Too many men today aren't struggling because they lack information. They're struggling because they're drowning in noise. And, I think it's time we start unpacking why the "modern masculinity" space has become obsessed with hot takes, call-outs, online outrage, and performative "accountability" - and why none of it builds strong men, meaningful connection, or lasting improvement.

Today I'm joined by my friend, Jack Donovan, to talk about why gossip masquerades as moral authority, how "calling men out" often replaces real accountability, the difference between integrity, honor, and reputation, why social media rewards division, not leadership, the dangers of pedestalizing others—and why men need a code to live by.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS
00:00 - Studio Setup & Creative Work
02:24 - Why the Right Needs to Create Culture
04:22 - The Problem With Hot Takes
06:06 - Engagement vs. Building a Movement
08:17 - Writing as Intellectual Discipline
10:16 - AI Art, Aesthetics, and Snobbery
12:01 - Giving People the Benefit of the Doubt
14:11 - Funding Art and Leaving a Legacy
17:07 - Storytelling as Masculine Power
19:33 - Integrity as Aesthetic Congruence
21:09 - Integrity vs. Disintegration
23:14 - Faith, Ritual, and Mental Wholeness
25:16 - Philosophy as a Code of Conduct
26:50 - Honor as Reputation
30:13 - Tribalism and Dehumanization
33:18 - Why Men Gossip
36:49 - Malicious Gossip vs. Accountability
41:14 - Reality TV Culture and Privacy
44:43 - Judging Without Context
46:22 - The Danger of Moral Pedestals
49:32 - Hubris and Public Failure
52:31 - The Trust Recession
55:29 - Projection and False Narratives
58:51 - Redemption and Change

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 obsess over goals - the outcomes, the achievements, the shiny targets. But goals don't build men. Standards do.
In today's Field Notes, Ryan breaks down why standards define your identity, how they outperform goals in every way, and why your life only changes when you elevate the rules you live by. He shares powerful examples, including recovering from a major injury, why men fail when they rely on motivation, and how to build standards that make you unshakable.

Ryan also outlines a four-step framework to reset your identity, eliminate weak standards, and cement the behaviors that transform your life. If you want 2026 to be different, this episode explains exactly where to start.

Key Takeaways
Goals are emotionally dependent, standards are identity-based.
Standards keep you anchored in the present - goals keep you trapped in the future.
Goals collapse under adversity; standards strengthen you because they're non-negotiable.
A man becomes powerful when he lives by a code with zero negotiation.
Your life changes when your identity upgrades, not when your goals get bigger.

Four-step framework to build standards that stick:
-Identify the man you refuse to be.
-Build non-negotiables in all four quadrants (Calibration, Connection, Condition, Contribution).
-Build accountability.
-Enforce consequences when you violate your own standards.

00:00 - Introduction
00:09 - Why Most Men Get Goals Backwards
01:20 - Goals Don't Build Men — Standards Do
02:33 - Examples of Weak vs. Strong Standards
04:34 - Ryan's Pec Tear: Standards in Adversity
06:24 - A Man Rises or Falls to His Standards
07:50 - Why Goals Fail Men
09:33 - How Goals Delay Action and Keep Men Stuck
11:23 - Goals Collapse Under Stress
12:57 - Standards Create Structure and Strength
14:38 - How Standards Transform a Man
16:10 - Standards Prevent Moral Drift
17:32 - Building Trust Through Consistency
18:57 - Standards Make Men Anti-Fragile
21:03 - Stop Waiting for "All Green Lights"
22:43 - Identity Before Action
23:28 - Fast Progress Comes From Identity Shifts
24:26 - The "Light Yourself on Fire" Lesson
25:14 - Reverse Engineering Goals Into Standards
25:57 - Step 1: Identify the Man You Refuse to Be
27:38 - Making Weak Behaviors Repulsive
29:31 - Step 2: Non-Negotiables in the Four Quadrants
31:32 - Step 3: Accountability
33:00 - Step 4: Enforce Consequences
33:42 - Final Challenge: Raise Your Standards
35:45 - Iron Council Promotion
36:33 - Preview Call Details

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 and Kipp dive into discipline, motivation, and the realities of staying committed when life gets heavy. They discuss sustaining purpose in long-term work, navigating burnout, and understanding the difference between quitting and evolving.

The conversation takes a powerful turn as Ryan opens up about the passing of his father and what it truly means to forgive and move forward. They also address why men seek validation, how to handle relationship breakdowns, and what books shaped them this year. Practical, grounded, and deeply human - this episode hits every level.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS
00:00 Opening & Morning Discipline
01:56 What Keeps You Driven?
11:26 Quitting vs. Evolving
20:02 Burnout and Battle Plans
26:05 Losing a Father & Processing Grief
34:56 Why Men Seek Validation
49:43 Most Impactful Books of the Year
56:12 Iron Council Preview Promotion
58:49 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

I know you've felt like, in the past, you've been hesitant to share your true feelings and beliefs. Maybe you didn't want to offend that woman you were pursuing. Or, maybe you didn't want to upset your boss and run the risk of losing your job. Or, maybe you were afraid of what society or social media would say if you shared your true thoughts.

My guest today, Father Stephen Gadberry, is familiar with all of that in a way that many of us relate with. As a Catholic priest, US Air Force Veteran, and American Ninja Warrior competitor, he knows how compelling public criticism can become. Today, Father Gadberry and I talk about discipline, what "turning the other cheek," really means, how to handle false accusations, what true accountability actually means, the difference between your "vocation," and "occupation," and how God will speak to all of us.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS
00:00 Introduction
00:22 Masculinity and the Church
01:20 Growing Up Rural and Military
02:20 Has the Church Become Soft?
04:00 Culture, Covid and Truth
05:40 Truth vs Feeling Good
06:50 What Does "Love at All Costs" Mean?
08:20 Learning to Speak Truth Boldly
10:30 Men and Zero-F Attitudes
11:30 Tempering Instincts and Temptations
13:40 Crash and Burn Lessons
15:40 Discipline and "Doing Hard Things"
17:15 Small Things Shape Big Character
18:45 Christian Persecution Today
21:20 Should Christians Fight Back?
23:40 Violence, Duty, and Discernment
25:20 Bold, Relatable Preaching
27:20 Conviction vs Condemnation
30:00 Accountability Done Right
31:40 Guiding Boys and Raising Men
34:10 Real Discipline and Real Consequences
38:50 Guilt, Shame, and Responsibility
41:15 Preaching While Imperfect
45:10 His Calling and Vocation
53:15 Hearing God's Voice
56:30 Silence and Spiritual Clarity
57:50 Real Masculinity and Faith
59:00 Where to Follow Father Stephen

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

In this Friday Field Notes episode, Ryan Michler delivers a direct challenge to men who've been giving away their power. He breaks down how modern culture, comfort, and conditioned beliefs push men into outsourcing responsibility - and how reclaiming sovereignty starts with ownership, discipline, and intentional action.

Ryan explains why accountability feels heavy, why most men avoid the truth, and why no one is coming to save them. He closes with practical steps to take back control and a reminder that transformative change begins from within. A hard-hitting message for men ready to stop drifting and start leading.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

00:00 Introduction
00:05 Outsourcing Power
02:31 Psychological Slavery
04:49 Responsibility Reveals Truth
06:40 No One Is Coming to Save You
09:29 What Can I Do About It?
11:54 Taking Control of One Domain
14:17 Surround Yourself With Better Men
16:40 Invest in Brotherhood
18:46 Power Comes From Within
20:31 Iron Council Invitation
20:45 Next Week's Episode Preview

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