In this episode of Friday Field Notes, Ryan dives into five common phrases women say that often don't match what they actually mean. This isn't about deception or manipulation - it's about understanding human nature, attraction dynamics, emotional safety, and relationship leadership.

If men build relationships on what's said instead of what's actually happening beneath the surface, they risk frustration, confusion, and disconnection.

Ryan breaks down: - Why "I'm fine" rarely means fine - The truth behind "He's just a friend" - Why women don't actually want a "nice guy" - The myth of the "dad bod" preference - What's really behind "I don't need a man"

The goal? Stronger relationships, better discernment, and healthier dynamics between men and women.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS 00:00 - Intro 00:15 - Why This Conversation Matters 01:00 - Lie #1: "I'm Fine" 05:10 - Lie #2: "He's Just a Friend" 09:58 - Lie #3: "I Want a Nice Guy" 14:39 - Lie #4: "I Like Dad Bods" 17:55 - Lie #5: "I Don't Need a Man" 23:37 - What This Is Really About 25:05 - The Men's Forge Event 26:02 - Final Thoughts & 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

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

Most men believe confidence comes after certainty - once they make more money, gain more experience, or eliminate risk. In this Friday Field Notes, Ryan Michler challenges that belief and explains why clarity, not certainty, is the real source of confidence.

Ryan breaks down how ambiguity quietly drains a man's energy, why indecision exhausts the nervous system, and how avoiding clarity eventually leads to resentment, broken relationships, and missed opportunities. He also explains why most men don't lack clarity - they lack the courage to act on what they already know.

This episode is a call to action: stop negotiating with clarity, make decisions, and move forward calmly, deliberately, and decisively.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS 00:00 - Confidence vs Certainty 00:38 - Why Ambiguity Drains Men 02:32 - How Indecision Exhausts Your Energy 04:34 - Clarity Calms the Nervous System 05:45 - Confidence Is Calm, Not Loud 06:30 - Why Men Avoid Clarity 08:08 - Clarity Requires Courage 10:16 - "Patience" as Avoidance 12:19 - What You Avoid Will Confront You 14:00 - Clarity Is Respect, Not Aggression 15:52 - The One Question You Must Ask Yourself 17:02 - One Decision Can Change Everything 19:07 - Confidence Comes After Decision 21:22 - Final Challenge to Get Clear

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 tackle real-world questions from men across the globe. They discuss staying on the path after divorce, resisting the urge to chase new systems, and why consistency matters more than quick results. The conversation dives into parenting sons and daughters, raising boys through real-world apprenticeship, navigating estranged relationships with adult children, and how emotional regulation shapes leadership and influence.

From fitness and fatherhood to boundaries, patience, and embodiment, this episode offers grounded wisdom for men committed to growth.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS 00:00 - Weekend banter and life updates 03:35 - Systems after divorce and consistency 14:12 - Predictions, expectations, and relationships 21:26 - Taking young children into the outdoors 29:29 - Connecting with daughters as a father 35:55 - Teaching young men leadership and decisions 42:46 - Estrangement from children and self-leadership 51:48 - Men's Forge event announcement and CTA

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

What does it mean to truly protect something you love? And, what are you willing to sacrifice to do it? Today's guest has gone farther into the wild than most people ever will, not for thrill or ego, but to defend one of the most threatened ecosystems on Earth. From the depths of the Amazon rainforest to the front lines of conservation, this is a conversation about courage, responsibility, and confronting fear head-on.

My guest today is Paul Rosolie, a renowned explorer, conservationist, and storyteller whose life's work is rooted in protecting the Amazon and the creatures that inhabit it. We talk about what the jungle teaches you about yourself, the modern war on nature, and his powerful new book, Junglekeeper, which challenges us to stop outsourcing responsibility and start defending what matters, personally and globally.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS 00:00 - Introduction 01:15 - Encounter With an Uncontacted Amazon Tribe 04:10 - The Amazon Rubber Boom and Tribal Genocide 06:45 - Protecting the Last Wild Places 08:20 - Life Before Civilization 10:00 - Romanticizing Primitive Life vs Reality 12:35 - Modern Man's Disconnection From Nature 15:35 - Why the Wild Shapes Strong Men 18:45 - Artificial Fitness vs Real Work 20:25 - Is Saving the Amazon Even Possible? 23:45 - Hope, Despair, and Media Manipulation 26:00 - Overpopulation and Ecological Limits 29:00 - Letting Nature Regulate Itself 34:20 - Conservation vs Human Arrogance 37:05 - How Storytelling Saves Ecosystems 40:55 - Why Extreme Activism Backfires 43:45 - Hunters as Conservationists 46:50 - Dropping Out and Going All In 49:55 - Near-Death Encounters in the Wild 54:25 - From Adventurer to Protector 56:00 - Hope as a Weapon Against Despair

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

Healthy boundaries are essential - but most men don't know what they actually look like. In this episode of Friday Field Notes, Ryan Michler breaks down eight practical boundaries every man must establish in his personal, professional, and romantic relationships to build respect, alignment, and long-term success.

These boundaries aren't about control or ultimatums - they're about clarity, self-respect, and creating relationships that truly work.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS 00:00 - Why Boundaries Matter 01:10 - Why Men Struggle with Boundaries 02:38 - Grace, Communication, and Relationships 03:05 - High Fences Make Great Neighbors 05:05 - Alignment in Healthy Relationships 06:15 - Boundary #1: Reciprocity 07:26 - Boundary #2: Initiation 08:50 - Boundary #3: Flow 10:55 - Boundary #4: Capacity 12:08 - Boundary #5: Self-Abandonment 14:45 - Boundary #6: Regulation 17:30 - Boundary #7: Exit Boundary 22:55 - Boundary #8: Potential 24:10 - Identifying Triggered Boundaries 26:05 - Communicating Boundaries Effectively 28:40 - Join Iron Council 30:05 - Final Thoughts & Sign-Off

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 and Kipp tackle some of the most misunderstood challenges men face today. They break down how to establish clear and healthy boundaries - especially the role of reciprocity in relationships - and why unspoken expectations often lead to resentment.

The conversation also explores the importance of physical touch between men and how appropriate, grounded connections build trust and brotherhood. Finally, they address jealousy, comparison, and social media, offering practical strategies for cultivating gratitude while still pursuing growth. This episode is a tactical, honest discussion on showing up as a grounded, intentional man in every area of life.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS 00:00 - Opening 06:57 - UFC Commentary and Attention Spans 12:07 - Taking Ownership Around Authority Figures 19:42 - Carrot vs. Stick in Self-Discipline 26:20 - Physical Touch and Connection Between Men 31:47 - Choosing a Word or Theme for the Year 37:04 - Boundaries, Reciprocity, and Resentment 48:50 - Discipling and Mentoring Young Men 56:50 - Overcoming Jealousy and Social Comparison 01:03:51 - Raising Boys and Recommended Resources

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