Men are drowning in a culture that rewards the appearance of strength. You've likely heard the term, "ripped, rich, and rare." It misses the one thing that actually builds it: the willingness to fail, feel it, and let their kids watch them do it. Today's guest calls this the "Upside Down Game," the con every man eventually has to walk away from if he wants to become someone worth following. This conversation goes straight at the blindness most men carry about themselves, the resistance that waits for every man trying to change, and why the hardest thing on earth isn't becoming a warrior; it's accepting your own humanity first.

Kyle Carnohan joins me to talk about the greatest awakening happening among men right now, and what it actually looks like to raise kids who can hold frame in a world built to knock them off it. We get into the difference between being calm and being a pushover, why "non-reactive" doesn't mean passive, and how a strong spine and a soft heart aren't opposites, they're the whole point. If you've ever wondered whether your kids are learning more from your failures than your victories, this episode will answer that question whether you're ready for it or not.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

00:00 - Introduction and Reconnecting

01:09 - The State of Modern Podcasting vs. Real Connection

03:22 - The Great Awakening: Transitioning from Promotion to Realness

05:24 - Embracing Failure, Disaster, and Finding Faith

07:23 - The Struggle for Men to Accept Their Humanity

09:22 - Falling in Love with the Process Over the Outcome

10:00 - Finding Peace in Major Life Hardships

11:51 - Teaching Children Resilience Through Witnessing Hardship

14:38 - Spotting Your Blind Spots and Learning to Continually Reconcile

19:40 - The Importance of Finding an Accurate Mirror in Life

21:30 - Navigating Different Personalities Under One Roof

22:38 - Unconditional Love and Radical Non-Reactivity in Parenting

27:11 - Stripping Away the Tough Guy Persona

30:20 - Overcoming the Need to Force and Strong-Arm Your Family

32:18 - Maintaining a Calm Nervous System Amidst Household Chaos

36:36 - Commanding Respect vs. Demanding Compliance

39:38 - The Societal Shift and Misconceptions of Kindness in Men

41:56 - The Balance: Hard Man with a Soft Heart

45:01 - Maintaining Your Frame vs. Being a Pushover

48:45 - The Courage Required for Calm, Loving Pursuits in Conflict

50:51 - Holding the Line Calmly with Children

54:12 - How Raising Righteous Children Saves the Culture

56:05 - Yielding the Glory and Fighting Alongside Men

58:21 - Connecting with Kyle and 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

In this episode of Friday Field Notes, host Ryan Michler tackles a critical societal crisis: the rise of vanishing fatherhood. With nearly half of all men between the ages of 25 and 45 currently childless, Ryan breaks down why this trend isn't just an economic narrative, but a profound crisis of belief.

He exposes the cultural lie that children are a restriction on personal freedom and contrasts it with data showing that 90% of fathers find fatherhood to be their deepest source of joy. True purpose comes from shouldering responsibility, not chasing comfort. Tune in to learn why raising righteous children is the ultimate battlefield for our culture.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

00:00 - Episode Introduction

00:45 - The Fatherhood Statistics Shock

02:24 - Belief Systems vs. Economic Stories

04:27 - The Joy of Fatherhood vs. Societal Expectations

06:37 - The True Cost of Opting Out

08:50 - The Danger of Fragile and Rudderless Men

11:02 - The Birth Rate Collapse and Cultural Decay

13:19 - Reclaiming Culture Through the Next Generation

15:28 - Forfeiting the Cultural Fight

17:28 - Raising Righteous Children as the Mission

19:13 - Shifting from Dopamine to Legacy

19:57 - Step Up and Find the Courage

22:00 - A Call to Action for Modern Fathers

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 kick things off by reflecting on the Fourth of July and discussing why hope, personal agency, and responsibility are at the heart of what makes America unique. They then answer listener questions on fatherhood without a positive role model, rebuilding trust after discovering a spouse's hidden debt, choosing a simple life over chasing an empire, and whether to confess a long-hidden pornography addiction.

Throughout the episode, they explore integrity, personal responsibility, and what it truly means to live as "the man in the arena"—making difficult choices that lead to lasting character and stronger relationships.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

00:00 - Episode Introduction

01:40 - Hope Is What Makes America Great

13:31 - Fatherhood Without a Blueprint

22:32 - Your Wife's Secret Credit Card: Rebuilding Trust

34:09 - Is It Wrong to Want a Quiet Life?

39:02 - Should You Confess a Hidden Porn Addiction?

51:07 - Final Thoughts & Iron Council

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'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