Bold. Loving. Fierce. Kind.
Our Story
We need to redefine what it means to be a man. Naked Man Collective is an unorthodox, unfiltered approach to helping men transform and expand traditional notions of masculinity. It is a place where men gather to share the work of breaking down “Man Box” culture so that we are finally free to rebuild and express the full range of our unique, individual male identities from the inside out. The Collective’s goal is to help men to discover more meaning and purpose in our lives, and experience the grace, power, and joy of being alive, connected, and male.
Our Values
WISDOM Insight comes from a variety of places in our daily lives through reflection and contemplation.
HUMAN FORM As men we must learn to honor the forms that give expression to our unique personalities and enable connection.
NAKEDNESS We need to develop our capacity to be vulnerable and transparent.
OPENNESS We believe that a position of receptivity is essential to personal growth.
CONNECTION Heart-centered communication will enable men to connect with others and heal and grow.
CREATIVE PRINCIPLE The Spirit within men seeks to generate, co-create, and endow life with insight, grace, humor, and dignity.
UNABASHEDLY MALE The freedom and confidence to live from the inside out.
Our Mission
Naked Man Collective aims to awaken male consciousness and new forms of behavior that are free from the rigid rules of what it means to be a “real man.”
It is the New Spirit of Masculinity.
Meet Our Founder, Mark
Who am I to be your guide on this journey?
Forty years ago, in an act of self-preservation, I rejected the tribal narratives of what it meant to be male, which I had learned growing up in remote corners of rural Ohio and Central Texas. I knew that I had to either adhere to the macho male code or leave it all behind.
As I trekked into the new masculinity frontier, instead of being rejected, I was embraced first by the last generation of Mad Men in advertising, then by a bunch of Hollywood bosses, and finally by the pioneers of impact investing. Fifteen years ago, after having guided an education start-up to national prominence, my career hit a brick wall, which led to another unplanned transition. Having spent most of our sons' early years on the road, I seized the opportunity to reorganize my life so that I could be more present at home. I launched a small business and learned to juggle the demands of being an entrepreneur, father, and spouse, while working remotely, much as many men are learning to do now in the new economy created by the pandemic. I had more flexibility, but less ability to call the shots.
As forces beyond my control took charge of my life, I decided to demonstrate my willingness to be open, transparent, and vulnerable in direct defiance of the traditional male code. I also had to adjust to the shaking of a foundational notion of masculinity that I had retained, that of being the provider.
After this act of surrender, my personal life began to unfold in a series of extraordinary experiences. It became clear that I was also on a spiritual adventure taking me to new territory—both internal and external—in search of the essence of the male psyche.
Conventional notions of manhood are changing now for many reasons. We have arrived at a tipping point. How should we reorder our priorities and reorganize our daily lives? My life trajectory, and my discussions with experts and other men, have provided me with a set of experiences and insights for guys looking to make a shift.
I’ve distilled these multiple perspectives into a seven part framework to help men rebuild their identities from the inside out, so that men might experience healthier relationships, personal fulfillment, and greater happiness in life.
Women Teach Men, Ojai, July 2018
Mark Grayson is the Founding Director of the Trinity Spiritual Center, in Southport, CT; a Featured Columnist on men and masculinity for The Good Men Project; and a successful serial entrepreneur.
Raised in small towns in Ohio and Central Texas, Mark worked his way through Harvard College and Columbia Business School, then began his career in the entertainment industry in Los Angeles. As a media executive and social entrepreneur, Mark helped launch and build the educational television production company Rabbit Ears; the online education company All Kinds of Minds; and most recently Rocket21, a safe online platform that encourages children to begin to explore their dreams for the future.
In 2021, Mark founded Trinity Spiritual Center, whose series of conversations with high-profile thought leaders has drawn comparisons to Krista Tippett’s On Being. In its first year of operations, the Center was awarded a prestigious Constable Grant and garnered the national attention.
Mark’s columns for The Good Men Project over the past four years have reached thousands of readers, including younger men who have expressed interest in Mark’s lived experience as a roadmap forward for their generation. Mark’s writing has appeared such diverse outlets as the Los Angeles Review of Books, Medium, The Purist, The Hartford Courant, The Future of Faith, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, and Kosmos Quarterly.