Learned the Hard Way with Kier Gaines

Kier Gaines

Booking Overview

A therapist-led, no-fluff podcast where the host explores what it really means to be a man today—pressure, identity, grief, joy, and how to thrive beyond survival mode. It’s a strong platform for guests who can speak candidly about mental health, authenticity, and lived experience, especially in the context of Black men’s emotional wellbeing.

Metrics

Episodes: 9

Frequency: Weekly

Rating: 5.0/5.0

Estimated listeners: 1k-10k

Gender skew: Male

Location: USA

30s Ad: 37 - 42, 60s Ad: 44 - 49

Contact Information

admin@carlawilmaris.com

Host

Kier Gaines - Licensed therapist Kier Gaines hosts Learned the Hard Way. The show focuses on masculinity, emotional health, authenticity, and practical steps for healing and growth through honest storytelling an...

Booking Intelligence

Booking Requirements

medium

Typical Credentials:

Best fit guests are public figures or credible professionals who can share lived experience and/or expertise related to masculinity, mental health, identity, and emotional wellbeing—often with strong mainstream visibility (media, sports, comedy) and demonstrated authenticity.

Required Achievements:

National or mainstream media presence (TV/radio/podcasting) or recognizable public-platform career, Demonstrated leadership or impact in mental health, identity, or community wellbeing (through work, advocacy, or public communication), Notable career accomplishments (e.g., professional sports/media, established creative career), Comfort speaking vulnerably and discussing therapy/emotional health

Recent Guest Discussions

Dustin Ross - Career Reinvention, Masculinity And Authenticity, Identity And External Validation, Black Manhood, Therapy, Emotional Vulnerability

Ryan Clark - Public Visibility And Pressure, Identity After NFL, Fear Of Failure, Mental Health Stigma, Fatherhood/marriage, Public Criticism, Staying Grounded

Recent Topics

Masculinity, Mental Health, Therapy, Identity, Grief, Depression, Authenticity, Trauma, Black Men, Emotional Wellbeing

Episodes

Here's the recent few episodes on

Learned the Hard Way with Kier Gaines

EP 8: Are You Living… Or Just Performing Survival? ft Dustin Ross

May 21, 2026

How do you know when you’re becoming yourself… instead of just surviving? In this episode, Kier Gaines sits down with media personality, comedian, and podcast host Dustin Ross for one of the most layered conversations the show has had yet. What starts as a discussion about career pivots and reinvention quickly turns into something deeper: masculinity, authenticity, identity, external validation, Black manhood, therapy, purpose, and the emotional cost of pretending to have it all ...

EP 7: What Depression Looks Like When You’re The “Strong” One

May 14, 2026

How do you know you’re struggling… when your life still looks “fine” from the outside? In this episode, Kier Gaines opens up about being clinically diagnosed with depression while still showing up every day as a husband, father, therapist, provider, and public figure. After revealing his diagnosis during a keynote speech in front of hundreds of people, one response kept following him afterward: “Honestly… I never would’ve known.” And that righ...

EP 6: Built In Public: The Cost of Being Seen ft. Ryan Clark

May 07, 2026

What happens when the life you worked for finally arrives… and suddenly everybody is watching? In this episode, Kier Gaines sits down with Super Bowl champion, ESPN analyst, and The Pivot co-founder Ryan Clark for an honest conversation about visibility, pressure, identity, and the emotional cost of building your life in public.Because for a lot of Black men, success doesn’t just feel personal. It feels inherited. Representational. Heavy. You’re not only carrying your ...

Get your clients booked on top podcasts

Try us risk free with a FREE 3 days trial.

Start Your Free Trial

Join hundreds of PR teams using Podseeker to pitch and land bookings