Forged by Fire

Ryan Stephens, Rob Hefley, and Daniel Shaw host the Forge by Fire podcast, welcoming their special guest, James Ash. James is a Marine Corps combat veteran, law enforcement officer, and combat veteran who has been a close friend of Ryan's for over 20 years. As the hosts and James reminisce about their shared experiences, James opens up about his recent cancer diagnosis - a rare form called multiple myeloma that affects less than 2% of all cancer patients.

Diagnosed at just 41 years old, decades younger than the typical patient, James reveals that he sought treatment at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), known as the world's leading institute for this type of cancer. He expresses his determination to fight the disease, which has caused bone lesions and weakened his immune system. The group discusses the alarming rates of cancer among veterans of the Global War on Terrorism, emphasizing the importance of early screening and accessing available benefits.

Despite his difficult diagnosis, James maintains a remarkably positive attitude, crediting his strong support system - particularly his wife, Jess - for giving him the strength to persevere. The hosts are deeply impressed by James' mindset, praising his refusal to view cancer as a death sentence and his commitment to finding purpose in the midst of adversity. The conversation shifts to the importance of community, with the hosts describing the unique culture they've fostered at their gym, where veterans and first responders can be vulnerable and find healing.

As James opens up about his complex spiritual journey, the group explores the concept of "meekness" as strength under control, drawing parallels to the example of Jesus. They discuss the harmful ways in which some have weaponized Christianity, leaving James and others feeling unworthy and broken. However, the hosts emphasize the unconditional love of God and the importance of living as true sons of the Father.

The discussion turns to the significance of breaking negative generational cycles, with the hosts sharing their own experiences and the steps they're taking to create better lives for their children. They highlight the power of speaking generational blessings over their families and demonstrating healthy, loving relationships.

As James prepares to undergo an intense 100-day treatment regimen, the hosts offer their unwavering support, encouraging him to lean on his community during this challenging time. James shares plans to document his journey through a new public Instagram account and an upcoming podcast titled "Unbroken from the Ashes," which will explore themes of overcoming hardship and emerging stronger. The podcast concludes with the hosts expressing their pride in James' resilience and their excitement to reconvene in a year to celebrate his recovery and hear the full story of his inspiring journey.

Ryan Stephens and Rob Hefley have built a community-focused nonprofit through the podcast Grey Beard Forge MMA Gym. Based in Conway, Arkansas, Gray Beard Forge MMA primarily serves veterans and first responders. 

As the Forged by Fire podcast celebrates its sixth anniversary, the hosts reflect on their remarkable journey and marvel at how much they've accomplished together. Ryan and Rob reflect on the evolution of their own friendship, acknowledging the ups and downs but emphasizing their unwavering support for one another.

The story delves into the evolution of Ryan's fitness and martial arts programs, starting with his Sheepdog Skills classes and transitioning into the creation of Frontline Jiu-Jitsu and MMA. This free program for veterans and first responders quickly grew from just five participants to hosting over 30 people regularly. Ryan's vision expanded further with the opening of Grey Beard Forge MMA, a 10,000-square-foot facility that houses the gym, and Grey Beard Ammo, a high-end gun shop. 

Greybeard Forge's nonprofit structure is a key part of its mission. It allows the gym to offer discounted rates for veterans and first responders while also sponsoring individuals who cannot afford membership fees. This pay-it-forward model has created a safe, inclusive space where warriors from all walks of life can train, heal, and find community. The hosts emphasize the gym's role in disaster response and its ability to serve as a sanctuary for those struggling with trauma, PTSD, and even suicidal thoughts.

Ryan's social media success has further amplified Grey Beard Forge's impact, with his "Five Friends" video going viral and reaching over 20 million views across various platforms. This unexpected fame has led to surprising encounters with fans and new opportunities to share the message of encouragement and personal growth. 

As they look to the future, the hosts have several exciting plans. The upcoming launch of BFFs "Best Friend Fighters," a self-defense program for girls, and the "Shepherd Summit," a weekend retreat for pastors and church workers, demonstrate their commitment to serving and empowering their community. Ryan and Rob extend an open invitation to their listeners, welcoming veterans, first responders, and patriots alike to join their growing Greybeard Forge family.

Ryan Stephens and Rob Hefley have created a remarkable legacy of community-focused entrepreneurship through their podcast, business ventures, and social media presence. Their story is one of friendship, resilience, and a relentless dedication to positively impacting the lives of those around them. As they continue to navigate the challenges and opportunities, the future of Grey Beard Forge shines bright, a beacon of hope and inspiration for all who seek to find their light and calling through this vibrant community in Conway, Arkansas. 

