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.

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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

In this episode of the Ask Me Anything series, Ryan and Kipp explore what it means to build a meaningful life through intentional action, structure, and the pursuit of legacy. They tackle listener questions on community, communication, personal balance, spiritual leadership, and fatherhood - while offering grounded strategies men can apply immediately.

Through stories about friendship, divorce, fatherhood, and growth, they reveal how to keep life steady when things get chaotic and how to preserve what matters most.

This conversation blends humor, wisdom, and vulnerability in a way only these two can deliver.

00:00 Pre-roll + studio chatter
01:07 Travel recap & St. Louis event
03:52 Introduction to legacy questions
04:12 How to build community from scratch
13:23 Communicating difficult truths
30:41 Getting life back under control
38:17 Signs of spiritual abuse
49:10 Leaving a legacy during divorce
54:56 Avoiding short-term comfort over long-term purpose
58:47 Legacy through connection with your children
01:01:30 Closing thoughts & call to action

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

You ever have the feeling what you see on the news and socials is exactly and only what they want you to hear? Yeah, me too. Turns out it's true. Very rarely do you get the full story so you can make your own informed decisions. And, this practice is skewing and distorting the way we view and interact with the world.

My guest today, Jeremy Carey – Founder of IRONCLAD, knows exactly what this is about and in his new series (partnered with Shawn Ryan), Target Intelligence: Psyop, they unpack exactly how this is happening in every aspect of life. We talk about what he calls the "Forgotten Audience" and the "Doer Class," the power of telling good stories – accurately, why authenticity is the key to success in an inauthentic world, and understanding the "Education-to-Entertainment" ratio in consuming content.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS
00:00 - Opening
02:03 - Why Ironclad Exists
03:41 - The Content Attention Crisis
05:03 - The Forgotten Audience
06:31 - Storytelling Without Agendas
08:04 - Authenticity in Modern Media
09:10 - Working with Elite Creators
10:28 - Advice for Creators & Entrepreneurs
11:42 - Early Failures and Lessons
14:01 - God's Will, Hard Work, and Obstacles
17:20 - Getting Reps & Evolving Your Craft
18:17 - Inside the Target Intelligence Series
21:16 - Psychological Operations in Everyday Life
22:53 - Useful Idiots & Hidden Influence
24:26 - Conspiracies, Credibility & "They"
27:05 - The Future of Media Consumption
29:19 - AI Disruption in Film & Branding
31:27 - Masculinity Content & Market Saturation
32:37 - Tools, AI & Adding Value
34:00 - Advertising, Trust & Audience Alignment
36:42 - Serving the Right Audience
39:32 - On-Demand Society & Tech Shifts
41:26 - Upcoming Ironclad Projects
43:51 - Turning Podcasts Into Film Series
45:39 - How to Know What's Real Anymore
48:13 - Deepfakes, Trust & Reputation
50:19 - The Importance of Authenticity
53:27 - Where to Find the Series

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 today's Friday Field Notes, Ryan Michler shares a powerful message built around a simple but meaningful reminder: your dust, your rust, and your scars do NOT define you - they tell your story.

After finding an old, rusted metal grid and working to restore it, Ryan reflects on how men often feel discarded, overlooked, or worn down by life. Through this analogy, he unpacks five key truths about identity, hardship, and resilience.

If you've ever felt beat up by life, sidelined by circumstances, or dismissed by others, this episode will remind you of your worth and your purpose.

In This Episode:
Why your scars are proof that you've lived, not that you're broken
How stagnation creates "rust" in your life
How to wipe away habits, attitudes, and behaviors that no longer serve you
Why rejection doesn't define your value
How to turn your scars into stories that help others

Five Lessons From This Episode:
What clings to you is not who you are
Rust only forms when you sit still
You can wipe away what no longer serves you
Your scars are your stories - your mess is your message
Someone's trash is another person's treasure

