I don’t know how open I would have been 10 or even five years ago to talking to an interview subject about the American man. I’ve always been one for inclusion and, to be fair, was a little wrapped up in figuring out myself as an American woman.

But something about Todd Hoffman from the Discovery TV show Gold Rush had me rapt on the topic of this economy and its impact on men in particular. I so thoroughly enjoyed the interview I had a hard time deciding what to leave out of the column. This man has a story to tell.

Today’s Game Plan: Mining for Goals and Gold