About Corey Baum

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Origins

Learning to Stay Small

I didn’t arrive at leadership by accident. Like many men, I spent the early years of my life learning not how to lead but how to adapt—how to stay quiet, avoid rocking the boat, and earn approval by becoming what others wanted me to be.

I was born into a young family where my parents were still trying to find their own place in the world. Alcohol was a constant backdrop. Emotions were rarely discussed. Conflict was either avoided or explosive. In that environment, I developed what seemed like a survival skill at the time: I became an observer.

As a child, I learned to read the room. To anticipate the needs and moods of others before they were spoken. I also learned, very early on, that expressing my own needs or feelings often led to disconnection or punishment. So, I stayed small. I adapted. I became who others wanted me to be.

By my teenage years, I was already carrying the silent burden of people-pleasing, perfectionism, and the belief that my worth was tied to achievements. I became “the achiever,” constantly striving to earn approval while keeping my deeper emotions locked away.

Adulthood

Fragile Success and Hidden Disconnection

In adulthood, I built what looked like a successful life. I created a career. I built relationships. I became a father.

But beneath the surface, the foundations were fragile. My habits of avoidance, emotional suppression, and over-adaptation followed me into my adult relationships. I struggled with authenticity and vulnerability. I chased validation through achievement, through relationships, and through controlling how others perceived me.

And under it all, I had a secret world—one that both numbed my pain and fed my shame.

Pornography became an escape. It was a way to feel a fleeting sense of control, of relief, of connection without risk. Over time, it became a regular part of my life, then a compulsion. I carried the silent shame of knowing I was hiding. Of knowing that every time I disconnected through a screen, I was reinforcing the same isolation I claimed to hate.

Sex and infidelity became another mask. When relationships began to fracture, instead of addressing my own emotional disconnection, I sought validation elsewhere. Affairs. Betrayals. Lies. Each decision added another brick to the wall between the man I was and the man I wanted to be.

I justified it. I minimized it. I told myself it was about needs not being met. But deep down, I knew better. I knew I was betraying not just my partners—but myself. I knew I was modeling a form of masculinity that I would never want my sons to inherit.

I became physically present but emotionally absent in fatherhood. I could show up for the tasks. I could provide. But when it came to emotional presence, honesty, and leadership, I was repeating the same patterns I had witnessed growing up.

The gap between who I was and who I wanted to be became unbearable.

The Breaking Point

Choosing to Evolve

Eventually, the weight of living out of alignment became too heavy. The cracks in the life I had built became impossible to ignore. My relationships unraveled. My sense of self-worth deteriorated. And the pain of staying the same finally outweighed the fear of change.

I faced a crossroads.

I could continue down the path of avoidance, validation-seeking, and disconnection.

Or I could evolve.

I chose evolution.

The Journey Into Mastery

I immersed myself in personal growth. I sought out therapy, men’s groups, coaching, and leadership training. I began to peel back the layers of protective behaviors I had developed over the years. I confronted the stories and beliefs that had kept me trapped.

It wasn’t easy. Growth never is. It meant facing the pain of my past. It meant acknowledging the ways I had failed to lead—in my relationships, in my family, and in my own life.

I confronted my sexual patterns. I stopped using pornography as an escape and began exploring what healthy, connected sexuality looked like. I learned to separate validation from connection. I rebuilt my relationship to desire—not as a compulsion but as a choice.

I confronted my betrayals. I took accountability for the affairs and dishonesty. I recognized the ways I had harmed others and myself. And I began the long, difficult work of rebuilding integrity—not for external approval, but because it was the only path to becoming the man I aspired to be.

I confronted my emotional absence. I learned emotional mastery. I practiced being present in difficult conversations, staying grounded when triggered, and expressing my needs and boundaries without fear or manipulation.

Through years of work, I developed a new way of being. I created a clear vision of the man I wanted to become. Not a perfect man, but an evolving man. A man who leads with confidence, purpose, and grounded strength.

I reconnected with my children, becoming not just a provider but an emotionally present father. I deepened my friendships, creating bonds built on honesty and mutual growth. I stepped into leadership roles where I could guide others on their own journeys of growth and self-mastery.

The Birth of The Evolved Men Project

The Evolved Men Project didn’t begin as a business idea. It was born from a personal mission: to share the frameworks, tools, and brotherhood that had changed my life.

I knew I wasn’t alone. I saw other men around me struggling with the same challenges: feeling trapped between outdated models of masculinity and modern expectations that lacked clarity or power. Men who were tired of living small, tired of chasing validation, and tired of feeling alone in their growth.

The Evolved Men Project became a movement for those men.

A space where men could:

  • Forge their own path.

  • Develop emotional mastery.

  • Build leadership skills.

  • Cultivate deep, meaningful relationships.

  • Create a vision for their lives that aligned with their highest values.

Most importantly, it became a space where men could evolve together—supported by a brotherhood committed to growth, accountability, and purpose.

Our Mission

To equip men with the frameworks, tools, and brotherhood they need to evolve into confident, purposeful leaders in every domain of life: health, relationships, purpose, emotional mastery, and fatherhood.

A Life's Work in Progress

Today, I continue to evolve. The journey of self-mastery doesn’t end. It’s a daily practice of awareness, ownership, and aligned action.

I invite you to walk this path with me.

Whether you’re just beginning your journey or looking to deepen your growth, The Evolved Men Project is here to support you. Together, we can break generational patterns, cultivate emotional mastery, and lead ourselves and others with strength and integrity.

Your story isn’t finished. And neither is mine.

Let’s evolve—together.