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS
00:00 – Introduction
00:27 – The Rusted Metal Grid Story
02:51 – Men Feeling Discarded
03:20 – Five Lessons About Dust and Rust
03:30 – #1 You Are Not Defined by What Clings to You
05:16 – #2 Rust Only Forms When You Sit Still
07:29 – Stop Wearing Other Men's Names
08:07 – Become the Man Who Leads
09:30 – #3 Wipe Away What No Longer Serves You
10:27 – #4 Your Scars Are Proof You've Lived
12:40 – Turning Scars Into Stories
13:50 – The Restored Rusty Truck Story
14:46 – #5 Someone's Trash Is Another's Treasure
16:04 – Being Valued at Home
17:19 – Recap of the Five Lessons
18:00 – Final Encouragement & Closing 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

In this week's Ask Me Anything, Ryan and Kipp dive deep into goal setting, New Year's resolutions, discipline, personal systems, and the internal dialogue that derails many men. They discuss practical strategies for building momentum, tracking progress, leading communities, and staying accountable even when motivation fades.

Listeners ask about goal-setting frameworks, balancing long-term and short-term ambitions, and how to prioritize key areas of life. Ryan and Kipp also explore integrity, honesty, and the real influence every man carries - whether he acknowledges it or not.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS
00:00 Discipline, systems & flexibility
03:50 Community goal-setting question
14:27 Internal dialogue & low points
21:46 New Year's resolutions
25:34 Balancing easy vs. long-term goals
30:11 Prioritizing life quadrants
34:19 Daily systems & accountability
45:21 Being influential and showing up
46:50 Promotions & call to action
48:03 Episode close

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

For something that we do every single day, and something that has the power to change every aspect of our life, we sure don't focus on, train, or develop it. And, that thing is conversation. Nothing great ever happened in your life without, first, a conversation – no promotions, no jobs, no clients, no dates, nothing.

My guest today, Payam Pakmanesh (known as "The Convo Guy") is here to explain why and, more importantly, how we can build and develop our ability to communicate more effectively. We cover the proper principles of communication, Adlerian Psychology and how it helps you focus on what you can control, the "Zoom Flow" model for deeper connection, how to make yourself more approachable, and becoming aware of how others perceive you.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS
00:00 - Conversation as a Life-Changing Tool
01:06 - Why Men Struggle With Communication
02:33 - Nature vs. Nurture in Your Voice
03:18 - How Environment Shapes Language & Identity
04:19 - Film Yourself: The First Breakthrough Exercise
05:30 - Pausing, Filler Words & Leadership Presence
06:55 - Listening Critically to Yourself
07:48 - Buying Time vs. Fear of Silence
09:18 - Authenticity vs. Performance
11:03 - Why Humans Detect Inauthenticity
12:20 - Reading Engagement & Disengagement Cues
13:51 - The Power of Real Listening
15:10 - Faces, Interpretation & Owning Your Identity
16:28 - Getting Out of Your Own Head
17:55 - Fear of Judgement & Perfectionism
18:34 - Social Masks & Status Games
20:32 - Adlerian Psychology & Letting Go of Others' Opinions
21:43 - Book Structure & Thoughts on "Courage to Be Disliked"
22:06 - Biggest Communication Mistakes Men Make
24:25 - Auditing Your Stories & Mental Frameworks
25:19 - Choose Stories that Serve You
27:45 - Tracking Thoughts & Fact-Checking Beliefs
30:18 - Inner Peace as the ROI of Self-Development
31:22 - Misreading Signals from Others
33:44 - Why Hard Conversations Must Be Live
34:50 - Growth Through Discomfort
35:17 - Why Men Avoid Difficult Conversations
37:06 - Nice Guys, Suppressed Emotions & Blowups
38:10 - Joker Example: From Nice to Extreme
40:12 - Standards vs. Expectations
41:14 - Make the Implicit Explicit
42:26 - Experimenting Like a Scientist
43:31 - Everyone Is Human-Even High Status People
44:04 - Scripts vs. Flow in Communication
47:32 - Headphones, Avoidance & Missed Opportunities
48:27 - Disagreement Statements That Build Trust
50:37 - Context Creates Empathy
52:19 - Why Courage Earns Respect
54:01 - The Value of Small Talk
55:48 - The Elevator Test
57:06 - Why Communication Creates Opportunities
58:29 - Movie Character Communication Breakdown
59:55 - How to Work With Payam

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