What if your voice could reach your loved ones—without cell service, Wi-Fi, or infrastructure? In this powerful and practical conversation, Josh sits down with Evan Dixon, founder of Radio Made Easy, to explore how two-way radios—yes, radios—are one of the most underutilized tools for modern men and families who value self-reliance, preparedness, and connection.

This episode isn’t just for “preppers.” It’s for anyone who camps, overlands, hikes, has kids, lives in wildfire zones, or simply wants to be able to communicate when systems fail. Evan breaks down everything from walkie-talkies to HAM radios, repeaters to antennas, licensing myths to real-world application. You’ll leave this conversation with a clear understanding of what you need, why it matters, and how to actually use radio as a lifestyle—not just a last resort.

But this episode is also about courage, reinvention, and building something from nothing. Evan shares his winding path—from a Southern Baptist kid in North Carolina, to mission work in Nicaragua, to counseling men through heartbreak, to launching a radio company that’s now helping thousands of people stay connected off-grid.

Whether you’ve never touched a radio or you’re just “radio-curious,” this episode is a masterclass in why simple, analog tools still matter in a digital world—and how one man turned that insight into a mission-driven business.

• Why radios still matter in 2025 (and how they outperform phones when it counts)

• The real difference between HAM, GMRS, commercial radios, and walkie-talkies
• How to outfit your family with everyday-use radios that work for hiking, driving, camping, and home use
• The difference between “line of sight” and “skywave” (and how radios bounce off the atmosphere!)
• Why “licensing” scares people away—but shouldn’t
• How Evan programs radios so kids can only hear you, not strangers
• How to get your own FCC-approved frequencies (with no test)
• Why daily use matters more than emergency use (hint: practice makes prepared)
• How radio can be a game-changer for fathers, homesteaders, off-roaders, and families

1. RadioMadeEasy.com – Evan’s shop, classes, custom radios, and blog
2. Training Schedule – Find an in-person class or request one in your city
3. @RadioMadeEasy on Instagram – Where Evan shares tips, gear drops, and behind-the-scenes education
4. YouTube: Radio Made Easy

🔗 Follow The Last Easy Mile:

• 🎧 Subscribe on YouTube

• 📸 Instagram @thelasteasymilepodcast

• 🐦 Twitter / X

• 🌐 Website

This isn’t just a recap — it’s a challenge.

After nine episodes exploring fatherhood, adventure, survival, digital safety, spiritual growth, food, and masculinity, Josh steps back to reveal the bigger mission behind The Last Easy Mile. This episode is both a call to action and a field guide — an invitation to act, learn, and live more intentionally.

🎯 What You’ll Get in This Episode:

• Why The Last Easy Mile exists
• Josh’s personal story: rural roots, urban grit, and midlife reckoning
• Behind-the-scenes lessons from each of the first 9 episodes
• Action steps, gear, books, and mindset shifts from every guest
• How to get started with hunting, stargazing, real food, off-roading, and digital parenting
• What’s coming next (spirituality, psychedelics, big ideas…)
• How to join the community

🧭 Resources + Mentions by Episode:

(Full links + guides available in the newsletter)

Ep 1 – Josh Kirchner: Learn to hunt as an adult, recommended gear + mindset

Ep 2 – Fraser Cain: Stargazing with your kids, meteor shower maps, beginner telescopes

Ep 3 – Kute Blackson: Surrender, letting go, emotional growth, book recs

Ep 4 – John Barklow: Cold weather survival, preparedness mindset, “possibilities pouch”

Ep 5 – Nick Melillo: The ritual of cigars, building a creative life, Foundation Cigars

Ep 6 – Dr. Bill Schindler: Eat like a human, ancestral food, raw milk, food chain awareness

Ep 7 – Keenan Campbell: Overlanding with intention, gear, dispersed camping, healing through nature

Ep 8 – Chris McKenna: Digital safety for kids, router security, app filters, real tools for dads

Ep 9 – Matt Beaudreau: Raising strong kids, redefining education, masculinity through action

🧠 Follow-Up Actions:

→ Join the newsletter: thelasteasymilepodcast.com

→ Rate + review the podcast if you got value

→ Send the episode to someone who’s stuck in routine

→ DM Josh with your personal action from this episode

In this episode of The Last Easy Mile, Josh sits down with Matt Beaudreau—father, entrepreneur, educator, and founder of Apogee Strong—to unpack what’s gone wrong with modern education, masculinity, and fatherhood… and how to fix it.

Drawing from his experience as a former public school teacher, private school administrator, Stanford University staff member, and now leader of a national mentorship and educational movement, Matt shares how Apogee Strong is helping families reclaim their values, design their own educational paths, and raise young men and women who are emotionally strong, physically capable, financially literate, and spiritually grounded.

They dive deep into topics like the failure of conveyor-belt schooling, the dangers of mediocrity and digital distractions, and why strong, present fathers are the cornerstone of a thriving society. Matt also shares insights on rites of passage, legacy-building, and how to raise children who are prepared for real life—not just to pass tests.

This is a wide-ranging, deeply honest conversation about building resilient families, rethinking what it means to be educated, and leading a life rooted in values, not fear.

Topics Covered:

• Why traditional schooling is broken—and what Matt saw inside California public schools

• The power of homeschooling, co-ops, and alternative education

• What Apogee Strong really is: mentorship, campuses, and full-life family education

• Meta-skills your kids actually need to thrive in the future (hint: it’s not algebra)

• Masculinity redefined: not alpha posturing, but sovereign leadership and service

• How to raise self-aware, spiritually grounded, physically capable young men

• Why rites of passage and family traditions are essential—and how to build your own

• Real stories from the front lines: Stanford, school systems, and starting over

• How fathers and sons can learn together—and why most men need a community too

• Book recommendations and challenges that transform lives, not just check boxes

• Building resilient families that lead with values in an upside-down world

Books Mentioned:

• Outwitting the Devil by Napoleon Hill

• • Atomic Habits by James Clear
  • The Alter Ego Effect by Todd Herman

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  Resources:

  👉 Learn more: www.apogeestrong.com

  👉 Follow Matt on Instagram: @mattbeaudreau

  👉 Check out the Apogee Men’s & Father-Son Mentorships