What if masculinity wasn’t something you had to perform...
but something you could question, reshape, and live honestly?
A community for masculine-identifying people ready to move BEYOND
conditioning, performance, and disconnection.
Who is Beyond the Masc. for?
This space is for people who feel the tension between who they’ve been taught to be—and who they actually are.
You may not always have language for it, but you feel it in your relationships, your body, and the way you move through the world.
It often shows up as:
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holding it together on the outside while feeling disconnected internally
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performing strength, even when you feel uncertain or overwhelmed
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struggling to be fully honest in close relationships
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feeling like parts of you don’t have space to exist
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wanting deeper connection, but not always knowing how to access it
If you’re tired of performing versions of yourself,
and curious about what’s underneath,
you’re in the right place.
Why Beyond the Masc.?
Many of us were handed a version of masculinity shaped by
systems like patriarchy, colonialism, and capitalism.
In that version, strength meant control.
Success meant performance.
Worth meant emotional restraint.
Over time, we learn to suppress parts of ourselves that don’t fit that mold—especially softness, vulnerability, and emotional honesty.
Beyond the Masc exists for people who feel that disconnect.
Not because something is wrong with them—but because something in the framework they were given was incomplete.
This isn’t about fixing yourself or fitting into a better box.
It’s about letting go of the old rules, remembering traditions rooted in love and care,
and getting curious about who you really are.
What is Beyond the Masc.?
Beyond the Masc is a membership-based community and guided space for ongoing personal exploration and relational growth.
It is not a course.
It is not a one-time workshop.
It is an ongoing practice of showing up more honestly, with yourself and with others.
What you can expect
A space to show up, speak honestly, and be in real-time connection with others
Conversations with voices challenging norms and expanding perspective
Ongoing connection with people practicing honesty and presence in real time
Focused sessions that explore identity, emotion, and unlearning together
A space to slow down, reflect, and be witnessed without pressure or agenda
Tools and reflections to support your process between gatherings
How We Do What We Do
Beyond the Masc. creates spaces, not solutions.
We don’t approach growth as something to fix or optimize.
We treat it as something to be experienced, together, in real time.
Each gathering is guided, but not rigid.
There is structure, but also space for what is actually present.
You don’t need to perform, prepare, or show up a certain way.
You just need to show up as you are.
What to expect:
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real conversations, not lectures
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guided reflection, not instruction
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emotional honesty without pressure to “get it right”
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group connection that is participatory, not performative
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space for both silence and expression
There is no requirement to be “good at this.”
Just willingness to be present.
What You May Experience Here
As you participate in this space, you may begin to notice shifts that are subtle, but meaningful.
Not as instant transformation, but as gradual change in how you relate to yourself and others.
You may experience:
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Feeling less alone in what you’ve been carrying internally
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Learning to notice when you’re performing vs. being present
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Practicing honesty in real time, without needing to “get it right”
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Becoming more comfortable with emotional range (not just control or calm)
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Understanding how conditioning has shaped how you relate to yourself and others
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Experiencing connection that isn’t based on impressing or proving anything
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Reconnecting with parts of yourself that have been shut down or ignored
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Finding space to slow down, reflect, and actually feel what’s true for you
There is no expected outcome here.
Only the possibility of returning to yourself more fully, over time.
Start Here
If this resonates, the best way to begin is by joining a free monthly circle.
It’s a simple, low-pressure space to experience the work, meet others, and see if this feels aligned for you.
You don’t need to prepare anything.
You don’t need to know what to say.
Just show up as you are
Go-Beyond Membership
Membership is a commitment to your own growth, your relationships, and your willingness to stay engaged in the process of becoming more honest in your life.
This is not about consuming content.
It is about practicing presence, reflection, and connection over time.
What’s included:
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Monthly community gatherings
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Quarterly workshops
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Guest speaker sessions
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1:1 reflective check-ins
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Private online community space
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Resource library for ongoing support
This is for people who are not just looking for insight, but ongoing practice.
A place to return to, not just visit.
Anchor
$25–$35 / month
A steady entry point into ongoing community connection.
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Quarterly guided gatherings
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Online community space
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Resource library access
Embodied
$55–$65 / month
For deeper engagement and consistent relational practice.
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Everything in Anchor
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Guest speaker sessions
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One 1:1 check-in per quarter
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Priority access to workshops & retreats
Liberatory
$95+ / month
For those in deeper commitment and collective support of access.
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Everything in Embodied
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Monthly 1:1 check-in
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Contribution to access support fund
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Beyond the Masc hoodie
If you’re unsure where to place yourself, choose the level that feels honest—not strained.
You can always adjust later.
About
Erik “Joel” Pye (he/him) is a facilitator and community builder who creates spaces where people can show up fully, without needing to perform, impress, or hold it all together.
His work explores masculinity, identity, and the stories we inherit about who we are supposed to be.
He believes that unlearning is part of healing, and that emotional honesty is a practice, not performance.
Rooted in social justice, ecological thinking, and community care, Erik’s approach blends structure with softness inviting both depth and ease in the spaces he holds.
He has facilitated conversations in community spaces, virtual circles, and in-person gatherings, always centered on presence, listening, and relational awareness.
This work is not about fixing people.
It’s about creating space where people can meet themselves more honestly.
“We don’t have to have all the answers, we just have to be willing to stay in the questions.”