There's a war being waged on masculinity and femininity, and it's not an accident. Men are being told their strength is toxic. Women are being told their softness is weakness. The result is a generation of frustrated men, disenfranchised sons, and homes with no anchor. Today's guest calls it what it is: a deliberate weaponization of the sexes against each other, and it starts in the home.

Jake Woodard joins me to break down the difference between masculinity and manliness, why cities are quietly stripping men of their edge, and what it actually looks like to raise a son into a man. We get into red flags and green flags for both sexes, what it means to be a "masculine shield" for the woman in your life, and why "strong spine, soft heart" might be the most important phrase you hear all year. If you're a man trying to lead your home, or a woman wondering how to inspire the man in yours, this one's for both of you.

00:00 Masculinity Under Attack

03:53 Can Single Mothers Raise Masculine Boys?

07:48 The Masculine Shield Women Build

13:09 Taking Responsibility Instead of Blame

15:05 Why Nice Guys Lose Attraction

17:32 Leadership During Uncertainty

23:43 The Problem With Red Pill Influencers

27:57 Why Fatherhood Is the Greatest Success

30:10 Healing Childhood Trauma Through Accountability

36:18 Does Change Require Rock Bottom?

39:51 Masculinity vs. Manliness

44:53 Green Flags Every Man Should Develop

48:38 What Women Should Look For In A Man

51:17 The Power of Tenderness in Marriage

54:19 A Man Provides. A Woman Multiplies.

56:08 Women Are Amplifiers

58:00 Your Partner Reflects Your Leadership

01:00:37 Building a Home Instead of Just a House

01:02:13 Why Women Stop Trusting Men to Lead

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

As we approach the historic 250th anniversary of America's founding, Ryan Michler delivers a stark, counter-cultural challenge to modern men. We live in a society hyper-focused on immediate gratification, digital clout, and instant feedback loops. But true legacy requires a longer horizon.

By examining the immense, unglamorous sacrifices of George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson, Ryan maps out the blueprint for moving past temporary, ego-driven personal empires toward lasting institutions. Discover four actionable strategies to practice delayed returns, extend your time horizon, and aggressively plant the generational trees whose shade you may never personally sit under.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

00:00 - Episode Introduction

00:26 - The 250th Anniversary of America's Founding

01:00 - The Sweltering Reality of Philadelphia, 1776

02:30 - What the Founders Never Lived to See Complete

03:50 - The Ancient Wisdom of Planting Trees for Future Shade

04:21 - Breaking Free from Modern Immediate Gratification Loops

05:50 - John Adams and the True Cost of Generational Freedom

08:00 - Thomas Jefferson: Calculating Decades in the Dirt

10:00 - George Washington's Ultimate Power Move: Stepping Down

12:14 - The Strategy of Extending Your Time Horizon

14:30 - Building Lasting Institutions vs. Fleeting Personal Empires

21:31 - Why "Order of Man" is Not the Ryan Michler Show

24:11 - Tactical Discipline: Training Yourself for True Patience

26:36 - The Field Notes Challenge: Perform a Zero-Payoff Action

28:36 - Changing Your Stars and Redefining Your Family Trajectory

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 Sorensen tackle some of the toughest questions men face today. They discuss whether purpose is something you discover or build, how to find closure after losing a parent, and what it takes to save a struggling marriage before it's too late. They also talk about accountability between friends, rebuilding your life after alcohol, returning to faith, and introducing your children to difficult experiences like hunting without letting your own ego get in the way. Plus, they kick things off with a spirited debate about when, if ever, violence is justified in defense of your family.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

00:00 - Welcome & Recent Iron Council Conversations

03:07 - Is Violence Ever a Wholesome Activity?

14:38 - Grieving an Unfinished Relationship with Your Father

25:08 - Finding Purpose When You Feel Stuck

34:06 - Can a Marriage Be Saved Before It's Too Late?

41:03 - Rebuilding Friendships After Getting Sober

44:54 - Holding Friends Accountable Without Becoming Judgmental

51:26 - Returning to Faith or Just Seeking Structure?

57:29 - Teaching Your Son to Hunt Without Letting Ego Get in the Way

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 think preparedness is a bunker full of gear and ammo. My guest today, Mike Glover, knows better. A Green Beret, former CIA contractor, and founder of Fieldcraft Survival has spent his life teaching men that real readiness is a mindset before it's a skillset and that the hardest terrain you'll ever navigate isn't in the wilderness, it's the purgatory of your own worst chapter. In this conversation, Mike opens up about hardship, redemption, and what it took to pick himself up when the ground gave way beneath him.

We get into why men today aren't weak so much as broken down, physically, hormonally, and spiritually. And, we talk about what it takes to rebuild. We talk about purpose and identity, the difference between the people who scatter and the people who'll always have your back, and why being targeted only sharpened his clarity about who he is and what he's built. This is a raw, unflinching look at accountability, manhood, and the courage to say what needs to be said. Mike doesn't hedge, and neither do we.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

00:00 - Mike's public redemption story

02:23 - Why men think about giving up

05:08 - Is fatherhood enough of a purpose?

