BetterMen

The most striking quality about Life Coach/Mentor Wayne Levine of the in Agoura Hills is his unswerving commitment to his work. Ask him about the potential for fame and fortune and he will tell you that he would rather maintain a modest lifestyle than do anything to compromise the integrity of his relationship with his guys.

“I’ve always had the support of a strong, solid woman,” said Levine, who has been married to his first and only wife, Ria, for 25 years, and is the father of two grown children. But as he states on his website, Bettermen.org, "It’s a blessing and an honor to do this work. And it’s fantastic to see men change right before their eyes!"

Becoming a better man

Levine discovered his passion and life’s work while in his thirties. The 50-year-old former owner of a video production company had lost his enthusiasm for the industry. “I didn’t want to bid on jobs, because I had lost my passion,” he said.

His unhappiness at work coupled with his mental baggage from losing his father at the age of nine left him feeling depressed, he said. He craved a natural solution, which came when a friend invited him to a men’s group open house and weekend retreat. 

“What I experienced that night changed my life. I heard men talking with each other in ways I had never heard before: honest, revealing, and shockingly supportive," Levine writes in his book, Hold On To Your N.U.T.S. "All I knew was that I wanted some of that. My initiation into manhood had begun.”

Understanding Manhood

Levine's revelation led him to pursue his Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology at Antioch University. Instead of becoming a therapist, which was his initial plan, Levine was led into the direction of the niche-market he now tries to fill in the mental health and human services industry: men's issues.

At the age of 39, Levine decided to become a mentor, "to learn from and teach to other men," he said. Levine’s work revolves around his thesis that "men are complex individuals whose gender-specific needs are confused and compromised by childhood, themselves, and society," which he believes feminizes them.

An average month for this Life Coach and 17-year resident of Oak Park includes facilitating group discussions, counseling couples, blogging, contributing to radio shows and leading retreats.

Hold On To Your N.U.T.S.

Levine's relationship manual for men, Hold On To Your N.U.T.S. (Non-negotiable, Unalterable Terms), was published four years ago.

At 210 pages, the book is meant to teach men "to silence the little boy inside and become a strong, self-assured man who is focused on creating the best life possible for you and your companion," according to Amazon's product description. 

“The N.U.T.S. are the boundaries that define you as a man—those things, which if repeatedly compromised, will gradually turn you into a pissed-off resentful man,” Levine said. 

Levine is not a big fan of celebrity relationship gurus or motivational speakers, and he insists the BetterMen process is not therapy. "What most men need is not a diagnosis," he said. "What we need is trusting relationships with other men, to make committments to being better men."