Order of Man

In this episode of Friday Field Notes, Ryan Michler exposes the trap of "mental masturbation" and breaks down ten ways men deceive themselves into thinking they are engaged in self-care and personal development when they are actually stalling. From buying unused courses and hoarding unread books to hiding behind fitness routines and blaming past trauma, Ryan highlights how noble distractions prevent real growth.

Learn why true self-work requires action, accountability, and execution rather than endless planning or talking. Tune in to audit your habits, eliminate comfortable excuses, stop going at it alone, and build the frameworks and network needed to step up and become the man you were meant to be.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

00:00 - Introduction & Recapping Real Self-Care

02:10 - 1. Buying Courses You Never Use

02:55 - 2. Doom Scrolling & Social Media Traps

04:20 - 3. Waiting Until You're "Ready"

05:35 - 4. Blaming Others & Making Excuses

07:45 - 5. Going At It Alone

09:55 - 6. Collecting Books You Never Read

12:00 - 7. Chasing Bright & Shiny Objects

14:25 - 8. Talking More Than Doing

17:00 - 9. Hiding in the Gym or Office

18:55 - 10. Quitting When Things Get Hard

21:35 - Self-Assessment Exercise & Scoring

23:30 - Frameworks, Networks & The Iron Council

Battle Planners: Pick yours up today!

Order Ryan's new book, The Masculinity Manifesto.

For more information on the Iron Council brotherhood.

Want maximum health, wealth, relationships, and abundance in your life? Sign up for our free course, 30 Days to Battle Ready

In this episode of Ask Me Anything, Ryan Michler and Kipp Sorensen discuss the value of taking action, embracing imperfection, and questioning the polished images presented on social media. They debate the promise of Elon Musk's flying car before answering listener questions about career opportunities, family priorities, firearm safety, purpose, screen time, and leadership.

They also explore handling envy, rebuilding relationships with adult children, and navigating changing interests with teenage kids. Along the way, Ryan and Kipp share practical advice on setting boundaries, communicating honestly, and becoming more intentional as men, husbands, fathers, and leaders.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

00:00 - Episode Introduction: Opening

00:17 - Embracing Stress and Taking Action

04:48 - Why Being Real Matters More Than Being Perfect

07:50 - Elon Musk's Flying Car: Innovation or Showboating?

16:46 - Career Opportunities vs. Family Roots

26:00 - Firearms, Family Safety, and Marriage

30:14 - Restlessness, Ambition, and Finding Purpose

34:58 - Setting Boundaries With Your Phone

40:57 - Leading Difficult Parents in Youth Sports

46:28 - Envy, Success, and Personal Growth

53:25 - Becoming a Better Grandfather

56:54 - When Your Child Wants a Different Path

01:02:03 - The War Room: Brotherhood and Connection

01:04:34 - Closing Thoughts and Call to Action

Battle Planners: Pick yours up today!

Order Ryan's new book, The Masculinity Manifesto.

For more information on the Iron Council brotherhood.

Want maximum health, wealth, relationships, and abundance in your life? Sign up for our free course, 30 Days to Battle Ready

Every man will eventually find himself in water over his head. A business that's sinking, a marriage that's struggling, a season of life where you can't see the shore. Most men panic. They thrash around, burn through their energy, and make emotional decisions they regret for years. The men who make it through aren't stronger or more talented. They stay calm, focus on what they can control, and take the next breath.

My guest today, former Navy SEAL Andy Stumpf, knows this better than anyone. We talk about the drownproofing evolution at BUD/S and what it really teaches, why you should have emotional responses but never make emotional decisions, and the "chunking" approach he says is the most useful tool he's ever had. We also get into why most guys who quit regret it for decades, the difference between being a quiet professional and a silent one, why telling the truth is always enough, and what real wealth looks like once you stop chasing more.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

