The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway

Episode: Teaching Young Men to Invest, Mental Health at Work, and What Charlie Kirk Got Wrong (and Right)
Date: October 13, 2025

Overview

In this Office Hours episode, Scott Galloway answers listener questions about strategies for teaching young men about investing, presenting personal mental health journeys in the workplace, and reflecting on the legacy of Charlie Kirk and bridging the political divide for young people. Galloway combines practical advice, personal reflection, and societal critique while maintaining his signature direct and empathic tone.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Teaching Young Men the Value of Steady Investing

(Starts at 01:51)

Listener Question:
Patrick, a seasoned high school teacher, asks for advice on steering young men away from high-risk investments (crypto, sports betting) and towards the long-term benefits of patient investing.

Scott’s Response Highlights:

• Validating the Challenge & Gender Differences

  • Galloway recognizes the biological and evolutionary basis for young men’s risk-taking behavior, noting that “[young men’s] prefrontal cortex isn’t just as mature as a girl's. … That risk aggressiveness has been built into our species.”
    (Scott Galloway, 03:25)

• Statistics on Risky Investments

  • Provides data: “A portfolio of Bitcoin, Gold, GameStop, and DraftKings returned 62% in 2024, more than triple the traditional … stocks and bonds portfolio. … Pew found 42% of men 18 to 29 had invested in or used crypto, versus 17% of women.”
    (Scott Galloway, 04:22)

• Psychology and Maslow’s Hierarchy

  • Explains that for many young men, risky investment is also about ‘cosplaying manhood’, fitting into traditional masculine ideals being tested amid cultural changes.
    (Scott Galloway, 04:50)

• Teaching Strategies: Channel the Risk

  • Galloway does not recommend complete avoidance: “You want to have some fun? Fine—day trade. Buy crypto. Buy meme stocks. Have at it. ... Just don’t invest more than you can lose without bumming you out.”
    (Scott Galloway, 06:00)
  • Suggests a 70/30 split: “Take $100 a month … put 70% in low-cost index funds, and take 30% and do whatever you want with it. ... Start measuring the 70% that goes into low cost index funds and your 30% of what I’ll call sporting or gambling or Dunning-Kruger.”
    (Scott Galloway, 06:45)

• The Power of Compound Interest

  • “If you just get 9% a year, that means every 24 years you’re 8x-ing your investment.”
    (Scott Galloway, 05:55)

• Notable Quote:

  • “Teach them the basics of why their brain goes this way … then don’t parent them or scold them. Say—have some fun.”
    (Scott Galloway, 07:20)

2. Sharing Personal Mental Health Struggles in the Workplace

(Starts at 07:53)

Listener Question:
Max, a non-traditional undergrad with a history of health and mental health challenges, seeks advice on how much of his journey to share with prospective employers.

Scott’s Response Highlights:

• Emphasizing Honesty and Framing the Narrative

  • Encourages Max to be straightforward but not overshare: “I think the truth has a nice ring to it … I went back to college late in life, had a lot of my 20s about caregiving and some fits and starts and health struggles. But I made my way back.”
    (Scott Galloway, 09:07)

• Turning Adversity into Strength

  • “You’re just gonna in some ways have more to offer than a 23-year-old graduate because you’ve had some life lessons and … more empathy, more patience.”
    (Scott Galloway, 09:40)
  • Encourages pride, not shame, in the journey: “Your story actually puts you in a better position than the undergrads you’re competing with.”
    (Scott Galloway, 10:22)

• Practical Tips

  • Suggests publishing writing samples and getting involved in counseling or care-related extracurriculars.
  • On being a nontraditional student: “The bar will be a little higher for you because they’ll expect you to have your shit together by then. But it sounds like you already do.”
    (Scott Galloway, 10:55)

• Notable Quote:

  • “In terms of being self-conscious, just stop that shit, Max. You’re going to a great school, you’re getting a great degree. You have a great story and people are going to want to hire you.”
    (Scott Galloway, 11:33)

3. Bridging Political Divides: Reflections on Charlie Kirk

(Starts at 15:59)

Listener Question:
After the assassination of right-wing commentator Charlie Kirk, a listener asks how young people might bridge the political divide, noting similarities between Kirk’s and Galloway’s advocacy for young men.

Scott’s Response Highlights:

• Recognizing Common Ground

  • “I never thought of Charlie Kirk as someone I would have a lot in common with … But he talked a lot about young men, I talk a lot about young men. And some of his messages were, in my view, very positive. Take responsibility. Be action oriented.”
    (Scott Galloway, 16:12)

• Key Differences in Solutions

  • Critiques the right’s solution “taking America back to the good old days … where women were most likely going to stay at home … elevating men to a certain status. I don’t think that’s the solution nor do I think it’s realistic.”
    (Scott Galloway, 16:38)

• Value of Civic Discourse & Campus Debate

  • Praises Kirk’s willingness to engage opposing ideas: “The thing that was so impressive was … [Kirk] would go on campus and put up a tent and say, ‘prove me wrong,’ and was willing to engage in a conversation. ... We need more of that.”
    (Scott Galloway, 17:04)
  • Criticizes university orthodoxy: “There’s an orthodoxy on universities that the more woke you are, the more welcome your thoughts are … Anything that’s not woke or is conservative gets a gag reflex.”
    (Scott Galloway, 17:28)
  • “Universities should be safe places physically and dangerous places intellectually.”
    (Scott Galloway, 18:24)

• On Masculinity and Societal Change

  • Points out a key disagreement: “Where the right, including Charlie Kirk, sometimes got it wrong was that they saw masculinity as being … that the ascent of women was one of the reasons there was a masculinity crisis. I don’t think that’s true at all.”
    (Scott Galloway, 19:06)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Teaching Investment to Young Men (05:55):
  “If you just get 9% a year, that means every 24 years you’re 8x-ing your investment.”
• On Living One’s Story (10:22):
  “Your story actually puts you in a better position than the undergrads you’re competing with.”
• On Campus Debate (17:04):
  “He [Charlie Kirk] was willing to put himself out there and go on campus into kind of hostile territory … and say, alright, let’s have a civil conversation, let’s have a debate, and I think we need more of that.”
• On Universities (18:24):
  “Universities should be safe places physically and dangerous places intellectually.”

Segment Timestamps

• Listener Q1: Teaching Young Men to Invest — 01:51 – 07:53
• Listener Q2: Mental Health & Employability — 07:53 – 15:59
• Listener Q3: Charlie Kirk, Political Bridges & Masculinity — 15:59 – 19:44

Tone and Style

Galloway remains candid, conversational, and supportive throughout, mixing data-driven advice with philosophical perspective and a signature no-nonsense delivery. His tone is sometimes blunt but always empathetic, celebrating listeners' personal journeys and advocating for honest civic discourse.