Masculinity isn't inherently good or bad - it's a force. Like fire, it can be used to build or destroy. The real question isn't whether masculinity is the problem; it's whether a man has learned to direct it with discipline, character, and purpose.

In this episode of Friday Field Notes, Ryan Michler explores the critical distinction between masculinity and manliness, then breaks down five immature archetypes that keep men from reaching their full potential. From the Man Child to the Jester, Ryan explains how these patterns show up in everyday life and what it takes to move beyond them.

If you're willing to take an honest look in the mirror, this episode may reveal exactly where you need to grow.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS
00:00 Intro
00:17 Masculinity Is Not Inherently Good or Bad
02:26 Masculinity vs. Manliness
04:33 Being Good vs. Being Good at Being a Man
05:44 Manliness Requires Virtuous Direction
06:40 The Meaning of Arete
08:29 Masculinity Without Refinement
09:27 Archetype #1: The Man Child
15:31 Archetype #2: The Ghost
21:27 Archetype #3: The Tyrant
25:36 Archetype #4: The Martyr
30:49 Archetype #5: The Jester
34:45 Which Archetype Are You?
36:45 Iron Council Preview Invitation
38:05 Final Thoughts and 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 solo Ask Me Anything episode, Ryan Michler tackles some of the most common challenges men face in midlife: complacency after success, leading a family without becoming controlling, overcoming conflict avoidance, dealing with regret, and building meaningful male friendships.

Ryan shares practical frameworks for finding purpose after you've achieved your goals, developing conviction without coercion, stepping into leadership at home, and letting go of past mistakes through accountability and changed behavior. He also offers candid advice on creating deeper connections with other men and why meaningful struggles are essential for growth and fulfillment.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS
00:12 - Introduction and Iron Council Preview Call
01:20 - Staying Sharp After Success and Comfort
07:09 - Passing Faith to a Teenage Son Without Control
12:32 - The Midlife Emptiness Many Men Experience
15:28 - Overcoming Conflict Avoidance and People-Pleasing
30:50 - Leading Your Family Without a Power Grab
44:18 - How to Deal with Real Regret and Move Forward
55:32 - Why Men Struggle to Build Deep Friendships
01:05:30 - Where to Find Strong Male Relationships
01:06:55 - Final Thoughts and 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

Most men are surrounded by people and completely alone. They've got coworkers, neighbors, guys from high school they still text but nobody who will tell them the truth, call them forward, or sit with them when things go sideways. That's not friendship. That's just proximity. And the difference between those two things might be the most important gap a man can close in his life.

Today I'm sitting down with Jimmy Rex, founder of We Are The They, author of BE ONE, and one of the most intentional men I know when it comes to building real brotherhood. We get into where men actually find high-caliber friends, how to tell the difference between a true friend and a liability, the masculine dynamics that make marriages and relationships work, and why most guys are betraying themselves long before anyone else gets the chance. This is a conversation that will change the way you think about the men in your life - and the ones who should be there but aren't.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

• Podcast Introduction and Montana Knife Company Gift
• Shifting Trip Plans to Montana and Wild Bear Sightings
• Connecting with Nature and Managing Phone Screen Time
• High School Pranks and Getting Arrested at a Church Event
• Exploring Masculine Softness, Vulnerability, and Leadership
• Tiptoeing into Asshole Territory to Set Healthy Boundaries
• The Qualifications of Church Leaders and Dating Advice Pitfalls
• Communication Languages and Understanding The Queen's Code
• The Role of a Coach and Pushing Boundaries in Sports
• Taking Action and Establishing Clear Boundaries in Marriage
• Prioritizing Women's Safety and the True Purpose of Men's Groups
• Critiques of Modern Vulnerability and the Value of Having a Plan
• Accountability Through Combat Sports and Jiu-Jitsu
• Overcoming the Ego and Inviting Friends to Highlight Blind Spots
• Two Critical Questions for Evaluating Received Feedback
• Colin Cowherd's Philosophy and Navigating Family Conflict
• Handling Social Media Group Misunderstandings and the Grace of Repair
• The Importance of a Sparring Partner and Jiu-Jitsu with Pete Roberts
• Finding Your Band of Brothers and Letting Go of Unproductive Roommates
• Household Management and Adam Lane Smith's Household CEO Model
• Orion Tarabin's Captain and Passenger Relationship Concept
  Reconciling Navigational Promises and the Power of Pre-Selection
• Net Worth and Jimmy's Investment Board Role with Dave Bateman
• Changing Your Personal Environment and Matching Partner Standards
• Proximity vs true Investment and Jimmy's Real Estate Systems
• Evaluating Competence, Discernment, and Destructive Patterns in Circles
• Distancing Low-Performing High School Friends and Surviving a $150,000 Scam
• Golfing in Southern Utah and Embracing Imperfect Execution

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 don't lose control of their lives overnight. It happens slowly - through comfort, approval-seeking, distraction, blame, and outsourcing identity to culture and other people.

In this episode of Friday Field Notes, Ryan Michler breaks down the five most common ways men surrender their sovereignty and explains how to reclaim authority over your life, decisions, standards, and future.