00:00 Introduction & Catching Up

01:10 Master Jiu-Jitsu Competitions & Mindset

02:50 The Reality of Jiu-Jitsu Culture

04:15 Demystifying the BUD/S Drownproofing Test

07:15 Emotional Control in Real-World Situations 09:15 Practical Stoicism and Objectivity 12:00 Leveraging Time to Prevent Emotional Decisions 14:15 Technology Usage and Healthy Digital Boundaries 17:00 Gen-Z and Connectivity Fatigue 19:40 The Quiet Professional vs. Silent Professional 21:30 The Importance of Absolute Truth and Integrity 24:00 Taking Personal Ownership vs. Making Excuses 26:50 The Chunking Strategy for Achieving Goals 33:00 Daily Writing Discipline for Drownproof

35:00 Navigating Regret, Failure, and Pivoting

38:30 Talent vs. Relentless Work Ethic

40:25 Mindset for Survival and Overuse Injuries

43:40 Transitioning Out of Military Service & Identity

46:15 Exploring Aviation and Unforeseen Opportunities

49:30 Authentic Relationships vs. Strategic Networking

51:20 Guarding Your Inner Circle

54:00 Snowboarding, Flying, and Lifelong Learning

55:35 The Surprising Origin of Writing Drownproof

57:40 Measuring Impact Beyond Money

59:45 Redefining Wealth and Financial Freedom

Battle Planners: Pick yours up today!

Order Ryan's new book, The Masculinity Manifesto.

For more information on the Iron Council brotherhood.

Want maximum health, wealth, relationships, and abundance in your life? Sign up for our free course, 30 Days to Battle Ready

In this episode of Friday Field Notes, Ryan Michler confronts the growing cultural hostility toward men and dismantles the superficial social media fluff around male "self-care." Instead of empty buzzwords, Ryan delivers ten actionable, non-negotiable daily habits every man must cultivate to lead himself, protect his household, and stand as a true ambassador for masculinity.

From waking up with deliberate intention and physically conditioning the body to maintaining financial stewardship, living by a strict moral code, and embracing intentional hardship, this episode provides the exact framework men need to reclaim focus and master their lives. Pick two habits and start building today.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

00:00 - Reclaiming Masculinity in a Hostile Culture

06:30 - Defining Real Self-Care for Men

08:30 - Rule 1: Wake Up With Intention

11:55 - Rule 2: Train Your Mind, Body, and Soul

14:40 - Rule 3: Read for Application, Not Status

18:40 - Rule 4: Join a Real Brotherhood

21:40 - Rule 5: Track Your Budget and Buy Back Time

25:40 - Rule 6: Be Present in Your Home

26:40 - Rule 7: Own Your Mistakes

27:20 - Rule 8: Accept and Process Your Emotions

29:40 - Rule 9: Live by an Unshakable Code

33:20 - Rule 10: Do Difficult Things With Purpose

35:20 - Pick Two Practices and Take Action

Battle Planners: Pick yours up today!

Order Ryan's new book, The Masculinity Manifesto.

For more information on the Iron Council brotherhood.

Want maximum health, wealth, relationships, and abundance in your life? Sign up for our free course, 30 Days to Battle Ready

In this episode of Ask Me Anything, Ryan Michler and Kipp Sorensen discuss the importance of living intentionally, making the most of time with loved ones, and taking responsibility for personal decisions. They debate the death penalty and the public broadcasting of executions before answering listener questions about dating after divorce, fatherhood after children leave home, staying consistent when progress slows, and handling workplace disappointments.

The conversation also explores firing a friend who isn't performing, the value of honest feedback, and why clear communication matters in difficult situations. Finally, they discuss how fathers can encourage their children to embrace outdoor adventures and family experiences.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

00:00 - Episode Opener

00:50 - Making the Most of Life and Time with Loved Ones

03:04 - The Death Penalty and Public Executions

10:33 - Attention, Incentives, and Personal Responsibility

14:37 - Dating After Divorce: When Should Your Kids Meet Someone New?

21:11 - Fatherhood After Your Children Leave Home

27:23 - Staying Consistent When Results Stop Being Exciting

32:22 - Drifting Through Life vs. Acting Intentionally

34:27 - Shackleton's Expedition and the Power of Intentionality

39:55 - Pride vs. Knowing Your Worth at Work

48:55 - The Importance of Honest Feedback

53:54 - Hiring Your Best Friend: Can You Fire Him Without Losing the Friendship?

