Order of Man

Two hosts, five powerful listener questions, and a conversation that moves from comparison and fatherhood to relationships, self-awareness, and personal growth. Ryan and Kipp open with a quick catch-up before diving into questions from listeners on feeling behind in life, protecting children from cultural influence, rebuilding relationships with adult children, navigating difficult conversations with a spouse, and developing greater self-awareness. Along the way they discuss intentional parenting, accountability, ownership, communication, and why the quality of your questions often determines the quality of your life. SHOW HIGHLIGHTS 00:00 Intro & Hawaii recap 08:29 Comparison and feeling behind 21:00 Protecting your kids from culture 31:35 Rebuilding relationships with adult children 40:09 Talking to your spouse about difficult issues 51:19 Building self-awareness 01:08:59 Men's Forge event announcement 01:11:12 Outro 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 carries forces that pull against each other. It could be the urge to numb out and the call to face it, the inheritance of his father's failures and the responsibility to break the chain. For Michael Millin, those opposing forces weren't a metaphor. They were the difference between a life lost to addiction and the 17 years of sobriety he's built since hitting bottom with his back against the wall. Today, Michael and I talk about generational trauma, the instability of growing up with a father who came in and out of his life, and what it actually takes to stop running from the pain you've spent your whole life numbing. This is a raw conversation about alcoholism, faith, and the lie that we have to wrap our identity up in being broken. Michael shares how he went from mocking Christianity to wrestling honestly with God, how a single sober friend changed the trajectory of his life, and why enablers do more damage than they'll ever admit. If you've ever told yourself you weren't okay, this one is for you. SHOW HIGHLIGHTS 00:00 - Episode Introduction 01:04 - Fatherhood, addiction, and absent fathers 04:06 - Growing up with addiction and instability 05:33 - Ryan's recovery experience and AA discussion 06:28 - Watching a father relapse after 15 years sober 09:24 - Rock bottom, poverty, and getting sober 13:39 - What rock bottom actually looked like 16:03 - Recovery, Indonesia, and spiritual searching 17:18 - Christianity, marriage, and life transformation 20:29 - Finding an outlet and building a meaningful life 21:51 - Addiction, purpose, and destructive patterns 23:37 - Fatherhood and defining a personal mission 26:49 - Turning childhood pain into purpose 28:50 - Faith, doubt, and searching for God 32:43 - Generational cycles and breaking family patterns 35:56 - Accepting hard truths and personal responsibility 39:50 - Addiction, identity, and becoming okay internally 41:50 - Family trauma and inherited suffering 44:20 - Native American heritage and generational impact 50:30 - Spiritual warfare and healing 51:16 - The story behind A Life of Opposing Forces 53:20 - Surfing, sharks, and feeling alive 59:16 - Lessons from being new on the journey 01:00:10 - Relationships, faith, and changing direction 01:01:55 - Where to connect with Michael 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

Masculinity isn't inherently good or bad - it's a force. Like fire, it can be used to build or destroy. The real question isn't whether masculinity is the problem; it's whether a man has learned to direct it with discipline, character, and purpose. In this episode of Friday Field Notes, Ryan Michler explores the critical distinction between masculinity and manliness, then breaks down five immature archetypes that keep men from reaching their full potential. From the Man Child to the Jester, Ryan explains how these patterns show up in everyday life and what it takes to move beyond them. If you're willing to take an honest look in the mirror, this episode may reveal exactly where you need to grow. SHOW HIGHLIGHTS 00:00 Intro 00:17 Masculinity Is Not Inherently Good or Bad 02:26 Masculinity vs. Manliness 04:33 Being Good vs. Being Good at Being a Man 05:44 Manliness Requires Virtuous Direction 06:40 The Meaning of Arete 08:29 Masculinity Without Refinement 09:27 Archetype #1: The Man Child 15:31 Archetype #2: The Ghost 21:27 Archetype #3: The Tyrant 25:36 Archetype #4: The Martyr 30:49 Archetype #5: The Jester 34:45 Which Archetype Are You? 36:45 Iron Council Preview Invitation 38:05 Final Thoughts and 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 solo Ask Me Anything episode, Ryan Michler tackles some of the most common challenges men face in midlife: complacency after success, leading a family without becoming controlling, overcoming conflict avoidance, dealing with regret, and building meaningful male friendships. Ryan shares practical frameworks for finding purpose after you've achieved your goals, developing conviction without coercion, stepping into leadership at home, and letting go of past mistakes through accountability and changed behavior. He also offers candid advice on creating deeper connections with other men and why meaningful struggles are essential for growth and fulfillment. SHOW HIGHLIGHTS 00:12 - Introduction and Iron Council Preview Call 01:20 - Staying Sharp After Success and Comfort 07:09 - Passing Faith to a Teenage Son Without Control 12:32 - The Midlife Emptiness Many Men Experience 15:28 - Overcoming Conflict Avoidance and People-Pleasing 30:50 - Leading Your Family Without a Power Grab 44:18 - How to Deal with Real Regret and Move Forward 55:32 - Why Men Struggle to Build Deep Friendships 01:05:30 - Where to Find Strong Male Relationships 01:06:55 - Final Thoughts and Closing Remarks 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

Most men are surrounded by people and completely alone. They've got coworkers, neighbors, guys from high school they still text but nobody who will tell them the truth, call them forward, or sit with them when things go sideways. That's not friendship. That's just proximity. And the difference between those two things might be the most important gap a man can close in his life. Today I'm sitting down with Jimmy Rex, founder of We Are The They, author of BE ONE, and one of the most intentional men I know when it comes to building real brotherhood. We get into where men actually find high-caliber friends, how to tell the difference between a true friend and a liability, the masculine dynamics that make marriages and relationships work, and why most guys are betraying themselves long before anyone else gets the chance. This is a conversation that will change the way you think about the men in your life - and the ones who should be there but aren't. SHOW HIGHLIGHTS Podcast Introduction and Montana Knife Company Gift Shifting Trip Plans to Montana and Wild Bear Sightings Connecting with Nature and Managing Phone Screen Time High School Pranks and Getting Arrested at a Church Event Exploring Masculine Softness, Vulnerability, and Leadership Tiptoeing into Asshole Territory to Set Healthy Boundaries The Qualifications of Church Leaders and Dating Advice Pitfalls Communication Languages and Understanding The Queen's Code The Role of a Coach and Pushing Boundaries in Sports Taking Action and Establishing Clear Boundaries in Marriage Prioritizing Women's Safety and the True Purpose of Men's Groups Critiques of Modern Vulnerability and the Value of Having a Plan Accountability Through Combat Sports and Jiu-Jitsu Overcoming the Ego and Inviting Friends to Highlight Blind Spots Two Critical Questions for Evaluating Received Feedback Colin Cowherd's Philosophy and Navigating Family Conflict Handling Social Media Group Misunderstandings and the Grace of Repair The Importance of a Sparring Partner and Jiu-Jitsu with Pete Roberts Finding Your Band of Brothers and Letting Go of Unproductive Roommates Household Management and Adam Lane Smith's Household CEO Model Orion Tarabin's Captain and Passenger Relationship Concept Reconciling Navigational Promises and the Power of Pre-Selection Net Worth and Jimmy's Investment Board Role with Dave Bateman Changing Your Personal Environment and Matching Partner Standards Proximity vs true Investment and Jimmy's Real Estate Systems Evaluating Competence, Discernment, and Destructive Patterns in Circles Distancing Low-Performing High School Friends and Surviving a $150,000 Scam Golfing in Southern Utah and Embracing Imperfect Execution 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