This conversation challenges men to stop living reactively and start becoming the primary author of their lives.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

00:00 - The Most Powerful Version of Yourself
01:28 - What Sovereignty Really Means
04:46 - Men Are In a Battle
07:01 - Approval-Seeking
11:36 - Addiction to Comfort
15:12 - Digital Dependency
21:24 - Abdication of Responsibility
26:58 - Identity Outsourcing
31:15 - Reclaiming Your Sovereignty
34:29 - Final Challenge & 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

Kipp and Jay tackle some of the toughest and most meaningful questions from the Iron Council community in this week's Ask Me Anything episode. They discuss emergency preparedness, victim mentality, ownership, leadership, family mission alignment, and how to navigate unresolved tension in relationships. The conversation also dives into finding purpose in difficult jobs and managing rage when justice feels out of reach. Along the way, they share practical leadership insights, powerful mindset shifts, and personal stories about family, service, and growth. This episode is packed with grounded advice for men trying to lead themselves and others more effectively.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

00:00:00 - Pre-show conversation and traditions
00:12:52 - Emergency preparedness and taking action
00:22:00 - Ownership vs victim mentality
00:35:20 - Why After Action Reviews matter
00:45:05 - Pursuing a bigger family mission
00:57:20 - Do masculine principles apply to women?
01:03:15 - Handling rage when justice fails
01:15:20 - Resolving lingering tension in marriage
01:26:20 - Finding purpose in a job you hate
01:33:45 - Closing thoughts and 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 episode, Ryan Michler explores the ancient concept known as the "Ulysses Pact" and explains how it can help modern men build discipline, avoid self-sabotage, and stay committed under pressure. Drawing from Homer's Odyssey, Ryan breaks down why willpower alone often fails and how intentional systems, accountability, and pre-commitment strategies create lasting change.

Through practical examples involving finances, alcohol, work-life balance, and relationships, he shows how men can protect themselves from moments of weakness before temptation ever arrives. Ryan also shares the importance of brotherhood, structure, and personal responsibility in becoming the man one is meant to be.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

00:00 - Why Men Break Promises to Themselves
01:56 - The Story of Odysseus and the Sirens
04:15 - The Nature of Temptation and Self-Sabotage
06:06 - Why Willpower Is Not Enough
08:23 - Understanding the Ulysses Pact
10:38 - How Stress Destroys Rational Decision-Making
12:47 - Financial Discipline Through Pre-Commitment
16:03 - Alcohol, Accountability, and Better Decisions
18:10 - The Workaholic Trap and Family Presence
20:10 - Managing Conflict and Emotional Reactions
22:30 - Five Principles of the Ulysses Pact
23:39 - Building Friction Into Bad Habits
25:00 - Why Accountability Is Essential
26:00 - The Power of Specific Commitments
27:00 - Respecting Your Future Self
29:05 - Ryan's Challenge to Build Your Own Pact
30:26 - Brotherhood, Iron Council, and 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

What if the sacrifices you make aren't actually about service... but identity?

In this episode of Friday Field Notes, Ryan Michler breaks down the dangerous trap many men fall into: building their entire identity around suffering, responsibility, and sacrifice. Drawing from philosophy, psychology, and personal experience, Ryan explores how men unconsciously become martyrs - believing their worth is tied to how much pain they can endure.

From Carl Jung's concept of the persona and shadow, to Stoic philosophy and Sartre's idea of "bad faith," this episode challenges men to ask a difficult question:

Are you sacrificing for something... or sacrificing as something?

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS
00:00 - The Question That Changed Everything
01:05 - Becoming "The Responsible One"
03:35 - The Persona Men Build
05:35 - When Suffering Becomes Identity
06:45 - The Trap of Proving Your Worth
07:20 - Sartre and "Bad Faith"
09:20 - The Mindset of the Martyr
10:40 - Stoicism and Virtuous Suffering
12:15 - Why Men Perform Sacrifice
13:20 - Carl Jung and the Shadow
15:15 - The Hidden Patterns of Martyrdom
16:00 - Keeping Score in Relationships
17:10 - Why Martyrs Refuse Help
18:50 - Resentment Disguised as Dedication
21:05 - "I Had No Choice"
22:15 - Why Nobody Loves a Martyr
24:05 - Martyrdom vs Purpose
25:05 - The Story Your Kids Learn From You
26:15 - Losing Yourself in Responsibility
27:30 - How to Break the Pattern
28:00 - Name the Performance
28:50 - Reclaim Your Sovereignty
29:55 - The Boy Still Carrying the Weight
31:20 - Conscious vs Compulsive Sacrifice
32:10 - Building Identity Beyond Suffering
33:20 - A Man Who Knows Who He Is
34:35 - The Epictetus Quote
35:20 - Learning to Put the Weight Down
36:10 - Suffering With Purpose
37:00 - Final Thoughts on Martyrdom
37:45 - Share This With Another Man

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

Ryan Michler and Kipp Sorenson tackle hard truths about masculinity, leadership, discipline, and faith in this AMA episode. They discuss why many men struggle to lead confidently at home, how toxic behavioral patterns become comfortable, and what real brotherhood and accountability look like. The conversation dives deep into self-awareness, responsibility, relationships, and the danger of using faith as an excuse for passivity. Along the way, they share practical advice for helping struggling friends, becoming a man worth following, and building stronger purpose-driven lives.

Packed with candid stories, sharp insights, and actionable takeaways, this episode challenges men to stop avoiding reality and get to work.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS
00:00 Episode kickoff
00:46 Ryan's rant on biohacking culture
04:32 Why men focus on what they obsess over
06:00 Lacrosse fundraiser and leadership lesson
10:19 Ego, purpose, and mission-first thinking
17:16 Leading a wife who doesn't want to be led
27:24 Masculinity resources and recommended books
29:23 Why men repeat destructive patterns
36:07 The power of brotherhood and accountability
48:32 Helping a friend who refuses help
58:26 Faith, responsibility, and ownership
01:03:35 Why men are called to work

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