Press | Mike Kerklin

Bio

Short bio (about 50 words)

Mike Kerklin is an Oklahoma author, a Muscogee dad of three, and the creator of The Emotional Honesty Project. His books, The Honesty Equation and The Blueprint: Build a Life That Feels Like Home, are about the gap between looking okay and actually being okay, and what it takes to close it.

Long bio (about 150 words)

Mike Kerklin spent years performing "fine." Husband, father of three, steady job in tech support. From the outside, it looked like he'd made it. On the inside, he'd never actually checked whether the life he was building was one he wanted, or just one he'd been handed.

Figuring that out became the work. Mike is the author of The Honesty Equation: A Systems Approach to Human Communication and The Blueprint: Build a Life That Feels Like Home, book two of the Honest Home series. He hosts The Emotional Honesty Project on YouTube, writes the weekly Sunday Morning Coffee newsletter, and runs The Grounds Crew, a free community that pulls honesty lessons out of the movies and shows we already love.

He's not a therapist and not a guru. He's a Native nerd dad in Oklahoma who decided to go first, and talks about it plainly, with a sense of humor and a strong cup of coffee.

The books

The Blueprint

Build a Life That Feels Like Home · Honest Home series, book 2

Survey honestly. Build intentionally. Belong completely. A practical guide to taking an honest look at where your life actually stands, then building the one you want on purpose, without calling everything that came before a waste.

Out October 26, 2026 · Kindle, paperback, hardcover

Read chapter 5 free

The Honesty Equation

A Systems Approach to Human Communication

Most conversations aren't honest. We soften what we mean, hide what we feel, and perform the version of ourselves we think people expect. This book is about why honest conversations are so hard, and why they're the foundation of trust and real connection.

Kindle (and Kindle Unlimited), paperback, hardcover

On Amazon

Talking points

Why "I'm fine" is the most common lie we tell, and what it costs over decades.
The promise your younger self hoped you'd keep: how much of the life you're living did you actually choose?
Building on purpose in midlife: there's no permit office that stamps "too late" on changing your life at 42 or 48.
Honesty for dads: what kids learn from watching a parent say what's true.
The honesty lessons in movies and TV: from Walter White's "I did it for me" to Ted Lasso. Great for pop-culture shows.

Sample interview questions

What does "emotional honesty" actually mean, and how is it different from just being blunt?
You say you spent years performing "fine." What finally cracked it?
What's the "survey" in Survey, Build, Belong, and why does it come before goals?
Why do so many people get to midlife and realize they're living a life they never chose?
How do you talk to your own kids about honesty?
What's a movie or show that gets emotional honesty exactly right?
You're not a therapist. Why should people listen to you?
What's one honest sentence a listener could say out loud today?