Introduction to ICBM
New year. New opportunity. Same question: What are you building?
The JumpStart Midweek Workshop on Wednesday, January 7 is your entry point into ICBM — a transformative space where Black men gather to redesign their lives with intention, clarity, and community. While everyone else is making resolutions they’ll abandon by February, we’re asking a different question: What do you actually want to build?
What Is ICBM?
ICBM is a framework for reimagining Black masculinity. It’s grounded in a simple but powerful idea: Engineering is the art of creating what doesn’t yet exist. And right now, Black men have the opportunity to engineer new ways of living, thinking, loving, and showing up. This isn’t about fixing what’s broken. It’s about designing what’s possible.
Why Build Now? Why January?
January 2026 is significant. Not because of arbitrary calendar changes, but because of where we are culturally, collectively, and personally.
Culturally: The old narratives about what Black men should be are crumbling. The strong, silent, invincible archetype isn’t working—it’s literally killing us through stress, isolation, and untreated trauma.
Collectively: More Black men are talking openly about mental health, therapy, vulnerability, and healing. The conversation is shifting, and you have a chance to be part of that shift.
Personally: You know something needs to change. You’re tired of just surviving. You’re ready to design a life that’s sustainable, fulfilling, and authentic.
January is when most people make promises they won’t keep. But you? You’re making a different choice. You’re choosing to do the foundational work that actually creates change.
The Core Philosophy: Why Build Now?
The “Why Build Now” question is central to everything we do in ICBM: Because survival mode is no longer serving you: The strategies that got you here won’t get you where you want to go. Hypervigilance, emotional suppression, constant defense—these were necessary once. But now they’re obstacles.
Because you’re carrying weight you don’t need to carry alone: The myth of the self-made man is just that—a myth. And it’s isolating. Building requires community, support, and collaboration.
Because the next generation is watching: Your sons, nephews, little brothers—they’re learning what masculinity looks like by watching you. What are you teaching them? Because you deserve more than just enduring: Thriving isn’t a luxury. It’s your birthright. And it requires building systems that support your wellbeing, not just your survival.
What You'll Explore in JumpStart
The ICBM Vision: Understanding the philosophy behind the work—moving from inherited blueprints to intentional design, from reaction to response, from isolation to community.
Your Current Reality: Before you can build something new, you need to see what you’re working with. We’ll help you take honest inventory of your life right now.
The Gap: The space between where you are and where you want to be. Identifying this gap is the first step toward closing it.
The Invitation: What becomes possible when you say yes to this work? What opens up when you choose to build with intention?
Who Should Attend
This workshop is for Black men who:
- Are exhausted from performing strength they don’t feel
- Want to break cycles instead of repeating them
- Are curious about what life could look like if they designed it differently
- Want community with other men doing real work
- Are willing to be uncomfortable in pursuit of growth
You don’t need to have your life together to come. You just need to be honest about where you are and open to something different.
What to Expect
- A welcoming environment designed specifically for Black men
- Interactive discussions (you’ll participate, not just observe)
- Practical frameworks you can start using immediately
- Connection with brothers who understand your journey
- Permission to be human instead of superhuman
The Beginning of Something New
JumpStart is exactly what it sounds like—the beginning. Whether you continue with the full ICBM series or just attend this introduction, you’ll leave with:
- Understanding of why this work matters
- Clarity on what you want to build
- Tools for starting to design your life differently
- Awareness that you’re not alone in this
Join us Wednesday, January 7 for JumpStart. Let’s make 2026 the year you stopped just existing and started actually building.
Date posted: December 29, 2025
Author: Fredrick Bush