Order of Man

In this week's Ask Me Anything, Ryan and Kipp dive into powerful listener questions from the Iron Council and Facebook group. They break down the difference between chasing and pursuing, how to handle employee resentment after promotions, and how childhood beliefs silently shape the man you become. The conversation moves into leading through chaos, navigating marital strain, protecting yourself during divorce, and the real risks and opportunities of AI. Raw, unfiltered, and highly practical - this episode is packed with leadership wisdom for men navigating business, marriage, and modern life. SHOW HIGHLIGHTS 00:00 Introduction 02:45 Chasing vs. Pursuing 07:42 Handling Employee Raise Fallout 22:13 Childhood Beliefs That Shape You 32:17 Leading Through Setbacks 41:17 When Is Enough Enough in Marriage? 45:45 The Truth About AI Risks & Leverage 01:06:06 Divorce Strategy & Legal Advice 01:09:17 The Last Time We Laughed Hard 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

We're living in a digital battlefield and most men don't even know they're fighting. The time we spend on our devices is unreal, and if it's free, you're the product. Algorithms and machine learning are engineered to hijack your attention, erode focus, and create compulsive habits. Today we're talking about auditing your digital life, removing the noise to find the signal, and building the discipline to guard your mind in an age of constant distraction. Joining me is Richard Ryan, author of The Warrior's Garden, built on the principle that it's better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war. We discuss digital detox, delayed gratification, accountability, and reclaiming the smallest locus of control so you can't be manipulated by the forces competing for your attention. SHOW HIGHLIGHTS 00:00 - Recording Begins & Digital Reality Check 00:50 - The Attention Economy: You Are the Product 03:00 - Negativity Bias & Why Outrage Wins Online 07:00 - Screen Time Audit: The Lifetime Cost 10:00 - Subscription Culture & Hidden Digital Leakage 12:30 - AI & Cognitive Atrophy: Guarding Your Mind 14:00 - Digital Detox & Withdrawal Symptoms 16:00 - The "Dead Internet" Theory 20:45 - Expediency & The Death of Delayed Gratification 22:30 - The Marshmallow Study & Impulse Control 28:00 - Compulsive App Use & "First Pickups" 31:00 - Addiction Substitution & Dopamine Traps 36:00 - Accountability & Why 95% Succeed With It 38:00 - Gratitude as Mental Armor 41:30 - Optimism, Awareness & Opportunity 49:00 - Incentives Drive Outcomes (Politics & Power) 55:00 - Personal Responsibility Over Group Dependency 58:00 - True Diversity: Strength Through Capability 1:02:30 - Warriors Garden & Closing Thoughts 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 have lost initiation. There was a time when boys were tested before becoming men. They faced hardship. They endured pain. They returned changed - recognized as men. Today, that process is gone. In this episode of Friday Field Notes, Ryan Michler breaks down: Why modern men feel lost The three elements of ancient initiation Why pain is necessary How comfort culture is weakening men Why nobody is coming to initiate you How to initiate yourself If you feel stuck, drifting, or chasing validation - this episode is for you. SHOW HIGHLIGHTS 00:00 Men Have Lost Initiation 00:26 When Boys Knew They Became Men 02:50 The Cost of Extended Adolescence 05:10 Comfort Culture Is Weakening Men 07:25 "Where Have All the Real Men Gone?" 08:05 The Three Elements of Initiation 08:30 Removed From Comfort 09:24 The Benefit of Pain 11:15 The Trial: Facing Fear 12:56 Recognition and Acknowledgment 14:49 Drifting, Chasing, and the Integrity Gap 16:35 Nobody Is Coming to Initiate You 17:14 Voluntary Hardship 18:45 What Initiation Looks Like Today 19:45 Brotherhood Is Modern Initiation 20:51 The World Needs Grounded Men 21:15 Questions Every Man Must Ask Himself 22:21 Do Something Difficult This Week 23:47 Steadiness Over Loudness 24:35 Choose the Fire 25:00 Join the Iron Council 25:20 The Men's Forge Event 26:00 Final Challenge 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 Ask Me Anything episode, Ryan Michler and Kipp Sorensen answer powerful questions from the Iron Council on leadership, fatherhood, faith, discipline, and personal responsibility. They explore how to eliminate noise and live an integrated life, coach teenage boys through cultural conflict, raise resilient children, and avoid bureaucratic leadership traps. The conversation also confronts modern church culture, challenges the pursuit of comfort over growth, and defines what it truly means to be present as a father - even when work demands time away. SHOW HIGHLIGHTS 00:00 - Episode Introduction 03:50 - Signal vs Noise and Life Integration 14:27 - Coaching Teens Through Cultural Conflict 22:52 - Leadership Systems vs Human Judgment 34:41 - Faith, Masculinity, and the Modern Church 47:29 - Helping Kids Find Their Passion 52:31 - Defining Presence as a Working Father 56:19 - Men's Forge Event 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

In a world that constantly pressures men to outsource responsibility, comfort has become a substitute for competence and dependence is sold as safety. But sovereignty isn't something given to you by institutions, culture, or circumstance. It's secured through discipline, ownership, and a commitment to lead yourself first. In this episode, we're talking about what it really means to secure your sovereignty—mentally, physically, financially, and morally—so no one else gets to dictate the terms of your life. My guest today, Ian Wendt, joins me for a powerful conversation on reclaiming authority over your decisions, your time, and your future. We dig into the hidden trade-offs men make when they surrender control, the systems that quietly erode independence, and the practical steps required to stand firm as a self-governed man in an increasingly unstable world. This isn't about rebellion, it's about responsibility. If you're serious about protecting what you've built and leading with clarity and conviction, this is a conversation you need to hear. SHOW HIGHLIGHTS 00:00:00 - The Evolution of Podcasting 00:13:36 - Ryan's Origin Story and Order of Man 00:29:03 - The State of Masculinity Today 00:44:18 - Leadership, Standards, and Responsibility 00:59:03 - Marriage, Fatherhood, and Presence 01:14:32 - Building Brotherhood and Community 01:29:01 - Discipline, Business, and Personal Code 01:44:07 - Final Advice for Men Who Want More 01:58:34 - Closing Thoughts 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