Daniel Shaw and Rob Hefley, hosts of the Forged by Fire podcast, open the episode by setting the stage for an intimate discussion on the importance and challenge of being present. As friends and co-hosts, they establish a warm, conversational tone, with Rob admitting that he has long struggled with this lesson, making it a relatable topic for the audience.

The conversation delves into the difficulties of maintaining presence amidst the constant pull of responsibilities and distractions in modern life. Rob describes the "monkey mind" effect, where the human ability to imagine the future can become a source of stress and anxiety, causing people to worry about scenarios that may never come to pass. The hosts share personal anecdotes, such as the frenzy surrounding the Y2K scare, to illustrate how this tendency to "future trip" can lead to poor decision-making and a diminished quality of life.

Shifting the focus to the spiritual realm, Daniel and Rob explore the concept of being present in one's relationship with God. They emphasize the importance of resting in God's constant presence rather than obsessing over the unknown future. The discussion highlights how maintaining a spiritual presence can help alleviate anxiety and ground individuals in the current moment.

The conversation then turns to the pervasive "culture of busyness" that often prevents people from being truly present with their loved ones. The hosts share relatable examples, such as friends and colleagues whose packed schedules make scheduling even a simple lunch meeting challenging. They critically examine this societal trend, recognizing how the lack of margin in people's lives can negatively impact relationships and one's ability to be spontaneous and attentive.

Daniel and Rob explore practical strategies for cultivating presence in daily life, emphasizing the need for intentionality. They discuss the importance of setting boundaries, such as Daniel's decision to prioritize family birthdays over a work retreat and consciously engaging fully with the people and activities that matter most. The hosts also address the role of technology, particularly smartphones, in disrupting genuine human interactions, encouraging listeners to be mindful of their device usage during conversations.

Balancing multiple priorities emerges as a central theme, with the hosts acknowledging the difficulty of saying no to opportunities that may detract from time with family, friends, and one's spiritual life. They share personal experiences of turning down job offers or commitments that would have negatively impacted their work-life balance, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing relationships and well-being over career advancement or financial gain.

In the final chapters, Daniel and Rob offer practical advice for listeners, suggesting strategies such as putting away phones during conversations, setting aside dedicated time for undistracted interaction with loved ones, and regularly evaluating and "quitting" unnecessary commitments. They underscore the significance of self-care and setting realistic expectations to maintain the energy and focus required to be fully present in important moments.

The episode concludes with a call to action, challenging the audience to practice being more present in their relationships and spiritual lives. The hosts express their belief in the potential positive impacts of increased presence on personal well-being and the quality of human connections. By weaving in information about their business, Greybeard Forge MMA, and their ammo subscription service, they demonstrate how these offerings can help create more time for being present in life, reinforcing the core message of the episode.

In Forged by Fire’s comeback episode, catch up with Ryan Stephens and Rob Hefley as they bring on long-time friend Daniel Shaw. After doing everything – short of kidnapping – to get Daniel on the podcast, they sit down to share life updates and discuss how the podcast made them better people. Reflecting on their earlier episodes, Ryan says, “I believe because of the podcast, I’m a better father, I believe I’m a better friend, better husband.” Rob explains how it feels to reach so many and help others through the podcast. “You never know who you’re going to have an effect on,” says Rob. “[...] No matter what [...] we wanna add value to other people’s lives every day.” You never know whose lives are improving due to your positive attitude and strong spirit. Despite putting the podcast on hold, Ryan recounts how a police officer visiting from New Mexico tells him how the episode about negativity changed his life and gave him an entirely different perspective. Rob and Ryan care about people in their down-to-earth way, “Even dirt grows vegetables…sometimes,” Daniel remarks lightheartedly. He has a point. Dirt is where the roots go and support the smallest of seeds so they can become great oaks.

Welcome the newest and arguably coolest member of Gray Beard Ammo, Daniel Shaw! Inflation, holidays, and starting new work, moving to Arkansas shows the importance of community and having a support system in uncertain times. Daniel settles into his new home and work after a call from Rob (and maybe God, too) to come to Arkansas. Forging new friendships has been crucial to Daniel’s recent life changes.

Ryan shares the latest turns his life has taken. S7 Tactical has gone from a seventeen-acre to a ninety-seven-acre facility to better serve the community. Ryan has also transitioned from sheepdog skills to pursuing his black belt from Frontline Jiu Jitsu. Side note, Frontline Jiu Jitsu specializes in helping frontline and first responders, which is fantastic. Meanwhile, work as a special agent has been great and frustrating, but Ryan does his best to take it all in stride with kindness. Continuing, he stresses the importance of being on the same page with your partner. “Being married, [clicking on all cylinders is] probably the most important.” Ryan Stephens says. “When you have a supportive wife, man, you feel like you can take on the world.”.

Rob tells of his latest endeavors with building a new home and the joys of the simple things in life. “I just want this little room here [...], my little office [...], and I wanna garage I can fit a jacked-up truck in.”. 