01:02:01 - Why Uncertainty Creates Stress

01:05:42 - Getting Your Teenager Interested in Outdoor Adventures

Battle Planners: Pick yours up today!

Order Ryan's new book, The Masculinity Manifesto.

For more information on the Iron Council brotherhood.

Want maximum health, wealth, relationships, and abundance in your life? Sign up for our free course, 30 Days to Battle Ready

Men today are lonelier, more exhausted, and more divided than ever, and most of them won't reach out for help until their world is already falling apart. Today I sit down in person with Ian Wendt to talk about why brotherhood is a necessity and not a luxury. We get into the isolation of men, the decline of the institutions that used to bring us together, and why so many guys only show up once their wife has pushed them through the door.

From there, we go into the bigger picture: the forces working to divide us along the most emotional lines possible, why nuance is where the truth lives, how algorithms build our lenses for us, and what it means to be in the world but not of it. Ian also shares what it cost him to speak up when silence would have been easier, and why becoming a father made that choice for him.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

00:00 Episode Introduction

03:00 Montana Knife Gift

04:53 Growing Up and Hunting Aspirations

11:08 Why Connection is a Necessity, Not a Luxury

17:53 Exhaustion, the Rat Race, and Apathy

22:36 The Men's Mental Health Crisis and Brotherhood

27:11 The Agenda to Isolate Men

34:24 Manufactured Distractions and National Court Cases

41:29 Social Media Algorithms and False Narratives

46:16 The Demoralization of Truth and Society

48:43 Dissecting the True Purpose of Conspiracies

58:24 Politicians, Empty Influencers, and the Future

01:05:26 Leveraging the Digital World Without Being Consumed

Battle Planners: Pick yours up today!

Order Ryan's new book, The Masculinity Manifesto.

For more information on the Iron Council brotherhood.

Want maximum health, wealth, relationships, and abundance in your life? Sign up for our free course, 30 Days to Battle Ready

In this episode of Friday Field Notes, Ryan Michler breaks down why the popular concept of "vulnerability" is being misconstrued in modern culture . By definition, vulnerability means susceptibility to harm and weakness - traits that undermine a man's core responsibility to protect, provide, and preside . Rather than glorifying weakness for sympathy, men should replace vulnerability with humility, honesty, and discernment .

Ryan explains how to identify weaknesses to shore them up, share truthful struggles only with trusted brothers who have earned your trust, and avoid the twin traps of total isolation or emotional leaking . Plus, learn details about the upcoming Order of Man War Room event focused on overcoming five foundational fears every man faces .

00:00 - Introduction: The Problem with "Vulnerability"

02:19 - Defining Vulnerability: Why It Means Weakness

03:10 - The Castle Analogy: Shoring Up Defenses

04:46 - What to Use Instead: Humility and Honesty

07:00 - The Dopamine Trap of Modern Vulnerability

08:00 - Applying Humility in Real Life

10:00 - Living in Honesty and Dealing in Reality

15:36 - Discernment: Who Has Earned Your Trust?

19:12 - Protecting the Skeleton Key

21:00 - The Two Dangers: Walled Off vs. Leaking

26:40 - Order of Man War Room Invitation

Battle Planners: Pick yours up today!

Order Ryan's new book, The Masculinity Manifesto.

For more information on the Iron Council brotherhood.

Want maximum health, wealth, relationships, and abundance in your life? Sign up for our free course, 30 Days to Battle Ready

Ryan Michler and Kipp Sorensen tackle six questions about friendship, marriage, parenting, career, preparedness, and personal growth. They discuss how to confront a friend who is cheating, rebuild credibility after repeatedly abandoning self-improvement efforts, and navigate a teenager's decision to skip college for the trades.

They also explore the line between healthy preparedness and obsession, maintaining boundaries in a co-parenting situation, and whether loyalty to an employer is still worthwhile. Throughout the episode, Ryan and Kipp return to a common theme: consistency, responsibility, and taking ownership of your choices rather than waiting for circumstances or other people to change.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

00:00 - Introduction

13:46 - Confronting a Friend Who Is Cheating

18:44 - Rebuilding Credibility Through Consistency

33:07 - College vs. the Trades

42:21 - Preparedness vs. Paranoia

48:58 - Parenting Across Two Households

53:10 - Is Employer Loyalty Worth It?

