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 this wide ranging conversation, Ian Wendt and Ryan Mickler sit down to talk about the evolution of podcasting, the mission behind Order of Man, and what it actually means to lead yourself and your family well. We get into the cultural confusion around masculinity, why so many men feel lost, and how responsibility, discipline, and standards are the antidote.

Ryan shares how his own journey shaped his philosophy on leadership, marriage, fatherhood, and business. We unpack the tension between ambition and presence at home, the importance of brotherhood, and the cost of drifting through life without a clear code. This is not theory. It is practical, hard earned perspective on becoming a capable man in a world that constantly pulls you off track.

If you care about growth, ownership, and raising the bar in every domain of your life, this one will challenge you in the right way.

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