In this Friday Field Notes, Ryan explains why so many men have lost the ability to speak up for themselves and how cultural conditioning has silenced masculine confidence and clarity. He covers the cost of silence, how lack of self advocacy leads to resentment and instability, and why reclaiming your voice is a foundational leadership skill. Ryan also provides practical language men can use in relationships, work, friendships, and with themselves to rebuild confidence and assertiveness.

This episode is a direct challenge to the mindset that staying quiet keeps the peace. Ryan shows that speaking up is not selfish. It is responsible and necessary if you want to protect, provide, and preside for the people you care about.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS
00:00 Intro
00:53 Why men lost their voice and the conditioning that caused it
03:02 The consequences of silence and suppressed needs
04:48 Self-advocacy is not selfish. It is a responsibility
06:55 The cost of silence and becoming a punching bag
10:22 How suppressed frustration shows up in destructive ways
12:34 Advocating early or resenting later
14:07 How to advocate in relationships
16:18 How to advocate at work
17:17 Advocacy with friends and brothers
17:55 Advocating with yourself and ending excuses
18:58 Clarity equals courage and consistency
19:51 The three-step framework for self-advocacy
23:38 How to communicate needs clearly
26:03 Holding the line and enforcing boundaries
28:23 Self-advocacy and leadership
30:53 Iron Council and the power of counsel from other men
32:38 Final call to action. Get your voice back

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 week's Ask Me Anything, Ryan Michler and Kipp Sorenson tackle a wide range of listener-submitted questions on leadership, relationships, accountability, confidence, and personal development. They dive into topics such as coming out of difficult life seasons, raising prices in business, being "unarmored" versus vulnerable, navigating age-gap relationships, reclaiming decisiveness in the home, and staying consistent with difficult tasks.

They also discuss communication differences between men and women and how men can lead more effectively with clarity and purpose. A practical, direct, and insightful conversation for men committed to growth.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS
00:00 - Intro
01:28 - Ascending out of a difficult season
07:20 - Raising prices with early clients
15:43 - Being unarmored vs. vulnerable
23:01 - Age-gap relationships
28:06 - Regaining accountability leadership
33:00 - Decision making in the home
42:29 - Doing hard, unappealing tasks
47:00 - Iron Council promotion & closing

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

There is no doubt in my mind that we, as a nation (and, across the world) are facing a moral confusion if not a complete moral crisis. And, unless righteous, bold men step up to the plate, we'll continue to see the moral decay of everything we love from our favorite institutions, to our families, and our neighborhoods, and even the threat of losing this great nation. That isn't hyperbole.

Today, I am joined by John Lovell, founder of Warrior Poet Society and former Army Ranger to discuss what we as men can do about it. We talk about mercy and justice (and, how to satisfy both), why we should hate injustice, the dangers of communism and socialism, why we must unite behind Truth (with a capital T), why "happiness" is inferior to "joy," and why we should pursue peace if possible but truth at all costs.

00:00 - Introduction & Catching Up
01:20 - Why John Wrote "The Lions of Mercer"
03:49 - Justice, Fiction, and Catharsis
07:15 - The Cry for Justice
08:07 - Modern Culture and Victimhood
08:51 - Loving the Good vs. Hating the Evil
11:44 - Redemption, Failure, and Public Dogpiling
13:01 - Loyalty, Forgiveness, and Standing by Brothers
16:14 - What Is "The Good"?
18:27 - Justice, Mercy, and the Role of Christ
20:15 - Judgement, Hypocrisy, and Accountability
23:07 - Integrity and Personal Alignment
24:39 - Happiness vs. Joy
26:39 - Teaching Discipline and Long-Term Thinking
27:03 - You Can Only Replicate Who You Are
28:22 - Wrestling With Faith and Christianity
29:02 - The Dangers of Atheism & Moral Relativism
31:05 - America's Moral Foundation
32:42 - Who Decides Morality?
34:12 - Rise of Socialism & Cultural Rejection
35:38 - New York, Ideology, and Consequences
36:36 - Unity vs. Compromise
38:41 - What Makes Someone American?
39:58 - Parenting, Boyhood, and Raising Men
40:45 - Why Boyhood Resurrected Was Written
42:38 - Risk, Adventure, and Rite of Passage
46:14 - Finding Balance in Parenting
47:09 - Trust, Risk, and Leadership in Marriage
51:27 - Why Should Your Wife Trust You?
52:21 - Leadership, Submission, and Marriage Dynamics
55:49 - Biblical Structure for Marriage
59:04 - Loving Leadership and Wise Authority
01:00:54 - Closing Thoughts & Transition to IC Segment
01:01:15 - Where to Find John Lovell
01:02:13 - Q&A Teaser

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