1:06:18 - The Case for Taking Action Now

1:08:13 - War Room Announcement

Battle Planners: Pick yours up today!

Order Ryan's new book, The Masculinity Manifesto.

For more information on the Iron Council brotherhood.

Want maximum health, wealth, relationships, and abundance in your life? Sign up for our free course, 30 Days to Battle Ready

If you forget a man's name two seconds after he says it, your memory isn't the problem. You weren't listening. That's the case my guest today, two-time USA Memory Champion Ron White, makes, and he backs it up with a system any man can use: ask yourself one well-worded question before you shake a hand, pin the name to the most distinctive feature on the face, and review it before the forgetting curve wipes it out.

We also build a mind palace in real time using the furniture in my studio. Ron shows how the same method lets you give a speech without notes, retain what you paid to learn at a conference, carry a to-do list in your head, and remember the script when a customer objects. We get into why action and emotion lock things into long-term memory, the major system and character-action-object method he used to memorize a deck of cards in record time, and why memory comes down to training and intention, not talent.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

00:00 - Epsiode Introduction

04:20 - Connecting with Corey

04:44 - The "Brain Athlete" Shirt & Andy Elliott's Advice

07:06 - 3-Minute Street Hacks for Learning Fast

08:13 - The Mind Palace System for Public Speaking

12:07 - Walkthrough: Memorizing Five Speech Points

15:07 - Visuals, Action, & Emotion in Memory

20:30 - Practical Everyday Memory Applications

23:56 - Overcoming the "Bad with Names" Excuse

25:40 - Calming Brain Chatter with Focused Questions

28:13 - Linking Names to Facial Features

32:20 - USA Memory Records & The Major System

38:42 - Advanced Memory Palace: Character-Action-Object (CAO)

46:43 - How Rhythm and Music Lock In Information

48:38 - Body and Vehicle Palaces for Daily To-Do Lists

52:59 - Retaining Key Points from Conferences & Seminars

01:00:15 - Review Systems & The Phone Flashcard Hack

01:04:15 - How a Telemarketing Call Launched Ron's Memory Career

01:06:10 - Keynote Speaking & Memorizing Sales Scripts

01:09:20 - Memorizing 7,500 Fallen Soldiers & Media Audits

01:11:43 - Guest Socials and Course Info

Battle Planners: Pick yours up today!

Order Ryan's new book, The Masculinity Manifesto.

For more information on the Iron Council brotherhood.

Want maximum health, wealth, relationships, and abundance in your life? Sign up for our free course, 30 Days to Battle Ready

In this episode of Friday Field Notes, Ryan Michler dives deep into the high-profile Cornell controversy to break down the critical differences between legal culpability, moral responsibility, and mainstream media narratives. Addressing the ongoing cultural attack on men, Ryan challenges the popular claim that masculinity itself is inherently toxic.

Instead, he explains the distinction between raw, amoral masculinity and mature, righteous manliness grounded in divine principles. Ryan calls on men to stop outsourcing their morality to institutions, start holding their peers accountable, and actively model strength, virtue, and leadership for the next generation. Tune in to explore what it truly takes to restore real men in today's society.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

00:00 - Introduction & The Cornell Controversy

02:35 - Legal Culpability vs. Moral Responsibility

09:50 - Deconstructing Anti-Male Narratives

18:22 - Due Process and the Flaws of Public Opinion

25:50 - Masculinity vs. Manliness Defined

32:00 - The Role of Objective Morality and Righteousness

40:10 - Stop Outsourcing Your Sense of Morality

43:30 - Policing Our Own and Embracing Confrontation

47:09 - Raising the Next Generation & Modeling Virtuous Behavior

54:34 - Joining the Iron Council

Battle Planners: Pick yours up today!

Order Ryan's new book, The Masculinity Manifesto.

For more information on the Iron Council brotherhood.

Want maximum health, wealth, relationships, and abundance in your life? Sign up for our free course, 30 Days to Battle Ready