
Why Moving 800 Miles Didn't Fix His Life Crisis with Jake Kennington
From Modern Masculinity by Hector Santiesteban
January 23, 2026 · 34 min
About this episode
Jake Kennington discusses his life changes after moving for a job and how he redefined success.
Jake Kennington is a structural engineer, children's book author, and founder of Actively Human who discovered that achieving his career goals left him feeling more lost than ever. After moving his family 800 miles for what he thought was his dream job, Jake realized his priorities had fundamentally changed—but he was still living a previous version of his life. In this conversation, Jake shares his framework for redefining success (REDAC: Redefine, Realign, Reconnect), why working on yourself isn't selfish when you have a family, and how a simple morning routine transformed his marriage. He opens up about the uncomfortable moment when he saw his own bad behavior mirrored in his son, why creating something and sharing it is the key to human connection, and what 15 years of fatherhood has taught him about growing up alongside your kids. This episode is for any man who feels like he's checking all the boxes externally but struggling internally, wondering if there's more to masculinity than just providing and performing. Chapters: (00:00:00) - The Moment Everything Changed: When His Son Mirrored His Worst Behavior (00:01:00) - Jake's Current Challenges: Balancing Fatherhood…
People in this episode
Host: Hector Santiesteban
Guest: Jake Kennington
Topics covered
- life crisis
- fatherhood
- success
- personal growth
- masculinity
- self-improvement
Keywords
- life crisis
- fatherhood
- success
- personal growth
- masculinity
- morning routine
- children's book
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Actively Human
Books & works: children's book
More episodes of Modern Masculinity
- Why Men Reject the Love They Need Most with Andrew L. Anderson · June 2, 2026 · 45 min
- The Subtle Changes Happening Right Now with John WInters · May 19, 2026 · 44 min
- The 3-Part Masculine Blueprint That Fixes Most Relationships with GS Youngblood · May 8, 2026 · 44 min
- Why “Busy” Is the Most Dangerous Lie Men Tell Themselves with Ben Brown · May 1, 2026 · 51 min
- 640 Pounds and Broken: One Man's Fight to Save Himself with Adam Boyd · March 20, 2026 · 32 min
- What Happens When Work Stops Being Your God with Jason Heinritz · February 6, 2026 · 49 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Modern Masculinity podcast page.