The Masculine Wilderness Podcast · Epik Project

Inside the NFL: Courage, Culture & the Future of Leadership with Megha Parekh

·57 min

Tom Perez frames the talk around men becoming their best selves. He says that depends on women’s leadership, wisdom, and insight. He introduces Megha Parikh, one of a handful, if not the only, female executive vice presidents in the NFL. She works with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Tom asks how she got to where she is. He also jokes about the bitter cold of Jacksonville, Florida. Megha thanks him for the invitation and the chance to talk. The conversation opens out from biography into the culture of NFL leadership. It stays patient and conversational. Megha describes how comments about women colleagues can surface through male coworkers. She says those remarks catch her off guard. She says they are disheartening because she is trying to do a good job and help people. Tom reflects her words back carefully and asks what she means. That makes room for the difference between hearing something and living with its aftereffects. Megha says she is grateful when a coworker flags unfair talk. She still wishes people would not think that way in the first place. She argues that men can help by speaking up when they hear it. She says silence in those moments only leaves the old assumptions in place. The conversation widens into a warning against rigid boundaries between men and women at work. It closes on joy, freedom, and the idea that people should chase what actually brings them life.

As heard by us

A measured conversation about masculinity, work, and the need to speak up.

Tom Perez frames the episode around a simple question: how men can show up well in the world. It works best when that idea stays grounded in lived experience.

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Why you'd press play

You want a conversation about masculinity that stays grounded in work, leadership, and the insight of women.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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