Ryan comments, “That’s it, redneck rich!” 

“Really simple, ya know?” Rob laughs.

Rob proudly tells us how his wife and kids are doing, with his wife being featured in AR Money & Politics magazine about her coaching and Christian leadership. Rob and his family also took a trip to Mexico for New Year’s and even bought (and remodeled) a gun store recently. Ryan jokes, “I love how he says it so nonchalant. ‘Like, ya know, was shoppin’ around, looked in a magazine and just bought a gun…store’”.

On top of that, they just leased another building in November to open another 27,000-square-foot store to expand on Rob’s vision and goals. “I feel [...] truly blessed to live in a community in Conway. Great people around us, great church, great friends.” Rob says, thankful for the success and growth he’s experienced.

To recap, Rob opened a gun store and got a new building. Now it’s time for the big question. Ryan asks Rob what his end goal is and what dream he’s chasing. The end goal? To have a self-sustaining retail spot in Conway, an excellent online store, and Gray Beard Ammo – an ammo subscription service. “I want people here that wanna work hard and play hard. Add value to people’s lives.” Rob says about the people he wants around his work.

“That’s why we're sitting at this table,” Ryan adds. “One thing I’m so thankful for is you’re [both] always looking for [...] ways to serve other people. Especially our community.”. Ryan describes their community as veterans, first responders, and people hurting or not living to their fullest potential.

Speaking of goals and potential, Daniel expresses the importance of writing down your goals. “I tend to use the military planning process.” Daniel explains. Using this process, he illustrates questions to ask yourself while planning your course of action. “Where do I wanna be? [Where do I need to be?] How do I get there? [What strategies do I develop, and what tactics do I use to meet that strategy? What milestones do I need to reach?].”

Daniel expresses his goal of becoming more self-sufficient, where he doesn’t need to rely on the government or others around him. “I wanna be free,” remarks Daniel. “I wanna be even more free and in the best physical shape of my life.”

“You’re lookin’ pretty legit, dude!” Ryan interjects.

Daniel continues on his goals, “I wanna build a community. Ya know you were talking about serving others, and I wanna do that.” Seeing people without confidence on social media or even at the local grocery store, Daniel says there’s so much missed when you lack confidence. Quality mentorship is vital to building self-confidence; most people don’t have that mentor to build them up. “What a lot of men are missing out there right now, they're missing somebody else telling them: ‘Hey man, you don’t have to go this way; there’s a better way.’” Daniel says. “Most are missing that person they need to follow, ya know, Jesus Christ.” Rather than accomplishing goals to shine a light on himself, Daniel says he tries to complete those goals so Jesus can shine through him by example.

“If you want to live in true freedom, what is true freedom? You want to live like you have nothing to fear, nothing to hide, and nothing to prove.” – Michael Thompson

Most men haven’t experienced true freedom due to their own bad decisions. However, Ryan encourages the listeners of Forged by Fire to strive for that. When you feel a positive difference, you treat others differently. Michael Thompson’s quote stopped Rob in his tracks; it truly hit a nerve, “If I lose everything today, it’s God’s will.”. Ruminating on his relationships while relaxing in Mexico, Rob realized how thankful he is to be surrounded by great people he can rely on and trust. “When you lower your expectations and focus on gratitude, I seem to have better days.” Ryan shares.

They discuss how getting too comfortable can harm your mindset and act as a metaphorical prison. It’s okay to be comfortable in a routine, but they challenge you to ask yourself: Are you happy at work? Challenging yourself and contributing to your community can help you and those around you grow, such as volunteering at nonprofits and engaging others at church.

Worry can be its own form of prison. Rob shares his own experiences with worry and finding purpose outside of himself. We can be plagued by worries even when there’s nothing to worry about. Things began to change for him when he trusted God and found strength through Him.

“We need strong men, and we’re in a serious deficit.” Says Rob. Daniel adds one of the attributes of the Holy Spirit, having a reverential trust in God. “I want to love what God loves and [...] I want to be able to recognize evil.” he says, wanting to protect himself and others. “We said [the evil around] was okay because of our silence.” It’s necessary to speak up in the face of evil, whether in conversations at work or on the street. Physical strength and willingness to fight to protect yourself and your loved ones are crucial to that cause.