07:29 - Rendering yourself obsolete as a father

09:42 - Why mortality gives life meaning

12:35 - Surviving public controversy

15:37 - Why people judge what they don't understand

18:02 - Avoiding bitterness after betrayal

19:23 - The "Three Rows at Your Funeral" lesson

22:42 - Whose criticism actually matters

24:08 - Why criticism often reveals your own insecurities

28:36 - Stress, preparedness, and real-world emergencies

32:12 - American Contingency and government scrutiny

37:00 - The danger of putting influencers on pedestals

39:10 - Tribalism and following the crowd

40:26 - Why not everyone becomes a leader

43:08 - Natural selection and modern society

45:52 - Government investigations and censorship

51:16 - Why prepared citizens matter

55:20 - The Second Amendment and balance of power

58:41 - Why conservatives need to become more vocal

01:00:58 - Rebuilding Fieldcraft Survival

01:03:22 - Mike's mission moving forward

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 carry a wound they rarely talk about—and it often begins with their relationship with their father.

Whether your dad was absent, emotionally unavailable, overly critical, or simply unable to give you what you needed, that experience can quietly shape your identity, relationships, ambition, anger, and even the way you parent your own children.

In this episode, Ryan shares his own story of growing up without a present father and explores how the "father wound" influences countless men long into adulthood. More importantly, he explains why understanding the wound isn't about making excuses—it's about taking responsibility, breaking generational cycles, and becoming the man your children need.

If you've ever found yourself chasing approval, struggling to feel "enough," or determined not to repeat your father's mistakes, this conversation is for you.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

00:00 The Father Wound Most Men Never Discuss

02:36 Growing Up Without a Present Father

04:52 The Hidden Cost of Father Absence

06:40 What the Father Wound Really Is

08:54 How the Wound Shows Up in Adult Men

13:21 Understanding Isn't the Same as Blaming

14:45 Grieve It—Don't Bury It

15:52 Becoming Your Own Father

18:43 Stop Waiting for His Approval

21:02 Breaking the Generational Cycle

22:30 Forgiveness Is Not the Finish Line

24:41 Build Your Band of Brothers (Iron Council)

26:06 Final 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

the role of sports, politics, masculinity, and national pride. They then tackle listener questions on building meaningful male friendships later in life, reigniting a flat marriage, overcoming destructive habits, breaking generational patterns in fatherhood, exploring faith beyond traditional religious texts, and preparing mentally for a first archery elk hunt.

Along the way, Ryan shares personal lessons from his divorce and recovery journey while both hosts offer practical guidance on leadership, relationships, personal growth, and becoming a stronger man.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

00:00 Father's Day Reflections

03:50 UFC at the White House: Wholesome or Not?

11:03 Building Male Friendships After 30

21:45 Marriage Feels Flat: Where Do You Start?

31:39 Ryan on Divorce, Drinking & Real Change

39:16 Breaking Generational Patterns in Fatherhood

48:34 Faith Beyond the Traditional Canon

55:58 Mental Preparation for First Elk Hunt

59:29 Listener Feedback, Social Media & 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

Every day, men are dying. Not in some abstract, far-off statistic, but in your town, in your circles, maybe in your own family. They're isolated, disconnected, and being told the very things that make them men are the things that need to be fixed. Meanwhile, the culture cheers on the idea that hating men is a sign of strength, the family courts treat fathers as optional, and any space built exclusively for men gets torn down before it can do any good. Somewhere along the way, we decided men were the problem.

My guest today says that's a lie, and he's got the platform to prove it. George from The TinMen joins me to talk about why men are checking out, dropping out of therapy, and ending their own lives at staggering rates, and what it actually takes to turn that around. This isn't about coddling men or excusing them. It's about telling the truth: men aren't broken, the system around them is. We get into male friendship, the war on masculinity, the family court system, and why "man up" might be the worst advice we ever gave.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

00:00 Welcome to The Tin Men & Men's Emotional Expression

03:09 Are Men Talking—Or Are We Failing to Listen?

05:17 Why Therapy Isn't Working for Many Men

07:45 The Power of Shoulder-to-Shoulder Conversations

08:29 Grief, Brotherhood & Opening Up

11:02 Normal Responses to Difficult Experiences

14:00 Men as Individuals, Not Categories

16:53 When Talking Alone Isn't Enough

21:59 Why Society Pushes Back on Men's Issues

24:18 Boys, Education & Cultural Messaging

28:33 Building Better Men in Everyday Life

34:18 Health, Education & Structural Change

38:43 How Boys Learn Differently

43:36 Misunderstanding Boys' Behavior

46:15 Grassroots Solutions vs Government Solutions

48:24 Why Men Need Male Spaces

52:04 The Loss of Men-Only Communities

54:47 Brotherhood, Belonging & Better Outcomes

59:28 Final Thoughts & Where to Find The Tin Men

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 never receive training for fatherhood - but that doesn't make the role any less important.

In this week's Friday Field Notes, Ryan shares 7 strategies to become a better father and explains why your presence, discipline, standards, and personal growth matter more than you think.

Your kids are watching how you lead, how you respond to adversity, and how you show up every day. Whether your children are young, grown, or somewhere in between, these principles will help you become the father they remember and respect.

This isn't about perfection. It's about intentional fatherhood.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

00:00 Why Fatherhood Matters

02:58 Be Present, Not Just Around

04:50 Model the Man You Want Them to Become

07:09 Discipline Without Losing the Relationship

10:28 Let Your Kids Struggle

13:28 Tell Them Who They Are

17:56 Build Something Together

19:48 Father From a Full Tank

28:55 Iron Council & Final Challenge

29:36 Final Father's Day Message & Outro

If one of these principles hits home, choose one and apply it this weekend.

Join Iron Council:
https://orderofman.com/ironcouncil

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