Order of Man

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

Ryan and Kipp open with a conversation about building, creating, and the satisfaction that comes from seeing your work in the world before diving into another Ask Me Anything. This week, they tackle questions on approval seeking, self-development investments, measuring progress, unpopular opinions, intuition, instant gratification, rebuilding after divorce, and designing an intentional reset year.
They also discuss why progress often feels invisible, how to involve family in personal goals, and why growth requires structure instead of endless information gathering. If you're trying to become more intentional and build a life with purpose, this episode delivers a practical perspective.
SHOW HIGHLIGHTS
00:00 - Intro & catching up
06:48 - Approval seeking vs being likable
20:10 - Investing in self-development
24:30 - Measuring personal growth
26:42 - Unpopular opinions
35:49 - Escaping instant gratification
39:30 - Taking an adult gap year
45:53 - Showing progress to others
53:00 - Getting spouse buy-in for big goals
01:07:00 - Why systems beat information
01:09:30 - Wrap up
 
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