forging true self-trust and relational strength.

    From three decades of martial arts training to months spent living in monasteries, Marco Dinh has cultivated a rare blend of high-level business acumen, tantra, and nervous system mastery. In this episode, he unpacks why so many men today have lost touch with their physicality—and what that loss costs them in leadership, vitality, and intimacy. Marco Dinh reveals why the humble punch, honed with presence and intention, is one of the most powerful contemplative practices for men, and even guides listeners through a practice to reconnect with grounded, embodied action.

    Discover why the path to leading your family, building trust in your relationships, and reclaiming personal agency starts with, quite literally, getting back into your body. Don’t miss this episode of The King Within to learn why true masculine strength is forged not just in the mind—but in every cell, breath, and punch.

    5 Key Takeaways
    1. Physical self-trust starts in the body—commit to a morning practice that grounds, challenges, and connects you to your physicality every day.
    2. Don’t wait to try martial arts or somatic practices. Find a gym, class, or dojo, and start exploring your edges now—agency is built by action, not theory.
    3. Practice the punch regularly, focusing on relaxation and focused intensity—powerful presence comes from integrating stillness, action, and release.
    4. Train your body for resilience, not just aesthetics. Strengthen your knuckles, condition your body, and step into discomfort—the world and your loved ones need you reliable under pressure.
    5. Self-mastery is holistic. Challenge yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally—when you do hard things, you earn your own trust and deepen the trust of those who count on you.

    Memorable Quotes

    "Physicality for me is a lot about this meeting of power and this growing in power by being met, when you come together with someone else and really try to call out more of the other by bringing your best, by giving it your all."

    "The ability to pull through hard stuff is forming our own self-trust. It is a contributor to, am I able to—if something challenging is going to happen tomorrow or the day after or next week or next month, do I trust myself to be able to pull through it?"

    "The moment you see another man pulling through hard shit, you will trust him more, whether you want it or not. If they see that another being is able to pull through hard shit, there is more trust in that person."

    Connect with Marco

    Website: www.marcodinh.com

    LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/marcodinh

    Resources...
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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • 153: Why Integrating Childhood Wounds Is a Must For Becoming a Present Partner
    Feb 12 2026

    📺 Watch on YouTube and Spotify

    "I'm telling you, this is how. You have to go through the process of initiation to even have the embodiment inside to meet them in a way that they are going to let you through their 7 gates and actually then give you the glory of what's in there. You don't get through those gates for free. You got to earn it. That's the initiation." says Mike Elliot, men's transformation guide and mentor, who joins The King Within podcast to illuminate what it truly means to become an initiated man—and the real-world rewards that follow, from deep emotional intimacy to revitalized passion in relationships.

    In this episode of The King Within, Mike Elliot shares why initiation isn’t a solo journey, but a descent—from head to heart, from isolation to relational healing. Through raw stories from his own evolution, Mike Elliot explains why men freeze, shut down, or resist fatherhood and how these patterns are invitations to break intergenerational cycles and step into leadership. He offers a riveting look at how the masculine and feminine can harmonize—how praise, presence, and attunement unlock new dimensions of connection, not only with a partner but with life itself.

    Tune in to discover how initiation, embodied presence, and men's work are redefining leadership, intimacy, and purpose for modern men—and why thriving relationships are never just relationships, but the gym where greatness is forged.

    5 Key Takeaways
    1. Initiation happens in relationship, not isolation. Find a mentor or group where you feel safe and lean in—transformation breeds in connection, not solitude.
    2. Attunement is healing. Practice being deeply present and receptive with those around you—let them feel seen, heard, and valued.
    3. Embrace discomfort as your path to growth. Shadow and resistance aren’t flaws—they’re invitations to integrate, mature, and lead with authenticity.
    4. Prioritize clarity, confidence, and connection in your relationships. Show up with the 3 C’s—mirror your partner’s brilliance and praise their gifts daily.
    5. Stop waiting to “feel ready.” Take courageous action—integrate your fears, let go of control, and step into the next chapter of your evolution now.

    Memorable Quotes

    "Initiation is actually dropping from the head into the heart, doing the descent into this physical body, the journey that it's already experienced that hasn't fully integrated."

    "There needs to be an understanding that every relationship that comes to us in life is inviting us to use the medium of that relationship for our own awakening."

    "When we learn how to meet them, when we learn how to understand their world and make that more of our mission and take up more space to learn how to do that well, it will soften and open them, and they will want to give you the juicy feminine."

    Connect with Mike

    Website: https://www.itsmikeelliott.com

    Coaching: https://www.itsmikeelliott.com/coaching

    Newsletter:

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 7 mins
  • 152: How Ani Manian Tapped into the Mathematics of the Universe to Overcome Burnout
    Feb 5 2026

    📺 Watch on YouTube and Spotify

    “There is a mathematical proof for our infinite worth. That’s what allows us to realize that we belong, that we were created by God, universe, source—there was no mistake,” says Ani Manian, founder of Scale with Psychology, who joins The King Within to challenge the very paradigms most men live by. Ani Manian, whose life’s work has helped create more than $2 billion in company exits, unpacks why true freedom and business success are found not by grinding harder but by learning to get paid simply to exist as your authentic self.

    On this eye-opening episode of The King Within, discover how Ani Manian guides high-performing men out of self-sacrifice, endless hustle, and old programming into a new reality where subtraction—not addition—is the secret to thriving business and relationships. He delves into how constraint, radical authenticity, and lovingly applied boundaries allow your work—and life—to become a state of flow. The result isn’t just higher revenue, but more peace, energy, and time with those you love.

    Tune in and let Ani Manian turn everything you thought you knew about scaling success—and yourself—on its head. If you desire to build smarter, not harder, and to master the art of having it all, this episode is for you.

    5 Key Takeaways

    You have the power to design a life and business that energizes you, not drains you—here’s how to seize it now:

    1. Constraint is leverage. Cap your work hours and watch your creativity and effectiveness explode—set clear boundaries this week and see what happens.
    2. Optimize for getting paid to exist, not just to work. Align your business and offers with who you authentically are—audit your work for what feels like performance and strip it back.
    3. Measure success by raising your floor, not chasing higher ceilings. Improve the consistency and sustainability of your “worst” months—focus on stability before growth.
    4. Invest in ruthless self-honesty. Face the truth about where you’re at and what you want—no more hiding from the mirror, ask yourself the tough questions today.
    5. Build from subtraction, not addition. Remove what doesn’t light you up—skills, clients, offers—and sculpt your masterpiece by taking away what isn’t truly you.

    Challenge yourself to act on just one of these and witness how rapidly your life, energy, and results begin to shift.

    Memorable Quotes"We all have infinite worth. The mathematical proof for that is because we exist, and the universe that we exist inside of—and that which we are—is a perfect mathematical equation.""Perfection is actually a result of meticulous subtraction, not addition. When it comes to ourselves, we’re subtracting the untruths, we’re subtracting the illusions, the self-doubt, and not feeling worthy. These are illusions; they're not real.""If I see myself as valuable, if I see my own value, then I will make the decisions, hold the beliefs, have the thoughts, and take the actions that will then cause that value to be reflected back to me from the world."Connect with Ani

    Website: https://scalewithpsychology.com/

    Instagram:

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 40 mins
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