Ryan shares an anecdote of a man who goes to his church. The man pompously tells Ryan he’s unsure about all that fighting stuff. To this Ryan replies, “Give me your wallet.” Taken aback, he looked around, searching for validation from others nearby. “I’m not gonna say it again. Give me your wallet.” Believe it or not, the man gave Ryan his wallet right there in the middle of church. “Brother, you care more about balance than you think you do. You had no choice but to give up your [wallet].”. Ryan tries to put it into perspective for him and the listeners, “What if that was your child? What if that was your freedom?”. The saying “easier said than done” is very relevant here. He elaborates, you can say you’ll do all these things to protect your child and your freedom, but are you capable of acting on those words? You can give your best, but what if your best isn’t good enough? “You can’t will yourself to fight, you can’t hope yourself to fight, you can’t see-red yourself to fight.” Explains Ryan. He encourages you to give yourself those options further through training and developing the skills. Strength is knowing not to seek out fights despite being physically capable.

“You can be humble. You don’t have to be the toughest guy in the room.” says Ryan. Illustrating more, he talks about his experience with Daniel Shaw’s rifle problem-solving course. Ryan is put to the test, setting goals for himself when Daniel makes him prove he can do it. Even after failing to reach the goal, Ryan says it was still a moment of growth. Once you discover a deficit, you learn where you need to improve. They pose the question, why do most people run from failure?

“The world’s not going to get better. You got to.” Advises Daniel. “And create some tactics to reach those goals. Work on them every single day, and don’t let anybody or anything stop you.” Rob follows that up with, “Don’t be a sandbagger, don’t set unrealistic goals. Smart goals. Specific, measurable, obtainable. Relevant and time-bound smart goals.” Rob also advises building a community to help reach those goals. Put yourself around people who have the same pursuits. Don’t be afraid to fail. Jump in and do your best. Either way, you’ll improve.

Ryan, Rob, and Daniel talk about not dwelling on jealousy. They encourage celebration, give validation, and offer constructive criticism. Show up, do what you say you will do, and work hard. Ryan talks about his experience of having a paradigm shift from the negative effect of others to self-empowerment. “I’ve never been criticized by someone who’s doing better than me.” they quote. 

Rob shares what he’s learned from his life experiences and how having a good community can help with accountability. Messing up and having people you can trust to give quality criticism is how you learn. A support system to cheer you on can make a difference. In turn, you’ll challenge your friends and colleagues to do better by celebrating and pushing each other. Otherwise, you’re a solo operator all by yourself. But it’s essential to have healthy boundaries and cut negative people out.

All in all, be a light to others. You’ll attract a community that wants to share that light like a moth to a flame. Especially by leading as an example and letting the light of Jesus shine through

Today we're going into the past. Which we know can be a scary place. But the past is the past for a reason. Are you bringing all your past problems into your future? We talk about our own experiences and hope that you'll go through the journey with us!

We're back with a new episode and this one is all about chasing big dreams. We get into our future dreams, why we chase them, and how important it is to keep setting big goals. We also get into why you should take steps to your dreams daily and how it can keep you fired up and moving towards the life you want to live. 

Today, we’re talking about generosity and how to live a generous life. It feels like a lot of people have really forgotten the joys of giving and focus on what they should be getting. And that’s no way to live! There are so many ways to be generous. Not just financially, you can share time and knowledge. When you’re generous with something you’re not thinking about what you’re going to get out of it. Generosity is kindness in action. 

Helping people is one of the things that you don’t really regret. Even if it’s not always well received, you shouldn’t feel bad for volunteering your time, energy, or money to help others. We want to ask our listeners what it felt like to receive something you didn’t expect. Now times that by 5 and that’s how you feel when you donate to someone else. 

In the Bible, it mentions a cheerful giver. If you’re giving cheerfully then you’re focused on the right reasons for helping people. We challenge everyone to be generous with your words too. Kindness can be 100% free if you’re spreading it with your words.

On this week’s Forged by Fire episode, we’re talking about all things mental health. After the loss of a friend, who was struggling with physical illness and mental illness we want to dedicate this episode to him and to talking more openly about mental health. 

This episode is dedicated to Cody Sublett a husband, father, and an amazing friend. 

In this episode, Ryan and Rob talked about the ins, outs, and all things of money! No matter where you are in life, there is more to learn about money mindset, managing money and making more of it!  Enjoy this podcast!

This is the second conversation Forged by Fire had with Daniel Shaw of Shaw Strategies.

Daniel Shaw is a retired US Marine Infantry Unit Leader with multiple combat tours and instructor titles. He has developed curricula and training standards for pre-deployment training and Marine Security Forces such as the Fleet Anti-terrorism Security Teams (FAST) and the Naval Nuclear Security Program. His direct action experience includes Level IV VBSS and In Extremis Hostage Rescue. Daniel has been a DOD/USMC firearms instructor for over 16 years. Since retirement from the Marine Corps, Daniel has gained over 4 years of experience teaching Armed Citizens, Law Enforcement Officers, and Active Duty Military. He holds numerous instructor certifications from the US Marine Corps to include foreign weapons and master instructor of handgun, rifle/carbine, shotgun, and medium to heavy machine guns.

Don't miss part 1 of this conversation!